With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

The old man prostrated himself on the ground, expressing the highest respect with his whole body prostrating himself.

This move put the fate of the entire barbarian tribe on this desperate gamble.

But for the survival of his people, he had no choice.

Emperor Touman's loud laughter was like thunder, and the laughter echoed in the magnificent hall.

"Three hundred thousand people? Hahahaha!"

He laughed so hard that he fell forward and backward, and the gold threads on his dragon robe were trembling.

It was like I heard the funniest joke in the world, and I almost laughed to tears.

"My Xiongnu Empire stretches twenty thousand miles from east to west, and its people number more than fifty million, a full five million, thirty-seven thousand, eight hundred and sixty-two!" "And its soldiers number even more than a million, and our Xiongnu Royal Army alone numbers half a million!"

"Your mere 300,000 people are but a drop in the ocean, a tiny fraction of a ton. What do they count for?"

He glanced at His Highness's envoy with disdain, his eyes full of disdain and ridicule.

The envoys looked at each other in confusion, feeling uneasy at Touman's arrogance.

The laughter was like a sharp knife, piercing their nerves and making them feel suffocated.

They didn't understand whether this laughter was filled with joy, ridicule, or both.

The old man gritted his teeth, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, and said with a stiff upper lip:

"Your Majesty, although our barbarian tribe is small in number, each one is brave and skilled in fighting, and has lived in the heart of the Central Plains for generations."

"I know the terrain, mountains, rivers, and even every blade of grass and tree there like the back of my hand."

"We are willing to lead the way for your majesty's army and serve as your majesty's vanguard!"

The old man paused and added:

"What's more, our Barbarian Tribe still has 100,000 elite soldiers, all of whom are veteran warriors, enough to become a powerful force under Your Majesty's command!"

He kowtowed again, his forehead hitting the marble floor heavily, making a dull sound.

Touman's laughter stopped abruptly, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze as sharp as an eagle.

"I, look down on you!"

He was blunt and direct.

"However, when many branches split off, their fates were very different."

"It's really not easy for you to survive in the heart of the Central Plains."

He paused, his tone becoming colder.

"My Xiongnu tribe and the three kingdoms of the Central Plains have forged a blood feud for centuries! Even if you don't come to me, sooner or later I will march south and razed the Central Plains!"

The envoys' emotions went up and down like a roller coaster. By the end, they were all so excited that tears filled their eyes.

"Your Majesty is wise!" the old man shouted.

"Your Majesty established the Xiongnu Empire, and his achievements far surpass those of previous Chanyu. You will surely unify the world!"

Touman smiled faintly, as if unifying the world was just a piece of cake for him.

"However," he changed the subject.

"Not yet. My empire has just experienced a great war and needs to recuperate. It is not appropriate to start another war."

The barbarian envoys suddenly became anxious.

It took them nearly a year to get out and seek help.

If we wait any longer for them to recuperate, the opportunity will be lost!

By that time, Lu Yan would probably have completely annexed the barbarians!

"His Majesty!"

The old man said bravely.

"If we don't destroy Shannan County now, it will become a major threat to the Xiongnu Empire in the future!"

"Alarmist!"

Touman waved his hand impatiently.

"It's just a county town. No matter how powerful it is, how great can it be? Although I am far away in the grasslands, I know the situation in the Central Plains very well."

The old man wanted to persuade him again, but was stopped by his companion who whispered:

"Stop talking! His Majesty has made up his mind. If you continue, you might anger him!"

The old man finally reacted and quickly shut up and lowered his head in silence.

Emperor Touman sneered in his heart as he looked at His Highness's envoys who were silent as a mouse.

He established the Xiongnu Empire not for any grand ambition or national justice.

I just want to survive and let my people survive!

The grasslands were cold and resource-scarce, so successive Chanyu could only survive by plundering the Central Plains.

But the Central Plains is not so easy to mess with. Once the Central Plains dynasty recovers, it will take cruel revenge on the grassland.

We have witnessed this cycle too many times and experienced the horror of the White Plague firsthand.

Cattle and sheep froze to death in large numbers, and tribesmen starved to death everywhere. That scene remains his lingering nightmare.

He's fed up with this precarious life! He wants to change everything!

To build a powerful empire, an empire that can be self-sufficient and no longer rely on plunder!

We must make sure that the Huns no longer suffer from hunger and cold, and no longer be bullied by the Central Plains dynasty!

To this end, he worked hard to govern the country and annexed tribes large and small on the grassland.

He established the powerful Xiongnu Empire and proclaimed himself the Great Emperor.

Having learned from the bitter lessons of successive Chanyu, they realized that nomadic life on the grassland was not a long-term solution.

If you want long-term peace and stability, you must build your country on fertile land.

Only by developing agriculture can we get rid of our dependence on nature.

The grassland is vast, but there are very few places suitable for survival.

We need a stable rear area that can provide sufficient food and manpower.

Only in this way can he let go and conquer the Central Plains and completely solve the Huns' worries!

And now is obviously not a good time to attack the Central Plains.

The Xiongnu Empire had just experienced a great war and was severely damaged, so it needed to recuperate.

Not to mention, going deep into the heart of the Central Plains to rescue a small tribe.

That's a totally thankless task!

"Your Majesty, I'm not exaggerating. Shannan County is truly evil!"

The old man shouted at the top of his lungs, as if he wanted to pour out all the fear he had experienced along the way.

"The weapons they used were not what we know them to be! I saw them with my own eyes. That thing, that thing..."

The old man was so excited that he stamped his feet, and the expression on his face was wonderful, like he was singing an opera.

Sometimes it is blue, sometimes white, sometimes purple, just like a color palette.

Emperor Touman was originally reclining on the tiger-skin throne.

He was picking his nails carelessly, looking indifferent.

He had long been aware of the corruption of the Central Plains dynasty.

How could such a small county town be turned upside down?

He sneered and said:

"Oh? What's so weird about that? Could it be that they all have three heads and six arms, and can breathe fire and spit out ice?"

When the old man heard this, he immediately became excited, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.

Tell the story of all the strange things in Shannan County.

He said that the thunder was like a god descending to earth, with a loud bang that shook the earth and sent sand and rocks flying.

It can shock a person so much that his internal organs are displaced.

The musket was even more powerful, with just a few bangs.

The heavy cavalry's armor was like paper and was instantly turned into a sieve.

And that artillery, that range, one mile? Two miles? No, it's at least three miles!

The old man was talking with saliva flying all over their faces like flowers scattered by a fairy.