Traveling through an ancient military camp: Bao'er's survival song

The small state of Sui was rich in rice, but lacked mineral resources; conversely, the state of Qiang had barren soil and difficult cultivation, yet produced copper and iron. These two small states had long maintained a delicate balance with the large Han territory sandwiched between them through resource exchanges.

In reality, rather than a matter of balance, it was more accurate to say that the Han state disdained to expend military resources on these two small countries. Firstly, the Han state had no shortage of mineral resources or fertile farmland; secondly, both small countries possessed natural barriers, and attacking them would be time-consuming, laborious, and costly for the Han state.

In short, small, impoverished, and uncivilized countries are not worth taking action against.

The Qiang Kingdom's provocation stemmed from their frustration with being dependent on others for food. After all, while weapons don't need to be made every day, food is essential. Therefore, they consistently targeted the neighboring Han Kingdom, their border raids always accompanied by shameless justifications: "You Han Kingdom have so much land, what's wrong with sharing some with us? What's wrong with giving us one or two cities? Sharing some food and clothing won't hurt you! Stingy! Miserly!"

In short, it's utterly shameless.

Let's return to the ten-meter-high dike built by the Han Kingdom.

When the dam was being built, the State of Sui also took notice of this rather large project. However, the ruler and his ministers of Sui were dismissive of it: "We have so many rivers, we don't need yours. Go ahead and block it if you want, who cares?"

But when the dikes were filled with a vast expanse of floodwater, the ruler and his ministers of Sui sensed something was wrong. Upon receiving the arrogant message from Han, the ruler of Sui immediately dispatched an envoy to Qiang to negotiate peace, condemning Qiang for poisoning the river—a despicable act that violated the natural order—and threatening that if Qiang persisted in its wrongdoing, Sui would cease all grain trade with them.

The notice that Han sent to Sui was: the day Qiang poisons the land will be the day Han opens the floodgates. At that time, the fertile Sui will be flooded. You can decide what to do.

The threat of poisoning by the Qiang Kingdom was resolved without the loss of a single soldier.

This strategy of luring the prince into the trap was devised by Wu Peng'en, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince at the time.

However, General Peng Yi died.

General Peng, who was carried back, was dressed in Qiang ethnic clothing, and his body was covered with rose-red lividity.

He died of poisoning. When he was hiding his whereabouts and disguised as a Qiang ethnic minority, the Qiang clothing made of silk threads soaked in Qiang poison was the murder weapon he deliberately put on.

General Peng Yi of Ningyuan died at the hands of the Qiang people before he could even take the first step in his covert investigation.

Dead, utterly pathetic.

Peng Zizheng, like a madman, drew his sword and mounted his horse, determined to enter the Qiang territory to avenge his adoptive father. However, numerous soldiers held him back. The soldiers earnestly persuaded him, explaining that breaking the peace agreement between the two countries would surely incur the emperor's wrath. Furthermore, Peng's murder was ostensibly a fight between commoners, with no evidence to prove that the Qiang king was behind it. Moreover, an army cannot be without a leader, and as Peng's adopted son, he had to maintain the morale of the Peng family army.

In the end, Peng Zizheng tumbled off his horse, the tall, slender boy collapsing into the mud and weeping uncontrollably.

Fifteen-year-old Peng Zizheng became an orphan once again after becoming an orphan at the age of ten.

He hates.

He hated the Qiang people.

He hated Wu Peng'en.

He resented Wu Peng'en for pressuring his impulsive godfather with one ambiguous secret letter after another.