Liu Jing risked his life. It was obviously a bluff and a test, but he played it vividly and penetratingly.
Although he had always secretly speculated that with the emperor's strategy and foresight, he must have been prepared for the changes in the Yan Kingdom, but it is pure nonsense to say that Liu Ji was even aware of King Yan's move to buy horses.
The Xiongnu had always been very cautious about the sale of horses, especially in the era of constant disputes with the Central Plains peoples. Every time a horse was sold to the Central Plains, it was tantamount to endangering the enemy.
However, King Zang Tu of Yan had shown kindness to the Xiongnu in every possible way over the years and had repeatedly given gifts. He obviously regarded the Xiongnu as his support and as his retreat;
For Mao Dun, making military deals with the King of Yan so openly was also a bold attempt on his mind to enter China.
Perhaps because the process of conquering the grasslands was too smooth, his ambitions continued to expand, and he even coveted the unknown lands within the Great Wall that his ancestors had never set foot on.
Regarding Chanyu's adventure, the Huyan clan, the mother clan of the Dalan clan, and several other noble surnames all thought it was too radical.
At present, although the countries such as Huiqi and Sushen to the east of King Zuoxian's territory, as well as the Yueshi and other countries to the west of King Youxian's territory, have been driven away, they are far from completely surrendered, and will resurrect and counterattack from time to time.
If he fails to steal the chicken and provokes the Han Dynasty to send troops, wouldn't he be surrounded by enemies on three sides?
Moreover, the leaders were not very interested in the territory that King Yan had promised to cede to the Xiongnu after seizing the Central Plains.
“On those lands, not even alfalfa grows, and cattle and sheep cannot be fed, so we can only grow some crops.
But who among us Huns knows how to farm? Is it possible to capture some Han people to farm the land?
Wouldn't it be necessary to send someone to guard them again? We must always be on guard against the Han people taking the land back. "
The leaders of the three noble surnames all complained privately. Although the utensils of the Han Dynasty were good, if they really tied people tightly to the Central Plains and were not accustomed to the acclimatization, it would be more of a loss than the gain.
It is a pity that since the day Maodun killed his father, he has been acting arbitrarily, and the "Datu Pulanti", the council of tribal leaders, has long been in vain.
Therefore, everyone watched helplessly as King Ainen of Youxian secretly transported a large number of fine war horses to the border of Yan State. They could only make insinuations and politely persuade them, but they did not dare to directly object.
Liu Jing did not know the background of this, but he deeply remembered the queen's advice that the Huns were human beings too, and the Huns' court, like the Luoyang court, was full of intrigues and power games.
Therefore, suspicion arose, and he accidentally stepped on Maodun Shanyu's deepest worry.
On the surface, Shanyu tried his best to defy everyone's opinion, but deep down in his heart, he was also uneasy——
He could neither believe in the strength of King Yan Zang Tu nor his promises.
If he really fails because he trusts Zang Tu, he will not be able to continue his glorious glory on this grassland in the future.
***
Liu Jing was the best at observing words and expressions. He found that he seemed to have hit the mark. His confidence doubled and he continued to speak.
"Our great emperor understands the reason why the Huns sold their horses, and he doesn't care about it anymore.
He just wants to ask you not to send troops, and if you wait a few months, the war will naturally come to an end. "
"What if I have to help the Yan Kingdom?" Modun said fiercely, grinding his teeth.
"Sending troops is too uneconomical for you.
Along the way, I saw foals and lambs born this spring everywhere. It was a rare good year.
I heard that summer is the time when they grow rapidly, and it is also the time when they need careful care by herdsmen.
There is already a shortage of labor on the grasslands. If you send troops, you will have to mobilize all the men to join the army. The remaining old, weak, women and children will have to drive the herds and follow the movement of the large army.
As a result, it is hard to say how many of these lambs will survive. "
Even though he was in a smelly felt tent, Liu Jing felt like he was back at home where he excelled, and he was talking more and more calmly.
The ground-level wind seemed to be blowing on his cheeks again. The people sitting in front of him at this moment seemed to be no longer the aliens with dragons and tigers, but another group of Nuonuo who were defeated by his unshakable tongue. Just senior.
He knew very well that persuading the Great Chanyu was the same as persuading Liu Ji to move the capital. The key was to make the other party feel from the bottom of his heart that he was standing in their position and sincerely thinking about them.
Sacrificing the good harvest that was running all over the mountains and fields in front of him in exchange for an unsatisfactory future, he expected that Mao Dun would not be willing to gamble on such a loss-making business.
What's more, Zang Tu may not win.
Seeing that Mao Dun was deep in thought, Liu Jing took advantage of the victory to pursue him, and continued to win another victory.
"Zang Tu, the king of Yan, is nothing to fear.
If he really could defeat the Great Emperor, why was he willing to recommend my lord in the first place?
Besides, as you know, fighting in the Han region is different from that of the grasslands, so you need to prepare food and grass in advance.
Look at the gifts Zang Tu sent. They are of low quality and quantity. Do they seem to have the strength to produce a large amount of food and grass?
The Yan State is so shabby, even if it wins against the odds, what kind of compensation can it give you? "
Old Nie's translation speed on the side could no longer keep up with Liu Jing's. He translated a few sentences and then glanced sideways at Liu Jing. His eyes were not only respectful, but also a little impressed.
***
Finally, Liu Jing looked around at the silent prince, Akeweishen and others, and ended with an earth-shattering sentence,
“If you don’t trust me, that’s easy to do.
You keep my life alive first, and I will live in the felt tent next to you and watch the situation with you.
I boldly predicted that if Zang Tu shakes the tree with earthworms, he will definitely be defeated within three months.
As for whether to be on good terms with the Great Emperor, it's not too late for you to make a decision at that time.
If what I say is deceptive, no matter whether the great Chanyu wants to imprison or cut him into pieces, he will not complain. "
Old Nie was already dumbfounded. After struggling to finish the translation, he said to Liu Jing a little embarrassedly,
"The Huns didn't have the word 'cut', and they didn't have a prison, so they had no place to lock you up.
But they seem to have a kind of punishment, which is to tie people behind a galloping horse and drag them to death, which is considered the death penalty on the grassland. "
"You can translate it however you want, whether it's chopped up or dragged to death. Anyway, I think it won't be used on my head."
Liu Jing chuckled, and while everyone was still digesting in silence, he quietly rubbed the sweat on his palms again and again on the bamboo joints.
Only the wick of the oil lamp could be heard crackling from time to time, adding to the deathly silence in the tent.
Finally, Mao Dun said,
"I understand what you said. Just go back to the yurt and wait."
Liu Jing breathed out softly, saluted, faced everyone in the tent, raised his feet and backed away slowly.
Lao Nie said that this was the etiquette for the Xiongnu to leave the battlefield, and he was also always wary of someone coming up to stab him from behind.
His legs were a little weak, but he gritted his teeth and held on. He made it to this point in one breath, but he couldn't lose face when he exited.
Before he could retreat to the door, he suddenly heard Mao Dun mutter something. Old Nie hurriedly said,
"Wait a minute, Shanyu said that he was so dizzy from your nagging that he almost forgot to ask——
Have you ever heard of a general named Zhong...Zhong Lihuan? "
