At noon, Qiangqu Shanyu woke up from his sleep and saw the heavy white mist outside the tent. The sunlight had not yet broken through the sky, and he could only vaguely see the outline of the sun. He rolled over from the couch and sat up, his body swaying, and he put his hand on his forehead and felt wrinkles all over his forehead.
This made him doubly sad. The Huns were originally a pack of wolves running on the grassland. As the wolf king, he should still have the cruelest minions, the sharpest eyes, and the most unruly soul. In this way, he is the proud son of heaven, the Xiongnu Chanyu established by heaven.
But time has changed, and things in the world are different. The royal court of the Xiongnu no longer wanders in the endless grasslands, but is stationed in these vast mountains. Many Huns no longer hunt like their ancestors, let alone remember the Xiongnu River and Zhuoye Mountain, which are already pastures for Xianbei people to herd horses, and the rivers there no longer reveal the faces of the Huns. And he is getting older. I wonder if anyone will be able to sing him a funeral song for his ancestors in his native language when he returns to the embrace of his heavenly Father.
Putting on a sun-patterned white deer cloak, Qiangqu Shanyu walked out of the house. The cold spring suddenly woke him up from his sadness. He couldn't help but laugh, silently recalling the years when he was still King Youxian. He was not Shanyu's heir, and he was lucky enough to sit in this position for several years without any complaints.
Today is the day to swear an oath to go to war. According to the custom, the Shanyu will meet with all the alliance tribes. Before the army set off, he first asked the tribes to recommend warriors and compete with each other in their riding and shooting skills. Then he ordered the winning warriors to go out. The chanyu gave his golden sword to the warriors and promoted them to be the ones who would open the way for the army. pioneer.
Although it was customary, Chanyu only attended for a short time in the early morning when he felt a little uncomfortable. After apologizing to the kings, he went back to his room to rest, and it was noon after a rest. The Chanyu is not anxious. As a Chanyu, this is his privilege. Moreover, the conference is long and it is estimated that it will end in the evening. After another night's rest tonight, the 100,000-strong army will start the journey tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, in a blink of an eye, he saw a woman in military uniform running towards him from a distance. As he got closer, he realized that it was his youngest daughter, Pu Zhenmeilu. Pu Zhenmei has a graceful figure and a beautiful face. She is wearing a narrow-sleeved deerskin coat, a crimson bow hanging on her back, and a plain white velvet hat on her head. In spite of her heroic appearance, Chan Yu sees her look sad, which makes her look even more sad. Very touching.
When the Chanyu asked his daughter why, Pu Zhenmeilu whipped his horse and hesitated angrily before speaking to his father. It turns out that the pearl of the Xiongnu was also interested in the competition and wanted to compete with other warriors in archery skills. However, despite all kinds of requests, the coach, King Xiutu, refused to make any excuses. Pu Zhenmei admitted and made a fuss, and they parted unhappy.
After laughing for a moment, Shanyu comforted his beloved daughter and said: "Second place, why don't you go to your elder brother? Can King Zuo Xian bear to see his sister being bullied?"
Speaking of this, Pu Zhenmeilu became even more angry. She said angrily: "As soon as my father went to rest, King Zuo Xian also went to the horse market to caress his BMW, and he hasn't come back yet!"
Shanyu's face was gloomy. He left the table temporarily to let his eldest son take charge of the overall situation and establish prestige among the tribes, but unexpectedly it turned out to be so unbearable. He comforted his beloved daughter a few more times and asked her to go to the horse market to call Fu Luo, while he took his guards and rode back to the military platform.
Today, the military dignitaries gathered together, and all the Xiongnu tribes in Bingzhou gathered here. They are:
Guhu, the king of Guli on the left, Outuoquan, the king of Guli on the right, Zadu, the king of the left Richu, Anhe, the king of the right Richu, Yuledu, the king of Huyan, Ye Eryi, the king of Yibu, Po Lishi, the king of Zhelan, and Qiulin king Gu Tusheng, Julong Wang Kunkuo, Xubu Gudu Hou Cheyou, Helian Gudu Hou Chihou, Daqiequ Zhiyasi.
Of course, there was someone else on the throne, Zhang Yi, the governor of Bingzhou in the Han Dynasty. But he was sitting alone, and beside him were seven people, including Wen Hong from Biejia, Wang Kai from Zhongzhong, Qin Yilu from Chief Secretary, and Wei Yue from Dianjun. They commented on each other's characters, and they were clearly different from the Xiongnu dignitaries and were incompatible with each other. When Shanyu returned to his seat, Zhang Yi saluted Shanyu and said with a smile: "Looking at Shanyu's military appearance today, it can be said that it is the rain that relieves the severe drought for my big man."
Chanyu Qiangqu sat back on his seat, smiled at Zhang Yi and asked, "Now that all the characters of the Xiongnu are here, how do I compare with the characters of the Central Plains?"
Zhang Yi looked at the forest-like flags in the distance and saw the Huns galloping like the wind in a horse racing carnival. He sincerely admired: "Your tribe has been raising children for decades, and now the heroes of Saichuan are full of splendor. It can be said that the military quality has returned."
Then he changed his tone and said: "It's just that China has a large number of heroes, and there is no shortage of heroes. They are not only martial arts, but also literary talents, and they have studied morality and politics. Shanyu asked me how I compare to the people in the Central Plains? Zhang could only answer: They are not the same. .”
Having said this, Zhang Yi immediately smiled and said nothing, but Qiangqu Shanyu was not angry at all, but smiled and said:
"The governor's words are to the point, and they are what I often worry about. Fortunately, I have two children, one named Liu Xuan and the other named Liu Bao. They are currently studying in Guandong and are quite proficient in poetry and calligraphy. If he were here, I think I will have a great time chatting with the governor."
It turns out that the Shanyu lineage is not prosperous now. In addition to the eldest son Yu Fuluo and the youngest daughter Pu Zhenmeilu, there are two other sons.
The second son, Hu Chuquan, became the Right Xian King and was stationed in the Dingxiang area of Yanmen to guard against Xianbei invaders.
Huchuquan was more prudent than Fuluo and won the hearts of the people. The Xiongnu did not have the custom of establishing an elder. Logically speaking, Huchuquan should have been the king of Zuoxian. However, Yu Fuluo gave birth to a good son who was unparalleled in terms of intelligence and bravery among his peers. Chanyu could not help but have high hopes for him and sent him to Hanoi to study. As a result, Yu Fuluo's status rose.
The third son, Liu Xuan, was the sage Gudu Marquis, but he was only a few years older than Liu Bao. Instead of his general interest in "Poems" and "Books", he also traveled to the Kanto states and worshiped the great Confucian Sun Yan as his teacher. He was quite literary. name.
After hearing the news about Liu Bao, all the kings present came forward to ask Shanyu about his current situation. Shanyu was pleased and took out the letters from his descendants from his sleeves and passed them to everyone to watch. When Zhang Yi got it in his hand, he couldn't help but be surprised. The handwriting on the bamboo slips was like a beautiful bamboo slip, with clear lines and branches, as if it was written by everyone. He was impressed by the practice and smiled at Shan Yu: "It beats me by three points."
While they were laughing and talking, a tsunami-like cheer suddenly came from the military formation. The kings on the throne looked from a distance and saw a wolf flag passing through the ranks. It was the flag of King Xiutu Huliba. Chanyu hurriedly called the guards to inquire about the situation. The guards consulted and came back to report.
It turned out that when the competition between horses and archers was at its peak, two warriors were competing a hundred steps away. They fired three bows in a row and hit the bull's-eye. It was difficult to compete for a while. King Xiutu, as the commander, Watching the shooting, I felt itchy and unbearable, but I actually participated in the shooting myself.
Looking from a distance on the two-foot high platform, King Xiutu's figure walked through the crowd. In the vast sea of people, his purple robe was as weak and dazzling as flames. Shanyu could only vaguely see King Xiutu sitting on his horse, stretching his bow and loosening the string. He repeated this three times. Every time he loosened the string, the soldiers cheered. When the last string was loosened, the scene was silent for a moment, and then the soldiers were like the beginning of a big dream. Wake up, they all shouted "Long Live", the cheers soared into the sky, and the expressions of all the kings on the stage changed accordingly.
The guard came again to report that King Xiutu's first arrow hit the bull's-eye, his second arrow hit the bull's-eye along the shaft of the first arrow, and the third arrow hit the target again. Ten steps on a dead tree is truly a miraculous skill. After the report was finished, the guard's expression was agitated and he couldn't control himself for a long time.
Zhang Yi was also shocked. He turned sideways and asked in a low voice, Wen Hongdao, the commander of the army, "Is there anyone in our army who is so good at shooting?"
Wen Hong replied in a low voice: "There are many like this, but Jiuyuan Lu Fengxian's shooting skills are far superior."
Zhang Yi's complexion improved and he went to look at the audience again.
When he saw King Xiutu riding his horse back to the military platform, he took off his purple robe, revealing his burly figure. Huliba, King of Xiutu, picked up a wet towel and wiped his sweat while walking up. He saluted Shan Yu and the kings present and said with a smile: "The little king was itchy for a moment and made a fool of himself in front of you."
"Huliba has such a magical shot. Unless it is given by God, how can he show his embarrassment?" Chanyu said with a smile, he gently touched the golden knife on his waist, and then asked: "It's just that Huliba, as an army Commander, you must not take personal risks and be the vanguard of an army. As King Xiutu, you should sit in the middle of the army and give up the golden sword to the two warriors."
King Xiutu threw down his turban, held the sword at his waist, knelt down on one knee, nodded with military salute and faced the Qiangqu Chanyu, and then sighed: "How dare Huliba disobey the Chanyu's order? But there is only one below. I'm sorry, but I hope the Shanyu will agree to my order."
Shan Yu said with a smile: "What's so difficult about this? It doesn't matter if you just say it."
King Xiutu Huliba suddenly raised his head, his eyes were bright, and he said loudly: "Please take back the Shanyu's orders, disperse the armies, and restore peace to my people."
King Xiutu's tone was calm, but his voice was loud. All the princes around him heard it, and the expressions of Zhang Yi and others changed greatly.
There was a thunder on the ground, but it was like a mud cow entering the sea. The whole place was silent for a while, no one dared to speak.
For a long time, Qiangqu Shanyu glanced at the kings around him and asked calmly: "Except King Xiutu, who among the kings agrees with this matter?"
After a moment of silence, King Kunkuo of Julong took the lead and said to Qiangqu Chanyu: "Qiangqu, now the emperor of the Han Dynasty has changed his order and asked us to send troops to Liangzhou first and then to Youzhou. Which one is the leader? We Huns Although we have been favored by the emperor, we cannot ignore the power of the people! Didn't we die enough when we sent troops for the Han four years ago and left thousands of corpses in Xianbei? "
King Julong is now seventy and three years old, and no one has the same gray hair, wrinkles like dead wood, and deep eyes like gems. Qiangqu Shanyu originally wanted to suppress the arrogance of the kings, but he got through this moment, but unexpectedly He was the one who took the lead, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Really? It's because of your support that they rushed to do this!"
King Guhu of Zuoguli, King Zadu of Zuo Rizhu, King Yeeryi of Yibu, King Polishi of Zhelan, King Gutusheng of Qiulin, and Hou Cheyou of Xubugudu all echoed and said in unison. : "We are not greedy for life and afraid of death, we are just trying to make a living for the Huns, and we hope that the Chanyu will stop his troops."
The Chanyu of Qiangqu looked aside again: King Outuoquan of Youguli, King Anhe of Yourizhu, King Yuledu of Huyan, Hou Chihou of Heliangudu, and Dajiequ Zhiyasi were silent. Asked: "What is your attitude?"
Still silent, that means his attitude is clear.
The Chanyu took out his golden sword, pointed it at King Xiutu and said with a sad smile: "Huliba, if you really think about your people, why didn't you argue with your reason at the beginning? Now that you are forcing me to send off the soldiers, I am afraid that even the Chanyu's position will be lost. It’s yours!”
King Xiutu shook his head and said: "The little king has little virtue, how dare he get involved in Shanyu's position? Xubu Guduhou has been stationed in Shangjun for many years, but he has been in Xianbei for many years. He has worked hard and made great achievements, and he is highly respected. Huliba is willing to recommend Xubu Guduhou as the leader. Chanyu can assist the government together with King Julong and other old kings."
Shanyu suddenly realized, looked at the kings beside him and sighed: "No wonder you are willing to collude with Huliba Hang, that's it." Then he shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes and saying nothing.
Seeing how quickly the situation with the Xiongnu turned around, the Dian army engaged Wei Yue could no longer hold back. He drew his sword and stood up, asking the kings present: "You have repeated this in public, do you think that I, a big Han, have no one, and are not afraid of the Han Heavenly Army?"
King Xiutu glanced at him and said nothing, but King Julong replied: "The Chanyu was appointed by the Emperor of Han, so he regarded the Han Dynasty as a god and an army. But now that the Han Dynasty is in constant trouble, how can I take care of Bingzhou?" We have lived in Bingzhou for hundreds of years and lost many lives in battles for the Han people. Now, do you, your lords, regard us as slaves? Even if the Han Heavenly Army comes, we and the hundreds of thousands of troops working together may not be able to fight the Han to the death!"
King Julong is nearly seventy years old, even older than Chanyu. He has gray hair and wrinkles on his face that can only be accumulated by being blown by the wind day and night on the Loess Plateau. His eyes can no longer be opened wide. All the Xiongnu tribes respect him very much. , calling him "Lao Wang". Hearing his remarks, the Huns around him shouted in unison: "A fight to the death!"
"One must live and die!"
"A showdown of life and death!"
The cry shook the world. Wei Yue listened to the roar spreading like waves, and he couldn't help but feel a little fear in his heart, and his courage was gone.
Huliba, King of Xiutu, finally stepped forward and said to Zhang Yi: "Master Governor, can you hear the voice of my people?"
Zhang Yi only asked: "What do you want?"
Huliba grinned and said with a smile: "I will lend you your head to sacrifice the flag."
Zhang Yi looked back and saw the frightened attendants, then he nodded to Huliba and said with a smile: "Yes, but please only kill me."
Huliba agreed with enthusiasm, drew out his knife and put it on Zhang Yi's neck, asking, "Does the governor have any last words?"
Zhang Yi stood up, turned his back to Huliba, and said with great breath: "If your Majesty will not give up, after my death, I will put my head here. Even if the Han people die, the Han spirit will never die. I wish I could see the military flag again in the United States." The top of Ji City!"
After saying that, there was a flash of cold light, and Zhang Yi's head was stained with dust on the stage. Wei Yue, Qin Yilu and others could still see the governor's eyes shining with reluctance.
When Qiangqu Chanyu saw Zhang Yi's death on the spot, he felt no luck and war was inevitable. And he did not inherit according to the usual rules, but was the Shanyu identified by the big man. It was impossible for the kings to keep him alive, so he did not argue. This is the dignity of a Shanyu. He closed his eyes and asked: "I don't know what you think of me." What to do?"
King Julong narrowed his old eyes and said slowly to him: "You are a Chanyu after all, Qiang Qu. I hope you will also be a Chanyu until your death."
"That's how it should be," Qiang Qu Chanyu murmured. He sat back on the chair and cut his own throat with a golden knife. The dark red blood was mixed together and flowed from the high platform to the rocks.
On that day, King Xiutu sacrificed the heads of Bingzhou governor Zhang Yi and Qiangqu Chanyu to the flag, and wrote to the court three major crimes: torturing the Xiongnu people, deposing the Xiongnu king, and taking the food of the Xiongnu. Immediately ordered the whole army, but refused to respond to the imperial court's order to recruit troops to defeat the bandits. One hundred thousand soldiers cheered thunderously. The next day, with Marquis Xubu Gudu as the chanyu and King Xiutu as the commander, he sent troops to seize the whole army.
Wen Hong and Wei Yue rushed to Quyu with their guards overnight. When they saw Chen Chong, they said anxiously: "Your Majesty, the matter is urgent!"
