Shuhan

In Dai County, the cold wind was blowing and the snowflakes were flying, covering the city with a layer of silver.

In the center of the city, in the residence of the Xianbei Khan Kebi Neng, it was warm as spring. On the bed, Kebi Neng slowly got up. His burly body cast a long shadow in the morning light, looking majestic and domineering.

His face looked as if it had been carved by a knife and his eyes were deep, revealing an unquestionable dominance.

Beside the bed, several beautiful women were sitting or lying, their faces were pale, with a trace of fatigue and helplessness between their brows, obviously exhausted by the Khan's "passion" last night.

Ke Bineng looked around, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, then he frowned, as if he remembered something important.

He waved his hand, signaling his attendants to leave, and then summoned his confidants.

"Go and bring those Han craftsmen here."

His voice was deep and powerful, irresistible.

The confidant took the order and left. Soon, a burst of chaotic footsteps broke the silence in the room.

Several Han craftsmen wearing ragged Han costumes and with haggard faces were brought in. Their eyes showed both fear and unwillingness. Obviously, they had mixed feelings about the Xianbei Khan in front of them.

These craftsmen were originally famous blacksmiths in Dai County, but because of the invasion of the Xianbei, their homes were destroyed and their families were separated. Although they are now appreciated by Kebineng and given beauties and shelter, the hatred and sorrow in their hearts cannot be easily resolved.
Upon seeing this, Ke Bineng laughed out loud. His laughter was both heroic and carried a hint of subtle shrewdness.

"Everyone, there is no need to be so reserved. You are all the best blacksmiths in Dai County. Although I, Kebi Neng, am the Great Khan of the Xianbei, I have always respected talented people."

As he spoke, he walked down from the couch and personally poured a glass of wine for the leading craftsman, his movements revealing a rare friendliness.

The craftsmen looked at each other. The leading craftsman, an old man in his fifties with a white beard and complex emotions in his eyes, finally took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. His voice was a little hoarse: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. What instructions do you have?"

A trace of appreciation flashed in Kebi Neng's eyes. He patted the old man on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Okay! I like straightforward people. I want you to teach my Xianbei people how to cast iron tools. I know that you Han people are far more skilled than us in this area. I want my people to master this technology, so that our weapons will be sharper and our tribe will be stronger!"

The old man felt mixed emotions when he heard this.

On the one hand, he did not want his skills to be used to strengthen the enemy; on the other hand, he saw a glimmer of hope that perhaps by teaching skills, these barbaric Xianbei people could learn something civilized and reduce their plundering of the Han people.

of course
He did not dare to disobey the Xianbei, as his own life was the most important.

He was silent for a moment, and finally spoke slowly: "We shall obey the king's will. However, the art of casting is not achieved in a day, and it requires patience and time."

Upon hearing this, Ke Bineng burst into laughter, and his laughter was so loud that the snow on the roof beams fell down.

"Okay! I like challenging things. I have plenty of time and patience. Just stay here and teach my people. I promise that you will be treated the best. I will also send people to find your families and bring them back to reunite with you."

Hearing this, a hint of emotion finally flashed in the eyes of several craftsmen.

Although this Xianbei Khan used tough means, he also had his own principles and credibility.

Perhaps, this really is an opportunity, an opportunity to save one's life and reunite with one's family.

This is what makes Kebineng different from other grassland leaders.

Other grassland leaders feared the Han people and resisted Han laws, but Kebi Neng wanted to use the good things of the Han people to strengthen himself.

Learn from the Han people and use them to defeat them!
In addition to summoning blacksmiths, Kebineng also summoned Han people in Dai County who were good at farming, merchants who were good at business, craftsmen who were proficient in building cities and houses, and craftsmen who could make siege equipment.

These people were originally the best in their respective fields, but their families were destroyed and they became homeless because of the invasion of the Xianbei.

Now, they stood in front of Kebinen, their hearts filled with fear and anxiety.

However, Kebineng, with his unique magnanimity and tolerance, gave them generous benefits to appease their hearts.

He personally poured wine for the blacksmith, patted the craftsman on the shoulder, and said in a deep and powerful voice: "Everyone, you are all the elites of Dai County. Although I, Kebi Neng, am the Khan of Xianbei, I have always respected people with talent. As long as you teach the skills to the Xianbei people, I promise that you will be treated better and your families will be properly arranged."

Hearing this, the Han craftsmen looked at each other, and the fear and uneasiness in their hearts gradually dissipated, replaced by a trace of gratitude and respect.

Although this Xianbei Khan used tough means, he also had his own principles and credibility.

So they all nodded in agreement and were willing to pass on the technology to the Xianbei people.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the room.

A messenger who came hurriedly from Guangyang County, wearing a heavy leather coat, looked tired, but his eyes revealed an eagerness.

He held tightly in his hand a handwritten letter, which was from Xie Guini.

Ke Bineng took the letter, opened it and his brows immediately furrowed.

He looked up at the messenger, his eyes gleaming inquiringly.

"What else did Xie Guini say?" His voice was low and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

The messenger replied in a trembling voice: "Xie Guini said that Gongsun Yuan wanted to break away from the control of the Xianbei and establish himself as the King of Youzhou."

Hearing this, Ke Bineng's face suddenly became as gloomy as water.

He was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. Then, he slowly raised his head and looked into the distance, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"A mere Gongsun Yuan actually dared to disobey my orders. It seems he has grown too powerful." He whispered to himself, his tone revealing an anger and disappointment that was difficult to conceal.

If he hadn't helped you, Gongsun Yuan, would have been destroyed by Sima Yi long ago.

Knowing the favor but not expecting anything in return, the Han people are indeed cunning!

Kebi Neng's eyes flickered. Gongsun Yuan's betrayal meant that the Xianbei tribe's ruling position in Youzhou was challenged.

This was something he couldn't tolerate.

Then he turned around and said to the messenger: "Let Xie Guini teach Gongsun Yuan a lesson! Let him know what the consequences of betraying the Xianbei are!"

His voice was firm and powerful, revealing an unshakable determination.

However, at this moment, his eyes suddenly became deep, as if he had thought of something more important.

"However," he paused and continued, "Sima Yi has already arrived in Youzhou, so everything should focus on defeating Sima Yi! We can put Gongsun Yuan's matter aside for now. We need to concentrate our strength to deal with this greater threat!"

Where did this information come from? Perhaps it is another conspiracy of the Han people!
In Ji County, the wind blows through the streets with a hint of uneasiness.

Wei State's School Affairs Office, a mysterious organization whose mission is to collect intelligence and create chaos, has been busy weaving a huge web of rumors in recent days.

Their purpose was to weaken Gongsun Yuan's power in the north and pave the way for Sima Yi's northern expedition.

Rumors spread quickly among the people like wildfire, claiming that Gongsun Yuan was conspiring with the Xianbei people to betray the Wei Kingdom and establish himself as king.

At this moment, Gongsun Yuan was sitting in his study. The winter wind was howling outside the window, blowing up snowflakes, which seemed to foreshadow his inner turmoil.

His brows were furrowed, and anger and worry flashed in his deep eyes. The map spread out on the table marked his battle routes in recent years and his unfulfilled dream of hegemony.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the room, and General Yang Zuo strode in with a bit of anxiety on his face. "My lord, have you heard about the rumors spread by the Wei State School Office?" Yang Zuo's voice was filled with some reluctance and anger, and he clenched his fists, as if he wanted to crush the invisible rumors.

Gongsun Yuan nodded slightly, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, but he could not hide the coldness in his eyes.

"Of course, it's a pity that they could come up with such a clumsy trick."

His words were full of sarcasm, but also revealed his helplessness about the current situation.

Seeing this, Yang Zuo became even more anxious. He took a step forward and said in a low but firm voice: "My lord, the Xianbei people cannot be trusted. Now we have recruited more than 10,000 soldiers along the way, including more than 20,000 men. Our strength should not be underestimated. If the Xianbei people do not trust us, they can kill Xie Guini to show their determination. We will establish ourselves as the King of Youzhou, so why should we be afraid of what others say!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yuan looked at Yang Zuo deeply, with a hint of admiration in his eyes, but also a bit of worry.

He shook his head slowly, his tone was calm and wise: "Yang Zuo, you are brave and incomparable, but you can't be reckless. This is obviously Sima Yi's strategy, which is intended to provoke conflicts between me and the Xianbei people so that he can benefit from it. However, I can think of this level, but it is unknown whether the Xianbei people can figure it out."

Having said that, Gongsun Yuan couldn't help but sigh, with a hint of fatigue revealed between his brows.

"Sometimes, you are not afraid of god-like opponents, but you are afraid of pig-like teammates. If the Xianbei people really believed the rumor, I am afraid I would have no choice but to take action. After all, rumors are more ferocious than tigers and can destroy people without them even realizing it."

When Yang Zuo heard this, his expression changed slightly, but he also understood Gongsun Yuan's concerns.

He was silent for a moment, then he said, "My Lord, how should we deal with this? We can't just sit there and wait for death."

Gongsun Yuan smiled slightly, with a look of determination in his eyes: "Of course not. Send someone to the Xianbei camp immediately to inform Xie Guini of this matter and show our sincerity. At the same time, strengthen the city defense and prepare for anything that may happen."

Yang Zuo took the order and left, while Gongsun Yuan stayed alone in the study, gazing at the autumn scenery outside the window with mixed feelings.

A few days later, in the Xianbei camp, Xie Guini heard the rumors from the Wei State's School Affairs Office, and his face became as gloomy as the sky before a storm.

Several Xianbei generals beside him also had angry looks on their faces, and were obviously extremely dissatisfied with this kind of divisive tactics.

"Gongsun Yuan, how dare he do this!" a general shouted angrily, the wine glass in his hand trembling with anger, the wine splashed and fell on the table, as if foreshadowing the upcoming conflict.

Xie Guini was silent for a moment. Yang Zuo had come and Gongsun Yuan had expressed his position. Although he was dissatisfied with Gongsun Yuan, he also knew that he could not fall into Sima Yi's evil plan at this moment!
He took a sip of goat milk tea, then slowly spoke in a deep and powerful voice: "There must be something fishy about this. Gongsun Yuan is not a stupid person, how could he fall into someone else's trap so easily? Before we get the truth, we must not act rashly."

After these words were spoken, although the generals were still dissatisfied, they did not dare to say anything.

As to why you are dissatisfied.
Very simple.

If Gongsun Yuan had not been stopping them from looting, they would have probably made a fortune long ago.

It's all their money!

As a result, most of it was taken by Gongsun Yuan!
How can they be dissatisfied?

But Xie Guini was not so easy to incite, and Gongsun Yuan was also very cautious.

Thus, a crisis caused by rumors was temporarily eased.

However, the shadow of rumors has not dissipated. It is like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any time.

Although Gongsun Yuan and Xie Guini reached a temporary understanding, the vigilance and suspicion in each other's hearts were like ice in winter, difficult to melt.

Shouchun
Guanqiu Jian chose the tactic of holding out. Shouchun City had high walls and thick walls, and sufficient food and grass to resist foreign enemies.

No matter how the Han army provoked them outside the city, they remained unmoved.

When the Han army saw that their general had been changed, and was an unknown young general at that, they thought they had an opportunity, so they came to the city every day, insulting and challenging the city with all kinds of ugly words, trying to anger the defenders in the city and lure them out of the city to fight.

However, Guanqiu Jian was like a deaf person and turned a deaf ear to those dirty words.

Whenever a soldier asked to go to war out of anger, he would always smile calmly and slowly say: "As long as I don't go out of the city to fight, how can the Han army capture Shouchun? The art of war says, if you know yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. We just need to hold on and wait for them to tire, then we will have an opportunity to take advantage of them."

However, as time went on, Guanqiu Jian's temperament seemed to have changed subtly.

He began to indulge in pleasure and was no longer as diligent in government affairs as when he first arrived. He sent his men to search for beauties everywhere, whether they were from the common people or the nobles, as long as they were slightly pretty, he would forcibly conscript them into his palace for his pleasure.

The city of Shouchun was thus shrouded in a layer of gloom, and the people dared not speak out but were angry.

In his mansion, there was revelry every night and the lights were bright.

Guanqiu Jian was dressed in gorgeous clothes, sitting on a high hall, surrounded by beauties from all walks of life. They were playing the piano or singing and dancing. It was a luxurious scene.

After three rounds of drinking, Guanqiu Jian became even more unrestrained, completely disregarding his position as a garrison commander.

Sima Shi, as Sima Yi's eldest son, was deeply worried about Guanqiu Jian's behavior.

He tried to persuade Guanqiu Jian many times, hoping that he would put the overall situation first and not destroy Shouchun's defense line because of his selfish desires.

But every time, Guanqiu Jian looked impatient, and even after getting drunk, he ordered Sima Shi to be punished with twenty strokes of the cane to demonstrate his authority.

Sima Shi was beaten to pieces, but he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

Guanqiu Jian's tyranny was not directed only at Sima Shi. Anyone who dared to speak out or go against his wishes was severely punished.

Some were demoted to slaves, some were thrown directly into prison, and some even lost their lives.

For a time, the people in Shouchun City were in panic, and the originally stable situation became unstable because of Guanqiu Jian's actions.

What is more serious is that due to Guanqiu Jian’s indulgence, almost no one cared about the city’s defense.

He had forgotten all the important tasks concerning the safety of Shouchun, such as repairing the city walls, sharpening weapons, and storing food and fodder.

The soldiers defending the city saw it all and were worried, but no one dared to say anything because no one wanted to follow in Sima Shi's footsteps.

After Guanqiu Jian took over Shouchun, his absurd behavior was like dust in a strong wind, which not only blurred the sky of Shouchun, but also made the soldiers in the Han army camp ready to make moves.

They witnessed Guanqiu Jian holding banquets and enjoying himself in the city every day, collecting beauties, and turning a blind eye to matters related to the city's defense, and they couldn't help but feel a bit of contempt and anxiety in their hearts.

"How can such absurd people defend Shouchun?" Ah Huinan slammed the table and stood up, his eyes flashing with a war-like light.

"We should seize this opportunity to capture Shouchun in one fell swoop and achieve immortal merit!"

His words spread quickly in the camp like a spark of fire. Many people came forward to ask for battle, believing that the dawn of victory was just around the corner.

However, in this wave of requests for war, Liu Chan was like a steady mountain. He sat quietly at his desk, staring at the petitions for war.

His eyes were deep and calm, as if he could penetrate the surface and see the truth behind it.

Guanqiu Jian was no ordinary man. His absurd behavior was nothing more than an illusion in the fog to confuse the enemy.

"He wants to be like Lu Xun of Yiling, waiting for my opportunity to tire myself out and luring me into an attack." Liu Chan thought to himself.

"But I, Liu Chan, am the God of the Han Dynasty! I am not the Lord Xuande who underestimated the enemy. You, Guanqiu Jian, cannot burn down the fire in Shouchun." (End of this chapter)