Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1433 Ruthless
Suli has been feeling annoyed recently because he discovered that the implementation of Yuan Xi's original promise to the Eastern Xianbei was not quite the same as he had initially expected.

The State of Jin did provide some assistance to Suli's tribe in terms of status and logistics, but these things were far from enough to allow the Suli tribe to rise again.

In order to prevent his tribe from being involved in the great wars and disputes among the Central Xianbei, Suli ordered his own people not to leave the Great Xianbei Mountain, and allowed other tribes to get involved in the fighting on the grassland.

His idea was reasonable. No one knew how long this large-scale fight would last. If they got too deeply involved, not only would they not gain any benefits, but the tribe would continue to lose blood.

However, the development of events was beyond his expectations. The reshuffle on the grassland was much faster than expected. Before the Suli tribe had time to reap the benefits, the war had already begun to subside.

In contrast, the Yuwen and Murong tribes, which had already had considerable strength, joined the struggle early on. Within just one year, their numbers expanded significantly.

As one tribe gained strength, the other lost strength. Suli's voice in the Eastern Xianbei was greatly affected. He began to worry that if this continued, other tribes would grow stronger and sooner or later replace his position.

At this time, news came that the State of Jin began to recruit tribes to open up the grasslands and expand its territory. The route was to start from the southern part of the Zhongxianbei area near the pass, and go north all the way until it reached the far north.

This expansion involved not only the soldiers and civilians selected by the State of Jin, but also various forces on the border, including the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Dingling, Goguryeo, and even the tribes that the Xianbei surrendered to.

After hearing this, Suli couldn't help but feel a little surprised and confused. Didn't the ferocious tiger say at the beginning that it would directly intervene in the grassland?

To this his subordinates said: "The king may have been deceived by the fierce tiger. They did not say they would intervene, but they also did not say they would not intervene."

Other subordinates said angrily: "The Han people are too cunning. Do they want to squeeze our living space and make us gradually perish?"

Someone else said: "The situation is unclear now. We must first confirm what Jin's attitude towards us is. If they really want to destroy us, then we might as well fight them!"

So under the persuasion of his ministers, Suli sent his cousin and ministers as envoys to Jicheng to meet Yuan Xi and express his concerns.

In response, Yuan Xi said, "Don't worry, I won't break my promise."

"I am doing this only to completely eradicate the recalcitrant Zhong Xianbei resistance forces."

"Although Jin is the main force in this expansion, it is not a monopoly. Instead, all ethnic groups can participate. The more you work, the more you get. This is also a brand new attempt."

"As for why I didn't invite the Eastern and Western Xianbei, it was because I was afraid of misunderstandings on both sides. After all, the alliance is led by me, so everything from language communication to the shape of utensils must follow the Chinese writing and rules."

"The Eastern and Western Xianbei are very sensitive about their ancestral system, and I have given them enough respect, so I did not invite both sides to participate."

"As for expanding the wilderness to the north, it is just my own obsession. I just want to see what is in the northernmost part of the world. I will not invade the land of the Eastern and Western Xianbei."

The envoys could find no fault with this argument. One of the elders said, "If we also want to participate, can we just send someone who knows Chinese characters and follows the rules of Jin State to get benefits?"

Yuan Xi nodded and said, "That's right. I will never be partial when it comes to rewarding people based on merit. If you have made great contributions, I will not hesitate to confer the title of king, including the Xianbei tribe."

The elders felt nervous. This was not a good thing for the Eastern Xianbei, because they were the most stubborn. If they continued to stick to their old ways, what if a small Xianbei tribe gained the title of king and rose to power? Would the position of the Eastern Xianbei Chanyu change hands?

The envoys left Jicheng and hurried back to inform Suli of the news. Naturally, this news caused quite a shock to Suli. After convening the clansmen to discuss, Suli made a decision to submit a memorial to the State of Jin and at the same time sent people to join the pioneering group.

After Yuan Xi received the news, he said to Lu Su and others: "The matter is mostly settled. The rest depends on Budugen's attitude."

Xin Ping stood beside the map, looking at the huge arrow, and couldn't help but sigh, "Your Majesty is really creative."

"This passage of hundreds of thousands of miles prevented the possibility of the integration of the Eastern and Western Xianbei, and instead dominated the customs of the Han people. In the future, the integration of various ethnic groups in this area outside the pass will be equivalent to the extension of the power of the Jin State."

"Its expanding sphere of influence will gradually affect the neighboring ethnic groups outside the Great Wall. The Dingling Qiang people will also gradually integrate into it. In this process, it is inevitable that the stubborn Xianbei will join in."

"They wanted to gain benefits from this, but they didn't realize that His Majesty wanted them to abandon their own traditions."

Zhang Zhao said: "The clever thing about this plan is that even though they know it's bait, they have to eat it. Otherwise, they will be left far behind by the other tribes that are advancing at a fast pace."

"This move to expand northward can also put pressure on several newly formed and aggressive tribes. If they don't want to integrate, then Jin will naturally have the right to suppress them."

"This is a typical case of Jin paying the money and them doing the work. In the end, they couldn't even keep their manpower."

"But the initial cost is probably not a small amount."

Yuan Xi said, "Compared to the harm caused by giving up the border areas and letting the Xianbei raise Gu and then causing a serious threat, this little money is really nothing."

"I originally disagreed with the Eastern Han Dynasty's policy of moving people to the border areas. How can we give up on the difficult and costly northern areas?"

"If Emperor Wu of Han had not fought against the Xiongnu, what would the north be like now?" "Perhaps the Xiongnu would have continued to grow stronger and destroyed the Han Dynasty."

"If you give up this battlefield, someone else will occupy it. Therefore, the national policy of our Great Jin is to take the initiative and always hold the autonomy in our hands, rather than expecting the foreign tribes outside the Great Wall to become a peaceful nation willing to be herded."

"So, even if it is a loss-making business to expand territory outside the Great Wall, we must continue to invest. The benefits to the country are not only economic benefits, but also social benefits. Stability and strength, and people are away from diseases and disasters, are the biggest and most profitable business."

"So remember, standing still is the way to destruction. Only by expanding outward and spreading the seeds of Chinese civilization can we, the Han people, have the most powerful guarantee for their survival."

"The reason why I transferred all of you to the border of Youzhou is that during the development process, you will need to work together to solve the problems that will arise one after another, and I will always be with you to deal with the unpredictable risks in the future."

"The ruler, his subjects and the people are united in purpose, which is the way for our Jin country to survive. Forging ahead with determination and embracing the future is the spirit that will last forever in China!"

After hearing this, everyone bowed and said, "We are willing to work together for Your Majesty and for China, and do our best!"

Yuan Xi nodded slightly, feeling a sense of satisfaction in his heart. He deeply felt that he was changing the pace of this era, and changing the common mentality of the people of the world who were complacent and content with a small fortune, to actively facing the unknown future beyond the borders, exploring and seeking knowledge, and the desire for integration and expansion. From then on, this road to the world will become wider and wider, and sooner or later, the Chinese civilization will be spread throughout the world.

In the following days, under the guidance of the State of Jin, millions of ethnic minorities outside the Great Wall began to turn their development direction to the north. Starting from the Yanshan Mountains north of Jicheng, a huge arrow spanning thousands of miles gradually extended to the north in the form of a pioneering group to explore the unknown land and look for a new future.

When Lu Su saw the bamboo slips sent back every day, he sighed to Zhang Zhao: "Your Majesty's idea is really worthy of being recorded in the history books."

Zhang Zhao nodded and said, "Indeed, its significance is huge, comparable to Dayu's flood control."

Lu Su became interested and said, "Zi Bu's metaphor is really wonderful."

"Both are better to dredge than to block. Dayu dredged the river and diverted the flood to a safe direction. Now the State of Jin is not strengthening its border defenses, but taking the initiative to go out and guide or even lead the foreign tribes outside the Great Wall to open up in other directions, which is equivalent to protecting China in disguise."

"This is an unprecedented feat."

Zhang Zhao sighed, "It's not that our predecessors didn't think about it, but they just didn't have the courage that Your Majesty has."

"I'm afraid only someone as decisive and ruthless as Your Majesty can do this."

Lu Su asked aloud: "Cold and ruthless?"

"This Su disagrees with Zi Bu's opinion. At that time, apart from Liu Xuande, who else in the world could be more benevolent and righteous than Your Majesty?"

Zhang Zhao said, "Having a kind heart does not conflict with being cold and ruthless."

"In my eyes, Your Majesty is truly a man of unrivalled benevolence and righteousness, otherwise he wouldn't care about the world and personally guard the border."

"But on the other hand, your majesty's determination and ruthlessness are also unparalleled in the world. In my opinion, you are even far superior to Cao Mengde and the king...Sun Zhongmou."

Lu Su was surprised and asked, "Why did Zi Bu say that?"

Zhang Zhao sneered, "Zi Jing, you don't think that Your Majesty, who has made Jin State what it is today, is really a kind man, right?"

"Think about it, Your Majesty, have you ever been trapped by human feelings when it comes to making important decisions?"

"Let's not talk about anything else. How could it be such a coincidence that Sun Zhongmou defected to Ke Bineng after arriving in the north and was later killed in a bombing together?"

"And the exchanged Madam Liu, she had been with the Wei Kingdom for several years and had never committed suicide. Why did she commit suicide on the way back?"

"Mrs. Wu has always been in good health. How come she became so ill after hearing the news of Sun Zhongmou's death?"

"Of course, this may not be done by His Majesty, but only those who understand him would know what to choose. This is the best outcome."

Lu Su opened his eyes wide, "Zi Bu, this is all speculation, be careful of what you say."

"You were like this in Jiangdong, always saying things that violated taboos. Now you should be careful about what you say and do."

Zhang Zhao laughed, "Zijing, how painful it is to not dare to speak in this world."

"In fact, I admire your majesty very much. Being ruthless and decisive in major events is the way to be responsible for the world. In comparison, Sun Zhongmou is far inferior in magnanimity. Apart from burning my door, he is petty everywhere."

"If the king is really angry and kills me now, it will be much more honorable than dying at the hands of Sun Zhongmou."

Lu Su was speechless. Do you really want to die?
(End of this chapter)