ebookland Chapter 1072: The Rainy Night Conspiracy to Sow Dissension
Chapter 1072: The Rainy Night Conspiracy to Sow Dissension
Murong Xuepo saw the fear in everyone's eyes and knew he had to appease them. Otherwise, if the army's morale weakened, all his efforts would be in vain. He softened his tone slightly and continued, "Everyone, listen to me. Tomorrow we will definitely capture Ordo City! You've all heard that the Han army rampaging behind us number only 20,000. As long as we capture Ordo City and defeat Kebi Neng, the situation on the grassland will be under our control. Then, returning to support the tribe and dealing with the 20,000 Han troops causing trouble in the rear will be a piece of cake. But now, if we so easily return to support, giving up the victory that is about to be won and giving Ma Chao and his men a chance to catch their breath, it would be a true disaster for us!"
Murong Xuepo scanned the crowd with a determined gaze and continued, "Think about it, everyone! Ordo City is stockpiling so much food and supplies, so many cattle, sheep, and treasures. If we capture it, we'll not only replenish our forces and strengthen our strength, but we'll also be able to pacify the grasslands in one fell swoop. So, don't be intimidated by the current difficulties. Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow, join me in a swift battle to capture Ordo City!"
After saying this, Murong Xuepo waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse. Although the leaders of the smaller tribes still harbored concerns, they retreated silently under Murong Xuepo's coercion and inducements. They returned to their respective tents, their minds racing with thoughts, wondering whether following Murong Xuepo in the siege was the right decision or whether it would only lead their tribes into a deeper predicament.
Murong Xuepo watched the retreating figures with a lingering sense of unease. He knew that while his actions had temporarily suppressed the unrest, he still needed to win the siege tomorrow in order to truly stabilize the army's morale.
Murong Xuepo's face was gloomy. He turned to Wulihan and Suhe and whispered, "Take the heads of Erdun and Bater, and you two will immediately go to their tribe's camp and take over the military command. If anyone dares to resist, kill them without mercy! We must not let the deaths of these two people cause any more major disturbances in these two small tribes."
Wulihan and Suhe exchanged a glance, then hurried off after receiving their orders. When they arrived at the camp of Erdun and Bater, just as Murong Xuepo had predicted, the sudden death of their leader had thrown the warriors into chaos. The camp was in turmoil, with the warriors shouting and agitated.
Wulihan and Suhe, holding long swords, stood on a high ground and shouted, "The king has ordered! Anyone who dares to disobey will die!" At the same time, they held the heads of Erdun and Bater high in the air. The tribal warriors were immediately shocked by this bloody scene, and the riots eased slightly.
Afterward, Wulihan and Suhe brought out Murong Xuepo's "imperial edict," claiming that all this was the king's decision and that everyone must obey. Under their iron-blooded suppression and unwavering intimidation, the tribal warriors, though filled with grief and indignation, eventually calmed down.
After handling the matter, the two hurried back to Murong Xuepo's tent to report. After hearing this, Murong Xuepo nodded slightly, with a look of satisfaction on his face.
However, for the leaders of the surrounding tribes, the fate of Erdun and Bater was a resounding blow, leaving them all feeling insecure. On the one hand, they worried deeply about the safety of their own tribes, fearing the same fate would befall them; on the other, they were horrified by Murong Xuepo's brutal and ruthless methods. The tribal leaders were utterly terrified, fidgeting in their tents, unsure of what to do. They knew that in this complex and volatile situation, even the slightest misstep could spell disaster for their entire tribe.
The commotion at Murong Xuepo's camp naturally didn't escape the notice of Lu Su's spies. Ever since Lu Su proposed the plan to sow discord, Ma Chao had directed his full attention to this initiative, and it now appeared to be showing initial success. Upon learning of the unusual movement in the camp, Lu Su suspected that news of Jia Xu's surprise attack on the tribal territory had arrived.
On this rainy night, the leaders of the various small tribes were already in a state of panic due to the deaths of Erdun and Bater. At this moment, they suddenly captured some people in their respective camps who claimed to be envoys of the Han army.
These messengers were brought before the tribal leaders. They calmly and unhurriedly conveyed Lu Su's instructions to them. They explained that General Shenwei Tian had promised that if they stopped following Murong Xuepo, he would spare them from extermination after the war. Furthermore, he would guarantee their tribe's safety and even offer them certain benefits.
Each of these small tribes had originally fielded only a few thousand soldiers. After being pressured by Murong Xuepo to attack the city, they had lost more than half their forces. Some had only three to four thousand warriors left, while others had only one to two thousand. Faced with the news brought by the Han envoys, they were forced to reflect deeply.
Given their current capabilities, even if they continued to follow Murong Xuepo's orders, they would likely still suffer casualties during tomorrow's siege, further depleting the tribe's already limited young and strong forces. However, they were truly terrified of Murong Xuepo's ruthless methods and did not dare to make the decision to betray him lightly.
Seeing this, the messengers reiterated Ma Chao's promise in greater detail. Their words were sincere, painting a picture of a stable future for them if they could escape Murong Xuepo's influence. Finally, the leaders of these small tribes were persuaded. After all, they knew that if the Han army truly launched an attack, their current strength would be no match for them. Furthermore, the messengers' words made sense. What if, after wiping out the main Xianbei forces, the Han army were truly willing to spare these small tribes? As the messengers had said, the Han king had said that vast grasslands would ultimately need grazing. As long as the larger tribes that oppressed them were eliminated, even a small patch of grassland would be enough for their tribes to thrive.
On this rainy night, after intense inner struggles and weighing the pros and cons, the leaders of the various small tribes decided to reach an agreement with the Han army. They knew that once they took this step, there would be no turning back, but compared to continuing to serve as cannon fodder under Murong Xuepo's oppression, this seemed to be their only chance of survival.
The leaders quietly instructed their subordinates and secretly communicated with each other. All of this was carried out quietly under the cover of the rainy night, leaving the Murong Xuepo tribe and the larger tribes within the camp completely unaware. After all, in their eyes, these small tribes were nothing more than cannon fodder, unworthy of being stationed near the Murong Xuepo camp, and naturally, they paid no attention to them.
A closer count revealed that these small tribes numbered as many as eight or nine, yet their combined military strength was less than thirty thousand. They looked at each other, seeing in each other's eyes a glimmer of hope for a change in their fate, as if grasping a glimmer of miracle light in the darkness. But at the same time, they could not hide their deep fear of the unknown consequences. They understood that cooperating with the Han army was like walking on a knife's edge; the slightest misstep would lead to destruction.
As agreed, these small tribal leaders quietly gathered at the Shiwei tribe on a rainy night. Just as they were feeling uneasy, Lu Su quietly appeared. He looked at the frightened leaders with a calm gaze, cleared his throat, and prepared to convey the instructions of the mighty general Ma Chao.
Lu Su raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down, then spoke gently, "Everyone, I believe you are all aware of my General Tian's promise. So why did we choose your tribe? You are located near the North Sea, north of Langjuxu Mountain. For a long time, you have been oppressed by the ancestors of the larger tribes. I believe that there are not many of you who truly belong to their bloodline? Now, Murong Xuepo has forced you to attack the city and die."
Lu Su paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd with sincerity before continuing, "My king is fully aware of your frustrations, and I believe you have never harbored any desire for the Han territory. Therefore, the king is willing to grant you a piece of advice that will ensure a stable future in these troubled times."
The tribal leaders' nervousness eased slightly as they listened to Lu Su's words, but doubt still lingered in their eyes. One of the leaders summoned the courage to ask, "Sir, we are naturally grateful for your words. But how can we be sure that General Tian will fulfill his promise after the battle and keep our tribe safe?"
Lu Su smiled faintly and said with a firm expression, "Of course, my General Tian has a request. After sweeping across the grasslands, we will leave your tribes behind. However, not a single one of you may cross the Wolf Mountain. From the Wolf Mountain to the North Sea, there are vast grasslands more than enough for you to thrive. You must understand that since we can march onto the grasslands and destroy the powerful Xianbei forces, it will be easy for us to wipe out your small tribes."
Although Lu Su had a smile on his face, the leaders of these small tribes still trembled all over after hearing what he said, and believed it without a doubt.
Lu Su continued, "As long as you can act according to the agreement, General Tian will give you a chance to breathe and leave you a way to survive."
Everyone nodded in agreement and asked, "Then how should we cooperate with General Tian?"
Lu Su smiled and said, "After the heavy rain stops, Murong Xuepo will undoubtedly launch a general attack on Ordo City. You must still cooperate with the troops, but you must do your best to deplete Murong Xuepo's strength. And when they confront us later, when the battle becomes stalemate, you must launch a counterattack against Murong Xuepo. Remember, since you chose to pledge allegiance to our king, you and Murong Xuepo are locked in a mortal conflict."
All the leaders nodded repeatedly.
Lu Su added, "When you fight, stay together as much as possible and don't let yourselves be separated by our army. After we capture Murong Xuepo, we will naturally give you a way out."
A leader asked cautiously, "Sir, if we succeed in turning against the enemy, what will be the specific arrangements for our tribe?"
Lu Su patiently explained, "As long as you fulfill your promise, after the war, not only will you be able to live peacefully in the designated area, but the Heavenly General will also provide material assistance as appropriate to help your tribe recover. You only need to focus on herding and abide by the rules set by the Han Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, the leaders, though still somewhat uneasy, were filled with anticipation for a stable future. They knew this was a gamble, but with no way out, they could only follow Lu Su's plan, hoping to find a way forward for themselves and their tribes amidst the changing landscape of the grasslands. As Lu Su gazed at these leaders, he understood that they had become crucial pieces in the game of defeating Murong Xuepo. Now, they simply waited for the right moment to unleash this full force of the game.