All the heroes of the world are now in my grasp.

Chapter 30 Reporting Back to the Chanyu

The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

As dusk settled, the majestic city walls of Lüliang finally came into view of Gao Zidan and her group.

The last rays of the setting sun fell on the city walls, turning the mottled plaster a warm gold. The banners of the Xiongnu Yongming tribe, planted atop the walls, fluttered in the early spring wind, seemingly out of place on this festive day of the Lantern Festival.

Today is the Lantern Festival, a day of universal celebration according to the customs of the Central Plains. Whether in the capital or in the prefectures and counties, the curfew should be lifted, lanterns should be hung, and people should go out to enjoy the lanterns and stroll through the night, with drums and music filling the air. However, in Lüliang City, although the rules are outwardly followed and the curfew is not enforced, and the city gates remain open, looking inside reveals not a trace of the usual Lantern Festival liveliness.

Most of the shops lining the street were closed, with only a few taverns and inns still open, their entrances adorned with two solitary lanterns whose dim light swayed weakly in the wind. The street was sparsely populated; the few people who did pass by hurried along, heads bowed, their faces filled with fear and unease.

Occasionally, a troop of Xiongnu cavalry would gallop through the streets, their hooves striking the bluestone slabs with a crisp, piercing sound that caused the people on the street to shrink back against the walls, not daring to even lift their heads.

"Young lord, we've arrived at Lüliang City." Han Xin reined in his horse, slowed down, and leaned close to Gao Zidan, speaking in a low voice, "Judging from this, although Liu Yao has occupied the city, the people are still very afraid."

Gao Zidan reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the scene inside and outside the city gate. He nodded slightly, understanding dawning on him.

He had anticipated this. Lüliang City had only been in the hands of the Han people for ten days. No matter how much Liu Yao tried to enforce military discipline, in the eyes of the Han people, these Xiongnu were still foreigners, invaders marching south. Fear and estrangement could not be eliminated in just ten days.

"I heard that Liu Yao entered the city without touching the treasury, without killing any surrendered officials, and even beheaded more than a dozen Xiongnu soldiers who were robbing the people. I originally thought he was quite capable, but now it seems that it was just treating the symptoms, not the root cause." Gao Zidan sighed softly, spurred his horse forward, and said, "Let's go, let's enter the city."

Four Xiongnu guards rode ahead, protecting Gao Zidan and Han Xin, heading straight for the city gate. The Xiongnu soldiers guarding the gate, upon seeing their comrade's attire and hearing the guards announce Gao Zidan's name, immediately bowed and let them pass without even checking, their attitude extremely respectful.

But as soon as she entered the city gate, Gao Zidan keenly sensed that something was wrong.

The Xiongnu soldiers passing by on the street were all dressed in brand-new brocade robes, with exquisite swords hanging at their waists. Riding tall horses, their faces were full of smug arrogance, and their eyes carried the intoxication and swagger of sudden wealth. Their gazes toward the Han people on the street were full of condescending contempt. Even toward Gao Zidan and his group, they only glanced at them casually before looking away, without showing the slightest respect.

What surprised Gao Zidan even more was that when these Xiongnu soldiers looked at the four guards who were escorting him, they showed undisguised contempt in their eyes.

The look in his eyes was as if he were looking at a group of country bumpkins who had never seen the world, as if those of them who had entered the city and occupied the prefecture were already superior people, while these four who were still guarding the camp at the border river mouth and running errands for the Han lads were still lowly tribal herders.

Just over ten days ago, they were all brothers in the Yongming tribe, living and fighting together, without any difference between them.

Gao Zidan sighed inwardly, never expecting these Xiongnu people to have fallen so quickly. They had only occupied a county town and obtained a treasury full of money and grain, yet they had already forgotten who they were, even turning their brothers-in-arms into cold indifference.

The four guards beside her clearly felt those gazes, and their faces darkened. They placed their hands on the hilts of their swords at their waists, their backs ramrod straight, but they didn't say anything. They simply quickened their pace, protecting Gao Zidan as they headed towards the prefectural government.

Everything Gao Zidan saw and heard along the way confirmed her judgment.

Liu Yao was indeed a visionary and ruthless leader. After entering Lüliang City, he preserved the original bureaucratic system of Xihe Commandery. Almost all the officials in the commandery and the magistrates of the various counties remained in their posts without any changes. In fact, to maintain military discipline, he publicly executed twenty-seven Xiongnu soldiers who had broken into people's homes to plunder and abuse women within the first three days of entering the city, using iron-fisted methods to suppress the wildness of the tribes.

But the deeply ingrained habits of the nomadic peoples of the grasslands could not be completely eradicated in just a few days or a few dozen lives. The overt burning, killing, and looting disappeared, but the covert harassment and oppression never ceased. Forced buying and selling, harassing women in the streets, and drunken brawls by Hun soldiers were commonplace; the people dared not speak out and could only avoid them at all costs.

The city's lanterns for the Lantern Festival ultimately only illuminated the Xiongnu people's revelry, failing to reach the tightly closed doors and windows of the Han people.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the group arrived at the gate of the Xihe County government office.

In stark contrast to the desolate streets, the prefectural government was brightly decorated with hundreds of red lanterns, illuminating the area as if it were daytime. Dozens of armored and armed Xiongnu guards stood watch at the gate, each exuding a fierce aura as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings. From inside the government, the faint sounds of string and wind instruments, along with bursts of laughter and toasts, created a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Gao Zidan dismounted, handed the reins to the guards behind him, and called out to the guards at the door, "Please inform the guards that Gao Zidan of Bohai requests an audience with Yongming Chanyu."

The guard, clearly having received prior orders, immediately bowed upon hearing that it was Gao Zidan and hurriedly said, "Young Master Gao! The Chanyu instructed that you be invited in directly upon your arrival, without any need for announcement!"

Having said that, he stepped aside to make way, leading Gao Zidan and Han Xin inside.

Passing through the front yard, you will find yourself in the main hall of the prefectural government.

As soon as Gao Zidan reached the entrance of the hall, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled his ears, and the aroma of wine and meat mingled together and wafted towards him. Looking up, Gao Zidan saw that inside the hall, there were more than a dozen tables, laden with wine and meat, and dozens of Xiongnu tribal leaders and military generals were drinking and laughing around the tables.

In the main seat in the center of the hall sat a burly man, none other than Liu Yao.

He wore a brocade robe, his chest open to reveal a gruesome scar, and held a large bronze wine bowl in his hand, drinking with his head tilted back. Two dancers on each side of him swayed gracefully to the music. He watched the dancers, occasionally letting out a hearty laugh. He was a far cry from the fierce, composed, and sharp-eyed Xiongnu Chanyu he had been in the border river camp. He was now completely immersed in wine and women, a far cry from his former self.

Gao Zidan took a deep breath and stepped into the lobby.

The moment he appeared, the music in the hall stopped instantly, and all the Xiongnu generals ceased their movements, turning to look at him. Liu Yao, seated at the head of the table, also put down his wine bowl, looked up at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of drunkenness and surprise.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gao Zidan walked straight to the center of the hall, bowed respectfully to Liu Yao in the main seat, and said loudly, "Your Excellency Chanyu! I have not failed in my mission! By following your orders, the negotiations with the Bingzhou army have been a great success!"

One sentence instantly silenced the once quiet lobby.

All the Xiongnu generals looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt. They only knew that this Han young man was a distinguished guest left in the tribe by the Chanyu, but they had never heard that the Chanyu had sent him to negotiate with the Bingzhou army.

Liu Yao, seated at the head of the table, froze on the spot, his drunkenness mostly sobering up. He frowned, looked at Gao Zidan, and asked blankly, "My? Orders?"

His mind raced, and after a long while, he finally remembered that he had indeed casually mentioned to Gao Zidan at the border river that he should talk to Zhou Bo to see if they could pass through. But that was just a pretext he made to lull Zhou Bo into a false sense of security; he had forgotten about it immediately and had no expectation that Gao Zidan could achieve anything, let alone take it as a serious order.

Having grown up fighting on the grasslands, Liu Yao had no idea about the intricacies of the Central Plains officialdom, where people pretended to be ignorant when they actually knew the truth. He looked at Gao Zidan, who remained calm and composed below him, his heart filled with doubt.

Didn't this kid realize that I was just fooling him? But looking at Gao Zidan, he doesn't seem like such a stupid person.

However, since he hadn't figured it out, Liu Yao, being the straightforward person he was from the grasslands, cut to the chase and asked in a deep voice, "I heard from the messenger that you were ordered by Ji Guang, the governor of Bingzhou, to bestow an official title upon me? What, does Ji Guang intend to appoint me as a prefect?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Zidan straightened up, a perfectly timed smile appearing on her face. Her tone was unhurried: "What are you saying, Lord Chanyu? You promised me you would lend me troops to help me seek revenge against Xiang Yu. In return, I went to Uncle Zhou to plead for one or two counties for you, to provide shelter for the brothers of the Yongming tribe. Now, it's not just one or two counties; I've secured the entire Xihe Commandery for you, and even the position of commandery governor. You wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao instantly flew into a rage!

He slammed his hand on the table in front of him, causing the wine bowls on it to jump and spill wine all over the table. He stood up abruptly, his burly figure exuding an intimidating aura, glaring at Gao Zidan and shouting angrily, "Nonsense! This Xihe County was clearly taken by me and my brothers, sword and spear at a time! That pedantic scholar Xiang Xu surrendered because my troops were at the city gates. What does that have to do with you? How did it become that you helped me get it?"

The Xiongnu generals in the hall also joined in the commotion, each gripping their sword hilts, glaring at Gao Zidan, and shouting that the Han boy was talking nonsense, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

Gao Zidan remained unfazed, standing firmly in place, her tone calm yet each word clear: "Your Excellency, that is incorrect. If I hadn't spoken favorably of you before the Governor of Bingzhou and conveyed your intention to surrender, how could Xiang Xu, no matter how pedantic, have surrendered without a fight? His surrender was carried out on the orders of the Governor of Bingzhou and the imperial decree, formally transferring Xihe County to the Yongming tribe for defense. It wasn't out of fear of your military might."

"You!" Liu Yao's face flushed with anger, and he was about to retort, "In the battle at the border river mouth, I clearly defeated Zhou Bo's main force. How could he still have the guts..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Zidan interrupted him.

"Lord Chanyu," Gao Zidan's voice suddenly turned serious, each word ringing with conviction, "the attack on the Jiehekou camp on New Year's Eve was caused by some disloyal members of the Yuanhai tribe who suddenly launched a night attack on General Zhou's camp after the Yuanhai tribe submitted to the Yunzhou army. This resulted in heavy losses for the Bingzhou army." He continued, "General Zhou Bo's main force was not seriously injured. You helped General Zhou eliminate the Yuanhai tribe, and now the Bingzhou governor, Ji Guang, has petitioned the court to appoint you as the Prefect of Xihe, guarding the entire Xihe prefecture and stationed at the Jiehekou camp. This is truly a commendation for you!"

One sentence silenced Liu Yao instantly, and his expression changed repeatedly.

He knew better than anyone that his victory at the border crossing was largely due to the advantage of the surprise attack. If he had faced Zhou Bo's main Bingzhou army head-on, he might not have fared well.

Before Liu Yao could react, Gao Zidan softened her tone, took two steps closer, and lowered her voice, speaking only to Liu Yao: "Lord Chanyu, let me tell you the truth. Xihe County has never been a wealthy county. The entire county has a population of only about 100,000. It is sparsely populated and its grain production is limited. According to the regulations of the Great Song Dynasty, a prefectural governor can support a maximum of one battalion of 3,000 soldiers. However, in Xihe, most of the soldiers are on duty in shifts. Only about a third, or about a thousand, are responsible for the county's defense and security on weekdays. With such a small number of people and such limited funds, it is barely enough to cover the daily expenses of the county government, let alone support an army."

"Your Yongming tribe previously claimed to have only one or two thousand cavalry, but in reality, it should be around three thousand. Each Xiongnu cavalryman carries two horses, making them equivalent to five Central Plains infantrymen. Your Excellency, do the math yourself: can the grain and provisions of just one prefecture like Xihe support your three thousand cavalrymen?"

Gao Zidan's words struck Liu Yao's heart like a hammer blow. Seeing Liu Yao's increasingly grim expression, he continued, "Now that you've captured Lüliang City and obtained the grain stored in the treasury, your brothers can eat and drink their fill. But the treasury will eventually run out of food and money. When that happens, how will you feed your three thousand cavalry? Are you going to rob us? If you do, you'll lose the people's hearts, and the Governor of Bingzhou will seize the opportunity to send troops to attack you. Then, with the Bingzhou army in front and the Yunzhou army behind, do you think you can still hold onto Xihe Commandery?"

"On the contrary, if you accept the imperial appointment and rightfully become the Prefect of Xihe, then the money, grain, and military supplies from Bingzhou will flow in continuously, more than enough to support your three thousand cavalry. You only need to guard the northern border for Lord Ji, and you can peacefully occupy Xihe County and be your prefect. Why not?"

"Your Majesty, you should carefully consider which of these matters is more important."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The previously boisterous Xiongnu generals fell silent, each looking at Liu Yao in the main seat with hesitant eyes. They were all men of the grasslands, unfamiliar with grand principles, but they understood Gao Zidan's calculations perfectly.

Liu Yao stood in the main seat, his burly figure motionless, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Gao Zidan, his face turning pale and then red, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but he couldn't utter a single word.