Emperor Ling of Han was the last powerful emperor of the Han Dynasty, a figure who could have altered the course of history, yet he became the root cause of the empire's collapse.
Fate ha...
Cheng Yu and Duan Jiong's actions further exacerbated the hatred between the Qiang and Shi people.
Many soldiers on both sides had family members living in tribes deep in the interior, but they were killed and captured by the other side. As a result, the soldiers on both sides eventually clashed several times.
The Qiang and Shi people engaged in a back-and-forth plundering, each gaining a large amount of resources but also losing a large number of people.
But neither Mayi nor Darul noticed this, or rather, they noticed it but didn't care, as population was merely a means to increase their wealth.
At the same time, Jia Xu also led his men to Liaodong, and then Jia Xu opened the second secret letter sent by the emperor.
The secret letter read:
"The Northern and Southern Wuhuan, Goguryeo, and the Three Han! We must make them descend into chaos!"
"Let them create chaos??"
After reading the secret letter, Jia Xu closed his eyes and began to ponder. In just a moment, a plan was formulated in his mind.
Immediately, Jia Xu sent men to the Goguryeo territory in northeastern Liaodong, where they met with King Li Xiao of Goguryeo.
Upon learning that the Han Dynasty was preparing to exchange grain, salt, silk, and other supplies for a large number of slaves, Li Xiao and a group of noble officials from Goguryeo were overjoyed.
In the past, the only way for them to obtain those supplies was to trade with smugglers from the Han Dynasty or wait for the border trade.
Now, they can simply capture some slaves to exchange for the supplies they've always dreamed of. Both Li Xiao and the noble officials of Goguryeo are sparing no effort to start gathering troops and guards.
Soon, within Goguryeo territory, a total of 30,000 troops, including 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, marched towards the territory of the Three Hans.
Li Xiao, who has always been ambitious, has always regarded the eastern Hanye, Okjeo and the Three Han territories as the first step in Goguryeo's expansion. In the past, he dared not attack them casually because of the deterrence of the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty only said that they needed a large number of slaves, but did not specify where they wanted them. The Southern Wuhuan in the west and the Buyeo in the northeast had surrendered to the Han Dynasty, so they certainly could not fight them. The Northern Wuhuan were too far away. Their only target was the Han Hui, Wuju and the Three Hans in the east.
It can both expand territory and acquire a large amount of resources, truly killing two birds with one stone.
Just before the Goguryeo troops set off, Jia Xu also sent someone to inform Li Ru, who was in the Northern Wuhuan, and asked him to persuade the Northern Wuhuan leader Shefu to take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Goguryeo.
Afterwards, Jia Xu also sent people to Lelang County to spread rumors to Han Hui, Woju, and Chenhan, Mahan, and Mouhan in the Three Han territories, issuing them a warning.
However, they always believed that they and Goguryeo had kept to themselves and never interfered with each other, so no one thought that Goguryeo would use force against them, and they paid no attention to the rumors and warnings spread by Jia Xu.
The first to bear the brunt were the Han Ye people and the Okjeo people who blocked the eastern part of Goguryeo.
Faced with the sudden attack of 30,000 Goguryeo troops, many tribes of Han Ye and Okjeo, who were close to Goguryeo territory, were caught off guard before they could react.
When the able-bodied men who had escaped learned that Goguryeo had indeed launched an attack and that the tribes ahead had already fallen, the Hanye and Okje people in the east finally realized what was happening.
While the two tribes were gathering troops to organize defenses, they also sent messengers to Xuantu County to request assistance from the Han Dynasty, hoping that the Han Dynasty would take pity on them and help them repel the Goguryeo people.
Faced with the requests for help from the Han Hui and Woju tribes, Gongsun Yu, the governor of Xuantu Commandery, readily agreed that he had already submitted a memorial to the emperor and that the Youzhou army would send troops to support them as soon as the emperor gave his order.
The two messengers left Xuantu County with profuse thanks. On their way back, they realized that Luoyang was so far away that it would take more than half a month just to send a message. With the addition of a large army, it would take even longer.
By the time the Han reinforcements arrive, their tribe will probably have already been wiped out by Goguryeo...!
Although Han Ye and Okjeo hastily gathered some troops for defense, they were still no match for the Goguryeo people.
In just over ten days, Goguryeo marched eastward, successively conquering more than twenty tribes of varying sizes in Hanye and Okje, seizing a large amount of spoils of war, and also capturing nearly 70,000 slaves.
Seeing that there were so many captured slaves, the Goguryeo army had no choice but to retreat and escort the slaves towards Liaodong.
At this time, after being attacked by Goguryeo, the remaining tribes of Han Ye and Okjeo numbered only about ten, with a combined population of less than 40,000. If Goguryeo were to attack again, they would likely be wiped out.
The remaining Han-Hui and Wo-Ju people also united to discuss how to protect themselves.
After a discussion between the two sides, they decided to relocate their entire clans and surrender to the Han Dynasty. In any case, it was better than being wiped out.
So the remaining Han Ye and Okje people, taking advantage of Goguryeo's retreat, hastily packed up and hurriedly headed towards Lelang County in the east.
When the Goguryeo army returned to Goguryeo with the grain, salt, silk, and other supplies they had obtained from Liaodong, the entire Goguryeo region was in an uproar.
"Haha~, great! These slaves are indeed good stuff!"
Looking at the vast amount of supplies piled up in the royal palace treasury, Li Xiao couldn't help but burst into laughter. He had been the king of Goguryeo his whole life, and this was the first time he had ever lived such a wealthy life.
Thinking of the hundreds of thousands of people from the Three Han states waiting to be captured, Li Xiao and the noble officials of Goguryeo, their eyes bloodshot, began to gather troops and able-bodied men once again.
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