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...
Yunzhong Commandery, Meiji County, the Southern Court of the Xiongnu.
That night, after several days of autumn winds, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and even the moon in the sky appeared exceptionally bright. The pure white moonlight shone down on the earth, illuminating the night as if it were daytime.
The grassland was filled with the pleasant chirping of insects, and nocturnal animals were emerging from their burrows to forage for food.
The herdsmen of the Southern Xiongnu also huddled in their tents, fast asleep.
At first glance, the entire meadow exudes peace and tranquility.
"Giddy up!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the southwest, accompanied by the rapid sound of horses' hooves, shattering the tranquility of the place.
A figure galloped across the grassland, heading straight for the Southern Court of the Xiongnu. The target of this fast rider was the only brightly lit central command tent in the center of the Southern Court.
Inside the large tent, the lights were bright, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air. A dozen scantily clad women were dancing gracefully to the music.
Chanyu Qiangqu reclined lazily on the main seat, while noble leaders from various tribes of the Southern Court were also present on both sides of the tent. All of them had their eyes slightly narrowed and smiles on their lips, staring intently at the dancing women.
"Report!!"
Just then, a guard on duty outside the tent suddenly burst in.
The tent fell silent immediately.
"What's wrong? Why are you so panicked?"
Qiangqu, whose sweet dream had been disturbed, looked at the guard with displeasure.
The guard hurriedly reported, "Reporting to the Great Chanyu, General Zhang Huan has sent a messenger with important news!"
"Important matter...?"
Qiang Qu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Please come in quickly!"
"promise!"
The guards turned and left, and Qiangqu waved to the women, signaling them to leave.
Soon, the messenger sent by Zhang Huan arrived at the tent, bowing respectfully to Qiang Qu as he walked.
"I have met the Great Chanyu!"
"No need for formalities. May I ask what brings General Zhang here?"
Seeing the messenger's tired appearance, Qiangqu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
The messenger hurriedly reported, "Our General Lü and Prince Yufuluo suffered a great defeat today. General Zhang requests that the Great Chanyu immediately proceed to the Bingzhou camp for a meeting!"
"What? What happened?"
Upon hearing the messenger's words, Qiangqu's expression changed drastically, and the tent erupted in commotion as everyone looked at the messenger in disbelief.
The messenger said, "I am not aware of the specifics either; it would be best if the Great Chanyu himself spoke with General Zhang in detail!"
"Alright! Let's not delay, let's set off immediately!"
Qiangqu nodded eagerly, and without delay, he gave instructions to everyone in the tent before leading a few guards and the messenger toward the Bingzhou camp.
The next day, as dawn broke, Qiangqu and his party hurriedly arrived at the Bingzhou camp.
As soon as he entered the tent, Qiangqu looked at Zhang Huan with great eagerness.
"General Zhang, what exactly happened? How could my troops have suffered such a crushing defeat?"
"Alas, this is all Lu Bu's fault for his poor leadership. Your commander was killed and your soldiers gained nothing, which caused your morale to plummet. When you encountered the army of the Left Wise King, you fled in the face of battle, resulting in this great defeat!"
Zhang Huan sighed softly, placing all the blame for the battle on Lü Bu.
"This... General Lü is renowned far and wide, how could he...?"
Qiang Qu was taken aback and looked at Zhang Huan with an unnatural expression.
"Please have Prince Yufuluo explain the specific reasons to the Chanyu!"
Zhang Huan waved his hand and then sent someone to bring Yufuluo and Lü Bu into the tent.
When Qiangqu saw Lü Bu bound hand and foot, he was slightly taken aback.
Before Qiangqu could speak, Zhang Huan looked at Yufuluo first and said in a deep voice:
"Please, Young Master Yufuluo, recount the details of this battle once more, without omitting anything!"
"yes!"
Huvro nodded gravely, then slowly said:
"I was ordered to lead an expedition and launched an attack on the southern Jie people on the appointed day. I had just won when I received a message from General Lü saying that the western Jie people had been defeated. Without thinking twice, I took the prisoners and spoils and headed towards Juyan..."
Later, Naxi Zhiyu led an army of 40,000 to catch up. I sent someone to ask Tan Shihuai for help, but he refused to come to our aid. The soldiers also deserted in the face of battle!
We followed General Lü in a fierce charge, and we almost killed Xie Zhiyu, but there were too many of them, and we had to flee in defeat.
General Zhang, Father, this defeat was entirely due to Tan Shihuai, and had nothing to do with General Lü. If it weren't for General Lü leading us all the way out, we would have been completely wiped out..."
In the end, Yufuluo couldn't help but burst into tears, pleading for Lü Bu's life.
Yufuluo also understood that if he wanted to avoid Qiangqu's punishment, he had to tie himself to Lü Bu.
Zhang Huan wanted to protect Lü Bu, and naturally he would also protect himself, which is why Yu Fuluo praised Lü Bu so effusively.
Lu Bu, on the other hand, stood dejectedly to the side, not uttering a word from beginning to end.
"Damn it, that Tan Shihuai is utterly hateful!"
After hearing what Yufuluo had said, Qiangqu also cursed angrily.
Then Qiangqu looked at Zhang Huan and said in a deep voice, "General Zhang, that Tan Shihuai only cares about his own interests and has colluded with Xie Zhiyu to harm our troops. We hope that the Han army can do justice for us!"
Seeing that Qiangqu believed Fuluo's words without a doubt, Zhang Huan breathed a sigh of relief and greatly admired Fuluo.
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