Unexpected changes, the Xiongnu made unusual movements
The peaceful and prosperous era did not last long. Suddenly, urgent news came from the northern frontier—the old Xiongnu Chanyu had passed away, and his nephew, Luandilie, had succeeded him. This new Chanyu was young and ambitious, far surpassing his father in ambition. At the beginning of his reign, he used an iron fist to unify the various tribes of the grasslands, slaughtering dissidents. He also secretly contacted the Western Regions and the various Hu tribes in the northern deserts, forming a "grassland alliance." He frequently provoked the border of Dajing, plundering merchants and burning outposts.
When the news reached the capital, the Golden Palace erupted in uproar. The ministers looked grave and debated endlessly: the pro-war faction advocated immediately reinforcing the border and striking first; the pro-peace faction worried that the national treasury was empty and it was not advisable to start a war lightly, proposing to temporarily avoid the conflict through marriage and tribute; and some officials still held onto a glimmer of hope, believing that the new Xiongnu ruler was not yet firmly established and that it was merely a bluff.
Shen Qingci stood among the court officials, his brow furrowed. He had once served as the General of the Northern Garrison and knew the Xiongnu's habits well—Luan Dilie, young and skilled in battle, had infiltrated the Great Jing in his early years and possessed considerable knowledge of the Central Plains' strengths and weaknesses; this unusual movement was no accident. After the court debate subsided, he stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the new Xiongnu Chanyu is ambitious, and the alliance is already formed. His intention is to swallow up the northern frontier; this is no small matter. Showing weakness now will only embolden them; but rashly launching an attack will also lead to a protracted war."
The emperor nodded and asked, "What good plan does Minister Shen have?"
“I believe we should proceed in two steps,” Shen Qingci said firmly. “First, we should immediately reinforce the border fortresses, dispatch elite troops from the capital region to reinforce the Zhenbei Army, and order all border prefectures to fortify their defenses and prepare for long-term defense. Second, we should send envoys to the Xiongnu royal court, ostensibly to negotiate peace, but in reality to investigate their troop deployment and the strength of their alliance, so as to provide a basis for subsequent decisions.”
The emperor pondered for a moment, then nodded approvingly: "This plan is sound. As for the envoy, does Minister Shen have any recommendations?"
After a moment's thought, Shen Qingci replied, "Lord Li Xiuwen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is erudite, sharp-tongued, and calm and composed in the face of danger. He was once sent as an envoy to the Western Regions and is well-versed in the etiquette of the foreign peoples, making him the perfect candidate."
The emperor granted the request and immediately issued an edict appointing Li Xiuwen as the chief envoy, who would then travel to the Xiongnu with generous gifts.
Three days later, Li Xiuwen and his entourage arrived at the Xiongnu royal court. Luandilie sat regally in his golden tent, surrounded by tribal leaders, his expression arrogant and disrespectful. Faced with Li Xiuwen's peace proposal, he scoffed and swept the official letter to the ground: "If the Great Jing wishes for a life of ease, it must cede the three commanderies of Hexi, pay an annual tribute of 100,000 shi of grain and 1,000 bolts of silk, and send a princess for a marriage alliance—otherwise, when my allied army marches south, we will surely raze Shangjing to the ground and capture your emperor alive!"
Li Xiuwen suppressed his anger and argued forcefully, stating that war would only result in mutual destruction. However, Luandilie was determined and ordered the delegation to be detained for three days, subjected to all sorts of humiliation, before finally expelling them from the country.
Li Xiuwen returned to the capital in disarray, where he detailed the arrogance of the Xiongnu and the strength of their alliance in the imperial palace. The emperor, enraged, slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "How dare you, you brat! I will personally lead the expedition and annihilate these barbarians!"
Shen Qingci quickly stepped forward to advise, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Although the Xiongnu are powerful, the various tribes in the alliance are not united, and they are having difficulty supplying provisions. We only need to hold the border firmly, wait for the situation to change, and then find an opportunity to defeat them."
In the imperial court, the sound of war drums was already faintly heard. Between the Great Jing and the Xiongnu, an even greater storm was quietly brewing.
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