Shortly after Lü Bu and his men set off, the messenger sent by Gumuduo, after traveling for a day and a night, finally arrived at the Xianbei's encampment.
After reading the letter, Tan Shihuai immediately ordered the army to set off, and the entire encampment was thrown into a flurry of activity.
Inside the main tent, Tan Shihuai looked at Han Sui beside him and asked, "Sir, what are your thoughts on this battle?"
Han Sui thought for a moment, then said, "This time, the extermination of the Jie people is different from the past. This time, the Han Dynasty wants people, not heads. Therefore, during the attack, we should try to avoid beheadings..."
"Easier said than done. If we don't terrify them, how can we expect them to surrender?"
In the end, Tan Shihuai couldn't help but sigh.
Han Sui laughed and said, "My lord, there is no need to worry. These Jie people came from the west of the Western Regions and were probably driven here."
Since they were willing to submit to the Xiongnu, surrendering shouldn't be difficult for them either!
“That makes sense, but… what does the Han Dynasty need so many slaves for?”
Recalling the conditions imposed by the Han Dynasty this time, Tan Shihuai looked at Han Sui with some confusion.
Han Sui paused, then said, "They are probably planning to use these slaves to help the Han Dynasty build city defenses and develop its internal affairs!"
The cost of using slaves is much lower than that of conscripting civilians and laborers, and there is no need to worry about domestic instability. Furthermore, it frees up more manpower for cultivating wasteland…”
"No wonder the Qiang, Shi, and Wuhuan are in such chaos, and even my tribe is frequently harassed by the Xiongnu. Could all of this be the work of that young emperor?"
Upon hearing Han Sui's analysis, Tan Shihuai immediately connected the dots between the commotion around the Han Dynasty.
Han Sui nodded: "That's right. According to news from Jincheng, the various tribes of Dongqiang are now fighting fiercely with the various tribes of Shiren. Jincheng has now become a place specializing in the slave trade."
Furthermore, wandering martial arts masters from all over the Han Dynasty infiltrated their territories, arresting civilians on a large scale, causing countless losses!
"Hiss~, I never imagined that this little emperor would possess such terrifying methods!"
Without shedding a drop of blood, the surrounding tribes were plunged into chaos, while the Han Dynasty could reap the benefits!
Thinking it over, Tan Shihuai couldn't help but gasp, feeling a deep sense of dread towards the burly man.
Han Sui smiled and said, "That may be true, but... this is also an opportunity for the Great Chanyu..."
After thinking about it carefully, Tan Shihuai understood and nodded: "Sir is right. Now that the Han Dynasty is willing to use a lot of resources to buy slaves, it saves us from having to risk our lives to attack the Han Dynasty's cities..."
For the Xianbei people today, attacking the grassland tribes is undoubtedly much easier than attacking the cities of the Han Dynasty. They can also use the extra prisoners to exchange for supplies, which seems like a win-win situation.
Han Sui hurriedly said, "Great Chanyu, the opportunity is right in front of us. I think we should break through the northern Jie people before the agreed date, and then rush straight to the west. In this way, our tribe can also gain the greatest benefit..."
"This...is it inappropriate to break the agreement without authorization? What if we anger the Han and they refuse to buy slaves? Wouldn't all our efforts be wasted?"
Although Tan Shihuai was very interested in Han Sui's proposal, he was still somewhat hesitant.
"Great Chanyu, there's no need to worry. Just say that the Jie people discovered our army's movements, leaving us no choice but to launch an attack ahead of schedule..."
Furthermore, the Han Dynasty must be in dire need of slaves right now, otherwise they wouldn't be offering fine iron in exchange. Therefore, no matter what, there will be no problem!
Tan Shihuai nodded: "What you say makes sense, sir. Let's do it that way!"
Before long, the Xianbei army had assembled and then sped off towards the Jie people in the north.
"Quickly, speed it up!!"
Along the way, Tan Shihuai kept urging his soldiers to speed up.
Just as Lü Bu, Yufuluo, Tanshihuai, and their three armies were heading towards the Jie tribe, the powerful families, wealthy merchants, and workshop owners who were guarding Jincheng to buy slaves also received the news and sent people to Juyan.
Upon receiving Liu Hong's secret letter, Cheng Yu also dispatched spies from the Investigation Department, who, along with the group, carried a large amount of money.
After a rapid march, at dusk two days later, Tan Shihuai finally led his cavalry to a depression not far behind the northern Jie people.
While sending scouts to investigate the situation of the Jie people's tribe, Tan Shihuai ordered the army to halt and rest.
After the scouts had gathered a clear understanding of the situation of the Jie people in the north, Tan Shihuai summoned the leaders of various units in the army and ordered the entire army to have a hearty meal before launching an attack on the Jie people in the north before sunrise.
As the night passed, a faint light began to appear on the distant eastern horizon, tinged with a hint of red.
Inside the Xianbei camp, all the soldiers had assembled. Tan Shihuai looked at the three tribal leaders before him and said in a deep voice:
"Pass down the order: the main objective of this battle is to capture prisoners. The more prisoners captured, the greater the reward. Except for those who stubbornly resist, no indiscriminate killing is permitted..."
"promise!"
The three leaders of Rilu Tuiyan, Yanliyou, and Luoluo responded loudly, and then, following Tanshihuai's instructions, divided their forces into four groups and surrounded the Jie people's tribe.
The Jie people in the tribe were completely unaware of the impending danger and remained fast asleep.
As dawn broke and the east turned red, Tan Shihuai led five thousand soldiers stealthily to the top of a hill three hundred meters away from the Jie people's tribe.
Tan Shihuai, riding on horseback, looked at the dilapidated tribe ahead and a smile appeared on his lips.
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