The tribal structures on the grasslands were similar to the clans in the early Central Plains, both based on blood ties.
Marriage within a tribe is strictly prohibited; marriages are between people from different tribes.
Gradually, tribal alliances formed, and later the concept of nationhood emerged...
They would also hold regular large-scale meetings initiated by the Chanyu!
However, after Aixin Chanyu died, the Xiongnu tribes fell apart, and there was no one with similar influence to rally them!
Now, the prime minister of Yan is calling on the Xiongnu people under the pretext of retrieving ancestral sacred objects and clearing Yan's name.
Driven by a shared hatred of the enemy, all the Xiongnu tribes came...
After all, a single tree cannot make a forest; only when everyone comes together can great things be accomplished!
Some Xiongnu tribes were in dire straits. Originally numbering several thousand, by the time they reached Jiang Ming's Yanbei camp, only seven or eight people remained, mostly the elderly, women, and children...
When they saw the soup kitchen Jiang Ming had set up, they all rushed over like hungry ghosts pouncing on their prey...
Although the contribution points are limited, at least the 'structure' is complete, and all the tribes have arrived!
After treating them to a good meal, Jiang Ming launched into a passionate and inspiring speech!
Its main point is: the sacred objects of our ancestors cannot be lost, and as descendants of the Xiongnu, we must take back the Golden Wolf!
Furthermore, Jiang Ming also formulated a new selection rule for the new Chanyu: whichever warrior in which army first obtains the ancestral golden wolf will be nominated as the Chanyu from that tribe!
Jiang Ming was willing to provide weapons and horses to support their battle!
Upon hearing this, all the Xiongnu people were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and no one expressed any objection!
Jiang Ming knew that it was too early to propose becoming their Chanyu at this time, and even if they 'agreed' on the surface, they wouldn't do a good job!
We must make grand promises to ignite their fighting spirit!
With weapons and horses provided by the prime minister of Yan, the Xiongnu immediately organized another 100,000 iron cavalry!
But the fighting strength of these 100,000 men certainly couldn't compare to that of their battle-hardened predecessors...
Jiang Ming didn't expect them to achieve anything significant; he was merely using them as bait...
From the time he went to Jicheng for a meeting until his return, when he used the Empress Yan to leverage Luo Gongzi's "economic leverage," he was anything but idle in the military camp within the Yanshan Mountains for the next three or four months...
The 8,000 county soldiers that Ji Bochang had previously transferred to Jiang Ming have now all become employees of the 'Yan State-run Military Factory'.
The main task was singular: to utilize the abundant timber resources of the Yanshan Mountains to manufacture a sufficient quantity of composite bows.
Of course, the composite bows they produce are only simplified versions, but they are still far superior to traditional bows and arrows!
The key point is that even someone with exceptional physical strength can unleash a shot with the power to pierce through armor from a hundred paces away!
Jiang Ming only gave the Xiongnu swords and spears, as well as the weapons left behind by their main force predecessors.
However, the troops of the Changsun tribe and the Tuoba tribe were already fully equipped with composite bows and, as Jiang Ming had instructed, were undergoing formation training...
In the past two or three months, their 'arrow formation' has been trained to perfection, and their combat effectiveness has skyrocketed!
These Xiongnu people, armed with weapons left behind by their ancestors, were filled with fervor and roared as they prepared to take revenge on the Rouran!
When the Rouran Khan heard that a large number of Xiongnu people had completely ignored the call of the 'Howling Golden Wolf' and had all defected to the Prime Minister of Yan, he was so angry that he threw the 'golden nugget' on the ground and organized all his troops to completely 'exterminate' the Xiongnu!
He also has an 'trump card' in his hand!
In his letter to the Rouran Khan, "Young Master Luo" explained: The Yan state is also in disarray. The newly appointed Prime Minister of Yan has been carrying out a massive purge, which has already touched upon the core interests of countless powerful figures. Many want to kill him, and the Xianbei are also looking to take advantage of the chaos, intending to plunder and seize spoils. Therefore, as long as the Rouran Khan sends troops, "Young Master Luo's" internal strife within Yan should be met with external support. This battle... there's absolutely no reason why we can't win!
In addition, Dugu Yan of the Tuoba tribe and Changsun Yuenu of the Changsun tribe also sent letters to the Rouran Khan.
They said that, persuaded by "Young Master Luo," the Xianbei people had changed their minds and were willing to cooperate with the Rouran Khan to rebel against the Prime Minister of Yan... They were all steppe people, and their main goal was to eliminate the Gan people, so they could encircle and wipe out the Xiongnu together, and then jointly march south to seize Yan!
All the conditions are in my favor!
Therefore, the Rouran Khan no longer hesitated and sent out almost his entire force!
He led all his elite troops, totaling 250,000 men, claiming to be an army of 500,000... straight towards Yefuling!
Jiang Ming was fully aware of their battle plans and movements, and directly sent Xiongnu cavalry here to wait for them to tire themselves out... so that they could fight the Rouran to the death!
250,000 against 100,000... The Rouran Khan didn't take the Xiongnu seriously at all!
Moreover, they were all weak, second-tier forces... The real tough Huns had long been burned to death in the Yanshan Mountains!
The two sides engaged in an extremely fierce battle in the wild foxes!
National hatred and family feuds, the honor and face of their ancestors, and the desire to become the 'Great Chanyu' all contributed to the astonishing fighting power of these Xiongnu tribes!
They repelled the Rouran charges several times in a row, though they themselves suffered heavy losses...
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