12dz Chapter 333 Hun ambush.
Chapter 333 Hun ambush.
The Roman merchants' pursuit of wealth was endless and the most daring.
Kro said that as long as the road was open, tens of thousands of Romans would come to do business every year, and Ye Kun also believed it.
Merchants from other small countries in the Western Regions also echoed Kro's statement, saying that the harassment from the Huns was unbearable.
At this time, Ye Kun only controlled a small part of the eastern part of the Silk Road.
A large section of the central part was under the control of the Western Xiongnu.
The Western Silk Road is within the territory of the Qin State.
Ye Kun also knew about the harassment of the trade routes by the Western Xiongnu, so he clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, I will send out a merchant protection team to ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road. I will deal with the Western Xiongnu bandits soon!"
The Huns are now divided into several forces, mainly the Eastern and Western Huns.
The Little Wise King, who was a brother of Ye Kun last time, was sandwiched between the Eastern and Western Huns and his power was not that great.
Ye Kun had already planned to support the young wise king, annex the Western Xiongnu, and completely control the Silk Road!
Of course, the young wise king also wanted to dominate the grassland, so he clung to Ye Kun's thigh and sent a large number of cattle, sheep, mare's milk wine, goat's milk wine, and gold sand every month.
The merchants of the caravan were kept by Ye Kun and entertained for three days.
Then, Ye Kun gave them gifts and went to Liangzhou with them.
When they arrived in Liangzhou, Ye Kun summoned the envoy left behind by the Little Wise King, gave him a secret letter, and asked him to send it back.
In the letter, Ye Kun asked the Little Wise King to raise an army after the next year to attack the Western Xiongnu.
On his own side, he dispatched 30,000 troops to attack the Western Xiongnu along the Silk Road.
One advantage of attacking the Western Xiongnu in spring is that it can destroy their economy.
Because spring is the time when cattle and sheep reproduce, many cows and sheep are pregnant. The Xiongnu did not have a fixed base or city, so if they were attacked, they would move with their cattle and sheep. Cows and sheep that had just given birth or were about to give birth would die during the transfer.
When the two great empire leaders of the Han Dynasty, Huo Qubing and Wei Qing, launched their attack on the Huns, they also chose spring.
When the Huns fought to the end, it wasn’t that they had no men left, but their economy was completely destroyed!
If we fight the Huns in autumn, winter will come as the fighting continues. The northwest prairie and the blizzard will freeze most of the soldiers to death or cause frostbite!
It is summer now, and Ye Kun has given the Little Wise King half a year to prepare.
Moreover, Ye Kun also sent an elite corps of two thousand men, equipped with binoculars, engineering shovels, iron wire, guns, chariot crossbows, to help the Little Wise King fight!
When the young virtuous king saw the letter, he was overjoyed and came to meet Ye Kun in person.
Ye Kun hosted a banquet and talked about their farewell feelings. He also asked the young wise king not to offer tribute of cattle and sheep for the time being, and to prepare more dry food for the war next year.
The young virtuous king smiled and said, "Don't worry, big brother. With your guns, cannons, chariots and crossbows, I can defeat the Eastern and Western Huns at the same time. It won't be a problem!"
Ye Kun shook his head: "The prairie is too big. Your tribe only has more than 200,000 people. Even if you conquer them all, you can't swallow them all."
As a modern man, Ye Kun has seen the world map countless times and has an idea of the vastness of the prairie.
With just a few men under his command, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream for the young wise king to annex the entire prairie.
They don't have any resistance, they are just waiting for you to kill them. It will take you one or two years to make the trip back and forth!
The Little Wise King smiled and said, "Once I have wiped out the Western Xiongnu and captured their people, our population will increase."
Ye Kun asked: "How many people are there in the Western Xiongnu?"
"Millions of people, cattle, sheep, and horses, adding up to tens of millions."
"With so many people, it won't be easy for you to manage them even if we conquer them."
"Don't worry, big brother. We will kill all the men, take the women back, let them have more children, and then it will be easier to manage them!" said the Little Wise King with a smile.
"I don't like killing too many people." Ye Kun shook his head and pondered:
"After defeating the Western Xiongnu, I will relocate some people to Hanzhong and Yizhou. At the same time, I will also immigrate some Han people to the areas inside and outside the Great Wall. As for the prairie, you will be in charge of it."
The population of Yong and Liang states is too small.
So Ye Kun couldn't bear to kill anyone.
If a large number of Huns were captured, they could be tamed, dispersed, and sent to various places to farm.
Conditions on the prairie were harsh, and both nobles and common people lived by following the grass. If there were really fields to farm, the Huns would be willing to stay.
The young virtuous king smiled and said, "Then it's settled, big brother. After we defeat the Western Xiongnu, all the people, cattle and sheep will be yours, and the land will be mine."
For the Huns, the prairie is wealth.
With grassland, the population and cattle and sheep can multiply.
"The territory is also mine, but I'll let you manage it."
Ye Kun smiled faintly: "You know, the former prairie was also the land of the Da Ding Kingdom, and your ancestors were ministers of the Da Ding Kingdom."
The young virtuous king realized that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "Brother is right. I will always be your subject."
Ye Kun called Zhuge Feng and others, as well as his own staff, to consult the map and plan the offensive route for the young wise king for next year, as well as other war preparations.
The barbarians like the Huns look very tough, but in fact, they are very bad at fighting!
Therefore, Ye Kun had to give the Little Wise King the necessary guidance.
After the young virtuous king left, Gongsun Erniang suggested that Ye Kun take this opportunity to inspect the two states of Yong and Liang and continue to develop Mohist disciples.
Ye Kun agreed and took Gongsun Erniang and his own personal guards to patrol westward along the Hexi Corridor.
He Zhongshu led his troops to accompany them.
From Wuwei to Zhangye, and then to Jiuquan and Dunhuang, the entire four Hexi counties were under the control of He Zhongshu.
He Zhongshu and Guan Yong also made outstanding contributions by conquering the four counties in Hexi.
However, Jiuquan and Dunhuang had just been conquered and were still in a period of reconstruction.
Arriving in Dunhuang, Ye Kun asked Gongsun Erniang: "Junior sister, we have seen the four counties in Hexi all the way. What do you think should be done?"
Gongsun Erniang pondered and said, "The four counties in Hexi are the throat of western China and the only way to connect to the Western Regions. We must increase our military strength to ensure safety."
Ye Kun smiled and said, "He Zhongshu and Guan Yong have a total of 30,000 troops stationed in the four counties of Hexi. If we increase the number of troops, I'm afraid the burden will be heavy and the food and grass will be tight."
"There are many oases in Hexi, where we can increase the number of garrison troops and support ourselves."
"Okay, I'll discuss it with He Zhongshu."
Ye Kun nodded, letting the horse run free, and walked along the river bank with Gongsun Erniang.
The personal guards remained where they were.
Gongsun Erniang said again: "Brother, the world is now divided into three parts, and our territory has caught up with Xiahou Chang. When do you plan to further develop the Mohist school?"
"It is impossible to abolish all schools of thought and respect only the Mohist school. It goes against the development of history."
Ye Kun turned his head to look at Gongsun Erniang and said seriously:
"I want to establish a people's alliance. Then I will vigorously develop it and quietly infiltrate the territories of Xiahou Chang and Xiao Dequan. In the future, I can mobilize hundreds of people to respond to my call."
Gongsun Erniang looked unhappy: "So, Senior Brother, where do you place the Mohist School?"
"Isn't the Mohist doctrine of universal love and non-aggression for the benefit of the people of the world?" Ye Kun smiled.
"Junior sister, you need to be more open-minded and don't be bound by the name of Mohism. If the whole world can really achieve universal love and non-aggression, even if our Mohism no longer exists, what does it matter?"
Gongsun Erniang glanced at Ye Kun, seeming to be thinking about something.
Suddenly, an arrow shot out, making a sound of breaking through the air.
"Junior sister, get down quickly!"
Ye Kun was surprised and quickly covered his head and shrank back, while at the same time reminding Gongsun Erniang.
Gongsun Erniang dodged the arrow by leaning sideways, glanced around, and said with a change of color: "Brother, hurry up, it's an ambush by the Huns!"