Mythical Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu calmly assembled the ranks and moved forward, covering ten miles in a whole hour. How to describe this speed? It’s about the distance an average adult can cover by just walking without any exercise in half the time.

The Miscellaneous Hun People either managed to keep their composure or had other plans in mind. In any case, while Zhou Yu was marching slowly, not only did they refrain from sending troops over, they didn’t even send scout cavalry. However, Zhou Yu’s expression gradually turned more relaxed.

”Order the vanguard, left flank, and right flank to rest on the spot, but do not move around. The central army will set up camp and cook,” Zhou Yu ordered after estimating the distance.

Wen Pin and Cheng Pu were somewhat puzzled. They had just fed the soldiers well in the morning. The landing hadn’t taken much effort, and there were no unexpected events in the battle with the Miscellaneous Hun. They had only walked here slowly, taking just one hour.

It should be noted that Zhou Yu wasn’t the sort to have three meals a day like Liu Bei’s men, so it wasn’t mealtime yet.

Cheng Pu and Zhou Yu, though puzzled, still followed Zhou Yu’s command and passed on the order. Then, Zhou Yu’s central army really began setting up camp and cooking under the protection of the vanguard and the flanks.

”Reporting to the General, after more than ten miles of marching, the Han Army has set up camp and begun cooking,” a Hun scout cavalry reported to the Hu cavalry leader. Whether they admitted it or not, in the 300 years since the Han Dynasty defeated the Huns, the Northern Barbarians, voluntarily or not, had all been somewhat Sinicized.

For some Huns, being Sinicized was a good thing, represented by the Qiang People—for they share the same ancestry, and seeing the Han doing so well, they thought they might as well join in. After all, there was no pressure for the same-blooded Qiang People.

For some Huns, Sinicization was absolutely intolerable. This sentiment was represented by the Northern Huns: ”Even if we all die, we cannot be Sinicized.” To these Northern Huns, Sinicization was equivalent to being tamed by the Han Dynasty, and as the heirs to the Empire, this was unacceptable.

As for others like the Xianbei and Fuyu, they could accept Sinicization but preferred to maintain their identity if possible. Of course, some were highly enthusiastic about being Sinicized, even wishing to be born as Han Dynasty nobility in the next life...

However, none would want to be born a common Han citizen, thinking that while the common Hun people lived lives worse than cattle and horses, the Han commoners lived at about the same level. Simply put, it might be better, but not by much.

Therefore, most Huns near the Han Dynasty borders could understand the Han official language. Of course, requiring them to read and write was difficult. Naturally, under these circumstances, the Huns were influenced even in their titles and official positions.

”Setting up camp and cooking?” A Miscellaneous Hun leader frowned and asked.

”Yes,” the scout nodded, ”but their left and right flanks and vanguard haven’t scattered because of this; they’re still keeping guard.”

After listening, the several leaders of the Miscellaneous Hun all nodded. That was more like it—how could the Han Army be so careless?

”Keep the war eagle on them,” the Hu leader dismissed them, then turned to the leaders of a few tribes around him and asked, ”Let’s discuss what to do.”

The leaders immediately understood the leader’s intentions, their eyes gleaming with various thoughts, except for one leader who lowered his head in deep contemplation.

”It seems they don’t want to get involved in the Han-Hun conflict either,” that deep-thinking Hun leader mused silently.

Unlike the Xianbei, the Wuhuan had been crushed by Gongsun Zan for years, deeply understanding the strength of the Han Army. Additionally, after being crushed by Gongsun Zan in Liu Yu’s time, they deeply appreciated Liu Yu’s kindness. The Wuhuan people in the entire Northeast were not enthusiastic about fighting the Han Army at all.

After all, Gongsun Zan was just a feudal lord serving the Han Dynasty, and if the Wuhuan couldn’t even deal with him, if they listened to the Northern Huns and really engaged with the Han Army, when the Northern Huns lost, they could just run away. Even if the Wuhuan fled, what would they eat afterwards?

Therefore, the Wuhuan had no enthusiasm for joining the Hu Coalition Army; they simply had to bow to the overwhelming strength of the Northern Huns.

To the Wuhuan, this was completely a battle of gods, with mortals suffering—there was no enthusiasm to fight the Han Dynasty, especially since the vanguard was all Xianbei.

Of course, there were a few confused minds among the Wuhuan, but they certainly weren’t near Youzhou. Recently, the Wuhuan from near Youzhou had thought of moving to Youzhou to become Han people—but unfortunately, Liu Yu was no longer the Governor of Youzhou...

”Cough, cough, cough, you all move further away and guard well. Don’t let anyone come close,” a Wuhuan leader instructed his trusted aides, and the other Wuhuan leaders similarly ordered their aides a hundred steps away.

After all the trusted aides left, the leaders looked at each other, hesitant to speak, until a Wuhuan leader in leather armor with two short spears broke the silence. ”Everyone, we all have some idea of what each other is thinking. I’ll speak, and may it enter your ears.”

The Wuhuan leaders nodded, and the leather-armored Wuhuan leader paused a moment before speaking, ”Though we dislike the White Horse General, we can’t deny his talent. But he was easily killed by the Yuan Clan, and the Yuan Clan was easily defeated by the Han Dynasty.”

The Wuhuan leader might not have understood Liu Bei, but in his mind, any feudal lord with the surname Liu from the Central Plains was a descendant of the Han Dynasty. After all, any member of the Liu Imperial Clan had the right to inherit, just as any member of the Hun’s Luandi Clan had the right—so that Wuhuan leader directly referred to Liu Bei, who defeated the Yuan Clan, as the Han Dynasty.

The leaders exchanged glances, realizing that if even Gongsun Zan couldn’t handle them, facing the Han Dynasty was akin to courting death.

”If only Duke Bo’an were still here,” one Wuhuan leader said in frustration, and all the Wuhuan leaders sighed in unison, thinking how much better it would be if Liu Yu were still around. Defecting to Liu Yu wouldn’t lead to ruin; that was based on Liu Yu’s extensive credibility.

As soon as those words were spoken, all present Wuhuan leaders understood each other’s thoughts, and trust deepened between them.

”Since we’re all of one mind, I think we should plan early. How about only making a show for the Northern Huns without real effort?” a Wuhuan leader finally gathered the courage to suggest.

”The problem is the Han Army won’t talk to us. They’ll certainly attack us alongside the Northern Huns,” at this point, the Wuhuan leaders had nothing to fear in their discussion.

”Why don’t we contact the Han Army?” It was directly proposed.

”It’s useless; no one will trust us,” the first Wuhuan leader spoke, ”and our tribes are under Northern Hun control. If we make any suspicious moves...”