Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 148 Accepting the Surrender of the Hu Tribe

The setting sun, like blood, painted the devastated battlefield on the riverbank of Moon Bay a dark red. Corpses lay strewn about, broken arrows and spears littered the ground, and warhorses, now without their masters, wandered aimlessly and neighed mournfully among the corpses. The heavy stench of blood was almost tangible, and even the passing evening breeze could not dispel it.

Under the command of their officers, the soldiers of Xinghuo Fortress were diligently and methodically clearing the battlefield. They were collecting any remaining valuable weapons and armor, carefully collecting the bodies of their fallen soldiers, treating the seriously wounded separately from the lightly wounded, and guarding the dejected, ashen-faced captured Hu cavalry. The joy of victory was overshadowed by the carnage before them and the complexities of post-battle affairs, but every Xinghuo Fortress soldier wore a weariness tinged with pride and a sense of accomplishment. They had won, and it was a near-perfect victory.

The central command tent had been re-erected, situated on the river bend high ground, overlooking the entire battlefield. Chen Xing had removed his blood-stained armor and changed into clean, dark civilian clothes. He sat in the main seat, his expression calm, though a barely perceptible weariness and contemplation lurked deep within his eyes. Chen Wei and Dian Xiong stood by his side, while Jia Wen sat below, quietly reviewing a newly compiled preliminary battle report.

The tent flap was lifted, and a gust of wind carrying the smell of sweat and blood swept in. Murong Mingyue strode in. Her red dress was stained with dust and a few bloodstains, her hair was slightly disheveled, and a few strands of black hair clung to her sweat-dampened forehead, but her eyes were bright and sharp, her steps were steady, and her heroic spirit remained undiminished.

"My lord! Your humble general has led the cavalry in pursuit for thirty li, killing about five hundred scattered Hu cavalry, capturing over three hundred, and seizing nearly a thousand ownerless warhorses! The Hu chieftain Wuzhu, with several dozen personal guards, fled in a north-northwest direction. Your humble general feared that he might be lured into a trap or ambushed, so you dared not pursue him too far and have now withdrawn your troops." Murong Mingyue reported with clasped hands, his voice slightly hoarse but clear and powerful.

Chen Xing nodded, gesturing for her to sit down: "You've worked hard. It was the right thing to do. Wuzhu has suffered a crushing defeat; he's like a dog with its tail between its legs. The Golden Tent has been severely weakened and is no longer a threat in the short term. In this battle, Mingyue, your cavalry's flanking maneuver was crucial."

Murong Mingyue lowered her head slightly: "It is all thanks to the lord's strategic planning and the soldiers' bravery. Mingyue dares not take credit." As she spoke, her gaze quickly swept over Chen Xing. Seeing that he looked tired but was still in good spirits, she felt relieved and then sat down opposite Jia Wen.

Jia Wen put down the battle report, raised his narrow eyes, and looked at Chen Xing: "My lord, the initial results are in. Our army suffered 623 dead, over 300 seriously wounded, and the number of lightly wounded is not counted. We have taken over 3,100 heads of Hu cavalry, captured over 1,900, and seized approximately 2,000 intact or repairable warhorses, as well as countless other weapons, leather armor, and flags. The main force of the Golden Tent has suffered a loss of seven or eight tenths in this battle."

Everyone in the tent gasped. Such a victory was truly magnificent! Their own casualties were far lower than the enemy's, and they had captured a large number of warhorses, which was of extraordinary significance to Starfire Fortress, which was severely lacking in high-quality cavalry.

Dian Xiong grinned widely and laughed in a deep voice, "That was satisfying! That was fucking satisfying! It's just a pity that old bastard Wuzhu got away! Otherwise, I would have twisted his wolf head off and used it as a chamber pot!"

Chen Wei was more concerned about the prisoners: "My lord, what should we do with the nearly two thousand prisoners? If we bury them all alive, we risk losing the hearts of the people on the grasslands and damaging your reputation for benevolence. If we take them all in, the food consumption will be enormous, and we fear it might cause unrest."

This is the most pressing problem at hand. Killing prisoners is ominous and could incite deeper hostility and hatred among the various tribes of the steppe; keeping them is a heavy burden and a hidden danger.

All eyes were on Chen Xing.

Chen Xing didn't answer immediately, but looked at Jia Wen: "Wenhe, what's your opinion?"

Jia Wen seemed to have already considered this issue, and calmly said, "Killing is not an option; raising is not an option either. I have a plan called 'Accepting surrendered elite troops and using the barbarians to control the barbarians.'"

"Oh? Tell me more."

"After this battle, the decline of the Golden Horde in the northern grasslands is a foregone conclusion. However, the grasslands are vast, with numerous tribes, and the strong prey on the weak. Today the Golden Horde is defeated, tomorrow a new 'Grey Wolf' will surely rise. Rather than passively defending, we should take the initiative to intervene and turn some of the grassland's power into our own."

He paused, then continued, "These nearly two thousand prisoners should be screened first. Weed out the old and weak, those with serious and incurable injuries, those who are stubborn and harbor deep hatred for me. The rest, especially those young, strong, and brave ordinary soldiers who are not Wuzhu's loyal followers, can be recruited to surrender."

"After surrendering, they will not be simply incorporated into our army." A cold glint flashed in Jia Wen's eyes. "We can select five hundred to eight hundred men from them to form a separate army called the 'Hu Yi Cong'. They will be treated better than ordinary prisoners, allowed to retain some of their original organization and low-ranking leaders, and will be under the command of generals and instructors dispatched by our army. It will be clearly stated that those who are loyal to Xinghuo Fort and make meritorious contributions will be rewarded in the same way as the Han army, and may even be granted land and titles. At the same time, their families or some of the surrendered soldiers will be left in our territory as hostages to appease them and prevent them from turning against us."

Chen Wei frowned: "Using one kind of barbarian to control another is indeed a brilliant move. But how can we guarantee the loyalty of these 'Hu Yicong'? What if they defect in battle? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Therefore, we must 'divide and conquer, and use both kindness and force'," Jia Wen replied. "First, we must not allow them to gather into a large force. Initially, their size should be controlled to less than a thousand people, and they must be integrated into our Han army and stationed there under our close surveillance. Second, their generals must be people I trust, and their subordinate Hu chieftains must be strictly selected and won over with favors. Third, in battle, we can first have them participate in some secondary tasks such as suppressing bandits and pacifying rebellious small tribes. This will not only test their loyalty and combat capabilities but also get their hands dirty with the blood of 'our own people,' cutting off their escape route back to their old tribes. As they gradually assimilate and achieve merit, we can then gradually grant them more trust and independent combat authority, depending on the situation."

He looked at Chen Xing: "Furthermore, this strategy has another advantage. Our lord can use this to send a signal to the various tribes of the grasslands: those who submit to us will not only live, but also have the opportunity to become rich and powerful; those who oppose us, like the Golden Horde, will suffer the same fate. In this way, we can divide the grasslands, win over some and strike down others. The 'Hu Yi Cong' is a living example."

Murong Mingyue's eyes gleamed with admiration. Having spent a long time on the frontier, she knew the nature of the Hu people well. Jia Wen's strategy, which skillfully combined soft and hard tactics, demonstrated a deep understanding of the Hu people's admiration for strength, their pursuit of profit, and their strong tribal beliefs. "The strategist's strategy is brilliant. If handled properly, these 'Hu Yi Cong' could become an important mobile force in our northern frontier, especially adept at grassland warfare and reconnaissance."

Dian Xiong scratched his head: "That sounds a bit troublesome... but as long as we can kill more barbarians, anything is fine!"

Chen Xing pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Wenhe's plan is a mature and prudent strategy for governing the country. Accepting surrender and selecting capable generals, using the barbarians to control the barbarians, is indeed the way to achieve long-term stability. Let's proceed with this proposal."

He immediately ordered: "Chen Wei, you shall immediately join forces with the Military Law Department and the Propaganda Department to begin screening the prisoners. As Wenhe said, classify and dispose of them accordingly. The selection of 'Hu Yicong' will be jointly handled by you and Mingyue, and you must be extremely careful. Dian Xiong, your service in the Trapped Camp has been outstanding this time, take a good rest and recuperate, and at the same time assist in guarding the prisoners and maintaining order."

"Your subordinate obeys!" the three replied in unison.

"Wenhe," Chen Xing looked at Jia Wen, "after the surrender, the situation on the grasslands will inevitably change. The Golden Horde has collapsed, and its original pastures, tribes, and population will become the focus of contention among various parties. The White Sheep tribe's attitude is ambiguous, and other small and medium-sized tribes are also observing. What are your thoughts on how to manage the grasslands going forward?"

Jia Wen bowed slightly: "My lord, this is precisely what I wish to say next. With the fall of the Golden Horde, a power vacuum has emerged on the grasslands. Our Xinghuo Fortress is newly victorious and its prestige is at its peak. We should seize this opportunity to take the initiative in our campaigns. We can send envoys with news of Wuzhu's defeat and our military might to the major tribes of the grasslands, especially those medium-sized tribes that have had conflicts with the Golden Horde or are still relatively powerful. We can use threats, inducements, or marriage alliances to force them to recognize Xinghuo Fortress as the overlord of the north, to pay tribute regularly, to open trade, and to allow us to establish border markets and station envoys there permanently."

A calculating glint flashed in his eyes: "Although the Baiyang tribe did not directly participate in this battle, they led the Hu cavalry, a crime that cannot be forgiven. We can send envoys to interrogate them sternly, demanding that they hand over their leader, compensate for the losses, and cede some grasslands near our border as an apology. If they refuse, we can use this as an excuse to launch a punitive expedition, which will not only train our troops but also seize real benefits and intimidate other tribes. If they yield, we can observe their performance and gradually bring them under our control."

"As for the scattered Golden Horde troops and the vacated grasslands," Jia Wen concluded, "we can support one or two former minor nobles or surrendered leaders who are close to us, help them gather some of the defeated soldiers, occupy some of the grasslands, and make them our vassals, thus buffering the threat from further north. In this way, advancing step by step, within a few years, although the northern grasslands cannot all become prefectures, they can still become a solid barrier for our Starfire Fortress and a source of horses and leather."

After careful planning, the post-war situation was arranged in an orderly manner, focusing on both the immediate treatment of prisoners and the long-term strategy of grassland development, maximizing the benefits of the military victory.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xing finally showed a genuine smile: "To have Wenhe is truly a blessing from heaven! Let's implement this plan fully! Chen Wei, Mingyue, you two should carefully discuss the selection of personnel and strategies regarding the grassland envoy with Wenhe. Dian Xiong, prepare the army for war and be ready to respond to any possible changes."

"promise!"