Chapter 6: The Merciful Person

The term "Xiongnu" certainly refers to those Xiongnu who sought refuge with the Han dynasty. However, some historical sources indicate that during the Western Jin period, the term "Xiongnu" did not solely refer to the Southern Xiongnu who had allied with the Han dynasty. A portion of the Northern Xiongnu returned to the east, uniting with the Southern Xiongnu who had migrated inward and various other nomadic tribes to launch an attack against the Jin dynasty.

Xu Ming laughed heartily and shouted, "Then it's settled!" After shouting, he turned the horse's head and urged the horse to leave with a command of "Giddy up!"

The Di people are not the same as the Ba Di tribe, and it is difficult to clarify how this group emerged. It is more substantiated that the Di people split off from the Qiang people.

Selecting soldiers from the Jin people has proven to be a rather difficult task. It is not that they cannot be trained, but rather that when faced with the Hu people, the Jin individuals tend to become fearful before even taking any action.

Indeed! Due to the ongoing turmoil of war, most of the Jin people can hardly hope to have a complete set of clothing; the vast majority possess only a few rags or leaves for modesty, and there are many who are completely naked. In fact, it is not only the Jin people who are in such a situation; the various Hu tribes also find themselves in similar circumstances, with only a few of the better-off Hu able to wear a complete outfit.

Liu Yanzheng was busy canceling the previous command in the game interface in his mind, which appeared to others as deep contemplation

Liu Yan's protective measures for the resettlement area involved the construction of a fence, surrounding the entire area with a long fence, and then building a watchtower (which could also serve as an arrow tower). According to his plan, he intended to wait until upgrading to the "feudal era" before constructing city walls, but later discovered that building city walls was a major project that lacked sufficient resources

"Your Majesty, your military strategy is truly remarkable!" Tian Shuo first offered a flattery, then asked with concern, "That person said someone would come to attack?"

Having noticed some movement on both sides, Xu Ming has already led his team to slowly retreat, observing Liu Yan as he does so. Seeing that Liu Yan has no intention of pursuing, he replies: "Who else could it be? Just think about who is in the city, and it will be clear."

Liu Yan did not lead everyone to rush in all at once; instead, he instructed everyone to line up. Before entering, they needed to wash themselves thoroughly in a nearby stream. Only after washing could they receive a bowl of porridge and a number tag. Upon entering the settlement, there would also be arrangements for their resting places.

The Five Hu of the Five Hu chaos in the Han dynasty refers to the Jie, Di, Qiang, Xianbei, and Xiongnu tribes

The distance between the two individuals is not too far, allowing them to see each other's facial expressions as well as their gazes.

Upon seeing the long fence wall, the accompanying Jin people appeared to breathe a sigh of relief. When they were led to a position where an exit could be made, and saw some fellow Jin people preparing steaming food in wait, many were immediately moved to tears.

If a nation loses its courage and confidence, a small number of enemies can carry out massacres, and it is even easier to kill than pigs and sheep. At least pigs and sheep are difficult to drive away, while people can be herded, even if it means digging a pit for them to walk into, and then burying them alive with the soil.

Liu Yan and Xu Ming are not the kind of mortal enemies who wish each other dead. Liu Yan is unclear about how Xu Ming views him, but Liu Yan's perception of Xu Ming is relatively complex.

The current Jin people are truly too weak and timid; Xu Ming merely brought over two hundred individuals to block the road, yet more than thirty thousand Jin people were mostly frightened and panicked. Those who did not panic were not bold; they simply appeared resigned to their fate.

A person who lacks courage and confidence is essentially akin to a waste, and the harm they suffer is limited to themselves or their own family

The more than one hundred Jin soldiers in Liu Yan's hands had undergone special training for over three months. Under conditions of absolute advantage, he led the systematic soldiers to take the lead, with the Jin soldiers forming the main line, repeatedly defeating the Hu people. Only then did the Jin soldiers begin to show some courage when facing the Hu.

Some matters cannot be resolved merely by worrying. Instead of spending time worrying, Liu Yan might as well first take the people he has gathered back. Then, he plans to prepare for battle while sending out personnel to investigate and ascertain the situation, so that he can respond in a targeted manner.

There are many people in the city, but Liu Yan understood Xu Ming's words. He said loudly: "I will not hold it against you for blocking the road this time. If I can endure this time, I will also consider you a friend."

"Continue to lead the way." After Liu Yan finished speaking to Lü Tai and Xu Zheng, he turned to Tian Shuo, who was still waiting for an answer, and said: "There are only 500 Qiang people in Changguang County, but the various ethnic groups within the county will heed the commands of the Qiang. It seems that the Qiang people in the nearby city have already discovered us and are likely to take action."

The Xianbei originated from the area north of Liaodong. They were initially part of the Donghu, but later, the Donghu was defeated and partially annexed by the Xiongnu chieftain Modu, prompting the Xianbei to flee towards the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xianbei moved south again, defeating the Wuhuan people who were entrenched north of Liaodong, and absorbed the Wuhuan, becoming the regional hegemon of that area in Liaodong.

Xu Ming left with his people, and the Jin people did not cheer. They had been informed to continue their journey, silently obeying the orders. When they looked at Liu Yan, there was more fear and numbness than gratitude, and no signs of appreciation could be seen.

What kind of environment are the people of Jin living in these days that can transform a living person into this?

Xu Ming glanced again at the crowd spread across the mountains and had already made up his mind to slip away

Before Liu Yan wandered around, there were more than 2,000 Jin people settled in the area. This time, bringing back 30,000 directly will undoubtedly cause significant repercussions

Xu Ming clearly noticed the fierce glint that occasionally flashed in Liu Yan's eyes. He shouted, "I originally came to settle accounts with you, but seeing your tribe grow stronger, I have changed my mind." While shouting, he gestured for his subordinates to prepare to retreat, and at the same time yelled, "If you can survive this time, we will be friends!"

The terrain of the resettlement area is not particularly complex; it can be considered flat. However, in this day and age, even in flat terrain, there are tall grass patches everywhere, often taller than a person, and there are also quite a few clusters of trees.

"Remember everything carefully! The license plate is your symbol of identity; it pertains to your future daily life and safety!" Tian Shuo, who had taken on the task of notifying the public, naturally had his own calculations in mind. He shouted with all his might: "Those with families, remember to make special registrations!"

Liu Yan tugged at the corner of his mouth as if smiling, but alarm bells were ringing wildly in his mind. He asked, "Who is thinking of making a move against me?"

Such treatment made the Jin people regard Liu Yan as exceedingly benevolent, for Liu Yan at least provided food and drink, did not kill anyone, and worked tirelessly and without complaint, though one should not expect to train too many soldiers for battle.

It is important to understand one point clearly: the majority of the Jin people in the Central Plains and the Northern Regions are in a situation more arduous than that of wild beasts. Being beaten and scolded is still considered mild; many are often in a state of being covered in wounds. Those Jin people responsible for the reception, although they appear somewhat cautious and timid, are not bloodied, and their complexions are rosy. Given such a condition, everyone might think that the new master (Liu Yan) must be a benevolent person.

The Qiang people are not the same as the Qiang people of later generations. In ancient times, particularly during the pre-Qin period, the term 'Qiang' specifically referred to certain herders, rather than designating a particular ethnic group. In fact, it referred to a community with similar lifestyles.

Among them, the Qiang people currently constitute the ruling class of the Central Plains, with a total population that will not exceed 500,000

The nation has lost its courage and confidence; just look at the current state of the Jin people in the Central Plains and the North to understand what it is like. As the lowest-ranking ethnic group, they are often subjected to abuse, murder, and cannibalism. To put it in a very extreme way, if one does not die in resistance, one dies in cowardice; it is all self-inflicted

Accompanied by a multitude of thirty thousand (which may not actually be the case), regardless of the circumstances, it presented a grand and imposing appearance. Liu Yan returned to the resettlement site under such conditions

In the Central Plains, apart from the Qiang, Di, Jie, Xianbei, and Xiongnu, there are actually many more miscellaneous Hu tribes than these five major groups. However, the miscellaneous Hu tribes have aligned themselves with the powerful clans, which is why their presence seems so minimal.

The reasons for crying are rather simple; it is seeing fellow Jin people seemingly living well, at least with rosy complexions and without being covered in wounds.

Liu Yan's attitude towards the current Jin people is essentially one of "pity for their misfortune, anger at their lack of struggle". Many times, do not expect him to treat this group of... relatives with much kindness and compassion. It can even be said that when he is extremely enraged and can no longer contain himself, aside from not killing anyone, he has frequently engaged in similar acts such as punching, kicking, whipping, and beating with wooden sticks.

About two hundred people turned around and left, while some individuals emerged from the left and right flanks, led by Lü Tai and Xu Zheng, who were some Jin people. In fact, there were not many of them; it was merely to create the illusion of surrounding Xu Ming and his group, forcing Xu Ming to retreat instead of choosing to fight.

After a short while, Lü Tai and Xu Zheng also arrived. They reported that the team had regrouped and requested further instructions.

The resettlement site and Liu Yan's fundamental town center are not located in the same place. In fact, the resettlement site was chosen in the direction of the valley where the town center is situated. To enter the valley, one must either breach the resettlement site or traverse the steep mountains.

The so-called resettlement area is a piece of land located near the seaside. Originally, this place was in an absolutely desolate environment, but after nearly one year of development, it has begun to take on a semblance of civilization

On the other side, Liu Yan was also contemplating what to do. He noticed that among the more than 200 people in Xu Ming's group, at least half were on horseback, making it evidently very difficult to eliminate such a force

Tian Shuo's face instantly turned pale; he had once served as an official for the Qie tribe and was well aware of their nature. They do not engage in production and resort to robbery whenever they lack something, repeatedly relying on "shearing sheep" to get by. He muttered to himself, "What should I do?" and turned in circles for a short while with his head down. When he raised his head again to say something, Liu Yan had already left.

To put it plainly, as a nation, the people of the Central Plains and the Jin people of the North, with the exception of a very small number of groups, have seen the courage and confidence of the majority of Jin people gradually eroded through one hardship after another