On the reckless prairie, the group slowed down and moved slowly to the eastward carriage carrying supplies. If you look down at the earth from the sky, you can see that the team is surrounded by scouts, and the farthest point in front is even fifty miles away.

This trade route is the usual route taken by Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang to transport supplies to Luoyang, the capital division, and the road conditions in the early stage and the news of a nomadic tribe have been compiled into a book and presented to Guo Bin. Therefore, this journey, although it is outside the plug, is safe and stable.

Guo Bin's trip not only had to transport materials to the outside of the Saiwai, but also to personally see the construction of the three cities outside the Saiwai, only after experiencing it first-hand and knowing it in his heart, he could set a strategy for the next step of development. However, since idleness is idleness, and the march of the army is not fast, it is also good to take the opportunity to train and train the troops. Therefore, he handed over the command to Guan Yu and asked him to strictly demand his subordinates according to the standards of wartime marching.

Therefore, in the original team of 700 people, Guan Yu actually scattered nearly 100 people as scouts. It is also that these 700 people are veterans of the battle formation, and their equipment, war horses under their crotch, and training are excellent, so everyone is an elite, and everyone is a scout.

While Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were busy tossing a group of men under them, Guo Bin was sitting cross-legged with Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia in an empty carriage talking about the situation of the Xianbei people on the grassland.

Xi Zhicai said: "Xianbei people Bendong Hu Beizhi, Qin and Han dynasties for the Huns Dadan defeated in Maodun, respectively retired Wuhuan Mountain and Xianbei Mountain, all with the name of the mountain as the clan name, the formation of Wuhuan and Xianbei tribe, enslaved by the Huns. At the beginning, the Han court did not know that there was such a clan, until the twenty-first year of Jianwu (45 AD), the Xianbei people followed the Xiongnu Kouluo borderland, and my dynasty knew such a nation. ”

"Later, Tanshi Huai was elected as the leader of the tribe, and then gradually unified the various tribes of the Xianbei tribe, and when the Han expelled the Northern Xiongnu from Mobei, they took advantage of the situation and occupied all the outside of the Great Wall." Xi Zhicai raised the leather wine bag in his hand, drank a mouthful of the best heroic blood in the bag, wiped a handful of wine stains that dripped onto his beard, and continued: "According to rumors, this sandalwood locust grew up brave and strong, and his wisdom was outstanding, and he made decrees and tried lawsuits, and no one dared to violate them. In addition, this person is fair, so he is very popular with the people in his subordinates. ”

Guo Bin and Guo Jia listened very carefully, since they want to gain a foothold outside the Saiwai, it is still very beneficial to know a little about the history of the Xianbei people.

Only listening to the drama Zhicai continued: "Since the unification of Xianbei and the domination of the outside world, Tanshi Huai has repeatedly raised troops to invade my borderland. In July of the second year of Yongshou, Tan Shihuai personally commanded three or four thousand cavalry and invaded my Yunzhong County; Later, from the first year of Yanxi to the sixth year of Yanxi, the Xianbei people committed many border crimes, robbed property, and plundered the people; In the ninth year of Yanxi, (166 AD), the Xianbei people colluded with the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan together, divided into several large armies and entered the fortress together, or five or six thousand horsemen, or three or four thousand horsemen, a total of tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, entered the nine counties along the border, and killed and plundered the officials and people. In the autumn of the same year, Xianbei led eight or nine thousand cavalry into the fortress, and united Dongqiang, Shen Di, Xianling and others to attack Zhangye and Jiuquan, and the northern border areas suffered greatly. ”

Guo Jia said angrily: "Could it be that just watching the Xianbei people do so evil, my Han court didn't resist?" ”

Xi Zhicai said: "Naturally not, in order to quell the rebellion, the imperial court took Zhang Ranming as the general of the Huns, supervising the three states of You, He, Liang and the two camps of Liao and Wuhuan. When the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan heard that Zhang Ranming led their troops to the front line, they led 200,000 people to surrender, but the Xianbei people fled far away to the north of the desert. ”

Zhang Ranming refers to the famous general in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and Ranming is his cousin. He is the son of Hanyang Taishou Zhang Dan, a famous general and scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and one of the three Ming Dynasty in Liangzhou.

"Because the Xianbei people invaded the border land all the year round, and they couldn't control it, they sent envoys out of the fortress, intending to crown Tanshihuai as the king and make peace with him." Xi Zhicai's voice was calm.

Guo Bin hated: "Dividing and making peace with relatives is the most incompetent move!" ”

Only after listening to Xi Zhi did he continue: "However, instead of accepting the Jin title of the imperial court, Tanshihuai has become more and more rampant in the invasion and plundering of the border lands. He divided the area under his jurisdiction into three parts: from the east of Youbeiping to Liaodong, connecting more than 20 cities such as Fuyu and 濊貊 (pronounced huì mò), which was eastern; From the west of Youbeiping to more than ten cities in Shanggu County, it is the middle; From the west of Shanggu County to more than 20 cities such as Dunhuang County and Wusun, it is the west. Each ministry has a leader in charge. ”

Guo Jiadao: "How did the Xianbei people split? ”

Xi Zhicai said: "In the fourth year of Guanghe, Tan Shihuai died, and his son Helian succeeded to the position of leader. Helian was not as talented as his father, greedy for money, and unfair in handling affairs, so the various ministries gradually rebelled. ”

"Is it at this time that Western Xianbei is out of its control?" Guo Bin asked.

Xi Zhicai replied: "That's true. ”

Guo Jia interjected: "Then aren't we walking in the territory of Xianbei in central China at this time?" But why didn't the Xianbei people come to obstruct it? ”

Xi Zhicai said: "The Xianbei people live as nomads, and they don't have a precise concept of boundaries in their hearts. Moreover, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang have been walking on the border for a long time, and they know a few Xianbei chiefs, but it is not unusual. As far as I know, this place was under the jurisdiction of Helian's nephew, Pu Tou, who had long admired Chinese culture and often went to the three cities outside the Saiwai to trade. And because the western trade route passed through his territory, Zhang Shiping established excellent trade relations with it, so this road came unimpeded. ”

Guo Bin said: "That Helian, what's going on?" ”

Xi Zhi knew that Guo Bin would eventually ask this question, so he cleared his throat and said: "This He Lian and his brother have always been at odds, and when they succeeded to the throne, they were quite filthy in it, and it is rumored that He Lian took the position of Da Shan Yu after killing his brother. Therefore, the discord between Putou and Helian has long been an open secret on the grassland, and the two families often do not give up to each other for water and pasture, and even fight each other. ”

Seeing that Guo Bin listened carefully, Xi Zhicai calmed down a little, and continued: "Because I have a close relationship with Putou in the three cities outside the Saiwai, and Helian is very jealous, he wants to annex the three cities outside my Saiwai. But though he has repeatedly offended me, or because of the strength of our men and the thickness of the walls, we have not gone too far. ”

Guo Bin listened to it and knew the bottom of his heart. Xi Zhicai had already reported this information to him, and he brought it up at this time just to hear his opinion on this matter. At that moment, his face was solemn, and he asked: "Zhicai, then in your opinion, what kind of attitude should we have towards the Xianbei people?" ”

Xi Zhicai listened, sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and said slowly: "Back to the lord, in my opinion, Xianbei people are afraid of power but not virtue, we are new to the city, although we can't invade the Xianbei tribe, but we can't blindly retreat." We can strike at one gang, win over another, and gradually build up our own power in the steppe. ”

Guo Bin said: "Oh? Go on, go on. ”

Xi Zhicai looked at Guo Bin's face and said: "It's just that this has to be beaten and pulled, and whoever is beaten is particular about whoever pulls." ”

Guo Jia interjected: "Then according to the current form, which one should we crack down on, and which one should we woo?" ”

Xi Zhicai said: "In my opinion, it is Helian who wants to fight, and it is the Xianbei people who want to unite. ”

Guo Bin's face remained unchanged and said, "Oh? Why? ”

Xi Zhicai snapped his fingers and said, "With the strategy established by the lord, every place we go to, we must attract local wealthy families to trade and bring them to our interest groups. This is true in Yangzhai County, Yingchuan County, Taiyuan and the Huns. Now that he is outside the Saiwai, in the face of Xianbei people, it is natural that he must do the same. ”

Guo Bin nodded slowly, the so-called politics is not to unite the majority and strike at a small handful. How is this majority going to be united? His strategy is naked economic gain. Because common economic interests are the fastest, most stable, and best way to control people. There are no eternal friends, no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Listening to Xi Zhicai's words, you know that he is a qualified military advisor, and it can be said that he has thoroughly eaten his strategy.

Seeing this, Xi Zhicai breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and continued to explain: "As for why you want to fight Helian, in my opinion, there are several benefits. ”

Guo Bin raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh? What exactly are the benefits? Zhicai might as well talk about it. ”

Xi Zhicai said: "First of all, Helian's reputation is far inferior to his father among the Xianbei people, it is said that not only did he not get along with the leaders of the Xianbei people in the west, which led to the rebellion of the Xianbei people in the west, and even the Xianbei in the east was not very good at dealing with him, and the relationship with Putou was even worse, and the Daijun and Shanggu areas under his direct control are now in chaos, and various tribes have annexed each other and are not subject to their control. Therefore, taking this and Lian to open the knife will not cause a backlash from the Xianbei tribes too much, and can even form many Xianbei tribes because of this. ”

Guo Bin nodded and said, "What else?" ”

Xi Zhicai's confidence was greatly boosted, and he said: "Secondly, Helian is not as talented as his father Tan Shihuai, but he is extremely arrogant, in my opinion, although it is not easy to take him down, it is not an extremely difficult task to complete." ”

"Third, although the Xiongnu tribes are not very obedient and controlled, they are real Xianbei Dashan Yu, and they are the heirs of Tanshi Huai. Therefore, if you take Helian, you can deter Xiaoxiao and establish your authority in the Xianbei tribes and even on the prairie. In this way, we will save a lot of unnecessary trouble. ”

When Guo Bin heard this, he laughed and said, "Zhicai and I want to be together!" However, as for how to deal with him, we still need to carefully look for opportunities. After all, he is a big single Yu of the Xianbei people, and once it causes a backlash from the Xianbei people, the gains outweigh the losses. ”

As he spoke, the team slowly stopped, and after a while, the scouts in front of them also galloped towards them.

When Guo Bin saw it, he knew that there was a situation, so he jumped out of the carriage and rode on his war horse. After only a while, the entire team was transformed from a long snake formation to a wedge-shaped formation, thinking that Guan Yu was directing the change of formation in front of the team to deal with emergencies at any time. At this time, the scout also arrived in front of Guo Bin, and he saluted on the horse: "Lord Qiqi, there is a group of men and horses in front of him, claiming to be the subordinates of Xianbei Dashan Yu Helian, and we want to leave our belongings before we can pass!" ”

Guo Bin and Xi Zhicai glanced at each other, and said with a smile: "This Helian is really timely, I'll go and meet him!" ”