There is no good wine or good food in the army-although Xun is quite addicted to appetite, but there is no reason to see Tian'er take the cook with him, and they are all still in Yuanyin County for the time being--just a few bags of mash and a few wheat cakes. The three Xianbei adults took the wine and poured it enough before they began to stuff the wheat cakes into their mouths. Shi Xun stopped at a glance, and then asked their names, clans, and what other Xianbei tribes and how many tribes there were in Shuozhou.

These are naturally not secrets, and the three Xianbei adults are all there to answer. It's a pity that the Xianbei words are translated by Liu Jing, and the Chinese pronunciation is not standard, so most of the nouns of Xun can't be remembered. He just heard and understood that there were a total of 12 Yiyi in Xianbei in the west, most of which were in Shuozhou, with thousands of small Yi, 120,000 Dayi, and a total of 40,000 to 50,000 victorious soldiers. There were a total of five soldiers who came back, and most of them were nomadic in the area of Shuofang and Wuyuan. Four adults, just one name is easy to remember, and the monosyllabic is called "Bin".

Shixun couldn't help but ask, saying that there are only four adults in charge of the five of you? Bin replied: "I have never been friends with the camel tribe, and the ancestor of the camel tribe Tui Yin has just died, and his son Jie Fen is busy with funerals and has no time to separate, so he entrusted the people to me and led them forward. ”

Shi Xun smiled slightly: "Now that you have sent many of his subordinates to me, how will you meet you when you go back?" Bin sighed bitterly: "There is no way, if you have to go back, you have to go to his tent bare-chested and carry wine and food to ask for forgiveness." As he spoke, he suddenly raised his head, stared at Shi Xun, and pleaded: "My lord, may we and the rest of the people be released?" We don't want weapons or horses, we just want our people to live! ”

Shi Xun pouted: "The three of you don't know whether they are dead or alive yet." What about you? ”

Bin was deflated on the spot. An old Xianbei man next to him, probably named Luoluo, said busily: "That's just Bin's wishful thinking. I'm defeated. If you should redeem yourself with your possessions, how can you let it go in vain? My lord, make an offer, I have a lot of cattle and sheep, so I can send someone back to fetch them. ”

Shi Xun looked at the eyes of the three of them cautiously, and seemed to ask casually, "Oh, how many cattle and sheep are there in your department?" Luo Luo was stunned for a moment, and then replied, "May I be ransomed with five hundred sheep." Shixun couldn't help but look up to the sky and laughed: "An adult." Is it worth it?! ”

"This ......," Luo Luo rolled his eyes, "If my lord is not satisfied, I am willing to add a hundred cows." Bin glanced at him: "Are cattle and sheep important, or is life important?" He raised his head and said to Shi Xun: "I am willing to redeem myself with 3,000 sheep and 3,000 oxen, and in addition, one person of four sheep and one person of two oxen, to redeem my people who have no deer and camels." To tell the truth, this time was lured by the Huns, to invade the land of adults, the Huns and we and other cattle and sheep each, five parts are equally divided. They have all been driven back. But those below this number are not sincere in their redemption. ”

Shi Xun smiled slightly: "You are an honest man." Bing gritted his teeth. He simply told the truth: "My lord, hurry up and agree on the ransom, and I will send someone back to get it later." If it drags on for a long time, I am afraid that other ministries will come to merge when they hear the news, and then we will be free to wait for useless bodies, but the adults will not get anything. I was afraid that the adults would be suspicious, and I would send someone to investigate the clan, and the back and forth delayed the time, so I told me bluntly. ”

Shi Xun stroked his beard and said slowly: "Okay, but you are sincere, I will not only redeem you, but also your people—but I must also use slaves, not all of them." It's just ......" his eyes narrowed slightly, staring at Bin's expression: "You are young and strong, and the bow and horse are paid by me, and the property will also be lost to me, that is, I have to return to the ministry, so I am not afraid of the annexation of other ministry?" How to calculate it? ”

Luo Luo sighed and said: "What else can I plan, I just hope that the lord will allow me to wait for redemption as soon as possible, and when I go back, I will lead my people to move north, find the place where there are few people, and lie dormant for several years." "Their losses this time are too great, even if Xun allows half of the people to be redeemed—I'm afraid I can't afford to redeem them—it will definitely hurt my bones. From then on, I didn't dare to be nomadic in the place surrounded by the heroes of Monan, so I had to run north quickly.

Shi Xun thought for a moment and replied, "I don't want cattle and sheep, but good horses." The three Xianbei adults glanced at each other and said, "There are not many good horses." Shi Xun snorted coldly: "You and other nomadic grasslands, how can there be few good horses with the power of bows and horses?" Bin hurriedly replied, "The good horses have come with us, and they have all been obtained by the adults." Shi Xun pouted: "It's less than 20,000...... Answer me the truth, how many good horses can be produced to redeem your body? ”

The three of them looked at each other again, and then replied in unison, "A thousand horses, no more." ”

Shi Xun shook his head and said, "This is not something I can promise." Wait until you go and talk to me, and then answer me. He ordered the three men to be escorted down for the time being. The three Xianbei lords bowed and retreated, and only then did they arrive at the tent, Shi Xun suddenly remembered something again, and opened his mouth to ask: "There are two names, can you know them?" ”

The three of them turned their heads and said, "But it depends on the adults to ask." ”

"Kirby Neng, Budugen, where is it now?"

The three of them replied honestly: "Budugen is in the clouds, with more than 20,000 households, and strong soldiers and horses. Kirby can be in the East, and his department is only a thousand. ”

For the Xianbei nobles of this year, it is Xun who reads history books in his previous life, and he only remembers three names. One is Tanshi Huai, who once established a large alliance that encompassed almost all the Xianbei clans, but that guy had already hung up; The second is Budugen, who seems to be the heir of Tanshi Huai, and his power is much smaller and weaker; The third is Kirbineng, who also appeared in the romance, but it is strange to say that although he is the king of Xianbei, he is bringing Qiang soldiers in western Liaoxi (Liaoxi has Qiang?). ——Historically, this person was very strong, and he had invaded the northern border of Cao Wei many times, and he had also besieged the captain of Wuhuan and the famous minister Tian Yu in Macheng.

However, listening to their answers, it seems that Kirby can not rise in this year, and it is located in the east, not in his own Shuozhou, so he can ignore it for the time being. However, it is the root of the step, with 20,000 households and more than 100,000 people, and the victory may be tens of thousands, and the nomadic clouds will inevitably have to deal with him in the future.

After escorting the three Xianbei adults out of the tent, Shi Xun turned his head and asked Liu Jing: "What is the price of redeeming the adults on the grassland?" Liu Jing thought for a while and replied: "Depending on the size of the tribe, its price varies. That is, if these three men have no oxen or three thousand horses, or twice as many sheep, they cannot be redeemed. As for the ordinary people. Two horses or two oxen are worth one person. Sheep are also doubled. ”

Shihoon nodded. Xin said that what Bin proposed just now was a conscience price, and Luo Luo was really outrageous - this kind of miser who is just clever and clever might as well really let him go back.

Guo Huai was puzzled and asked, "The lord wants to let them go?" Xianbei is brave and ferocious, and invades, why not kill him, and suffer from the danger of the north? ”

Shi Xun smiled slightly, and turned his head to look at Zhuge Liang: "Can Kong Ming know something?" ”

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and replied cautiously: "Sir's meaning." Do you want to show favor to him, and then slowly accept it? However, I am afraid that the wild nature is untamable, and it will be troubled in the next day. ”

Shi Xun shook his head, and said: "Xianbei, but the remnants of Donghu, were defeated by the Huns in the past, wandered to the extreme north, caught the Huns and went south, and there was a grassland. It can be seen that the northern captives are difficult to kill, and they kill in vain. It's not a long-term solution. It is easy to kill this fang now, and its remnants must be merged by other tribes—such as Budugen, etc.—and its momentum will be even stronger. Great suffering for China. If you want to calm this trouble, you should divide and disintegrate, hoe its strong and help its weak, and if you combine it, you will be strong, and if you divide it, you will be weak. ”

By the way, I glanced at Liu Jing, and saw that the little old man's face was bloodless, and he was as white as paper. Shi Xun stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Do you think that it is better for me to treat the Huns than to kill them all, and to divide and conquer?" Liu Jing hurriedly surrendered his hand: "Rather divide and rule, please kill lightly." Shi Xun smiled and nodded: "You are now bright." Hu Qiang will be suffering for China, and he will be killed for China, how can he be weak and survive, and he will be with the Han family for a long time, and he can fight Xianbei and Wuhuan together. ”

It was Xun who called the three Xianbei lords to come, mainly to inquire about the inside of the grassland, since everything he wanted to know had already been asked, he was too lazy to waste his tongue with them, that is, to send Zhuge Liang to bargain. In the end, it was agreed that each of the three lords should give 2,000 good horses and 1,000 head of cattle to redeem himself, and as for their people, they were allowed to lose 3,000 sheep and ransom 1,000 men. The rest, plus the unlucky adult's subordinates, are Xun planning to be escorted to the Hukou Coal Mine in batches.

The three of them each took the token, selected their cronies, and galloped to the ministry to redeem them. Yes Xun discussed with Zhuge Liang and Guo Huai about beating Meiji. Sun Wenjian said: "Since I have served these three departments and obtained countless cattle and sheep, why don't I attack Meiji and make Xianbei hunt the Huns and scatter the people, so as to exchange cattle and sheep?" "Wasn't it originally worried that the Huns in Meiji would not be able to serve the pot and let them run away, or even go to Xianbei? Now let's let the Xianbei people stop and arrest them, and then exchange them for their cattle and sheep. It is estimated that these thousands of cattle and sheep are transported over, Xianbei will be greatly damaged, and the food will be difficult to continue, so there is no need to leave too many Hun mouths, and they will definitely be willing to change.

Shi Xun shook his head: "They have thousands of households, all of them are grazing sheep and horses, no less than hundreds, these thousands are enough for me, and they are only a drop in the bucket." Those who have suffered the greatest losses this time, and the soldiers, if they can win people, why should they worry about sheep and horses? If you win the Huns, it will not be easy. ”

According to Shi Xun's understanding, these Xianbei cattle, sheep and horses are added together, each with no less than tens of thousands. But the problem is that the social structure is still very primitive, the wealth of the adults themselves is very limited, and the vast majority of livestock are publicly owned by the tribe or privately owned by each family.

Sun Wen was stunned when he heard this: "I can't get more than the Huns, how can I be a pawn of Xianbei?" But drive it as a slave. ”

Guo Huai and Qin Yi are both from the Northland, even if they have not dealt with nomads, they have heard of the relevant situation, although Zhuge Liang is from the Central Plains, he is thoughtful, cautious, and will not express his opinions in areas that he is not familiar with. Only Sun Wen is not very coarse, but he lacks scheming, and he is a pure Central Plains person, and he rarely comes to the border, so he will say this kind of nonsense.

Shi Xun said with a smile: "I am a Han Chinese, and now I also use the Xiongnu as a soldier, so Xianbei uses the Xiongnu as a soldier, why is it strange?" Since Liu Jing was not present, he simply said unscrupulously: "Even the Xiongnu, at the beginning, it was only the Luan clan, and the Huyan, Lan, Xu Bu and other clans. In the former Han Dynasty, the desert was north and south, east to Liaodong, west to the Western Regions, all of them were Xiongnu, and they were reproduced so fast? However, they annexed all the tribes, and all of them took the Xiongnu as their name. The same is true of Xianbei today, if it gets the Huns, it will be Xianbei in less than three days. ”

Do you think the steppe people care so much about race and blood? They're going to snowball bigger, and there's really no chance left for them!

Before the result of the discussion was reached, a pawn suddenly came to report: "There is a Xianbei camel Babu Lord asking to see." When Shi Xun heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned, and said in his heart that the price had just been negotiated, and the messenger who was preparing the ransom had just left for less than half a day, and this guy came so fast! (To be continued......)