roccoschili Chapter 442 Changes in the situation
Chapter 442 Changes in the situation
In May, the land in the north gradually awakens from its winter slumber, and the vast grassland begins to show some new green.
The Huns drove their cattle, sheep, and horses southward like a tide, just to let the livestock taste the first tender grass of spring as soon as possible. The fresh green grass was their hope to survive the long winter.
The Xianbei people had previously suffered a second heavy blow from Yanzhou, and were severely weakened.
Among them, several tribes were afraid of the powerful force of the Huns and moved towards the Huns to seek refuge.
In the territory of the Great Zhou, natural disasters have occurred frequently in recent years, like rampant demons, ruthlessly devouring the vitality of the earth.
Especially in Qin, which not only suffered from natural disasters, but was also plagued by war, making this already poor land even more barren and the people living in dire straits.
At this time, the ambitious Sima family intended to dominate the entire Qin area.
They acted extremely cautiously, cleverly utilizing the subtle relationships between the Qiang people, as well as the Liang State and the Di people surrounding Zhao Hong. They were like hunters hiding in the dark, waiting for the right time to strike in one fell swoop to realize their ambition of unifying the Qin territory.
At present, Zhao Hong controls Dingbian, Shangjun and Yanzhou, and his power cannot be underestimated.
However, the Sima family is still lingering in the same place, unable to break through.
After Zhao Qin occupied Chang'an, he did not intend to let the Sima family enter the city. Instead, he became closer to Zhao Hong, and their relationship became ambiguous. It seemed as if he was planning some unspeakable secret in this chaotic situation.
On the Xiongnu side, some Xianbei tribes such as Tuoba and Yuwen joined the Xiongnu army in order to protect themselves.
The Murong and Duan families knew that the battle for hegemony in the Central Plains could break out at any time, so like wild beasts that smelled danger, they resolutely migrated towards the northeast.
Back then, Wang Kun, with his extraordinary courage and strategy, had marched eastward, ultimately conquering Lingnan County and establishing himself king. Upon learning that the Murong and Duan clans were migrating eastward, he saw this as an opportunity to expand his power, and so he quickly dispatched envoys to earnestly invite them to Lingnan.
Lingnan County is located in a very special geographical location. It was originally the activity area of the Shanrong people and was later incorporated into the Donghu people.
It borders Jinxi County to the east, faces the vast ocean, has rich and diverse products, and is not affected by sea breezes.
It is bordered by Tuhe River and Longcheng to the north, and there are three ancient cities to the northwest. It has convenient transportation and thriving economic exchanges, like a pearl inlaid in the northern frontier.
The Murong family and the Duan family were worried about where to migrate, and Wang Kun's invitation was like a ray of light in the darkness.
So, they took their guards and set out for Lingnan.
Lingnan County wasn't originally a county, but a large town under the jurisdiction of Jianchang Prefecture. After Wang Kun arrived, he used his own methods to manage the local people and also served as a checkpoint for goods from the coastal areas to the inland areas.
Logically speaking, his act of declaring himself king would easily cause dissatisfaction among others, but Wang Kun knew the importance of public opinion and did not add too much burden to the local people.
On the contrary, he organized his own forces, took on the responsibility of defending the people, and guarded the peace of this land.
Although his behavior was somewhat similar to that of a bandit who occupied the mountains and became king, he actually did what the officers and soldiers failed to do. Over time, Jianchang Prefecture had to acknowledge the existence of Wang Kun's army and gave it legitimacy through the county system.
The ones who came to Lingnan this time were Murong Mang and Duan Rui, who had met Wang Kun on the battlefield before.
When Wang Kun saw them, he felt mixed emotions. It wasn't guilt, but a complex feeling of humiliation.
"The two generals must have come here because they knew that if you continued north after leaving the grassland, your territorial disadvantage would only increase. I invited you here to share my experience in establishing a foothold here."
Wang Kun said, with a hint of sincerity in his eyes.
Murong Mang was arrogant by nature, and deep down he looked down on Wang Kun, his defeated general.
But since the other party invited him sincerely, he didn't want to say anything bad to him as soon as they met. He just snorted coldly in response.
Duan Rui is different. He is a Confucian general who is calm in the face of difficulties. He seems casual on the surface, but he is very cautious in his heart.
He nodded slightly, motioning Wang Kun to continue.
"My location relies primarily on trade with several important coastal and northeastern towns. On the one hand, I provide them with goods, and on the other hand, I ensure their safety. This way, I can reap enormous profits."
Wang Kun spoke eloquently, with a confident glint in his eyes.
Murong Mang couldn't help but sneer when he heard this. In his opinion, gaining profits and expanding power through trade was simply a fantasy. Territory has always been conquered by force.
However, Duan Rui was quite interested in this. He frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he slowly said:
"General Wang, we've clashed on the battlefield before. The fact that you've put aside past grudges and offered us advice shows that you're quite thoughtful. What you've suggested is indeed a sound strategy."
Murong Mang was stunned by Duan Rui's words, and thought to himself: Is this really a good idea?
He always believed that only iron and blood could forge a powerful force, and gaining territory through trade was pure nonsense.
But Duan Rui agreed. No matter how reckless he was, he could still tell the good from the bad in the words, so he quickly put away his contemptuous expression, lowered his attitude, and continued to listen to Wang Kun's story.
"General Duan, a hundred miles northeast of where I am, there is a place called Dragon City. This is the border of the Great Zhou. Although there is a city, it lacks effective management. It is a beautiful place with beautiful mountains and clear waters."
As Wang Kun spoke, he spread out the map and pointed at the location of Longcheng, his eyes full of expectation.
Duan Rui followed Wang Kun's instructions and carefully looked at the location of Dragon City on the map. He suddenly felt that this place was indeed perfect and nodded quickly, saying, "This location is very suitable for the development of my Duan family."
Wang Kun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his goal had been achieved.
The reason why he invited the Murong and Duan families to come was because he was worried that he would be alone here and would not get support from friendly forces if he encountered trouble in the future.
Although he declared himself king here, he knew that this was not a long-term solution.
After Murong Mang and Duan Rui returned, they informed the clan leaders Murong Bai and Duan Yu respectively about the matter.
Murong Bai was extremely excited after hearing the news Murong Mang brought back. He said loudly, "This place is called Dragon City. It must be the birthplace of my Murong family. We must send troops as soon as possible to seize this place first."
So they found Duan Yu and discussed going to Longcheng together.
However, Duan Yu looked hesitant and said, "The north is extremely cold, which is not conducive to the development of our family, which has been running on the grassland for many years. I think it would be better to turn west and use the route to develop in the south."
Murong Bai was displeased to see that Duan Yu had no intention of heading to Dragon City. As he left, he said, "You're just speculating. The journey is long, how can it be easy?"
The conversation between the two big families ended in a bad mood.
After Murong Bai returned, he immediately summoned his family members, packed his luggage, and headed towards Longcheng.
After Duan Rui learned about this, he went to Duan Yu again and persuaded him, "Great Chief, Dragon City is a good place. Just because others think so, we don't have to go there just to develop it for herding."
"What do you know?" Duan Yu said angrily, "Our family thrived on horseback. If we don't herd livestock, are we going to engage in trade, as you say?"
Duan Rui knew that it would be difficult for him to convince Duan Yu, so he had no choice but to lead more than 10,000 people from his tribe and follow the footsteps of the Murong family and head towards Longcheng.
Eventually, Murong Bai and his group arrived at Longcheng first. Duan Rui had no choice but to settle at the foot of a mountain near Jinnan, and named it Xingcheng.
After Duan Rui left, Duan Yu had no choice but to get angry.
He selected a man with outstanding military skills from among his nephews and appointed him as the General of the Duan family in an attempt to regroup.
However, it was Duan Yu's wrong choice that laid the seeds for the future division of the Duan clan, which gradually split into several branches...