Chapter 216: The Bear and Leopard Alliance
South of Fenshui Road, Huocheng.

On the fifth day of the winter month, Pang Tong and Wen Pin were playing chess together.

Both of them were a little cold-resistant, but fortunately the strong north wind stopped today and it was no longer that terribly dry and cold.

A few days ago, Pang Tong felt that when he blinked outside the house, his eyelids felt sticky as if they were frozen.

The temperature started to rise significantly today. The two of them sat around the table playing chess. Wen Pin was obviously worried, with regret written all over his face.

For him, not participating in this decisive battle was more than just a regret.

I have been suffering from insomnia these past few days and I look very bad.

In fact, Pang Tong’s condition was not very good. He went out of the city yesterday to discuss the decisive battle in the north with the Yang brothers.

Fortunately, great minds think alike. He and the Yang brothers both made the right bet. The only difference was that they predicted the time of victory.

The Yang brothers had more confidence in the Guanzhong troops and believed that they could deal with the Wuhuan people within a few days. As a result, as the Yang brothers had expected, on the first day of the winter month, they defeated the Xiongnu in a decisive battle and forced the Taiyuan troops to surrender. On the second day, they fought a stalemate, but on the third day, they advanced again and almost completely wiped out more than 20,000 Wuhuan people.

Wen Pin was in a poor mental state, his chess skills and calculation abilities were not as good as Pang Tong's, and he soon fell into a disadvantage.

Just as he was about to throw in the towel, an official came up to him and said, "General, there is a messenger from the Central Government asking for a replacement of horses and additional escorts."

The clerk held two bamboo talismans in his hands, with holes punched on one end and colorful ribbons passed through them to secure them, like a clapperboard.

Wen Pin picked up the bamboo talisman and saw that the side sandwiched between the two pieces was covered with white silk, and on the silk was a vermilion tiger-tooth general seal. This silver seal was currently kept in the Lantian camp.

After handing the bamboo talisman to the clerk, Wen Pin asked, "What's the matter? Why is it so urgent?"

"I don't know. The messenger refused to talk much. Judging from his expression, it should be a good thing."

"Well, go and select the escort."

After Wen Pin and the other officials left, he sighed, "We have come all the way from Jingzhou to here, but have done nothing to kill the Hu people. When we return to our hometown, how can we face telling our relatives and friends about this? How will we regret it when we are old and sick in the future!"

Pang Tong saw that there was no need to continue the game, so he took the initiative to push the chess pieces away from each other, with a calm expression: "General, I only see that Hei Zhenbei is so powerful. In my opinion, he is now in an even more embarrassed situation than Cao Cao after his victory at Guandu."

Seeing Wen Pin thinking, Pang Tong said, "Now I am worried about one thing."

"Is Lord Shi Yuan worried that the old master is afraid of Hei Zhenbei?"

"Exactly."

Pang Tong closed the chess box, his eyebrows furrowed. "Before, Hei Zhenbei and the lord had an agreement on purchasing 50,000 gold. Guanzhong mainly wanted food, cloth, and tools. This time we won a great victory. The gold and silver obtained by the three royal courts must be more than 100,000. This is what I am worried about."

Wen Pin also put away his chess box and looked at Pang Tong's frown. He felt that Pang Tong, who was always open-minded and humorous, was in such a dilemma. This meant that something very bad was going to happen in Jingzhou, and it was the kind of bad thing that was difficult to prevent.

Seeing Wen Pin's eager look, Pang Tong restrained his emotions and smiled: "General, with the power of Hei Zhenbei now, how dare Cao Cao invade Jingzhou again?"

"Absolutely not."

"Since Cao Cao dare not come, and there is Liu Xuande in Nanyang, whether Cao Cao or Sun Quan raises troops to attack, Liu Xuande can send troops to resist the enemy. Then why should Jingzhou support Guanzhong? Haven't you seen what happened between Han Fu and Yuan Shao? Yuan Shao was well-known, and Han Fu had many soldiers and abundant food. Without Han Fu's rice and grain in Jizhou, how could Yuan Shao support the troops he gathered?"

"This is like raising a tiger to cause trouble. There must be many people in Jingzhou who hate Guanzhong and equate Hei Zhenbei with Cao Cao."

Seeing Wen Pin trying to refute, Pang Tong raised his hand to stop him: "I know what you want to say, General, and I agree with your point of view. But people like Liu Zhennan and Huang Zu, even if they don't believe it, will encourage such rumors and break the alliance, thus cutting off the lord's external support."

Wen Pin's expression turned grim: "Lord Shi Yuan, how can we alert the Lord?"

They were near the front line and knew how difficult it was to win this battle, but the people in Jingzhou did not think so.

He was afraid that Black Bear would bring another 3,000 men into Jingzhou and turn Jingzhou upside down.

In particular, the three clans of Wang Yun were exterminated, and the big families and powerful people in Taiyuan and Hedong rose up in arms to seek revenge, which was just like when Cao Cao killed Bian Rang.

It is precisely because the war is difficult that Wen Pin wants to join in, fight against the odds, and win. This is the romance of a real man in Wen Pin's eyes.

It's a pity to have missed this opportunity. From what Pang Tong said, it will be hard to have a similar opportunity in the future.

Wen Pin gradually frowned. Power is very important to the elderly.

From big matters like killing people to small matters like the distribution of money, grain and assets, it’s all power.

It has nothing to do with food and drink, but with holding great power, resources or distribution rights. Countless people will surround you, say nice things, and make your life extremely fulfilling every day.

The people of Jingzhou were inclined to favor the eldest son. As more people attached themselves to Liu Qi, fewer people came to Liu Biao.

It was this sign that led to the marriage between Liu Cong and the Cai family.

Especially after the Battle of Xiangyang, Liu Qi's status was rapidly improved and consolidated, while Liu Biao's status tended to decline.

He never lacks food and drink, but what he lacks is the spiritual enjoyment of being surrounded by stars.

As father and son, how could Liu Qi not have a premonition in this regard?

It was just that the education Liu Qi received in his youth made him unwilling to face it, and he deliberately ignored the increasingly fierce power conflict.

Wen Pin has already put everything on the line. If Liu Qi dies unclearly, he can only avenge Liu Qi.

Even if the goal of revenge is to kill all of Liu Qi's brothers and nephews.

Seeing Wen Pin's appearance, Pang Tong was secretly annoyed.

If such a thing really happened in Jingzhou, with Wen Pin as the vanguard and Nanxiang County Magistrate Yi Ji as the backup, how many people in Jingzhou would be willing to stand up and resist the Black Bear's attack?
Even if we resist, how much will it cost? What if we can't resist?
Keeping Yi Ji in Nanxiang was a guarantee of Liu Qi's personal safety.

Liu Qi was also the guarantee of Yi Ji's life and future, unless Yi Ji and Liu Qi were eliminated at the same time.

But the question is, what's the point of getting rid of them?

Without Yi Ji's support, would Black Bear not dare to send troops to retaliate?
All three clans of Wang Yun have been executed. This winter will surely be one of blood and tears for the big families in Taiyuan and Hedong.

When the Guanzhong soldiers retaliate in Jingzhou, their methods will surely be more sophisticated.

And here lies the problem. In order to prevent being indirectly ruled by a tough black bear in the future, someone will really jump out to make trouble. It is nothing more than the difference between long-term pain and short-term pain. With the temperament of the people of Jingzhou, they are likely to choose severe short-term pain.

If things really develop to that point, Wen Pin will have no choice but to take revenge. What about himself?
Now we can only hope that the people around Liu Qi can realize the danger and take precautions in advance.

It is okay to abandon Jiangling City temporarily, as long as we retreat to Nanxiang and wait for the main force of Black Bear to return to Guanzhong, then the danger in Jingzhou can be temporarily suppressed.

Just as Pang Tong was thinking about the various possibilities of changes in Jingzhou, Hei Xiong was discussing the content of the oath with Liu Bao.

The first is to establish the two parties of the alliance, whether it is the General Zhenbei of Han, or the General Zhenbei who holds the imperial seal and represents the Han emperor; or simply the family represented by Black Bear himself.

After discussion, it was decided that the subjects of this alliance would be Black Bear, Liu Bao, and their respective families.

In the oath, Black Bear called himself Zi Xiong, while Liu Bao called himself Qilian Bao.

The name Xiongnu does not need to be changed. Although "Nu" has an ambiguous meaning, it is also the transliterated name of the Xiongnu tribe, and can also be simplified to "Xiongnu".

The oath is divided into three parts: the nature of the covenant, the rights and obligations between the two families, and the broader scope of judicial power.

This covenant is a brotherly covenant. The younger brother must not disobey the elder brother's instructions. As an elder brother, he naturally has the obligation to protect his younger brother.

In the future, the Xiongnu tribes led by Qilian Bao and his descendants must obey the orders of Zixiong and his descendants.

In return, the Zixiong clan was obliged to maintain the status of the Qilianbao clan as the Chanyu.

In order to deepen the relationship between the two tribes, men from the Qilian Bao tribe who turned 15 had to go to the Zixiong tribe to study and serve as guards for six years; there were two periods in total, the second period was from the age of 24 to 30. If a man turned 50 and wanted to move to the inland, the Zixiong tribe would recommend him for an official position based on his merits.

Similarly, the Zixiong clan would also send their descendants to the Qilian clan for training and learning, and they would take turns serving as the Right Wise King from generation to generation.

The two families have the obligation to rescue each other's tribes. The Qilian clan shall not enslave Han border residents and Taiping Dao believers, and must give them freedom after three years of enslavement; redemption shall not be prevented.

The Xiongnu people who fell under the rule of the Zixiong tribe were given freedom after three years of labor. If they received training and learned skills during this period, their labor period could be extended to a maximum of twelve years.

For a slave who has mastered technology, twelve years is enough time for him to take root and adapt to a new life.

Of course, if a free Hun came to redeem an enslaved Hun, the Zixiong tribe should allow it.

However, it also stipulates that redeemed slaves will regain their freedom and cannot become slaves of other parties.

Finally, the most crucial right is the power of trial. If the tribes under the rule of both sides attack and kill each other, the killer will be killed and compensate the victim with an ox or horse; the remaining crimes will follow the principle of an eye for an eye.

If it was related to fighting, fighting over land or litigation, officials from the Zixiong tribe would preside over the trial, with the leaders of the Xiongnu tribe serving as jurors.

If the trial is unfair, you can appeal to the state and county level.

Finally, some supplementary agreements were made, such as how to define Han border residents, good citizens, and Xiongnu tribes.

There is no need to define the Taiping Dao believers in detail. For example, Han border residents are those who can communicate in Chinese fluently. Good citizens refer to those who pay taxes and serve according to the law under the rule of the Zixiong tribe, and the Huns are not allowed to harm them.

Where there are good citizens, there are bad citizens. Those who evade taxes and corvee labor are bad citizens.

Finally, the definition of the Xiongnu tribes is that only the Xiongnu headquarters are the Xiongnu tribes, and the other tribes annexed by the Xiongnu do not enjoy the redemption treatment of the Xiongnu headquarters.

Because the three tribes of the royal court suffered heavy losses, the Xiutu Xiongnu in Xihe were also classified as part of the Xiongnu tribe based on historical allusions.

If nothing unexpected happens, both sides will return the captives and looted people within the next three years.

Naturally, Liu Bao had no room to resist or refuse the contents of the oath drafted by Black Bear.

As a senior Zuo Xian Wang, the new Chanyu, and someone who had lived in the Han area for a period of time during his youth, Liu Bao also had his concerns.

After checking the oath again and again, he asked, "Captain Daqu, why don't we see the agreement on mutual trade between the two parties?"

"For matters like mutual trade, I want the royal court to conduct the trade. I will send tax collectors to the three royal courts. As a brotherly alliance between you and me, the customs duties will be 30%, 20% for me and 10% for you."

Black Bear blinked, unsure of how much profit there was. "All merchants entering or leaving the country must pay a 30% tariff. For all tariffs between you and me, I take 20% and you take 10%. My caravan also pays 30% tariff when it goes to your place, and it still pays 30% when it comes back. Your caravan comes to my place, and the same applies when it comes and goes. In addition, my caravan trades in your royal court and pays 10% tax; your caravan comes to my place and it also pays 10% tax."

Liu Bao only wanted to trade with the other parties. He had no knowledge of tariffs and commercial taxes, but he believed that the profits were huge: "Does the commander of the Great Canal mean that after collecting the customs duties for entry and exit, he also wants to collect commercial taxes?"

"Yes, 10% tax. In the future, when you and I join forces to conquer various places, we will also impose heavy taxes on the military markets. Military equipment, food, fodder, leather and other military supplies will be taxed but not taxed. The remaining slaves, cattle, horses, and alcohol will all be taxed at 50%."

After Black Bear finished speaking, Liu Bao shook his head: "I don't know much about tariffs, but I know about commercial taxes and military markets. If the military market is heavily taxed, wouldn't it mean that they are deducting money from you? The commander of the Great Channel can do it easily, but I don't dare. If I block your money path, my life will be in danger."

"Then kill me. Kill me until you only have to fear me."

Seeing that Liu Bao had no objection, Black Bear said, "The heavy taxes in the military market are not in the cards. What you and I need to do is to repatriate the slaves. I am also under pressure to release you this time. Counting the equipment, horses and supplies I have returned to you, you should owe me 100,000 men and women."

"This is as it should be. I also hope that the Great Canal Commander can explain clearly to my subordinates that I redeemed them from the Great Canal Commander at the price of 100,000 men and women."

Liu Bao suddenly realized what was going on: "Please rest assured, Commander Daqu. I will send a fast horse to invite Master Cai right away."

Liu Bao had no choice but to be afraid, as the Wuhuan people were defeated the day before yesterday.

After transferring those who could speak Chinese, Zhao Yun and Zhang Yan picked out 6,000 people, and the remaining 6,000 to 7,000 people were dragged to the edge of a lake, where they were executed by drilling an ice hole.

Blood flowed into the ice cave, dyeing the lake red.

To this day, the ice surface in the southern area of ​​the lake still has a strange blue-black color.

The Wuhuan people rejected Black Bear's kindness, and after their defeat they were not even eligible to exchange slaves.

If they had not agreed to Zhao Yun and Zhang Yan, the captured Wuhuan people would most likely have been executed.

After this execution, the two major camps in the north and south, as well as the Montenegrin troops that were about to be repatriated, all fell silent.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered here, with great blood feuds among them, and armed fights could break out at any time.

The blood of the Wuhuan people and Black Bear's determination made everyone calm down.

(End of this chapter)