Chapter 1070: Chen Xi’s Decision

Chen Xi couldn't believe that the Xianbei, Xiongnu, Wuhuan, or Qiang nomads currently had the strength to pose a significant threat. The Han Dynasty had oppressed them for hundreds of years, crushing their spirit so thoroughly that they were reduced to petty raids, nothing more. The only ones who still dared to stand toe-to-toe with the Han were the Northern Xiongnu.

Although the Southern and Northern Xiongnu originally belonged to the same group under the Xiongnu banner, with no distinction between the two, they split after the Han Dynasty waged war against them for three generations. During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, they managed to defeat the Xiongnu Empire. A portion of the Xiongnu surrendered to the Han, becoming what was known as the Southern Xiongnu, while those who refused to submit became the Northern Xiongnu. From that moment on, the Xiongnu were divided, and the animosity between the two factions likely surpassed their hatred for the Han. It was undeniable, however, that in terms of military might, the Northern Xiongnu far surpassed the Southern Xiongnu.

The reason was simple: two words—determination. The Northern Xiongnu never accepted defeat. Despite suffering many losses, they never believed themselves inferior to the Han. They truly inherited the savage ferocity of their former empire.

Though the Xiongnu were defeated two hundred years ago, the Northern Xiongnu still remained a threat in the Western Regions, even stationing themselves in the Altai Mountains at one point, continuing to battle the Han.

Even now, the only nomadic group capable of facing the Han in a direct confrontation was the Northern Xiongnu. Among the nomadic tribes in the region, the Northern Xiongnu were the only ones that the Han Dynasty took seriously.

It's worth mentioning that during this time, the Northern Xiongnu had split into two groups. One stayed in the Western Regions, while the other settled north of Beidi County in Bingzhou. Although this fact might seem unbelievable, the Northern Xiongnu were indeed entrenched in that area, a place the Xianbei and Qiang nomads generally avoided.

The reason the Northern Xiongnu were stationed north of Beidi County could be traced back to three generations ago when the Northern Xiongnu seized control of the Western Regions while the Han Empire was stretched thin. This conflict dragged on for decades, tying down an entire generation of Han forces in the Western Regions.

In the end, the Han Dynasty emerged victorious, and the Northern Xiongnu were forced to continue their westward migration. However, moving further west would have brought them into direct conflict with the Parthian Empire. While the Xiongnu had once been strong enough to disregard Parthia, that was no longer the case.

Occupying parts of Parthia’s sphere of influence wasn’t a big issue—though Parthia might be displeased, they wouldn't retaliate. But if the Xiongnu directly entered Parthian territory, they wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye.

Thus, the Northern Xiongnu refrained from further expansion for a time and even retreated. It wasn't until a hundred years later, when Parthia had significantly weakened, that the Northern Xiongnu finally resumed their westward migration, stepping over Parthia's fallen remnants. For nearly a century before that, however, they remained stationed in the northwest and north of the Han Empire.

Unlike their previous defiant stance of "fight us if you dare," the Northern Xiongnu had become much more cautious. By then, they had no more room to retreat, and if they weren't careful, they would face annihilation. They knew full well that they were surrounded by empires on all sides—one wrong move, and they would be wiped out.

Nevertheless, the Northern Xiongnu’s caution didn’t mean their strength had diminished, nor did it mean they had stopped being a thorn in the Han Empire’s side. After fighting the Han for over two hundred years, any original grudges had long since grown into a deep-seated hatred.

Piecing everything together, Chen Xi was willing to bet that the massive invasion planned for next year would see the Northern Xiongnu stirring up more than a little trouble, even if they didn’t directly participate.

When the Northern Xiongnu came onto Chen Xi’s radar, he saw them as a valuable military resource. Unlike other nomadic tribes with inferior combat skills, the Northern Xiongnu could stand up to the Han without any diminished effectiveness. After all, they had inherited the ferocity of the Xiongnu Empire.

But soon after, Chen Xi realized that there was no way for the Han Empire to recruit this formidable force. The enmity between the Han and the Northern Xiongnu was so deep that whenever they met, they fought. With a history of over two hundred years of conflict, with millions dead on both sides, reconciliation was impossible.

Given the situation, Chen Xi naturally came to a simple conclusion: the best course of action was to eliminate the Northern Xiongnu. He wasn’t one for talking things out, and two centuries of conflict had made one thing clear: the Northern Xiongnu would never surrender. Since that was the case, there was no need for hesitation.

A tribe so dangerous and impossible to subdue was better off eradicated. They were entirely different from the Wuhuan, Southern Xiongnu, or Xianbei, who could at least be somewhat assimilated. The Northern Xiongnu needed to be destroyed.

With this in mind, Chen Xi had already started preparing. There was no way he would let the Northern Xiongnu benefit from this era as they had in history. Even though the timeline might differ slightly, Chen Xi knew that certain enmities would never change.

In other words, if the Northern Xiongnu had an opportunity to incite the nomads and cause trouble for the Han, they wouldn’t pass it up. The only difference was that parts of the Xianbei in northern Bingzhou had been weakened by the joint efforts of the Qiang and Cao Cao, leaving a power vacuum. But that wouldn’t make much difference in the long run.

Unlike internal conflicts or battles within Han-controlled territories, Chen Xi didn’t care about maintaining strict discipline in external wars. Even in civil wars, Chen Xi didn’t strive for perfect conduct—he just ensured that the soldiers didn’t go too far. As for some degree of looting, Chen Xi turned a blind eye to it.

In foreign wars, unless something threatened the army's discipline, military order, or crossed the line into crimes against humanity, Chen Xi would pretend not to notice. Within the borders of the Han, restraint was necessary, but outside, especially when dealing with tribes like the Xianbei or Northern Xiongnu who posed a real threat, Chen Xi had no qualms about using extreme measures.

Because of this, Chen Xi’s stance this time was far harsher. Unlike the internal wars, which were aimed primarily at defeating the enemy, the campaign against the northern nomads was different. This was about eradicating their resistance—conquering, not just repelling.

When it came to the campaign to pacify the northern nomads, Chen Xi’s goal was total destruction. He aimed to obliterate the enemy’s capacity for resistance. Until the situation was firmly under control, Chen Xi had no qualms about wielding the sword of extermination. They could capture laborers after the war. But until the northern nomads were decisively broken, Chen Xi wouldn’t hold back.

His approach to the nomads was entirely different from how he treated Cao Cao or Sun Ce. He viewed the northern nomads as enemies, whereas Cao and Sun were more like rivals from the same roots, fighting for control of the same land. For them, Chen Xi allowed leniency. But for the nomads, they were enemies until they surrendered.

This would be a massive war, and you can’t raise great generals in shallow waters. Likewise, you can’t create brilliant strategists on a small battlefield. While everyone was still unaware of the stakes, Chen Xi planned to throw Zhang Fei into the fray. Once the true severity of the situation became apparent, Zhang Fei would have no one to rely on but himself. By then, whether Zhang Fei had the potential to become a great general would be clear for all to see.

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