After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 49

The Xiongnu have always liked to invade the Central Plains in autumn because they have had a period of rest and recuperation during the spring to autumn transition, making both their people and horses fat and strong.

After autumn, the grass on the prairie starts to wither, and the weather becomes cold. There is no food for the people and livestock. If they want to survive the winter, the Xiongnu have to invade the Central Plains and plunder the winter provisions and wealth.

Half a month ago, the reason why Chu Hechao decided to lead the army back to the Northern Frontier was his concern that the Xiongnu and Xianbei would take advantage of the situation to launch an attack.

Within Youzhou, the White Rice Gang had been rampant. In order to pacify them, Chu Hechao took 20,000 troops with him, and Yuan Congyun took 30,000. This meant that 50,000 troops were taken away, leaving only 80,000 stationed in the Northern Frontier.

However, the White Rice Gang in Youzhou had to be dealt with, so before sending troops to pacify them, Chu Hechao had already made preparations for the autumn invasion by the Xiongnu.

He had long understood the patterns of the Xiongnu's border aggression and was familiar with how to deal with nomadic tribes. Therefore, he had deployed defenses along the border in advance and achieved good results.

But now, late autumn has passed, and early winter has arrived. The cold came unusually early this year, catching people off guard. The first snow had already fallen, and the Xiongnu, who had not yet seized enough food, became anxious. They had previously engaged in minor raids, but this time, the Xiongnu Chanyu*, Huyan WuZhu, gathered 50,000 cavalry and headed south, planning to plunder the grain in various prefectures and counties in one fell swoop to prepare for winter.
* name of chiefs of Xiongnu

After the scout finished reporting the urgent situation in the Northern Frontier, Chu Hechao hurriedly left with his men, leaving behind a trail of dust.

The figure of the army quickly disappeared from the roadside.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and Yuan Li watched as they gradually disappeared from the front gate. He pursed his lips and turned to Liu Jixin, saying, "Chang Yue, go find Cai Ji, the county magistrate of Guangyang County. Instruct him to notify the border defenses of each county to reinforce the city walls, gather the county soldiers, and prepare for the defense of the city."

If the Xiongnu were able to break through the Great Wall, it would be these border counties that would suffer.

Fortunately, these border counties of Youzhou have already gained experience in dealing with the invasions of the Xiongnu and Xianbei. As long as the message is delivered, they can quickly prepare themselves.

Liu Jixin nodded and left to carry out the order.

Yuan Li led the remaining people back to the study. Wang Er and Wu Kai exchanged glances, filled with doubt. Having followed Yuan Li for a long time, they knew they could seek his guidance when they didn't understand something. So they asked, "Lord, will the Xiongnu cross the Great Wall?"

Both of them came from humble backgrounds, and they had learned to read under Yuan Li's guidance. However, their knowledge of strategy and military deployments was still insufficient. For example, they couldn't understand why the Great Wall needed to be repaired and fortified every year. They knew that the Great Wall existed to defend against external enemies, but why could the nomadic raiders repeatedly invade the border despite the presence of the Great Wall?

Yuan Li calmly asked, "Have you seen the Great Wall with your own eyes?"

Both of them shook their heads.