After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 152

Ever since they learned that Chu Hechao had returned and they had received the heads of the Xiongnu people he had sent, the restless Wuwan people settled down again.

The intimidation Chu Hechao exerted over the Wuwan people was unimaginably great.

Though the Wuwan people didn't say it out loud, they were indeed afraid of Chu Hechao. Now that the Xiongnu have temporarily avoided confronting Chu Hechao, they have lost their ally and naturally dare not make any moves.

Chu Hechao didn't keep them quiet for long and immediately summoned them to join him in attacking the Xiongnu.

Although Lou Shan had already been killed by Chu Hechao, the continuous provocations by the Xiongnu angered Chu Hechao, and he clearly had no intention of letting them go. He demanded that the Wuwan people send thirty thousand cavalry to join him in launching a deep attack on the grasslands against the Xiongnu.

The Wuwan people were worried.

Several Wuwan leaders gathered at Gulichi's place to discuss whether to send troops or not.

In theory, they should not refuse, as it was their duty to respond to the call for fighting the Xiongnu. However, they had secretly colluded with the Xiongnu. If they attacked the Xiongnu again, wouldn't it tear apart their mutual trust and make it impossible to join forces in the future?

But if they didn't attack... it would be blatantly opposing the Northern Zhou.

Gulichi furrowed his brow and pondered for a long time before saying, "Let's respond to the call."

Dadan's face didn't look good, but he didn't voice any objections either.

Over the years, he had aged significantly, and riding a horse was extremely difficult. At this point, if he were to confront Chu Hechao head-on, he feared he wouldn't survive.

Gulichi scanned the expressions of the Wuwan leaders and said, "Even though we'll respond, we don't need to openly confront the Xiongnu. Let's just make a show of it. If we do well, we might even get rid of Chu Hechao..."

His expression turned dark, and he thought of Yuan Li's ability to summon thunder and rain. Deep dread flickered in his eyes as he added, "...and Yuan Li."

"So, you mean we'll pretend to agree, and then when we are deep in the grasslands, we'll ambush Chu Hechao with the help of the Xiongnu?" Puyan, a Wuwan leader from Yuyang County, hesitated, "Isn't this a bad idea? If we really take action, we'll surely be condemned by the world. Chu Hechao's reputation is too great now, and the Northern Zhou won't spare us."

They were different from the Xiongnu; the Wuwan people also had to uphold loyalty and righteousness. If they agreed to help Chu Hechao and then betrayed him, they wouldn't be able to stay in the Northern Zhou anymore.

Gulichi's authority had declined in recent years, and he became less tolerant of his ministers' opposition. He sneered, "As long as we can kill Chu Hechao, what does it matter if our reputation is good or bad? Once Chu Hechao is dead, we will revolt, and there will be no one else in the world to stop us. Whether the Northern Zhou exists or not by then is uncertain..."

The Wuwan leaders exchanged glances and felt tempted by his words.

After much discussion, they finally decided that three Wuwan leaders would lead the troops to ambush Chu Hechao, while Gulichi and Dadan, who had disabilities, would stay in Youzhou. If Chu Hechao was killed, they would immediately kill Yuan Li and take control of Youzhou.

Once the decision was made, Gulichi immediately sent a letter to the Xiongnu.

However, before the letter could leave the county, it was intercepted by people from the Liangliao Institution.