diskusbooks Chapter 479 Countermeasures
Chapter 479 Countermeasures
Zhang Xuegeng and the others naturally had their own plans. Facing Yelu Qing's questions, he was alert in his heart but remained calm on the surface.
"I've been struggling on the grasslands for so many years, I have to find a way out for future generations!"
Zhang Xuegeng narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke with emotion, but he was secretly thinking about Yelu Qing's intentions in his heart and must not easily reveal all his thoughts.
When Yelu Qing heard this, he roughly guessed what Zhang Xuegeng was thinking. He simply wanted to establish himself as king, or conquer a piece of territory and wait to be granted a title in the future.
"What Marshal Zhang said is absolutely correct. We should indeed pave the way for future generations. But I wonder if Marshal Zhang has any specific plans? Has he considered which forces to unite with to achieve this wish?"
Yelu Qing looked at Zhang Xuegeng with burning eyes and asked sincerely, but in fact he wanted to further test his bottom line.
When Zhang Xuegeng heard Yelu Qing's question, his heart skipped a beat and he became alert: "Could it be that Yelu Qing has some hidden agenda?"
Although he thought so in his heart, he remained calm on the surface. It seemed that he could only try to find out the other party's intention indirectly.
"What does Chief Yelu think? Feel free to speak frankly." Zhang Xuegeng asked with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
"I see that Marshal Zhang is a truly heroic man. How about we work together to find a peaceful place, unite our families, trade with each other, share the good and the bad, what do you think?"
Yelu Qing used the usual tactics of winning over the grassland tribes, offering attractive conditions for an alliance, trying to get Zhang Xuegeng to follow him and achieve great things together.
Seeing Yelu Qing's straightforwardness, Zhang Xuegeng stopped playing dumb. He carefully looked around, making sure there were no outsiders around. Then, lowering his voice, he asked, "What exactly are the chief's plans?"
Seeing Zhang Xuegeng change his address from "deputy chief" to "chief," Yelu Qing felt relieved and said with a firm look, "A city wall thousands of miles long must start with the first step."
Zhang Xuegeng didn't fully understand the deep meaning of Yelu Qing's words for a moment, and just nodded subconsciously to show his agreement, but he was still trying to figure out the other party's true intentions in his heart.
"Gulizar will lead his army south sooner or later. First, gather your people in Shizhou City. There's no need to rush into large-scale construction. Simply restore the defenses."
Yelu Qing leaned close to Zhang Xuegeng and spoke cautiously, while closely observing his expression.
Seeing Zhang Xuegeng's calm expression without any disturbance, Yelu Qing continued:
“I currently only have 100,000 troops, but the power on the grassland is far more than that. I will also unite with several other families.
Now it depends on how many people you can gather so that we can make the next division of labor."
This was clearly a sign that Zhang Xuegeng was going to reveal his true colors. Zhang Xuegeng knew that if he continued to hide the truth, he would not only face the question of whether he would cooperate or not, but could also face death.
"I can unite the Yuwen family and the Tuoba family, and I can also win over the Hu family. As for the other family, you can contact them directly."
Zhang Xuegeng hesitated for a moment and spoke slowly.
"Who?" Yelu Qing became nervous when he heard there was another family and asked anxiously.
In his heart, there is such a hidden force that is beyond his control and may cause big trouble in the future.
"This family is not easy to deal with, but they do have plans to establish themselves as kings."
Zhang Xuegeng was secretly observing Yelu Qing's expression as he spoke. He deliberately left the conversation unfinished, wanting to see Yelu Qing's reaction.
"There are countless people who want to become king, but it depends on whether they have the ability to do so. Tell me, I want to see who this person is."
Yelu Qing stared at Zhang Xuegeng with eyes as sharp as an eagle, as if he wanted to see through him.
Being stared at by Yelu Qing like this, Zhang Xuegeng felt like a prey waiting to be slaughtered. He felt uncomfortable all over, his pores expanded instantly, and his heart rose to his throat.
He swallowed, forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath and said, "Haven't you noticed that the Huyan family has been moving recently?"
When Yelu Qing heard the words "Huyan family", Huyan Yan and Huyan Duo of the eastern army immediately appeared in his mind.
During this period, the Eastern Army remained silent and was also responsible for maintaining contact with the Wang family. Even Dun Chanyu maintained a subtle distance from Hu Yanyan.
"Could it be..." Yelu Qing thought to himself, the Huyan clan was originally a branch of the Huxie clan, and they were of the same origin and clan many years ago.
If the Huyan family really wants to be independent, it is not impossible.
But if such a large family were to challenge him, how would he respond? Could it be that they had reached some kind of secret agreement with Zhang Xuegeng and the others?
To verify his thoughts, Yelu Qing calmly asked, "Has the Huyan family already made any moves?"
"Not yet! But there are signs of this." Zhang Xuegeng replied.
"Why?" Yelu Qing asked.
"Ever since the Huyan family branched off from the Huxie family, they've been expanding southward, while the Huxie family has taken root in the northern desert. Logically, as neighbors, the two families should have looked after each other, but..."
Zhang Xuegeng's words stopped abruptly here.
When Yelu Qing heard this, he seemed to understand something and nodded repeatedly.
Seeing Zhang Xuegeng suddenly stop, he couldn't help but blurt out, "In that case, what can we do to satisfy the Huyan family?"
"We're all gathered together for the sake of profit. The Huyan family is migrating south, and no one knows where they'll ultimately go. Why not take the initiative to ask them and express our willingness to accompany them?"
Zhang Xuegeng spoke very tactfully, under the banner of following the Huyan family, but in fact he wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of the threat of the Huns and put the blame on the Huyan family.
How could Yelu Qing not understand the mystery? But his goal was to become king himself and use all forces to his advantage. Finding a scapegoat was not his intention.
"What you said does make some sense. It seems I need to have a good talk with that old fox Hu Yanyan about this matter."
Yelu Qing snorted coldly. As Grand Marshal Hu Yanyan, he was able to stand firm in the complex power structure of the Xiongnu. He was indeed very scheming. Yelu Qing called him an "old fox", which was not unfair.
The two chatted casually about some trivial matters, and Yelu Qing was certain that Zhang Xuegeng, Hu Shanzhong, Yu Wenhua and others could unite.
But after much thought about the power of the Huyan tribe, he felt that it would be difficult to control it with his current abilities.
After resting in Shizhou for two days, Gulizar could no longer hold back and wanted to continue heading south, his target directly towards Pingyang City.
Now that Yelu Qing was here, he couldn't make a decision on his own, so he found Yelu Qing and asked if he could go to Pingyang.
Yelu Qing naturally knew what Gulizar was thinking, but according to the intelligence he currently had, Pingyang City was now garrisoned by more than 200,000 troops. With only the few troops Gulizar had, attacking Pingyang would undoubtedly be like hitting a rock with an egg.