Hearing the emperor's casual question, Tu Dugeng's heart suddenly tightened.
This Xianbei noble, nearing fifty years of age, suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead.
At this time of the Han dynasty's end and Wei dynasty's beginning, not only were there frequent wars in the Central Plains, but also on the grasslands, where disputes were no less numerous. The Xianbei almost suffered the same decline and division as the Han Dynasty at the same time.
During Tuanyun's reign, the Xianbei were a political entity spanning from the East Sea to the West Regions, with a territory of ten thousand li. By the time it reached Tuanyun's grandson generation, even if Tu Dugeng, who resided in Tanyuan and Yannin, was at its most downfall, his clan still possessed enough archers to muster more than ten thousand light cavalry.
After all, he was a senior noble of a Xianbei tribe. Tu Dugeng had absolute power in his own clan, though he had to bow down to the Han people, it was only due to the circumstances.
However, today the emperor pointed to himself in front of numerous Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuarian people, and even asked about his grandfather Tan Shihan, who had a deep grudge against the Central Dynasty.
What's the intention behind this?
How could he not be startled, how could he not be fearful?
Tu Dugeng slowly stood up, with his head slightly lowered, and spoke in a low voice: "Your Majesty, my grandfather is Tan Shihan."
Cao Rui glanced at Tu Dugeng's nervous expression and continued to ask: "Your grandfather, in his prime, commanded over 100,000 archers during the reigns of Emperor Ling and Emperor Huan."
"Since my grandfather was so great, his descendants should not be weak either." Cao Rui's eyes remained still, his eyebrows not moving, and his lips curled slightly upward as he fixed his gaze on Tu Dugeng. "Now you are a subject of mine, a subject of the Great Wei, and I have never been sparing with rewards to my subordinates."
"What are your aspirations? I am willing to help you."
Tu Dugeng's forehead was visibly sweating, and his brain was spinning at an unprecedented speed.
After a few moments, Tu Dugeng bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, under the protection of the Great Wei in the Jingzhao Commandery, I have not achieved any merit. What aspirations could I possibly have? I only wish to protect my clan and live out my days in peace."
"No other thoughts, no other thoughts!"
Cao Rui did not pay attention to Tu Dugeng, but looked at the other three Xianbei people instead.
"Suli, you were oppressed by Kebilei and were relocated from the Yuyang Commandery to here. General Tian has repeatedly helped you. Are you still content now?"
Suli also bowed like Tu Dugeng and replied in a low voice, "My life and my tribe depend entirely on Your Majesty's divine protection. Now, we are safe."
Cao Rui then looked at Xie Guni, who was close to forty years old: "Xie Guni, your father Shi Lian is the elder brother of Tu Dugeng. Tan Shihan is your great-grandfather. Do you have any aspirations in your heart?"
Tu Dugeng is thin and weathered, a look that suggests he has been wind-swept on the grasslands for a long time. In contrast, Xie Guni is much more robust and overweight.
Xie Guni said, "Your Majesty is wise, I have always listened to my uncle, and I have no aspirations."
The emperor was asking the three Xianbei people, and the last Xianbei, namely He Qibu, the second husband of Kebilei, stood awkwardly in the tent with constantly changing micro-expressions, feeling quite uneasy.
Cao Rui finally looked at He Qibu and asked coldly, "He Qibu, is that right? Kebilei sent you here instead of coming to see me himself?"
Tu Dugeng, Suli, and Xie Guni felt a bit of schauenfreude. They dared not casually look at the emperor, but it was not a problem for them to look at He Qibu. Kebilei was detestable, and his new son-in-law was no doubt bad news either.
He Qibu was not one to mince words; he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I truly do not know why the King did not come himself. I was only following orders."
Man Chong, who was sitting on one side, coldly said, "The title of 'Revered King' of Kebilei was stripped away in the fourth year of Huang Chu, wasn't it? So, what kind of king is he?"
He Qibu instinctively looked up, his eyes meeting with Man Chong's, and then glanced at the emperor. Both seemed displeased.
Cao Rui softly snorted and replied to Man Chong, "In that case, Kebilei is acting presumptuously, is he not?"
Man Chong bowed his hands: "Yes, that is correct."
"That makes him a traitor," Cao Rui waved his hand: "Take this He Qibu away and behead him, making it clear for all to see."
He Qibu was instantly filled with terror. He suddenly realized in his heart that everyone in the tent today had always been respectful to the Great Wei, while he alone was the so-called 'outsider'.
The three thousand light cavalry he could rely on was truly like a stick in the hands of a child against a strong man; it had no effect at all against a Central Plains emperor.
The surrounding Xiongnu, Wuhuarians, and Xianbei had always been unfriendly. They watched as if watching a play. Tu Dugeng, Xie Guni, and Suli had also suffered from Kebilei's oppression and remained silent.
Two heavily armored Tiger Guards stepped forward, each seizing an arm of He Qibu, and in an instant, they pulled him backward and dragged him away.
In a desperate attempt, He Qibu shouted, "Your Majesty, spare me, Your Majesty, spare me! I spoke incorrectly. I spoke incorrectly. Please, Your Majesty, spare me one more life!"
Cao Rui raised his hand slightly, and Man Chong immediately told the Tiger Guards to stop. He Qibu was dragged for several steps and then stopped. Like the relief after being deprived of breath, his chest heaved up and down as he panted heavily.
He immediately developed a hatred for Kebilei, who had sent him here.
"Just now, you said you called it wrong? What was wrong with the call, and what should you have called it?"
He Qibu quickly knelt down and argued, "Your Majesty, it was I who called it wrong. Kebilei is not the king, it is my mistake!"
Man Chong stood up, pointing at He Qibu and rebuking him, "Kebilei has violated the imperial summons and repeatedly disturbed the border. His crimes are well-known; he is indeed a traitor of the Great Wei."
"He Qibu, if you still see Kebilei as your master, then you have no other way out but death today."
After that, Man Chong indicated to the two Tiger Guards standing on either side of He Qibu with his eyes, and they immediately lifted his arms.
In a state of panic, He Qibu shouted, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! It was Kebilei who rebelled and acted presumptuously. All the fault is his. I was deceived by him and spoke that way. I never meant to be against the Great Wei!"
Once this statement was made, there was complete silence in the tent. The Xiongnu and Wuhuarians naturally stood by to watch the show.
Tu Dugeng, Suli, and others, though at odds with Kebilei, were somewhat repulsed by seeing their compatriot He Qibu lose his backbone. With just a bit of intimidation, he quickly sold his king and father-in-law. They immediately felt disgusted and turned away from him.
Everyone is in a different situation, and so their reactions are also varied.
If put in He Qibu's situation, these two might not fare much better.
In a blink of an eye, He Qibu also realized that he had said the wrong thing. He stood there in shock, kneeling in front of the audience staring at him, as if his backbone had been taken away.
No one paid any attention to him anymore.
Cao Rui then carefully asked the names and origins of five Xiongnu chieftains, chatting more with a left chieftain named Liu Bao. He was even more amiable towards the Wuhuarians who had always been respectful to the Great Wei.
Cao Rui said indifferently, "Today, there are a total of twelve people from the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei before me. I have taken note of all your names and backgrounds."
"Since you are all loyal to the Great Wei, I will not neglect you," Cao Rui turned to Sima Yi and said. "Master Sima, when the government previously honored the Qianxiang people in the Western Regions, how were the various nobles and officials from those tribes addressed?"
Sima Yi stood up, his pair of hawk eyes scanning the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuarians in the tent one by one. Afterward, he bowed to the emperor and said:
"Your Majesty, the court has bestowed abundant rewards upon the Qianxiang people, and any tribal leaders who are loyal can be enfeoffed as marquises."
Cao Rui nodded lightly, "Today is the first time I am meeting with the leaders of all tribes. If you are loyal to me, I will not be stingy with rewards. You will all be enfeoffed as vassals, and the court will supply you with salaries."
Hearing the emperor's words, everyone knelt down to thank him, but He Qibu remained kneeling in place, at a loss for what to do.
Sima Yi raised his hands and asked, "May I inquire from Your Majesty, how should we deal with He Qibu? Should he also be enfeoffed as a marquis?"
Cao Rui smiled lightly and said, "Please get up, Your Majesties. The Qianxiang marquises."
"Do you wish to accept the honor of being enfeoffed as a marquis by me, Your Majesty?"
He Qibu's heart had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions today, and he couldn't accept any more shocking news. He knelt down repeatedly and answered in a trembling voice, "Your servant is willing! Your servant is willing to serve the King!"
Cao Rui nodded slightly: "Then, let's also reward this He Qibu."
"All of you may withdraw. Return to your camps and make preparations. We will be deploying troops to the Dai Commandery tomorrow. There will be government officials who will communicate with you regarding the formalities of becoming marquises."
The various Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan people all knelt down to thank him and then withdrew.
……
Meanwhile, at the Xianbei royal court in the former Yunzhong Commandery, Kebilei met with Zhong Yu and Liu Qi, the two envoys sent to this place.
Zhong Yu, being young and a first-time envoy, although he kept his attitude formal and polite, managed to greet Kebilei successfully and with a friendly demeanor.
Kebilei glanced at the imperial edict lying on the woolen rug, but instead picked up the sealed edict and examined it several times.
"Zhang Shirang," Kebilei asked in a fluent Bingzhou accent, "Nowadays, do the imperial edicts in Luoyang all use paper? I've seen paper from the Central Plains before, but never such good paper."
Zhong Yu answered modestly: "This is the improved Zuobao paper made by Luoyang's Grand Imperial Workshops in the second year of Taihe. It is indeed different from the old paper."
Kebilei's voice was deep and thick but not muddled, and if one listened carefully, there were some similarities with the Wulingyinshi right inspector of Shunling, Wang Chang, who also came from Taiyuan.
"The paper is indeed fine, but what about this official seal? Could it be a fake?"
Liu Qi, enlightened by Tian Yu, knew that he needed to take the brunt of this possible argument. "Are you saying this in jest, Your Excellency? The imperial edict clearly states that the emperor has ordered you to lead your troops to Dai Commandery to meet him, and he will bestow titles on you there."
Kebilei was not annoyed, but instead, he reached into his leather robe and pulled out a golden seal of the same size, waving it in front of Zhong Yu and Liu Qi before shaking his head slightly.
"The Han people value formality the most. When our late emperor made me the Referred Vassal King, it was clearly inscribed as 'Imperial Print of the Referred Vassal King of Xianbei'. How can this one only bear the words 'Xianbei King'?"
Zhong Yu had considered many issues on his way here. He had mentally prepared for a confrontation with Kebilei over grand principles and witty verbal sparring, but he had never imagined that Kebilei would discuss the formality of imperial seals.
Zhong Yu quickly thought of a clever response and said with a smile, "Your Excellency is not aware, but in the Great Wei, the form of the royal seal used for bestowing titles is this way. Perhaps it is because you have been isolated from the Great Wei for too long."
Kebilei nodded indifferently, "Dai Commandery? Zhong Shirang, does it concern you if I lead my seven thousand troops first and follow up with He Qibu's three thousand?"
Zhong Yu stood frozen in place, but he never expected Kebilei to be so cooperative. It was as if the envoy encountered danger and what he had heard from others in the books and stories about the Xiongnu were completely different from this.
Seeing that Zhong Yu had not spoken, Liu Qi raised his hands and said, "Seven thousand men are acceptable, totaling ten thousand light cavalry. May I know when Your Excellency wishes to set out?"
Kebilei said, "Today is the 14th day. With our light cavalry's speed, we can reach Dai Commandery in four days. We will set out tomorrow!"
"Two envoys, please join my subordinates and stay at a designated place for the night. We will depart together tomorrow."
Zhong Yu and Liu Qi took their leave.
As night fell, the two men stayed in the same tent. Zhong Yu couldn't sleep and whispered, "Liu Jian, why was Kebilei so obedient today? That was completely different from what I heard."
Liu Qi sighed: "These barbarians, if you really want to beat them, they will be the most obedient. They are only being so because the central military forces have arrived."
"I have long served under General Tian, but I have never seen Kebilei behave like this!" (The chapter ends)
