"Your Majesty, please transfer him somewhere else!"
"He spends all day in the ministry declaring that we must launch a northern expedition against the Xianbei. He even says the Xianbei have learned the secret to winning people's hearts, and the harm they cause will surely exceed that of the Xiongnu and the Qiang and Hu of the past!"
"Now even the ministry's officials are beginning to waver. They've started suggesting that we consider sending troops against the Xianbei..."
"I've debated him several times, and I really cannot win!!"
Chen Qian sat before Cao Mao with worry written all over his face, looking utterly haggard.
Deng Ai spoke of the Xianbei threat in the Ministry of War every day, and the officials were being persuaded one after another. Chen Qian felt that if he debated him a few more times, he too would be persuaded. But he knew in his heart that Deng Ai's words absolutely could not be trusted, so he had hurried to the emperor.
Cao Mao narrowed his eyes as well.
Among the many Hu peoples, the Qiang and Hu were the most disorganized. They had a great many tribes, no unified organizational structure, and varying degrees of assimilation into Han culture. Even in a rebellion, they could only serve as muscle.
The Southern Xiongnu were somewhat more assimilated than the Qiang and Hu. Their tribal chieftains had begun adopting Han names on a large scale, and the Han language was gradually replacing the Xiongnu tongue. They communicated normally with the locals in Bing Province, and some integration had begun.
But the most formidable among them had to be the Xianbei. In terms of assimilation, the Southern Xiongnu took a rather slacker approach. They did it purely for greater enjoyment and convenience. Had Liu Yuan not emerged, they