amaotonovel Chapter 701 Mulu City
Chapter 701 Mulu City
Tu Lin was genuinely frustrated. He could accept that he couldn't defeat the Han army, but he simply couldn't believe that the Han army had traveled thousands of miles specifically to attack him.
What virtue or ability do the Northern Xiongnu possess to deserve such care from the Han Dynasty?
Upon hearing this, Ma Chao touched his nose and laughed awkwardly, "Brother, to tell you the truth, we're in the same boat. I came to Parthia to make a living because I couldn't survive in the Han Dynasty. Who would have thought that I would meet you as soon as I arrived in Parthia? Don't you think this is fate between us?"
As they talked, Tu Lin gradually learned about the current situation of the Han Dynasty and the reason why Ma Chao had come here, which made him even more depressed.
Damn Ma Chao, if you can't make it in the Han Dynasty, just die! Why the hell are you causing trouble for me?
What terrible things did I do in my past life that I had to meet you in this one?
Tu Lin was internally ranting and raving, so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against the wall.
At the same time, Ma Chao also learned about the current situation of the Northern Xiongnu from Tu Lin. After being driven out of the northern grasslands by Dou Xian, the Northern Xiongnu had nowhere to go and could only wander westward like headless flies. They gradually settled down after finding a grassland in the Ili River Valley.
The Northern Xiongnu originally intended to settle in the Ili River Valley, but the valley was too small, and they only lived there for nearly a hundred years. The grazing cattle and sheep turned the grasslands into desert.
Overgrazing led to grassland degradation, and the Northern Xiongnu feared that if they stayed any longer, both the sheep and the people would starve to death, so they had no choice but to migrate westward again to Kangju.
Although the Northern Xiongnu were like nomadic bandits, their strength was formidable, and the tribes and states along their route dared not provoke them, allowing them to roam freely to this day.
The Northern Xiongnu tribe has now grown to 500,000 people. Given the Xiongnu's characteristic of universal conscription, assembling an army of 100,000 would not be a problem.
If Ma Chao hadn't arrived so suddenly, leaving them unprepared, the outcome would have been entirely uncertain.
Upon learning the true strength of the Northern Xiongnu, Ma Chao broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around, and he decisively said, "Brother, my family has all been killed by Cao Cao. I'm currently looking for a wife. Do you have any sisters? Could you introduce me to one? Also, my son Ma Cheng is not married yet. Do you have any daughters of marriageable age?"
When he left Liangzhou, he plundered and looted everywhere, and only managed to take less than 100,000 followers from the Qiang and Hu tribes. Who knows how long it will take for those 100,000 to grow into millions or tens of millions?
However, the Northern Xiongnu have 500,000 people. If used well, they can be a great help, but if mismanaged, they can become a fatal threat. Therefore, it is necessary to win them over.
But how do we win them over?
The only solution he could think of in the short term was marriage alliance. He would first use marriage alliance to become one of the Northern Xiongnu, then establish a deep friendship through conquest of Parthia, and finally have Ma Su teach the Northern Xiongnu to read, striving to turn the Northern Xiongnu into Han people.
Ma Chao had been a warlord before and had served under Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Through this exposure, he had developed some political acumen. While this acumen might not have been enough to make things work in the Han Dynasty, it was a game-changer for the Northern Xiongnu.
Tu Lin was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said, "I happen to have a younger sister who is twenty-six years old. Her husband unfortunately died in battle while raiding the Parthian tribe this May, and she is currently a widow. If you don't mind..."
Ma Chao quickly replied, "No problem at all, brother-in-law."
Tu Lin smiled warmly and said, "Brother-in-law, we're family now. Just let me know if you need anything. Besides, I have five daughters, the oldest is sixteen and the youngest is only seven. I'm too lazy to choose husbands for them, I'll just marry them all to your son."
Ma Chao was a descendant of General Ma Yuan, the Fubo General. Not only did he come from a prestigious family, but he was also a General of the Cavalry of the Han Dynasty. Marrying him would be a good deal.
Having had prolonged contact with the Han Dynasty, the Northern Xiongnu also developed the bad habit of seeking marriage partners of equal social standing.
Ma Chao chuckled and said to his personal guards, "What are you all standing there for? Go and call Ma Cheng over to pay his respects to his father-in-law."
The rest was simple. The two, who were both brothers-in-law and in-laws, returned to the Northern Xiongnu tribe arm in arm. That very night, Ma Chao and his son Ma Cheng got married and entered their respective bridal chambers.
The Northern Xiongnu didn't have many customs regarding marriage, and Ma Chao, being in exile, also had no interest in going through those formalities, so they skipped all the intermediate steps and went straight to the point.
The next morning, Ma Chao got up and washed with the help of his new wife. Feeling refreshed, he walked out of his tent and came to Tu Lin's tent. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Tu Lin, he got straight to the point: "Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but after all these years of dealing with the Han, why do you still prefer living in a tent? Can't you just plunder a city to live in?"
While tents can be used for lodging, they are nowhere near as comfortable as a magnificent palace.
Besides, the Parthian Empire wasn't without cities; what kind of nonsense is it to live in the wilderness all the time?
Tu Lin laughed awkwardly, "It's for the convenience of grazing!"
Ma Chao shook his head and said, "It seems that you Xiongnu have been following the Han Dynasty for so many years but have wasted your time. You haven't learned any of the essence."
Tu Lin asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"
Ma Chao rebuked, "Who said herding can only involve cattle and sheep? Don't you know about shepherds? The Parthian Empire has so many people, you can treat them like cattle and sheep, let them plow the fields and grow grain to support you. Why do you have to raise four-legged animals instead of two-legged ones? Are you out of your mind?"
Hearing this, Tu Lin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He was completely stunned and stood there dumbfounded for a long time. After a while, he clapped his hands and stomped his feet, regretting his actions and saying, "Yes, how could I not have thought of that? How could I be so stupid? I've lost so much money over the years. Damn it."
The Xiongnu were a nomadic people, and their nomadic mindset meant that they were accustomed to herding and robbing, and that was all they knew how to do.
However, the Xiongnu had dealt with and had in-depth exchanges with the Han Dynasty, so they quickly understood Ma Chao's intentions and the benefits of doing so.
To put it bluntly, Tu Lin's thinking is stuck. As long as he changes his mindset and looks at it from a different angle, he will immediately have a clear mind.
Ma Chao patted his shoulder and laughed, "It's not too late to know now. We can seize a city and spend a peaceful winter, or at least find a warm place so that as many of the babies in our tribe as possible can survive."
“You have been in Parthia longer and know the situation better than I do. Tell me where there is a city that can accommodate a million people, and I will go and conquer it for us to live in.”
Without hesitation, Tu Lin said, "Three hundred miles to the southwest, there is a city called Mulu City. It is the capital of the Marquina Province of the Parthian Empire and the ancestral home of the Marquina family. However, the city is very small, with a maximum capacity of 300,000 people. As for a city that can accommodate a million people, there is none in the entire Parthian Empire, let alone the Marquina Province."
Ma Chao patted his chest and said, "It can accommodate 300,000 people. Let the old, weak, women and children enter the city to avoid the cold first. We can expand the city next spring. With the labor force of Anxi, why should we be afraid of not being able to build a good city?"
"I'm determined to have this Mulu City. Are you coming with me?"
Tu Xiu nodded and said, "Of course we'll go, but there's something you need to be careful about. The Parthian Empire is not at peace right now. There's a powerful minister from the Sassanid family named Ardashir who has rebelled and has already conquered more than half of the Parthian Empire's territory. The Parthian Empire is probably only a year or two away from being destroyed. Although Mulu City still belongs to the Parthian Empire, it has definitely been targeted by the Sassanid family. If we try to seize it now, it's like taking food from the Sassanid family's mouth, and there will definitely be trouble in the future."
Ma Chao sneered, "Is the Sassanid family strong? Is it stronger than Yuan Shao, who held high office for four generations? What, are you scared?"
Tu Lin, unable to bear the provocation, immediately retorted: "What are you talking about? I am the Chanyu of the Northern Xiongnu. I have never been afraid of anyone except the Han Dynasty. Let's go now and try to take Mulu City within ten days. After entering the city, I will sleep with all the young ladies and wives of that Ma family."