In the vast lands, the E He Tribe and the Shaoge Tribe were two major and important tribes of East Qiang. These two tribes had a long history and held an important position in the development of the Qiang. Both the E He Tribe and the Shaoge Tribe were very powerful, each possessing unique cultures and traditions.
The succession of their leaders was passed down through generations, with each leader being called E He or Shao Ge, shouldering the important responsibility of leading their tribe and safeguarding its interests, leaving a deep mark in the history of the Qiang.
This time, when East Qiang launched a large-scale invasion of Wuwei Commandery, the E He Tribe and the Shaoge Tribe, as two of the main tribes involved, showed extremely positive responsiveness.
Their greedy actions were shocking; not only did they extensively plunder and seize various supplies, but they also gleefully sent their people to bring these spoils back to their respective tribes.
Moreover, they did not even spare food, iron pots, farm tools, or anything else they deemed useful; their insatiable greed seemed endless, as if they wished to scrape Wuwei Commandery three feet deep and sweep away everything they could take.
Behind this greed lay the pitiful and helpless struggle for survival of the two tribes.
Their tribes were truly too poor, with scarce resources and difficult lives.
Last year's snow disaster brought an even heavier blow, with countless tribesmen freezing and starving to death in the severe cold, and the entire tribe was shrouded in a tragic atmosphere.
To survive, they had no choice but to resort to such extreme measures, to plunder the supplies they believed could save their tribes, even though such actions were full of sin and helplessness.
When Qiang King Mitang summoned them for a meeting and informed them of General Ma Chao's massacre of the Xianling Qiang tribe, E He and Shao Ge immediately feigned righteous indignation.
E He frowned deeply and said in a booming voice, "This General Ma Chao truly deserves to die a thousand deaths! We must fight him to the death to avenge our fallen tribesmen!"
Shao Ge echoed him from the side, indignantly saying, "That's right, we absolutely cannot let the tragedy of the Xianling Qiang befall us again! We must make General Ma Chao pay for his blood debt!" But deep down, they had no real enthusiasm or impulse for confronting General Ma Chao.
The atmosphere was tense and solemn, and Qiang King Mitang expressed high approval for E He and Shao Ge's positive response to his call.
E He and Shao Ge stood before Mitang, their expressions firm and resolute, and they volunteered to lead their tribes to resist General Ma Chao.
"Your Majesty, we are well aware of General Ma Chao's threat, and we are willing to lead our tribes to the front lines to fight him to the death!" E He said in a loud voice, his eyes gleaming with firm resolve.
Shao Ge then added, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, we will do our utmost to completely annihilate General Ma Chao!"
Mitang was greatly relieved to hear their words.
He knew E He and Shao Ge's strength and determination well, and he believed they could shoulder this important responsibility.
"Good! Your courage and loyalty fill this King with great comfort.
This King will continue to lead the other tribes in fighting in Wuwei, and you must annihilate General Ma Chao without fail!" King Mitang of Dongqiang said solemnly.
Thus, E He and Shao Ge outwardly continued to share the same hatred for the enemy as the King of Dongqiang, claiming they would resist General Ma Chao, but secretly, they quickly gathered their people and began to systematically prepare to return to their tribes.
Outside the camp, the people busily packed their belongings, while E He and Shao Ge subtly observed everything, ensuring no flaws were revealed.
They meticulously planned every detail, striving for perfection, so that the King of Dongqiang would not detect their true intentions.
On the way back to their tribes, E He said to Shao Ge, "This time we did it so cleverly, the King of Dongqiang will definitely not suspect us."
Shao Ge smiled smugly and said, "Of course, we want him to always think we are absolutely loyal, but in reality, we are only acting for the benefit of our tribes."
They knew that only through such deception could they survive safely in the complex and ever-changing situation of East Qiang.
E He and Shao Ge's dissatisfaction was justified.
In such circumstances, their actions might also be a form of resistance.
The snow disaster had caused huge losses to all tribes, and Mitang's extravagance and unfair practices further exacerbated the conflicts between the tribes.
He made other tribes bear losses that were not theirs, while he himself reaped the benefits, an act that was bound to provoke public anger.
In this war against Wuwei Commandery, other tribes fought desperately, while Mitang's own tribe did not exert effort but only took benefits, which further highlighted his selfishness and incompetence.
E He and Shao Ge outwardly appeared to be diligently leading their people towards the territory of the Xianling Qiang, preparing for a fierce battle with General Ma Chao, but in reality, under their careful arrangements, most of their people had already quietly carried abundant spoils of war and various important supplies, systematically embarking on the journey back to their main tribes without anyone knowing.
At the same time, they also strengthened comprehensive vigilance in their main tribes, standing ready at all times, constantly on guard, fearing that General Ma Chao might suddenly lead a large army and bring them unexpected threats and dangers.
— — Dividing Line — —
General Ma Chao led the valiant Flying Bear Army, galloping all the way, leaving the border of Qiang far behind, and soon entered the tribal area of Shao Ge.
It was in this land that they unexpectedly encountered the tribes led by E He and Shao Ge.
General Ma Chao, in heroic and dashing form, broke through the wind and charged at the forefront, while more than a thousand Flying Bear Army soldiers behind him appeared menacingly before E He and Shao Ge.
However, unexpectedly, E He and Shao Ge's troops raised white flags in advance, and then requested a talk with General Ma Chao.
For a moment, the tense atmosphere on the battlefield eased slightly, but the standoff between the two sides remained unchanged; a major battle seemed possible at any moment, and what E He and Shao Ge's actions truly meant filled people with doubt.
General Ma Chao sat on his warhorse, with Pang De and Zhang Xiu standing beside him, their expressions cold as they looked at E He and Shao Ge opposite them.
At the front of the two armies, E He and Shao Ge said clearly, "General Ma Chao, if you can avoid invading our two tribes, we are willing to offer ample supplies and guarantee that you and your Flying Bear Army will pass through our territory smoothly, without obstruction.
But you need to cooperate with us in staging a play; after you lead your army to charge, we will pretend to be defeated, putting on a show for Mitang."
General Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu, and Pang De looked at each other, their faces showing expressions of doubt, looking at each other in confusion, unable to fathom E He and Shao Ge's true intentions for a moment, not knowing what they were up to.
General Ma Chao frowned slightly, lost in thought.
At this moment, Shao Ge chuckled a few times, then continued, "General Ma Chao, we are also deeply dissatisfied with Mitang's actions; his various deeds are truly unbearable for us.
However, as tribes of East Qiang, we cannot openly defy his will.
Therefore, we hope to cooperate with you, General, to deal with this complex situation together."
General Ma Chao, upon hearing Shao Ge's words, showed a hint of anger, and said somewhat angrily, "Since you are so dissatisfied with his actions, why did you invade my Wuwei Commandery before? Isn't this contradictory?"
E He and Shao Ge, hearing this, showed helpless expressions and said, "General Ma Chao, as tribes of Mi Dang, we ourselves suffered severe damage in the snow disaster.
If we do not obey the orders of the King of Dongqiang, our tribes will not be able to survive.
In this battle, we did not engage in large-scale slaughter; we only collected more supplies, which was also to enable our tribes to get through this snow disaster.
We have always known that you, General, are benevolent; you and the Western Qiang tribes can live in harmony, and our East Qiang tribes deeply envy this.
We hope General Ma Chao can give our tribes a chance."
After weighing his options, General Ma Chao finally approved and accepted E He and Shao Ge's proposal.
General Ma Chao led his troops and engaged in a seemingly fierce battle with E He and Shao Ge's troops.
In reality, E He and Shao Ge pretended to fight General Ma Chao fiercely, and were eventually defeated by General Ma Chao.
E He and Shao Ge then took the opportunity to lead their tribes back to their territory; both sides shouted to the heavens, creating the illusion of a fierce battle, but in reality, there were not many casualties.
Subsequently, his troops replenished their supplies in the territories of E He and Shao Ge.
After the replenishment was complete, General Ma Chao did not continue to advance into the heartland tribes of East Qiang, but instead directly changed direction, preparing to resolve the predicament facing Wuwei.