Outside the city, within the Xianbei Great Camp, banners fluttered in the wind.
Inside the central army tent, Ke Bineng sat at the head, holding a lamb's hoof, using a small knife to carve off slices one by one, slowly putting them into his mouth, and chewing leisurely.
He then picked up a cup of lamb's milk wine, took a small sip, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
Watching his Generals gathered on both sides, all heartily eating and drinking, a smile played on the corner of his lips.
He then picked up a piece of cloth, wiped the grease from his mouth and hands, and tossed it onto the table, displaying a luxurious and indulgent posture.
However, deep down, Ke Bineng still couldn't quite enjoy this way of doing things.
Because he came from a poor background, was used to hardship, and relied on diligence and frugality to accumulate strength, slowly developing into a large tribe, entering the Royal Court, and becoming a Chief.
But deep down, he was still relatively frugal and couldn't enjoy such a luxurious life.
But there was no other way; with the death of the previous Chief, Tan Shihuai, he had become a strong contender for the next Lord of the Royal Court.
So he could only integrate into the style of the nobles of the Xiongnu Royal Court, make friends with them, and build good relationships; if he appeared too shabby and lacked the demeanor of a noble, it would be very difficult to succeed as the Lord of the Royal Court.
This southward invasion of the border was entirely orchestrated by Ke Bineng, taking advantage of the fact that winter had passed.
He led everyone to make a fortune, increasing his influence within the Royal Court, and then, as a matter of course, he would succeed as the Lord of the Xianbei Royal Court.
Ke Bineng glanced at everyone in the hall, and his hearty voice slowly came out!
“Everyone, during this time, we have plundered a lot of money, grain, cloth, and slaves.”
“What do you all think of me, Ke Bineng?”
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent quickly put down the meat in their hands.
They looked at Ke Bineng at the head, naturally understanding the meaning of his words.
Many people had smiles on their faces and flattered him!
“Chief Ke Bineng is a man of great vision and strategy, generous and magnanimous, prioritizing the distribution of spoils to us.”
“So loyal and righteous, we naturally strongly support Chief Ke Bineng to take over as the next Lord of the Xianbei Royal Court.”
As some began to flatter him, the others were not to be outdone, all expressing their loyalty.
If they could please Ke Bineng, this southward expedition would surely allow them to gather more wealth, slaves, and provisions, ensuring a prosperous winter or increasing the strength of their tribes.
Ke Bineng's smile grew even brighter as he listened to the flattery of the crowd.
With the support of this group, his strength would definitely increase; what would that little brat, Budugen, use to contend with him for the Lord of the Royal Court?
He was just relying on the fading glory of his ancestors, with a few old fellows supporting him, yet he dared to jump out and oppose him.
Once his strength grew, he would definitely eliminate these stubborn old fellows and let them know who could lead the Xianbei to glory.
Thinking of this, a cold glint appeared in Ke Bineng's eyes.
He lightly coughed, and his voice came out!
“Everyone, we have now reached the hinterland of the Han Court's Dingrang Commandery, and the city before us is Gaoliu City.”
“Once this city is breached, the surrounding counties will be flat and defenseless.”
“We will then be able to sweep through the entire Dingxiang Commandery, plunder enough money and provisions, and then return to the grasslands, ensuring a prosperous winter for all tribes this year.”
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes revealed a look of greed.
Since entering the Han Court a few days ago, the surrounding villages and towns had been thoroughly plundered, yielding a lot of provisions and slaves, which brought them great satisfaction.
If they could take away all the accumulated wealth and population of an entire commandery city, then their various tribes would have money and food to continue increasing their tribal strength.
Many tribal Chiefs' eyes showed excitement, and they all shouted loudly!
“Chief Ke Bineng, we all obey your command; wherever you point, we will strike; if you tell us to go east, we will never go west.”
Ke Bineng smiled and nodded upon hearing this, and his hearty voice slowly came out!
“According to the scouts' intelligence, there are two thousand Han Army soldiers in the city.”
“Together, we have more than fifteen thousand soldiers, several times the number of the city's defenders, giving us an absolute advantage; breaching this city should not be a problem.”
Upon hearing this, everyone still nodded as usual, indicating agreement.
Ke Bineng's eyes narrowed slightly, his smile became even more radiant, and he said loudly!
“However, I, the Chief, only brought three thousand cavalry from my tribe on this expedition, with no infantry accompanying us.”
“So, we cannot attack the city directly; we can only use the cavalry to surround the area, cut off the Han Army's supply lines, and block the arrival of their reinforcements.”
“We still have to rely on the infantry under your command to attack this city.”
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent fell silent.
Many people cursed inwardly, not expecting that Ke Bineng's plan was actually to make their troops attack the city.
Although there were only two thousand Han Army soldiers in the city, with the city as a stronghold, it would still be very difficult for them to attack; even if the city were breached, they would suffer considerable losses.
Many tribal Chiefs were reluctant; if they suffered heavy casualties and did not have much strength left, their tribes could very likely be swallowed up by the larger tribes.
For a moment, everyone in the tent instantly fell silent, and no one stood out to express loyalty; after all, it was a losing business, and no one really wanted to do it.
Ke Bineng looked at the silent crowd, a cold glint in his eyes, and anger in his heart.
When there were benefits to be had, everyone flattered him; now that it was time for them to exert effort, they were all pushing and shoving, and no one stood out.
His gaze swept over everyone, and he said coldly!
“Everyone, is there no one who agrees to this?”
Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.
Ke Bineng felt his composure about to break; indeed, they were all old foxes.
His fierce gaze swept over one of the Generals in the tent, and he shouted coldly!
“Terunhe, what do you think of my words, Chief?”
The burly man sitting among the crowd trembled upon hearing these cold words.
He cursed inwardly, wondering why he had to be chosen out of nowhere, but since he had been called, he couldn't pretend not to hear.
He could only stammer!
“Ch-Chief, perhaps we should reconsider.”
“After all, there are still two thousand Han Army soldiers in the city, and they have the city as a stronghold; we are not accustomed to siege warfare, so it might be a bit….”
As Terunhe spoke, he felt a strong killing intent emanating from within.
He slightly raised his eyes and looked at Ke Bineng's fierce gaze, feeling a chill down his spine and cold sweat breaking out.
If he continued to babble, he might be killed on the spot by the other party.