Chapter 70 69 Su Wu Shepherd

Since the Huns were defeated by Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the two sides have not fought for several years.They verbally stated that they wanted to reconcile with the Han Dynasty, but in fact they still wanted to invade the Central Plains at any time. The Shanyu of the Xiongnu sent envoys to seek peace again and again, but the envoys of the Han Dynasty went to the Xiongnu to return visits, and some of them were detained by them.The Han Dynasty also detained some Hun envoys. In 100 BC, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty was about to send troops to fight against the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu sent envoys to sue for peace and released all the envoys from the Han Dynasty.In order to reply to the Xiongnu's goodwill, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Su Wu, the general of Zhonglang, with a banner, Zhang Sheng, his deputy, and Chang Hui, his entourage, to the Xiongnu.

When Su Wu arrived in the Xiongnu, he sent back the detained envoys and presented them with gifts.Su Wu was waiting for Shan Yu to write a reply letter asking him to go back, but at this moment, something unlucky happened. Before Su Wu came to the Xiongnu, there was a Han named Wei Lu who surrendered to the Xiongnu after he was sent as an envoy to the Xiongnu.Shan Yu made special use of him and made him king. Wei Lu has a subordinate named Yu Chang, who is very dissatisfied with Wei Lu.He and Su Wu's deputy, Zhang Sheng, were originally friends, so they secretly discussed with Zhang Sheng, intending to kill Wei Lu, kidnap Shan Yu's mother, and flee back to the Central Plains.

Zhang Sheng expressed his sympathy, but he didn't expect Yu Chang's plan to fail, but was caught by the Huns instead.Shan Yu was furious, and ordered Wei Lu to interrogate Yu Chang, and also to find out the accomplices. Su Wu didn't know about this at first.At this time, Zhang Sheng was afraid of being implicated, so he told Su Wu. Su Wu said: "The matter has come to this point, and I will definitely be implicated. Wouldn't it be more embarrassing for the court if people were interrogated before dying?" After saying that, he drew his knife and wanted to commit suicide.Zhang Sheng and his entourage, Chang Hui, took the knife from his hand quickly, and persuaded him.

Yu Chang was subjected to all kinds of punishments, only admitting that he was friends with Zhang Sheng, had talked with him, and tried his best to refuse to admit that he was accomplice to him. Wei Lu reported to Shan Yu.Shan Yu was furious and wanted to kill Su Wu, but was dissuaded by the ministers. Shan Yu also asked Wei Lu to force Su Wu to surrender. As soon as Su Wu heard that Wei Lu asked him to surrender, he said: "I am the envoy of the Han Dynasty. If I violate my mission and lose my integrity, I will have no shame in living." Then he drew his knife and wiped it on his neck.

Wei Lu hurriedly hugged him, Su Wu's neck was seriously injured, and he passed out. Wei Lu hurriedly called for rescue, and Su Wu slowly regained consciousness. Shan Yu felt that Su Wu was a man of integrity and admired him very much.When Su Wu recovered from his injuries, Shan Yu tried to force Su Wu to surrender. Shan Yu sent Wei Lu to interrogate Yu Chang, and asked Su Wu to listen.Wei Lu first condemned Yu Chang to death and killed him; then he raised his sword and threatened Zhang Sheng. Zhang Sheng, greedy for life and afraid of death, surrendered. Wei Lu said to Su Wu: "Your deputy is guilty, and you have to sit down."

Su Wu said: "I have neither conspired with him nor is he a relative. Why do I have to sit together?" Wei Lu raised his sword again to threaten Su Wu, but Su Wu remained calm.Wei Lu had no choice but to put down his raised sword, and persuaded Su Wu, "I surrendered to the Xiongnu as a last resort. Shan Yu treated me well, made me king, and gave me tens of thousands of subordinates and a mountain full of cattle." Sheep, enjoy the wealth and glory. If you can surrender to the Huns, you will be like me tomorrow, so why sacrifice your life in vain?" Su Wu stood up angrily, and said: "Wei Lu! You are the son of the Han people, and you are a subject of the Han Dynasty. You are ungrateful, betrayed your parents, betrayed the court, and brazenly become a traitor. What face do you have to fight with me? Speak. I will never surrender, and it is useless to force me."

Wei Lu turned his nose up and went back to report to Shan Yu.Shan Yu locked Su Wu in the cellar, deprived him of food and drink, and tried to use long-term torture to force him to submit. It was winter at this time, and it was snowing heavily outside.Su Wu endured hunger and hunger, and when he was thirsty, he took a handful of snow to quench his thirst; when he was hungry, he pulled some leather belts and pieces of sheepskin and gnawed on them to satisfy his hunger.After a few days, he didn't starve to death. Seeing that it was useless to torture him, Shan Yu sent him to the North Sea (now Lake Baikal) to herd sheep, separated him from his subordinate Chang Hui, and forbade them to communicate with each other. Sheep, so I let you go back." How could a ram give birth to lambs? This just means that he will be imprisoned for a long time.

When Su Wu arrived in Beihai, there was no one around him, and the only company with him was the banner representing the imperial court.The Huns didn't give them rations, so they dug the grass roots in the voles' holes to satisfy their hunger.After a long time, all the tassels on the festival fell. Until 85 BC, the Shan Yu of the Huns died, and civil strife broke out in the Huns, dividing them into three countries.Xin Shanyu did not have the strength to fight the Han Dynasty again, so he sent envoys to ask for peace.At that time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had died, and his son Emperor Zhaodi of the Han Dynasty came to the throne.

Emperor Zhaodi of the Han Dynasty sent envoys to the Xiongnu to ask Shanyu to release Su Wu, but the Xiongnu lied that Su Wu was dead.The messenger believed it was true, so he didn't mention it again. The second time, the Han envoy went to the Xiongnu again, and Su Wu's entourage, Chang Hui, was still in the Xiongnu.He bribed the Huns, met with the Han envoy in private, and told the envoy about Su Wu's sheep herding in Beihai.The envoy saw Shan Yu and severely reprimanded him, saying: "Since the Xiongnu intends to reconcile with the Han Dynasty, they should not deceive the Han Dynasty. Our emperor shot down a wild goose in the imperial garden, and tied a piece of silk to the goose's feet with the words Su Wu on it." He's still alive, how do you say he's dead?"

Shan Yu was shocked when he heard this.He thought it was really Su Wu's loyalty that moved Asuka, and even the wild geese sent news for him.He apologized to the messenger and said: "Su Wu is indeed alive, we just put him back." Su Wu was only forty years old when he was sent as an envoy.After being tortured by the Huns for nineteen years, his beard and hair turned white.On the day he returned to Chang'an, all the people in Chang'an came out to greet him.When they saw Su Wu with a white beard and white hair holding a bare pole in his hand, they were all moved and said that he was really a man of integrity.