Chapter 49 Chapter 49: A Slave Becomes a General

"Young friend, please wait a moment." Wei Qing glanced back because he was stopped.It was something he did when he was young.He saw an old man sitting by the roadside stroking his white beard. "Is the old gentleman talking to me?" Wei asked. "Yes, I'm talking to you. You have the appearance of a nobleman, and people with this appearance are very rare." "What is the appearance of a nobleman?" "In the future, at least I will be named a Marquis..." "Hou? You mean a prince? Don't make fun of me. I am a slave. If the master doesn't whip me, I will be thankful. Besides, I dare not have extravagant hopes!"

"Whether you wish it or not, it is your destiny." "Is the old man a fortune teller?" "When I was young I was taught fortune-telling, but I committed a petty crime and lived here as a prisoner, and have lived here ever since. I have lived a long time, and I have never seen anything like yours. Such a special appearance of a nobleman." "Old man, maybe you are too old and your eyes are blurred. The slave's son will become a prince, and your fortune-telling skills are probably no longer effective. Ha! Ha! Ha!" Wei Qing laughed. This story is also recorded in historical books, but its authenticity seems to be in doubt.According to the author's speculation, it is likely that the story was fabricated by fate theorists based on the viewpoint of "I have expected it" in view of his rapid fortune.

What is worth noting in this story is that Wei Qing called himself a "slave".In fact, he was indeed a slave-born man. When she was young, the alluring old lady Wei had sex with many men and gave birth to many children.She kept her daughter with her.Because girls can help maids to make money when they grow up, and if they are beautiful, they are more likely to become someone's concubine.In the eyes of a mother like Mrs. Wei, her daughter is a cash cow.Sure enough, Wei Zifu was brought to work in the same place by his mother who worked as a laundry worker in Princess Pingyang's mansion, and thus got a chance to make a fortune.She didn't become someone's concubine, but a queen!

How are the sons? The old lady Wei squeezed almost all the boys to each other. "This is your son, and you should take it." When they heard her say this, most of the men opened their eyes wide, and said with a surprised expression: "Is this really my son?" But these people who have done bad things can't refuse to refuse. The utilitarian old lady Wei certainly wouldn't casually have sex with poor ghosts.She committed herself to wealthy people like landowners. The landowner's life was based on the labor of the slaves.Since slaves were the only means of production, the landowners had to constantly replenish young slaves to keep them from aging.Slaves that were hired and ready for immediate use were expensive.While it takes a while for underage slaves to be ready for use, the purchase price is much lower.

Raising young slaves is like raising chicks, even babies will grow up one day if they are fed leftovers.In fact, buying and selling baby slaves was also common at that time. The men who were forced by the old lady Wei, of course, could not tell the wife that it was their own child after taking the baby home.However, they can fool the wife by saying: I bought this baby.Looks healthy and cheap! Through such a process, Wei Qing was taken to possibly his father's home.But instead of living as a son, he was treated as a slave. Although Lao Tzu tried his best to conceal this matter, it was difficult for people to say anything. Over time, people began to say things like this: the slave child is a lie, but it is actually his son born to a woman outside!

When hearing this rumor, the sons of the main family were furious: How could the slave be our brother!Pooh! On the one hand, they spat on Wei Qing and on the other hand abused Wei Qing.They seem to think that their dignity has been compromised by Wei Qing's presence. Wei Qing's fate deteriorated to the extreme because of this rumor.He was forced to live a painful life as a slave and an illegitimate child. For Wei Qing, the master and possibly the biological father was a landowner in Pingyang.This place is in today's Shanxi Province. Rather than being called a border with the Huns, it is better to say that it is a place where the Huns and Han people lived together, which is more in line with the facts.He is engaged in both farming and animal husbandry in this place.

"I can't bear to see Qing being abused. But farming must be with everyone. Why don't you transfer him to the shepherd area! This way, he can distance himself from others." Because of this man's compassion, Wei Qing was transferred to be a shepherd boy. Although he would no longer be persecuted by his wife's sons, he was taken to the frontier.There are also Huns in this place who are engaged in animal husbandry.And children are the easiest to get along with, and the young Wei Qing soon became friends with the children of the Huns. People who live a vagabond life have a wary side, but they are generally quite amiable, and their hospitality is also famous.Wei Qing was also often invited to the homes of friends of the Huns to receive entertainment.

Every day he rode his horse and galloped across the wilderness.When riding a horse to a longer distance, sometimes you will encounter a Hun tribe on the move.As a shepherd boy, he wore clothes that could not be distinguished from Han or Hun. "Where are you from?" When the other party asked questions in the Hun language, he also replied in the Hun language: "I am from Pingyang." "That's just right. We are going to Pingyang, can you show us the way, please?" "Can." Wei Qing sometimes walked across the desert with the Huns cavalry regiment under such circumstances.

After several years of this kind of life, he has become familiar with the Huns' way of thinking about things and the way of life of the group.This is different from knowledge gained by seeing and hearing. This is a practical experience that can only be realized by living with the Huns for many years.Wei Qing's understanding of the Xiongnu has become part of his flesh and blood, so it is no longer pure knowledge. "As far as Hannu is concerned, your riding skills are really superb." An old Hun once praised Wei Qing so much.The Huns used to call the Han people "Hannu".

One day, the master came from the farm.Since last year, Wei Qing has noticed that the attitude of this master who may be his father is a bit unnatural.He is not the only one whose attitude has changed, even the sons of the royal family who occasionally meet will not abuse Wei Qing as before. Is it because I have grown up?Wei Qing explained it in his heart. When the owner came to the ranch, he said, "Go to Chang'an immediately!" "Chang'an? Why should I go to Chang'an?" "Because your mother redeemed you." "My mother? But, I like working here!"

He has no special affection for his mother who left before he could understand.He knew of his relationship with the master because of the rumors he heard, but he didn't know anything about his mother. "You are serious about your work. I appreciate that. Actually, I don't want to let you go, but I still have to." "why?" "Because something unexpected happened—that is, your mother has made a fortune...she is a powerful person now!" "Power?" Wei Qing didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence.It's not that he has never heard of this word, but no matter how he thinks about it, he can't connect it with his mother. "To be correct, it is not your mother who made the fortune, but your elder sister. I heard that she came to work in the emperor's palace by chance. At first she was just a maid who washed the emperor's feet or waited on her side...but later she was favored by the emperor. gone." "This..." It was the first time for Wei Qing to hear this.He didn't even know he had a sister. "In the beginning, she was just a concubine, but the emperor liked her more and more, and now he looks for her more than the queen... It is said that mothers are more precious than daughters...how can I not let your mother redeem you What! She has the emperor as her backing!" The host smiled weakly after finishing speaking. So that's the case... Only then did Wei Qing understand the whole story. These days, the master's sons in the main room have become more polite to him, and this is the reason—they have even offered to say hello many times! Their attitudes changed as the elder sister became more favored by the emperor.At first it was just scruples, right? "This guy's sister serves the emperor. This kind of woman will be dumped sooner or later, but at least for now, I have to be polite to him..." "And the emperor's love for his sister is getting deeper and deeper. I heard that this woman may become a queen in the future." "If Wei Qing continues to be abused, we will be in trouble in the future." They even have a sense of fear. Before leaving Pingyang, Wei Qing went to say goodbye to a friend of the Huns.The friend's father patted him on the shoulder and said: "I heard that you are going to Handu. After Han is destroyed, you can come back anytime!" "What? Han will perish?" Wei Qing was surprised when he heard what the other party said. "I'll tell you in secret..." my friend's father said in a low voice, "I heard that the Han was going to attack the Xiongnu by surprise. The Xiongnu Shanyu was very angry, so he decided to strike first, and now he has started recruiting troops." "Isn't this a terrible thing?" Wei Qing said. "How can it be fatal? Our cavalry regiment of the Huns is invincible. We will seize the land of Han and make it all pasture land, which can raise millions of sheep and horses. Wouldn't people live a better life because of this? " The friend's father seemed to have forgotten the fact that Wei Qing was Han.In other words, Wei Qing and the Huns have reached this level of heart-to-heart communication. "What do you mean by attacking the Huns by surprise?" The friend's father briefly explained the matter. There was a man named Nie Yi in Mayi (Shanxi Province), the leader of the Han Dynasty.This person made a living by selling Han materials to the Xiongnu, which is the so-called smuggling businessman.Due to his business relationship, he often went to the Huns' territory. When this Nie Yi had an audience with Shan Yu, he seduced Shan Yu with these words: ——The next time I go back, I will kill all the Han county magistrates, so you can send a large army to receive them!There are countless silk cloth and grains in Mayi.Not only can you get the land without losing a single soldier, but you can also get so many supplies! Obtaining a county without losing a single soldier...Of course the military minister Shan Yu was moved by it.Since he has known Nie Yi for a long time, he completely believes what the other party says. It was later learned that this was a tactic to lure the enemy into the trap. Military minister Shan Yu led an army of 100,000 to Mayi. It turns out that Nie Yi was ordered by Han General Wang Hui's secret order.Han mobilized 300,000 troops and ambushed in the valley near Mayi.The plan of the Han army was to surround Mayi immediately after the Xiongnu army entered and capture Shanyu alive. Nie Yi hung the heads of the condemned prisoners in a row on the city wall, and the general of the Xiongnu army's reconnaissance team reported to his superiors: Mayi's rebellion seems to have succeeded. The military minister Shanyu was puzzled while advancing.It seems that something is wrong. There are cows, horses and sheep all over the place, but there is no one in sight.There should be people grazing here, why can't they be seen?Could it be that these people were ordered to evacuate here?If so, why?Could it be that the Han army is preparing to launch a battle? There seems to be a fraud in it... After the military minister Shanyu became suspicious, he acted extra cautiously. Among the 300,000 Han troops, some had poor ambush techniques.A Han army wandering around the watchtower was spotted by the Huns and brought to Shan Yu. Due to extreme fear, the general told all the plans of the Han army. "Okay! I'll show them off!" Shan Yu said harshly, and immediately ordered the whole army to retreat. The Huns decided to strengthen their attacks on the Han because of this incident.