In the early years, Stronghold 176 was on par with Fortress 178. But in recent years, people had gradually stopped mentioning Stronghold 176 and stopped mentioning Stronghold 176.
There were many reasons for this. On one hand, Stronghold 176's geographical location was not as harsh as Fortress 178's, and the enemies from the grasslands were not as ferocious. Therefore, from the perspective of "giving," Stronghold 176 did not contribute much to the overall Barrier Alliance.
After all, there were only so few people in the grasslands, and they did not even have firearms. It would be very difficult for them to become a major threat to the Central Plains, and there had not been any particularly bloody battles between the two sides.
On the other hand, Stronghold 176's combat strength was not strong, and it was getting worse with each generation. In recent decades, Stronghold 176 had even become a hereditary system and the Shen clan's private property.
Originally, all of Stronghold 176's resources were supplied by the Wang Clan, the Pyro Company, and the Kong Clan to express their gratitude to Stronghold 176 for guarding the north.
But after Stronghold 176 became the Shen clan's private property, and everyone realized the threat to the northern grasslands in recent years was just the Shen clan crying wolf. As a result, the supply of resources was gradually cut off.
As Stronghold 176 was located in a land that was short of resources, and they had to survive in the cracks between the Kong Clan, the Pyro Company, and the Wang Clan, their situation was getting worse over the years.
The previous overseers of Stronghold 176 lacked foresight and resources. As a result, their light and heavy industries could not be developed. Only their livestock and agriculture industries were still passable, so they lost their competitiveness in the Barrier Alliance.
Now, their weapons were already very old, and some people were even selling their weapons to the black market for money.
This was why Qing Shen said Stronghold 176 was no good.
When Big Bluff heard Qing Shen's explanation, he chuckled. "Our Fortress 178 is still the farsighted one. Our successive commanders have never considered the issue of hereditary succession. If any of our children want to seize power, they'll be sent to the outposts outside. This is the only one of its kind in the entire Barrier Alliance. I can only say that our commanders of Fortress 178 are truly worthy of being called pioneers."
Big Bluff continued, "Besides, the enemies our Fortress 178 is facing are not like the nomads who don't even have firearms and explosives. That's why we're called a fortress while they can only be called a stronghold."
Qing Shen sized up Big Bluff seriously. He realized that when Big Bluff mentioned Fortress 178, he had a sense of pride and honor that came from the bottom of his heart. It was probably something that most people from the Central Plains did not have.
Luo Lan said, "Actually, the Shen family did not disappoint us in the beginning. At that time, the Barrier Alliance's military power was not that great, and it was very difficult for them to fight against the grassland invaders. Unfortunately, when it came to Shen Yin's generation, he fell. "
"So you think the nomads will pose a threat to Stronghold 176?" Ren Xiaosu looked at Qing Shen.
"The prerequisite is that the nomads are strong enough," Qing Shen replied. "After all, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse."
…
Seven days later, at the border of the Northern Plains, Yan Liuyuan suddenly stopped his horse and looked south. "Confirm the route and direction, verify the supplies, horses, and number of people. We might face battles every day from now on, so don't let your guard down."
Hassan nodded. "Don't worry, Master. I won't make any mistakes."
Yan Liuyuan nodded. He felt that it was a waste of Hassan's talent to lead a small tribe in the past. Ever since Hassan became the Right Rider King, he quickly showed his talent in management.
At this moment, Yan Liuyuan asked again, "Where are the Bulan and Kirghiz tribes?"
Next to him, Hassan said respectfully, "We've already sent out scouts, but they'll need a day to return from there. I'll report to you immediately if there's any news."
This time, Yan Liuyuan did not lead his troops to Stronghold 176, which was the closest to the grasslands. Instead, he changed directions and headed for the Pyro Company's territory.
When the Kyung Clan's envoy arrived at the grasslands, he brought him a rather important piece of news. The Pyro Company was about to start a war with the Kong Clan, and the Pyro Company had already mobilized their troops several months in advance. At this moment, the Pyro Company's strongholds to the north were completely defenseless.
It was precisely because Yan Liuyuan did not want the other tribes to know about his plans that he chose to be the last to set off. Out of the three large tribes, two of them headed in the direction of Stronghold 176 while he headed for the Pyro Company.
The Kyung Clan's envoy even made an agreement with Yan Liuyuan that someone would open the gates for him when he arrived at Stronghold 21.
But when Yan Liuyuan arrived at the border of the grasslands and saw that the 10,000 strong army formed by the eight tribes were only about 100 kilometers away from Stronghold 21, he chose to stop. "Set up camp here and wait for the scouts to report back."
Hassan did not quite understand what Yan Liuyuan was trying to do, but he still did as he was told.
On the same night, Yan Liuyuan's believers started praying in the direction of the big tent. This was an etiquette that no one knew where it came from. It was said that they had to kneel to the gods a hundred times before waking up in the morning and three times before eating at night to be considered pious.
These nomads' faith in Yan Liuyuan grew with each passing day, and rituals gradually began to appear.
Rituals referred to rituals and rules in the common sense, such as offering three animals when praying for rain, kowtowing before Buddha, chanting scriptures every day, and so on.
It wasn't until early the next morning that Hassan led the various tribe leaders to the front of the big tent. At this moment, Tsetseg was combing Yan Liuyuan's hair.
Yan Liuyuan looked at Hassan. "If you have something to say, just say it."
Hassan said respectfully, "Congratulations, Master. The scouts reported that the Bulan and Kirghiz tribes have already arrived at Stronghold 176's perimeter. However, it seems that Stronghold 176 already knew they were going there, so they set up an ambush ahead of time. Right now, it's difficult for the two large tribes to fight head-on against Stronghold 176, and their retreat route has also been cut off. It looks like they're going to die outside Stronghold 176."
The other tribe leaders also looked delighted. Once the Bulan and Kirghiz tribes were dead, they would no longer have any enemies in the grasslands.
Everyone even said in private that their lord was probably a god who had descended into this world. He did not even lose a single soldier, and someone had already helped him get rid of his opponents.
But Yan Liuyuan pondered it for a long time. Then he looked at the beaming tribal leaders in front of him and said, "Get ready to set off. We're heading to Stronghold 176."
Hassan was stunned. "Master, won't it be a little dangerous to go to Stronghold 176 at this time? Why don't we continue marching towards the Pyro Company? Didn't they say that the defenses there are already weak? "
Yan Liuyuan shook his head. "The Bulan and Kirghiz tribes have a much larger population than us. If all of their young and strong men die at Stronghold 176, how many years will it take for the grasslands to recover? Hassan, what I want are the cows, sheep, and people on the grasslands, not an empty grassland. "
Hassan and the others were stunned. They did not expect their master in front of them to actually want to save the Bulan and Kirghiz tribes. They could vaguely sense his boldness and ambition. This was probably the bearing that a lord of the grasslands should have!
Yan Liuyuan smiled and said, "Go and get ready. Stronghold 176 is actually not as powerful as we think it is. A new dynasty is about to be born in the grasslands, so why don't we use their blood as a sacrifice?"
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