In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 489 Responsibilities

"After establishing a unified country, the Xia people became even stronger and began to expand their territory, conquer rebellious tribes, and eventually had a great war with the barbarian tribes who also lived in the Nine Provinces!"

The barbarians were naturally strong, and it was easy for three or five Xia people to get close to them. However, the Xia Kingdom at that time had already produced warriors, and with the formation of a unified nation and a larger population, they finally drove the ferocious barbarians out of the Nine Provinces after suffering tens of millions of casualties, forcing them to flee into the vast grasslands.

At this point, Chang Yong's eyes flickered slightly. What does it mean to have tens of millions of casualties?

It's important to understand that the Xia Kingdom of that time was not the Xia Kingdom of today. The Xia Kingdom of today has a population of tens of millions, while the Xia Kingdom of that time…

A nation that has just transitioned from a tribal era to a unified one will definitely not have a population exceeding fifty million!

In other words, the Xia state at that time only managed to drive the barbarians to the grasslands at the cost of 20% of its population dying or being injured.

"After driving out the barbarians, the Xia Kingdom deployed troops to the border of Youzhou to guard against barbarian invasions at any time. At the same time, it began to organize a large number of laborers to build the Great Wall. It took a total of 20 years to complete this magnificent Great Wall. With the Great Wall, it became much easier for both the Xia Dynasty at that time and the subsequent Nine Provinces dynasties to face barbarian invasions."

Chang Yong concluded, "This is the origin of the barbarians and the Great Wall."

"Well said."

Tian Yu cast an approving glance at Chang Yong. Having come from the bottom, he knew the importance of reading, or rather, knowledge. Therefore, he always asked promising talents in the Great Wall Army to read more.

Chang Yong, as his adjutant, was even more so. Chang Yong did not like reading, or rather, most people are naturally averse to reading. However, Chang Yong had perseverance and foresight.

Even if I don't like reading, I will still try to read as many books as possible in my spare time to enrich my knowledge.

Therefore, although Chang Yong appeared to be a rough and uncouth soldier, he was no less learned than some scholars, as evidenced by his detailed account of the barbarian history.

"The war between the barbarians and us Xia people has lasted for thousands of years."

Tian Yu turned his gaze back to the vast grasslands beyond the Great Wall and said, "For thousands of years, the struggle between the barbarians and our Xia people has never stopped. The number of people who have died or been wounded on the Great Wall could fill a mountain. Although the Great Wall has its own advantages, it is just an inanimate object and cannot completely stop the barbarian invasion. That is why the Great Wall Army exists, in order to resist the barbarians on the grasslands and protect the peace of the people of the Nine Provinces."

At this point, a look of sorrow flashed in Tian Yu's eyes as he said, "As a member of the Great Wall Army, you should know what will happen once the barbarians invade Kyushu, right?"

Upon hearing this, Chang Yong's eyes widened in realization, and a look of grief flashed through his heart.

Just as Tian Yu said, the Great Wall is, after all, an inanimate object and cannot completely prevent the invasion of barbarians.

In fact, the Xia Kingdom had been established for nearly three hundred years, and the barbarian tribes had crossed the Great Wall quite a few times. Although the number of barbarian armies that crossed the Great Wall each time was not large, the damage they caused to the people of the Nine Provinces was immeasurable.

Wherever the barbarian army went, it was like a living hell.

Chang Yong once witnessed a town invaded by barbarians. By the time he hurriedly led his troops there, the barbarian army had already finished massacring the village. None of the village's elderly people were spared; they were all brutally slaughtered. The barbarians did not even spare the women and young children; instead, they were directly put into pots and cooked by the barbarians...

As far as the eye could see, the village was filled with heads, severed limbs, bones, and corpses, resembling a scene from hell!

Upon witnessing this scene, the soldiers couldn't help but gag, while Chang Yong's eyes were bloodshot. Without pausing for a moment, he led his troops to catch up with the small group of barbarians and launched a bloody revenge!

At that moment, anger almost filled Chang Yong's entire heart. With red eyes, he killed all the barbarians one by one. Even after killing the barbarians, he was still not satisfied. He ordered his men to bring a large pot and throw all the killed barbarians into the pot to cook!

This was the cruelest thing Chang Yong had ever done in his life, yet he felt no guilt whatsoever!

These barbarians are not worthy of being human; they deserve to die!

Since that experience, Chang Yong realized the cruelty of the barbarians and knew the harm that their invasion would cause to the people. In the subsequent wars against the barbarians, he no longer had any pity. Instead, he became a ruthless killing machine, mercilessly reaping the lives of the barbarians on the battlefield.

"It seems you are aware of this."

Tian Yu glanced at Chang Yong's complicated expression and slowly said, "Behind the Great Wall is our homeland, and the people who support our Great Wall Army. We cannot sit idly by and watch them be slaughtered by the barbarians. Therefore... I absolutely cannot return to the capital, let alone lead the army into the country to quell the rebellion. Otherwise, the barbarians will definitely take the opportunity to invade and cause incalculable harm to the people of Youzhou."

"But……"

A look of struggle flashed across Chang Yong's face as he said, "All the supplies for the Great Wall Army depend on the imperial court. What will happen if the court cuts off the supply if you disobey its orders?"

The Great Wall Army had a total strength of over 300,000 men. Such a large army required a considerable amount of food and supplies for its men and horses. If the imperial court cut off its supplies, the 300,000-strong army would likely go hungry.

"and!"

Chang Yong continued, "Rebellions are raging throughout the Nine Provinces. If we cannot quell these rebellions as soon as possible, the overthrow of the imperial court will be imminent. If the imperial court is overthrown, who will supply us with military provisions?"

Three hundred thousand troops is no small number. Apart from the imperial court, no other force can supply the military needs of such a large army. If the imperial court is overthrown, it will definitely not be a good thing for the Great Wall Army.

"I don't know what to do either."

A bitter smile appeared on Tian Yu's lips. After 21 years in the army, he had realized his life's value. He had not only been granted a noble title, but had also risen to a high position as the commander of the Great Wall Army.

It was only after becoming the commander of the Great Wall Army that Tian Yu clearly realized the responsibilities on his shoulders.

Having witnessed far too many human tragedies caused by barbarian invasions, he now had only one wish: to dedicate the rest of his life to protecting the Great Wall and preventing the barbarians from having any opportunity to exploit it.

This matter sounds simple, but it is extremely difficult to carry out. Sitting in this position, he not only has to guard against the barbarians, but also against the capital.

The position of the commander of the Great Wall Army is equivalent to a third-rank military officer. Countless people covet this position because it is of great importance and Tian Yu is highly skilled.

Otherwise, given Tian Yu's repeated refusal of the court's order to return to the capital, he would have been stripped of his official rank and brought back to the capital for questioning long ago.