Way of Overlord
Chapter 141: Yan Scheme

Chapter 141: Yan Scheme

Inside the tent, the atmosphere shifted as Aeryon uncle and Belarion made an unceremonious entrance.

Unlike the customary formalities with other tribe members, Aeryon allowed them this familiarity.

His uncle didn’t immediately speak, and Belarion seemed to have joined the gathering just to be part of the commotion.

"Brother," his uncle addressed him with a nod, and Aeryon reciprocated the gesture. It had been a few days since he last saw his sworn brother, Belarion.

Belarion had recently entered into multiple marriages, and once he tired of the company of his wives, he would head to the sparring grounds to engage in combat with other warriors.

Everyone knew the extent of Belarion strength, and as a result, very few dared to challenge him.

Following each victory, he seemed to gain even more energy, and his leadership among the warriors grew stronger.

But in terms of politics, Belarion is still very simple and did not like to think this complicated thing

He didn’t enjoy the complexities of political manoeuvring and preferred more direct actions.

Aeryon often found it hard to grasp how Belarion mind worked.

Leading an army was, in itself, a highly intricate task.

When he commanded his army, he could always make space so that his attack reach the most vulnerable point to destroy the enemy army

Yet, when it came to politics, Belarion seemed to avoid it.

Now, as Aeryon observed the situation and realized that Mayeux wasn’t surprised by their abrupt entrance, it became evident that Mayeux must have already informed them about the situation.

Then his uncle ask

"What do you think? What should we do?"

Belarion look at him with a gaze that held the same question like his uncle.

All three of them is waiting for Aeryon words.

"Raid!"

....

A tense silence followed as Aeryon words hung in the air.

His uncle, Belarion, and Mayeux all waited with bated breath, expecting him to continue. But Aeryon had made his point clear with that one word.

"Raid!"

Raid. That is the word that comes out of Aeryon words.

Aeryon then said

"The Yan people always look down on us. But why? We eat meat and wear their skins and they called us barbarian!"

"Do you think the Yan is high and mighty? They always like to delude themselves thinking that they are the Son of Heavens. They make up stories and create myths. They looked own on others with prejudice."

In Aeryon world, there is also many people like that, who think somehow their race is superior than the others.

He recognized that this tendency to believe in one’s own race or culture’s superiority over others was a common thread throughout human history and across different civilizations.

It is a deeply ingrained bias that seemed to persist across time and borders, despite the fact that, at their core, all these cultures were composed of human beings with shared strengths and flaws.

In the end, they are also humans.

Aeryon walk around the tent and clench his fist and then he borrowed the words of someone

"the people of the Steppe eat the meat of their domestic animals and wear their skins; the domestic animals eat grass and drink water, and they move around according to the season."

"That is what they say of us"

Aeryon chuckles and then said

"When we are disturbed, we ride out and shoot arrows, and when we are at peace, we are happy and have no problems. Our rules are loose and easy to follow. Ruler and subject have an easy relationship, and governing the nation is like governing a single person"

Aeryon said and his uncle nodded.

"Compare this with the Yan people who use their strength in ploughing and tending mulberry trees to clothe and feed themselves. They build city walls to be prepared. When the people face disturbances, they are not used to fighting, and when the crisis is over, they are too tired to work. Ha! The Yan live in dirt houses and get all dressed up, but what good does it do them?"

There is silence in the tent. Rukari, Aeryon uncle close his eyes for a second , sighed and then asl

"But Nurshira is big. And there is tens of thousands and millions of them. It is not easy to raid them. Isn’t it easy to get the supplies from the Imperial Merchant of Yan"

Rukari quickly understand that if Aeryon wanted to raid someone it will not be the tribes of the Great Steppe.

After all, he had heard Aeryon plans before so he does know that Yan is also in the calculation of this nephew of his.

Aeryon hearing this laughed

"You are all now being tamed by the Yan" Aeryon spits to the ground

"The size of our tribe cannot equal the population of one Yan district. What makes us strong is that our food and clothing are different, and we don’t rely on anything from the Yan Empire. But if we become dependent on Yan goods, and copy their customs, you risk being absorbed by them"

Aeryon reminded him of this.

Aeryon was acutely aware of the Yan people’s efforts to culturally assimilate the Great Steppe tribes through the use of border markets and soft diplomacy.

He realized that this is a strategic move on the part of the Yan, aiming to exert influence and control over the Steppe tribes.

However, he is determined to resist this foreign intervention and instead work towards the unity of the Great Steppe tribes, forging a collective strength that would protect their life from outside influences.

Aeryon knows that this should not be allowed to happen.

Emperor Wen of Yan once issued an edict proclaiming a new age of Yan–Steppe relations:

In the article that recorded his words, he said

"I have not been able to spread virtue afar. This has caused some peoples outside our border to be restless ... Year after year the people of the Steppe have ravaged the frontier and killed many officers and commoners."

This is the words that is written on the document.

However, when reading documents from different cultures and time periods, it is important to remember that words and concepts can mean very different things than would first be assumed by a different reader.

What virtue means to the Yan people and what virtue means for the Emperor in that writing is different then what you thought what virtue meant.

An adviser to Emperor Wen called Jia Yi spelled out what was meant by a foreign policy based on "virtue"

He recommended a change in policy, away from marriage alliance to one based on culturally undermining the people of the Great Steppe

He called his new policy the "Three Demonstrations and the Five Baits"

The "Three Demonstrations and the Five Baits" policy sounds like a cunning and strategic approach aimed at exerting influence over neighbouring regions.

Aeryon reaction to this policy is apparant, seeing it as a display of Yan’s cunning and untrustworthiness, is understandable given the historical context and the likely impact such policies had on the Great Steppe.

Historically, nations and empires have often employed various tactics to further their interests, and diplomacy can be a complex game involving both soft and hard power.

Aeryon skepticism regarding the Yan people’s trustworthiness could be rooted in the historical interactions between the Yan Empire and the Great Steppe tribes.

black heartedness of the people of Yan, how cunning they are and increases his belief that the Yan people could not be trusted

In his writing Jia Yi said

"If you follow my policy, then distrust will grow among the Great Steppe people . . . The nobles will look at the Chief of the Great Steppe as though he is a vicious tiger or wolf, and they will come south to Yan like little children returning to their mother. When their warriors see their own leaders, it will seem that they are facing a fierce enemy, and they will turn towards the south and will come to Yan like water running downhill. This will cause the Chieftains to lose his ministers and people. Will he not suffer, and thus be cowed, and ask to submit? This is what is called "striving for virtue."

Emperor Wen’s focus on virtue in foreign relations did not refer to simply being a good person or being nice to people as a way to achieve peace.

Emperor Wen’s focus on "virtue" in foreign relations likely had a different connotation.

In the context of many other historical cultures, "virtue" often referred to a ruler’s ability to establish and maintain moral authority, uphold the traditions and values of their society, and ensure the well-being of their subjects.

It is a form of moral and political legitimacy.

So, when Emperor Wen emphasized "virtue" in foreign relations, it likely meant that he sought to establish Yan’s moral and political authority over neighbouring regions by promoting Yan’s values, culture, and influence.

This include efforts to assimilate or influence neighbouring cultures and societies to align more closely with Yan’s values and interests.

In essence, "virtue" in this context was a tool for asserting soft power and expanding Yan’s sphere of influence in the region.

It was a strategic approach to maintain control and stability along the borderlands of the Yan Empire

Aeryon remembered a nation in his world that was like this. They were nuked because they made too many enemies.

That nation also uses such policies, referring to it as "soft power" diplomacy.