Chapter 1032: The Fault Lies Not in You or Me

The centuries-old animosity between the Han and Qiang people was deeply ingrained, making it both difficult and simple to resolve. In this era, there was nothing more important than survival.

There were no aspirations for freedom, no declarations of human rights. As long as people could live, there was still hope. To dissolve the long-standing hatred, all that was needed was to provide the Qiang people with an equal chance to survive.

Even if that equality came with quotation marks—just an appearance of it—it would suffice. The Qiang’s demands were simple, yet no one had been able to meet those demands.

The distinction between the civilized and the uncivilized had existed since ancient times. In this era, where China’s strength could be decorated with numerous titles, even Chen Xi’s attempts to assimilate foreign tribes had to be done cautiously. Even the Confucian scholars didn’t advocate making these people part of the Han race; rather, they aimed to turn them into friendly neighbors or “one of us.”

The Han Dynasty was proud and arrogant. As the strongest empire of its time, it had every reason to be. They had the means to prevent outsiders from integrating into their society. Even in poverty and hardship, the Han people still retained an inherent sense of imperial pride. When faced with foreign tribes, they harbored a deep-seated feeling of superiority.

No matter how poor they were, Han citizens still held onto their pride as part of the empire. They believed, deep down, that they were better than the barbarians.

While both peoples had two arms and one head, the confidence from centuries of imperial expansion was evident, especially on the battlefield. When facing foreign tribes, the Han soldiers rarely showed fear, even when outnumbered. They believed they wouldn’t lose to the “barbarians.”

With this mentality, it would have been strange if the two groups could get along well. While foreign tribes were often beaten down, they weren’t entirely submissive. Push a rabbit too far, and it bites. How much more so with people?

In most conflicts between the Han and the Qiang, it wasn’t the elites or officials who clashed first, but the common people. These incidents acted like fuses, igniting the larger conflicts between the two groups.

After listening to all of this, Ma Chao’s head hurt. This was not something Fa Zheng had taught him how to handle. In fact, unless Fa Zheng himself were present to oversee the situation, there was no way to resolve this complex issue through policy alone. It required practical, on-the-ground work.

Nevertheless, Fa Zheng had advised Ma Chao to listen to Zhong Yao or the Xun brothers. One of these three would certainly come up with a solution.

Although Ma Chao found Fa Zheng frustrating, he did acknowledge his intelligence, especially given how Fa Zheng's advice had always hit the mark.

With this in mind, Ma Chao’s expression turned grim as he looked at Xun You. Xun You found Ma Chao’s stare rather peculiar. Although he could easily guess what Ma Chao was thinking, he couldn’t understand why Ma Chao was being so perceptive this time.

“May I say a few words?” Xun You asked, despite his doubts. He understood this was a golden opportunity to resolve the current crisis and potentially reverse Cao Cao’s unfavorable situation.

“Speak!” Ma Chao, eager to pass the responsibility, commanded authoritatively, immediately silencing the complaints of the Qiang leaders. Inside, Ma Chao was growing more conflicted about Fa Zheng. The more he relied on Fa Zheng’s strategies, the more effective they proved to be. But the easier things became, the more Ma Chao felt his pride stinging.

The Qiang leaders all fell silent. When the Qiang King spoke, no one dared to continue. They all turned their attention to Xun You, curious to hear what he had to say.

“The conflict between your tribes and the Han stems from a fundamental lack of trust between the two sides. Without trust as a foundation, any alliance is doomed to be a farce. I’m sure this has happened repeatedly throughout history,” Xun You said. Though he appeared mild and wooden, his mind was anything but dull. His words, though blunt, resonated with the Qiang leaders, who knew all too well that this was true.

The tribal leaders began to murmur among themselves. There had indeed been attempts at peaceful coexistence between the Qiang and the Han, but those efforts had always failed. Xun You’s statement was undeniable.

“By now, there’s no point in debating who was right or wrong. What matters most now is ensuring that both sides’ people are fed. When people die, hatred cannot continue,” Xun You continued. His words carried no pretense of resolving hatred; instead, they implied that the enmity would persist as long as there were people to hold onto it.

Initially, some of the tribal leaders had been eager to refute Xun You’s words, expecting him to advocate for reconciliation. But he left them no room for argument.

Ma Chao frowned at this. He genuinely hoped for peaceful coexistence between the Qiang and the Han. It wasn’t out of personal interest but because he understood the dire conditions the Qiang lived under. He knew that when the Qiang faced extreme hardship, they would drag the Han people into suffering with them.

Xun You noticed Ma Chao’s expression, sensing he had touched on something important. Calmly, he pressed on, “In harming the Han, you’ve also harmed yourselves. I believe you are all aware of that.”

“Luxurious lifestyles are not something only Han citizens desire—you want them too. I’m sure everyone here knows this,” Xun You said, his eyes gleaming as he saw that his words had sparked some thought among the Qiang leaders.

“What you’ve been doing is destroying the chance for a prosperous life for both yourselves and others,” Xun You continued, his sharp gaze reflecting his intellect. Meanwhile, Dian Wei, standing behind him, was utterly confused by the conversation.

At this point, Ma Chao was also beginning to lose track of the discussion. Though he didn’t entirely understand, he knew what his goal was, so he didn’t let it bother him too much.

“The fundamental issue has always been that the Qiang were never united, and orders couldn’t be enforced consistently. Each tribe acted in its own interest, without any high-level coordination. Meanwhile, once the Han identified you as enemies, it didn’t matter whether you were Xianling Qiang or Shaodang Qiang—innocence was irrelevant,” Xun You explained, finally revealing his point.

“In the past, when you made treaties, they were only for your individual tribes, which couldn’t bind all the Qiang. Meanwhile, the Han Dynasty never made deals with individual tribes—they dealt with the entire Qiang people. From the start, both sides were fundamentally misunderstanding each other,” Xun You concluded, shifting the blame to a difference in perception between the two sides.

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