Why did the Xiongnu fall? In the previous three parts, we talked about the origin of the Xiongnu, the powerful Shanyu Modun who emerged while uniting the northern nomads, the unified Qin dynasty, and the war with Liu Bang in the early Han dynasty. In the third part, we talked about the various stories of the Xiongnu teasing the Han dynasty after Liu Bang's death, from Empress Dowager Liu of Han to Emperor Wen of Jing. This time, we will talk about the story of the war between the Xiongnu and the Han dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, which provided the starting point for why the Xiongnu, a powerful state that had made the Han dynasty unable to move, fell in the 3rd century AD. Emperor Wu, who became the 7th emperor of the Han dynasty, finally broke the humiliating peace treaty with the Xiongnu that had lasted about 70 years and took action to destroy the Xiongnu dynasty. Emperor Wu of Han ascended to the throne at the young age of 15 in 141 BC, so he maintained a peace treaty with the Xiongnu for the first seven years of his reign. However, in the 8th year, when he was 23 years old, Emperor Wu of Han accepted the proposal of his minister Wang Hui and prepared to ambush his troops in the northern border city of Ma-eup and annihilate the 100,000-strong Xiongnu cavalry force that was coming to pillage the city. However, the Xiongnu Chanyu who noticed this and retreated quickly led to failure, as we have discussed in the previous episode. After that, the Xiongnu general Chanyu, who almost fell into the Han trap, now began to pillage the northern border of the Han in earnest. This time, we will tell you the story of the great battle between Emperor Wu of Han and the Xiongnu in the last 4th part of the Xiongnu Chronicles written by Sima Qian, continuing the flow of time. In 139 BC, Emperor Wu of Han dispatched Zhang Qian, who was later known as the pioneer of the Silk Road, to the state of Dai Yuezhi to form an alliance to fight against the Xiongnu. In fact, Emperor Wu of Han dispatched Zhang Qian not from the beginning for trade with the Western Regions, but as part of a plan to keep the Xiongnu in check. We will discuss Zhang Qian in detail in the future Chronicles of the Great Yuan. And in the same year, Emperor Wu of Han met a woman named Wei Zifu, a servant in the house of his sister, Princess Pingyang, at a banquet hosted by her and took her as his concubine. This woman's younger brother later became General Wei Qing who defeated the Xiongnu on a large scale. I will cover the story of Wei Qing in detail in the next Wei Qing military biographies. -- Table of Contents -- #. The emergence of Wei Qing #. The emergence of Huo Qubing #. The exploits of Wei Qing of Han, who changed their strategy and attacked deep into the Xiongnu camp The exploits of Huo Qubing The Xiongnu who changed their strategy and requested peace #. While the Xiongnu were in a state of calm, Emperor Wu of Han conquered Nanyue and Dongyue #. Emperor Wu of Han sent several envoys (Huo Gil, Wang Ao, Yang Xin) in an attempt to force the Xiongnu to surrender Emperor Wu of Han built a multi-faceted encirclement of the Xiongnu The Han envoy Yang Xin was sent as a huge Shanyu The envoys Wang Ao and Lu Chongguo were dispatched again. The peace treaty failed #. After Ah Chan-woo, the appearance of Han's Li Guang-li. The army of Han's Zhao Pano, who tried to help the Xiongnu general's rebellion but failed and surrendered to the Xiongnu. #. The appearance of a new Gulihu Chan-woo. The appearance of a new vassal vassal shan-woo and Yi Ling. #. The Xiongnu finally surrender to Han. But Yi Ling changes his mind again. #. The defeat and surrender of Li Guang-li, the general. #. The evaluation of Grand Historian Sima Qian. #Sima Qian #Xiongnu #Emperor Wu of Han