At this time, it was not only Zhao but also another powerful force that was paying attention to the war in the Western territories.
After all, this was a war that would almost certainly decide the future ownership of the Western territories.
The Xiongnu, as the perennial overlords of the grasslands, had always held absolute dominance over the Central Plains dynasties.
However, over the past decade and more, the Xiongnu had gradually weakened, allowing Zhao to seize a large swathe of territory.
For Zhao, this was naturally a great victory, greatly boosting its morale and continuously enhancing its combat strength.
Zhao also acquired a vast expanse of excellent pastureland, which, under Zheng Shiping's management, significantly improved the combat power of Zhao's cavalry.
Consequently, Zhao gained a considerable advantage in its ongoing conflicts with Wei and Yan.
There was also a reason why the Xiongnu had been in decline in recent years.
After the death of the old Chanyu 30 years ago, several subsequent claimants declared themselves the new Chanyu, leading to the fragmentation of the powerful Xiongnu tribes.
The Xiongnu's division caused many smaller tribes affiliated with them to break away, further weakening the Xiongnu's influence.
This decline in strength also led to the Xiongnu losing their former hegemonic position on the grasslands, making it difficult to rule the steppes as they once did.
This vicious cycle caused the Xiongnu's power to wane significantly, leading to successive defeats at the hands of both Zhao and the Romans.
However, the Xiongnu were naturally unwilling to accept such failures and always dreamed of restoring the glorious Xiongnu Empire of old.
Furthermore, the constant internal strife within the Xiongnu over the past decade had led to a gradual consolidation, forming two large tribes.
Although these two tribes remained mutually hostile, they had also recognized each other's Chanyu positions, reducing their internal conflicts.
This allowed the Xiongnu to recuperate and continuously accumulate strength.
However, this process was disrupted by the arrival of the Romans.
The Romans, with their vast armies and formidable fighting prowess, inflicted heavy losses on the Xiongnu.
Yet, it was precisely this powerful enemy that effectively brought the previously fragmented Xiongnu situation under control, forcing the two Chanyus to unite once more, consolidating the Xiongnu tribes into a new entity.
Although significant internal conflicts still existed within the Xiongnu tribes, it was evident that their strength had been greatly consolidated and enhanced.
Thus, the Xiongnu were eager to participate in the ongoing war in the nearby Western territories, aiming to re-establish their dominance as the overlords of the grasslands.
Deep in the vast grasslands, at a tribal gathering place, a group of people sat around a luxurious tent made of wool.
"I say, this is a golden opportunity. It's time for us to fight a good battle again!" said a burly man with broad shoulders.
"That's right, that's right. Those Romans are having a blast in the east. We can't let them be so happy," someone gritted their teeth.
These words were met with nods from many in the tent. The Xiongnu had been silent for a while, which had caused many tribes on the grasslands to harbor their own little ambitions.
For example, Wuhuan and Xianbei.
Wuhuan was a small tribe, but somehow, they had established ties with the people of Yan, engaging in trade and even acquiring a significant amount of ironware!
This led to a rapid increase in Wuhuan's influence, quickly growing into a force that could not be underestimated.
Initially, the Xiongnu were somewhat hesitant. They could have harassed or even annexed Wuhuan, but they also wished to trade with the Central Plains through Wuhuan.
In recent years, the strength of these Central Plains states had been continuously rising. Many Central Plains armies were very powerful, and their cavalry was also constantly improving, meaning the Xiongnu could no longer act as freely as before, thus becoming more cautious.
As for Xianbei, they were even more troublesome for the Xiongnu.
The Xiongnu had always treated Wuhuan with a dismissive attitude, not taking them too seriously.
But Xianbei was an old adversary of the Xiongnu. Xianbei had always been a large tribe on the grasslands, but Xianbei was even more chaotic internally than the Xiongnu.
Xianbei was divided into dozens of smaller tribes, with varying strengths. Some had tens of thousands of people, while others had only a few hundred or a thousand. However, when so many Xianbei people merged, they were not to be trifled with.
But because of internal divisions, Xianbei had been controlled by the Xiongnu, who deliberately incited unrest within Xianbei to weaken and suppress their forces.
However, with the Xiongnu losing their hegemonic status, they could no longer control even some of the smaller tribes under their command, let alone pay attention to Xianbei.
Xianbei also took advantage of the Xiongnu's internal turmoil to achieve internal unity and expanded significantly while the Xiongnu were preoccupied.
Therefore, when the Xiongnu finally stabilized and wished to reassert their authority, they found that a new tiger had grown on the grasslands.
This tiger also presented a considerable challenge to the Xiongnu.
At this time, the Xiongnu did not wish to engage in another bloody conflict with Xianbei. Thus, the best approach was to find a strong target outside the grasslands to declare the return of the草原之主 (lord of the grasslands) to the herders.
Most of Xianbei's vassals were newly allied, lacking strong loyalty. As long as the Xiongnu demonstrated their strength again, these people would naturally return to the Xiongnu's fold, seeking protection.
Therefore, the Western territories, now ignited by war, caught the attention of the Xiongnu.
The Romans were one reason for the Xiongnu's great defeat, and the Xiongnu harbored deep animosity towards them, so there was no pressure for the Xiongnu to fight the Romans.
As for Wei, they were even more hateful. Wei's borders were also close to the grasslands, and Wei was the first to send people to raid the grasslands. Yan and Zhao followed suit.
The Xiongnu still harbored enmity towards the Wei people, so intervening in the Western territories was indeed a good option for the Xiongnu.
However, at this time, there were actually two voices within the Xiongnu. One faction hoped that the Xiongnu could take this opportunity to establish their prestige among the Central Plains states.
The other faction, however, believed that the Central Plains states were extremely powerful and highly vigilant. If they rashly displayed their strength at this juncture, it might cause the Central Plains states like Wei, Yan, and Zhao to become wary of the Xiongnu, thereby inviting conflict.
The two sides were at a stalemate, neither able to convince the other.