Owing to the appalling mass murders and the fighting, the forces placed by Wang Mang along the frontier against the Hsiung-nu received no reinforcements and, instead of attacking the Hsiung-nu, themselves went over to plundering, so that ultimately the army simply disintegrated.

The needs of the Hsiung-nu increased with the expansion of their empire and the growing luxury of their court; the Chinese, on the other hand, wanted to give as little as possible, and no doubt they did all they could to cheat the Hsiung-nu.

[Footnote 1: "Su-ku-nu" or "Kak-si-di," the star of the West.]

Since this declaration had no practical result, it robbed Wang Mang of the increased prestige he had sought and only further infuriated the Hsiung-nu.

In the time of Wen Ti's successor a number of feudal kings formed an alliance against the emperor, and even invited the Hsiung-nu to join them.

But the king of the city state of Yarkand had increased his power by shrewdly playing off Chinese and Hsiung-nu against each other, so that before long he was able to attack the Hsiung-nu.

Our king of mighty fame," Who says: "My chieftains, lords, our seer requests A test of strength before assembled guests; Unarmed requires your Sar-dan-nu to slay The Mid-an-nu which he hath brought to-day.

This made the Tarim basin secure for the Chinese, and threatened the Hsiung-nu with a new danger in their rear.