After his defeat at Xiazhou City, Xueyantuo Duomi Khan Bazhuo led his remaining troops in a flight towards the Uyghurs.

In a normal historical timeline, he should have been killed by the Uyghurs.

It was only because a certain butterfly had stayed in the Western Turkic Khaganate for a period of time and led the Western Turks to severely punish the Uyghurs that Bazhuo was able to escape with his life from the Uyghurs.

Seeing the Uyghurs' attitude, Bazhuo naturally dared not go any further and could only gather all his former subordinates together to discuss countermeasures.

"Gentlemen, I underestimated the strength of the Tang army, which led to our disastrous defeat in the Battle of Xiazhou!"

"I, the Khan, sincerely apologize to you all and beg you to execute me according to the customs of the steppe!"

To be honest, they really wanted to kill Ba Zhuo before this.

This kid is a typical wolf cub. Ye Mang was his own brother, and they kept to themselves, yet this guy chased him for dozens of miles and killed him.

After Bazhuo succeeded to the Khanate, he not only treated the old ministers under the former Khan with great disrespect, but also ordered his own confidants to replace all the old ministers.

The Tang Dynasty had treated the Xueyantuo well over the years, but after he ascended the throne, instead of trying to curry favor with the Tang Dynasty, he gathered an army to attack the Tang.

Therefore, after Ba Zhuo hypocritically uttered these words, several veteran generals secretly drew their swords, intending to kill Ba Zhuo on the spot and then present him to the Tang Dynasty to beg for forgiveness.

However, after careful consideration, they decided to spare Bazhuo's life.

Despite all his faults, this Khan was, after all, the eldest son of the former Khan, Yinan.

As long as he lives, the Xueyantuo can unite and avoid becoming a disorganized mess.

"You flatter me, Khan!"

"Although our attack on the Tang Dynasty failed this time, we cannot place all the blame on you!"

"In fact, when the old Khan was alive, he often said that our Xueyantuo and the Tang Dynasty would have a war sooner or later. The Tang Dynasty would never tolerate our Xueyantuo growing too big and becoming the new overlord of the grasslands."

"But we must make full preparations before the great battle, and we absolutely cannot be wiped out by the Tang Dynasty in one battle!"

"Khan, your biggest mistake was entering this war prematurely, without giving the Xueyantuo enough time to prepare!"

At first, Bazhuo was just being polite, but when he heard these words from his father's old minister, he was so ashamed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

"General Dorod, I have learned a great deal!"

"Only today did I realize that my father left me with all the wise and capable men. I only regret that I did not know this in my younger years, and that I was misled by the words of villains, which led me to distance myself from these wise men and resulted in today's disastrous defeat!"

"This Khan...this Khan will certainly give you all important positions in the future, and restore the glory of my father, sob sob sob..."

When everyone saw what Ba Zhuo said and heard his sobbing, they all burst into tears.

No matter what, Bazhuo was a child they had watched grow up, and they really couldn't bring themselves to depose this Khan.

"Okay, okay!"

"The fact that the Khan has shown remorse today is not only a blessing for the former Khan, but also a blessing for the Xueyantuo!"

"Khan, as long as we return to the vast sea, regroup our old troops, and unite our people, we will still be the most powerful eagles on the grasslands!"

Ba Zhuo matured at this moment. He was no longer the impetuous and violent person he once was, but became more mature, wise, and able to listen to his subordinates.

Ba Zhuo led his remaining troops back to his tribe. Before his tribesmen could rebuke him, he jumped off his horse and knelt on the ground to apologize to all his tribesmen.

This sudden scene from Ba Zhuo not only terrified his clansmen, but also stunned the group of old ministers behind him.

Has our Khan truly repented?

Eternal Heaven, you have finally opened your eyes and sent another wise Khan to our Xueyantuo!

Ba Zhuo was extremely intelligent, and it was precisely because of his intelligence that he became arrogant. And it was precisely because of his arrogance that he was able to do the foolish thing of challenging the Tang Dynasty single-handedly.

Now that he has narrowly escaped death, his entire being, both mentally and in terms of personality, has undergone a tremendous change.

This kneeling gesture is a true reflection of his repentance and desire to start anew.

"Khan, what is this...?"

"I led 30,000 people into battle, but returned with only a few hundred defeated soldiers. I have failed my people, my subjects, and my father..."

"My fellow clansmen, I am so sorry!"

"You can all come at me if you have a grudge against anyone. Even if you kill me, I'll consider it an apology to you, sob sob sob..."

When the Khan said this, everyone had no choice but to let go of their great resentment.

"Khan, please rise!"

"Khan, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, we..."

"Khan... please give me back my son, sob sob sob..."

Upon seeing the old woman, Ba Zhuo, who had just straightened up, knelt down again.

"Mother, from now on I am your son. You can hit me or scold me as you please..."

Upon hearing this, the old woman didn't hold back and slapped Ba Zhuo hard across the face. But when the old woman saw that Ba Zhuo's face was swollen from her slap, she immediately hugged Ba Zhuo and started sobbing.

"You wicked person, you ruined my son, waaaaah..."

Everyone else was moved by his crying and fussing.

In the Battle of Xiazhou, who among the clansmen did not lose a relative?

This old woman is just one example of many heartbroken mothers.

Ba Zhuo won over his people with his sincerity. Although Xueyantuo had just lost 30,000 able-bodied men, they quickly emerged from their slump and regrouped under Ba Zhuo's leadership.

Having regained his footing, Ba Zhuo immediately launched a war against the Uyghurs.

However, unlike previous wars, this war was agreed upon by all the tribal chiefs.

The attack on the Uyghurs was not only to avenge them, but also to make up for the losses in the Battle of Xia Prefecture and to fill the population gap in the tribe.

That's right, the logic on the grasslands is that simple.

When a tribe is short of people, they take some back—either children, women who can bear children, or able-bodied laborers…

Once you live with them for decades, you'll feel like you belong to a tribe, even if you're not one.

For thousands of years, the grasslands have followed this tradition. As for the Uyghurs, the Turks, or even the Xueyantuo and Tuyuhun, they are just names.

Of course, they could also call themselves Xiongnu if necessary.

Bazhuo's war against the Uyghurs went very smoothly. He not only captured more than 60,000 people from the Uyghurs, but also seized countless cattle, sheep and other livestock.

This battle not only re-established his position as the Khan of the Xueyantuo, but also made up for all the losses in the Battle of Xiazhou.

However, he always felt somewhat resentful towards the Tang Dynasty.

Why should the affairs of the grasslands be subject to the arrangements of the Tang Dynasty?

Why should the man sitting in the Taiji Palace be able to decide the life and death of the grassland people?

no!

I must deliver a fatal blow to the Tang Dynasty!

Ba Zhuo's opportunity soon arrived. The scouts he sent out brought back exciting news: His Majesty the Emperor of Tang had dispatched his eldest grandson and the Crown Prince to personally guard the two border cities!

Among them, Shuozhou, a major town located in the northernmost part of the Tang Dynasty, was personally overseen by the Crown Prince!