Chapter 432 Extra 1: Storm in the Western Regions
Long life——
This roundabout way of saying it was an affirmation that Qiao Yan had completed the task!
Although the system was speechless about the way Qiao Yan completed the task, it was still very excited when it determined that the task was accomplished.
It was almost rushing to the system center to show off. Its counselor system 068 had a great start and directly accomplished the mission of the first host.
And because it took Qiao Yan only thirteen years to complete the task, it had a full eighty to ninety years of vacation.
It's just a show of face when you say this.
Internally, the system would grumble a few words, saying that her method was purely based on coercion and inducement. She relied on her position as the emperor and used the winning money of her subordinates next year as bargaining chips, thus gaining recognition from all sides.
But if there was a system that came to it and asked it how to accomplish such a difficult task in the late Han Dynasty, it would definitely say:
How can "forcing" subordinates to admit that he is the first strategist not be considered as completing the mission?
As long as it can be accomplished, no matter what means are used.
After all, if one really wanted to choose the best strategist in the world, one should at least choose one from among the civil officials who followed Qiao Yan to conquer the world.
It is impossible to find the answer from Yuan Shao's subordinates who are still doing labor service, or from those who have just passed this year's imperial examination and entered the officialdom of Dayong.
Even though there are people like Ju Shou and Shen Pei among the former, and Dong Zhao and Dong Gongren who won the first place among the latter, to become the number one strategist at this point in time, one must have some achievements that can be put on the table for discussion.
And when these people all admitted that His Majesty Qiao Yan was more worthy of the title of "number one" than them, Qiao Yan naturally became the true number one strategist!
[Fortunately, you only need to put this question in front of the civil officials. 】After submitting the report on achieving the ultimate goal, the system said with some relief.
The civil officials who could be entrusted with important tasks by Qiao Yan, even if they were not as shrewd as Jia Xu and Li Ru, had to be young geniuses like Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. They would not have misunderstood the hidden meaning behind this sentence.
Although the questions Qiao Yan sent them were a bit strange, you have to know that she had previously asked the question about the deployment of wild beasts. In comparison, this time, at most, His Majesty wanted to hear some praise from his subordinates after smoothly getting through the crisis of the second year of Yuanzhao. This was much more normal.
Perhaps if this question is posed to Dian Wei, he might really think about whether Cheng Yu or Guo Jia is more suitable for Qiao Yan's needs. However, if it is given to the civil officials, the final response he will receive is something like this:
"As Your Majesty said, there is no best in literature, but there is always a conclusion when comparing the two. Your Majesty is good at long-term planning and has no omissions in the overall situation. I am not as good as you."
"A good general is one who can capture an enemy's city without attacking it. Looking at all the wise men in the world, Your Majesty is the best."
"A good planner should be good at identifying talents. There are many ordinary planners, but few talented people."
“…”
In short, there is only one meaning:
No matter which aspect of the counselors is considered, Qiao Yan is at the top.
Even if he didn't say this directly, it meant that Qiao Yan was ahead of him.
Then there is no objection!
The only one who had a slightly special case was Yang Xiu.
When he received this special inquiry, he specifically went to Qiao Yan and asked whether His Majesty had any other meaning behind this action, instead of giving a direct answer like others did.
In his early years, due to the misunderstanding caused by overthinking, Yang Xiu was once thrown into Baidaochuan. Now Yang Biao has retired at the peak of his career and placed all the hopes of Hongnong Yang family on him, Yang Xiu. It is inevitable that he is worried. If Qiao Yan did not use that witty remark to hint to his subordinates to say that she is the first, but only wanted his subordinates to give an objective evaluation, would he step on the minefield again?
In response to Yang Xiu's unfounded worries, Qiao Yan chose to send him directly to Leping Academy to improve his normal comprehension skills, and then transfer him back to Chang'an after the beginning of next spring.
Anyway, thirteen years ago, Yang Xiu was defeated by her in Dingzhong Temple, and this person never had a chance to make a comeback. Whether he has an answer or not will not affect the result.
However, when Yang Xiu was sitting on the carriage heading to Bingzhou, he saw a letter that Qiao Yan had asked someone to pass on to him, which stated that his search and arrest operation on the hidden households of various aristocratic families had come to a temporary halt.
Although Yang Xiu's important tasks this year are all carried out in the four states of Ji, Qing, Yan and Yu, the situation will improve next year and it will not be appropriate to force him anymore.
Even if you really want to use a soft knife to cut the meat, you have to let the meat fatten up a little first.
It would be better for Yang Xiu to go to Leping Academy on her behalf first and explain to the students in the academy all the laws handled by the Shangshu Tai from the time she ascended the throne to the present year and a half. This would also allow those who will become the backbone of the academy in a few years to have another channel to keep up with the times besides the Leping Monthly.
The last sentence in the letter was that if Yang Xiu didn't even understand these words, he should let Hongnong Yang send someone else to her as soon as possible.
It is hard to say whether Yang Xiu would sigh that "the emperor's mind is hard to predict", but Qiao Yan didn't take this episode to heart anyway.
After successfully defusing the death crisis that was originally expected to occur in six or seven years, she could focus more on the changes in the Western Region because the approaching winter meant that people did not have to worry about the disaster of drought.
The Western Regions...
In the past, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had to conquer the Western Regions and set up the Western Regions Protectorate here because the Western Regions was an important source of material supplies for the powerful Xiongnu at that time.
If we can control the Hexi Corridor and further develop the Western Regions, even if we cannot win the battle in the northern border, we can at least put the Xiongnu in a situation where one of their arms is cut off.
The situation Qiao Yan faced at this time was somewhat different from that faced by Emperor Wu of Han.
The territory occupied by the Xiongnu at that time had long since become a settlement of the Xianbei people due to the westward migration of the Northern Xiongnu and the submission of the Southern Xiongnu. Also, due to Budugen's submission to Dayong, it was subject to various restrictions by Qiao Yan and could no longer pose any threat to the northern states. Therefore, there was no need to use such roundabout means to achieve the goal of curbing the northern Hu people.
She wanted to take over the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and more importantly, expand the territory of Dayong and deal a heavy enough blow to the Kushan Empire, which was eyeing her covetously, to ensure that the operation of this land Silk Road would always be under her control!
What's more, in the minds of people like her who have received modern education, Xinjiang is of course an inseparable part of China.
Although there are still dozens of countries scattered in this basin, and there are no clear territorial boundaries between them, it is not easy to unify them all after the troops march west through Yumen. However, this does not prevent Qiao Yan from having such an ambition in his heart!
Their speed is indeed getting faster.
She must not allow part of this territory to be annexed by her neighbor, who was also a land power.
Lu Yuan only guessed that the young king was no ordinary person based on the news brought back by Zhang He.
However, Qiao Yan knew very well that after Bodia came to power, he reversed the decadent situation caused by the previous Kushan king Hubishekhar II. If Bodia had not been senile in his later years and the Sassanid Empire had not risen in the chaos, perhaps he could have really brought Kushan back to its peak.
Therefore, it is necessary to interrupt their actions as soon as possible!
Even if we don't make enemies with them at this time, we must keep the initiative in our hands.
We must also take advantage of this opportunity to send out troops on an expedition to let the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions clearly see that the Central Plains is no longer a country that has no time to take care of the out-of-control situation outside the Yumen Pass, but a great country that can handle the tributes from all sides!
——————
When Lu Yuan and Jiang Tang arrived in Dunhuang County, all the people who needed assistance in the battle had already arrived.
Xu Rong and his deputy general Yan Xing were naturally here.
Ma Dai, who stayed here after Ma Teng returned to Chang'an, also took his seat.
Because Ma Chao was good at fighting in the terrain of Liangzhou and was expected to have some advantages outside the Hexi Corridor, he was transferred here by Qiao Yan in August of this year.
With the main general Xu Rong establishing the army here, and Ma Chao being arranged to fight in Yizhou, Xuzhou, and Qingzhou, Qiao Yan was not worried at all about causing any trouble for the Ma family army even if he joined forces with Ma Dai.
In addition, Zhang He, who was unable to wait for Yuan Shao's support due to the war in Henei, chose to come to Liangzhou to assist in the recovery war of the Western Regions Protectorate among the two choices given by Qiao Yan.
Then there was Pingliang's General Fu Gan, and Zuo Ci, Yu Ji and Yu Fan who had followed Lu Yuan to Liangzhou earlier.
It looks like a gathering of talented people.
There was no such pomp and ceremony when Ban Chao was sent as an envoy to the Western Regions, let alone the conditions they have today. Because of the trade on the Silk Road for several years, they went through the passage west of Yumen Pass to reach Dayuan and other places, and recorded all the situations along the way on parchment scrolls, which were finally summarized on this sand table in front of everyone.
Lu Yuan sat at the head of the table and nodded towards Xu Rong, "I want to hear General Xu's thoughts."
Xu Rong said: "I agree with Governor Lu. We should defeat the Kushans before they become powerful."
"In the early years, I talked with Your Majesty about the land in the west. I said that the Kushan Empire was established after the Great Yuezhi plundered the land north of India. According to this statement, the Kushan king is a descendant of the Great Yuezhi. Considering that the Great Yuezhi roamed around Zhangye and Dunhuang during the Qin and Han dynasties, although they are Qiang and Hu people, they can still be my people."
"However, the caravans we have sent out have been interacting with them more and more frequently in recent years, and we have learned that the Kushans and the Great Yuezhi should not be confused. Let's not talk about the alternation between the Great Yuezhi and the Kushans. Now, this Kushan Xihou Bo Diao is from Daxia, and is not a descendant of the people who migrated to Daxia from Liangzhou."
"Those who are not of our race must have different hearts. We must not allow them to rise!"
In other words, the Yuezhi were forced by the Xiongnu to move to Bactria, which destroyed their country and divided Bactria into five parts. Among them, the Kushans became increasingly powerful and replaced them in turn.
Therefore, when tracing his lineage, the Kushan king Bo Diao was from Bactria in Central Asia, and could not be traced back to the nomadic people of Liangzhou.
For them, there may be a possibility of alliance, but it is better to treat them as enemies first!
If their ambition to covet the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions or even to watch the situation in the four Hexi counties is not crushed, they will get into trouble sooner or later.
Lu Yuan's decision was consistent with his idea.
Everyone present felt relieved.
Xu Rong has always been cautious in his actions. Originally, Ma Dai, Yan Xing and others were a little worried about whether Xu Rong would raise any objections to Lu Yuan's proposal to attack in winter.
His Majesty's decision has not yet reached Dunhuang, which makes it possible for a dispute to occur.
But now that both of them are advocates of war, things are much easier.
Seeing Lu Yuan signaling him to continue, Xu Rong said, "In addition, the experience of the former Han Dynasty in attacking Dayuan and other countries has set an example for us. If it is like what Ma Shoucheng and I did when we went to transport horses, it would be fine. If we really want to fight the Kushans, we should first establish a base."
"Yiwu, where the Yihe Commandery was stationed during the pre-Han period, Liuzhong, where the Wuji Commandery was stationed, and Tagan, where the former Western Regions Protectorate was located, all have kings who are trying to restore the past. We can try to go west from Yumen and take the southern route to Shanshan."
Xu Rong pointed at the sand table and said, "What I mean is that although our army needs to send troops, we should not rashly send troops on a long expedition. We should either go north to Tianshan, take down Cheshi first, recapture Liuzhong, and reopen the territory of the Western Regions Chief and Wuji Commander, or go south to Shanshan and establish a foothold in Puchanghai."
Cheshi, also known as Gushi, was originally located in the salt lake area. After being attacked repeatedly by the Han army, it was forced to move north and settled at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
Shanshan, whose original name was Loulan, was established in the fourth year of Yuanfeng during the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty. General Huo Guang sent Fu Jiezi to assassinate the King of Loulan, but the assassin succeeded. He then made the King of Loulan's younger brother the new king and changed the country's name to Shanshan.
These two places, one in the north and the other in the south, are also the key points where the north and south are divided after the troops leave Yumen Pass and pass through the tributary areas.
If, as Xu Rong said, we do not directly cross the Western Regions Protectorate to attack the Kushans, but advance step by step and first determine the place where the troops are stationed in the Western Regions, then choosing which place to attack is undoubtedly an important issue!
Xu Rong continued, "You all know the situation in the north. Liuzhong and Yiwu both have garrisoned cities in the past, which are more suitable for our army to station there for a long time. In addition, if we can successively break through the front and rear of Cheshi, the gap in Tianshan will be under our control again, and the Northern Xiongnu who have retreated from Kangju will no longer have the opportunity to invade the south. Regardless of whether we can win the conquest of Kushan, we can first eliminate a hidden danger for Your Majesty."
"The situation on the southern route is similar to the situation when Zhao Po Nu led his troops to the sea route in the past. The snow and hail in winter can serve as a source of water for our army to cross the desert. In addition, Shanshan is farther away from its neighboring countries, so it will be easier for our army to advance quietly and hide the news."
No matter which route we take, each has its difficulties due to the relatively harsh environment in the Western Regions and the season in which we send troops, but each route also has its own advantages.
Xu Rong has analyzed it clearly.
But before Lu Yuan could make an analysis, everyone heard Ma Chao interrupt and say, "Why divide it into the south and north? Although Shanshan and Cheshi are called countries, they only have more than 10,000 people registered. Even if slaves are counted, there are only 6,000 to 7,000 strong men available for war. Not to mention, Cheshi is divided into the front country, the back country, the Duwei country, and the back city country, a total of four routes, located on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains, it is inconvenient to travel, and the interests are not in line. It is really a mob."
"Give me three thousand elite soldiers, and I will wipe out both sides!"
Ma Chao's words were truly arrogant.
But if you look closely at what he said, it is not completely impossible.
If we were to give an appropriate description of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms in the Western Regions over the years, it would be the words uttered by the King of Loulan when he was captured and brought to Chang'an for accountability.
He said: "A small country cannot feel at peace if it is not part of both big countries."
The two great countries at that time were the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu.
Later, after the decline of the Xiongnu, another great power could be the Kushans.
Ma Chao was not sure how much combat effectiveness the young and strong men under the command of this country, which had been accustomed to playing both sides over the years, could have.
What's more, Cheshi and Shanshan are not adjacent to the Kushan Empire, but are located adjacent to the four Hexi counties. In the past few decades, they have rarely experienced war.
In this case, it is not difficult for their elite soldiers to fight one against five.
Moreover, because Dayong inherited the impression that the Han Dynasty left on foreign countries, once they are able to open a gap in the battle, they will be able to form an unstoppable and powerful offensive!
But even if we ignore the gap between the two sides in terms of war preparedness and historical evolution, and only look at today's morale, their Dayong troops are far superior to the other side!
Ma Chao is not an easy character to deal with.
His father entered the Xuanyuan Pavilion by virtue of his contribution in bringing back cotton seeds and BMWs, but he has not yet achieved that.
If he doesn't take advantage of this opportunity to gain military merit, I'm afraid there will be no other opportunity more suitable for him.
The people present actually understood this truth.
However, as soon as Ma Chao finished speaking, someone among the people present laughed.
Hearing the voice, Ma Chao turned around and looked in the direction where the laughter came from, and saw that Yu Fan's expression had not yet fully subdued.
He frowned and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
He was sure that he had not misheard the laughter, but that it was actually made by the other party.
Yu Fan waved his hand, "General Mengqi, don't worry too much. I'm not laughing at your boasting. With the strength of our army, it is feasible to directly mobilize 3,000 elite soldiers to attack Cheshi and Shanshan as General Mengqi said. At most, the losses will be greater, and it will be easy for the Kushans to detect the unusual movement in advance. I'm just thinking--"
"If I remember correctly, according to rumors circulating in the early years, General Mengqi's eyesight didn't seem to be very good? If he were to find his way in a foreign land, I wonder if there would be any problems?"
A vein jumped on Ma Chao’s forehead.
What's wrong with poor eyesight?
Yu Fan almost said directly that when Ma Chao intended to attack Qiao Yan, he mistook Lu Bu for their emperor.
He had no idea why this official from Yangzhou also knew about this mess, but he could hear the sarcasm and disapproval of his marching in this way in Yu Fan's words!
But if Ma Chao were to give up this idea just like that, it would be a bit unpleasant.
He asked Yu Fan, "If it is true that I, Ma Chao, have poor eyesight as Mr. Zhongxiang said, that is fine, but you must have some ability, otherwise you wouldn't be famous for your prophecies. If you were to serve as my military advisor, would that be feasible?"
Yu Fan replied slowly, "I don't think it's a good idea. I haven't been to the wild land of the Western Regions myself, so it's difficult for me to travel a hundred miles or escape underground. I'm afraid I'll be buried in the yellow sand with General Mengqi. This is too bad."
"If future generations see the body of General Mengqi, they will still be able to comment that this was a brave and powerful general of Dayong, but it was a pity that he was too reckless and died among the sand dunes. If they see me, Yu Fan, they will probably only say -"
Yu Fan laughed and said frankly: "What an ugly person who doesn't know his place!"
The author has something to say:
Yu Fan, he is a ruthless person who always curses himself as well as others.
The story of Loulan Beauty and Mummy No. 2 (not really)
Of course, the name Loulan no longer existed at this stage, as explained in the text.
He does not support fighting on both fronts at the same time, not that he does not support it. To prevent misunderstanding, I would like to add one more sentence.
There will be fewer updates today, but we will resume updating at 9:30 am and 9 pm starting tomorrow.
The Western Region section will not be written in great detail, with only some gags between Qiao Qiao and his subordinates (not really)
Don’t say that everyone is not familiar with this history. I am not that familiar with it either.
There are not many historical materials about the Western Regions during the Three Kingdoms period, including the power transfer in the Kushan Empire during this period. The specific years are a bit vague, so I can only write it in a fabricated way.
This part... Actually, you can understand it by looking at the chronology of the Kushan monarchs. Different reference documents show that the time of accession to the throne can differ by 20 years.
Especially this Bo Diao who happened to be from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, saying the time when he ascended the throne, I looked up the timelines of four sources, from 190, 191, 195 to 213, it's too outrageous.
Forget it, don’t make it hard on yourself, just write in a way that makes sense.
See you tomorrow morning at 9:30~
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