Chapter 438 Extra 1 (7) (2nd update)
The temptation of "you can go bomb the Kushans after walking through the snow-capped mountains" is no less than being able to sleep well and have a decent meal after walking out of the mountains!
Previously, explosives were only used to attack the city walls of Yecheng, allowing them to capture the city that was once the capital of the Han Dynasty with minimal losses. Why not use this special invention to teach the foreigners a lesson!
Ma Chao had just felt a layer of dark clouds hanging over him because he knew the downhill slope would continue and he needed to be cautious at all times, but at this moment, the clouds had completely dispersed.
At most, he muttered to Yu Fan before continuing on his way, "You carry explosives, aren't you afraid that this thing will go off accidentally?"
Based on the power of this explosive, if it caused an avalanche, wouldn't it bury all of them?
Yu Fan couldn't help but rolled his eyes at him, "General Mengqi, I think this is something you can do, not me."
He is a master of Yixue and a talented politician. Although he speaks harshly, he will not make any mistakes in serious matters.
If we want to explain the principle of explosives, Yu Fan can certainly explain it more clearly than Ma Chao.
Also, don’t think that he didn’t see it. Because of this sudden good news, Ma Chao’s steps became much more steady than before.
This person is really...
"There's no good in saying one thing and thinking another." Yan Xing suddenly interjected.
Yu Fan turned around to look at him, and was surprised to find that Yan Xing was not talking about Ma Chao, but him, Yu Fan.
Yu Fan: “…”
Yan Xing continued, "If you really hate Meng Qi's recklessness, you don't have to say it at this time, let alone risk your life to join this team."
"Besides, if I am not mistaken, I saw you take out some strange clothes yesterday. I wonder what you are going to use them for?"
Where can it be used?
Yu Fan complained in his heart, isn't it just planning to catch a few ordinary-looking soldiers when their morale hits rock bottom when they are crossing the Snow Ridge, have them dress up in these strange clothes, pretending that they are worn by the Kushans under the Snow Ridge, pretending to be captured by us, and say a few words, for example, that we are not far from the enemy's city gate, etc., to boost morale again.
But it seems that it is of no use now.
The effect of this explosive is much greater than he imagined.
That’s right, bringing our country’s “specialties” out to see the world is like walking in broad daylight in brocade clothes, which is really... exciting!
"General Yanming," Yu Fan shook his head and continued walking down, saying, "Some things don't need to be explained too clearly."
Who says that such jokes are not a way to relieve the boredom of the march through the snowy mountains?
After all... when everything you see is white, people will have psychological problems.
Just getting out of the Snow Ridge is far from the end. Achieving the target result in a place they have never been to is a bigger challenge!
Ma Chao was indeed a fierce general, even an outstanding general who could make his soldiers die for him, but we should not forget that a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake, and this has been the case since ancient times.
The severe cold environment can be countered by the winter clothes they wear and the dried meat and dry food they carry with them. There are various methods of treating diseases outside the region in the medical books written by Hua Tuo a long time ago. But there is no real cure for psychological distress and the desire for quick success and reckless advancement.
He can only be the bad guy.
Anyway, once he arrives in Kushan territory, he can basically retire with his mission accomplished.
Yu Fan didn't expect that he could be offered a place in Xuanyuan Pavilion just based on his military achievements.
He thought that the time he had served His Majesty was too short, and if he wanted to govern a region, he really needed to have some achievements to show for it.
And this military achievement should have been made during the conquest of the Kushans.
Yu Fan was truly impressed by the arrangement of His Majesty's generals to perform their respective duties.
Ma Chao is indeed the most suitable person for this battle.
The soldiers under his command had long been accustomed to the general's high mobility due to previous battles. Coupled with the long-cherished wish of the people of Liangzhou to become famous in this battle, they moved forward step by step in the mountains that were still covered with frost in March and were already getting closer to their destination.
As a general, you have the confidence to lead your subordinates to achieve great things. As long as the lives of your subordinates are still safe, why shouldn't they give it a try?
At least, take a few more steps forward.
However, even with such belief, it was not until Ma Chao drew the fortieth mark on the paper he carried with him that they finally saw the green of the hills instead of the spreading snow before their eyes.
Among the rolling hills ahead, one can even see human habitation in the valley.
At this moment, no words are needed to inform everyone, the picture that appears in front of them is also telling everyone——
This almost torturous journey across the mountains is about to end, and they have finally arrived at the Kushan territory!
But at this moment, no one in this huge team shouted with joy, but an atmosphere of silence still permeated the crowd.
They also wanted to open their mouths and express all the hardships they had experienced along the way, but in the end no one uttered a single syllable.
More than 40 days of trekking across the ice field...
Even though their stored food could sustain them for another five days and the cold wind had not yet torn their clothes, there were still hundreds of simple inscriptions left on the snow-capped mountains behind them.
It means that in the spring of the third year of Yuanzhao, a group of Dayong soldiers left their lives forever on the Xuandu Mountain.
And could these soldiers who died before the two armies clashed have received any record in the historians' stingy writings?
For these soldiers whose duty it is also to obey orders, they cannot give an accurate answer.
They just stared blankly at the mountains that turned into low ones in front of them, fearing that what they saw was just an illusion.
It was Ma Chao who suddenly spoke up to break the silence, "What are you all standing there for! Line up, eat, and follow me to grab the horses!"
They have all come this far. If they are going to feel sad for the life and death of their comrades, that will have to be after they have accomplished this battle to shock the Kushans!
The bones may be buried on the ice field, or they may be brought back by the Dayong soldiers who recovered the Western Regions Protectorate in the future. If they died in a foreign land for unknown reasons, or even failed to deal a strong enough blow to the Kushan Empire, then they would never have the chance to return home!
The severe cold on the snow-capped mountains had melted away with the spring breeze below the mountains, allowing their almost stiff hands and feet to slowly regain mobility.
No one knew who in the crowd responded first by shouting "Grab the horse", but the voice spread throughout the team in an instant.
Yu Fan was about to interrupt and say a few words to persuade them, but he saw the still too young general of Liangzhou taking the lead and walking down the mountain in the southwest direction, carrying his spear on his back.
There was a mountain pasture there, and the outline of a city could be vaguely seen in the distance. It was most likely a place for raising horses.
Their current location was still quite far from the capital of the Kushan Empire, Vrusha. If they wanted to reach there as quickly as possible, they couldn't rely on their legs, so -
Let’s fight a looting battle first!
The guide in the team had never seen such a scene before.
He was originally from Kangju, and became a prisoner of Kushan due to the war between the two countries. He was once sent to the south of the Great Snow Mountain, and was bought back because of the cotton purchase by Xu Rong and others. During these years, he barely learned Chinese and became a guide this time.
The development of Liangzhou over the past few years made him see the bravery and strong physique of the Middle-earth warriors. He also witnessed with his own eyes the unstoppable force of the Dayong troops when they arrived at the Protectorate of the Western Regions. However, he did not expect that when they arrived at the Kushan territory, they did not shock this foreign land first, but... robbed?
"What are you standing there for?" Yu Fan winked at his subordinates, asking them to take the guide forward. "How far are we from the Kushan capital, Fulusha?"
"...big, about four hundred miles." The guide replied instinctively.
"That's it. We have crossed the mountains for nearly a thousand miles, and we are already exhausted. As the old saying goes, we are a weak army that cannot wear light gauze or silk. How can we fight against the capital? The only way is to arm a strong army with horses first, so we have a chance to fight."
"By the way, as you said, this Vlosa is a Buddhist city?"
The guide didn't care whether what the Yong army was doing was unbecoming of a great country. When he heard Yu Fan's question, he replied, "Yes, the last ruler of Kushan was a Buddhist, so he built his capital here. Both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism were tolerated in the territory, and even a large Buddhist pagoda was built in the city of Fulusha."
"That city is also called the City of Flowers, because..."
Just because of this pleasant climate, fertile soil and water, there are a large number of roses blooming.
When the vanguard cavalry on their side had fully recovered from the fatigue of crossing the snowfield, and arrived at the mountains near Fulusha under the leadership of Ma Chao and Yan Xing, they saw the newly blooming roses entwined around the stone sculpture with the pattern of a meditating Buddha.
The majestic city with a radius of forty miles still did not lose the grandeur of the large tower that was visible in a corner. Even when they were still at such a long distance, they could still hear the Buddhist music coming from the distant city.
It seemed to be completely different from the vast snow-capped mountains they had seen in the past month or so, and it was so peaceful that it was unbelievable.
If Qiao Yan were also here, he would tell them that in the original history, the eminent monks Faxian of the Jin Dynasty and Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty had both arrived here. It was because of the support of the Kushan monarch who moved the capital here that Buddhism formed its fourth gathering here and became increasingly prosperous.
But Ma Chao didn't know this. He just turned to Yu Fan and asked, "Can the explosives you brought blow down a corner of the city wall?"
For a city that is more than ten miles long, it is impossible to have adequate guards at every outpost when the enemy is not expected to arrive suddenly.
Not to mention, there are many residential houses around the city wall, just like Chang'an and Luoyang. They are the temporary residences of people who come to worship in Freusa, giving them the opportunity to hide their men under the wall in advance.
So instead of trying to attack the city and climbing up the city, and betting that they can succeed in one go, and will never be tightly guarded by the enemy, it is better to -
Directly blow down the city wall and provide a path for the cavalry to rush into the city!
After thinking it over, Yu Fan replied, "Yes! Not only that, if the general is willing to do as I say, I'm afraid we can take control of this city without any effort!"
After he sent someone to bring the guide into the city to gather some information, he became more and more certain of his judgment.
However, they still need a few days to make some preparations.
In the city of Flusa at night, only the patrolling soldiers and the monks on guard were still awake. However, everyone was awakened by a sudden sound of thunder.
It was like the sound of boulders falling in the mountains or thunder roaring in summer, accompanied by the tremors of the earth. It made people never doubt that it was an illusion in their dreams, but a real thing.
When the awakened crowd talked to each other, they were further convinced that they were not dreaming. This was the sound that everyone heard.
It means that the capital city has been attacked!
It was still an unimaginable attack!
In the silent night, the patrolling soldiers stared in amazement at what was happening before them.
The sound of fire and explosion came from the bottom of the city wall, and the city wall, which should have been solid, collapsed due to the collapse of the foundation. Almost in an instant, it turned into a pile of bricks and tiles.
Just as he shouted the warning "The city wall has collapsed", the sound of horse hooves followed and reached the foot of the city.
A long arrow pierced through the night and pierced his head like a stream of light.
At the moment he fell, the garrison soldiers farther away on both ends of the city wall had not yet arrived, but the cavalry, who came out of nowhere and from whom, had already rushed in through the gap in the blown-up city wall.
He only had time to vaguely see that the soldier leading the way seemed to be riding a top-grade Kushan warhorse, but was holding a spear that was definitely not of the local standard in his hand. He swept the cavalry who tried to intercept him from the city off their horses and shot them in the throat, causing them to completely lose consciousness.
This magnificent capital city, which should be literally called "Husband City", has never suffered such a blow!
"The city wall collapsed?" The people in the city who had just woken up from the noise rushed over following the sound. They could no longer see the appearance of the cavalry that quickly attacked the city. There was only the terrible noise caused by hundreds of cavalry still running in the city, and the only thing left in place was the collapsed entrance to the city wall.
The traces of excavation that had once been done below had long since disappeared with the explosives buried there, and were no longer visible.
The pilgrims who originally lived in these bungalows had long been "kidnapped" by Ma Chao's subordinates, and they were also unable to explain how these people approached the city wall and dug out such a tunnel.
What they saw was just a gap that could not be created by human power in an instant.
It was as if it was stepped on or torn into its current state by a giant!
This was originally a place where Buddhism flourished. Although the atheistic theory that people can become Buddhas has become more and more popular as this Buddhist city has become more prosperous, this has not prevented the people in the city from having all kinds of supernatural speculations because of this inexplicable breakout.
Such a voice appeared among the crowd who stood up because of the noise in the city.
"That's not an enemy, that's the might of the guardian deity!"
"Only the Fury of Thunder can bring about such a miracle!"
Fortunately, those cavalrymen who "were like divine soldiers" did not attack the Buddhist temples, civilians, and monks in the city, but went straight to the imperial palace. This allowed them to have such leisurely thoughts at this time instead of worrying about their own safety first.
But it is no wonder that Ma Chao made such a choice under Yu Fan's advice.
It was because the Kushan King was not in the city at that time, but went north to suppress the rebellion!
More importantly, there was no second palace wall in the Kushan capital.
Instead of wasting time dealing with these people, it is better to go straight to the center.
In the mind of the Kushan king who built his capital in Vrusa, this place was the center of Kushan. In the south, there was a barrier to resist the northward advance of India, and in the north, there were great snow-capped mountains to guard the mountain pass for him. There was no danger of the capital falling.
What's more, this Kushan king, who was similar to Ashoka, was a devout Buddhist while believing in military expansion. His thinking was typical of replacing defense with offense, and he would not even consider building another palace wall.
However, his successors indulged in extravagance in the following twenty years, causing Kangju, Dayuan, Khorasan, and Khwarezm to decline and fall out of their rule. Immersed in the dream that the Kushan Empire was still powerful, they never thought of making any adjustments to the layout of the city of Furusha.
It was also at this time that the attackers got an advantage.
The people in the city were still wondering who these attackers were when they soon heard a second thunderclap, which came from the direction of the palace.
This time, not only did the building explode and collapse, but the flames that followed suddenly rose up and almost burned half of the sky in the distance red.
At the same time, words spoken by the soldiers, which had been translated into the Kushan language by the guide, rang in the ears of the people as the cavalry passed through the streets after successfully breaking into the city.
That said:
"Da Yong is punishing the King of Kushan with divine punishment. No one is allowed to disturb him!"
There is no need to explain to the people in the city whether the punishment from heaven in these words represents the native god of the Central Plains or the guardian god of Buddhism.
The previous Kushan king died in an assassination by his subordinates. The previous Kushan king turned this dynasty consisting of more than a dozen small countries from prosperity to decline. The current Kushan king has not yet demonstrated his ability to turn the tide and is still heading north to quell the rebellion. He cannot use his remaining prestige to suppress the influence brought by these two explosive rises in power.
The subsequent infantrymen who entered the city immediately replaced the soldiers guarding the city and completely seized control of the capital.
There was a group of soldiers who were quite capable and intended to take advantage of the fact that Ma Chao and Yan Xing's troops were split into two groups to launch a counterattack. However, they had no idea that Ma Chao had such great power and Yan Xing was no match for them!
When Ma Chao found the keys to the city's granary and the Kushan treasury, Yan Xing was carrying the head of the team's leading general and entering the hall.
He immediately turned to Yu Fan and asked, "Mr. Zhong Xiang, what should we do next?"
Thanks to Yu Fan's guidance, they did not cause too much panic when attacking the city. The only ones who fled were the Kushan troops guarding the city gates.
However, it is difficult for them to control all the city gates at once. The defenders fleeing in all directions may arrive here with the troops from the city gates in all directions.
If the gods' words cannot completely suppress the people in the city, considering that they cannot communicate smoothly with the local people, no one can guarantee whether civil unrest will not occur.
Even though they successfully captured the city today, the crisis they faced was also not small.
Yu Fan replied: "General Mengqi's troops will distribute the grain in the government warehouse to the people as soon as possible, and then stay on the city wall. There is no need to prepare a full force of troops, just make sure the city gate is in our hands. General Yanming will immediately lead his troops north, block the pass of the Great Snow Mountain, and intercept the Kushan king's team returning south."
That place, later known as the Khyber Pass, is the most important channel connecting South Asia and Central Asia.
The Great Snow Mountains, or Hindu Kush Mountains, to which this pass belongs, divide the Kushan Empire into two parts, north and south.
All of the Kushan supplies are in the south, but the army directly under the Kushan king is in the north. Cutting them off will cause chaos, which will be more obvious to Xu Rong and others in the north than any news.
Their team that crossed the Xuandu Mountain has already succeeded. If they want to conquer the Kushan King, now is the best time!
——————
The sudden cut off of supplies and food was indeed an extremely obvious signal.
The southern part of the Great Snow Mountain is much more suitable for planting and grazing than the northern part, and naturally the accumulated grain is more than that in the north.
The Kushan king Bo dispatched an expedition to Khwarezm, intending to regain control of this disobedient vassal state, and ordered the supplies in the city of Fulusha to be delivered through this hundred-mile mountain pass.
Because they needed to know the situation in the capital at any time, the grain carts traveled back and forth frequently.
But this time, no new grain trucks arrived for five whole days.
This is certainly something that shouldn't happen!
Delaying grain transport vehicles is a crime punishable by severe penalties under the laws of any country, and the Kushan Empire is no exception.
There has been no unusual weather in recent days that would cause such a result.
Bo Diao frowned and asked his subordinate sternly, "I don't want to hear you shirking responsibility here, saying that the grain transport soldiers in the north under your charge are doing their job. I just want to know why the grain and grass in the rear have not been delivered yet?"
This is the key.
Bodeau knew very well how much food reserves there were in the city of Fulusha. Considering the amount of food reserves he had consumed during his campaign against Khwarezm, the food was far from being exhausted, so this could not be a normal food shortage.
This couldn't help but give him a bad feeling.
He was still too young, so young that while he used his thundering wrist to intimidate those who disobeyed his ascension to the throne, there were still people secretly waiting for him to make mistakes in the wars, and there was no guarantee that there would not be people who would cause trouble when he left the capital.
But his trusted followers who stayed in the city of Flusha had already followed his plan and were in control of a team that could launch a Jedi counterattack when necessary, so they shouldn't let him lose control of his retreat...
However, before he could give the order to send people back to the rear as soon as possible to find out the situation, someone suddenly came to report military intelligence.
The visitor was in a hurry and said in panic:
"It's bad. Suddenly, an army attacked from the northwest valley, coming from the Pamir Mountains. They slaughtered all our troops stationed in the valley, calling themselves--"
"It's the Great Yong army pacifying the border!"
The author has something to say:
Miserable, miserable Kushans.
But our generals have also suffered a lot, okay?
There are probably two or three more chapters in this extra chapter about the Western Regions, but I won’t write it in great detail.
Then the HNA extra chapter will be written in combination with the official reform and the development of productivity.
The following extra chapters will not be like this with several consecutive chapters.
The extra chapter will probably be written until the end of the month. The detailed outline listed previously was until November 2nd, so it should be officially completed before this time.
(The cover collection has been put on vb, you can take a look if you are interested. The current cover will be retained after the completion)
See you tomorrow morning at 9:30.
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