Chapter 440 Extra 1 (End)
This is by no means an exaggeration.
Rather, it was the most real reaction of the countries along the route when the troops of Dayong returned from the land west of the Pamir Mountains and headed towards Yumen Pass along the northern route of the Silk Road.
Dayuan and Kangju, which were closest to the mountain pass, received the news first.
If it were said that Dayong, which replaced the Han Dynasty, suddenly sent troops to the Western Regions, seemingly intending to re-activate the Protectorate of the Western Regions, it would be surprising enough. Considering that they were able to reach the Pamir Mountains with such a large-scale troop deployment, I'm afraid they have already recovered the southern part of the Western Regions.
The news that the Kushan King would go to Chang'an in person to apologize and seek peace with the Emperor of Dayong sounded like a lie!
This sounds too fake...
Po Tiao had just ascended the throne and was eager to expand the territory. Relying on the accumulation of the Kushan Empire over the past hundred years, even if the troops of the Great Yong really came from afar, they would not be his opponent. How could he surrender without a word when the news of the confrontation between the two armies had not yet spread?
Even if Generals Wei and Huo were still alive during the pre-Han period, such a situation should not have occurred!
But the king of Dayuan had no time to wonder why Dayong had so many Ferghana horses, because his subordinates had already confirmed from that team that Bodiao's surrender was not false news spread by the Central Plains royal army in order to make these vassal states that had disobeyed orders for many years submit to Dayong at the lowest cost, but it was a real fact.
Years of border battles have enabled the King of Dayuan and his troops, even if they could not recognize Bodiao himself, to confirm whether those traveling with the Dayong troops were really the Kushan soldiers or others in disguise.
The nearly 10,000 elite soldiers of Dayong are not an exaggerated number!
Although Fu Gan led a troop of troops south to the Daxue Mountain Pass to meet with Ma Chao, Yan Xing and others to ensure that there would be no unrest in the Kushan territory during the audience in Chang'an, and Zhang He led his troops to station on the Pamir Mountains to ensure that the Pamir countries newly under their control would not defect again, the remaining soldiers and generals, together with those who came to surrender from Shanshan and Jingjue, were enough for this army to show its mighty power.
The King of Dayuan didn't even know that while this group of troops was setting off with the King of Kushan, another group of fast horses took over and went straight to Shanshan to inform Duan Wei, who was between Yumen Pass and Shanshan, to send troops north to advance into the northern border countries.
Anyway, this line of people alone was enough to bring him tremendous pressure.
He held the diplomatic document sent by Lu Yuan in his hand, and when he saw the words written on it, he couldn't help but look a little nervous.
Lu Yuan's words were quite kind, but where did the kindness come from?
She first mentioned the handover of territory between Han and Yong, and then brought up the early exchanges between the Han Dynasty and Dayuan. She said that although the two sides had fought several wars over the ownership of the Ferghana horses, the nobles of Dayuan had always been aware of the times, otherwise they would not have killed two Dayuan kings one after another, welcomed the royal descendant who was closest to the Central Plains to become the new king, and sent hostages to Chang'an to show that they had no intention of rebellion.
Although the Protectorate of the Western Regions has not yet been rebuilt, this kind of intimate and considerate exchange should be a tradition of Dayuan. I wonder if they can provide food and drink for the army when they are about to pass by, so as to avoid any friction when the army passes through, and avoid embarrassing the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions in front of the Kushan king.
When the Protectorate of the Western Regions is reinstated, Dayuan will surely be appreciated by His Majesty Dayong for having taken a stand early on, and will contribute to the long-term stability of the border areas of the Western Regions.
The King of Dayuan fell silent.
Is this a threat or a threat?
In short, I am not here to form a friendly alliance with him.
If he fails to take advantage of the situation and proactively seek peace before the Dayong troops arrive at the border, submit to Dayong's intention of submission, and offer the food mentioned in Lu Yuan's letter, I am afraid that this army that has just defeated the Kushans will not care about launching another battle at this time.
Could he be more powerful than the Kushans, who dominated more than a dozen countries?
Of course not!
Not only did he not have it, but Kangju, who received the news earlier than him, also did not have it!
Due to the absurdity of the previous Kushan monarch, Kangju gained more independent freedom. Also, as the Northern Huns were constantly frustrated in foreign wars, they had to submit to Kangju, giving them an extra strong ally to look after them.
But when Lu Yuan handed the passing document to Kangju, the reaction of the king of Kangju was much more intense than that of Dayuan.
Kangju is not Dayuan.
Dayuan and the Han Dynasty had a close and subordinate relationship, but Kangju not only did not have that, it also supported Dayuan when Dayuan and the Han Dynasty went to war, and supported the Xiongnu when the Xiongnu and the Han Dynasty fought, and always maintained a hostile relationship with the Han Dynasty.
This confidence to fight against various land powers was suppressed with the rise of the Kushan Empire, and it no longer had the glory of having an army of 120,000.
Now... no matter how the Kushans were defeated by the Dayong army, the Dayong that replaced the Han Dynasty must form an alliance with the Kushans. This passing notice seemed to be saying that after they return from this audience in Chang'an, it would be time for them to join forces to deal with Kangju.
"Our situation is very dangerous," the king of Kangju said after summoning the five little kings who ruled different places. "The situation in the Xiongnu was reported to us a few years ago. The Xiutuguhu of the Northern Xiongnu who were stranded outside Bingzhou Pass were personally conquered by the current Emperor Dayong, and their bodies were hung outside the Great Wall as a warning. This is a revenge."
"Dayong inherited all the connections of the Han Dynasty, which naturally includes our enemies. This is the second reason."
The two enemies came together, and it was the time when Dayong wanted to establish military achievements to show its reputation. Now that the Kushans had already surrendered, their Kangju was the best target!
The Central Plains royal army has already fought a battle farther away. Would they still be afraid of the expense of fighting another battle at home?
"If that's what you said, we should do something about this invitation letter." Someone said after thinking for a moment.
Kangju no longer has the glory it once had. In fact, Kangju people are better at business than at fighting.
If it is true as the King of Kangju said, they will be regarded as the number one target of attack by Dayong, and with the assistance of the Kushans after they have pledged their loyalty and surrendered, I am afraid they will suffer a devastating blow.
So instead of waiting until disaster strikes, it would be better for them to seize the initiative first.
Of course, this initiative does not mean that they will take the initiative to attack Dayong and unite with all parties in the Western Regions Protectorate to disrupt order, but rather, turn two enemies into one!
What gift could be more appropriate than the head of the leader of the Northern Huns?
The King of Kangju and the little king under his command looked at each other and saw recognition in each other's eyes.
So when Lu Yuan, Bo Diao and others met the Kangju envoys, they saw that the subordinates behind them were each holding a wooden box in their hands.
In the wooden box was the head of the Huns!
Bo Diao did not know that the decision he was forced to make to meet the emperor in Chang'an had actually prompted the rulers of Kangju and Dayuan to make the decision to surrender. He only knew that although the Yong Kingdom had only been established for a short time, it had already revealed some potential to attract tribute from all nations.
The Xiongnu people who depended on Kangju would never have imagined in their dreams that the ally that seemed so safe to them would turn around and give them a fatal blow at this moment.
April and May are the times when production and grazing on the grasslands should return to normal.
During the winter, the people of Kangju would move south to Leyueni. At this time, they would head north to Fannei, which was closer to the land of the Northern Xiongnu.
It was only natural that the King of Kangju wanted to meet with the leader among them.
However, it was this meeting that did not bring the two sides closer together. Instead, the subordinates of the King of Kangju, following the order of smashing the cup, raised their butcher knives against the Xiongnu nobles who were present at the meeting, successfully turning them into a stepping stone for their allegiance.
Lu Yuan had already guessed this direction when he sent out the diplomatic letter. When the Kangju envoy introduced the identities of the deceased one by one, he did not even show any strange expression on his face.
She has followed Qiao Yan for fourteen years, which is enough time for her to hone herself into a sharp weapon with both softness and strength.
She also never forgot the common understanding that she and Qiao Yan had reached when he was still the Marquis of Leping.
As diplomatic envoys, "Yezhe" stands tall because of the country's strength.
Now she is here on behalf of Dayong, to let these countries in the Western Regions understand that the turmoil in the Central Plains has been completely settled, and the dynasty they should recognize now is Dayong with Qiao Yan as its emperor.
Why would a truly powerful country be frightened when a small country raises its sword against the barbarians?
At the beginning of May, when the marching troops arrived in Dayuan and Qiuci respectively, she calmly accepted the words of surrender and submission presented by the two parties.
In addition to the gifts of reward to the troops sent by the two parties and the envoys selected by the king to go to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor, Lu Yuan was ruthless and selected a representative from each of the two royal families to be sent to Chang'an as a hostage.
During the massive march of Dayong, the initiative of the hostage conditions was definitely not in the hands of the monarchs of these two small countries.
On the contrary, the King of Dayuan felt a little uneasy when Lu Yuan left.
When he looked up, he saw that the horses used by the cavalry in the Dayong army had their own advantages and disadvantages. It was no wonder that they did not accept the batch of Ferghana horses that were gathered together at short notice, but instead asked him to prepare one or two more and not to be perfunctory about the matter due to hasty decision.
This unsent gift is not the meat that Dayuan did not cut off at this time, but a butcher's knife that may fall from the top of the head at any time...
This was what the King of Dayuan thought in his heart as he watched the team continue to march eastward.
Fortunately, in June he received some good news for him.
The war broke out over there in Cheshi! He will be safe.
The front and rear parts of Cheshi, which were divided by the Tianshan Mountains, showed completely opposite attitudes after Duan Wei's troops came from Shanshan.
The front part of Cheshi was originally established with the support of the Han Dynasty, and even assisted Captain Wu Ji in establishing military farms in Liuzhong for quite a while. Now that the troops of Dayong have returned, and another group of troops has arrived in Qiuci, it is time to make their position clear.
The rear part of the Cheshi felt that they had the Tianshan Mountains as a barrier and could retreat to the northern grasslands. There was no need to create trouble for themselves and recognize another master.
The barbaric nature of the Western Regions was fully displayed by the people in the rear of Cheshi, and they even killed the soldiers sent by Duan Wei to deliver the message.
Duan Wei chose to send troops to the north of Tianshan Mountains without hesitation.
Judging from the attitude of the Cheshi rear, even if Lu Yuan and Bo Diao's team arrived in person, it would probably not change their minds.
So instead of giving them another chance to show off their power, it would be better to nip this danger in the bud.
The former Grand Commandant Duan Xing once chased the Qiang people and fought for thousands of miles day and night. This ruthlessness was also reflected in his brother Duan Wei, but because most of the time he was in charge of military farming affairs, he looked more like a good guy.
But when the enemy he faced was the stubborn people in the rear of Cheshi, he no longer needed to restrain his actions at all.
This chase and battle in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains and the yellow sand in the north ended when Duan Wei cut off the head of the king of the rear of Cheshi with a knife.
When they returned to Liuzhong, Lu Yuan's team was heading to the Qin Sea area surrounded by the Weixu and Yanqi countries between Qiuci and Cheshi. In later generations, this place had a name, called Bosteng Lake, and it was also the place where fishing was prevalent in the northern border.
However, when Bo Diao, who was in the queue, saw the grilled fish handed to him by the hospitable General Dayong, he could clearly smell the rare spices in it, but he still felt the pain of being unable to swallow it.
Along the way, the various countries in the northern border welcomed him with great enthusiasm, which gave him a clear signal: this newly established dynasty might be in its infancy, but it was already a lion cub that could tear the attackers to pieces!
He chose to make peace, which turned out to be an extremely wise decision for him.
This is the confidence of the great country of Central Plains!
Before the end of the dinner, the outcome of the Cheshi battle was settled with the reunion of Duan Wei and them, representing that the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions were formed after mutual annexation, and no one was willing to oppose Dayong at this time.
As long as we wait for the official decision from the Emperor of Dayong to reopen the Protectorate of the Western Regions, this place will once again become a place with a wise ruler.
He was just one step slower, but it meant a complete loss...
But it would do him no good to regret now and show any unwillingness on his face. It would be better for him to accept the reality as soon as possible. After all, their next place to rest would no longer be the territory of any small country, but Yumen Pass in Liangzhou.
The envoys from Shanshan, Qiemo, Jingjue, Shache, Wulei, Shule, Kangju, Dayuan, Qiuci, Cheshi and other countries, as well as the Kushan king, had to rush to this fortress.
Once they crossed this gate, they arrived in the territory of the Western Regions, closer to the heart of Dayong.
Liangzhou...
I heard that the commander-in-chief of this expedition to the Western Regions was the highest official of Liangzhou.
Bo Diao had never been to Liangzhou. He had only heard a little about the situation there from the merchants who traveled between the four counties of Hexi and the Kushan Empire.
I heard that the Qiang people here are fighting among themselves and have split into countless factions, and the local tyrants are also a kind of troublesome local force.
"Some of your information is really timely, while some is way behind." Hearing Bo Diao say this, Jiang Tang replied.
He knew that the Central Plains had become part of Dayong, but he did not know that earlier, Liangzhou had already gradually shown signs of being well-ordered.
In mid-June in Liangzhou, the grass and trees are lush and green.
Even the Wushaoling Mountain, with its changeable weather, displays a rare natural beauty.
Bo Diao looked at the people of Dayong coming and going around him. Seeing that this place, which was originally a border area, was suddenly prosperous, he couldn't help but show surprise on his face.
And when the scene of Guanzhong was officially presented before him as they passed through the Wei River Valley, his original hope that the soldiers of Dayong had forced him into a desperate situation was just an unexpected fluke had completely disappeared.
It was a vast field and the overlapping waves of wheat approaching the harvest that he could not even imagine, everyone was well-dressed that he could not imagine, and the patrol cavalry that he could not contend with with his own soldiers.
The gates of Chang'an City were opened to this self-proclaimed wise king, and the envoys from more than 20 small countries behind him. Although it was not like the City of Flowers where there were showy carvings everywhere, it brought a silent shock when the many gates were opened.
Anything that seemed common to the people in Chang'an was new to these foreign envoys.
They also had no idea how the high spirit that permeated the air in Chang'an was formed.
Bo Diao even completed the homage to the Emperor of Dayong in a trance.
When he was settled in the post house, he belatedly remembered that he had originally wanted to make a comparison with the emperor when he met him.
The ages at which the two ascended the throne were quite close, so who can guarantee that the other person wasn't luckier than him to get his current status?
But after suffering so many heavy blows in succession, he didn't even dare to look Qiao Yan in the eye during the meeting.
In the handwritten records found in the tomb of this Kushan king in later times, he wrote:
[The power of the dynasty is reflected in every blade of grass, every tree, every building and every pavilion. How can we compare ourselves with others? 】
[The emperor is so majestic that I dare not look at him.] 】
Even though the Kushan Empire was limited by its territory, it was still able to survive during the reign of the founding monarch of the Great Yong Dynasty. The Empire even received a lot of teachings on farming from the Central Plains, which brought a lot of benefits to the people under its rule. Bo Diao did not erase this sentence from the letter to show his respect for the Heavenly Dynasty.
However, this emperor, whom he regarded as "incomparable", did not feel complacent because this was the first foreign tribute since he became emperor. Instead, he had already arranged the subsequent actions on this sleepless night for him.
Hearing that Lu Yuan was interested in reclaiming land in the northern border to plant cotton, and that with the surrender of Qiuci and other countries, the conditions for this were indeed in place, Qiao Yan smiled and did not say anything about this fate, and immediately agreed with her idea.
The newly established Protectorate of the Western Regions happened to be located at the strategic location of this cotton field, and was naturally approved.
"There is one thing I want you to pay attention to," Qiao Yan added to Lu Yuan, "The area where Shanshan is located should not be swallowed up by the yellow sand just because of the change in the course of the Peacock River. If we don't want it to be completely buried under the sand one day, and we want it to open up military farms and follow the Central Plains' example so that the people living here can have enough food, we still have to make some preparations in advance."
Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Are you talking about the stability of the sand in the Western Region?"
"In fact, the Jingjue Kingdom, which lives in a swamp, already has laws related to this matter. For example, water cannot be used excessively. If someone uses it to flood the farmland of an enemy, they will be punished. It is also strictly forbidden to cut down the trees planted around, such as the saxaul, tamarisk, and sycamore trees, or else the horse will be confiscated. If a branch is cut without asking for permission, a cow will also be fined."
This is what the Queen of Jingjue told Lu Yuan when they were chatting through an interpreter.
Unfortunately, Jingjue is just a small country after all, and is not capable of supporting large-scale afforestation activities.
And now, with the cotton field reclamation work that Lu Yuan was about to carry out, the work of preventing wind and sand from blowing out to protect the homeland can also be started.
"Then I'll leave this matter to you and Gulando."
Qiao Yan couldn't help showing some satisfaction that Lu Yuan had gained a deputy during his trip to the Western Regions.
Now, there are not many things that need to be decided by her.
She thought for a moment and said, "One last thing—"
"I want to erect another monument on the top floor of Xuanyuan Pavilion."
These words were not spoken to Lu Yuan who was returning to the court, but to Huang Yueying who was called in front of her by her.
When Lu Yuan and others arrived in Chang'an, another thing was also delivered there at full speed.
It was the battle report and casualty list that Fu Gan sent after he met up with Yan Xing, Ma Chao and others.
Qiao Yan is holding this thing in his hand now.
Thinking about the difficulty of crossing Xuandu Mountain, where even in later generations one would die if one made the slightest mistake, I felt that the honor of being recognized by all the countries in the Western Regions was extremely heavy.
Those soldiers who died in this battle have not been able to return to their homeland, but were hastily buried on the glaciers and snow-capped mountains. For people today who attach great importance to "returning to their roots", this is a cruel ending.
She couldn't help but sigh, and then continued, "Order the Ministry of Works and the Academy of Painting to design an inscription on the stele. In the first line of the back, engrave the story of the recovery of the Protectorate of the Western Regions and the crossing of Xuandu Mountain."
It would be impossible to carve everyone's name on it.
As more and more soldiers shed their blood on the battlefields in later wars, and the Dayong Dynasty continued, more deeds would inevitably be recorded on the stele on the top floor. These names could be recorded truthfully in Dayong's documents, but not enough could be recorded on the stele.
But when these battles that were crucial to the founding of Dayong were depicted on it in this way, these soldiers who risked their lives to fight for the opportunity to fight when crossing the snow-capped mountains would never be just mentioned lightly by future generations.
"also--"
Huang Yueying couldn't understand why Qiao Yan's expression at this moment seemed to carry something else, but she could hear that in His Majesty's words at this moment, there was a firmness that would not allow anyone to refute it.
Regardless of whether placing the inscription on the top floor was unusual, she had no intention of changing her plan.
"On the front of the stele, write fourteen characters: The people are water, the ruler is the boat, water can carry the boat but can also overturn it."
"Write another line of small characters, seven words: Monument to the People's Heroes."
Not the common people.
It's the people.
The author has something to say:
①The concept of "people" actually already existed in "Book of Zhou Rites", but it did not seem to be used much in ancient times.
Mencius also said that the three treasures of the princes are: land, people, and government.
Even though it sounds a little childish, I feel like this is engraved in our DNA.
It was just in time to bring it up during this trip to cross the snowy ridge of Xuandu Mountain.
If someone in the court thinks that this should not be done, then Qiao Qiao can say, "Please go climb the snow mountain yourself."
The location of Xuandu Mountain, if it is some distance to the east, is actually the area of K2.
I don't even know how Gao Xianzhi of the Tang Dynasty led his people to attack Xiaobolü, so I said that the description of Ma Chao and his men's crossing was actually simplified.
The part about the Western Regions has ended, and the remaining things will be mentioned in the part about sea voyages and later generations.
There is no need to think that the actions of those countries such as killing the Northern Huns and presenting them with treasures were excessive. They did so during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Even at that time, the Han Dynasty did not have the time to deal with them.
If you don't cooperate now, you will have to worry about being liquidated.
Then, when cotton is grown on a large scale in the Western Regions and the Protectorate of the Western Regions is completely stabilized, it will be time for Lu Yuan to officially return and be promoted.
See you tomorrow morning at 9:30, the second extra chapter of HNA will be launched.
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