News of the Parthian king's public execution and the Han envoy's death in the Parthian palace quickly reached Yizhou.
Inside the Crown Prince's palace, Liu Cheng frowned as he listened to his subordinates' report on the deaths of Zhou Cang and others.
After waving his men away, Liu Cheng looked at Sima Yi with displeasure.
"Zhongda, I clearly devised an escape plan for Zhou Cang and the others, so why did they choose to fight to the death?"
Sima Yi remained calm and said slowly, "It was I who ordered them to do it!"
Liu Cheng's eyes narrowed: "Why do this? Those are all loyal and brave men of my Han Dynasty, why must they die?"
Sima Yi's expression remained calm: "For the sake of the Han Dynasty's reputation, I can bear the infamy, but the Han Dynasty cannot!!"
Moreover, it was all of their own free will. If the Han Dynasty needs me, I am willing to die for them!
Liu Cheng stared intently at Sima Yi, a sharp glint in his eyes. He couldn't help but recall his father's words to him: "Sima Yi, if you employ him, he will be loyal; if you suppress him, he will rebel!"
After letting out a soft breath, Liu Cheng waved his hand: "Alright, escort Zhou Cang and the others' wives and concubines back to the Han Dynasty, and submit a memorial to the Emperor to commend them for their merits, bestow titles upon them, and erect a monument in their honor!"
"Here you go!"
Sima Yi agreed and then bowed and withdrew.
After Sima Yi left, Liu Cheng summoned Chu Qian, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Guo Jia, Sun Ce, Ma Chao, and others.
Liu Cheng glanced at the crowd and said in a deep voice, "The Parthians killed our Han envoy, a heinous crime. If they are not punished, the might of our Han Dynasty will be lost! What do you all think we should do next?"
Sun Ce spoke first: "Your Highness, Anxi has offended our divine might and should be destroyed!"
“Indeed, the Han envoy is the face of the Han Dynasty. Parthia dared to invade, and only by eliminating them can we appease our anger!” Ma Chao echoed.
Liu Cheng nodded and looked at Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, what is the current situation of the military strength in Yizhou?"
"I recently visited military camps in various places. Now, within the territory of Yizhou, there are 2,000 Imperial Guards, 40,000 Navy troops, and 150,000 auxiliary troops."
The navy was commanded by four generals: Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zhu Su.
The 150,000-strong auxiliary army, ostensibly under the command of Kemolai, was actually governed by a group of instructors and staff officers—loyal and reliable!
Liu Cheng nodded, then looked at Lu Su: "How is the military preparedness?"
Lu Su replied, "Your Highness, the navy has 40,000 men, fully equipped, and its regulations are exactly the same as those of the Han mainland."
The equipment of the 150,000 attached troops was slightly inferior, roughly equivalent to that of the troops of the Han Dynasty's commanderies and kingdoms.
Illinois currently has three military factories, and their stockpiled armaments are enough to support our military for three years!
Liu Cheng nodded, then looked at Chu Qian and asked, "Shall we start the war now?"
Chu Qian shook his head: "Your Highness, Yizhou is currently in a period of development. Although the grain reserves in the treasury are enough to support the army's expedition, defeating Parthia is easy, but occupying it is unlikely."
Illinois will need to accumulate enough supplies over three years for the resettlement after the occupation of Parthia.
Upon hearing this, Liu Cheng nodded slightly. His purpose in coming here was to occupy Parthia and incorporate it into the territory of the Han Dynasty.
If we simply send troops to defeat them, we will have to allocate even more resources to develop and govern them afterwards, which would indeed be a losing proposition.
Guo Jia stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, although we cannot go to war right now, we can still declare war on Parthia and send troops to garrison Ansu to harass the cities near Yizhou. This will not only show our military's stance, but also allow us to take the opportunity to plunder some people and accelerate the development of Yizhou!"
"Hmm, Fengxiao's suggestion is good." Liu Cheng nodded and continued, "Also, send someone to inform all merchants in Kushan and Yizhou to sever all trade ties with Parthia from now on. We'll strangle Parthia from the economic front first!"
"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison.
Liu Cheng then looked at Chu Qian, "My dear minister, also send someone to tell those Persians to start their uprising as soon as possible!"
"Here you go!"
Chu Qian agreed and then left with the others.
After everyone left, Liu Cheng took out a token from his sleeve.
This token was given to him by Liu Hong when he left Luoyang. With this token, he could mobilize the two elite troops of Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan, who were stationed in the northern border of Parthia.
Afterwards, Liu Cheng summoned a member of the Imperial Guard and handed him the token: "Immediately send someone with this token to the northern border of Parthia to find Generals Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan, and have them join forces to cooperate with the Persians' actions!"
Here!
The Imperial Guards respectfully accepted the token, then bowed and withdrew.
...
April of the twenty-seventh year of the Kaiyuan era.
The northeastern region of Parthia was a settlement of Persians.
This place, bordered by the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east, boasts not only fertile land but also abundant fishery resources, making it a rare and prosperous region.
However, the Persians who occupied this land, due to the oppression and exploitation by the Parthians, miraculously combined the opposing concepts of wealth and poverty.
According to the Parthians' demands, the Persians had to hand over 90% of the grain they grew, the various aquatic products they caught, and the various daily necessities they produced each year as taxes.
The small number that remained could only barely keep half of the Persians from starving to death.
The Parthians did this to control the Persian population by constantly exploiting them and forcing them to provide them with money and food, revealing the extent of their malicious intent.
Throughout history, Persian kings have tried every means to lead three million Persians out of Parthian control and seek a peaceful life.
Unfortunately, the Parthians kept a close eye on the Persians. They not only stationed 40,000 troops south of the Persian settlements, but also stipulated that every five Persian households could only use one kitchen knife, completely eliminating any possibility of a Persian uprising.
Even when the Romans conquered Parthia, the Parthians never relaxed their surveillance of the Persians.
Therefore, over the years, the Persian king has also continuously sent people into Yizhou through various means, hoping to make contact with the Han army and obtain the protection of the Han Dynasty.
The Persian king's second son, Thiramai, was responsible not only for earning money to purchase food, but also for maintaining contact with the Han Dynasty.
After leaving Linhai City, Tiramay led a caravan, carrying the weapons provided to him by Liu Cheng, and detoured through the Kushan Mountains. After more than half a year, they finally entered the territory of the Persians through the northwest of the Kushan Mountains.
Inside the simple Persian royal palace.
The Persian king looked at his second son, Timara, with a look of delight.
"My son, are you saying that you really met the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty?"
"Yes, Father, the Crown Prince of Han is the most noble person I have ever seen, a true aristocrat. The Parthian King is like a clown in his presence!"
When Liu Cheng, the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, was mentioned, Tila Mai showed great respect.
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