“You…”
Ma Chao found himself choked up, unable to continue.
Yu Fan was ruthless; even though he was trying to dissuade Ma Chao, he ended up getting himself insulted in the process. It made anyone wanting to refute him feel like they had no solid ground to stand on, fearing he might just spew something even more outrageous.
And honestly, when it came down to it, his words had a gritty kind of wisdom behind them.
Even though Ma Chao grew up in Liangzhou, he’d never crossed the Wu qiao ridge to reach the other side of the Hexi Corridor.
So, even if the strength of the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions was not that impressive, on this vast and sparsely populated land, the scalability of forming large settlements or communities named after kingdoms was quite limited. Given that the might of the Han Dynasty was mostly gone, trying to zip around multiple regions with quick skirmishes seemed highly impractical.
Plus, their main objective wasn’t to wipe out the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and turn all its citizens into subjects of Da Yong, but to squish the potential enemy lurking even farther west.
His Majesty wouldn’t allow them to just chase glory by recklessly sending troops!
In the Western Regions, countries had diverse languages and cultures and were split into southern and northern parts. Choosing Xu Rong as the commanding general here should set the tone.
Instead of launching a military offensive against the enemies, Qiao Yan preferred using the might of Da Yong’s soldiers against “outside foes,” like the Northern Xiongnu and the Kushan, while implementing a strategy of combining rewards and punishments to gradually subjugate the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions.
“Alright, everyone, let’s tone it down a bit.”
Seeing that Ma Chao’s anger had simmered down somewhat due to Yu Fan’s teasing, Lu Yuan quickly chimed in.
“As General Xu said, between the kingdoms of the Chariots lies the Tianshan mountains. If we’re unfamiliar with the terrain and cause one side to escape, fleeing into the Northern Xiongnu or towards the West beyond the Kangu and the Kushan will mean we’d get our movements revealed first. That wouldn’t be pretty.”
“How about we move from the southern borders and directly hit Shanshan? In the past, Loulan was caught between the Han and the Xiongnu, the Loulan king was useless and turned against the Han, leading to his demise. Then a new king was established who moved south to the eastern Kunlun with a new name—Shanshan. It’s time they returned to Da Yong’s territory!”
Going through the southern route!
This was the option Lu Yuan put on the table.
This direction was quickly recognized by the generals in Dunhuang, forming a complete plan for the advance with the help of merchant caravans and guides from the Western Regions.
The troop records from the Han Dynasty’s Wuji Prefect and the Western Region’s Changshi had also been drawn into Liangzhou from the government storehouse as references for Lu Yuan and others while planning diplomatic relations with the various kingdoms.
This military report found its way to Qiao Yan a few days later.
After the drought in the second year of Yuan Zhao was smoothly weathered, the voices of ambition in the court grew even clearer. This encouraged Qiao Yan to make a decisive call after discussing grain storage in government storehouses with the Grand Minister of Agriculture —
Deploy the troops!
Alongside this battle decision, another deployment order also reached Liangzhou simultaneously.
Duan Wei, a former general of Dong Zhuo, had initially prepared to guard the area around Huangzhong after getting Qiao Yan’s approval to bury Dong Zhuo in Liangzhou. What he didn’t expect was to receive a command from Qiao Yan for troop mobilization northward.
“Back in the day, Duan Ji Ming struggled throughout his life to find a foothold in court, forced to side with the eunuchs for wealth and status, only to later suffer disgrace, end up in prison, and die bitterly. It’s clear Duan Wei wasn’t on the same path as Dong Zhuo after he pulled his troops into Chang’an. If he were to just be a District Commander in Jincheng, that would be a lifelong regret.”
“Why not join the expedition against the Western Regions, make some achievements in battle, and ensure the Duan family of Wuwei is remembered in history?”
“Duan Wei’s past with Dong Zhuo is just a story from the Han Dynasty. Now, it’s the era of Da Yong; there’s no need to be stuck in the past.”
At the same time, the Grand Commandant Huangfu Song was stationed at Gaoping, overseeing the Qiang people in Liangzhou to prevent any ill-intentioned individuals from causing chaos once Lu Yuan, Xu Rong, and Duan Wei crossed the Yumen Pass.
This also ensured a steady supply of food to Dunhuang from the military camps in Guanzhong, Jincheng, and Wuwei.
This dual command from the Emperor was a perfect assurance for officials in Liangzhou!
For centuries, Liangzhou officials had been hindered by deep-rooted biases against the central government. Though Qiao Yan had begun promoting co-governance between Han and Qiang and restarting the Silk Road earlier, hope for change was still limited —
Xu Rong, the main general on the Liangzhou side, was from Liaodong, while Lu Yuan was from Yang Province, and the number of court officials originating from Liangzhou was scant indeed.
Only after this command was issued did everyone see the Emperor’s determination to change this situation!
Duan Wei had once followed Dong Zhuo into Luoyang and became a key figure guarding his barricades after Dong Zhuo retreated to Chang’an.
Had it not been for Qiao Yan taking into account his past efforts in Huayin to protect the people, he should have faced execution by now for his past sins, let alone being given the opportunity to be stationed in Jincheng.
If even someone like him could achieve merit, or rather, earn a shot at redemption, then other Liangzhou generals surely had a shot too.
Just as Qiao Yan said, Duan Wei’s past with Dong Zhuo was a matter from the Han Dynasty.
He had balanced his merits and faults already, so why crush the hopes of those just being given a chance in the Da Yong era?
Many Liangzhou leaders would be heading to the Western Regions, and with Huangfu Song’s stability in Liangzhou, it was a guarantee that the rear wouldn’t falter. This was also a promise the Emperor was giving them.
In Qingzhou, Jia Xu, hearing about this troop movement, couldn’t help but break into a grin.
His choice to follow Qiao Yan was precisely because this Emperor granted Liangzhou people the chance to fairly compete with others!
He had built an indispensable merit during the shifts of power, and after the peace was established, he sat comfortably in a position where, as long as he didn’t mess up, his son was safe and secure. Still, he was looking forward to seeing this very scene!
Even though the Emperor had obtained the world, troubled by affairs from afar, it was clear she hadn’t forgotten a single promise from her earlier years, nor let down her ministers.
However… the Emperor’s excellent memory could sometimes be a headache for those beneath her.
When the order for troop deployment reached Liangzhou, Jia Xu also sent reports on Qingzhou’s governance to Chang’an, receiving a response back from Qiao Yan shortly thereafter.
To his surprise, right after the formal wording, there was a cheeky line added —
“Wen He claimed to be the grandson of the late Grand Commandant Duan Ji Ming to avoid the scourge of bandits. Loyal General and Duan Ji Ming are of the same generation. What could Wen He possibly teach him when they march?”
Jia Xu: “…”
What the heck!
He went around claiming to be Duan Qiang’s grandson purely to dodge death, not because he wanted to claim some grandparent he didn’t need or turn Duan Wei into some elder!
Your Highness, there’s no need to take your quirky sense of humor this far!
But was Jia Xu’s advice to Duan Wei really that important? Clearly, it wasn’t.
In November, the troop and supply movements had already been set in place, with Ma Chao and Zhang He leading the vanguard, Fu Gan, Xu Rong, and Ma Dai making up the central troops, while Lu Yuan, Yu Fan, and Duan Wei were at the rear providing support as they all poured out of Yumen Pass, heading straight for the southern regions!
It had been decades since the last Central Plains dynasty sent troops to the Western Regions.
This was quite different from Xu Rong and the others transporting cotton and horses for “trade.”
This was a full-on military campaign with troops and horses ready!
Inside Yumen Pass and Yangguan, it was still lush with water and grass. However, crossing Yumen Pass and following the long-neglected Han Great Wall and the Shule River Valley westward, the wind and snow mixed with the dust from the crescent-shaped sand dunes came rushing towards them.
A desolate and vague sight lay before them.
The cold of November was dreadful, even worse than the snowfall of August on the nomadic tribes in the north.
If it weren’t for the cotton that had been cultivated in Bingzhou, which had increased dramatically over the years, and the fact that the soldiers fighting beyond the borders were wearing double-layered cotton coats, the loss of troops in this Western expedition would have been severe.
Yet even with such warm clothing, the challenges they faced were not just the cold.
Fortunately, they had compasses to help them stay oriented even with the sandstorms obscuring their vision, ensuring they wouldn’t get lost in the vast sea of sand.
They had plenty of military rations and water storage equipment to even turn the falling snow into usable water, keeping their hunger at bay.
They also had war horses equipped from the great horses of Dawan and local famous steeds, combined with horseshoes, which allowed the vanguard to advance as if it were solid ground.
“Since the Peacock River changed course, the lake and swamp areas around Puchang Sea have diminished significantly. If this continues, Shanshan will have to migrate further west,” the local guide explained to Lu Yuan. “But for now, we just need to follow this road down to reach Anishi City.”
To the east of this desert oasis lies what is now Lop Nur.
It wasn’t completely lifeless yet; it looked green enough, just slightly barren due to the onset of winter.
But when he climbed the walls of Anishi City, he realized that his subordinate’s warning was no exaggeration.
From the east came a sound resembling roaring thunder, approaching him with alarming speed, accompanied by rising dust unlike anything caused by a mere wind.
It truly resembled a sandstorm typical of the desert before it fully erupted.
But this was no ordinary sandstorm!
As the cloud drew near and Shanshan King looked out from the city walls, he could clearly see that what was coming was not a natural disaster, but—
Countless cavalry!
Even as a kingdom’s ruler, he couldn’t possibly muster such an impressive number of fine horses in an instant.
He hadn’t seen such exquisite armor and weapons in years.
This was something that shouldn’t appear in the Western Regions at all.
The cavalry that had finally burst into the oasis transformed from blurry silhouettes to clear figures, stepping onto this land with an imposing force as if descended from the heavens.
That was an enemy attack!
He almost cried out in a voice wavering with fear, “Hurry… stop them!”
The malicious intent of the newcomers was perfectly clear in their aggressive approach.
They couldn’t possibly be merchant caravans stopping for rest.
But how could the hastily assembled soldiers of Shanshan, lacking sufficient numbers of bows and arrows, possibly intercept Ma Chao and Zhang He’s advance?
In just a moment, the cavalry had completely swallowed up the patrolling troops and pushed towards the city under the hail of arrows!
The Shanshan King, who hadn’t witnessed such a scene in years, felt his legs weaken.
This wasn’t cowardice; it was simply fear of the overwhelming power displayed by the attackers!
Hiding behind the city walls, he nervously called down, “What do the Han want?”
Aside from the Great Han from the other end of the Hexi Corridor, no one could assault Shanshan like this at this moment.
At least not the Cheshir Kingdom!
This had to be the armies of Da Yong.
But soon he heard the leader below shout loudly, “You’re mistaken. We are not just any troops; we serve the Son of Heaven of Da Yong, and the glory of the Han dynasty is at an end! The present realm belongs to Da Yong!”
“Now under the orders of Your Majesty, we are here to quell the rebellious. You should surrender at once!”
