Chapter 434

Chapter 434

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Side Story: The Storm of the Western Regions (3)

The establishment of Shanshan was due to the conflict between the Han and the Xiongnu, and it was only under the leadership of the Han that the capital was settled here.

This early stance allowed the King of Shanshan to learn the Han language during the inheritance of national power.

Therefore, when Ma Chao shouted that reply, he heard it clearly.

Subsequently, someone repeated Ma Chao’s words in Tocharian and Qiuci languages to ensure there were no misunderstandings.

But what does it mean—

“The Han Dynasty’s royal enterprise has ended, and the Central Plains now belong to Da Yong”?

The King of Shanshan looked confusedly at the generals and soldiers below.

Apart from Ma Chao’s vanguard troops, more soldiers were arriving at the city walls of Wuni.

Their elite demeanor made the King of Shanshan doubt that with such a force, they could not only easily defeat his patrols from afar but also scale the city walls as if they were nothing.

Just the actions and equipment in this encounter were enough to convey this message!

Thinking that several of his eastern outposts had not had time to send him messages before the enemy arrived at the city gates, the King of Shanshan realized that this was not just due to Ma Chao’s unexpected arrival but also because of the vast difference in strength between them.

Although the Hexi Corridor had not been officially activated for years, and the Protectorate of the Western Regions had long been abandoned, the King of Shanshan had not noticed such a sudden upheaval in the Han territory. But now, whether it was the Han or Da Yong made no difference.

That was the insurmountable gap between the Central Plains’ powerful state and their small border country.

“He better be sensible,” Ma Chao looked up at the city walls, his eyes showing eagerness.

Zhang He felt that when Ma Chao talked about the other party being sensible, it sounded more like he hoped they would resist so he could have a proper fight.

Marching across desert dunes was no obstacle for a young general like Ma Chao, who had roamed Liangzhou.

In this march that would wear down ordinary people’s spirits, he maintained a strong offensive momentum, boosting his cavalry’s morale to its peak as they approached Shanshan.

If not for terrain limitations and the primary and secondary objectives of the march, perhaps with a strong army under his command, Ma Chao could have conquered the entire Western Regions through continuous warfare.

He was a natural-born warrior.

No wonder His Majesty had to temper his character through various assignments before sending him back to this land!

Unfortunately, the places where he could shine might be in Cheshi, the Xiongnu’s Kangju territory, or the Kushan region, but not in Shanshan.

“He won’t fight,” Zhang He said confidently. “Even with all the soldiers and civilians in Wuni, they can’t match our elite troops besieging the city. Moreover, they can’t afford the cost of relocating and renaming again.”

From the old capital of Loulan near the corridor to the current Wuni, from Loulan to Shanshan, the changes they faced were not just a name change.

If they were to relocate again under the Central Plains’ dynasty and establish a new ruler obedient to them, their strength and voice would be further diminished, possibly to the level of Qiemo and Jingjue, at risk of being annexed by stronger nations. What would be the point?

The King of Shanshan thought this as he peered through the battlements.

The specifics of Da Yong replacing the Han were unknown in their remote region, but the fact that they could send such a large force from afar indicated that the Central Plains were no longer in chaos.

Even stronger than when Ban Chao was sent to the Western Regions, they could now deal with these small border countries.

What could he compare to them?

Perhaps the only thing comparable was the length of their founding history.

But that was something that could be rewritten at any time.

He gritted his teeth and made a decision after various thoughts flashed through his mind, “Quick, send someone out to surrender!”

If the enemy, having come from afar, insisted on annihilating them, they could still send a few escapees through the surrounding terrain. With their precedent, other parties would have to consider quickly uniting to teach these invading Da Yong troops a lesson.

During the first Western Expedition to Dayuan by General Li Guangli of the Han, only one-tenth of the soldiers returned safely, showing that numbers were of little use in this unfamiliar territory for Central Plains soldiers!

Even ants can kill an elephant.

But while that’s true, the King of Shanshan didn’t want to push things to that point unless necessary.

People always want to live, especially someone like him who sits on the throne of a country.

Fortunately, when his subordinate returned, it wasn’t with the enemy’s determination to breach the city but with—

The Governor of Liangzhou, under the decree of the Son of Heaven of Da Yong, had restarted the Protectorate of the Western Regions and arrived near Shanshan. If he was willing to surrender, as the first of the thirty-six countries of the Western Regions to submit to Da Yong, she could request the King of Shanshan to be enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guiyi.

But the condition was that he had to cooperate with all Da Yong’s actions in the Western Regions.

“This condition isn’t bad,” the Assistant Marquis, the second-in-command, said upon hearing the news and seeing the King of Shanshan not immediately deciding. “We haven’t witnessed the transition from Han to Da Yong, but with a new dynasty comes new subjects. The northern and southern routes of the Western Regions start with Shanshan and Cheshi. If we seize the opportunity to develop the southern route with Da Yong’s support, it’s better than sitting idly by as the resources of Lop Nur dwindle.”

Seeing the King of Shanshan silent, the Assistant Marquis added, “I know what you’re worried about. Back when Loulan became Shanshan, it was because the Han envoy said the Han Emperor would reward them but killed the King of Loulan during the banquet. But don’t forget, if they really wanted our heads, they wouldn’t need to go through such trouble!”

Fu Jiezi’s mission to the Western Regions was with a light cavalry, but what about the troops below the city now?

In the time it took for the King of Shanshan to send someone out to surrender, the Da Yong troops from afar increasingly showed a pressing, overwhelming force.

He might still have a chance to send messages out, but to believe his desperate struggle could trouble the enemy was pure fantasy!

They didn’t need to see the offered terms as a trap.

Under such a relaxed siege, he had no value to be schemed against!

“You’re right…” the King of Shanshan murmured, then raised his voice, “You’re right, I shouldn’t hesitate at such a critical moment.”

He resolutely replied, “We will go out quickly!”

If they were late, even the position of Marquis of Guiyi would be gone, how unfair.

Judging by the direction of the Da Yong troops’ advance, they must have already passed through Shanshan’s eastern settlements.

And there, not only were there Shanshan people who had migrated from Loulan, but also the Ruo Qiang tribe they had annexed decades ago. Who knows if they would seize the opportunity to rise again.

With such thoughts, when the King of Shanshan arrived at the rear military tent of this expedition and met Lu Yuan, he didn’t even have time to be surprised that the Governor of Liangzhou commanding this force was a woman. He quickly expressed Shanshan’s willingness to submit to Da Yong.

Besides sending envoys through Liangzhou to Guanzhong to offer sincere greetings to the new Son of Heaven of Da Yong who had recently replaced the Han, he was also willing to guide the Da Yong troops, showing them the locations of the capitals of Qiemo and Jingjue on the southern route of the Silk Road.

“Qiemo is located upstream of the river, and Jingjue also lives by the water. Why do we need your guidance?” Ma Chao couldn’t help but ask.

This King of Shanshan was taking himself too seriously.

Thinking of the troops he led, the King of Shanshan calmed himself and replied, “As the General said, Qiemo is upstream, living by the water source, naturally easy to find. Jingjue is the same, yet not the same.”

“In summer, their dwelling is a swampy, humid area, hard to traverse. In winter, though less muddy than summer, it’s still densely covered with reeds, making paths hard to find.”①

“Your cavalry is indeed brave, perhaps unmatched in the world, but dare I ask, General, if you were to fight in such an environment, with enemies possibly emerging from the reeds at any moment, what would your chances of victory be?”

“You needn’t consider the possibility of burning them down; Jingjue’s guards have surely considered that.”

Ma Chao carefully observed the King of Shanshan’s expression, realizing he wasn’t lying.

“Living in muddy lands, surrounded by swamps and reeds, though possible…”

Using the strategy of the cunning rabbit with three burrows, wouldn’t it make the situation even more difficult, prompting the choice of a more suitable residence?

But as soon as Ma Chao asked this question, he suddenly realized that he probably shouldn’t have asked it.

Among the “countries” of the thirty-six states of the Western Regions, some territories might not even be as vast as a large county in the Central Plains.

Even Shanshan, a powerful country on the southern route of the Western Regions, is in such a vulnerable state, let alone those smaller countries.

The choice of such a living place ensures sufficient water sources and allows for effective attacks against invaders even with inferior weapons.

It is indeed the best environment the other party could choose.

Lu Yuan obviously thought the same, “The wisdom of small countries’ survival is rare.”

If these two countries are indeed as the King of Shanshan described, then Qiemo can be forced to surrender by the advancing vanguard, while Jingjue… is more suitable for a diplomatic mission led by a team of elite soldiers to persuade, following the example of Ban Chao in the past.

This decision was approved by Xu Rong.

So when Ma Chao and Yan Xing marched straight to Qiemo to make it submit to Da Yong, under Lu Yuan’s orders, Jiang Tang and Ma Dai led fifty cavalry, guided by a Shanshan envoy, towards Jingjue.

The Da Yong forces stationed in Shanshan initially thought that good news from the west would come within a few days, but to their surprise, five days later, Qiemo surrendered quickly as they had guessed, and even its king quickly prepared to meet the Da Yong envoy. However, the situation in Jingjue was somewhat special.

When Jiang Tang hurried back to Shanshan, he brought not only the news of Jingjue’s surrender but also an unexpected message for Lu Yuan.

“The current heir of Jingjue is a woman. After hearing about our military might and the situation in Da Yong, the Queen of Jingjue wants to ask the Prefect a question.”

“She said, Jingjue’s survival is difficult, having to play both sides between Yutian and Shanshan. Even if we submit to Da Yong now, with the distance being so great, if there is a threat of annexation, it would be hard to get support from Da Yong. So… what’s the use of today’s submission?”

Perhaps because the Queen of Jingjue learned about the Da Yong Empress from Jiang Tang’s visit, and the task of reclaiming the Western Regions was entrusted to a female Governor, even the visiting envoy was a Qiang woman, the Queen saw an opportunity to break the deadlock and made a rare, bold decision.

Jiang Tang said, “She said, among the southern route countries, Yutian and Shanshan are the strongest, with Yutian being particularly powerful. The King of Yutian has annexed Pishan, Qule, Ronglu, and Wumi over twenty years, amassing over thirty thousand soldiers. Although not all are gathered in the capital, it’s impossible for Da Yong envoys to persuade them with words alone. If it comes to war, Yutian’s soldiers, waiting at ease, might not be defeated by Da Yong.”

The expressions of those present didn’t turn grim at this news, but they all became more serious.

Yutian’s annexation style clearly shows the current King of Yutian’s approach.

In the chaotic Western Regions, the capable rule. This is an ambitious monarch!

When Ban Chao arrived in Yutian, the then King of Yutian chose to kill the Northern Xiongnu envoy and submit to the court after Ban Chao killed the Yutian shaman and explained the stakes of the Han-Xiongnu conflict. Today’s King of Yutian probably wouldn’t!

This battle is inevitable.

Lu Yuan chuckled, breaking the momentary silence in the council tent, “I originally thought this Western Regions expedition was a chance for the generals here to compete for military merits. Facing Yutian’s strong forces, it’s time to show your skills. It seems your competitors are not just your colleagues but also this Queen of Jingjue.”

Was she trying to demoralize Da Yong’s forces by refusing to honor Da Yong as the superior court, saying her submission is meaningless, perhaps doomed to be annexed, and that Yutian to the west is strong and ambitious?

Obviously not!

She was seizing an opportunity to prove herself.

Indeed, Jiang Tang continued, “She said, Da Yong’s forces have arrived here, and the news hasn’t leaked yet. If we don’t take this chance to strike Yutian, showing them that their thirty thousand soldiers are no match for our elite generals, trouble will inevitably arise.”

An ambitious King of Yutian, facing the chaos of the Kushan Empire to the west and Da Yong’s inability to reinforce from the east, might indeed entertain unnecessary thoughts.

And when Ma Chao and others previously besieged Shanshan, with the enemy’s forces not insignificant, they need a strike against Yutian!

A well-planned strike.

“The Queen of Jingjue volunteers to be the vanguard, using Shanshan’s intention to annex as a pretext to seek Yutian’s aid, opening a breakthrough for our forces.”

This is the only chance for Jingjue to rise by leveraging Da Yong’s control over the Western Regions.

So even if this vanguard move is risky, she must try!

Lu Yuan looked around at the faces in the tent, amused to see the competitive spirit growing stronger as they realized another competitor had emerged.

After a moment of thought, she replied, “I want to meet this Queen of Jingjue.”

Using a small Western Regions country’s ruler as a vanguard sounds tempting but is indeed a risky move.

After all, even without the Queen of Jingjue’s help, with their current setup in the Western Regions, taking Yutian wouldn’t be too difficult.

But if this move can strengthen the relationship between the Western Regions countries and Da Yong, and facilitate a screening and merging process, it would undoubtedly benefit Da Yong’s future governance here.

So she must personally meet the Queen of Jingjue to confirm her true intentions.

And to see if she can truly bear the responsibility of being the vanguard.

Jiang Tang replied, “She is already waiting ten miles from the camp.”

When the Queen of Jingjue entered the tent, those present saw not the exotic beauty one might imagine from the title “Queen of Jingjue,” but a woman with a somewhat reserved demeanor, only showing a bit of aggression in her slightly deep features and strong arm muscles.

With Jiang Tang’s translation, she and Lu Yuan smoothly completed their exchange.

From their brief conversation, Lu Yuan could easily discern the Queen’s character.

This Queen of Jingjue, calling herself Gulanduo, due to her country’s small size, had to strategize for survival. This bold attempt to leverage a small force against a larger one might be her all-or-nothing move.

But once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back. When she made her decision, she was determined to give it her all!

“Pleasure working with you,” Lu Yuan nodded and smiled at her.

From Jiang Tang’s translation, the Queen of Jingjue replied, “May Yutian’s jade fill the envoy’s chariot after this battle.”

Yutian jade is… Hetian jade, a specialty of Yutian.

This is indeed a very practical blessing.

Lu Yuan thought that this Queen of Jingjue would probably get along well with their Empress.

——————

At the end of December, a gift arrived in Chang’an along with a progress report on the military campaign.

Qiao Yan felt the warm Hetian jade in her hand and asked Cai Zhaoji, who happened to come to report official business, “What do you think about using this as material for next year’s Victory Coin?”

Author’s Note:

This is what you call a limited-edition commemorative coin (x)

① From “Book of Han: Records of the Western Regions”

Don’t look at it being in the Tarim Basin, the environment of the ancient Jingjue Kingdom is strangely marshland and reeds.

Actually, Jingjue isn’t said to have a queen, only the ancient city of Jingjue.

But it’s a bit of a stereotype 23333, as if mentioning Jingjue brings to mind the Queen of Jingjue.

No big deal, no big deal, if Liangzhou can have female generals, why can’t Jingjue have a queen.

An Empress having a vassal queen is quite reasonable. (But in the future, the Western Regions Protectorate won’t maintain the thirty-six states’ fragmented state, it’s just the current naming.)

To prevent confusion about the current map, a brief explanation.

The Silk Road splits into southern and northern routes in the Western Regions. Currently, advancing on both routes isn’t possible. Under Lu Yuan’s leadership, the southern route was chosen. So the order is Shanshan – Qiemo – Jingjue – Yutian, crossing the Congling Mountains to reach the Kushan Empire.

Jushi – Qiuci – Dayuan – Kangju are on the northern route, also the route Xu Rong took to seize horses. By this time, the Northern Xiongnu were already living under the protection of Kangju.

Slams table, it’s not that I want to continue daily updates, but after the main story ended, even those who came back to read the completed work were few, and the earnings are lower than before completion. I have to keep updating daily, or with this drop, I won’t make it to the completion list QWQ.

Jinjiang’s ranking mechanism depends on earnings, and with the story being too long, many read pirated copies, nothing can be done. For others, completing the main story is a takeoff, but for me, it’s a crash landing, so I can only keep updating steadily.

Now I’m very glad I bought a cat two months ago, so healing, at least it helps stabilize my mood. Very clingy, never sick, and loves cleanliness, cats are great w.

See you tomorrow at 9:30 AM, sticking to early rising till the end of the month.

Next book really won’t be this long (shouting!)