I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1017 The Governor Bows His Head, Encircling and Suppressing the Prince (5K)

The Han army wants to help me become king?
Moroko slowly sat back on his throne, his fingers unconsciously clenching the letter. This letter from the powerful figure in the East, with its allure and threat conveyed between the lines, both tempted and wary him.

"My Kushan throne has a clear line of succession. What right do you, mere heretics from the East, have to claim to help me become king?"

"There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two masters on earth!"

Priest Kuthara raised his head and said:
"Now the heavens have sent down a proclamation: the Heavenly Emperor has descended upon the mortal realm in his own form. All rulers of the mortal world must bow down and worship him, submitting to the might of Heaven!"

"If Your Excellency is willing to obey the will of Heaven and accept the Emperor's investiture, then you will be the only legitimate king of Kushan!"

"There is nothing more authoritative or orthodox in the world than this!"

"What a fitting destiny!"

Moroko rolled his eyes.

He had expected to hear more constructive words, but the priest instead tried to persuade him from a theological perspective.

Honestly, this angle isn't entirely unacceptable.

After all, the divine right of kings has always been the most authoritative thing. Since ancient times, from tribal chiefs and city-state owners to the rulers of a country and kings of kings, everyone has cloaked their rule in a divine guise, claiming that they have received the blessing and recognition of the gods.

But the problem is-

"By what right do you represent the gods?"

Moroko sneered, his sharp gaze fixed on Judoro.

Although rulers throughout history have ruled the earth in the name of gods, very few have dared to shamelessly claim to be the incarnation of a god.

The general limit is to claim that one is a god's son or a god's messenger.

Such disrespect for Heaven made him very suspicious that the Han man truly possessed some extraordinary power, or was merely faking it.
However, faced with this problem, Judoro remained calm and smiled slightly:
“Your Excellency, among us mortals, there are countless gods in this world, but aside from legends, have you ever witnessed their divine power? The miracles performed by my Lord are truly real.”

Kutara slowly raised his hand, pointed to the bright sunlit sky outside the window, and said:
"Have you ever seen any other man who could, like my Lord, single-handedly conquer a city and cause an army to flee in terror?"

"Have you ever seen any human being who is as invulnerable to swords and spears, and immune to all poisons as my Lord?"

"Have you ever seen another human being, who can, like my Lord, unleash thunderous power with a wave of his hand and annihilate powerful enemies with a mere laugh?"

Kutara's voice grew increasingly impassioned, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism:
“The small city of Yan cannot withstand the thunderous might of my lord, and outside the city of Gabishi, General Sahir’s thousands of troops cannot stop him either.”

"Just a few days ago, my lord charged into battle single-handedly and routed the entire army! General Sahir knelt down and submitted on the spot! Is such divine might not enough to prove that he has the Mandate of Heaven?"

The council chamber was silent as the generals exchanged bewildered glances.

Although they were unwilling to believe it, the exaggerated battle reports from the front lines couldn't all be considered complete lies.

Moroko frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest. He had to admit that the Han general's record was indeed unbelievable.

But as a regional overlord, how could he easily believe these mystical sayings?

Especially since his next decision will affect the minds of countless people.
"Perhaps that Han general does have some skills, but you are a Brahmin, so you should know very well."

Moroko said coldly:

"Our Kushan Empire is protected by the gods. Buddha, Brahma, Indra, Ahura Mazda, and so on... aren't they all supreme beings who are awe-inspiring in all directions? Those Han people are just foreigners from the East. What makes them dare to claim the Mandate of Heaven, to say that their Heavenly Emperor is the rightful ruler, and to demand that we, their people, submit to him?"

"Haha, Your Excellency, you've misunderstood!"

Kutara laughed heartily and explained:
"Throughout history, there has only ever been one truly supreme deity in this world."

"He created the vast world and rules over all realms. In different countries, people call him by different names—we Brahmins call him Indra, Buddhists call him Indra, Parthians call him Ahura, Greeks call him Zeus, Romans call him Jupiter, and in the Eastern lands, he is revered as the Heavenly Emperor and God, etc."

Finally, Kutara clasped his hands together, his eyes shining with piety, and said:

"And our Lord is the incarnation of the Heavenly Emperor in the mortal realm. He descended to earth to end this chaotic world of strife. If Your Excellency is the first to convert, you will surely gain immeasurable merit!"

hiss--

Judoro's words caused everyone present to gasp in shock, and Governor Moroko narrowed his eyes, his heart filled with turmoil.

He had to admit that the priest's sophistry was indeed brilliant—unifying the supreme deities of different religions into a single being both resolved the conflict of faiths and provided a theoretical basis for the Han general's divinity.
Of course, this is on the premise that he truly has the ability to perform miracles and convince the people.

To this question, Judoro laughed heartily: "What's so difficult about that?"

As he spoke, Judo clapped his hands, and another servant brought out a small box and presented it to him. It was the hand grenade that Su Yao had brought.

"This is a magical weapon bestowed upon me by the Heavenly Emperor, named the Palm Thunder. It can summon the power of thunder and fire to destroy all evil spirits." Judoro held up the hand thunder, his expression solemn. "If Your Excellency does not believe me, you may come with me outside to test its divine power!"

Moroko stared at the dark iron ball, his brow furrowed. Although he didn't believe in ghosts or gods, the object before him did indeed seem eerie.

He clearly remembered that in the battle reports brought back by the defeated soldiers, they all said that a group of sorcerers in the Han army did indeed summon rolling thunder, which made them cry out for their parents.

Their army crumbled at the mere sight of those sorcerers' thunderous power.

After a moment of contemplation, Moroko slowly stood up: "Very well, I'd like to see just how wondrous your magical artifact is!"

Outside the Governor's Mansion, on a spacious drill ground.

Moroko and his civil and military officials stood at a distance, while Judoro stood in the center of the field, holding a grenade.

He took a deep breath, exchanged a few words with the Han envoy and the translator, and then, following Su Yao's instructions, pulled the fuse.
Just then, the advisor Parvaz suddenly spoke up: "Wait!"

Everyone turned to look, and saw the advisor Palvas stroking his beard and saying, "Since this is a test of the power of heavenly thunder, how can it be done without a reference point?"

Judoro squinted and asked, "Then what kind of reference point does this gentleman want to look at?"

Parvaz chuckled and said, "I heard in the battle reports that thunder roared that day, shattering our armor and burning our men and horses to ashes."

After saying this, Parvaz waved his hand, and several soldiers immediately carried over an armored wooden figure and placed it ten paces in front of Kutara.

“If you truly possess the power of heavenly lightning, you should be able to cleave this armored wooden figure in two,” Parvaz said, squinting.

"Oh——"

The Kushan generals suddenly erupted in commotion.

They could tell that the dummies Palvaz had put on were not wearing the armor of their ordinary soldiers, but rather the genuine general's armor made of Wootz steel!
This armor is incredibly sturdy; ordinary swords and blades can hardly scratch it. If it could truly be cleaved in two with a single blow, it would certainly be something that those charlatans could not accomplish with their tricks.
As a result, everyone focused their attention on Judoro, wanting to see if the divine treasure he spoke of was truly a magical artifact.

"Hahaha!"

Kutara laughed three times, showing no fear but rather delight, and said:

"The Palm Thunder is a treasure bestowed by the gods. What is mere iron armor? Don't even mention one dummy. Even if you bring out ten armored dummies, I can smash them all to pieces!"

Having said that, Jutara took a few steps back, then without hesitation pulled the fuse and hurled the grenade at the armored wooden dummy—

"boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out, followed by towering flames and billowing smoke. The shockwave even knocked over several unsuspecting soldiers who were watching the commotion, and the training ground was instantly filled with smoke and dust.

When the smoke cleared, the armored wooden figure was blown to pieces, its steel armor twisted and deformed, with fragments scattered all over the ground.

Dead silence.

The once bustling training ground fell into a deathly silence. Those who witnessed the scene even forgot to breathe, all stunned by the sudden explosion.

"Heavenly lightning, is this really the power of heavenly lightning?" A general was speechless.

Although the armor wasn't completely shattered, the wooden dummy's fate spoke volumes. Without a doubt, any living person wearing heavy armor would not fare much better after being hit like that.

Moroko's expression was grave as he slowly stepped forward to examine the traces of the explosion. He crouched down, picked up a twisted piece of armor, his fingers trembling slightly.

Such a small iron ball contains such immense power. How could this be achieved by human strength?
Moroko took a deep breath and suddenly turned to the Han envoy: "How many of these 'palm-sized thunderbolts' does your Han army have?"

The Han envoy smiled slightly and replied in broken Kushan language, "It is inexhaustible."

This answer sent a shiver down Moroko's spine.

He realized that regardless of whether it was a true miracle, if the Han army could indeed utilize this weapon on a large scale, then any resistance he offered would be futile.
“Your Excellency,” Kutara stepped forward, “you have witnessed the power of the Heavenly Emperor. Now, it is time to make a choice—to submit to Heaven’s will, or…”

He didn't finish his words, but the threat was clear.

Moroko remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly: "Very well, I am willing to cooperate with the Han army. But there is one condition—Prince Bodiao must be dealt with by me personally."

"What does it mean?"

Judoro squinted and said with dissatisfaction:
"Does the Heavenly Emperor not understand? Prince Bo Diao's crimes are heinous, does the Governor intend to protect him?"

"No, the angel has misunderstood."

Moroko's attitude became noticeably more respectful, and he said:
“Prince Botiao is of the bloodline of the Kushan royal family. Even if he has committed a heinous crime, he should be dealt with by the Kushan people themselves and punished according to the law.”

"However, I can later offer its head to the Heavenly Emperor. Wouldn't that better demonstrate the Heavenly Emperor's power?"

Judoro frowned as he saw that the governor was unwilling to hand over the person, but the Han envoy next to him saw through the situation.

Presumably, the governor feared that if the Han army captured the legitimate prince, they would become a valuable asset and a threat to his power in the future, which is why he was only willing to hand over the head.

"This matter can be discussed later. The most urgent task at hand is for the governor to send troops to encircle and annihilate the remnants of Bo Diao's forces as soon as possible, and to prevent him from escaping back to the capital."

Moroko narrowed his eyes, sizing up the Han envoy who had suddenly interrupted. Although the man was noble and spoke with a harsh tone, he possessed a composed and dignified air about him.

He was unaware that in the Han Dynasty, the position of Han envoy was not one that just anyone could hold.

Envoys are messengers of a nation, bearing the important responsibility of communication and exchange.

However, after Emperor Wu of Han, Han envoys were often accompanied by death, but at the same time, it also meant extremely high rewards.

The Nanyue people killed the Han envoy and massacred them, dividing the area into nine commanderies.

The King of Wan killed the Han envoy and had his head displayed at the northern gate.

The Koreans who killed the Han envoy were immediately executed.

Behind these bold words lies the majesty forged by countless Han people with their lives and blood.

The Han envoy before them was Chen Deng, a man from Xiapi, who had been carefully selected by Guo Jia, a strategist under Su Yao, and had previously served as Su Yao's envoy in place of Tao Qian.

Although his speech was not very fluent, he exuded an aura of domineering spirit that said, "Those who offend the mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished."

Moroko pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, we'll discuss this later. But Bo Diao must die; that's the bottom line."

"However, the mountains are numerous and Prince Bo Diao is as elusive as a rat, so his location cannot be determined. For now, I can only send people to guard the key roads and wait until his whereabouts are discovered before launching a large-scale attack to annihilate him."

That's true.

The Hindu Kush Mountains are a colossal mountain range with an average elevation of about 5000 meters and an east-west length of about 1600 kilometers. They occupy more than three-quarters of the territory of present-day Afghanistan and are the foundation of its reputation as the "graveyard of empires".

The terrain here is complex and the mountain passes are all important routes. However, Prince Bo Diao is hiding so much that it is not easy for him to catch him in the first place.

For now, all he can do is guard the mountain passes closely, and he will have to take the initiative to attack once the prince's supplies run out.
Alternatively, they could simply wait at the Khyber Pass, the only place where a large army could penetrate deep into India.

"Of course, if your Heavenly Emperor can issue a divine decree to reveal the whereabouts of that traitor, then my governor will naturally be able to capture him as soon as possible."

A general stepped forward and said with a hint of sarcasm.

Clearly, even in the face of this miracle, there are still people who are not entirely convinced.

But that doesn't matter. Chen Deng and Juduoluo exchanged a glance, then smiled slightly and took out an exquisite map from their pockets.

“What’s so difficult about that?” Chen Deng unfolded the map and pointed to a valley. “The Heavenly Emperor has long been aware of Prince Bo Diao’s movements. He is currently hiding in the Bamiyan Valley, trying to detour north to avoid the Governor’s defenses.”

Moroko's pupils contracted slightly—the Bamiyan Valley was indeed a weak point in his defenses.

But the terrain there is treacherous, and ordinary scouts would have no chance to explore it. How could the Han people know so clearly?

“If you don’t believe me, my lord, you can send elite cavalry to investigate.” Juduoluo clapped his hands and laughed. “But you must be quick. According to the Heavenly Emperor’s prophecy, Bo Diao will break camp and head south in three days at the latest. By then, it will probably be much more difficult for you to catch up.”

"Three days?"

Moroko's face was gloomy. Even if you were riding a fast horse, it would take three days to get there from here.

However, Prince Bo's army is not so easy to deal with. It is uncertain whether the vanguard light cavalry can take them down.

Parvaz suddenly interjected, "If what the angel said is true, we will immediately send troops to encircle and annihilate them. But before that," he gave Chen Deng a meaningful look, "the Han army must retreat to the north of Kapisa to show their sincerity."

"At the same time, I hope the angels can give us some Heavenly Thunder and Palm Thunder to help our army defeat Bo Diao."

Parvaz didn't just say that casually, because he had keenly sensed that, judging from the luggage of those burly envoys, there was definitely more than one Palm Thunder.

If we could acquire these powerful weapons, we could not only enhance our own combat strength, but also study their secrets and even replicate them.
Upon hearing his request, Chen Deng and Juduoluo exchanged a glance, then smiled and nodded.

It turns out that everything was exactly as Su Yao had predicted.

If he could provide some weapons and let these two groups fight each other to solve his problem, he would naturally be happy to see it happen.

“My lord was prepared in advance and ordered us to bring two boxes of twenty palm-sized grenades, specifically for the purpose of suppressing the bandits.”

"Now that the governor has allied with me, I will present these magical artifacts to him. I hope you will not disappoint my lord."

"As for the matter of withdrawing troops..."

Chen Deng replied calmly, "Our army is currently resting and will not be heading south into the mountains for the time being. However, if we do not see Bo Diao's head within ten days..."

Chen Deng paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, before Juduoluo continued:

"Then the Heavenly Emperor's thunderous wrath is probably something that an armored wooden dummy cannot withstand."

Moroko's expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, angel, within ten days, I will surely take Botiao's head and present it before the throne of the Heavenly Emperor!"

That night, there were frequent troop movements inside and outside Gaofu City.

Moroko first dispatched 3,000 light cavalry vanguards led by his trusted generals, carrying a total of twelve hand grenades, to rush towards the Bamiyan Valley. Then he personally mobilized more than 10,000 elite troops from the city and the garrison troops from the surrounding areas of the valley, and the army advanced towards the Bamiyan Valley in three routes.

Just in case, he also left Parvaz to oversee the high-ranking officials and monitor the movements of the Han army.

Thus, a vast net was quietly cast across the Bamiyan Valley, gradually driving Prince Botiao into a deadly trap.
As for Su Yao himself, he had just welcomed Zhang Liao and a portion of the main rear army in the city of Kapisa.

"Your Highness, this Governor-General of the North you mentioned, is he really capable of dealing with that prince?" Zhang Liao asked in a low voice.

"That's not right! If he really kills that prince, then I, Zhang Fei, won't have a chance to make a name for myself!" Zhang Fei exclaimed anxiously, his eyes wide.

Su Yao laughed and said, "Yide, don't be anxious. We've already come this far, are we afraid there won't be any battles to fight?"

"Even if we quickly reach Kushan, there will be peace right before our eyes."

"The premise is that this governor can really solve their prince problem," Guo Jia frowned slightly.

"What, does Fengxiao think he can't do it?" Su Yao asked.

Guo Jia lightly waved his feather fan and replied, "Although the Governor-General of the North holds a large army, this Prince Bo Diao is, after all, a general who has fought countless battles. I have heard that apart from Your Highness, he has never suffered a defeat in Kushan."

"Even with the palm-shaped lightning we provided, I'm worried that this formidable opponent won't submit so easily. We should be prepared for the worst."

(End of this chapter)