I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1021 Han and An Join Forces?

Not long after, the summoned Parthian envoy arrived before Su Yao at the Kapisa Governor's Mansion.

"Are you the messengers of Parthia?"

Su Yao sat upright on the gilded throne, his piercing gaze sweeping over the group of weary travelers from afar.

The leading Parthian messenger was tall with deep-set eyes and a high nose. He wore a felt hat embroidered with gold thread and dressed simply yet smartly. However, his face was mostly obscured by a deliberately grown beard.

This is the typical attire of a traveling merchant from the Western Regions.

Clearly, due to war and road problems, the envoy did not reveal his identity along the way, but instead found his way here under the cover of a caravan.

"The esteemed commander-in-chief of the Han Dynasty."

The messenger bowed respectfully in fluent Sogdian: "I am Anmoti, and I have come to pay my respects by order of King Vologasis V, the King of Kings."

Just as the Sogdian translator was about to speak, Su Yao raised his hand to stop him: "No need to translate, I understand." He spoke these words in standard Persian, which startled the Parthian envoy, causing his pupils to shrink slightly.

"I never expected that the general would be fluent in our language."

A flicker of surprise crossed Anmoti's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said, bowing his head:
"It is truly an honor for us."

Su Yao smiled slightly: "The envoy has come from afar, may I ask what brings you here?"

Anmoti straightened his back and said loudly, "His Majesty heard that the General led the Heavenly Army on a western expedition to punish the disobedient, and specially ordered me to come and express my respect. The Kushans are arrogant and have repeatedly violated the border. They are truly the common enemy of our two countries."

He paused, then took out a roll of parchment from his robes: "This is written by His Majesty the Emperor himself, wishing to form an alliance with the General to jointly attack the Kushan Empire. After the annihilation of the Kushan Empire, the Hindu Kush Mountains will serve as the boundary, with the area north of the mountains belonging to the Han Dynasty and the area south belonging to Parthia. We will be forever united in our alliance."

Su Yao took the parchment, glanced at the Pahlavi and Sogdian writing on it, and casually handed it to Guo Jia: "Interesting. It seems the Parthians also want a piece of the pie, but..."

"Using the Hindu Kush Mountains as the boundary?" Guo Jia snorted coldly after the translation explained the situation. "This Parthian king has quite a plan."

"Yes, yes!"

Zhang Fei also said with a dissatisfied look:

"Our prince annihilated his prince's army of 100,000, and made the greatest contribution in this battle. The Parthians sent an envoy with nothing but empty words, wanting to take away the richest land south of the mountains? What kind of good deal is this!"

"An army of one hundred thousand?"

Anmoti was startled when he heard the translator's words.

He was already quite surprised when he arrived here.

After all, his initial destination was the capital of Dayuan. He even thought that he would have to find a way to cross the battlefield full of war and run to the other side of the Pamir Mountains to find the commander of the Han Dynasty.

But to his utter surprise, just as he was detouring through Khwarezm, he heard that the Han army had already invaded Kushania and that Prince Bodiao was fleeing in disarray.

When he arrived in Kushania, he was even more shocked.

In just over a month, the Kushans not only lost their two major vassal states, Dayuan and Kangju, but also occupied part of their homeland.

Now, these Han Chinese are even saying they wiped out an army of 100,000? Is that even possible?

This must be fake.

An army of 100,000, and a field force at that, would be an unbearable loss for any major power.

If this is true, it means that the Kushans have been severely weakened and will be able to passively take hits for at least six months without being able to mount any counterattack.

If this is true, then this is practically the best opportunity to destroy the Kushan Empire.

The premise is that these Han people did not engage in fraud.
Anmoti was filled with doubt and unease, but he vaguely felt that even if the matter was exaggerated, it probably wouldn't be too much.

After all, Kushania was of great significance to the Kushans, and the Kushans would never have given it up so easily if they had not suffered a decisive defeat.

Considering the drastic change in the situation compared to before his departure, but unable to arbitrarily alter the king's orders, Anmoti gritted his teeth and said, forcing himself to speak:
"Our country has been a long-standing enemy of the Kushans for centuries, and we have fought countless battles with them. We know their strengths and weaknesses very well. Although your country has won a temporary victory, it will be no easy task to conquer the natural barrier of the Hindu Kush Mountains."

"Our esteemed King of Kings has promised to send 100,000 troops to join the war from the west. In this way, the Kushans will be caught in a pincer movement, unable to advance or retreat, and the formidable barrier will become a thoroughfare. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our two nations could then share the spoils of victory together?"

"As for the ownership of the Shannan region, although it is indeed wealthy, it has a large population and a complex culture and religion that are completely different from those of the Great Qin, making it extremely difficult to manage. Even the Kushans themselves have repeatedly rebelled. And your country is thousands of miles away from here. What benefit would you have in keeping such an exclave?"

Anmoti paused for a moment, then suggested:

"We Parthians are right here, and after your kingdom is destroyed, we can take over its administration. A portion of the taxes collected here can be contributed annually as a testament to the friendship between our two nations. In this way, your country will gain tangible benefits and be spared the trouble of governance—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Anmoti's words were impeccable, highlighting the strategic value of Parthia's participation in the war while also painting a rosy picture of the Han army being able to reap the benefits without having to garrison troops on long journeys.

Normally speaking, agreeing wouldn't be a bad idea.

Unfortunately, neither Anmoti nor that so-called Fifth King of Kings knew that Su Yao's heart held much more than just this small world.

However, Su Yao did not intend to immediately antagonize the Parthians, so he laughed and said, "The envoy's suggestion is good, but you need to understand one thing."

"That is the invincible might of my Han army, which can destroy the Kushan Empire without your country's help. If your country wants a share of the spoils, then demonstrate your strength and prove your worth."

"What did you just say about an army of 100,000? Is that true?"

"How come I heard that your country was utterly defeated by the Romans in the west, and even the capital Ctesiphon was burned to the ground?"

Upon hearing this, Anmoti's pupils dilated violently, and he hurriedly explained:
“Your Excellency is very learned, but that was more than forty years ago.”

"The Romans launched a surprise attack while we were in turmoil, which did cause us some minor losses, but the Romans suffered even greater losses."

"The great Holy Lord Ahura Mazda unleashed divine punishment, afflicting the Romans with a plague that forced them to flee in panic. Meanwhile, our nation, through years of diligent governance, has long since rebuilt its military and is more powerful than ever before, and our current King of Kings is even more so."

Su Yao raised his hand to interrupt: "Alright, there's no need for these polite words."

Su Yao stood up and looked down at Anmoti: "Go back and tell your king that if he wants the land of Shannan, then he can take it himself."

"However, he needs to act quickly, otherwise there is no reason for the Han Dynasty to hand over the land it has conquered."

(End of this chapter)