I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1078 Caution
"Oh? Is it finally resolved? Thank you both for your hard work."

The next morning, as soon as Su Yao stepped out, he saw Anmoti and Bahram coming to report their findings with a list.

Su Yao took the list, his gaze quickly sweeping over the names and amounts. A faint smile played on his lips. "Mehr is quite sensible, donating a considerable sum. It seems his position as Vice Minister of Finance hasn't been in vain."

Anmoti smiled slightly and joked, "It's a pity he didn't bring much wealth. Such a large list will mostly have to wait until we reach Ctesiphon before we can fully realize it."

"It'll just be a few days later."

Su Yao chuckled, his gaze falling again on the last name on the list: "This prime minister's son is quite resolute, preferring to go to Luoyang and starve rather than submit?"

Bahram bowed his head: "This humble general is incompetent."

Su Yao tapped lightly on Arman's name with his fingertips, then suddenly smiled: "It's good that the young man has backbone. Since he wants to go to Luoyang, let's grant his wish."

Anmoti was taken aback: "So that's it?"

He was well aware that the reason this matter had dragged on until now, besides the need to earn a "ransom," was that Arman was of paramount importance.

As the eldest son of the prime minister, if this man could surrender to the holy ruler while his father was on the run, it would be of great help to their future endeavors.

That's why he personally stepped forward and staged that surrender-persuasion act with Bahram.

After a moment's pause, Bahram gritted his teeth and said, "How about I go and try to persuade them again?"

"No need." Su Yao tossed the list back onto the table. "Some people won't give up until they're faced with overwhelming odds. Let him witness the might of our Han Dynasty firsthand. Zhang Liao."

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhang Liao stepped forward.

"Personally select two hundred skilled guards to properly protect Vologasis V and Arman and their entourage. They will depart eastward the day after tomorrow. Instruct officials along the route to ensure their safety—I want them to reach Luoyang alive so they can see for themselves what a Celestial Empire truly is."

Zhang Liao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

A hint of admiration flashed in Anmoti's eyes. He had expected Su Yao to be furious at Arman's stubbornness, but he hadn't expected him to be so composed. With such magnanimity, it was no wonder he could achieve such great things.

"Oh, right," Su Yao suddenly remembered something, "how is Griffin, the griffin, recovering?"

“Your Majesty, Griffin is much better now,” Anmoti quickly replied. “Thanks to your divine nourishment the other day, the scorch marks on its wings have completely faded, and yesterday it even carried Miss Safia around the city.”

Su Yao suddenly became interested: "Oh? Safia dares to ride it herself?"

Even seasoned veterans felt lingering fear when they recalled the griffin's fireball attack that day; they never expected that such a delicate young girl would have such courage.

"Miss Safia is indeed exceptionally courageous."

Princess Amina smiled, but out of the corner of her eye, she secretly observed Bahram's reaction:
"Ever since the Holy Lord took her on a ride the other day, Miss Safia has often gone to take care of the sacred beast, even more so than our beast trainers."

"Yesterday I told you that you would be going on another western expedition soon, so she volunteered to ride in it and went for a ride to the west to scout out the enemy's movements, hoping to be of service to you."

"Oh? As expected of a daughter of a military family, she's become friends with Griffin so quickly."

"Did she discover anything?"

“The intelligence Miss Safia brought back is extremely crucial,” Amina replied with a smile, a hint of approval in her eyes. “She discovered that the main force of the new Parthian king, Ardaban, is retreating westward along the Kopet Mountains. Although there are defenses along the way, morale is low, and the garrison troops in many towns have begun packing their belongings, clearly preparing to abandon the city at any time.”

Su Yao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Oh? So the Crown Prince just ran away?" "Exactly." Amina gestured to the side, and soon a pretty figure walked in from outside the tent; it was Safia.

She was dressed in a short outfit suitable for riding and archery, her black hair tied back in a neat ponytail, and her cheeks were slightly flushed from the journey. Upon seeing Su Yao, she curtsied.
“My Lord, I did see the main force of the Parthian army fleeing westward on the eastern side of the Copet Mountains. Their ranks were scattered, their flags were askew, and many soldiers even broke away from the ranks and fled into the mountains on their own.”

As she spoke, she took out a sketch from her bosom, on which the mountain range and the enemy's general defensive deployment were outlined in charcoal: "Especially here, although the local garrison seems to still have quite a few troops, they are only focused on reinforcing the city's defenses and have neglected to guard the surrounding key roads. If we send an elite cavalry force to launch a surprise attack, we can definitely cut off their retreat in one fell swoop and completely isolate this city."

Su Yao took the sketch and examined it closely. Although the annotations on it were somewhat rudimentary, it contained all the necessary information. Most importantly, it dispelled the fog of war from his system map.

What attracted his attention most was the ancient Parthian city of Nisa, marked with a large red sign.

This location is more than 600 li from the city of Merv, at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains to its southwest. It is the birthplace of the Parthian Empire and the capital of the Parthian province, making its strategic position extremely important.

If this place can be captured, the connection between the Parthian heartland and the eastern provinces can be severed, and the entire Khorasan region east of the mountains can be brought under control, clearing the way for subsequent crossing of the mountains and advancing into Ctesiphon.

Su Yao was staring intently at the sketch, conceiving a strategy, while Bahram was dumbfounded, clasping his hands in apology with a flustered expression.
"Holy Lord, my daughter was reckless. She rode the sacred beast deep into enemy territory without permission. I beg you to punish me!"

Su Yao simply laughed it off:
"General, you flatter me. Your daughter is brave and resourceful. She discovered the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, which is a great achievement. She should be rewarded, not punished."

Safia blushed slightly, secretly glanced at Su Yao, then hurriedly lowered her head and obediently bowed: "It is my honor to serve the Holy Lord."

"This"

Bahram paused, then said with a forced smile, "The sacred beast is the Holy Lord's mount, supreme and unparalleled. How can it be allowed to be easily touched by mortals? My daughter was ignorant and presumptuous, and offended the Holy Lord's majesty. I beg the Holy Lord to punish her!"

"No need to."

Su Yao waved his hand, "I said I won't punish you, so I won't. Safia, what do you want? I'll grant it to you."

Safia blushed even more upon hearing this, and immediately became somewhat shy, whispering some polite words.

However, this harmony did not last long, and suddenly one of the ministers stood up:
“The Holy Lord is benevolent, but the sacred beast symbolizes the sanctity of royal power. If we let this matter pass by so easily, I believe it is inappropriate.”

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person speaking seriously was none other than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denham, who had always been flattering Su Yao.

His expression was serious, and his words were resolute:
"Your Majesty, the sacred beast Griffin is a divine gift from heaven, unlike any ordinary mount. Even the former King of Kings had to bathe and fast for three days and offer a sacrifice of live sheep's blood before he could approach the sacred beast."

"Now that the Holy Lord is so great, he has subdued the divine beasts and can ride and command them. This is truly an omen of the Mandate of Heaven."

"However, although I, Safia, have made some minor contributions, I am still just a mortal. I rode the sacred beast without the Holy Lord's permission. If I am not severely punished, then the rules will be broken and the sacred will be lost. In the future, others will look down on the sacred beast and the Holy Lord. If the people are not at peace, then the world will be in chaos."

Denham's words were resounding, and for a moment everyone in the tent held their breath.

Bahram took a deep breath and thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

Why did he apologize again and again?
Isn't it obvious to him that there's a large group of surrendered officials and generals in the palace whom he doesn't like?
Shapur and Denam had been at odds with him since the late emperor's time, not to mention Anmoti, who was originally his servant but betrayed his master for personal gain, rising rapidly to a position above everyone else.

Although he, a newly surrendered person, is treated favorably by the Holy Lord, if he is not cautious and prudent, he will probably find it difficult to move an inch in this palace.

So, after Denham spoke, he knelt down and forcibly pressed his daughter's head down to beg for forgiveness and punishment.

At this moment, Su Yao, whose mind had been elsewhere, finally turned around and scanned the crowd with a scrutinizing gaze, having gained a general understanding of the situation.

(End of this chapter)