I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1079 Military Order

"Father! No!"

With a thud, Safia was pulled to the ground by Bahram, her ponytail falling loose and her dark hair scattering on the ground.

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She couldn't understand why things had come to this point when she had only wanted to share the Lord's burdens.

“Your Majesty, what you gentlemen say is indeed true.”

This time, it was Lu Su who spoke:
"Without rules, there can be no order. Since the sacred beast is so important to the Parthians, and General Bahram is so sensible and considerate of the big picture, it would be better to punish it slightly to reassure everyone."

Su Yao naturally understood what Lu Su meant.

After listening, Su Yao nodded slightly: "Rules are indeed indispensable. However, I did not establish any specific rules regarding Griffin before. Since Safia is a first-time offender, the punishment should be mainly a warning."

After saying that, Su Yao waved his hand to stop everyone from speaking, turned to Safia, and saw that the girl was still lying on the ground, her shoulders trembling slightly, clearly still feeling wronged, so he squatted down and touched the girl's head:

"Safia, you have scouted out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, which is a great contribution to our army. I have noted this down."

Then he changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious: "But Griffin is no ordinary mount. If anyone dares to ride it again without my permission, it won't be a matter of simply taking care of the sacred beast. Do you understand?"

"Take care of the sacred beast??" Safia looked up in surprise.

"Yes."

Su Yao chuckled: "Considering this is your first offense and you have rendered meritorious service, I have decided to punish you by making you take good care of Griffin's daily life for the next half month. You must personally feed him, add water and food, and groom his wings. This is to serve as a warning to you. Do you accept this?"

Safia's eyes widened, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but she was completely stunned.

She had expected to be severely reprimanded, or even stripped of her right to contact Griffin, but she never imagined that the King of Kings would give her such a "punishment".

It must be understood that Griffin is a sacred and inviolable being in the hearts of the Parthians. Even the former Parthian kings only had a few close confidants who could serve him closely. Now, Su Yao is asking him to personally take care of the sacred beast. This is not a punishment, but clearly an immense honor.

"What? You're not convinced?" Su Yao deliberately put on a stern face when he saw that she remained silent for a long time.

"No! I refuse!" Safia shook her head hurriedly, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She wiped away her tears, got up from the ground, and bowed deeply to Su Yao in the manner of the Han people: "Thank you, Holy Lord! I... I will take good care of the sacred beast and will never dare to be negligent in the slightest!"

"Is this...is this punishment?"

Before Denham could finish speaking, Su Yao coldly said, "What, do you have any objections to my punishment?"

Denham felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave when Su Yao swept him with a cold gaze. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. This punishment is both lenient and a warning. It is a perfect solution!"

How could he dare say another word? His earlier attempt to use this as an excuse had vanished in fear. The Holy Lord's actions, seemingly casual, were actually quite shrewd—they silenced the gossips while openly giving face to Bahram and his daughter. Anyone who dared to question it would be seen as challenging the Holy Lord's decision.

Bahram was also taken aback, and his gaze toward Su Yao held a newfound respect. This new master, though young, possessed an unparalleled mastery of the art of managing his subordinates. With a simple phrase, "take care of the sacred beast," he neither dampened his daughter's spirit nor prevented her from seizing an opportunity that others would covet, while simultaneously silencing all dissent. With such magnanimity and wisdom, it was no wonder he had achieved such great things.

“General Bahram.” Su Yao reached out and helped General Bahram up from the ground, comforting and admonishing him: “You have spent half your life on the battlefield, guarding Armenia and fighting against Rome, with outstanding achievements. Now that you have submitted to my command, there is no need to be so reserved.”

"Here, I have always valued talent above all else. As long as you are truly loyal to me and prove your worth on the battlefield, I will not treat you unfairly. As for Safia, she is still young and innocent, and I like her very much. You don't need to be too harsh on her."

"Like, love?" Safia was at a loss, her head steaming.

Bahram felt a surge of excitement and made a gurgling sound in his throat.

Born into the Suren family and having spent his life on the battlefield, he considered himself accustomed to the power struggles and infighting within the court, yet he had never seen such an open and honest monarch.

This young man not only showed no fear of him, a surrendered general, and gave him a large army, but was also willing to protect his daughter and bestow such honor upon her. Such magnanimity is enough to impress anyone.

After a moment of silence, he knelt down on one knee again with a thud, his voice choked with emotion: "The Holy Lord's kindness is beyond my ability to repay. From this day forward, my sword is the Holy Lord's sword; my soldiers are the Holy Lord's soldiers! If anyone harbors any disloyalty, may Heaven and Earth punish them!"

Su Yao helped him up and laughed loudly, "General, please get up. What I want is not your oath, but real achievements. In the battle of Nisa, we still need your help."

"This humble general would gladly die a thousand deaths!"

Bahram shouted and immediately volunteered to be the vanguard, promising to take the city within 10 days.

"Oh?" Su Yao rubbed his chin. "General, you're so confident? Do you know the significance of a military order?"

Ten days. Considering the distance between the two cities, even if the cavalry traveled a hundred miles a day, it would still take six or seven days to reach the city.

Bahram straightened his back, his eyes gleaming with determination: "This humble general is willing to swear a pledge! If I cannot capture Nisa within ten days, I am willing to offer my head!"

Su Yao stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Fine! I'll give you that chance. However—" He changed his tone, "What I want isn't your head, but victory. If we can't capture Nisa City within ten days..."

"This humble general will surely conquer this city!"

Seeing Bahram's resolute words, Su Yao said no more, but instructed Lu Su to see what he needed and try to satisfy him.

And so, Bahram's Parthian Green Standard Army accomplished their first mission since their surrender, accompanied by two thousand Hunnic knights under the command of Uvro.

As for the others, Su Yao didn't let them be idle either. Apart from Zhang Liao and his personal guards of the Red Cloud Cavalry temporarily staying in Merv, Ma Chao, Yan Xing, and Zhao Yun's Northern Army, after completing the reconquest of Khwarezm, marched south, sweeping across the vast plains northwest of Merv, their advance reaching the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains.

Meanwhile, in the south, the generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who arrived a little later, continued their advance, joining forces with the Kushan vassal army and advancing southwest in two routes.

During their march, the two men avoided the complex terrain of the central Garn Mountains and instead chose to travel through the Sahad Plateau in southeastern Parthia, heading straight for the Mokran Mountains.

This place is far from the heart of Parthia and has a small garrison, but it is of great significance.

Because south of the Makran Mountains lies a fertile coastal plain, which is a vital trade route connecting the East and the West—the Persian Gulf!

(End of this chapter)