I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1084 Rewards and Punishments
In the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era, in the middle of the first month.

The winter sun shines on the ancient stone walls of Nisa, where crimson Han flags flutter in the wind.

Zhao Yun, along with Yufuluo, Bahram, and others, gathered outside the city to respectfully welcome the emperor's carriage into the city.

Su Yao, riding a griffin, landed on the city gate square with Safia and Amina. Bahram was the first to kneel on one knee, followed by 30,000 Green Standard Army soldiers and Han soldiers who shouted in unison, "Welcome, Holy Lord! Long live the Holy Lord!"

"General, no need for formalities." Su Yao helped Bahram up, his gaze sweeping over his blood-stained armor and the hideous scar on his chest. "In the Battle of Nisa, General, you made a great contribution."

Bahram's Adam's apple bobbed as he took out a blood-stained jade seal from his robes: "This is the jade seal worn by the brother of Vologasis VI, a remnant of Parthia. I offer it to the Holy Lord!"

Su Yao took the jade seal, his fingertips tracing the Persian inscription on it, and suddenly announced in a loud voice: "By my decree, Bahram is promoted to General of the Parthian Guard, granted the title of Marquis within the Pass, and given a gold seal and purple ribbon."

"Marquis of Guannei!"

The square erupted in an uproar.

You must know, this is a noble title from the Han Dynasty!

After surrendering, these Parthian officials and generals diligently studied the official system and nobility system of the Han Dynasty. They knew very well that this was the nineteenth of the twenty ranks of nobility in the Han Dynasty, and they were only one step away from having the qualification of hereditary succession.

The addition of the gold seal and purple ribbon, along with the title of General of Parthia, further indicated that this was not a nominal position, but a real and powerful military post.

Under the current system of the Han Dynasty, only generals can independently lead large-scale military operations.

Previously, Bahram was only a captain of the Parthian Guard. Although he commanded a considerable number of troops, he still needed to accompany Yuvro to lead the troops together.

Now he has been promoted to general, skipping the rank of lieutenant general and becoming the General of Anxi.
"The Holy Lord has such a grand gesture!"

The murmurs of discussion spread like a tide across the square, and Anmoti's fingers, stroking his beard, trembled slightly. He had thought that by being the first to submit, he had become a favorite of the Holy Lord, and was now the governor of the entire Khorasan region.

However, compared to the double honors of "Marquis of Guannei" and "General of Anxi", his favor was clearly not enough.

Denam's face paled, and he subconsciously touched the silver seal at his waist—both were demoted officials, but he only received a sinecure as "Taifu Cheng" in the Tang Prince's Palace, without even the qualification to participate in military affairs. At this moment, looking at the dazzling purple sash on Bahram's chest, his jealousy was almost overflowing.

"Your Majesty!"

Denham stepped forward and, steeling himself, proposed:

"Although General Bahram has distinguished himself in battle, Nisa has been abandoned by the Parthian king and is not worthy of such a great reward."

"Especially since I have heard that Prime Minister Suren has now been promoted to hold great military and political power in Parthia, and Bahram, as his cousin, may well consider kinship and hold back on the battlefield."

"Bastard!"

Before Denham could finish speaking, Bahram's expression changed drastically. He suddenly drew his curved knife from his waist, its cold gleam pointing directly at Denham's throat: "How dare you, you swine, slander me?!"

Denham was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly, hiding behind Zhang Liao and trembling: "General, why are you angry? I am only stating the facts."

"Let's stick to the facts?" Bahram's eyes were bloodshot, and he was about to bring down his scimitar. "When you conspired with Shapur to frame me, did you ever stick to the facts even once?"

"Now that I have submitted to the Holy Lord and received rewards for my military achievements, you come here to stir up trouble again!"

The square instantly became tense, with the Parthian officials splitting into two factions. Some secretly winked at Denam, while others angrily denounced his despicable behavior. Zhao Yun, Yufuluo, and other Han generals stood with their hands on their swords, their eyes fixed on the unfolding situation, awaiting Su Yao's order.

Su Yao suddenly laughed. The laughter was not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy square.

"It seems that you all have little confidence in General Bahram's background."

Upon hearing this, Bahram knelt on one knee with red eyes, clasped his hands in a fist, and remained silent.

He had no way to defend his origins. Prime Minister Suren was indeed his cousin and clan head, and he had always held him in high esteem.

Although the two now belong to different factions, and he has fallen out with his nephew, in the eyes of outsiders they are still connected by blood. Denham's words were like a poisonous thorn, piercing his most sensitive spot. He could prove his ability with his military achievements, but he could not sever the innate family imprint he was born with.

“Father.” Safia’s eyes were filled with tears, her heart filled with grievances, yet she didn’t know what to do.

"Ah."

Su Yao chuckled again, walked slowly to Bahram, bent down to help him up, and then pointed to the carriage at the front of the procession.

There stood a dozen flagpoles, on which hung the heads of Parthian diehards who had been executed not long ago, including Aspav, who had tried to defile Shaki.

Su Yao calmly asked, "General Bahram, do you know why those heads are hanging there?"

Bahram paused, then replied in a deep voice, "Because they resisted stubbornly and offended the Holy Majesty."

“Not entirely.” Su Yao shook his head, pointing to the head on the far left. “That man was Shapur’s nephew, yet he was the first to open the city gates when Mulu fell. I still beheaded him, simply because he secretly kept the Parthian king’s secret letter, intending to make a comeback.”

He then pointed to the right: "That is the wet nurse brother of Vologasis V, who defected on the battlefield and offered up the Parthian seal. I then granted him an official position and a hundred acres of fertile land, so that he may live out the rest of his life in peace."

The square was completely silent; everyone held their breath, listening to the Lord's instructions.

"It's clear that I don't care about lineage or clan!" Su Yao suddenly raised his voice, the echo sweeping across the entire square. "It's loyalty! It's courage! It's pragmatism!"

"Our Han Dynasty values ​​military merit above all else, and I, Su Yao, trust those I employ without reservation!"

Su Yao waved his hand, and personally hung the golden seal and purple ribbon on him, his voice echoing throughout the square:
“I have said that merit must be rewarded and demerit must be punished. You have captured the Parthian capital with 30,000 Green Standard Army soldiers in ten days, beheaded the prince and annihilated the stubborn resistance. Such achievements deserve such a reward.”

"If anyone has objections, they should bring in equal merits; otherwise, they should shut up and stop making noise!"

Su Yao's voice suddenly turned stern, like a cold winter wind sweeping across the square, instantly freezing all the whispers. His gaze was piercing, sweeping over the Parthian officials who had surrendered with strange expressions, finally settling on the trembling Denam.

“Denham.” Su Yao paced slowly, his crimson boots making a crisp sound on the stone slabs, each step feeling like it was pounding on Denham’s heart. “You have neither the merit of conquering cities nor the ability to strategize, you only know how to hide behind others and spread rumors—does such a piece of trash even deserve to question my decisions?”

Denham fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "Your Majesty, spare me! I...I was just confused for a moment."

"Foolish?" Su Yao sneered and said to Zhang Liao, "When this man was in charge of the Parthian treasury, he embezzled public funds and misappropriated military pay. Every single one of these things was recorded in the books. Considering that he was the first to surrender, I originally wanted to spare his life, but I never expected him to be such an ungrateful wretch."

He paused, his tone icy cold: "Guards, strip him of his official robes, seize his silver seal, demote him to a commoner, and exile him to the Caspian Sea coast to dig salt. He shall never set foot in Nisa again!"

"No! Have mercy, Holy Lord! Have mercy!" Denam's cries were drowned out by the dragging soldiers. The Parthian officials in the square fell silent, no one daring to voice any further objections. Anmoti's hand, which was stroking his beard, froze in mid-air, his back soaked with cold sweat—he finally understood that the Holy Lord's favor was never static, and the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

Su Yao then turned to Bahram and personally straightened his crooked purple ribbon: "General, I know you are wronged. But in this chaotic world, only the sword in my hand can cut through the rumors, and only the bloody path under my feet can prove my loyalty."

He pointed to the western horizon: "Isn't Suren waiting for me at Ctesiphon? When spring comes, my great army will gather."

"Holy Lord! There's no need to wait until spring!"

Before Su Yao could finish speaking, Bahram knelt on one knee, slapped his chest, and his eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit:

"This humble general is willing to serve as the vanguard for Your Majesty. We shall immediately set out, crush Taixifeng, capture that false king and prime minister, and present them before Your Majesty!"

"General, your ambition is truly gratifying," Su Yao said, helping him up and patting his shoulder firmly with his fingertips. "However, it is not wise for an army to venture deep into enemy territory alone. Not only do the soldiers need rest, but the newly acquired lands also need to be properly digested. Moreover..."

Su Yao glanced at the tearful Safia beside him and said with a smile, "There's another important matter later, and the general can't be absent."

(End of this chapter)