I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1089 Central Asia Trembles
February of the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era.

After Su Yao left, he rested in peace at his old home, where blood gushed into the sky.

"what's the situation?!"

"Killing, killing!"

"Master, run!"

"No, I am a nobleman, you can't treat me like this!"

Inside a nobleman's mansion, faced with the sudden arrival of soldiers who broke down the doors, the head of the noble family turned deathly pale. Holding aloft the hereditary documents granted by successive Parthian kings, he shouted hoarsely:

"I am the hereditary lord of this place! My grandfather once fought alongside the King of Kings in battles across the land, and decisively defeated the Roman legions. How dare you be so insolent?!"

"presumptuous?"

The Han army centurion leading the group sneered, and with a flash of cold light, his ring-pommel sword cleaved the document in two: "By order of the Holy Emperor, anyone who obstructs the new policies or conceals land, regardless of rank, shall be treated as a traitor!"

Before the words were even finished, several Han soldiers pounced on the still-shouting nobleman like wolves, pinning him to the ground. The nobleman's wives, concubines, and children screamed and scattered in all directions, only to be stopped by Parthian Green Standard Army soldiers guarding the gate—these former Parthian soldiers, now dressed in Han army-style leather armor with "Great Han Parthian Guard" tokens hanging from their waists, watched indifferently as their former masters fell into the clutches of the law.

"Drag them out and execute them immediately." The centurion dusted off the dust on his sleeves and said to the clerk behind him, "Record this: the Sassanid family has hidden three thousand acres of fertile land and hoarded a hundred catties of ironware. According to the law, all their property shall be confiscated, the male members shall be exiled to the Caspian salt fields, and the female members shall be sent to the government-run weaving workshops."

The clerk was engrossed in recording, the pen swishing across the bamboo slips. This was the thirty-seventh disobedient noble family dealt with this month. Since the Holy Lord's return to the East, Governor Anmoti had been implementing the new tax law with swift and decisive measures, while Lu Su had been stationed in Nisa City to manage the grain supplies. The two, one firm and the other gentle, had eliminated nearly half of the local powerful families who refused to cooperate in just half a month.

The news sent shockwaves through Parthia. The nobles who had been observing finally understood that their new ruler's "mercy" was reserved only for the obedient, while he showed no mercy to the rebellious. As a result, the once deserted tax offices suddenly became bustling with activity, as nobles from all over the country voluntarily declared their land holdings and paid their taxes. Even the most unruly chieftains of the steppe tribes drove their cattle and sheep to "offer tribute."

"My lord, this is the tribute list from twelve tribes along the Persian Gulf."

Inside the governor's mansion in Nisa, Anmoti accepted the parchment scroll handed to him by a servant, a cold smile playing on his lips. It was densely filled with records of the quantities of pearls, spices, and camels, nearly 30% more than he had estimated—clearly, the tribal chiefs, fearing the Han army's iron fist, had deliberately paid excessive tribute.

“Tell them,” Anmoti handed the tribute list to Lu Su, “that the Holy Lord said sincerity is not measured by quantity, but by genuine feeling. These things should be converted into provisions and sent directly to the front lines in the Kopet Dag Mountains. General Wen Yuan is waiting for supplies.”

Lu Su picked up the tribute list and examined it carefully. Suddenly, he pointed to one of the items and asked, "What is this 'ambergris'? It's worth a hundred camels?"

“That’s a specialty of the Persian Gulf,” Anmoti explained. “It’s said that if you apply it to your body, the fragrance will last for three days. It’s a luxury item that Roman noblewomen coveted. Before the Holy Lord left, he said that this item might fetch a good price in Han China. Why don’t we have the caravan from the Western Regions Development Company take some to Luoyang to try our luck?”

Lu Su's eyes lit up: "That makes sense. Now that trade routes are just beginning to open up, we need some novel goods to open up the market. But..." He looked at the Han army training outside the window, "Does the front line really need so much food and supplies? The battle report from General Wen Yuan says that the Parthian false king Ardaban has not yet taken any action, and the defense line of the Kopet Dalit Mountains is unusually calm."

Anmoti walked to the map, looked at Ctesiphon's location, and replied, "Lord Ru, the calmer things are, the more vigilant we must be. The new king of Ardaban has ascended the throne, but his foundation is not yet secure, and he is bound to be accumulating power. According to reports from the spies that General Bahram sent into the heart of Parthia, they are recruiting mercenaries everywhere, and there are even Romans among them."

"The Romans?" Lu Su frowned. "They dare to interfere in the affairs of my Han Dynasty?"

“Whether it’s a matter of mutual dependence, profit-driven motives, or simply a discussion about the situation, this matter is undoubtedly true.” Anmoti said, picking up a document and handing it to Lu Su. “However, there are also reports that this new regime is currently fraught with crises, with war raging everywhere, and unrest in all directions. It is probably much more fragile than we imagined.”

Lu Su took the secret report and saw that the Parthian text had been translated into Chinese. In addition to the intelligence that Ctesiphon had gathered a large amount of grain and mercenaries, there were two other noteworthy things.

Firstly, the Armenian Kingdom in northwestern Parthia seemed to have learned of the changes in the Parthian Empire and tentatively sent troops to invade, successfully occupying several border fortresses.

Secondly, a fleet of ships flying the red dragon flag appeared in the Persian Gulf, harassing merchant ships and ports. This news once triggered the Ctesiphon riots, which directly led to the sudden cessation of tribute payments to Ctesiphon by the southern Arab tribes. There were even rumors that they were in secret contact with the Romans.

The red dragon flag is indeed the Han flag. This is the flag that Central Asian countries have feared most in recent years.

When this flag flies over the Persian Gulf, it signifies...
Lu Su clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! It seems General Guan's side is making good progress!"

That's right, this is exactly the action of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's southern army.

Su Yao's central army halted its operations at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains to consolidate the newly conquered territory, but the northern and southern armies did not stop there.

On the northern front, Ma Chao and Yan Xing led elite troops, with the Xiliang cavalry as their backbone, sweeping northward along the Caspian Sea, demonstrating the might of the Han army and directly breaking the Parthians' blockade of information.

News of the Han army's conquest of the Kushans, their crushing defeat of Parthia, and their capture of its king spread like wildfire across the steppes, reaching all the way to the Black Sea coast. The Kingdom of Armenia heard this news from their nomadic neighbors to the north, which prompted their probing actions.

On the southern front, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei finally crossed the Mokran Mountains last month, their divine troops descending upon the Persian Gulf coast and capturing several cities in succession.

To be honest, the people over there are really unlucky.

Originally, protected by the coastal mountains, their defense pressure was not great. However, because of this, a considerable number of elite troops were drawn from this area during King Parthia V's eastern expedition.

As a result, the Parthian king's 100,000-strong army was almost completely wiped out. Although the southern army did not suffer much loss, its commander fled with his men and withdrew the troops back to the interior.

As a result, the cities along the Persian Gulf coast were left with only security forces and the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who were not fit for public service.

Faced with the Central Plains Iron Army led by the two fierce generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and with the added advantage of firearms, they were almost powerless to fight back.

Initially, some local garrison commanders even resorted to suicidal tactics, burning down warehouses and destroying their own warships to prevent the Han army from gaining an advantage.

Later, upon learning that His Majesty the Fifth had been captured, Su Yao was enthroned as the King of Kings. Many cities along the Persian Gulf surrendered without resistance, turning to the new ruler and offering provisions, supplies, warships, and weapons as a stepping stone for advancement.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei seized the opportunity to incorporate the surrendered Parthian navy, forming a fleet of nearly a hundred warships of various sizes. This fleet patrolled the Persian Gulf, striking at those still loyal to Ctesiphon and causing chaos within Parthia. This further solidified the Parthians' resolve for revenge.

Meanwhile, Su Yao finally returned to China.

(End of this chapter)