I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1133 Anxi Protectorate

"We surrendered! We surrendered!"

Ispabdan's order was like pulling the last thread of strength from the defenders' spine. One after another, Parthian banners slowly fell under the gaze of countless eyes that were filled with despair, relief, or numbness.

Faced with the vast Han army and Su Yao's unparalleled divine power, Ekbatana surrendered without a fight.

As the heavy city gates slowly opened, an elderly nobleman dressed in plain clothes, holding the city lord's seal and household registers, walked out of the city gates shakily, escorted by a small squad of soldiers who had also removed their armor, and knelt deeply in the direction of the Han army formation.

"They are at least sensible."

Su Yao gave a light snort and did not personally accept the surrender. Instead, Zhao Yun below said:

"Zilong, go and take over the city. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy. Take control of the treasury, military camps, and government offices. Gather the surrendered soldiers under guard; imprison the nobles and Romans separately, awaiting their fate."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a fist salute, and led a troop of elite cavalry to greet the surrendering envoys, proudly entering Ecbatana.

On the city wall, the Parthian defenders who had initially clung to a sliver of hope saw the Han army enter the city so easily and quickly take control of key locations. Their last vestige of resistance vanished. Numbly, they laid down their weapons and, under the command of the Han army, marched down the wall in formation.

Marcus and his eight hundred Roman mercenaries' attempt to slip away in the chaos and even plunder treasure appeared utterly ridiculous to the elite Han army that had entered the city. After a brief, unequal "conflict," this so-called "reinforcements" were all disarmed and captured, and were taken to a special prison in disgrace.

Ecbatana, the ancient Median capital that once symbolized Parthian glory, fell into the hands of the Han army almost without bloodshed.

Riding Griffin, Su Yao slowly landed in the city center square under the watchful eyes of the crowd—where a statue of a former Parthian king still stood.

He stood on the ruins of Parthian glory, his gaze sweeping over the Parthian nobles and commoners kneeling and trembling, as well as the Han soldiers standing tall with burning eyes.

Bahram, Yufro, and other surrendered generals stepped forward, bowed, and their faces were filled with awe and excitement.

Su Yao nodded slightly, his voice calm yet carrying an irresistible authority that resonated throughout the entire square:
"From this day forward, this place will be renamed 'Anxi City,' and the Parthian Protectorate will be established here! All former Parthian territories will be under its jurisdiction!"

"I will use this place as a base to pacify Ctesiphon in the west, defend the Caspian Sea in the north, and pacify the Persian Gulf in the south!"

"Those who submit will have their lives and property preserved; those who resist—"

Su Yao raised his golden pestle and pointed, and a bolt of lightning flashed.

Immediately afterwards, with a deafening roar, the colossal stone statue symbolizing the former glory and power of the Resting Place was instantly shattered from head to shoulder by the violent power of lightning!

Stone fragments flew everywhere, dust billowed, and only half of the mangled body stood forlornly on the spot, as if proclaiming the end of an era. The square was deathly silent; all the Parthians kneeling on the ground were terrified by this awe-inspiring sight, their breath almost stopped. The Han soldiers, however, erupted in even more fervent cheers: "Long live the Emperor! His divine might is unparalleled!"

Su Yao withdrew his golden pestle, his icy gaze sweeping over the trembling crowd. His voice, like a judgment from the heavens, clearly reached the ears of everyone:

"—This is the fate of those who resist!"

"The days of peace have come to an end. From this day forward, only the sun and moon of the Han Dynasty will shine upon this land! Those who obey Heaven will prosper, and those who defy Heaven will perish!"

His words were like a final verdict, utterly crushing any remaining hope in the hearts of the Parthians. Even those nobles who had harbored some ulterior motives were now completely subjugated by this incomprehensible and irresistible divine might.

In the following days, the takeover and reassurance work in Ekbatana—now renamed Ansi—progressed exceptionally smoothly.

Under Su Yao's overwhelming military force and the efficient execution of Zhao Yun, Bahram, and others, resistance within the city was completely eradicated, and order was quickly restored. Key departments such as the treasury, granaries, military camps, and government offices were taken over by the Han army. Surrendered soldiers were centrally monitored and screened, while nobles and the eight hundred Roman mercenaries were placed under house arrest pending further processing.

Zhang Liao and Lu Su also moved from Nisa City to this location, and began to establish the administrative framework of the Anxi Protectorate with Anxi City as its core, and quickly extended their control to the surrounding areas.

Because Su Yao's prophecy of "breaching the city in ten days" was fulfilled in such a shocking way, his image in the hearts of the Parthians was no different from that of a god or demon. The surrounding towns and tribes that had been observing from the sidelines, upon hearing the news, all sent envoys with surrender documents and tributes to Anxi City to express their submission, fearing that being a step too slow would bring annihilation.

For the next two weeks, the entire Persian Plateau was busy with one thing—changing flags and flags.

"My lord, are we surrendering now?"

In the city of Susa, south of Ecbatana, some soldiers were dissatisfied with the city lord's decision. But they were immediately met with a barrage of reprimands.

"Idiot! What else can we do but lower the price?!"

Lord Susa smashed the crystal glass in his hand to pieces, his face ashen as he pointed north towards Ekbatana and roared:
"Ecbatana! That's Ecbatana! The mighty city guarded by Lord Ispabdan and an army of 60,000! And... and Roman reinforcements who were said to be able to summon the Roman gods to aid them! And what happened? Ten days! Just ten days! That... that so-called 'Emperor' man, he didn't even have his army actually attack the city! A bolt of lightning shattered the royal banner, scaring Ispabdan into surrendering!"

He grabbed the young officer by the collar, practically lifting him up, and spat in his face.
"Do you want me to use the lowly walls of Susa and the thousands of soldiers inside who can't even get enough to eat to fight against a god who can summon thunder and ride divine beasts?! Do you want the entire city, your parents, your wife and children, to be buried with that cowardly king who has already fled to Ctesiphon?!"

The young officer turned pale from the shouting and could no longer utter a single harsh word, only able to lower his head in silence.

The city lord shoved him aside, slumped back into his chair as if all his strength had been drained. He wearily waved his hand, addressing the scribes and nobles who were already waiting nearby:
"Go... prepare the most precious gifts, take our household registers and maps, and set off immediately for Ecbatana... to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor's temporary residence! Express the highest respect and utmost submission of our city of Susa... no, the entire Susa region, to His Majesty the Emperor. Tell His Majesty that we absolutely acknowledge his supreme status and are willing to offer everything, only asking for His Majesty's merciful protection."

Similar scenes played out repeatedly on the Persian Plateau, even reaching the eastern edge of Mesopotamia, causing widespread shock throughout the country.

(End of this chapter)