I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1178 Reunion with Fengxian

Northern coast of the Black Sea.

Before the first wave of nomadic conquests (the Huns) destroyed the order here, two ancient kingdoms once occupied this area.

They were the Kingdom of Korkis, located in what is now western Georgia, and the Bosporus Kingdom, which controlled Crimea and the Taman Peninsula, centered on the Kerch Strait.

These two kingdoms were long influenced by Hellenism, leaving their mark in Greek legends and stories. After the rise of Rome, they submitted to Rome and were controlled by it, becoming important vassals and buffer zones of the empire on the northern coast of the Black Sea.

In response, Su Yao assigned Ma Chao and the other northern army the following task:
To pacify or conquer these two kingdoms, inherit the Roman legacy, establish the "Black Sea Protectorate," and at the same time, to contact nomadic tribes on the steppe, such as the Sarmatians, Alans, and even tribes further east, to promote the might of the Han Dynasty and establish tributary relations.

In this way, the Han Dynasty could exert strategic pressure on Rome's European territories from the north, and might even open up a surprise attack route that bypasses the Black Sea, passes through the lower Danube River, and directly reaches the Balkan Peninsula, adding another wing to its future all-out offensive.

Thus, a grand and meticulous strategic encirclement network had begun to take shape: in the east, Cao Cao and Jia Xu were stationed in Asia Minor, consolidating the newly conquered eastern provinces; in the south, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were managing North Africa, their military might aimed directly at the former Carthage; at sea, Zhou Yu's navy was rapidly taking shape, its target the Italian peninsula; and in the north, Ma Chao and others' journey across the grasslands was actively preparing for future strategic maneuvers.

Su Yao himself, carrying unparalleled glory and the most important spoils of war—the Roman Emperor Severus—set off on his journey eastward with Consort Ren (Hong'er) and Safia, riding griffins.

This time, with his journey becoming more magnificent and Safia's level increasing, Griffin's cruising speed finally reached its limit.

The system estimated that the flight time from Byzantium to the capital Luoyang would only take twelve days, which was a few days faster than his previous flight from Parthia to Luoyang.

Therefore, after arranging everything in Byzantium, Su Yao took off directly, and on the way, he also inspected Parthia and Kushan, which were guarded by Zhang Liao and others.

Su Yao spent three days each with Princess Amina of Parthia and Queen Samira of Kushan, celebrating the New Year and slightly easing the two women's longing for each other, while also listening to their reports on local affairs.

At the same time, Su Yao didn't forget to take a look at the two newly born dragon princes.

"Your Majesty, look at this child, he looks just like you."

Queen Samira cradled the infant in her arms, her face radiating the joy and pride of becoming a mother for the first time. Su Yao took the tiny, warm body in his arms, gazing at the baby's features that vaguely resembled his own, and a strange tenderness welled up in his heart.

“This child will be the king of Kushan.” With a single sentence, Su Yao determined the child’s future.

Upon hearing this, Samira's eyes immediately lit up with a dazzling light, and she quickly knelt down gracefully while holding her child, saying, "On behalf of the prince, I thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!"

After a brief stay at the Kushan royal palace, Su Yao did not head directly back to Luoyang via the Western Regions, but instead changed direction.

This time, he chose the southern route, which involved traveling through the Indian subcontinent, through Burma, across the Shan Plateau, and into Yongchang County of Yizhou to return to the Central Plains. He wanted to see with his own eyes this ancient trade route connecting the Indian Ocean with southwestern China, as well as the newly expanded southwestern territory of the Han Dynasty.

Along this road, Su Yao unexpectedly encountered an old friend—Lü Bu. "Your subject Lü Bu greets Your Majesty!"

In the first month of the sixth year of the Kaiyuan era (195 AD), Su Yao's griffin swept across the vast plains on the eastern bank of the Ganges River in India. Below, a large-scale Han army camp stood by the river, its banners fluttering. This was the main force of the Han army's southern expeditionary force, led by generals such as Lü Bu, Zhang He, Qu Yi, and Hou Cheng.

The Indian subcontinent, as one of the four cradles of ancient civilizations, surpassed even the Roman Empire in terms of fertile land and abundant wealth.

Therefore, Su Yao was extremely concerned about conquering the Indian subcontinent, listing it as an important matter on par with the westward expedition to Parthia and Rome.

Therefore, after pacifying the Kushan Empire and opening the road to the Indian subcontinent, Su Yao appointed Lü Bu as "Grand Commander of the Southern Expedition," overseeing all military campaigns against the various Indian states. Zhang He served as his deputy, with Qu Yi, Hou Cheng, and other generals as his assistants. The main force consisted of troops from Shu (Sichuan) familiar with the mountainous and jungle warfare of the south, along with some surrendered Nanman (southern barbarian) soldiers. A total of over 30,000 troops marched from the Western Regions, southward through the Khyber Pass, and, with the assistance of 20,000 Kushan auxiliary troops, aimed their swords at the rich Indian plains.

At this time, the Indian region was still deeply mired in the chaos following the fall of the Mauryan Empire.

The land of North India, once glorious, now sees the Sungai dynasty, which inherited the legacy of the Mauryan dynasty, long gone, and the rule of the Kushans declining. The region is now filled with numerous vassal states, constantly fragmented and in turmoil.

In particular, Su Yao's previous attack on the Kushan Empire caused many of the former Kushan states in northern India to declare independence.

In contrast to the chaos in the north, South India was in a relatively prosperous and peaceful period. The Hundred Chariots Dynasty inherited the legacy of the Mauryan Dynasty, not only occupying most of the Deccan Plateau and the rich lands on the east and west coasts, but also extending its influence into the Ganges River basin, forming a tripartite balance of power with the remaining forces of the northern states and the West Sadrapati Shiva dynasty in the west.

Originally, this chaos and division would have continued for a long time, until more than a hundred years later, when the Gupta Dynasty would once again unify the central and northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, bringing a new golden age to Mesopotamia.

But now, the Han Dynasty has arrived.

In just six months, while Su Yao was campaigning westward against the remnants of Parthia and the Eastern Roman Empire, Lü Bu and his forces penetrated deep into India, sweeping through numerous small states in the Indus-Ganges River basin with overwhelming force. The Han army's superior equipment, strict discipline, and Lü Bu's unparalleled bravery demonstrated an overwhelming advantage against the Indian armies accustomed to loose warfare.

"Your Majesty!" Lü Bu, clad in a scarlet battle robe and gleaming armor, knelt on one knee, his voice booming like a bell, "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to lead the southern expedition. Thanks to Your Majesty's divine might and the valiant efforts of my soldiers, we have already subdued twenty-seven large and small city-states in North India, received the surrender of fifty thousand soldiers, and seized countless gold, silver, jewels, grain, and livestock! Now my army is confronting the Hundred Chariots Dynasty and its vassals on the north bank of the Ganges. Soon we will cross the river and march south, flattening the Deccan Plateau!"

Su Yao helped Lü Bu up, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the camp. Seeing Zhang He's composure, Qu Yi's bravery, and Hou Cheng and the other generals' high morale, he nodded in satisfaction: "Fengxian, you have worked hard, and all the generals have also made contributions. The southern expedition is crucial to the eternal security of the southern border of our Great Han, and it will also bring us fertile land to support the country. Your progress has been rapid, and I am very pleased."

Guided by Lü Bu, Su Yao inspected the Han army camp and climbed to a high place to look south.

The Ganges River, wide and unpolluted as it would become in later times, stretched like a jade ribbon across the fertile plains of North India and the rugged Deccan Plateau. On the opposite bank, the camps and banners of the Hundred Chariots Dynasty's army could be faintly seen.

"Since we're already here, I'll do my part and join you all in meeting this Hundred Chariot Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)