I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1179 How unreasonable!

"Did you see it?"

"Did something just fall from the sky?"

As evening fell, on the south bank of the Ganges, campfires flickered in the camp of the Baicheng Army, but the soldiers of the Baicheng Army had no heart to prepare dinner and gathered outside their tents to whisper among themselves.

Although Su Yao did not land directly here, the mere golden afterimage that streaked across the sky, and the sudden, tsunami-like cheers that erupted from the Han army camp on the north bank, were enough to cause immense panic among the Hundred Chariots Army on the south bank.

Some say it is an evil monster, others say it is Shiva's mount, and still others, well-informed people, say it is a mythical beast of the Han Chinese.

"That golden giant bird is the mount of the Han Chinese Heavenly Emperor!"

"The Parthians were wiped out by this thing. I heard that the flames it spews can burn down an entire city!"

Various rumors spread rapidly among the Hundred Chariots Army, and the soldiers of the Hundred Chariots Dynasty discussed them in fear. Soon, the rumors reached the ears of the local commander, Swaraj.

Swaraj was a renowned general of the Hundred Chariots Dynasty, nearly fifty years old and highly experienced.

He was not particularly worried about the Han invasion from the north, believing that although these outsiders were well-equipped, their forces were limited and they were unfamiliar with India's hot and humid climate and complex terrain. He had already built a strong defensive line on the south bank of the Ganges and amassed an army of over 80,000, including hundreds of war elephants, confident that he could keep the Han army out of the rich southern lands.

However, his brow furrowed deeply when he heard the soldiers' terrified descriptions of the "golden giant bird" and the "Han Chinese Heavenly Emperor." As a high-ranking general, he had heard about the dramatic changes taking place in the west through trade routes and espionage.

At first, the defeat of the Kushans was not unexpected to him. The country, which was ruled by barbarians, was already riddled with problems and full of contradictions. Even without the invasion of the Han people, they had always been planning to divide and erode the Kushans.

However, the subsequent fall of Parthia and the subsequent news of the Roman legions' disastrous defeat in the East finally put the entire nation on high alert.

Among the countless legends, the most astonishing is that of the ruler revered as a god by the Kushans. He could summon thunder, ride divine birds, and no castle or army could rival him. His very existence was the embodiment of victory.

Does such a person exist?
Has someone like that come?
Swaraj swallowed hard, then stepped out of his tent and looked toward the Han army camp on the north bank. There, he saw that the camp was brightly lit and filled with cheers. There was no doubt that something important had happened.

"General, have you heard about it too?"

A lieutenant rushed over and asked in a low voice, "If the rumors are true, and the Han king has personally gone to the front lines, then I'm afraid..."

Swaraj paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "There is no need to panic. Even if the Han king himself arrives, we have the natural barrier of Nabada, 80,000 warriors, and a legion of war elephants. Send down the order to strengthen night patrols and prevent the Han army from crossing the river at night. At the same time, send an envoy; I want to speak with this 'Heavenly Emperor' in person."

Swaraj's plan was simple: at this time, the enemy's morale was high, so it was not advisable to fight them head-on. He would send an envoy to find out their strength and buy them time.

However, he never expected that his sincere efforts would be completely ignored by the other side.

"What kind of trash dares to negotiate with me?"

"Let them choose between fighting or surrendering."

Su Yao didn't bother with any pleasantries, so the envoy had barely arrived at the north bank in his small boat, and before he could even explain his purpose, he was "invited" aside by a troop of fierce Han soldiers, without even seeing Lü Bu. In his anxiety, a Han official who appeared to be an interpreter approached and, expressionless, conveyed Su Yao's message:
"His Majesty has decreed: Your Majesty, a mere hundred chariots, has failed to recognize the might of Heaven and stubbornly resisted; your crime is unforgivable. My personal presence is a divine gift to you, a glimmer of hope. If Swaraj truly wishes to submit, he should bind his own arms and kneel before me in surrender. Sending a lowly messenger to cause such a commotion—is it to test the might of Heaven? Or is it an attempt to delay while awaiting reinforcements?"

The interpreter paused, then his voice suddenly turned stern: "Heaven cherishes life, therefore His Majesty has granted you one night for consideration. If by dawn tomorrow, Swaraj does not appear in mourning clothes to surrender and present the seals and insignia of the entire army, then divine punishment will descend, and your 80,000 troops will be reduced to dust! Do not say you were not warned!"

The messenger was terrified and scrambled back to the south bank to report the Han emperor's domineering and uncompromising reply to Swaraj in detail.

Upon hearing this, the generals inside the tent immediately erupted in chaos.

"Arrogant! Too arrogant!"

"Bound and kneeling in surrender? What do they take us for?!"

"General, this is an utter disgrace! We would rather die in battle than suffer such humiliation!"

The pro-war generals were indignant and eagerly requested permission to fight. One of his young, hot-blooded Kshatriya generals, enraged, drew his scimitar and shouted:

"With a hundred chariots and eighty thousand soldiers, and a thousand war elephants, how can we allow him to humiliate us like this! General, please allow me to lead my troops to cross the river tonight and launch a surprise attack, cut off the head of that Han emperor, and present it to you!"

However, Swaraj remained silent. He waved his hand to silence the commotion, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced, shifty-eyed generals, a chill running through him. He too felt humiliated. But reason told him that the other side's audacity in being so forceful must stem from some powerful backing. That legendary "divine might" was probably not unfounded.

Ultimately, Swaraj made a conservative decision.

All rumors are exaggerated. Since we can't make peace now, we might as well defend for a while, use the river defenses and our own strong army to test the strength of the Han army, and then plan other things.

Swaraj took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Order all camps to be on high alert, nock their bows and crossbows, and have their elephants ready! No one is allowed to attack without my order. We must let the Han people know that our hundred chariots of warriors are not lambs to the slaughter!"

He chose to hold his position, relying on the natural barrier of the Ganges River, and observe the situation. He did not believe that the Han army could easily cross this wide and turbulent river, nor did he believe that the so-called "divine punishment" could easily destroy his 80,000-strong army.

However, Swaraj was unaware that his choice was exactly what Su Yao wanted.

"You've asked for it, so don't blame me."

The next morning, Su Yao stepped out of his tent and was amused to see the Hundred Chariots Army looking ready for battle.

He hadn't fought alongside his old comrades like Lü Bu for a long time. Besides, if these Indians surrendered readily, they would inevitably become a destabilizing factor in the region.

Therefore, Su Yao decided to personally initiate this battle. Instead of summoning griffins for aerial attacks, he chose a different method to completely destroy the Baicheng Army's will to resist.

"Bring me my bow."

(End of this chapter)