I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 969: The Xianbei are destroyed and the Western Regions surrender (Combined Chapter)

"Oh? Are you the Xianbei Chanyu?"

As the sun sets in the west, the battle on the Dihua Plain is finally coming to an end.

On the battlefield under the bloody setting sun, Su Yao looked indifferently at the Xianbei leader who was brought forward.

Budugen knelt on the ground with a pale face, his body trembling slightly, and he muttered to himself, denying his identity.

He didn't dare admit it, and the reason was simple.

Budugen saw that on the way here, on an open space beside the river, there were hundreds of people kneeling together in dust and dirt, their mouths stuffed with rags, and a wooden board with Chinese characters written on it stuck around their necks.

Although Budugen could not recognize the word "砍" (behead) due to his cultural level, he had visited the Han city while traveling in a caravan and happened to witness local officials executing criminals.

Those who were about to die all looked like this before being executed. How could he not feel afraid?

The most terrifying thing is that none of those kneeling people are ordinary people, they are all the leaders of the Xianbei tribes.

Just yesterday, they were still arguing about how to fight for power and how to beat the big man.

In just one day, the fate of these people was changed.

This is simply horrible!
You know, in the past, even if they were defeated in the war, the noble leaders would be treated more or less leniently.

Even during the great war between the Han and the Xiongnu, when the Xiongnu nobles were wiped out, they were taken back to the Han area for resettlement. They were not slaughtered like pigs.

But obviously, Su Yao was not so kind to them.

Noble leader?

These are the people I killed.

Su Yao walked slowly to Budugen, his boots rolling over the blood-stained grass. He extended his sword and lifted the Chanyu's chin, forcing him to look up and confront him:

"Grandson of Tan Shihuai? Sixteen years ago, your grandfather killed 30,000 Han cavalrymen on the grassland, leaving no one alive. Did you ever think that one day your descendants would kneel before the Han army like a stray dog?"

Budugen's pupils contracted violently, his whole body trembled, his eyes were full of fear and despair. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, so he could only shake his head desperately.

"What a tiger father and a dog son."

Budugen's cowardly look obviously made Su Yao lose interest in an instant. He put away his sword and ordered: "Take him away, along with the other tribal leaders, and execute him in public tomorrow."

"No! Don't kill me!" Budugen finally collapsed and fell to the ground with tears streaming down his face. "I surrender! I surrender! I can help you rule the Xianbei tribes. I can do it."

"No need." Su Yao turned and left, his voice cold, "Xianbei does not need a Chanyu, they just need to submit."

The next morning, by the river.

The flags of the Xianbei tribes were piled together and burned fiercely.

Budugen, Ganluolu and hundreds of other Xianbei leaders were brought to the front of the battlefield and beheaded one by one in front of tens of thousands of Xianbei captives.

Their bodies, together with those of more than 10,000 Xianbei soldiers who had died in previous battles, were piled up into a huge Jingguan, located by the river.

"From now on, Dihua will establish the Beiting Protectorate, which will govern the area north of the Tianshan Mountains, and all the tribes on the grassland will change to the alliance and flag system."

Su Yao stood on the high platform, his voice spread throughout the venue:

"From now on, the leaders of each tribe must be recognized and enthroned by the imperial court. Anyone who disobeys will have his entire clan executed!"

There was total silence in the audience, and more than ten thousand Xianbei people knelt on the ground, trembling.

But Su Yao actually didn't say this to them, because all this had nothing to do with them anymore, and these captives would never be able to return to the tribe.

As war criminals who provoked the war, their fate was already sealed.

Among the more than 10,000 captives, nearly half will be selected to stay in Dihua to participate in the city-building task on the spot, while the rest will be moved to the Han area and dispersed to supplement the local labor force.

After deciding the fate of the captives, the next people to receive the task were Ma Chao and Yan Xing.

The two of them would each lead 3,000 elite cavalry and set out immediately, and under the guidance of surrendered generals such as Momoro, they would attack the heartland of the western Xianbei tribes.

After losing these 30,000 main troops, most of those left behind were the elderly, the weak, women and children. Now was the time to launch a massive counterattack and wipe out in one fell swoop all the western Xianbei tribes entrenched in the north of Bingliang.

Through this battle, Su Yao wanted to let everyone see the consequences of being an enemy of the Han people.

Ma Chao and Yan Xing immediately followed the order and headed for the grasslands in the northwest like a torrent. Su Yao led the remaining troops and turned southeast to attack Futu City in the Cheshi Kingdom.

"What did you say?!"

"The Xianbei were defeated, the Han army is coming???"

Soon, Mohula in Futu City received a quick report from the front line. His face was ashen and he muttered:

"How could it be so fast? How could it be so fast?"

"Yes, it is absolutely true, General!"

The messenger who brought the news cried out in a terrified voice:
"They captured more than 10,000 people out of an army of 30,000. Not only was Budugen Chanyu's head hung on a flagpole, but the bodies of the dead were piled up like a mountain."

"We must think of a way. We can't just sit there and wait for death!"

Knowing that a disaster was imminent, Mohula immediately gathered his courage, gathered his confidants and prepared to escape first.

However, the news of the Han army's glorious victory had spread throughout the city like wings, and the nobles in the city began to secretly collude and prepare to surrender the city in order to protect themselves.

That night, after packing up his belongings and preparing to flee, Mohuluo suddenly discovered an undercurrent in the city and sensed something bad was wrong.

Mohuluo's confidants discovered that the nobles who used to be obedient to him suddenly became distant, and the city defense forces began to be frequently mobilized, all without his authorization!
"General, something terrible has happened!" A close confidant reported in a panic, "The West Gate Guard, Ashi De, has secretly sent people out of the city. I'm afraid he's going to..."

Mohu Luo stood up suddenly, his face livid: "Quick! Gather the guards immediately, we will go out from the north gate!"

But it was too late. Just as Mahura rushed out of the palace, the city bells suddenly rang loudly. Teams of soldiers holding torches high surrounded the palace.

"Are you planning a rebellion?!" Mohuluo shouted harshly, his hand on the hilt of the knife.

The leading noble sneered: "Mohu Luo, you let the wolf in and almost destroyed my Cheshi. Now you want to walk away? How can it be so easy!"

"That's right!"

"Today we will tie you up and hand you over to the Han army to save Futu City from disaster!"

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of guards rushed forward.

Mohuluo's cronies still wanted to resist, but they were soon hacked to death because they were outnumbered. Mohuluo himself was pinned to the ground and tied up.

The next morning, the gates of Futu City were opened wide. The nobles in the city, carrying Mohula, who was tied up like a rice dumpling, knelt in front of the gates to welcome the Han army.

Su Yao rode on his horse, watching the scene coldly. His eyes swept over the kneeling nobles of the Cheshi clan, and finally landed on the pale-faced Mo Hu Luo.

"Is this your sincerity?" Su Yao asked calmly.

The leading noble bowed his forehead to the ground and said: "General, please understand! This traitor has deceived the people. We are willing to submit to the Heavenly Dynasty and be its vassal forever!"

Su Yao did not comment, but just waved his hand. The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Mohula to the front of the battle formation.

"You have imprisoned the former king for more than ten years. Do you regret it now?" Su Yao asked. Mo Hu Luo trembled all over and burst into tears: "I regret it! I regret it! Please spare my life, General!"

Su Yao said no more and waved his hand. A flash of knife light passed by, and Mohula's head fell to the ground. In Futu City, there was silence.

Afterwards, Su Yao ordered his men to bring out the former King of Cheshi, who had been imprisoned for more than ten years, from the dungeon. The white-haired old man trembled as he walked out of the prison door, and burst into tears the moment he saw the sunlight.

"This old minister pays respect to the great general."

Su Yao personally helped the old man up: "The late king suffered a lot. From today on, Cheshi will be unified again, and A Luozuo will succeed to the throne. You can rest assured and enjoy your old age."

The old man was so grateful that he kowtowed repeatedly.

Soon, as Futu surrendered the city, the rear troops of Cheshi in the north of the mountain surrendered. Thus, the entire territory of Cheshi was pacified.

However, Su Yao did not retain the names of these Cheshi countries in the north of the mountain this time, but instead placed them all under the direct jurisdiction of the Beiting Protectorate.

Right in Futu City, in front of the leaders of the various tribes north of the mountain, Su Yao announced the appointment of Liu Bei as the first Protector General of Beiting, in charge of the various tribes north of the Tianshan Mountains, and temporarily stationed in Futu City before the construction of Dihua and Luntai City was completed.

At the same time, he also ordered the reconstruction of Jiaohe and Futu cities, strengthened defenses, and began large-scale immigration and farming.

At this point, the northern gateway to the Western Regions was wide open, and the might of the Han army frightened all directions.

The Western Region coalition forces that were confronting the Han army not far from Yumen Pass disbanded immediately upon hearing the news, and all the generals surrendered.

In this regard, Su Yao did not make it too difficult for them. He just ordered the kings of various countries to come to Jiaohe City for a while.

The kings of the Western Regions were all trembling with fear when they heard the news. They knew that this meeting would determine the fate of their respective countries.

However, faced with the mighty military power of the Han Dynasty, even the King of Shule, who had previously been the most arrogant and the most resolute in resistance, dared not disobey and could only go to Jiaohe City to pay tribute with his trusted envoys and carts of treasures and beauties.

A month later, when the kings of the Western Regions arrived here with their large and small bags of belongings, they happened to encounter a team returning from the south, and the scale of their team was not inferior to theirs at all.

Those were the spoils of war from the western Xianbei tribes that Ma Chao and Yan Xing brought back from the grassland.

The twelve Xianbei tribes in the west had no idea at that time that their army would suffer such a tragic defeat.

When a few remnant soldiers escaped and reported the incident, the remaining leaders of the various tribes were still arguing about whether it was true or not and were urgently discussing countermeasures.

Ma Chao and Yan Xing's light cavalry arrived like a gust of wind, sweeping across the grassland.

Wherever Ma Chao's silver spear pointed, the Xianbei tribes were defeated; Yan Xing wielded his long sword and beheaded countless people.

During the journey, the two men cooperated well with each other, sweeping across the country and directly defeating all the twelve Xianbei tribes in the west.

In this battle, hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and horses were seized, more than 30,000 women and children were captured, and gold, silver and treasures piled up like mountains.

Those once unruly Xianbei nobles have now become prisoners, tied together with iron chains, walking dejectedly in the team.

The kings of the Western Regions were terrified, especially when they saw the miserable state of those once-arrogant Xianbei nobles. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale.

"Is this the end of being an enemy of the Han Dynasty?" The King of Shule said with a trembling voice.

The King of Khotan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said: "Fortunately we surrendered in time, otherwise..."

The kings looked at each other and saw deep fear and relief in each other's eyes.

When the kings of the Western Regions finally arrived at Jiaohe City, Su Yao received them in the newly built palace hall. On both sides of the hall, the Han army generals were wearing shining helmets and armor, looking majestic; in the square outside the hall, the captured Xianbei flags were piled up like a mountain and were burning.

This scene made the kings' legs go weak, and they fell to their knees before they could even open their mouths.

"You all have come from afar and have worked hard." Su Yao sat high on the throne, his voice calm but full of majesty.

As the representative of all the kings, the King of Shule replied in a trembling voice: "It is our honor to meet the great general of the Heavenly Dynasty."

Su Yao nodded slightly: "Since you are sincere in surrendering, this general will not make things difficult for you. From today on, the Anxi Protectorate will be established in the Western Regions to govern the countries south of the Tianshan Mountains. Each country must pay tribute according to the regulations, accept the imperial court's canonization and the appointment of a prime minister, and select princes to study in Beijing."

The kings heard this, although they were unwilling in their hearts, but facing the iron-blooded tactics of the Han army, how could they dare to say no? They could only kowtow and say yes.

"In addition," Su Yao continued, "each country needs to open up trade routes, allow Han merchants to travel freely, and set up an embassy district in the capital for Han envoys to live in."

These demands gradually deprived the Western Regions of their independence and tied them firmly to the chariot of the Han Dynasty. But at this moment, no one dared to raise any objections.

After the meeting, Su Yao specially invited the kings of several major countries, including Shanshan and Khotan, to stay and host a banquet for them.

During the meal, Su Yao asked casually:

"I heard that there was a powerful country called Kushan in the Pamir Mountains in the past. Do you know anything about it?"

The King of Shule quickly replied: "General, the Kushans are indeed powerful, with no less than 100,000 soldiers under their command. In the past hundred years, they have been expanding in all directions. The countries such as Dayuan and Kangju, which once submitted to the Han Dynasty, have long since surrendered to their forces. They are eyeing our country covetously and often use their troops to encroach on it."

The King of Khotan added: "The King of Kushan calls himself the 'King of Kings' and is ambitious. Last year he sent envoys to our country and asked us to submit to him."

Su Yao's eyes flashed: "Oh? Then how did you respond?"

The King of Khotan sweated on his forehead: "Of course I rejected it! We have received the favor of the Han Dynasty for generations, how can we betray the Celestial Empire?"

Su Yao chuckled and did not comment, but he already knew in his heart that the Kushan Empire, this behemoth that stretched west of the Western Regions, would sooner or later come into conflict with the Han Dynasty advancing westward.

However, at present, his target is not the Kushans, but the Wusun in the Ili River Valley.

This time, the Wusun people joined forces with the Xianbei, took advantage of the situation and blatantly interfered with his actions. Now that the Xianbei people have paid the price, it is time for these Wusun people to taste the wrath of the Han Dynasty.

Of course, this isn't just about revenge.

The geographical location of the Wusun people determined that this was an excellent forward base. The fertile land in the Ili River Valley could feed a large population and lay the foundation for controlling Central Asia.

After conquering Wusun, they took the northern route to attack Kushan, which was also the route the Mongol Empire took to advance westwards.

By taking this route, the army can avoid losses caused by crossing the harsh terrain of the Western Desert.

So, after the banquet, Su Yao immediately summoned all the generals to discuss the matter.

He pointed to the Ili River Valley on the map and said in a deep voice:
"The Wusun dared to send troops to help the Xianbei. This hatred must be avenged. Our army should seize the opportunity to pursue the victory and wipe out the Wusun in one fell swoop, and put an end to the trouble forever!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao immediately clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Yan Xing also stepped forward: "I'm willing to fight!"

However, Jia Xu stroked his beard and pondered: "General, Wusun is located in the Ili River Valley, and the journey is long. Our army has fought many battles and the soldiers are exhausted. Why don't we rest first and fight again next year?"

Cao Cao also advised: "Wusun has a hundred thousand soldiers and is a strong country. If we rashly launch an expedition, there may be unexpected consequences."

Su Yao glanced at everyone and suddenly asked, "Do you know why Wusun has been able to dominate the Yili River Valley for a hundred years?"

Seeing everyone in deep thought, Su Yao pointed to the map and said, "It's because the Tianshan Mountains are dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack. But now that Dihua is in our hands, we can easily cross the Tianshan Mountains and capture its capital, Chigu, in one fell swoop!"

Zhou Yu's eyes gleamed: "General, do you want to imitate the surprise attack on the Xiongnu by Huo Huqi?"

"No need."

Su Yao shook his head and smiled:
"Chigu City is hidden among the mountains and is quite far away. It cannot be raided in a few days. This time, we will use the power of our great victory to lead an upright army and destroy them head-on."

"I want to prove the strength and determination of the Han Dynasty to the Western countries through this battle!"

(End of this chapter)