I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 983 The Wusun Surrender (7K)

"You monster, you monster!"

After the dust in front of the city gate dissipated, Su Yao and the King of Wusun were revealed.

Su Yao lifted the King of Wusun by the back of his collar with one hand, raising him high like a chick.

The battlefield was silent. All the Wusun soldiers stared in disbelief as their king was taken prisoner by the enemy. Ma Chao and his men seized the opportunity to shout, completely shattering the morale of the Wusun people.

"The King of Wusun has been captured alive!"

"Everyone, lay down your weapons!"

"The battle is over!"

bang-

The first scimitar landed with an exceptionally crisp sound. Then came the second, the third...
"Kunmi has been captured."

"We lost."

Whispers of despair spread among the Wusun soldiers. Without their king's encouragement, they no longer had the courage to fight.

In the blink of an eye, the sound of weapons falling to the ground echoed from the palace walls. Even the king's attempt to commit suicide failed; the battle had utterly lost its meaning.

"Father!"

At this moment, Ashley finally broke free of her restraints. She stumbled towards Su Yao, her hands trembling as she reached out, yet dared not touch him. She could only kneel on the ground, tears streaming down her face, pleading, "Please, please spare my father!"

Su Yao turned to look at the girl who was crying her eyes out, then glanced at the ashen-faced King of Wusun in his hand. After a moment of silence, he suddenly grinned:
"Although your final behavior was not obedient enough, I will still keep my word and keep my promise to you. As long as the King of Wusun is willing to cooperate obediently and surrender honestly, I will not harm his life."

"Surrender? Bah!"

The King of Wusun didn't even glance at his daughter, and even after being captured, he remained defiant:

"You think everything will be over once you catch me? You're dreaming!"

"I am the Kunmi of Wusun. You may kill me or torture me as you please, but do not even think of humiliating me!"

"Humiliating?"

Su Yao chuckled and said:

"Do you really think I went through all this trouble to capture you just to humiliate you and feel good?"

“You’re wrong. I’m giving you Wusun people a chance.”

"As a king, you should be more discerning in assessing the situation than acting recklessly and causing countless people to die in vain just for your own dignity."

"Opportunity?" The King of Wusun sneered. "You Han people slaughtered my warriors and occupied my land, and now you hypocritically talk about giving me an opportunity?"

Su Yao put the King of Wusun down and looked him straight in the eyes: "Are you still going to distort the truth at this point? If your Wusun hadn't colluded with the Xianbei to invade our vassal state and committed countless blood debts in the Beilu region, how could we have suffered this calamity today?"

"Do you really think that only you Wusun people can kill and enslave others at will without being punished?"

The King of Wusun was speechless, his face turning pale and then red.

He certainly knew the truth about the Battle of Beilu—he had tacitly allowed the Right General to plunder, just to give the Han people a warning.

Seeing that he remained silent, Su Yao continued, "The outcome is now decided. If you surrender, I can guarantee the lives of your royal family, and the people of Wusun will be spared the suffering of war. Otherwise..."

No sooner had Su Yao finished speaking than Zhou Yu arrived hastily with a troop of men.
"The general's predictions are spot on! We waited for them in the west of the city and have captured all the escapees!"

West of the city?!
Gui Shemi was startled and quickly turned around, then almost experienced a blackout.

"Kunmi, I am guilty! I have failed you!!!"

They saw Xiang Dalu Saru and more than a dozen members of the royal family, bound hand and foot, being escorted by Han soldiers. Saru's face was covered in blood, and upon seeing the Wusun Queen, he wept bitterly and knelt on the ground, refusing to rise.

“Saru.” The Wusun king’s voice trembled, his last hope shattered.

"The King of Wusun is quite cunning."

Su Yao slowly walked towards the captured queen and princes and princesses, and said:
"You're fighting on the front lines, yet you want your wife and children to escape?"

"Why? How do you know about this secret passage?!"

As he spoke, the King of Wusun suddenly turned around and stared intently at his daughter.

"No, Father, I didn't!"

Ashley's eyes widened in horror, and she shook her head frantically in denial.

"Don't doubt your daughter."

Su Yao sneered:
"Although she did help us with some small things, she never mentioned this secret passage."

"."

The King of Wusun closed his eyes in despair. He finally understood that the Han general before him was not only incredibly strong in martial arts, but also unfathomably cunning. He had even uncovered their royal family's secret escape route.

He lost, completely.

"Now can we have a proper talk?"

"you you you"

The King of Wusun stared at Su Yao, his hands trembling. Then, he felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed weakly.

"Father!"

"Kunmi!"

"Hurry up and save people!"

There was chaos in the Chigu City Palace.

King Gui of Wusun, indulging in extravagance, vomited blood and fainted. He was rushed into an inner chamber. Su Yao ordered the military physician to treat him and simultaneously ordered the entire city to be taken into custody to appease the people.

Soon, as news of the capture of the Wusun king spread throughout the city, Xiang Dalu himself even appeared to reassure the soldiers and civilians. The resistance in Chigu City was quickly quelled, and the Han army took over key locations. The captured Wusun royals were also placed under strict guard, with only Princess Ashley gaining some freedom due to her relatively cooperative attitude.

In the dead of night, the royal palace was brightly lit. Su Yao sat on the throne that originally belonged to the King of Wusun, listening to reports from various tribes.

"Reporting to the General, all key locations within the city have been taken into control, and more than 5,000 Wusun soldiers have surrendered," Ma Chao reported, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Yan Xing added: "The royal palace treasury has been inventoried, and 30,000 taels of gold, 200,000 taels of silver, and countless jewels and jade artifacts have been seized."

Zhou Yu then presented a document: "This is the surrender document drafted by Prime Minister Lusalu. He has agreed to issue a ceasefire order to all regions in his capacity as Prime Minister of Wusun. It will be issued shortly after being stamped with the royal seal."

Su Yao took the document, glanced at it, and nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. How is the King of Wusun?"

"The situation is not optimistic."

Hong'er stepped forward and whispered:
"The King of Wusun is old. Although his master helped him when he fell from the wall, he still suffered considerable internal injuries. In addition, he was so angry that he suffered a heart attack. Although he has been given acupuncture and medicine, he may not be able to wake up for a while."

Su Yao frowned slightly: "Is there any danger to your life?"

"This"

Hong'er considered for a moment and said:

"That depends on his fate. If he has lost all will to live, I'm afraid..."

Su Yao pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, "Take me to see."

Inside the room, Princess Ashley was kneeling before her father's bed, wiping his forehead with a wet wipe.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around abruptly and saw Su Yao. A hint of fear flashed in her eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and stood in front of her father.

"What are you doing here?" The girl's voice trembled slightly.

Su Yao did not answer, but walked to the bedside and observed the unconscious King of Wusun. This once invincible king was now ashen-faced and breathing weakly, completely lacking the imposing manner he had displayed during the day.

"You know about his situation?"

Ashley bit her lip, nodded, her eyes brimming with tears: "The physician said that if Father doesn't make it through tonight, he might not make it."

Clearly, not only the Han army physicians brought by Hong'er, but also the "imperial physicians" and priests of Wusun had come to see them, but no one had any good solutions.

Su Yao glanced at it twice and asked again, "Have you taken your medicine?"

Ashley shook her head again, tears welling in her eyes: "Father...he...he refuses to take the medicine."

Su Yao frowned: "What do you mean?"

This Wusun king looks completely unconscious, how could he refuse to take medicine?
Ashley lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion: "Although Father is unconscious, he unconsciously clenches his teeth every time we try to feed him medicine. We've tried many times, but we can't get it down. The High Priest says that Father's soul is resisting; he doesn't want to accept the Han people's treatment."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Su Yao's eyes. He bent down to check on the Wusun King's condition and indeed found that his jaw was clenched and there were still traces of medicine on the corners of his mouth.

"Interesting." Su Yao straightened up, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It seems your father is quite determined to die."

Ashley looked up abruptly, tears streaming down her face: "Please, please save my father!"

"beg me?"

Su Yao pinched his chin, squinted, and said, "Your father is determined to die, what use is it for you to beg me?"

"."

Ashley fell silent; she herself didn't know why those words had just slipped out.

Perhaps it was because of the incredible abilities Su Yao displayed along the way that she still held onto a glimmer of hope amidst her despair.

A moment later, she gritted her teeth and looked at Su Yao with teary eyes: "You, you must have a way, right?"

Su Yao didn't answer, but after a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Do you hate me?"

Ashley shuddered, a complex emotion flickering in her amber eyes. She lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper: "I...I don't know."

“To be honest,” Su Yao’s voice brooked no argument.

"I hate you!" Ashley looked up abruptly, tears streaming down her face. "I hate you for destroying my home, I hate you for making my father like this! But, but..."

Her voice trailed off: "What's the use of my hatred? My father said that the wolves on the grasslands only respect the strong. Although it's painful, you Han people are indeed stronger than us now."

"He said that again?"

Su Yao chuckled softly, and seeing the girl's stubborn yet vulnerable expression, he nodded.
"However, it seems you are even smarter than your father."

"Okay, I do have a way to save him."

As he spoke, Su Yao took out a porcelain bottle from his robes:
"This specially made elixir dissolves upon contact with water. As long as a person isn't completely dead, it can revive them. It's extremely precious."

Ashley's eyes lit up, and she eagerly reached out to take the medicine bottle, but Su Yao suddenly withdrew his hand.

“However—” he looked at the girl meaningfully, “why would I save an enemy who is determined to die?”

Ashley's hand froze in mid-air, tears welling up again: "I...I'm willing to pay any price."

"Any price?" Su Yao raised an eyebrow. The girl bit her lip and nodded emphatically: "As long as it can save my father, I'm willing to give anything! My life, my freedom, I... I can give you everything."

"It's not interesting."

Su Yao shook his head:

"Do you think I lack women? Besides, you're already mine. If I wanted you, do you think you had the right to refuse?"

Ashley trembled, crossed her arms, and turned ashen-faced. She understood Su Yao's meaning perfectly—as a princess of a defeated nation, she had long since lost all dignity and freedom, and was now at the mercy of others.

"Then what do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Su Yao tossed the medicine bottle lightly in his hand, his gaze deep: "I want the Wusun to submit, to truly submit. And your father is the key."

A hint of confusion flashed in Ashley's eyes: "But Father... he'd rather die than surrender."

“So you need to change his mind.” Su Yao leaned down, looking directly into the girl’s eyes. “I will save his life, but you must convince him to accept reality. Otherwise…”

He didn't finish speaking, but Ashley understood the lingering threat. She turned to look at her unconscious father, then at the medicine bottle in Su Yao's hand, and finally nodded heavily.

"I promise you."

Su Yao smiled with satisfaction and handed her the medicine bottle: "A wise choice. Remember, your father's life is now in your hands."

Ashley took the medicine bottle, her hands trembling slightly. Following Su Yao's instructions, she dissolved the pills in warm water, then carefully lifted her father's head.

"Father," she whispered, "please...drink it."

Miraculously, when Ashley brought the medicine bowl to the lips of the Wusun King, his clenched teeth loosened slightly. The medicine flowed in slowly, and the Wusun King's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed it.

Su Yao stood to the side, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. It seemed the bond between this father and daughter was even deeper than he had imagined.

The medicine took effect quickly. In less than fifteen minutes, the King of Wusun's breathing became steady, and his complexion gradually regained its color. Ashley wept with joy, tightly grasping her father's hand.

"He's alright for now." Su Yao glanced at the sky. "Tomorrow morning, I need to see a lucid and cooperative King of Wusun. Understand?"

Ashley bit her lip and nodded: "I...I will try my best."

"It's not about trying your best, it's about having to."

After saying that, Su Yao pushed open the door and left.

"Your Highness is ultimately kind-hearted."

Zhou Yu shook his head and said:
"Even if the Wusun king doesn't cooperate, we've already captured so many princes. It's no problem to establish a new king who is willing to cooperate. There's no need to waste our energy on him."

Su Yao smiled slightly, his hands behind his back as he gazed at the darkening sky outside the window: "Gongjin, you are mistaken. The King of Wusun enjoys extremely high prestige among the people. If he were to genuinely submit, it would be far better than supporting a puppet. Besides..."

He turned to look at Zhou Yu, his gaze deep: "What I want is not only the submission of Wusun, but also the allegiance of the Western Regions. If we can make this stubborn king bow his head, it will also greatly benefit the deterrence of other small countries."

Zhou Yu nodded thoughtfully: "General, your wisdom is profound; it is only my humble opinion that is correct."

“However,” Su Yao changed the subject, “if he remains obstinate tomorrow, then we’ll have to make other plans. After all…”

Su Yao looked out the window at the moonlight and said softly, "Sometimes, living takes more courage than dying."

In the stillness of the night, only Ashley remained in the depths of the palace, keeping vigil by her father's bedside. The girl's swollen eyes were fixed on her father's face, afraid to miss the slightest change.

"Father," she murmured softly, "you must wake up."

As dawn approached, the King of Wusun's fingers finally trembled slightly.

Ashley leaned down in surprise and saw her father's eyelids flutter slightly before slowly opening.

"Ashley?" The Wusun king's voice was weak and hoarse.

"Father!" Ashley cried with joy, tightly grasping her father's hand. "You're finally awake!"

The King of Wusun looked around in bewilderment, and when he realized where he was, his face changed drastically: "How am I still alive? Where are the Han people?"

Ashley quickly recounted the events briefly, mentioning that when Su Yao bestowed the medicine, the King of Wusun suddenly sat up abruptly: "Foolish! Who told you to accept charity from the Han people!"

"Father!" Ashley cried, tears streaming down her face. "I can't bear to see you suffer like this."

"Shut up!" the King of Wusun roared, then coughed violently. "I, the Wusun Kunmi, would rather die than suffer the humiliation of the Han people!"

Ashley knelt before the bed, her eyes brimming with tears: "Father, you often said that the wolves on the grasslands only respect the strong. Now the Han people are indeed stronger than us, so why can't we bow our heads for the time being and wait for the right opportunity?"

"What do you know!" The King of Wusun struggled to sit up. "Don't you know the conditions the Han people offered to the Western Regions? If I surrender, the Wusun people will be slaves for eternity!"

“But if you die, Wusun will truly be finished!” Ashley suddenly raised her voice. “Xiang Dalu and his brothers have all been captured, and my eldest and second brothers have been separated to the north and south. If you die, who will protect the people of Wusun?”

These words seemed to have touched the heart of the King of Wusun.

Why would he rather be bait and die on the battlefield than let Xiang Dalu escape with his men?
It is precisely because his Wusun Kingdom has not yet established a crown prince that he can sit securely on the throne, with the eldest and second princes competing with each other.

This is certainly excellent during peacetime.

But now, with this sudden turn of events, if he dies mysteriously in the capital, his two sons, who are leading troops in the field, will inevitably fight each other for the throne. If this leads to internal strife in Wusun, and the Han people seize the opportunity to instigate further conflict, the Wusun kingdom may truly face extinction.

Thinking of this, the King of Wusun slumped back on the couch, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes: "Does this mean I really have to bow down to the Han people?"

Seeing that her father's attitude had softened, Ashley quickly said, "Father, that Han general said that as long as you are willing to cooperate, he can guarantee the lives of the Wusun royal family and spare the people from the suffering of war."

"Hmph, a promise from a Han Chinese? You actually believe it?"

“Father,” Ashley bit her lip, “I witnessed firsthand that the Han army was very disciplined. After entering the city, they did not burn, kill, or loot; instead, they sent people to aid the wounded soldiers. General Su, though ruthless, was a man of his word. The Tuk tribe was indeed treated well after their surrender. And even I, your daughter, was not humiliated by them.”

The King of Wusun raised an eyebrow, seemingly quite surprised.

If their actions in the city today can be considered a deliberate attempt to win people's hearts, then when the princess was captured, the Han army could have used even more cruel methods to coerce her.

Take themselves for example. The simplest way to make a woman obedient and docile is to rape and humiliate her severely. If she doesn't obey, beat her. Most women will become obedient within a few days. This is their nature.

But the fact that these Han Chinese people were able to remain restrained and even keep their promise to protect the lives of the prisoners was truly beyond his expectations.

“Father, I know you are unwilling,” Ashley continued, seeing her father's silence, “but preserving the Wusun bloodline is the most important thing right now. As long as we live, there is still hope.”

The King of Wusun sighed deeply and reached out to stroke his daughter's head: "My little Ashley, you've grown up so much."

He looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, a complex light flashing in his eyes: "Fine, summon that Han general. I want to talk to him."

Ashley looked up in surprise: "Father, you agreed?"

"Let's hear what conditions he offers first." The King of Wusun closed his eyes wearily. "If he truly intends to exterminate us all, I would rather die than let him have his way!"

Ashley quickly got up and was about to go out to call for help when she saw the door had already been pushed open—Su Yao was already standing outside the door, a faint smile on his lips.

“It seems I’ve arrived just in time.” Su Yao stepped in. “Now that the King of Wusun has awakened, let’s have a proper talk.”

The King of Wusun suddenly opened his eyes. A flash of humiliation and anger crossed his gaze upon seeing Su Yao, but it quickly subsided. He forced himself to sit upright, striving to maintain his royal dignity: "General of Han, what do you wish to discuss?"

Su Yao smiled slightly, sat down in front of the Wusun king's bed, his eyes sharp: "It's very simple, I want Wusun to completely submit to the Han Dynasty and become a vassal state of our dynasty in the Western Regions."

The King of Wusun sneered: "Submit? Become a vassal state? Didn't I already send envoys to express my willingness to admit my mistake and submit? Yet you still insist on attacking. I'm afraid it's not as simple as just saying 'vassal state submits'."

“Indeed, you have invaded my vassal state, and the two countries are already at war. At this time, it is obviously inappropriate for you to merely submit verbally.”

Su Yao nodded, reached out and took the document Zhou Yu brought, and handed it to the King of Wusun:

"This time, I want true surrender, genuine submission."

"The Wusun Kingdom may retain a portion of its army, but it must accept the leadership of the Han garrison. The two countries shall advance and retreat together, and be of one mind and one heart."

"At the same time, the Wusun Kingdom opened up trade routes and immigration, and the two countries exchanged goods, exempted each other from tariffs, and intermarried, thus achieving common prosperity."

"Finally, we promise that your royal status will remain unchanged, but you must accept the investiture of the Great Han Dynasty. At the same time, the king must go to Luoyang to conduct official business, but may appoint the crown prince to oversee the country and handle state affairs."

After hearing Su Yao's terms, the King of Wusun's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. He trembled as he took the document, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed clauses. With each clause he read, his expression grew increasingly grim.

To be honest, this is not much different from what the envoy brought back before; in fact, the original plan of the prince going as a hostage has been changed to the king going to the capital.

"This is practically a pact that will lead to the downfall of the nation!"

The King of Wusun slammed the document to the ground, his hair standing on end in fury: "You want me to go to the capital as a hostage? The Wusun army to be under the control of the Han people? How is this any different from the destruction of our country!"

Su Yao calmly picked up the document and gently dusted it off: "King of Wusun, you are mistaken. Our Great Han is a land of propriety and etiquette. Having already promised to preserve the Wusun royal lineage, how could we possibly commit the act of destroying a nation and exterminating its people?"

“However, it doesn’t matter if the King of Wusun is unwilling to sign. Your eldest or second son, or the young princes in Chigu City, will surely be willing to cooperate. But in that case,” he gave Ashley a meaningful look, “Wusun will probably lose even more.”

Ashley gripped her father's arm tightly, her eyes pleading.

The King of Wusun closed his eyes, seemingly aging ten years in an instant. When he opened them again, his eyes were clear: "Very well, I agree. But there's one condition—"

"Father!" Ashley exclaimed, fearing that her father would make some unreasonable demands again.

Su Yao raised his hand to signal her to be quiet: "Please speak."

“Wusun can submit, but the dignity of the royal family must be preserved.” The King of Wusun looked directly at Su Yao. “I can be a hostage in Luoyang, but I must be allowed to return to Wusun for inspection. My people need to see that their king is still alive and that there is still hope.”

After a moment's thought, Su Yao nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's set it for once every three years. In addition, I can promise that the Wusun royal family will enjoy the same treatment as the Han imperial family in Luoyang."

Su Yao's words stunned the King of Wusun.

He gave Su Yao a deep look and suddenly asked:

"Han general, who exactly are you? With your power, how could you so readily agree to such a thing? Would your emperor approve of this? Are you trying to fool me, or is your identity more than just that of a general?"

Su Yao laughed loudly: "Let me formally introduce myself. I am Su Yao, the King of Tang of the Great Han Dynasty. I am here by order of the Emperor to manage the Western Regions and have full authority to handle the affairs of various countries."

"King Su Yao of Tang?" King Wusun gasped.

Even they knew that there were no kings of different surnames in the Han Dynasty, and this Tang King was probably more complicated than they had imagined.

"So be it, so be it. I have no regrets about losing to you."

He struggled to his feet and, with Ashley's help, gave Su Yao a solemn bow: "The Wusun Kunmi are extravagant and lavish, and we wish to lead the Wusun to submit to the Great Han and be its vassal for eternity."

Su Yao stepped forward and helped the Wusun King up: "From now on, the Han and Wusun are one family. The peace and prosperity of the Western Regions depend on our joint efforts."

"However, the most urgent task is for the King of Wusun to sign the formal surrender document as soon as possible, order all Wusun troops to cease resistance, and summon the two princes and generals who are away to return to the capital."

As he spoke, Su Yao handed over another scroll of silk:
"Xiang Dalu has already prepared the document, and we are just waiting for the King of Wusun to use the seal."

The King of Wusun took the silk scroll, read it carefully, and then gave a wry smile: "That old bastard Saru... he certainly knows how to be pragmatic."

The King of Wusun turned to Ashley helplessly: "Go and fetch my royal seal. It's in the third compartment on the left side of the bed."

Immediately following her instructions, Ashley retrieved the ancestral seal of the Wusun king from a hidden compartment and presented it to her father with both hands.

The King of Wusun took the seal and stamped it heavily on the surrender document, then leaned wearily against his couch:

"I've done all I can, but I can't guarantee whether those two children will obey."

Su Yao took the stamped document and nodded in satisfaction: "It's alright, that's fine. As long as you have submitted, if the two princes dare to disobey the king's orders, it will be a crime of treason, and our Great Han will clean up your mess."

(End of this chapter)