The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 591 Building a Jingguan to Stop the War with Force
Inside Weiyang Palace, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

“Thirteen lives…” Qin Shou’s fingers tapped lightly on the imperial desk. His voice was calm, yet contained a storm. He said coldly, “It seems that the blood of the Qiang people has not yet awakened the four barbarian tribes enough.”

Jia Xu, standing to the side, held his breath and lowered his head, not daring to speak. He knew that the emperor's sensitivity to numbers stemmed from his extreme regard for the dignity of the empire and the lives of his people.

"Regarding the Qiang people, I established my authority by paying them a thousandfold in death, demonstrating the limits of justice and employing both kindness and severity. But the Xianbei..." Qin Shou slowly rose, his gaze sweeping across the massive map of the territory hanging in the hall, landing on the Hexi region. He laughed angrily, "Those people are arrogant because they are far away, stubborn and unyielding. Only swift and decisive measures can eradicate them completely and eliminate future troubles! I will make them, and make the whole world understand, that those who offend the Tang Dynasty, no matter how far away, will be punished, and the price will be annihilation!"

"By imperial decree! I will personally lead an army of 300,000 to conquer Hexi! Blood for blood, life for life! This time, no forced labor, only heads! The thirteen subjects of the Great Tang shall be appeased with the blood of the entire Xianbei clan!"

Jia Xu took a deep breath.

Everything needs an excuse, and now the Hexi Xianbei have delivered that excuse to the emperor.

The empire's war machine roared into action once more, with astonishing efficiency. Within ten days of the decree being issued, 300,000 elite troops had been assembled. Banners blotted out the sun, swords and spears formed a forest, and a chilling aura of war reached the heavens. This expedition boasted a truly formidable lineup, encompassing almost half of the Tang Dynasty's most renowned generals:
Although the old general Huang Zhong's hair had turned white, he was still skilled in archery and horsemanship and his ambition remained undiminished. He was one of the main generals of the vanguard.

Zhao Yun, clad in white robes and wielding a silver spear, had become even more composed after the battles in the Qiang region, and now commanded elite cavalry.
Wei Yan was arrogant, Zhang Liao was resolute, Xu Huang was prudent, Zhou Yu was refined, Lu Xun was resourceful, Ding Feng was brave, Pang De was fierce, Zhang He was resourceful, Gao Lan was majestic... Each of these famous generals led their own troops and were assigned to one of the three armies.

Qin Shou personally led the army, commanding the central command. The massive army marched out of Chang'an, crossed the Longshan Mountains, and surged towards Hexi. The iron hooves shattered the tranquility of the Gobi Desert, and the dust they raised blotted out the sun.

The various Xianbei tribes in Hexi initially failed to realize the impending disaster. Relying on their swift cavalry and the vast desert, they believed that even if the Tang army came to subdue them, it would be like the previous Central Plains dynasties—they would be defeated and forced to retreat, unable to fundamentally harm them. Some tribal leaders were even complacent about their spoils of plunder.

However, they soon realized they were wrong. Terribly wrong.

Emperor Qin Shou of Tang's strategy was simple yet cruel: the three armies, like three giant iron plows, would use blood as ink to draw an indelible line on the land of Hexi.

The right wing army, led by Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao, marched out of Wuwei and swiftly penetrated the heart of the Xianbei territory. Utilizing the mobility of their elite cavalry, they successively defeated several small and medium-sized tribes, cutting off the Xianbei's westward escape route.

The left flank army, led by Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, marched north along the Ruoshui River, leveraging their combined land and water command skills to clear out Xianbei strongholds along the river and prepare for possible reinforcements from the northern grasslands.

The main force of the central army was personally commanded by Qin Shou, with generals such as Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Xu Huang, Ding Feng, Pang De, Zhang He, and Gao Lan serving as vanguards and support. Like an unstoppable iron torrent, they crushed the area where the main Xianbei force was gathered.

The battle was a one-sided massacre from the very beginning. The Tang army was well-equipped, well-trained, and disciplined, and their morale was boosted by the burning desire for revenge.

In contrast, the various Xianbei tribes, caught off guard and lacking coordination, were routed by the overwhelming offensive of the Tang army.

Huang Zhong, his sword still sharp as ever, never missed a shot amidst the vast army, killing several Xianbei chieftains in succession; Wei Yan charged forward like a whirlwind, his troops like sharp knives, repeatedly tearing apart the Xianbei formation; Zhang Liao and Xu Huang fought steadily and cautiously, advancing step by step.

Ding Feng and Pang De led from the front, displaying unstoppable bravery; Zhang He and Gao Lan, on the other hand, were flexible and mobile, specializing in encircling and annihilating the scattered enemy. Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, on the left flank, not only cleared out the enemy along the river, but also used a feint to force a part of the main Xianbei force into an encirclement, where they were completely annihilated by the main force of the central army that arrived later.

The most fearsome was still Zhao Yun. His White Horse Cavalry moved like white lightning across the Gobi Desert, swift as the wind, often charging into the center of the Xianbei army before they even formed ranks, leaving no one unscathed. He once single-handedly stormed the camp, seizing the Xianbei coalition's banner amidst thousands of troops, causing tens of thousands of Xianbei cavalry to collapse instantly.

This was a war with no suspense. Wherever the Tang army went, resistance was mercilessly crushed, and tribes were uprooted. Qin Shou's orders were carried out without fail—"only heads." This was not conquest, but a genocidal punishment. Blood stained the yellow sand, corpses littered the oases, and the Hexi Corridor was filled with the cries of despair.

The campaign lasted for months, involving dozens of battles, large and small. The main Xianbei force was completely annihilated, and none of the tribes that participated in the raids escaped. Ultimately, the Tang army tallied their results, finding a total of 130,000 heads taken! This number is exactly ten thousand times the number of Han Chinese killed!
“130,000…” Qin Shou stood on the ruins of the former Xianbei royal court, listening to the battle report, his face expressionless.

"Build a Jingguan (a mound of skulls)." The order was concise and ruthless. And so, on a prominent high ground in the Hexi Corridor, Tang soldiers used 130,000 Xianbei skulls mixed with mud to build a massive pyramid-shaped Jingguan. The Jingguan was so tall it was clearly visible from dozens of miles away; its grotesque shape terrified all who witnessed it.

Qin Shou led civil and military officials and generals in a solemn memorial ceremony in front of the Jingguan (a mound of corpses). He personally read the eulogy to comfort the spirits of the thirteen victims.

"I, Qin Shou, Emperor of the Great Tang, have led my royal army to annihilate the barbarian invaders, slaughtering 130,000. This monument is built to comfort your wronged souls! I want the world to know that the lives of all my Great Tang citizens, no matter where they are, are as precious as mountains and rivers! To harm one of my people is like losing a finger; to kill one of my people is like tearing out my heart! This hatred will be avenged a thousandfold! This grievance will be wiped away with this Jingguan! Rest in peace, the Great Tang will live on forever, I have avenged you!"

The roar reverberated across the land, and the Tang soldiers present were filled with fervor, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Meanwhile, the envoys from the Western Regions and the leaders of surrounding tribes, who had been forced to attend the ceremony, were pale and trembling. They truly understood the weight of the words "Great Tang" and the despairing "price" of the lives of the Tang Emperor's subjects.

After the memorial service, Qin Shou surveyed his generals, his gaze settling on Zhao Yun and Yang Qianwan. Zhao Yun's silver armor was stained with blood, which only added to his menacing aura; Yang Qianwan, on the other hand, was pale, clearly not yet fully recovered from the carnage-like scene.

"Zilong, do you now know how lenient I have been towards the Qiang people?" Qin Shou asked calmly.

Zhao Yun bowed and solemnly said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound; only today do I realize the weight of the word 'measure'."

The Qiang people were given the opportunity to atone for their sins through labor, while the Xianbei faced only annihilation. This difference is precisely the order Your Majesty wishes to demonstrate—those who obey are blessed, those who defy are exterminated.

Qin Shou then looked at Yang Qianwan: "Minister Yang, do you think I am... too cruel?"

Yang Qianwan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and replied respectfully, "Your subject dares not. It is only... that seeing such a massacre firsthand has shaken my heart. However, I think that the Hexi trade route can be peaceful from now on, that merchants will no longer have to worry about their lives, and that the border people can enjoy peace."

"To stop war with force, only by killing until the enemy is terrified will they realize the might of the Tang Dynasty," Qin Shou corrected, his gaze once again fixed on the towering and terrifying Jingguan, his voice cold and resolute.

"I do not want their gratitude, only their fear! Only in this fear can true peace be born!"

Just then, a scout galloped up, dismounted, and presented a military report. It was not a new battle, but a routine report from the Protectorate of the Western Regions. It mentioned that upon hearing of the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) in Hexi, the kings and nobles of the various kingdoms of the Western Regions were terrified and had sent envoys with heavy tributes on their way to Chang'an to request an audience with the emperor and reaffirm their submission.

Qin Shou took the military report, glanced at it, and a cold smile finally appeared on his lips. He handed the report to Jia Xu beside him.

"Wenhe, look. This is the result I wanted."

Jia Xu bowed and accepted it, completely convinced.

"Your Majesty's divine might commands the submission of all under heaven. This mound of skulls shall be the eternal cornerstone of the western border of the Great Tang."

As the sun set, it dyed the massive mound of corpses and the Tang army's banners a dark red, mirroring the sunset over the former Red Rock Qiang village, yet adding a touch of tragic grandeur and majesty to the scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Qin Shou turned and, surrounded by his generals, walked toward the imperial carriage.

The 300,000-strong army began its orderly withdrawal, leaving behind a silent monument, built from the souls of 130,000 dead, standing tall in the Hexi Corridor, like a silent warning, deterring all those with ambitions to seize the Tang Dynasty.

The empire's frontiers will be forged with the corpses of its enemies, a feat never before accomplished. And the will of Emperor Qin Shou of Tang, through this precise and brutal slaughter, will be deeply etched into the souls of every foreign leader.

(End of this chapter)