Chinese New Year

Chapter 1410 You're unlucky to have run into them.
On October 18th, more and more people gathered at the West Garden, which was a traditional event in the Great Liang Dynasty.

By this time of year, the soldiers who have come to the capital for their duties usually return to their hometowns.

Of the ninety-six Longxiang Prefectures across the country, nearly seventy prefectures sent troops to serve, totaling more than 20,000 men. If the emperor was in the capital, he would go on a hunt in the mountains before the troops were dismissed. All the furs, meat, and fat obtained would be given as a reward, and each person would receive two or three bolts of silk as a bonus before returning home happily.

The newcomers who took over their duties also received a welcoming gift, usually food and drink. After eating and drinking well, they began to guard the capital.

Today, the group went hunting again at the Luoyang West Garden, which spans over two hundred li in circumference. Shao Xun stood on a high place under his umbrella, surrounded by officials, concubines, princes, and princesses, pointing and commenting on the various departments and their merits.

Yuan Zhen led over a hundred men down to the field, chasing a herd of wild deer, their calls echoing endlessly. Every twang of a bowstring was accompanied by the mournful cries of the deer, much to Shao Xun's delight.

"There were more than ten people when they went, and more than a hundred when they came back. Who said my son couldn't win over warriors?" Shao Xun patted Dai Jing's head and said, "Go, go find your brother."

After saying that, he gave a meaningful look.

Shao Zhen understood and immediately selected Chang Long and a martial arts student from Qin Prefecture named Ma Shou, each leading a hundred men to follow.

Shao Xun continued watching.

Liu Ye sat to his left, and Wang Yinling to his right. Behind him were Duan, Kezhuhun, Gao, Gongsun, Zhou, Yu, and others, a group of beautiful women surrounding him, whether they wanted to or not.

Liu Ye hadn't been out with Shao Xun for a long time, so she was quite talkative. She said, "The powerful and influential people in Shangdang are all making requests, saying they'll die if they go to Jiangnan and asking to be moved elsewhere. I've scolded them several times, but these people are just crying and whining, which is really annoying."

“Going to Jiangnan is indeed asking too much.” Shao Xun nodded and said, “How about this, we’ll move a batch to Xuzhou before the twelfth lunar month? Although it’s full of waterways, it’s not so humid and hot. Hmm, let’s go with Xiapi, Pengcheng, and Linhuai.”

"Okay," Liu Ye replied happily.

"How many people?" Shao Xun asked casually.

"There must be at least a few thousand households," Liu Ye sighed, "Have you wiped out all the people?"

"It's a good thing for them too," Shao Xun said. "Shangdang isn't exactly a desirable place. With so many people crammed into one area, how much land can each person own? Even if they were grazing, the grass would be completely eaten up. Letting them come out is better for everyone. Besides, how many people enrolled this year?"

“Ten,” Liu Ye said. “They have all entered the Imperial Academy.”

"From now on, just focus on your studies," Shao Xun said. "If anyone wants to go to Jiangnan, then so be it; don't try to persuade them otherwise."

"Okay," Liu Ye replied.

Shao Xun stopped paying attention to the matter.

The effort to weaken the power of regional lords, which once seemed incredibly difficult, became remarkably easy once their strength reached a certain level, without even causing a ripple. However, if this had been done a decade or so ago, the outcome would have been far more uncertain.

Doing the right thing at the right time will lead to an awkward situation, either forcing others to rebel and failing at the last minute, or forcing them to submit and causing endless trouble in the future.

After three or four thousand households were relocated, another group was taken away by chieftains who were willing to go to Jiangnan, along with the households of Liu Runzhong's sons who had long been dispersed to various prefectures. The final step of the land survey and household registration in Shangdang was completed.

The Black Spear Left Battalion, the Right Army, and the Right Golden Guard, who had been on high alert, could now relax a little.

Another mine has been removed from the map of Shao's empire.

******
As the hunt reached its midpoint, the eunuch Hou Sande, acting on Shao Xun's signal, brought over a man.

The man, holding a tray, bowed deeply and said, "The envoy of the Later Kingdom of Cheshi pays homage to the Emperor of the Great Kingdom."

Hou San took the tray down and placed it in front of Shao Xun.

Shao Xun picked one up casually and saw that it was a gold seal that had been granted to the kings of the Later Cheshi Kingdom by successive dynasties, such as the "Later King of Cheshi" of the Former Han Dynasty, the "Guardian Attendant" of the Later Han Dynasty, the "Guardian Attendant" of the Cao Wei Dynasty, the "King of the Later Cheshi Kingdom", the "Guardian Righteous King of the Later Cheshi Kingdom" of the Sima Jin Dynasty, and even the camel-shaped gold seal with the title "Marquis of Guiyi of Cheshi" conferred by Zhang Jun.

"The envoy has handed over the seals of the previous dynasty, which shows great sincerity. But I would like to ask one more question: since Your Highness has been appointed by Zhang Jun, why do you not come to pay homage to me?" Shao Xun asked.

The envoy paused for a moment, then said, "Our king did not accept Zhang Jun's investiture; the golden seal of the Marquis of Guiyi was forcibly transferred by Gaochang County."

“But you didn’t refuse, did you?” Shao Xun said calmly.

"The Wuji Colonel of Gaochang has a battalion of three thousand soldiers. Our country is no match for them and cannot openly refuse. We can only feign compliance and offer cattle and wine to reward the troops."

Why did you agree at this point?

"Our king, having heard that the Wuji Colonel had crossed the snowy mountains to cultivate the land, knew there was a misunderstanding, and therefore sent an envoy to pay homage."

Shao Xun clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "What a misunderstanding."

The envoy from the Later Cheshi Kingdom has been here for several days. Shao Xun had someone check the records and learned that the country was a city-state. During the Former Han Dynasty, it had 5,000 people, and during the Later Han Dynasty, it had 15,000. Now it probably still has more than 10,000 people, almost three times the size of the Former Cheshi Kingdom. And it is separated from Gaochang by the Tianshan Mountains. No wonder it wants to be a local tyrant.

The Later Cheshi Kingdom was located near Jimsar County, north of the Tianshan Mountains in later times. At the end of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of Han, it was named "Jinmancheng". Geng Gong, the Wuji Colonel, led 3,000 troops to garrison it, and later moved the town to Shule City (south of present-day Qitai).

As the Later Han dynasty declined, the Wuji Commandant was moved from north of the Tianshan Mountains to the south, within the territory of Gaochang. From then on, there were no more troops stationed within the territory of the Later Cheshi Kingdom, but the king remained a vassal of Cao Wei and Sima Jin.

During the chaos at the end of the Jin Dynasty, Zhang Jun forcibly conferred the title of King of Cheshi, but at this point, the people were somewhat unwilling to accept it.

After the establishment of the Great Liang Dynasty, the Later King of Cheshi probably went through a difficult internal struggle before finally deciding to send envoys to pay homage. Shao Xun understood this perfectly.

The Western Regions states controlled by the Former Han Dynasty were not so compliant by the Later Han Dynasty, but they still sent hostages and tributes. By the time of Cao Wei and Sima Jin, some states still maintained nominal submission, but some states did not even have nominal submission anymore.

These people from the Western Regions are actually quite shrewd; they know how to treat people differently depending on who they're dealing with.

If Shao Xun doesn't show any intention to advance westward, these people won't even bother to fool you—in truth, only Shanshan, where the Western Regions Chief Administrator's Office is located, is the most submissive, and the former king of Cheshi, who has the Wuji Colonel's camp outside the country, is relatively submissive.

In short, without troops stationed there, you're nothing!
This time, the Wuji Colonel made a move, searching around Gaochang for suitable places to settle and cultivate land. This immediately aroused the sensitive nerves of the Cheshi Later Kingdom, who thought that the Central Plains people were going to set up military settlements north of Baishan (Snow Mountain, Tianshan).

In fact, Gaochang had genuinely considered the Later Cheshi Kingdom and also recommended an alternative plan: to establish settlements between Gaochang Commandery and Yanqi Kingdom to provide supplies nearby.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Shao Xun hasn't made a final decision yet, but at this point...

"I have heard that the northern foothills of Baishan are rich in water and grass, and have many fertile fields. What do you think if we send troops to cultivate them?" Shao Xun suddenly asked.

The envoy was startled and replied, "If Your Majesty attacks Yanqi and Kucha, our country is willing to send troops and supplies to assist you."

Shao Xun remained noncommittal, only saying, "What if I insist on establishing military settlements?"

The envoy paused for a moment, then said, "I need to consult with the king and cannot speak at this time."

Shao Xun smiled and said, "I've heard that there are several tribes of Xiongnu remnants north of Baishan, who fight each other and who is the leader?"

"Your Majesty, the current dominant force is the Rouran tribe, controlled by the Yujiulü clan."

Shao Xun looked at Wang Yinling.

"Your Majesty," Wang Yinling said, "long ago, during the reign of Tuoba Yilu, a slave girl named Mugulu failed to meet her appointed time and was to be executed. She led over a hundred people to escape into the mountains, gathering refugees and gradually building up a force to be reckoned with." She continued, "Mugulu had a son named Cheluhui, who established the clan name Yujiulü (a transliteration of Mugulu in different languages). They founded a tribe, but remained subordinate to the Tuoba clan, forming a tribal alliance that paid annual tribute of horses, livestock, and sable and mandarin duck pelts. Later—"

At this point, she gave Shao Xun a charmingly disdainful look and said, "As the Tuoba clan's prestige gradually declined, the Chelu Hui broke away from the Dai Kingdom and launched a large-scale invasion in the Western Regions, annexing and subjugating many tribes. Their tribal alliance grazed their livestock in the northern desert in the summer and moved to the southern desert in the winter. I heard a few years ago that they were both fighting and coaxing the Gaoche tribes in the northern desert. After the Dai Kingdom abolished the vassal states, many people joined them."

"This..." Shao Xun was speechless.

How did an Donghu tribe manage to rise to power in the Western Regions? The late Jin Dynasty was truly a time of many heroes. Mugulu was originally a slave of the Tuoba family. He escaped with a hundred or so cavalrymen and was eventually sent to conquer east and west, establishing the Rouran tribe and gradually rising to prominence.

By this time, the Yujiulü clan had become another Tuoba clan, but it did not yet possess the power of the Tuoba Xianbei.

At its peak, the Tuoba clan had gathered seventy or eighty tribes to "join" them, spanning the north and south of the desert. The core strength alone consisted of the ten Tuoba clans (ten tribes).

How many tribes have joined the Yujiulu clan? And its core strength consists of only the Rouran tribe.

They didn't even completely conquer the "remnants of the Xiongnu" north of the Tianshan Mountains.

Don't panic!

Shao Xun quietly grabbed Wang Yinling's hand, thinking to himself, "The last Khatun of the Tuoba Xianbei is my bedmate, what's the rush?"
The envoy from the Later Kingdom of Cheshi did not recognize Wang Yinling, but was greatly surprised to see how much she knew about Rouran.

Could this be a princess from the Central Plains dynasty who was sent to the grasslands for a political marriage? I've never heard of such a person.

The others around Shao Xun had different expressions upon hearing this.

Lady Gao was the most impatient. Her son, Murong Ke, was already a servant in the Prince of Zhao's mansion, and it seemed he would be serving the Prince of Zhao for the rest of his life. Now that the Rouran had suddenly appeared, wouldn't there be danger?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Wang Yinling, hesitant to speak.

Shao Xun noticed her actions, but said nothing.

This was truly the era of the Xianbei people!
Murong Hui's elder brother migrated west to the Hehuang region and established the Tuyuhun Xianbei, but they have not yet submitted.

Tuoba Yilu's slaves fled west and established the Rouran, showing signs of rising to power.

Don't panic!

Shao Xun sneered again, "I can destroy the Tuoba Xianbei and Murong Xianbei, and manipulate the Yuwen Xianbei at will. I can also deal with the Tuyuhun Xianbei and the Rouran, the remnants of the Xianbei."

At the same time, he also felt a sense of urgency, as the western frontier issues that he had previously neglected needed to be thoroughly addressed.

From a historical perspective, the fate of the tribes in the western grasslands is not yet over; they still have hundreds of years of tribal destiny ahead of them.

The Turks, enslaved by the Rouran, were a steppe empire that unified the desert and established an official system and writing system.

After the Turkic Khaganate was destroyed, Gulipeiluo established the Uyghur Khaganate on the corpse of the Later Turks. This was also a unified steppe empire, and even the Khitans and Xi people (descendants of the Yuwen Xianbei) were enslaved by it.

That's just how it is on the grasslands.

Since we've run into him, let's wipe out this newly rising Rouran tribe, or at least interrupt its upward trend.

As for what new tribes might rise on the grasslands in the future, he couldn't care less.

(End of this chapter)