Chinese New Year

Chapter 1461 Dance
On the first day of the first year of the Longhua era of the Great Liang Dynasty (342), in the Taiji Hall, it was sunny.

Only the last batch of Kucha dancers remained in the palace. After teaching the palace servants, they would be given away as rewards.

The destination was the newly returned troops, the last batch of officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle; it was just unknown whether they would like it.

The officers were indeed a bit rough around the edges. That's just the environment in the military; even gentle and refined people will inevitably pick up various bad habits after a while.

But they are strong and healthy. They are not short of money and can live a comfortable life, so overall they are not doing badly.

After the performance of "Chaotian Qu", the dancers dispersed.

Shao Xun led the applause, followed by Crown Prince Shao Jin, the various Grand Councilors, the Three Departments, the Three Directorates, and nobles including Yu Liang.

The kings, prime ministers, and princes of the Western Region city-states looked at each other, and after a slight delay, they began to applaud one after another.

Shao Xun glanced at it and already had a guess. He picked up his wine cup, looked at Yuchi Poluo, and said, "Minister Yuchi is indeed loyal and brave, but I don't know what the origin of Khotan is?"

For a moment, Yuchi Polu thought of many things, and finally, as if struck by inspiration, answered: "Your Majesty, long ago, Prince Ashoka (King Ashoka) had his eyes gouged out in the kingdom of Tashilhunpo. The king was furious and exiled his powerful clans to the north of the snowy mountains, where they settled in a desolate valley and were enthroned as kings. At that time, in the east, a prince of an emperor was exiled and lived on the eastern border. He was persuaded by his subjects to also declare himself king. The two kings fought each other, and the western king was defeated and beheaded. The eastern king took advantage of the victory, pacified the exiled kingdoms, and thus a city-state was established."

"Oh? Is that so?" Shao Xun asked with a smile. "Who is this prince of the Eastern Lands?"

“They should be people from the Central Plains,” said Yuchi Poluo, who had green eyes and a bushy beard, without changing his expression.

"Since you are a descendant of the Central Plains, you have now returned to your homeland." Shao Xun praised, "From now on, you shall guard the borders for the country, and all those who make meritorious contributions will be rewarded."

"I hereby swear that Khotan will be a vassal state of the Great Liang and will never rebel against it," Yuchi Poluo declared loudly.

Shao Xun nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "If you have any capable sons or nephews, you may send them to Luoyang to serve as officials."

Yuchi Poluo dared not be negligent, for this was a hostage situation, so he said, "Your Majesty has a son, whom Your Majesty met yesterday."

"But that imposing man who is seven feet tall?" Shao Xun asked.

"It is indeed my son."

“This boy is skilled in archery and horsemanship and can join the Imperial Guard. I will name him—” Shao Xun thought for a moment and said, “Yuchi Jingde. I will also bestow upon him a residence, thirty servants, and five hundred bolts of silk.”

"Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty," Yuchi Poluo replied.

Shao Xun smiled and nodded, saying, "Drink this cup to the brim."

Yuchi Poluo accepted the order and drank it all in one gulp.

Shao Xun also drank it all in one gulp.

Although the Kingdom of Khotan had a written language, it did not have the custom of recording history. Their history could only be passed down orally, and over time it would become distorted.

The year Ashoka died, the Central Plains were already in the late Warring States period—Lü Buwei also died in that year.

Yuchi Polu said that the original inhabitants of Khotan came from India, but he did not comment. Because Theravada Buddhism was prevalent in the country, and a major Dharma conference was held every five years, which was enthusiastically attended by the entire population, it is possible that they deliberately tried to associate themselves with India and establish some connection.

As for the so-called "son of the Eastern Lands," they might just be a Qiang tribe that migrated westward, fought a battle with the original inhabitants of unknown origin, and ultimately won, thus beginning to establish a state.

Afterwards, many more immigrants came to Khotan. Because Yuchipola had a very obvious Saka appearance, the ethnicity of his people is unclear and unimportant.

Among the kingdoms of the Western Regions, Shao Xun valued Kucha the most, followed by Khotan.

He would then request the Kingdom of Khotan to provide certain supplies and land, and to establish military settlements and garrisons within its borders.

There was no other reason than envy of the Tang Dynasty's extremely deep control over Khotan, where even the lowest-ranking tax collectors were Tang people—to give an inappropriate analogy, Khotan was like the later puppet state of Manchukuo, where the chief officials appeared to be Manchus, but the deputy officials were mostly Japanese, and a system of deputy chief officials was implemented.

Of course, the fact that Khotan was the main route of the Silk Road was also an important reason.

After Khotan, Shao Xun looked at Bai Jing and said, "Your righteousness and courage in raising the banner to return to the right path demonstrate your understanding of the bigger picture and the general trend. Now that you have been granted investiture, you should appease the officials and people of the country and prevent any unrest from arising."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Upon hearing the translator's words, Bai Jing immediately agreed.

He overthrew his brother's throne and seized power through usurpation. Although the circumstances were unique at the time, and he had the support of the nobles, the Liang army's rampant looting after the war caused heavy losses for the nobles, who might turn around and blame him. Therefore, Bai Jing desperately needed the support of the Liang Dynasty; otherwise, his throne might be unstable.

"Your son is also skilled in martial arts. I have already incorporated him into the Imperial Guard and given him the name 'Bai Xiaode,' along with the same rewards as before. If he is diligent and conscientious in his duties, he will be promoted and rewarded in the future, so you need not worry," Shao Xun said.

“This is his blessing,” Bai Jingbai said.

Shao Xun happily helped him to his feet, then picked up his wine cup again and said, "Drink this cup to the brim."

Bai Jing drank it all in one gulp.

Shao Xun looked again at the King of Shule, Mi Luohe.

This person presented a lion, a sealed ox, a gold belt, and precious stones, just as in the Han Dynasty.

"Do you have a Han surname?" Shao Xun asked.

Miroha honestly replied, "No." The surnames of the kings of the several great kingdoms in the Western Regions were either translated literally or transliterated; there was always a surname, but the king of Shule did not have one.

"You could choose a Chinese surname," Shao Xun suggested.

Miluohe nodded repeatedly: "Your Majesty is absolutely right."

Having said that, he turned his gaze slightly, as if he had seen something, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I wish to take the surname Yu."

"How dare you!" Yu Liang, a heavy drinker, had just drunk a few cups of fine wine and nearly spat it out upon hearing this. He was furious!

Shao Xun glanced at Yu Liang, who quickly calmed down and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Miroha was startled and said awkwardly, "Your subject dares not presume to claim the imperial surname. When an envoy came to our country before, he heard that the Yu family was a famous family in the country, so he took the surname Yu. This offended Lord Yu, and it was my fault."

Shao Xun didn't take it seriously and laughed, "What does the three characters 'Mi Luo He' mean?"

"Milo means sun god. Our country has the custom of sun worship."

"Does this mean you want to take Yang as your surname?" Shao Xun asked with a smile.

Miroha seemed reluctant and tentatively said, "I have heard that there are noble surnames in the Central Plains, namely Yang, Wang, and Pei. I wish to use these as my surname."

Shao Xun was amused and said, "You may choose any of them. If you can build a relationship with them, that would be a wonderful thing."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan, the Minister of Ceremonies, gently put down his wine cup and glanced at Miluohe with great interest.

Yang Zha, the redundant attendant minister maintaining order in the hall, looked at this person with amusement.

Miroha lowered his head and said, "I wish to be surnamed Pei."

“Agreed.” Shao Xun made the final decision and said with a smile, “Now that Minister Pei has entered the Central Plains, he should settle down to serve as an official here. Your son, living in Shule, should work diligently. If the court issues an edict in the future, whether it is to send troops, collect grain, or conscript horses, you must not refuse.”

“Yes,” Peimiraha replied repeatedly.

It's quite a strange story that a father would give his son as a hostage. But who could blame him for being cowardly? If he hadn't been so eager to make his son king, Shao Xun might not have been able to seize the throne. But now that things have come to this, everything is settled, and there's nothing more to say.

Next, Shao Xun looked at the people of Yanqi, Dayuan, Wusun, and Cheshi Houguo and asked them questions one by one.

The people of Yanqi have mostly red hair, the people of Wusun have mostly red beards, and the people of Dayuan are similar to those of Shule... The Western Regions are truly a museum of races.

After changing his clothes, the rulers of the four vassal states of Yanqi, Kucha, Shule, and Khotan entered the venue and performed a dance for Shao Xun.

For a moment, the sound of stomping echoed throughout the hall.

Shao Xun clapped his hands in agreement, beaming with joy.

Crown Prince Shao Jin watched from the side, and for some reason, a surge of passion welled up in his chest. This was the demeanor a great emperor should have.

Yu Liang was no longer so displeased. While appreciating the dance, he thought to himself that his brother-in-law was truly amazing. The Central Plains had not seen such a magnificent spectacle for many years.

The three supervisors of the Imperial Guards and the generals of the various guards chuckled and pointed at each other.

The civil officials watched all this with serious expressions, seemingly afraid of losing face in front of the emperor, and also seemingly unwilling to lose face in front of the Hu king.

The historian sat in a corner of the hall, silently reading the entire document before taking notes: "On the first day of the first year of the Longhua reign, the Emperor ascended the throne in the Taiji Hall. At that time, the Western Regions had just been pacified, and the rulers of twenty kingdoms, including Kucha, Khotan, Kashgar, and Shanshan, laid down their armor and weapons, dressed in plain clothes, and prostrated themselves before the palace. As the wine flowed freely, the kings, deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace, requested to perform a dance in response to his sincerity, which the Emperor gladly granted… The Son of Heaven ascended the throne, and all nations presented tributes. The kings of the Hu tribes loosened their braids and danced on the red steps. This was because the Emperor's virtue was widespread and his military achievements were illustrious, thus enabling the rulers of remote lands to prostrate themselves in submission, embracing virtue and praising benevolence in such a way. How magnificent!"

******
Things that are sensational and generate buzz are always easier to spread.

The news of the Western Region kings performing a group dance at the New Year's banquet quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Luoyang through the mouths of officials.

The people living near the capital city talked about these things with great enthusiasm, as if they were proud of it.

For a time, many young men who were confident in their strength were filled with enthusiasm, thinking that after the first month of the lunar calendar, they would enlist in the army, make meritorious contributions in the military towns of the Western Regions, and even get a title and a position for their wives and children.

Of course, ideals are beautiful, but reality is often harsh. The first thing that awaits them is often not wielding swords, but carrying rakes and hoes to repair the earth on the former lands of Wensu and Weitou.

Well, it's not without its advantages. Both countries are severely lacking in able-bodied men, and countless women of marriageable age are eyeing them with green eyes—in the physical sense of green—trying to snatch up strong young men.

As long as you're not afraid of being poisoned by them, or worried about being drained dry, you can go ahead. Not only will you have a wife, but you can also have concubines and mistresses, and you won't have to support them.

Meanwhile, the merchants who were chasing wealth saw the prospect of stability in the Western Regions. In the first month of the lunar calendar, they were eager to make their move, repeatedly studying the edict of the new reign title posted in the streets and alleys. With great ambition, they felt as if mountains of gold and silver were coming towards them.

Merchants could also increase the population of the Western Regions, because their journeys were also lonely. During the Qing Dynasty, merchants from the Central Plains traveled to and from the Mongolian grasslands, greatly increasing the local population. Later, when they were prohibited from contacting Mongolian women, infrastructure incidents increased significantly. The government received countless complaints, such as shopkeepers abusing their employees, which shows that the desire for long-distance trade was considerable.

In addition, many scions of prominent families were preparing to go to the Western Regions to serve as officials. Before their departure, they called upon their friends and composing poems and essays, creating quite a few famous works.

Soldiers, merchants, and scholars flocked to the Western Regions. Shao Xun seemed to hear the sound of the wheels of history being forcibly turned.

Under his design, the world surges forward.

(End of this chapter)