Three Kingdoms, I'm really not a general!

Chapter 661: Flags of the Han Dynasty

Explorer and ruler combined make a conqueror.

And the conqueror, naturally, cannot be merciful.

So when the people of Yizhou Island waited for Jiang Wei again, they found that the kind general seemed to have changed completely.

...

The sea breeze blows and the battle flag flutters.

Jiang Wei stood at the bow, his iron armor glowing coldly in the sunlight.

Thirty days later, he returned to the coast of Izu as promised, but this time he brought no damaged merchant ships, but five warships full of soldiers.

The coconut trees on the shore are still green, but the islanders who rushed to the beach after hearing the news have no idea what cruel reality their innocent smiles will soon face.

"Boyue, is it too much..." Luo Xian stood beside him with a frown.

"Ling Ze..." Jiang Wei interrupted him, his voice as hard as iron, "I had figured it out when I left last time. A conciliatory policy is indeed feasible, but... if you want the islanders to submit, you have to suppress them by force."

He turned to look at Deng Ai on the other side: "Shi Zai is right, the barbarians fear power but not virtue."

Deng Ai showed no expression when he heard this, but his right hand unconsciously stroked the hilt of the sword.

Ready to go…

The boat docked and Jiang Wei strode onto the beach.

The old man and his tribesmen came forward with smiles on their faces and fresh fruits in their hands, wanting to exchange for goods.

But... when he saw Jiang Wei's stern face and the fully armed soldiers behind him, his smile froze.

"Han... General Han..." The old man greeted them in stiff Chinese, which was one of the few words Luo Xian taught them last time.

Jiang Wei did not accept the gift, but directly drew his sword, with the tip of the sword pointing diagonally at the ground.

This action caused the islanders to take a collective step back.

"listen."

Jiang Wei spoke in a slow and clear tone. Although he knew that the other party could not understand him, he needed this sense of ritual to establish his authority.

"This island will belong to the Han Dynasty in the future. You will all be Han people and be ruled by me." He paused and raised the tip of his sword slightly. "If you don't agree, you can leave this place."

Luo Xian turned his face away reluctantly, but still diligently translated these words into the simple dialect he had learned in the past few days.

The old man's eyes gradually widened as he translated, and the blood drained from his wrinkled face.

He looked with trembling eyes at the Han general who had been drinking and chatting with them last time. Now there was no trace of warmth on that face.

"Why?" the old man stammered, "We are helping our friends who are repairing the ship."

Hearing this poor Chinese, Jiang Wei's eyes flickered for a moment, but quickly returned to being cold and hard.

He remembered Xing Daorong's advice before he left - "Expanding territory is a major national event, and justice should not be abandoned because of personal feelings."

"Yizhou is strategically located and is the fortress for the southern migration. We must take it!"

Thinking of this instruction, Jiang Wei raised his head again.

Eyes like torch!

"The great power of the Han Dynasty benefits all directions."

Jiang Wei raised his voice to make sure every islander could hear him.

"It is your blessing to submit to the king." He signaled the soldiers to carry a few boxes of silk and bronze. "These are rewards, and also the last chance to choose. At this time tomorrow, I want your answer - surrender, or leave."

The old man staggered back a few steps and was supported by his tribesmen so that he did not fall.

Deep regret emerged in his turbid eyes - if he had known this would happen, he should not have allowed these Han people to land.

But it was too late to say anything now. He looked at the swords shining coldly in the sunlight and knew that his tribe had no power to resist at all.

Deng Ai stepped forward and added: "Other tribes on the island have also received the same notice. Rebels." He made a gesture of wiping his neck. Although he knew that the other party might not understand the meaning of this gesture, the threat was self-evident.

The sea breeze suddenly became biting, and the islanders hugged their thin straw clothes tightly.

The Han treasures that once amazed them were now piled on the beach like a silent grave, burying the freedom that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Luo Xian couldn't help it after all, and whispered: "Boyue, at least give them three days to think about it."

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war." Jiang Wei interrupted decisively, "How can such a matter be delayed? Haven't you seen how the general acted swiftly and decisively to capture Fusang?"

He turned to the old man, his tone was slightly slower but still unquestionable: "You have one day. At this time tomorrow, I want to see all the tribal leaders kneel here and swear allegiance."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the makeshift tent, his iron armor clanking.

Deng Ai followed closely behind, while Luo Xian stayed where he was, looking at the islanders in front of him who had been drinking and chatting with them not long ago, his eyes now filled with fear and despair.

The old man suddenly knelt down on the ground and kowtowed heavily in the direction where Jiang Wei was leaving, with sand all over his forehead.

Seeing this, the other islanders also knelt down one after another, like a field of rice ears blown down by the wind. They did not understand what a "big man" was, what "kingly rule" was, but they understood strength and survival.

Just look at this giant ship and the heavenly soldiers, who can stop them?
Luo Xian wanted to help the old man up, but he pulled his hand back halfway through.

He realized that from this moment on, everything was different.

They were no longer occasional guests, but a relationship of conqueror and conquered.

Although Luo Xian was kind-hearted, he also understood Jiang Wei's considerations. In troubled times, kindness often meant weakness, and weakness meant destruction.

The setting sun dyed the beach blood red.

The waves still beat against the shore, but they can never wash away the mark of power left behind today.

The old man stood up tremblingly with the help of his tribesmen and took a last look at the exquisite silks.

These silks, once a symbol of friendship, now became a down payment for slavery.

He hunched over and left silently with his people. His back gradually became blurred in the twilight, just like their old life that was about to disappear.

...

On the other side, inside the tent, Jiang Wei took off his armor, but did not dare to relax at all.

Order the soldiers to form a military formation and suppress these islanders first.

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed immediately.

The soldiers we brought with us on this trip are all elite soldiers, so we will naturally respond accordingly.

He immediately took the order and left without saying a word.

Although all these were arranged, Jiang Wei's expression did not look very good.

Deng Ai could see this and said meaningfully, "Those who accomplish great things do not pay attention to small details."

"If you are not ruthless today, you will be more ruthless tomorrow."

Jiang Wei did not respond, but just looked at the darkening sky outside the tent and nodded slightly.

He knew that many islanders would spend a sleepless night in fear tonight.

But this is the price of power, one side must be afraid, and the other side must bear the weight of this fear.

He closed his eyes and buried the last bit of hesitation deep in his heart.

When the sun rises tomorrow, he will completely become the master of this land, but the price will be that he will forever lose the sincerity in those simple smiles.

The sound of waves came from afar, like some kind of silent sigh.

But in order to plant the Han flag all over the world, it's all worth it!

(End of this chapter)