Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 316, Times Have Changed

The sweeping campaign left steel and blood splattered across the grasslands.

Danube Mountain, Chagan River.

The fire burned fiercely, destroying the vegetation on Mount Danube.

The roar of artillery fire muddied the waters of the Chagan River.

The cruel and despicable people of Zhongxia ruthlessly trampled on this pure land of the grasslands.

The herders who once lived peacefully on the grasslands were captured and enslaved. The carefree grassland children were forcibly taken away and subjected to centralized enslavement and management.

Even women who were powerless were taken away. The people of Zhongxia shouted some incomprehensible words, such as something about equality, saying that it was an instruction from the King of Wu that women on the grasslands would enjoy the same labor rights as men.

Tribes were destroyed one by one, and families were torn apart.

The cattle and sheep cried mournfully, and the eagles grieved.

Tears streamed down the faces of the men of the grasslands.

The Golden Family that once ruled the grasslands!

It's time to rise up for the grasslands once again!

As a descendant of the ancestor, Huleleyong donned the ancient, inherited armor and resolutely led his people on a journey.

The descendants of the Golden Family will never be slaves!
After a great battle.

Huleleyong knelt on the ground, covered in dust and dirt, repeatedly begging for mercy:

"Don't kill me, my lord! I'm willing to serve King Wu forever!"

Where there are loyalists, there are also those who resist.

Not long after, the Huaiyin army encountered another tribe, one of the nine Tiele clans.

This tribe is very proud and would rather die than give up the glory of the grassland nobles.

The Huaiyin army eventually killed the tribe's chieftain and thirty-five direct descendants, and used their heads to make a squid flag, which was hung on the tribe's flagpole.

The so-called squid flag here does not actually refer to a real squid, because squid are not common on the grasslands in a general sense.

It is called the squid flag because the hair of nobility on the grasslands was often braided into several small braids and hung loose on their heads. When this image was hung on the flagpole, it looked like a squid from a distance, hence the name.

As the sweep continued, more and more grassland tribes fell to the enemy.

The infamous reputation of the Zhongxia people spread throughout the grasslands.

The sight of those hanging squid flags sent shivers down the spines of the nobility of the grasslands.

The boys on the grasslands were too frightened to utter a sound upon hearing the name of the Huaiyin Army.

Despair and fear linger in the hearts of the people of the grasslands.

Tuolei knew that the grasslands needed a victory to restore hope to the people's hearts.

A big victory isn't needed; a small win will suffice.

The annihilation of several hundred Huaiyin soldiers showed people that the Huaiyin army was not invincible.

However, even such a small victory was completely beyond Tuolei's capabilities.

His previous arrangements were utterly ineffective in halting the advance of the Huaiyin Army. He had also joined forces with other tribes to launch several counter-encirclement campaigns, but these resistances ultimately failed due to the overwhelming strength of the Huaiyin Army.

He was being chased by the Huaiyin army, and his troops were dwindling.

Now, he only has a few thousand soldiers left, and the Huaiyin army is pressing closer and closer. If he is not careful, he will be surrounded.

"Why? What did I do wrong?"

Tuolei roared angrily at the heavens.

After his roar, he continued his escape.

Along the way, many grassland people were fleeing east or north.

Only one figure in red was walking westward against the flow of people.

This is a lama monk.

Wearing a red kasaya and a Banda hat, he walked barefoot towards the west.

A kind-hearted grassland person he met on the road reminded him:
"Monk, don't go any further! There are Chinese people to the west who specifically capture monks to work for them!"

The lama monk said, "I went there precisely to guide the people of Central China."

Upon hearing this, the grassland people exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, you monk, trying to convert the people of the Central Plains? I think you're just itching for a bald head!"

The lama monk asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

The grassland people said, "It's easier to move house when you have long hair!" Upon hearing this, the lama monk shook his head, ignored him, and continued walking forward.

The grassland dweller watched the monk's retreating figure and sighed:
"It's hard to persuade that damned ghost with kind words!"

Grassland, Kakh Palace.

This is the palace of Dorei Khan.

However, Zhou Shuan also works here, remotely directing this large-scale mopping-up operation.

On this day, a lama monk approached the area.

He stepped forward, respectfully bowed to the guards outside the hall, and said in slightly broken Chinese:
"This humble monk has come to see General Zhou. Could you please help me...?"

However, before he could finish speaking, the guards rushed forward.

"There's a monk! Arrest him!"

Left with no other option, the lamas had to flee.

At night, the lama monk came again. This time, he did not go directly forward, but chose to sneak in.

He possessed remarkable martial arts skills and quickly infiltrated the area, finding the high-ranking official from the Central Plains named Zhou Shuan.

"General Zhou, this humble monk greets you!"

Zhou Shuan, seeing the monk suddenly appear before him, remained calm and asked:
"You're the monk from daytime!"

The lama monk said:
"The humble monk is a lama from the grasslands, also known as a monk."

Zhou Shuan nodded and asked:
"What do you want from me?"

The lama monk said:
"This humble monk wishes to ask General Zhou to cease the war."

Zhou Shuan reached into his pocket and asked, "Why?"

The lama monk said:
“Om Mani Padme Hum. General Zhou, Padmasambhava of Buddhism once said that among disasters such as fire, earthquake, and disease, war is the source of all disasters. Stopping war will bring peace, tranquility, and joy to all beings and free them from all troubles.”

"That's it!"

Zhou Shuan suddenly realized.

The lama asked, "Have you agreed?"

Zhou Shuan nodded and said, "Of course. Long before the war began, King Wu instructed me not to be warlike and to prioritize peace when dealing with the grasslands!"

Upon hearing this, the lama chanted a Buddhist prayer and said, "Praise be to King Wu. In that case, General Zhou, please withdraw your troops immediately!"

Zhou Shuan laughed and said, "Although I agreed to a ceasefire for the sake of peace, I did not agree to withdraw my troops."

The lama monk frowned and said:
"what do you mean?"

Zhou Shuan said, "The root of this war is the rebellion of Tuo Lei against the rule of Dorei Khan. The purpose of the war is only to maintain Dorei Khan's power. The choice to stop the war does not lie with us, but with Tuo Lei. As long as he surrenders, the war will naturally stop."

The lama monk shook his head upon hearing this.

"The struggles on the grasslands are not something the people of Zhongxia should get involved in."

Zhou Shuandao:
"We're doing this to support the orthodox path!"

The lama sighed and said:

"Orthodoxy is merely a cover for greed. General Zhou, it seems you are unwilling to give up the war. In that case, please forgive my rudeness."

The lama monk clasped his hands together and respectfully bowed.

Viewed from the side, his temples bulged high, clearly indicating profound internal strength.

Suddenly, the lama monk's body rose into the air, swooping down on Zhou Shuan like an old eagle.

He turned one palm into a claw and grabbed at Zhou Shuan's neck.

At that moment, a look of compassion and pity appeared in the eyes of the lama monks.

He is going to break his vow to kill today.

But he killed in order to save lives.

He had to do this for the sake of all the people on the grassland.

I hope Buddha can forgive him.

Just then, Zhou Shuan pulled a revolver out of his pocket.

"boom!"

He shot the lama monk down.

(End of this chapter)