Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 434 I've never seen such a request before.
The predecessor of Shanzhou was Shanshan Town, which was established by the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The purpose of establishing this military town was to defend against the Tuyuhun. Subsequently, the Northern Wei Dynasty improved the defense system of the military town and built fortified villages around it.

The earliest city that can be traced back to Shanzhou is Linqiang City, which was established by General Zhao Chongguo during the Han Dynasty.

Linqiang City, the city lives up to its name.

Hundreds of years have passed in a flash. The Qiang tribes on the plateau that the Han army once faced have now become the plateau overlords like Tuyuhun.

However, the defensive strategy remained unchanged.

The Hehuang region is key to controlling the snowy plateau.

Only by holding this position can we prevent the Tuyuhun from invading Longyou and even threatening Lingxia Guanzhong.

Snowflakes fell, and a chill filled the air. Inside Yang Kan's large tent, this general, who came from the Yang clan of Mount Tai and was stationed in Longyou, was reading military books.

Although Yang Kan was a staunch supporter of the Han dynasty, his army was not entirely composed of Han soldiers; it included many warriors from the Six Garrisons and the Longyou tribes. Even the army's fighting style, soldier attire, and logistical organization resembled those of nomadic tribes.

Or rather, it inherited the military style of the Northern Wei military garrisons.

Just like fighting against nomadic tribes, cattle and sheep follow wherever people go.

Yang Kan brought 50,000 cattle and sheep with him, along with a large number of herders who knew how to breed livestock, treat diseases in the herds, and make cheese and jerky.

These livestock not only provided meat, but also milk and cheese for the soldiers every day, playing an important role in marching on the plateau.

Yang Kan understood perfectly well that his purpose in marching into Shanzhou was to seize the strategic passage through the Hehuang region, which had been taken by Tuyuhun since the Six Garrisons, and to tie down Tuyuhun's main force, thus providing cover for Li Yuan and Daxi Wu's two detachments.

"General!"

A guard entered the tent and bowed.

"What's the matter?"

"The Tuyuhun have sent two envoys who wish to see the general!"

Yang Kan did not refuse, and said:

"Let them in."

Ten armored soldiers entered the main tent. Under their watchful eyes, the Prince of Yong'an and the young Tuyuhun Yaren walked into the center of the tent. Their eyes lit up when they saw Yang Kan reading a military book.

Even though they were enemies, the two of them had to admit that this Han Chinese general had an extraordinary demeanor and was no ordinary man.

"General!"

The two greeted each other, but Yang Kan did not look up.

"Did Kualü send you here to sue for peace?"

Ya Ren glanced at Prince Yong'an, and the elderly man cupped his hands and said:
"The King of Qin and the Khan have made a pact of father and son. If the son has disobeyed this pact, it is a grave offense. Therefore, I have come not to request peace, but to apologize."

Upon hearing these words, Yang Kan raised his head and looked at the old man in front of him.

His words were humble, yet there was not a trace of flattery on his face. Only a resolute air about him.

Upon seeing this, Yang Kan put down the military treatise he was holding.

"Since this is an apology, how should it be done?"

"The Tuyuhun are willing to cede the land east of Chishui City and give up Taoyang City, hoping that the King of Qin will calm his anger."

The Tuyuhun have ceded most of their agricultural territory. The land they wanted to conquer has been handed over to them.

Yang Kan was not delighted; on the contrary, he was quite cautious. The fact that Tuyuhun had offered up so much land before the major battle had even begun was highly unusual.

"If you won't give it to me, can't I take it myself?"

Prince Yong'an felt very uncomfortable.

Why are all the generals and soldiers under Li Shuang's command just like him? "The general's military strategy is certainly capable. But what good is it?"

Prince Yong'an bowed slightly and said:
"If the Supreme General insists on fighting our army, we, the Tuyuhun, know we are no match for you and will have no choice but to burn down our city walls and flee westward. At that time, the entire Tuyuhun will surely become mortal enemies with your army. The Rouran ruler Anagui is currently in the Western Regions. If our Tuyuhun allies with the Rouran, will Liangzhou ever have peace?"

If the Tuyuhun people were given the choice of which direction to expand into, they would most likely choose Liangzhou.

Both Tuyuhun and Liangzhou benefited from the Silk Road.

However, compared to the trade route that required crossing the plateau and passing through Fusi City, the Hexi Corridor was the preferred choice for merchants from the Western Regions.

The wealth of Liangzhou was something the Tuyuhun people, who had supported Liangzhou under the leadership of Fu Lianchou and helped the Northern Wei quell a rebellion, had personally witnessed, and they were extremely envious of it.

However, despite their envy, the Tuyuhun people did not blindly expand. Or rather, they did not see an opportunity for expansion.

Yang Kan sensed the threat in the other party's words, but did not resort to empty threats.

He knew very well that the strategy proposed by the Prince of Yong'an was feasible.

Given the vastness of the territory under the jurisdiction of Tuyuhun, as long as he didn't confine himself to the cities within the country, Yang Kan would have no way of finding him no matter where he hid.

The terrain of the plateau is complex and stretches for thousands of miles. Even the Tuyuhun people, unless they are local tribes who have lived in one place for a long time, may not be able to understand the local situation from outsiders.

However, the price for implementing this strategy is to abandon the cities that Tuyuhun had built around the Western Sea over the past two hundred years and to start nomadic life again.

Whether this determination is genuine or not, Yang Kan doesn't know.

“I understand your intentions, but the matter of war and peace is not something I can decide. I will send you to Chang'an for the King to decide. However, before that, your tribe must first withdraw from the Huanghe and Jiaohe prefectures.”

Prince Yong'an breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ya Ren beside him.

"I am too old to go, so Ya Ren should go instead!"

……

"Are you saying that if I don't agree to your demands, you'll stab yourselves a few times and splatter my blood all over me?"

Upon arriving in Chang'an again, Tuyuhun Yaren felt something was off about Li Shuang's words.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. These lands are all the bargaining chips Tuyuhun can offer. Any more, and Tuyuhun will have no choice but to fight a desperate battle."

Tuyuhun Yaren spoke earnestly, without using any empty words:
"Our land stretches for thousands of miles, and Your Majesty can conquer it. However, many of the people there are not suited to live there, and our people are nomadic, with customs quite different from those of the Central Plains. What benefit would it bring us? If Your Majesty can preserve it, our country can stabilize the Western Regions, protect the western border, and stabilize trade routes, thus fulfilling our duty as your subjects."

The Tuyuhun and Guanzhong shared a common interest: the Silk Road. The Tuyuhun controlled the kingdoms of Qiemo and Shanshan in the Western Regions, and if they disregarded everything, Liangzhou would inevitably be invaded.

"It seems the war in the Western Regions is going very smoothly!"

Li Shuang smiled.

As Khan, Khalil's cession of so much land inevitably provoked domestic opposition. To appease the opposition, he naturally had to lose some territory while gaining others.

Yaren said:
"To be honest, Your Majesty, our Western Regions army has already reached Khotan and has repeatedly defeated the Hephthalite army."

Ya Ren's voice carried a hint of arrogance.

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang said with regret:

"I had always heard that the Western Regions' army was weak, but I never imagined it would come to this. What a pity!"

Ya Ren was startled upon hearing this, but then Li Shuang said:
"With the lands that have submitted, I hereby establish the states of Kuozhou, Taozhou, Diezhou, Tanzhou, and Songzhou, thus demarcating the borders and preventing any further disturbances."

Ya Ren felt somewhat humiliated upon hearing this, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

……

(End of this chapter)