Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 488 All the mistakes are the subject's fault

Shanglin Temple.

The autumn forest gardens carried a touch of desolation, but this did not dampen the spirits of the Khans who had come to Chang'an.

Flying eagles and hunting dogs, cockfighting and horse racing.

The khans of each tribe were expressing the immense pressure they were under.

Over the years, natural disasters have had a huge negative impact not only on the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The same applies to the northern grasslands and even the Western Regions along the Silk Road.

The negative impact has caused unrest in different ways and to varying degrees in different places.

In the Central Plains, Li Shuang's southward advance led to the split of the Southern Liang dynasty, resulting in a dynamic period of stability. In the Western Regions, the struggle for supremacy between the Hephthalites and the Western Rouran intensified. On the grasslands, the tribes of the northern deserts fought each other, and the Eastern Rouran faced numerous internal crises, forcing all the tribes to look towards Chang'an in the south.

When faced with severe natural disasters, tribes on the grasslands would typically migrate south to plunder.

But now there is no true overlord in the North.

After Anagui's westward expedition, the Tiele tribes in the northern desert had effectively broken with the Rouran.

This former chieftain of the grasslands has lost his legitimacy and is no longer able to govern the tribes of the northern deserts.

Yujiulutahan, the Khan of the Eastern Rouran, was not as ambitious and capable as his elder brother Anagui. He was not only unable to manage internal affairs, but also helpless against external threats. Despite having more than ten thousand Rouran cavalry, he could only maintain a precarious existence in a small corner of the country.

This has resulted in no one being able to unify the various tribes on the grasslands and raid southwards. Moreover, even if these grassland tribes were to venture south, they would find that the current situation is completely different from what they imagined.

In the south of the Gobi Desert are the Yujiulü tribes, and south of the Yin Mountains are the Kudi and Hulu tribes, and further south are the Hexi, Lingxia, and Longyou tribes.

The fighting strength of these tribes increased from north to south, and the tribes further south completed their fighting and unification earlier.

The elite troops from each tribe were integrated into the Five Barbarian Tribes, which were directly under the jurisdiction of Chang'an.

Through repeated rebellions and suppressions, the five tribes of Hu have undergone a phoenix-like rebirth. Now, all the Khans of each tribe are loyal to Chang'an and are united against external forces.

Even if a powerful ruler were to emerge in the northern deserts at this time, unite the various tribes, and march south to defeat the Khans of the tribes who regarded them as "fearless neighbors," and enter Guanzhong, he would find that the game had only just begun.

The Lingwu and Longyou armies were both valiant forces, guarding the Liang, Qin, Lingxia and other prefectures, and were renowned for their prowess.

The twelve prefectures in Guanzhong had formidable military strength, and the Qin Prince's guards in Chang'an were all elite soldiers selected from among those who had fought in the north and south.

In other words, there are profound reasons why the various regions north and south of the Yinshan Mountains are now moving north in unison, rather than south.

Therefore, the various tribes of the steppe are now caught in a predicament of involution.

The Tiele tribes in the northern desert were not without clever people. After seeing the situation clearly, they decided to come to Chang'an.

After receiving the title and token from the Heavenly Khan, return to the Northern Desert to continue the scroll-making process, and first create a King of the Northern Desert.

The journey from the icy, snowy northern deserts to Chang'an, even in the Guanzhong Plain which had just recovered from the effects of natural disasters, was a profound experience for the envoys sent by these tribes.

Li Shuang's attitude towards them was only one: warm and polite, but no official appointment was possible.

Inside the building, Yu Jiulutahan stood before Li Shuang, trembling with fear.

"Tell me, these Bayegu, Uyghur, and Xueyantuo tribes were originally all subservient to the Rouran, so why are they no longer obeying your Khanate's orders?"

"Reporting to the Heavenly Khan, it was all the work of Anagui that caused the various tribes to rebel."

Li Shuang listened without taking it seriously, and simply asked:

"Is the silk and tea I sent to your tribe enough?"

"Thanks to the grace of the Khan, I am deeply grateful, and everyone in the tribe is overjoyed."

Li Shuang nodded and then asked:

"Then do you know why these leaders of the northern tribes desire my token and even seek to marry women from my clan?" Yujiuluta Han listened, his face showing worry, and said:

"They are merely using the tiger's power to intimidate others!"

Yujiulütahan had also received Han Chinese education from the Northern Wei Dynasty, making him completely different from the tribal leaders in the northern deserts.

"Knowing this, you should also know that if a Khanate were to truly emerge in the northern desert, your tribe would be the first to suffer."

Sweat beaded on Yu Jiulutahan's face as he felt immense pressure.

Li Shuang spoke softly, but the meaning behind her words was unbearable for Yu Jiulutahan.

"Your Majesty, my people are grateful to the Khan for bestowing upon us the grasslands south of the Gobi Desert, allowing us to prosper and flourish..."

"okay!"

Before Yu Jiulu Tahan could finish speaking, he was interrupted sharply by Li Shuang. Startled, Yu Jiulu Tahan knelt on the ground, not daring to utter another word.

"I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Li Shuang looked at the person at his feet and smiled coldly.

"My silk and tea are gifts to the Rouran, but what difference does it make whether I give them to the Xueyantuo or the Uyghurs?"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, Yu Jiulu Tahan instinctively trembled, the fear he felt in his heart clear and distinct.

“Learn from your brother Anagui how to sever the tribes and bring them under your control, instead of using that energy to deal with me.”

"Your subject dares not, but will certainly obey the Khan's instructions!"

……

Yujiulutahan emerged from the guesthouse pale and weak, prompting much discussion among the Khans, both young and old, who were waiting outside.

"Little Khan, even Tahan Khan is like this, won't you get beaten up if you go in?"

"What kind of friendship do I have with the Heavenly Khan? How could this happen?"

Yu Jiulu twisted his plump body as he entered the building, where he saw Li Shuang's unfriendly face.

Yu Jiulu slapped himself a few times, then walked up to Li Shuang with a grin.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I will do it myself. I would gladly die for you if you ruined your health because of me."

Did I say I was going to hit you?

Yu Jiulu's chubby cheeks trembled as he said:

"All the mistakes are mine. Even if Your Majesty doesn't punish me, I would still want to slap myself a few times."

Li Shuang remained unmoved upon hearing this, and simply said:
"I placed you in the southern desert so that you could keep an eye on Yujiulutahan and help him secure his position as Khan and control the tribes of the northern desert. What have you done?"

“When Anagui was on his western expedition, he was too ruthless. Now, those Tiele tribes in the northern deserts wish they could devour us Rouran people. I have no choice.”

"Then why don't they dare to hate Anagui and seek revenge against him?"

Yu Jiulu fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"Alright, I'll give you a letter. Send someone to deliver it to Anagui."

"Did the King write a letter to that traitor?"

"I will soon be launching a campaign against Goguryeo. If he wants revenge, he can take this opportunity. Otherwise, he will have no chance."

……

(End of this chapter)