Three Kingdoms: Li Shimin, dressed as Liu Shan, forcibly abducts Sun Shangxiang.

Chapter 13: The Barbarian Dynasty Pays Homage to His Highness the Crown Prince!

At the foot of the mountain,

The fighting has just ended, and the dust has settled.

"No looking around!"

"Send a troop of men to collect all the weapons!"

"Keep a close eye on them..."

Shamoke let out a long breath. He had been chased and beaten by the Jiangdong army all the way, and now he could finally vent his anger.

suddenly,

A figure came into his line of sight: "Mr. Ji Chang?"

The visitor was none other than Ma Liang, Ma Jichang, a high-ranking official of the Han Dynasty.

"Barbarian King, come with me to see the Lord."

"Your Majesty? Could it be...the Emperor of the Han Dynasty?!"

Shamok swallowed hard.

He was born in the mountains and wilds, and as an adult, he dared to fight tigers and leopards with his bare hands!

Over the years, countless people of both barbarian and Han ethnicities have died at his hands. He was incredibly wild and fearless.

But at this moment,

This fearless barbarian king of Wuxi was surprisingly hesitant...

According to ancient legends, the emperors of the Central Plains were made by celestial beings, hence the title "Son of Heaven".

Although he also called himself a barbarian king,

He was merely a barbarian leader in a remote corner of the world; how could he be compared to the Han emperor, who possessed the wealth of the four seas and ruled over the nine provinces?

Now, the Han emperor actually wants to see me?!

"Where did this emperor come from?" Ma Liang gave a bitter laugh, shattering Shamoke's fantasy.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived in person, bearing the Emperor's dragon banner. Barbarian King, please come with me to pay your respects."

"It's the Crown Prince..."

Upon hearing that it wasn't His Majesty the Emperor who wanted to see him, Shamoke was immediately filled with disappointment.

I've heard of this young prince before.

He's just a little kid. I heard he can't ride a horse or draw a bow; all he does all day is play around and fool around.

At a time like this, what good would it do for the Han emperor to send a mere child?

Moreover,

Although Shamoko was just a barbarian leader, he was still a brave man who charged into battle and was not afraid of death.

That so-called "Prince Doll" probably hasn't even killed a chicken!

Let me ride with him?

He doesn't even deserve it!

"The Barbarian King must not be rude!" Ma Liang, who seemed to have seen through Shamoke's thoughts, asked, "Do you remember the cavalryman who shot and killed Bu Zhi today?"

"Of course I remember!"

Mentioning this, Shamoke immediately perked up: "Alone on horseback, deep into enemy lines, he shot and killed the commander!"

"He's truly a hero!"

"That cavalryman is none other than the Crown Prince of our Great Han!"

The one who shot and killed Bu Zhi was actually that child prince?

Are you kidding me!

Shamoke was stunned, feeling as if Mr. Ji Chang was toying with him...

Although I am not familiar with the affairs of the Central Plains, I have heard of the story of Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou, who once beheaded Yan Liang amidst a vast army!

But apart from Lord Guan,

Even among the famous generals of the Central Plains, who would dare to perform such a feat?

Where did that playful and mischievous little prince get the audacity and courage to do such a great thing?!

Thinking of this,

Shamoke's strange eyes widened: "How is this possible? Mr. Ji Chang, you mustn't be making fun of us."

"How could I, Liang, dare to joke with the barbarian king about such a momentous matter?"

Ma Liang said solemnly, "His Highness the Crown Prince is currently resting under the dragon banner; his armor is still on, and the smell of blood is still strong!"

"The barbarian king will know at a glance."

"this……"

Could it really be that the prince shot and killed Bu Zhi?

Seeing that the burly attendant was not joking, Shamoke hesitated.

"Liang led the barbarian king..."

Shamoke's strange eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, "Please wait a moment, Your Excellency."

"Well?"

The barbarian king of Wuxi chuckled and said, "How can we leave empty-handed after paying our respects to such a heroic prince... Please wait a moment, Attendant, we'll be right back."

As he spoke, he strode off toward the center of the battlefield...

In a short while,

The two hurriedly headed towards the high slope, but Shamoke had a large cloth bag hanging from his waist.

Ma Liang's expression was even more strange.

The two kept walking and soon they saw the dragon flag!

Under the great banner,

A young man was sitting on a bluestone, listening to the news reported by the people around him.

Seeing this, Shamoke dared not speak out of turn.

He simply stood with his head down, closely behind Ma Liang, listening intently to the sounds that came from two years ago...

"The scouts who went to the south bank of the river have returned, saying that three thousand of my Han soldiers are being held captive in Bu Zhi's camp!"

"However, there are very few Wu soldiers guarding the camp, less than a thousand."

Three thousand prisoners, but less than a thousand defenders...

Liu Shan closed his eyes slightly, his thoughts swirling.

When Liu Bei launched his eastern expedition, Shamoke brought over ten thousand barbarian soldiers with him, along with Ma Liang's several thousand Han troops... It was not surprising that Bu Zhi was able to capture three thousand men as he pursued the enemy all the way.

As for why so few Wu soldiers were left to guard the camp...

Ah, I suppose they were planning to completely annihilate Ma Liang and Shamoke, and then take the opportunity to pacify the counties in southern Jingzhou.

Bu Zhi's plan was indeed shrewd.

If I hadn't gotten involved, he would have actually succeeded!

"Your Highness!"

Just then, Ma Liang spoke up: "Shamoke, the barbarian king of the Five Streams, requests permission to pay his respects to Your Highness's imperial carriage."

Liu Shan nodded: "Granted."

"Here you are."

Shamok, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly bowed his head and stepped forward, preparing to pay his respects.

Unexpectedly, Ma Liang suddenly turned around, his expression solemn: "Summon Shamoke, the King of the Five Streams, to come forward and pay homage!"

The ceremony was simple,

Hongyi is dignified!

Although this place was not part of the Han Dynasty imperial palace.

Liu Shan was simply sitting on a large blue stone, and there were no other important civil and military officials of the Han dynasty present.

But as the crown prince of the Han dynasty, Liu Shan represented the dignity of the Han court at this moment.

His acceptance of Shamoke's homage was both a gesture of the Han court to appease the barbarians beyond its borders! As a court attendant, Ma Liang dared not be the slightest bit negligent in the proper etiquette and rituals.

Shamoke had never seen such majesty from the Han people before, and he was so intimidated that he stood there frozen, not daring to move.

But he couldn't help but secretly look up at the young figure on the large blue stone...

really!

The other party was wearing the armor of the Wu cavalry, and the smell of blood had not yet dissipated!

It's him!

It's really him!

The man who shot and killed Bu Zhi amidst the chaos of battle was indeed His Highness the Crown Prince!

Shamok had no more doubts, only awe, and his whole body trembled...

He had never read the history books of the Central Plains, but he knew about the dynasties in the Central Plains and had never heard of such a heroic crown prince who could defeat the enemy general on the battlefield!

With such a wise and capable ruler, the Han dynasty is sure to have an enduring destiny!

My gamble of sending all my troops to aid the Han Dynasty has paid off...

"A savage from beyond the borders!"

"Foreign Minister Shamoke!"

"Paying homage to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty!!"

Shamoke strained his voice, bowed deeply to Liu Shan with his forehead touching the ground, and performed a deep kowtow.

immediately,

He then took the cloth bag from his waist, untied it, and held it high above his head: "This humble subject respectfully presents this small gift to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The contents of the cloth bag were none other than Bu Zhi's severed head!

Shamoke may seem rough and reckless, but he is actually very meticulous.

Although he has lived deep in the Wuling Mountains all these years, he has had no shortage of interactions with Han people.

Ever since he decided to accept Ma Liang's offer of amnesty, he had considered that one day he would have the opportunity to meet the Han emperor.

So he specifically inquired with the Confucian scholars of Wuling County about the etiquette for local lords and barbarian tribes when they paid homage to the emperor.

One such thing was offering tribute to the emperor.

Unexpectedly, it came in handy today!

Moreover, under such circumstances, only the head of a Wu general was truly the most suitable tribute to him...

"Bring it here."

"yes!"

Zhang Bao held the cloth bag in both hands and presented it to the banner.

His head was covered in blood, and the shock in Bu Zhi's eyes had not yet faded.

"Bu Zhi, Bu Zishan..."

Liu Shan remained expressionless, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

This person's contributions to Jiangdong spanned almost the entire process of the founding, expansion, and stabilization of the Sun family regime!

During his tenure as the governor of Jiaozhou, Bu Zhi cleverly beheaded Wu Ju, which made him a formidable figure in the southern border region. He also subdued Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhi, and quickly pacified the seven counties of Jiaozhou!

Moreover, his lenient and benevolent policies, his promotion of agriculture and education, have won him the hearts of the people.

It not only consolidated Jiangdong's rule in Jiaozhou, but also expanded its military strength from a thousand to ten thousand, thus reserving important military power for Eastern Wu.

This provided Jiangdong with a strategic southern barrier, a source of grain, and overseas trade routes, playing a crucial role in Jiangdong's later establishment as a state!

After the Battle of Yiling,

The southern counties of Jingzhou, including Lingling and Guiyang, were in turmoil, with frequent rebellions in response to the call of Shu Han.

Once again, Bu Zhi led his army north to quell the rebellions one by one, ensuring Eastern Wu's control over Jingzhou.

Without steps,

Even if Lu Xun wins the Battle of Yiling, Jiangdong may not be able to reap the rewards of the war!

In old age,

Bu Zhi guarded Xiling, the gateway to Jiangdong, for eighteen years. He was skilled in securing the border and enjoyed great prestige.

After Lu Xun died in grief and indignation, Bu Zhi succeeded him as prime minister, becoming the head of civil officials in Jiangdong and reaching the pinnacle of power!

In terms of his life, he can be considered a pillar of the Jiangdong nation...

unfortunately,

Bu Zhi's fate ultimately ended at the hands of Liu Shan. What a pillar of the state, what a head of civil officials...

Everything has vanished!

After Bu Zhi died,

The final outcome of the Battle of Yiling...

The ownership of Jingzhou...

Even the future establishment of a kingdom in Jiangdong...

Everything is still unknown!

"To bring prosperity and peace to the nation."

"exist!"

"You two will each lead a thousand soldiers to Bu Zhi's camp to rescue my Han soldiers!"

"Yes, sir!"

Without hesitation, the two men recalled how, with only two hundred personal guards, His Highness dared to break through Shimen Mountain, shoot Lu Xun, and capture Bu Zhi!

Now, leading a thousand soldiers, to attack Bu Zhi's camp, which has less than a thousand men?

That's a piece of cake!

"Have all the surrendered soldiers of Wu been dealt with?" Liu Shan stood up and examined Bu Zhi's head carefully.

They seemed to be admiring some kind of treasure.

Shamoke dared not delay and quickly stepped forward: "Reporting to Your Highness, all of Wu's weapons have been confiscated! And people have been assigned to guard them carefully."

"Nothing will go wrong."

How many people do we have now?

"I have joined forces with the barbarian king's troops, numbering about seven thousand remnants," Ma Liang reported. "If we also include the three thousand men from Bu Zhi's camp, the total is ten thousand!"

Ten thousand soldiers!

After the defeat at Yiling, it was difficult to muster even tens of thousands of combat-ready soldiers in the entire Yizhou province!

These 10,000 are all elites who have survived countless battles!

"Ten thousand is quite a lot..."

"Don't forget, there are ten thousand surrendered soldiers down the mountain..." Liu Shan said calmly, "Can we really control them?"

"As Your Highness says, the surrendered soldiers are numerous!"

Without hesitation, Ma Liang replied, "However, those ten thousand Jiangdong soldiers are all from Jiaozhou and have little connection with the Sun family. They can be used."

"The most urgent task is to win back the hearts of those ten thousand surrendered soldiers."

"How can one return to one's true home?"

"this……"

Ma Liang hesitated. Human hearts are hard to fathom, let alone the hearts of ten thousand people!

Once people's hearts waver, I fear...

"The Barbarian King..."

"Huh?" Shamoke was looking down when suddenly a pair of boots covered in blood appeared in front of him.

He quickly replied, "Your subject is here."

His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.

These few casual words caused Shamoke's expression to change abruptly: "Your Highness, this...this is truly..."

He seemed to want to refuse something.

But looking into the Crown Prince's cold gaze, Shamoke swallowed all his words.

"Your humble servant obeys!"

After saying this, he left in a hurry.

Seeing that the only outsider had left,

Ma Liang could no longer hold back!

He strode forward.

Staring intently into Liu Shan's eyes:

"His Royal Highness, are you okay with your holy bow?"

"What is the current situation of our Great Han Dynasty?!"