Molested Zulong at the beginning

"Professing vassals and paying tribute is the condition before the war. Now they are the fish on the sticky board. What qualifications do they have to negotiate terms with us? A vassal state, hehe, it's a pretty good idea."

Bai Su sneered.

Meng Yi looked stunned: "My lord means..."

"Wusun, there is no need for Loulan to exist anymore. From then on, the country will be designated as a county. Wusun is rich in fine wine, so why not call it Jiuquan County, and Loulan is a big country in the Western Regions, with a prosperous city, fortunately it is called Dunhuang County."

"The Central Plains established the Protectorate of the Western Regions here, and the two counties and the Yuezhi Kingdom were under the unified jurisdiction of the Protectorate of the Western Regions."

Bai Su took a sip of the wine and said lightly.

"Turning a country into a county, this... this condition is a bit too harsh, will they agree?"

When Meng Yi heard this, his slender eyebrows could not help but wrinkle.

After all, no matter how you say it, Wusun and Loulan used to be one of the largest countries in the Western Regions, and suddenly they want to destroy the country and surrender to the Central Plains.

It would be difficult for anyone to accept this.

Bai Su said indifferently: "If they surrender now, what they will lose is only a national title and military power. In the future, the government affairs will still be managed by their local officials."

"Their royal family is still the local sheriff. With the help of the Central Plains, after the trade, they lived a life without worrying about food and clothing."

"Unless there are some important events, the other Central Plains will generally not interfere, and even encounter external threats, you can also ask the Central Plains to send troops to help."

"If they don't agree to this condition, it's a big deal. If we attack again, we will hit the royal court in one go and capture their royal family. Countless officials and nobles in the court will be reduced to prisoners."

"At the same time, another one will be selected in the local area. An obedient agent will be it. But at that time, for the stability of the local situation, even though we don't want to, we can only be forced to cut the grass and roots."

"My request is very high. If they want to live, they have to bear it."

As for how to deal with these two countries, Bai Su had planned long ago.

Now that the Central Plains has just entered the Western Regions, due to the distance from Xianyang and the pressure of logistics, it is impossible to establish much actual control ability in the local area for a while.

Therefore, he wanted to imitate the practice of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, first divide the Western Regions into two, eat the Yuezhi Kingdom, Wusun Kingdom, and Loulan Kingdom, and control the eastern region.

Based on this, establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions, open up trade routes, use military deterrence, trade lures, unify the countries of the Western Regions, and let them obey the orders of the Protectorate of the Western Regions.

If you don't listen, it's easy.

Just find an excuse to attack the Dawan Kingdom located at the end of the Western Regions, and show the monkey to kill a chicken.

The Dawan Kingdom, which is the farthest away, can be beaten up in the Central Plains if it wants to, but whoever dares to have any opinions on the rest of the Western Regions.

It can be said to destroy one country and bring down ten countries.

The emperor's palace is often relatively deep, thinking about one thing in his heart, but saying something else completely on his mouth, never telling the truth from the bottom of his heart.

otherwise……

Using huge manpower and material resources, trekking across mountains and rivers, driving nearly two years along the way, to attack a country thousands of miles away, just for the bloody horses?

Only children would believe this kind of rhetoric.

Meng Yi nodded after listening to Bai Su's words: "Okay, I'll write back to them right away."

.......

......

"Snapped!"

General Wusun slammed the letter on the table, gritted his teeth and said: "This Bai Su is really deceiving people, we would like to respect Da Xia as the suzerain, and he will not let us go."

"Unexpectedly... actually want to remove our national title, surrender to the Central Plains, and become a county in the Great Xia."

High Priest Loulan's face was also uncertain for a while, although he had already prepared a little in his heart, knowing that Xia Jun's conditions might be too much.

But she never expected that Xia Jun's conditions would be so excessive.

After clenching her fists angrily for a long time, she sighed helplessly: "At this point, do we still have a choice? Perhaps, this is also a good choice for us."

General Wusun frowned: "You... what do you mean?"

The country is about to perish. There is no benefit in such a shameful thing.

The high priest of Loulan bit his lower lip and said, "Just like what is said in this letter, if we don't agree, the Xia army will fight all the way. When the city is destroyed, no chicken or dog will be left behind."

"Even if you grit your teeth for the last breath and fight Xia Jun, the final result will not change in the slightest."

"But if you agree to these conditions, then Bai Su will agree that from now on, silk, porcelain, wine, and commercial goods from the Central Plains will be shipped to us one after another."

"When the time comes, the trade will be prosperous, and we will be able to live a life of prosperous business and trade just like the Yuezhi people."

"After all, the reason we went to attack the Yuezhi Kingdom was because their tariffs were too heavy, and they came to trick us with ten times the high price."

"Now that we have surrendered to Da Xia, we have fulfilled our wish."

"Besides, dignity is something that only big countries are qualified to have. We... are too weak."

After listening to her words, General Wusun fell silent.

As the saying goes, wherever the arrow passes, it is the truth. After being overwhelmingly defeated by Xia Jun, they are indeed not qualified to negotiate terms.

After struggling for a long time, General Wusun said in a low voice: "I...do we really want to do this? Once we surrender, our lives will be held in Xia Jun's hands, and life or death cannot be guaranteed?"

"We have no choice but to agree..."

The high priest of Loulan sighed, and said, "Anyway, I've already lost my face, so I might as well sweep the floor again. Before I surrender, I will call on all the countries in the Western Regions to go to worship Daxia together."

"Surrendering to Nabaisu in the name of the court meeting of all nations, firstly, to express surrender to Daxia and to make them famous, and secondly..."

"In front of all the nations, if we surrender so humbly, if Bai Su wants to gain a long-term foothold in the Western Regions, he will definitely treat us favorably."

"Otherwise, seeing the miserable fate of the states that surrendered to the Central Plains, who would dare to surrender so easily in other countries? This is our last way to protect ourselves."

General Wusun looked at the high priest of Loulan, who looked tired and looked haggard, with a slightly sore nose.

Once upon a time, the two countries joined forces to fight against the situation, and the entire Western Region trembled under their iron cavalry, and countless small countries sent envoys to pay their respects.

Even the Yuezhi Kingdom, which was powerful for a while, has been conquered by them nearly half of the country, how high-spirited it is.

But since that Xia envoy Bai Su came to the Western Regions, it was only a month or two.

First, the Yuezhi Kingdom's rebel army was easily put down, and the 20 army was defeated one after another. Now even the two of them have been reduced to counties in Daxia. This sharp contrast made her feel uncomfortable.

Loulan and Wusun, who had been established for hundreds of years, died just like that.

Chapter 190 Eight Hairs on Nine Cows

A heavy horn sounded, and Loulan's city gate slowly opened.

The high priest of Loulan was dressed in white, leading Loulan's generals, nobles and civil servants out of the gate of the camp.

General Wusun was dressed in plain clothes and followed the High Priest of Loulan.

The generals took off their armor, and the soldiers put down their weapons. Everyone looked miserable, especially the courtiers behind the High Priest of Loulan.

Among the team, there are many old men with gray hair and temples.

In the past, Loulan was strong and prosperous. Not only was the army strong and the horses were strong, but the city was also full of flowers, which made the countries in the Western Regions envious of it. But now this country is about to die out.

A few miles out of the city, walking barefoot, the high priest of Loulan, dressed in plain clothes and white skirt, led the officials and descended with the king's seal.

This is Xia Jun's request.

One is to suppress Loulan's morale.

Secondly, it also announced to the world that there will be no ancient country of Loulan in the Western Regions, and there will only be Dunhuang County in the Central Plains.

The black armor is like a forest, the iron cavalry is standing still, the general Meng Yi leans on the horse in front, and the banner is solemn behind him.

As for Bai Su, who was dressed in a white robe and was elegant, riding a maroon horse, quietly watching the soldiers in the city without making a sound.

"Criminal Lord Loulan sacrifices, worry-free, and sees your lord."

The high priest of Loulan lowered his head, raised the king's seal high, and presented it in front of Bai Su.

And General Wusun next to him gritted his silver teeth. After struggling for a while, he took out a gold seal from his arms and handed it over together.

"Is this the king seal between Loulan and Wusun?"

Bai Su played with it curiously, the seal in his hand was only three inches in size, although the craftmanship was a little rough, but the material was very particular, the surrounding was inlaid with gold, and the top was inlaid with a turquoise, which looked extraordinarily delicate.

A smile appeared on Meng Yi's heroic and pretty face: "My lord is worthy of being the descendant of Guigu. In the past, Su Qinpei was the seal of the six kingdoms, and his power shook the world. Now, my lord holds two king seals in his hand, like chess pieces. People can't help but sigh." what."

"What do you plan to do with these captives? Are you going to capture them and send them to Xianyang?"

As her voice fell, the scene became slightly tense.

Among the generals of Loulan, there are many brave men. Hearing that Meng Yi wanted to arrest their high priest, the guards immediately stood in front of them, gritted their teeth, and glared angrily: "What do you want to do!"

"What do you want to do?"

Meng Yi glanced at them contemptuously, and said with a sneer: "You intended to assassinate this general, and even took the initiative to start a war with me, Daxia. If Master Bai hadn't been kind enough to spare your life, how could you have spoken to this general here? .”

"you……"

Loulan's generals clenched their fists and looked angry.

The Xia Jun beside Meng Yi raised their crossbows one by one, and Senhan's arrowheads filled them, making a "click" sound.

Seeing that the situation was getting more and more tense, the high priest of Loulan, who was located in the center of the vortex, had a calm expression. His white clothes were like snow, and his face was beautiful. His black hair fluttered in the wind, and his bare feet stepped on the ground, stained with a little dirt.

On her calm face, there is a different kind of charm, which is very eye-catching.

The High Priest of Loulan slowly raised his head and looked at Bai Su: "My lord... If you can let me wait, I can give you a generous gift."

Hearing this, Bai Su suddenly became curious: "Now the whole of Loulan is in my pocket, what else can you come up with that is worth negotiating with me?"

"Countries in the Western Regions..."

The high priest of Loulan paused every word.

Bai Su asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

The high priest of Loulan bit his red lips lightly, and explained: "There are many large and small cities in the Western Regions. There are about 36 large states with a population of more than [-], and there are countless small states with a population of only a few thousand."

"In the face of a big state, the adults can decide the outcome in one battle and bring them under their command, but in the face of a small state surrounded by forests, no matter how brave and good the Xia army is, it is impossible to determine the victory in one battle. They can only fight step by step, inch by inch. gnaw it down."

"It doesn't take seven or eight years, and I can't take it down at all. I, Loulan, have been operating in the Western Regions for many years, and I have a very important impression, and I have a very good understanding of the situation in various countries."

"If I help my lord to call all the nations of the Western Regions to come to court one after another, I can make them take refuge in your lord's command."

Bai Su rubbed his chin, pondered for a long time, and found that it was indeed a good idea.

After all, the flow of news is very slow these days. Some small countries living in the remote Western Regions have never heard of the Great Xia in the Central Plains.

No matter how strong the national power of the Central Plains is, it has almost no influence in the Western Regions. It is almost impossible to get all the small countries in the Western Regions to come and kowtow to them with a single slogan.

What's more, Daxia's logistics has almost reached its limit now, and there is no way to continue westward in a short time.

Not to mention the energy to conquer one small city-state after another.

After all, if you gather an army of [-] to deal with a small tribe with a population of several thousand and only a few hundred soldiers, this trip back and forth is not enough to consume food and grass.

If local aborigines like Loulan and Wusun take the initiative to be the second or fifth boy and lead the party, it will indeed take a lot of effort.

While Bai Su was meditating, Loulan High Priest secretly clenched his fists, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his white forehead, and his heart jumped up "thumping".

Obviously, she wasn't completely sure either.

Everything is a gamble, betting that this Bai Su is a person with long-term vision and can understand the benefits of it.

If the bet is won, Loulan Kingdom will have a chance to survive.

If she loses the bet, she, as well as the entire Loulan and Wusun Kingdoms, will die without a place to bury her.

It can be said that life and death can be judged by a word, and a word from the man in front of him will determine the fate of countless people in the two countries.

After a long time.

Bai Su finally raised his head and looked at the High Priest of Loulan in front of him: "Okay, I agree with your conditions. Although the Loulan Kingdom will still be transformed into a county and will become the Dunhuang County of Great Xia, I can give you some autonomy. .”

"Except for the army, workshops for smelting weapons, and customs duties, which are under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate of the Western Regions, all other government affairs are up to you."

"Even, the silk, porcelain, and wine from the Central Plains will be transported all the way along the Hexi Corridor. In the future, the business in this area and the western region of the Western Regions will be entrusted to you."

Loulan High Priest was taken aback for a moment, and said in disbelief, "Really...really!!!"

You know, the silk in the Central Plains is a coveted treasure for the countries in the Western Regions. A piece of silk can be easily exchanged for a piece of gold and a few cows in the Western Regions.

It was precisely because they were so exploited by the Yuezhi Kingdom that they invented the attack on the Yuezhi Kingdom.

If they can also get the silk and porcelain from the Central Plains as middlemen and earn money from other countries like the Yuezhi Kingdom, what is the difference from picking up money.