Free Web NovelChapter 2341: Chapter 2316: Crushing the Army
Junior General Guo reluctantly got up to see Bai Shan and the others off.
He glanced at the already departing army stretching out, then turned his gaze back to Junior General Meng and Bai Shan, solemnly saying, "Take care."
Bai Erlang also cheerfully said, "You take care too."
Bai Shan calmly nodded, "While we are gone, the military doctors might not be able to help you with blood transfusions."
Junior General Guo: "... You should depart now."
Junior General Meng merely patted him on the shoulder, then mounted his horse and looked at Bai Shan and the others.
Manbao was also mounted, tightening the cloak around her. The weather was getting colder, and it was even colder riding a horse.
Although the weather was turning cold, General Ashina did not plan to stay longer in Kucha. Three days after holding a city-wide conference, he reorganized his troops and directly pursued the retreating Turks, capturing about twenty small towns along the way.
They were really small, about the size of a town, but due to the sparse population in this vast area, such a place is still considered a city.
This time, he did not intend to subdue the people, so the speed was much quicker. He almost instantly took over the city, gathered the supplies, and left, leaving personnel only at important checkpoints while the rest marched forward with the army.
The Western Turks were greatly shocked, and the Shule Kingdom, which felt it had narrowly escaped a disaster, was also shocked, immediately reinforcing the border towns. However, General Ashina continued his unstoppable advance, capturing twelve cities.
An uprising occurred within Shule, directly replacing the king, and they then submitted a surrender letter to General Ashina, expressing their remorse and offering gold, silver, provisions, and beauties.
General Ashina gave the beauties to his subordinates, kept the provisions for himself, recorded the gold and silver, and sent it back to the treasury, before leading his people towards Yutian.
From Shule to Yutian, following the Tudo River is feasible; it’s much closer than from Kucha to Yutian, with only two days of desert travel in between.
The Yutian King, upon hearing the army was heading to Yutian, was anxious and shed tears, regretting listening to the rumors and joining the turmoil with Kucha and the Western Turks. Damn it, who said a divine punishment had befallen the Emperor of the Central Plains, causing him to contract smallpox?
Does this look like the symptoms of smallpox?
The Yutian King dared not neglect, not even bothering with the disputes with Tubo, immediately preparing a batch of provisions and gold and jewels to send to Ashina’s military camp.
Manbao, after inspecting today’s sick soldiers in the medical tent and checking some wounded, washed her hands with warm water, tightly wrapped herself in the cloak, and went out to watch the commotion.
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang were standing there watching, Manbao joined them, watched for a while, and asked, "Is General Ashina still going to Yutian?"
Bai Shan said, "Definitely going!"
Bai Erlang: "They’ve already accepted their money and provisions."
"So what?" Bai Shan said, "We must meet the Yutian King in person. When he joined the troublemaking with others, he should have anticipated this sooner or later."
He said, "Because of them, trade routes in the Western Regions have been cut off for a year."
Originally, after the smallpox epidemic ended in Xiazhou, the trade routes should have slowly recovered, but because they kept spreading negative rumors about Great Jin and indulged soldiers to loot passing merchants, the trade routes were completely severed.
Even speaking disrespectfully against Great Jin and the Emperor, causing severe damage to their image.
Indeed, General Ashina decided to make a trip to Yutian Kingdom. So, he accepted the offerings sent and after collecting them, still mobilized the troops to head to Yutian Kingdom.
The Yutian King, upon hearing this, lost sleep for a night but eventually climbed out of bed, drafted a surrender letter, and with a miserable face, took people to the border, where he met General Ashina’s army at the border.
General Ashina took a look at the provisions and gold and silver sent again with a cold snort before examining the surrender letter presented.
After contemplating a bit, he glanced at the thick clouds overhead, blocking the view of the sun.
His trusted aide, noticing, dutifully said, "General, it seems it’s about to snow."
General Ashina pressed down the surrender letter and asked, "Are the soldiers’ winter clothes adequate?"
The trusted aide hesitated and then said, "They’re still somewhat thin, especially many soldiers came from the south, and are suffering from discomfort. Recently, there have been more reports of sick soldiers from the medical tent."
General Ashina tapped the surrender letter pressed under his hand and ultimately gave a light snort before saying, "Invite the Yutian King inside to meet."
The trusted aide bowed and left.
Thus, after Qiuci was incorporated into Anxi losing the royal family, Kucha and Shule each changed their king, the Western Turks lost two divisions of warriors and twelve cities, the Yutian King temporarily maintained his throne and cities with the help of surrender letters and provisions/gold and silver sent.
He again pledged allegiance to Great Jin, also finding many treasures from the palace treasury to deliver to General Ashina, asking him to bring them back to the capital to tribute to the Emperor.
Of course, he also sent a group of emissaries to accompany General Ashina back, sincerely having the emissaries apologize once more when they reached the capital.
General Ashina, satisfied with his tactfulness, accepted the offerings and departed with his men.
Manbao and the others on this journey witnessed many things; had it not been for the Yutian King’s excessive reaction, they might have had the chance to enter Yutian’s Wang City to explore.
Regretfully, they followed General Ashina back, discussing, "They say after Yutian is Tubo and Big BoLv, and after Big BoLv it’s India. Master Zhi Ren most wishes to go to India."
Bai Shan lamented again, "It’s a pity Master Zhi Ren and the others didn’t travel with the army; otherwise, traveling together, meeting the Yutian King, might have enabled the Yutian King to help pass through Big BoLv to India."
Bai Erlang: "Didn’t we hear Big BoLv is fighting with Junior Bolu?"
"They’re fighting their battle; it doesn’t affect Big BoLv’s ability to draw in the Yutian King."
Manbao looked ahead, somewhat excitedly, "Are we going to traverse this great desert now?"
Bai Shan nodded, "We’re crossing Chiyu River, directly cutting through the desert back to Kucha, faster than detouring through Shule."
From here to Kucha, it’s practically all desert, but there’s a sporadic river within the desert called Chiyu River. With this river, there are oases along the way; having acquired provisions from Shule and Yutian, they needn’t worry about food and drink.
Marching with a large army is different from Bai Shan and their smaller groups. With twenty thousand moving in and out together, as long as they don’t encounter a storm and don’t get lost, there’s nothing daunting in the desert, even the animals have long hidden away.
Manbao felt that when camping at night, the world seemed silent, as if only they existed under the vast sky.
General Ashina, hearing their sentiments, said, "That’s because it’s cold; scorpions and rats have all hidden away. When it gets hot, even with just twenty thousand troops passing through, let alone a hundred thousand troops, they’ll still be rustling."
So there’s no need for such sentiments.
Manbao and the others: ...
General Ashina didn’t notice, and directly asked them, "I need to return to the capital quickly. Once back in Xizhou, will you accompany me back to the capital?"
Bai Shan couldn’t help but ask, "What about Xizhou? If the army departs, what if Kucha and the other nations revert?"
