Chapter 34
Lia had imagined Loulan countless times; from songs and ancient documents, it seemed that the two words "Loulan" alone were enough to inspire endless reverie.
Now that she had finally arrived here, she was somewhat disappointed; it didn't look mysterious at all, but was just an ordinary small town in the Western Regions.
But Lia soon came to terms with it. Only destroyed civilizations are mysterious; before being buried by the yellow sands, Loulan was just an ordinary member of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.
What shaped its image for later generations was not Loulan itself, but the regrets of people, just like the Ancient Kingdom of Jingjue that had long since vanished into the river of history—was it not the same?
Arriving at the palace of the Shanshan Kingdom, Lia sat in the position that originally belonged to the King of Shanshan. The officials of the Shanshan Kingdom immediately came to pay their respects, their faces full of deference, seemingly having long forgotten that Lia had killed their king.
In fact, for the Shanshan people, being the King of Shanshan was also a dangerous position; after all, caught between the Rouran People and the Huaxia Kingdom, if things were handled poorly, it would result in their heads rolling.
So, one couldn't say they were used to it, only that they were no longer surprised.
After killing the King of Shanshan, Lia did not make things difficult for these ministers, but directly announced that everything in the Shanshan Kingdom was now under her control.
Whether it was civilian logistics or the military, Lia immediately took control of them.
Facing Lia's army of ten thousand, these Shanshan people dared not say anything. Not only did they show no resistance, they even directly bound several Rouran envoys who were in the Shanshan Kingdom and brought them over.
Since the king had been killed, these Rouran envoys who had been lording it over them were no longer necessary; it was better to hand them over directly to show the Han Army their submission.
Among these Rouran envoys pushed forward by the Shanshan people, one began to shout abuse at the Shanshan people. Lia couldn't understand what he was saying, but it certainly wasn't anything good, judging by the expressions of those Shanshan people.
After finishing his curses at the Loulan people, this Rouran envoy began to curse Lia.
Of course, Lia still couldn't understand, and since she couldn't understand, she wouldn't feel angry. Lia simply treated it like watching a monkey show. After the other party had babbled for a long while, she said calmly, "Are you done cursing? If you're done, send him on his way."
Following Lia's words, the Rouran envoy was pushed out, and with a miserable scream, he followed in the footsteps of the King of Shanshan.
Seeing this, the other Rouran envoys couldn't help but tremble all over.
Lia looked at the remaining Rouran envoys without speaking, but instead spoke to the ministers of the Loulan Kingdom below.
"From today, my Wu Kingdom officially takes over everything in the Shanshan Kingdom. From now on, Shanshan is no longer a country, but a commandery of my Wu Kingdom, with the Wu Kingdom directly dispatching personnel in charge. Shanshan Kingdom is renamed to Shanshan Commandery, and it refuses to pay any tribute of materials to the Nomadic Confederation."
Upon hearing Lia's words, all the ministers of the Shanshan Kingdom immediately began to cheer.
They didn't actually care who was king; what they cared about was that while they were playing both sides, they still had to offer a large number of cattle and sheep to the Nomadic Confederation every year. It could be said that the Rouran People were carving out their hearts every year.
Why had they wavered back and forth for so many years? It was simply because the Han Army did not station troops here.
Because considering the stationing in the Western Regions, the annual expenditure was simply too much; it was also because of this issue that Central Plains dynasties generally let these Western Regions countries act as their vassal states.
But once the Rouran People attacked, these vassal states that had sided with the Han Army were the first to suffer, which is why the Western Regions countries had been wavering back and forth.
They were just small countries on desert oases; they couldn't afford to provoke the Rouran People, and they certainly couldn't afford to provoke the Han Army.
And so, within these ten or so days, news reached every town in the Shanshan Kingdom.
The King of Shanshan was killed by the Han Army for colluding with the Rouran People; the Han Army had taken over everything in the Shanshan Kingdom, and the Shanshan Kingdom was renamed Shanshan Commandery.
From now on, the people of Shanshan Commandery would no longer have to pay tribute, cattle, sheep, or grain to the Rouran People; they could keep all of it for themselves.
After resolving the matters in Shanshan City, Lia looked at The various kingdoms of the Western Regions, considering her next move.
Chapter 81: Ruoqiang People
Departing from Loulan Kingdom, the path can be divided into two routes.
First is the northern part of Shanshan, which is the most fertile land of the Shanshan Kingdom. There are four cities in the delta where the Peacock River flows into Lop Nur, which concentrated half of Loulan's population; the people here primarily engage in farming.
Going west along the Peacock River leads to the Northern Route of the Western Regions, which reaches Quli, Luntai, and Kucha.
To the south is Shanshan's second-largest city, "Channi City," as well as the Ancient City of Miran, which is quite famous in later generations. These two cities guard the Southern Route of the Western Regions, connecting west to countries like Qiemo, Jingjue, and Khotan.
Due to geographical reasons, the countries on the southern route do not have very large populations because of water sources; these small countries basically have around a thousand people, with the larger ones only having ten thousand.
Lia thought for a moment and came up with an idea.
She planned to split the forces into two: one route led by Mulan with 5,000 troops heading south, and the other led by herself with 5,000 troops taking the northern route.
In this way, the time it would take to recover the Western Regions would be much faster. As for Dayuan, it could be left alone for the time being. Once they had recovered the surrounding countries of the Western Regions, they could find a way to take down Dayuan.
This way, the entire territory of the Western Regions could be recovered. As for the original territory of the Wusun, it had already been occupied by the Rouran People; as long as the Rouran People were defeated, everything would be easily settled.
Thinking of this, Lia rested in Loulan Commandery, while incidentally having Loulan provide niter, sulfur, and charcoal. After preparing for half a month, Lia began her operation.
Upon receiving Lia's orders, Hua Mulan led 5,000 troops and set out toward the Khotan Kingdom.
Although the south consisted of countries like Qiemo, Ruoqiang, Jingjue, and Xiaowan, after careful inquiry, Lia found that the so-called Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions was a term from the Han Dynasty period.
Originally, small countries like Qiemo, Ruoqiang, Jingjue, and Xiaowan had all been annexed by Khotan during this period. Hua Mulan only needed to go south and conquer the two kingdoms of Khotan and Shule.
Lia's targets were the two countries of Yanqi and Kucha. After resolving these two countries, she could reunite with Hua Mulan to settle the issue of Dayuan.
Hua Mulan marched along, and after several days, she arrived at a border city of the Shanshan Kingdom. After being received by the city lord, she unexpectedly discovered that some unforeseen things had occurred here.
A few miles outside the city, a group of mounted warriors with disheveled hair or braids, dressed in felt and leather, were flaunting their strength. They held up crude bows and brandished swords and spears, howling words that could not be understood; there were about three or four hundred of them.
"Are these Rouran People?" Hua Mulan looked at the group of several hundred outside the city with some doubt. Logically, it was impossible for Rouran People to appear here, and they didn't quite look the part.
Unfortunately, she couldn't understand what those people were saying, otherwise she would be able to understand their identity. However, if she didn't know, this city lord named An Nai should know.
"City Lord An, who are these people? Why are they shouting outside the city and carrying weapons?" Hua Mulan asked the Old City Lord beside her.
"Reporting to the General, these are Ruoqiang People. The Ruoqiang People have their own small country with a population of about a thousand. They are the westernmost branch of the Qiang people; they live south of Shanshan, at the northern foot of the Altyn-Tagh, following the livestock and moving with the water and grass."
The Old City Lord looked at the group of people outside and spoke.
"Since that is the case, why have these people come here today?" Hua Mulan continued to ask.
The Old City Lord couldn't help but give a bitter smile and continued, "No one ever thinks they have enough grain. Just like the Rouran People, they rely on herding for a living. Normally, the women and children can look after the livestock, while the Ruoqiang men have to do a bit of side work."
For example, robbing merchant caravans or besieging Loulan's cities, insisting that the Shanshan people hand over some grain before they are willing to retreat.
This place is the border between Shanshan and Khotan, so it is naturally the first to be affected. These Ruoqiang People also have to provide cattle and sheep to the Rouran People every year; without cattle and sheep, they naturally need to go elsewhere to plunder.
The Shanshan people in the city saw them as a formidable enemy, either climbing the city walls or moving heavy objects to block the poplar wood gates. Their movements were skilled, and from their posture, it was clear they had experienced similar harassment more than once or twice.
While they were speaking, the Ruqiang People had already approached on horseback and began to shout loudly.
A Ruoqiang warrior leading the way on a dappled horse shouted in broken Western Regions dialect, demanding that the city hand over one hundred piculs of grain.
"We just gave a tribute to the Nomadic Confederation this year, and what's left is only enough for ourselves; where would we have extra grain for them?" The Old City Lord snorted coldly and gave a direct order. A volley of arrows immediately shot from the city wall, forcing the other party back.
The Ruqiang People retaliated angrily, also shooting several waves of arrows toward the city wall haphazardly, but to little effect. So, after a horn blast, they howled and moved away.
Then the Ruoqiang People were seen returning to the riverside, gathering around the person who blew the horn. That was an elder with gray hair tied in braids, who was not riding a horse but a white yak.
At his command, the Ruqiang People changed their tactics. Ignoring the city, they charged straight toward the riverside farmland, trampling the wheat fields where ears of grain had already sprouted.
"Damned Ruqiang People!" Seeing this, the people in the city grew furious. Every step of the Ruoqiang horses felt as if it were treading on the hearts of the Shanshan people.
"Who is that old man?" Hua Mulan was somewhat surprised; the opponent was actually quite clever, knowing how to use other methods to make the Shanshan people wary of taking action.
Once these wheat fields were destroyed by the Ruqiang People, their harvest for the year would be gone. If a family had no surplus grain, they would go hungry in the coming year.
"That is the leader of Ruoqiang. I didn't expect him to come this year as well." The Old City Lord gripped the city wall, his face full of anger.
"I see. In that case, we cannot just ignore it. My Lord sent me here to reclaim the Kingdom of Khotan; let's start with these people," Hua Mulan said.
"Thank you, General!" the Old City Lord hurriedly expressed his gratitude. He had long noticed Hua Mulan's 5,000 soldiers, but they were the Han Army, and since he wasn't familiar with them, he hadn't dared to rashly ask for their help.
After destroying over a hundred mu of wheat fields outside the city, the leader of Ruoqiang ordered his tribesmen to stop.
Their ancestors originally lived in the Henie region, but they eventually grew tired of the life where the various Qiang tribes plundered and killed each other for generations over the Big and Small Elm Valleys, so they resolutely migrated west.
Braving blizzards, the tribe followed the Qiangzhong Road, passing through plateaus, salt lakes, and glaciers, crossing the Altyn-Tagh Pass to reach the southeastern corner of the Western Regions—a land where snow-capped mountains, deserts, lakes, and grasslands intertwined.
The plateau lakes were pristine and untainted, with countless chiru and wild donkeys available for hunting. When the ice and snow on the plateau had not yet melted and the grass had not yet grown, they could head to lower elevations. The closer they got to Lop Nur, the more abundant the water and grass became.
It was here that the Ruoqiang first encountered the Loulan people.
Chapter Eighty-Two: Our Wu Dynasty Has Inherited Everything from the Han Dynasty!
Since their westward migration, the Ruoqiang People had been dealing with Loulan for hundreds of years, and they had also been robbing them for hundreds of years, which had led to a mutual understanding.
A city would cost a hundred piculs of wheat flour—no more, no less. After all, they would return next year; things had to be done sustainably rather than seeking momentary gratification. Once they got the grain, they would leave and never linger.
The Ruqiang People considered themselves very trustworthy.
"Do not kill ewes or lambs while hunting—that is the rule. Take the grain but do not kill indiscriminately—that is also the rule."
They were even less likely to break into a city. For one, the entire tribe had only five or six hundred able-bodied men, and unnecessary battles would deplete their population. Secondly, even if they captured the city, what then? Would they stay there to rule?
The Ruoqiang People had no interest in any land at too low an altitude because the yaks they relied on for survival could not withstand the intense heat. Thus, it was only suitable to come here in the spring, following the wild donkeys to hunt and graze their sheep, and return to the mountains by summer.
Therefore, even though the leader of the Ruqiang People had his tribesmen destroy the wheat fields outside Haitou City, he also knew when to stop.
This was merely to make these Loulan people in the city think clearly: was a hundred piculs of grain more cost-effective, or was it better to have no harvest at all this year?
He believed these Loulan people would make a wise choice. Just as he thought, the Loulan people opened the city gates!
Just as he thought these Loulan people would obediently hand over the grain, dozens of riders suddenly charged out of the city gates toward them.
Why were these people's clothes different from those of the Loulan people? Just as he was wondering, more and more knights rushed out, suddenly increasing from a hundred to a thousand, and their numbers continued to grow.
"Not good, these fellows are the Han Army!" The leader of the Ruoqiang People suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed immediately.
Although the Han Army had not appeared in the Western Regions for decades, it did not hinder the prestige they had established there hundreds of years ago.
But by the time he reacted, it was too late. One must know that the ten thousand soldiers led by Lia were all cavalry with very high mobility. Soon, under the leadership of Hua Mulan, these cavalrymen completely surrounded the Ruqiang People.
When they saw that the cavalry surrounding them was several times their number, the faces of these Ruqiang People turned pale.
However, the leader of the Ruqiang People quickly thought of something: their Ruoqiang People were essentially a vassal state of the Han people. Perhaps by relying on this, the other party would release them.
Although they had never paid tribute to the Han people, when Han envoys passed through their borders in the past, they had never robbed them.
"May I ask, are you the Heavenly Army from the Great Han?" the Ruoqiang man said in the language of the Western Regions.
It wasn't that he didn't want to speak the Han language, but he simply didn't know how! Since these Han people were with the Loulan people, he could only hope they could understand.
Although the Han Dynasty had been gone for hundreds of years, people from the Central Plains still often spoke of the Han people. Foreign tribes did not know the actual situation in the Central Plains and often referred to that place as the Great Han.
After a moment of translation, Hua Mulan looked at the leader of the Ruqiang People and said, "The Great Han Dynasty you speak of has already perished. We are now the Longwu Dynasty, which has inherited everything from the Liu-Han Dynasty, but we are far stronger than the Great Han you speak of!"
Bragging, after all, the other party couldn't verify it for the time being, so she might as well boast as much as she could.
However, Hua Mulan felt that her words weren't exactly bragging. After all, their current soldiers, having undergone her Lord's modern training methods and with the help of firearms, were definitely the army with the best physical fitness and the strongest firepower today.
Hadn't they come to the Western Regions without losing a single soldier? One must know that when the Han Dynasty sent Li Guangli to the Western Regions for the first time with tens of thousands of men, only a few thousand were left by the time they fought their way to Dayuan.
A comparison between the two showed that their army's quality was superior to that of the Han Dynasty's soldiers, not to mention they had powerful weapons like gunpowder.
Moreover, she believed that under the leadership of a benevolent Lord like Lia, they would surely be able to reunify Huaxia.
Although he didn't know what was going on, since this Wu Dynasty was even more formidable than the Han Dynasty, it meant they were even less to be trifled with.
"Great General, we were once all vassal states of the Great Han. Since you have accepted everything from the Han Dynasty, we are now a vassal state of the Wu Dynasty. We are all on the same side!" the Ruqiang man hurriedly said.
Hua Mulan was a bit surprised; this leader of the Ruoqiang People was unexpectedly quite quick-witted.
But hadn't they come to the Western Regions this time specifically to reclaim these small kingdoms? So Hua Mulan didn't say anything more about that matter, but instead brought up something else: "In that case, why did you raise an army to attack the borders of Loulan Kingdom?"
"Reporting to the General, their Shanshan Kingdom has sided with the Rouran People. Since we are a vassal state of the Wu Dynasty, isn't it only natural for us to help the Wu Dynasty by attacking Shanshan?" the leader of the Ruqiang People immediately reacted and said.
Hearing this, the Shanshan people nearby immediately showed expressions of anger.
This had nothing to do with whether they had sided with the Rouran. Over the past few hundred years, they had also been under the banner of the Han Dynasty, but these Ruqiang People had never stopped their incursions against them. These words were trul