First 02: Pacify the Western Regions

The biggest difference between the Western Regions of the Han Dynasty and modern Xinjiang is that oasis is everywhere, cattle and sheep are in herds, and the scenery is beautiful. However, modern Xinjiang is full of yellow sand and wind and sand everywhere, which is the result of desertification.

Xinjiang is the most severely desertified area in China. Many famous oasis there ended up becoming deserts, the famous ones were Lop Nur. Historically, Lop Nur was the throat of the Silk Road, the only way to go. It is a famous oasis, which is now a desert and has become a test site for the Republic's nuclear weapons.

Another famous one is the ancient country of Loulan. In the Han Dynasty, Loulan was a country that was very beautiful because it was close to Lop Nur. Today, the ancient country of Loulan has become an existence under the yellow sand, which makes people guess more.

Zhou Yang led the Han army into the Western Regions, shocked by the beautiful scenery of the Western Regions. There were oasis everywhere, cattle and sheep everywhere. If you march here, you don’t have to worry about not being able to find food.

If Zhou Yang hadn't been a modern person, he knew that the oasis here was mostly a place where yellow sand was flooded more than two thousand years later, and he would not have believed that such a huge change would have occurred.

The people in the Western Regions were almost nomadic. They grazed, ate beef and mutton, and drank horse milk, which was no different from the Huns. Their skin color and their customs were their own, which was completely different from the Huns.

At first, the people of the Western Regions were very surprised and frightened, and asked where the Han army came from. The Han army told them that this was an army from the Han Dynasty, so the people of the Western Regions cheered and were very happy.

During this period, due to the barriers of the Huns, there was no trade between the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty. This only refers to direct trade, not to say that there is no indirect trade. The Kunshan jade in the Western Regions was very popular in Chang'an. When Zhou Yang came to the Han Dynasty, the first gift he received was the Kunshan jade that Jiao gave him.

The wealth of the Han Dynasty and the beautiful life of the people have long been spread among the countries in the Western Regions. It was because of the Huns that they could not see it or go to the Han Dynasty. Now that their fascinated Han Dynasty army appears here, how can the people not be happy?

What impressed Zhou Yang the most was that after these people cheered, they gathered up and wanted to trade with the Han army, asking them if they had any daily necessities such as silk, tea, porcelain, and spices. The people were willing to exchange gold, silver, cattle and sheep for gold.

This time, the Han Dynasty implemented the war to support the war and raise food and grass in the Western Regions. It was an important task for Zhou Yang. Before he could take action, the people of the Western Regions came to him automatically. What else did Zhou Yang say? Naturally, he agreed.

For this march, Zhou Yang did not bring a large sum of gold or silver, but brought a lot of silk, porcelain, tea and spices, because these things are best sold in the Western Regions. Gold and silver are good things, but that was for the rich Han Dynasty. For the people of the Western Regions who only had cattle and sheep and were extremely lacking in daily necessities, gold and silver were decorations and were useless.

It is not as popular as a piece of silk to bring ten ingots of horse hoof gold. Before sending troops, Zhou Yang studied the situation in the Western Regions and prepared these daily necessities.

Before Zhou Yang set the price, the people of the Western Regions set the price. A tribal leader drove a group of sheep and told the Han army that he wanted to change a piece of silk. After counting the Han army soldiers, the group of sheep was not ten, twenty, seventy-three. Seventy-three sheep, only fat and strong, only one piece of silk was exchanged, which was unbelievable.

Silk is a good thing, but it is not so valuable. The Han army soldiers hesitated and were thinking about whether to change it. The leader of the tribe thought that the Han army would not want to change it, so he added ten sheep and more than ten kilograms of gold, and claimed that he could add it again.

This is so much worth that many times, so how could the Han soldiers not be replaced? The leader of this tribe went happily with silk in his arms, and kept shouting, "It's too cheap, too cheap, too cheaper than those Hu merchants!"

The reason why the Silk Road is famous all over the world is that silk is very precious and popular. If it is shipped to the Roman Empire, it will be sold at a sky-high price.

Let me put it aside. I know one thing. In the animal husbandry area, a sheep costs 80 yuan, and a bottle of pickles worth hundreds of grams is also 80 yuan. In the animal husbandry area, cattle and sheep are bargain and are very worthless. If you treat a meal there, you invite the herdsmen to eat pickles, they will be very happy and will regard you as their best friend, because pickles are too rare.

A pound of tea can be exchanged for more than a dozen sheep; a pound of spice can be exchanged for hundreds of sheep; porcelain is a little cheaper, and a piece of pottery can also be exchanged for three or five fat sheep.

This is not the extra gifts, gold and silver given by the people of the Western Regions. For the Western Regions, which are besides cattle and sheep, gold and silver are just beautiful metals, and they have no value and don’t feel sorry for giving them to them. After a while, the gold received by the Han army was piled up into mountains.

Looking at these gold, silver, Zhou Yang, Cheng Bushi, Gongsun He and others were all surprised. No one expected that the goods from the Han Dynasty were so easy to sell.

Then he thought, otherwise, Hu merchants like Ma Hu would not be willing to take a risk and sell it thousands of miles away. Zhou Yang finally understood why the Silk Road was full of dangers, countless people died, and white bones were everywhere, but so many people were willing to open up this trade channel in an unexpected way.

Even more crazy things are still coming. Zhou Yang guessed that the cattle and sheep they replaced could be enough for the Han army to eat for a few days, and ordered not to change it. If the cattle and sheep were brought too much, it would affect the speed of the march. When needed, the Han army would change it again.

This normal treatment has caused the price to soar several times. The herdsmen drove cattle and sheep and followed the Han army. As long as the Han army was changing, they would spare no expense.

A wonder appeared, and countless herdsmen followed behind the Han army, riding horses and driving cattle and sheep, looking happy, thinking about exchanging with the Han army and getting the beauty of your beloved thing.

Zhou Yang saw it and smiled in his heart. There was no need to worry about food and supplies.

This is the first happy thing that Zhou Yang has ever been since entering the Western Regions. What made Zhou Yang happier and more surprised is still to come, because Zhou Yang and his friends created a miracle that when the country was destroyed the most, they actually destroyed five countries in one day.

It is a shocking thing to destroy five countries in a day. Those are five countries! However, in the Han army, it was just a joke and didn't take it seriously at all.

Nothing else, it’s just that those five countries are too small, and it’s not enough to put a battlefield together.

There are many countries in the Western Regions, including Cheshi, Shanshan, Yanqi, Kucha, Wusun, Ershi, and Loulan. This is quite large. Among them, Cheshi has only more than 3,000 households, and based on one household and five members, there are less than 20,000 people. This is a country.

There are many countries smaller than Cheshi. It is not difficult for Zhou Yang to destroy them. He does not need to fight. He just needs to drive the army from the territory and becomes the land of the Han Dynasty.

The five countries that were destroyed on the same day had a population of less than 20,000 and a total of less than 4,000 troops. Their weapons were either wooden sticks or stones, and there were not many bronze weapons. How could they fight with the Han army?

The first small Western Region country to be destroyed was heard that the Han army was coming and was preparing to fight a battle with the Han army. The king mobilized the army and set up a formation. He said shamelessly that he must defeat the Han army and let the Han army return to Chang'an with his tails. However, when he saw the Han army spreading overwhelmingly, he urinated on the spot and didn't even know how to escape.

His army, totaling only about four hundred people, all of them became wooden stakes, and they had never seen so many people. Zhou Yang did not order a battle. The Han army passed by at normal marching speed, and the four hundred people were trampled into meat paste. The king of this country died, the army was gone, and the people demanded surrender, and they were destroyed.

Although the countries in the Western Regions knew that the Han Dynasty was very rich and powerful, they were also arrogant and made many jokes.

The word "Yarang's arrogant" has a clear meaning, and there is no need to say much. Zhou Yang and his friends encountered many more things in the Western Regions than this, and there are many.

"A weapon like this is also something I want to fight with us, and I can't overestimate myself!" Cheng Bushi threw the stone in his hand, and couldn't help but make fun of it. This stone is a weapon used by the countries in the Western Regions. It is polished smoothly. If it is fought with the countries in the Western Regions, it is still useful, because no one is more powerful than anyone else's.

However, they were facing the Han army, and the equipment of the Han army was much more advanced than theirs. In a modern general term, it was to use airplanes to hit the nomadic peoples on horseback, and this was the gap.

"Haha! It's so interesting!"

Gongsun He rode on the horse, covering his stomach, and couldn't help laughing: "Since entering the Western Regions, we have destroyed thirteen countries, right? At least one country a day, at most, five countries a day. Thirteen countries, at first glance, it's great! If we destroy thirteen countries, we must have been unable to fight bloody battles, and the corpses accumulate like mountains and blood flows into rivers. But have we ever fought a war? Until now, we either defeated us or stepped on our horse hooves into meat paste. I didn't cut off a single head, and destroyed thirteen countries."

"Haha!" Zhou Yang, Cheng Bushi, Gongsun He and the others burst into laughter. Such a strange thing may not be encountered in a lifetime of war. It is really funny.

"I finally understand why Alexander could have traveled thousands of miles with just 30,000 people and destroyed dozens of countries. The countries he destroyed were not much different from the countries we destroyed, right?" Zhou Yang stroked his forehead, smiling.

This is a joke, but he told Zhou Yang right. One of the important reasons why Alexander achieved such great success in the Eastern Expedition back then was that his opponent was too weak, because there were many small countries on his Eastern Expedition. Not to mention fighting, he was not even enough battlefields, so why not fight?

"Master General, the envoy of Cheshi asked for a visit!" Just as Zhou Yang was joking, Zhao Ponu came over and reported to Zhou Yang.

"Call him here!" Zhou Yang turned his head and looked at Cheng Bushi and asked, "General Cheng, what did you think the envoy of Cheshi are here to do?"

"It must be surrendered!" Cheng Buzhi held his beard and smiled: "We can destroy five countries in a day. Isn't it scary for a country with a big Cheshi?"

"I'm sure you'll never get along!" Gongsun He affirmed.

"I've seen the Grand Marshal!" A Western Region man with a low figure and a panic looked over, and greeted Zhou Yang with a very awkward words.

"You can say what we big man?" Zhou Yang was a little surprised.

"I know a little bit! a little bit!" The envoy hurriedly bowed and replied, his bow reached ninety degrees. Without waiting for Zhou Yang to ask, he said everything like a bamboo tube pouring beans: "Since the Huns were defeated, we have been learning the words of the Han Dynasty and we must go to Chang'an to communicate!"

"What's wrong with me when you see me? Just say something, I'm going to march in the middle of it!" After Zhou Yang understood the whole story, his tone sank and his voice was full of power. At this time, it would be very beneficial to put pressure on the envoy.

"Master, my country is willing to surrender to the Han Dynasty! Please take it in!" The envoy was busy telling the whole story.

"Accurate! Ask the King of Cheshi to Chang'an!" Zhou Yang nodded, waved his hand, and the Han soldiers took the envoy away like a prisoner.

The envoy walked and blew coldly, and his body was trembling. If it weren't for the soldiers' support, he might have fallen to the ground. He lived so big, and hadn't seen so many people, let alone all of them in the army.

From this day on, Zhou Yang and his team made their march not to destroy the country, but to surrender. One by one, the Western Regions countries rushed to surrender. Wusun, Shanshan, Loulan, and Kucha surrendered one by one.

Zhou Yang fell on the grass, holding a green grass in his arms, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, stroking the past, and thinking was traveling through time and space.

Puchanghai in the Han Dynasty is now Lop Nur. It is a huge oasis with a radius of hundreds of miles and is a good place for garrisons. The blue sky, white clouds, green water and green grass are really a paradise on earth. When Zhou Yang came here, he looked at the smooth lake surface like a mirror and felt deeply moved.

Zhou Yang knew that Lop Nur was once the throat of the Silk Road. It is said that in ancient times, whenever it was night, the tents here were one after another, like a large army camp.

The first mushroom cloud in the Republic rose from here, shaking the world. At that time, there was no one here, with a lot of yellow sand, and the beautiful scenery of the past paradise no longer existed.

"Master, get up quickly, have military information." Cheng Buzhifei rushed over as if he was about to go, and shouted from afar.

"What's the matter?" Zhou Yang sat up halfway.

"Master General, so many countries in the Western Regions have surrendered to the Han Dynasty, but only Ershi Kingdom. Relying on the Ershi City, they are unwilling to surrender to the Han Dynasty!" Cheng Buzhi was very angry and looked angry.

"Er Shi?" Zhou Yang was also surprised and jumped up: "Just relying on his big country, I want to be an enemy of the Han Dynasty?"

"Yes!" Cheng Buzhi was very angry: "King Ershi said arrogantly that he wanted us to go back to Chang'an! It's unreasonable! It's unreasonable!"

"Tell me the order, the entire army will be on the horse and the troops will be sent to Ershicheng!" Zhou Yang flew on his horse and ordered loudly.

Since the Han army entered the Western Regions, it was smooth sailing, and there was no decent resistance. Wherever the army went, they all surrendered. A small Ershi dared to fight against the Han army. The soldiers were really angry and shouted that they should teach this ignorant Ershi King.

"Tell my brothers, hurry to Ershi City and razed Ershi City to the ground!" Zhou Yang's face was as cold as frosty: "We have not fought a war when we arrived in the Western Regions. Although the countries in the Western Regions surrendered, they are inevitably lucky. I was thinking that if you want to find a place to fight, the Ershi King will emerge, very good! Very good!"

The Han army was extremely powerful, and the countries in the Western Regions were afraid and asked to surrender. This was a good thing and a bad thing. The bad thing was that there was no blood. The countries in the Western Regions did not see the Han army's military power with their own eyes. If they were not lucky, they should fight a war.

"The order is to ask the kings and ministers of the Western Regions to rush to Ershi City and let them see the power of the Han Dynasty with their own eyes!" Zhou Yang ordered another order.

This is definitely a good idea, Cheng Buzhi laughed and went to handle it.

xxxxxx

Ershi City is a rare big city in the Western Regions. In the eyes of the people of the Western Regions, it is very strong and a symbol of not leaving the fortress. It is precisely because Ershi City is solid that Ershi Wang is arrogant and wants to challenge the Han army.

At this time, tens of thousands of Han troops had already set up formations under the city, with neat and heavy formations. The Han troops were energetic, as if they were like rainbows and in full force, and everyone's eyes were shining with the light of a beast.

This Han army was built by Zhou Yang himself, and was all soldiers who participated in the Battle of Dragon City last year. Is it worth mentioning its combat power?

The kings and ministers of the Western Regions looked at the Han army and did not dare to show their aura. Not only did the Han army's combat power and military power, but only the number of Han army personnel was enough to scare them to most of them.

Among these kings, many of them have not had that large population in the country. The Han army is more than ten times the total population of the smallest country. For them, it is a huge monster.

The King of Ershi in Ershi City was about forty years old. He stood on the top of the city wearing a crown and looked at it for a while. His face changed drastically, and his panic became more and more intense. He originally thought that no matter how powerful the Han army was, it would not be much more powerful. With the strength of Ershi City, the Han army could not capture it.

However, when he saw the Han army with his own eyes, he realized that he was wrong, which was ridiculously wrong. Not to mention anything else, the momentum of the Han army alone was enough to make him scared and murderous intent!

These Han troops participated in the decisive battle of Longcheng last year. The heads of the Huns they cut down could pile up several mountains. Once they relaxed their momentum, they were no different from ancient ferocious beasts. How could they have seen the monarchs of these small countries in the Western Regions?

"We are willing to surrender! We are willing to surrender!" King Ershi couldn't help but take a cold air, frightened, his body trembled, and the cold sweat on his forehead emerged like water.

"It's too late for you to surrender!" Zhou Yang snorted coldly, rode his horse out, and began to pre-war speech: "Brothers: This ignorant King Ershi, he is trying to make an enemy of this mere three-mile city and five-mile Guo, can you bear it?"

"No!" The Han soldiers had already been angry, and a roar was like thunder roaring in their ears, with a shocking power.

The kings of all the countries in the Western Regions had never heard such powerful roars. Their country was small and they could not find so many people. They were so scared that their legs were weak and their faces were pale.

"Mom!" Ershiwang staggered and sat on the ground, feeling exhausted all over.

"I order you to take down Ershi City in one go and turn Ershi City into ruins!" Zhou Yang issued a loud battle order.

"The Han army is mighty!" The sound of war trumpets soared into the sky, like thousands of thunders exploded.

"Swish swish!" The powerful crossbow showed its might, and countless crossbow arrows flew past like locusts and shot towards the city. A scream and a scream came from the city.

The kings of the Western Regions didn't know what a powerful crossbow was. This was the first time they had seen a powerful crossbow in their lives. They all opened their eyes wide and looked at the city that was so messy that it shot, and they were petrified directly. This power was far beyond their imagination.

Ershi City is only a few miles in a radius. In the Han Dynasty, it can only be considered a very small city. It is still a very sloppy small city, because the construction technology of the Western Regions is very backward. Two rounds of powerful crossbow shooting, and the city gate is opened.

Zhou Yang brought Qin crossbows, which could attack the city. With Qin crossbows, there was no need to bring heavy siege machinery. Needless to say, the power of Qin crossbows was, even the Suiyang Jiancheng, which was in the world, could not resist it, let alone the Ershi City that could only be considered a broken city.

"The Han army is mighty!" The Han army roared the battle roar and attacked the city.

The entire battle lasted for a while and it ended. The Han army followed Zhou Yang's order and razed Ershi City to the ground, scaring many of the kings to fall softly to the ground, and even more, there were many who were scattered and urinated.
Chapter completed!