Han Khan

Chapter 167, The Left’s Harvest
China has great etiquette, so it is called Xia; it has beautiful clothing, so it is called Hua.

For thousands of years, the reason why the Han, Chinese and Tang people could proudly look down on all the barbarians around them was because the Chinese were the only ones in the world that had civilization.

Now Zhang Sheng will lead the fierce herdsmen and farmers in the East, following the herdsmen tribes that conquered the West earlier, and once again launch a conquest of the West together.

Because there are better quality land and grasslands there than in Mobei and the Western Regions, as well as more obedient slaves.

Continuing from the previous topic, Zhang Sheng came back to his senses from the Tang people mentioned by Kozha.

Looking at this Khitan man who had been guarding him since this body was young, Zhang Sheng felt a lot of emotion.

They were extremely surprised at his military exploits!

Then he quickly helped Koza up with both hands and said with emotion:

"My warrior, captain of the guards, devout paladin, and commander of the left wing of Jinhan, please stand up quickly. You have worked hard! For this great achievement, I will definitely reward you and the warriors of the left wing!"

After Koza stood up, he bent down and said to Zhang Sheng:
"You are my master, and even more so the messenger of the Supreme Lord Haotian, my Son of Heaven. I am your guard and I am trusted by you. This is what I should do. May the Supreme Lord Haotian keep you healthy and make Jinhan strong!"

Zhang Sheng smiled and patted Koza's shoulder, motioning him to come to his side. Then, he looked at the other people in the tent, the guards who came with Koza to greet him, several chief priests and guards, Zhang Xibao, Yin Shanxiong and Boniek, as well as Zhang Zhongxian, Zhang Anzuo and others.

They all looked at Koza with admiration and gratitude, because they knew that this time Jinhan's troops attacked from all sides, and the left wing led by Koza captured the most prisoners and made the greatest contribution.

Afterwards, Zhang Sheng shifted his attention to the guards on the left wing who were watching him, as well as Erke, Yang Binghan and their soldiers.

He shouted:
"Warriors of the left wing, I have witnessed your glorious achievements. You are worthy of the trust that Lord Haotian has placed in us. You are the most courageous and loyal warriors of Jinhan. Lord Haotian is great!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he excitedly raised his right arm and shouted the holy prayer with enthusiasm.

"Haotian is great, Haotian is great..." In an instant, all the soldiers on the left wing shouted in unison with great excitement.

"Now follow me and return to the camp. I have prepared wine and food for you. Today will be a celebration banquet for all the soldiers on the left wing. You will not return until you are drunk, and then you can get a peaceful rest!" Zhang Sheng said to them.

That night, outside the temple camp, there were bright fires and lights, and the tables were filled with wine and delicious food.

Beautiful women were spinning, dancing and singing around the bonfire.

Although it is a cold winter, it cannot stop the passion in the hearts of the Jinhan people at this time.

The captured slaves were divided and placed in various corners, guarded by many Jinhan cavalry and warriors.

Many young and strong Tang people, as well as more than 6,000 slave cavalry organized by Koza, were selected and reorganized into 27 battalions of 8,100 soldiers with Jin Han people as officers.

They were armed with bows and spears. Although they had no armor, they were sufficient for guarding prisoners.

Zhang Sheng, Koza and others raised their glasses and celebrated the victory.

Late at night, the soldiers on the left wing ended their celebration. Led by their respective heads of ten households, heads of a hundred households and battalion commanders, they set up tents outside the camp and went to rest.

The guards of the remaining three regiments, as well as the soldiers of the ordinary regiments, patrolled the entire Jinhan camp under the leadership of their respective battalion commanders. They also had a large number of scouts who took advantage of the night to investigate the situation around and guard against enemy raids on Jinhan.

At this moment, the lights in the big tent where Zhang Sheng was were still on, like a bright lighthouse standing in the darkness.

Around, a group of guards were patrolling back and forth, guarding the tent closely. These guards were divided into three groups, each responsible for patrolling and guarding for four hours. If the guards of the four groups were all in the camp, then each group would take turns patrolling for three hours to ensure that there were elite guards guarding Zhang Sheng's tent for twelve hours a day.

Such strict security measures can make people feel extremely safe.

At this time, a group of people were sitting together in the spacious tent, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

The red charcoal in the iron stove was burning, providing warmth for the tent.

In the center of the tent, Zhang Sheng sat on the main seat. He was wearing a blue brocade robe embroidered with an eagle, a gorgeous fur coat on the outside, and a brown fur felt hat on his head. His face was cold and majestic.

He smiled and looked at everyone present.

On the left side of Zhang Sheng sat the three heroes of the left wing, Koza, Yang Binghan and Erke.

Next to them were Bu Chule, the captured leader of the Tubie tribe, and five tribal leaders who came to submit to Jin Han.

These chiefs, representing their respective tribes, came to Zhang Sheng to express their submission. In order to show respect and win their hearts, Zhang Sheng also allowed them to participate in the banquet, and after the banquet, they came to Zhang Sheng's tent together.

Sitting on the right were Zhang Zhongxian, Zhang Anzuo, Zhang Jinda, Li Shaozong and others, who could be considered Jin Han's civil officials and advisers.

Everyone sat cross-legged on the ground, with various foods and drinks placed in front of them, such as dry fruits, naan and wine.

This simple and practical arrangement reflects the combination of the Han style from Dunhuang and the grassland style. (The food on the grassland was actually terrible in the past. In many tribes, the meat was not cooked before eating. There was no sugar, not enough salt, and few seasonings and ingredients. The food was particularly unpalatable.)

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the master Zhang Sheng, as if they could feel the tense atmosphere spreading like a tide. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the master's speech.

Lord Zhang Sheng sat in the center of the tent with a serious and solemn expression. His eyes swept over everyone and finally fell on Koza on the left.

Zhang Sheng said:
"Koza, tell us about the situation of the left wing three regiments' eastward expedition.

Today, it covers the area from Yanran Mountain to the Zhiju River and the Suling River basin, all the way to the Langjuxu Mountain.

How many tribes have you destroyed, how many tribes have you conquered, and which tribes have not submitted to my Jinhan tribe or are unwilling to submit?"

Koza stood up and respectfully reported to Zhang Sheng:
“Your Highness, when we were traveling eastward, we encountered a powerful Tatar tribe called Wanggut upstream of the Zhiju River at the foot of Mount Yanran.

Their tribe had about 5,000 tents of subjects and more than 2,000 soldiers. That very night we launched an attack, killing more than 2,000 soldiers of the Wanggut tribe, as well as their chief and his relatives, and captured more than 3,000 tents, more than 20,000 Wanggut people, and more than 200,000 livestock.

On the second day, we led these Tatars to the north and defeated a Mongol Shiwei tribe called Waila, capturing more than 600 tents, more than 3,000 people, and more than 20,000 livestock.

Then, along the banks of the Zhiju River, on the south side of the forest, we encountered a Shiwei tribe called Meiliqi, who launched a surprise attack on us.

After being repelled by us, they headed north along the Zhiju River and fled into the forest.

From the captives we learned that their tribe was located in the southern part of the Beihai Lake and the lower reaches of the Zhiju River. It was a hunting and grazing Shiwei tribe with about 6,000 households.

Because we were carrying prisoners and livestock, and we were cavalry, it was inconvenient for us to fight in the forest, so we did not pursue.

I reorganized the captured young and strong men from the Wanggut and Wailar tribes into seven battalions of slave soldiers, with the royal guards serving as battalion commanders to lead these slave soldiers, and continued the sweep around Yanran Mountain.

(End of this chapter)