Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 431 Xia, Qin, Han, and Rome
In the fifth year of Yuankang,

The Han Dynasty's reinforcements to Xia finally arrived at Yangguan.

And those who led it,
He was a young man from a prominent family in the Han Dynasty.

His surname was Huo, and he was a descendant of Huo Qubing, inheriting the title of Marquis of Champion.

When the gates of Yangguan appeared before him,
The young man stroked the area around his lips, where his short, thick mustache, weathered by time, constantly peeked out, and said with considerable pride:
"My footprints extend far beyond those of my ancestors!"

"Is the vast Gobi Desert even more distant than the expedition to the Xia Kingdom?"

"Among all the generals throughout history who came from the Central Plains, I'm probably the first one to travel this far!"

"That's not necessarily the case!"

His lieutenant laughed and said, "Emperor Taizu of Western Qin even went to the Western Sea, and you've only gone halfway!"

Upon hearing this, the current champion curled his lip in disdain, "He can't compare to me!"

"Back then, that descendant of Ying Qin was ordered to be hunted down by Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu. Like a stray dog, how could she feel at ease if she didn't run far away?"

"I am on a legitimate expedition ordered by the Emperor!"

Moreover, he also heard that,

When the Qin people passed through the land of Hezhong, they were almost detained by the Yuezhi people there.

If it weren't for sacrificing the beauty of the Western Qin Emperor's uncle, who was used to lure the Yuezhi female leader—who resembled a second Zhao Ji—to open a passage for him and join him,

I'm afraid they won't even make it to the Xia Kingdom before they're defeated there!
Ying Pijiang, who was brought over by He Bo to witness the important historical event of the "Han-Xia convergence", never expected that after dying for more than a hundred years, he had built a huge empire in foreign lands and would still cause the Han people to suffer injustice behind the scenes!

He was so angry that he wanted to rush over and teach the young man what it meant to "respect the elderly and care for the young," but He Bo and King Xia Wen held him back from the left and right.

"Don't get angry with younger people!"

"Wouldn't it be better to go back and lead your descendants to gang up on Huo Qubing, making this ancestor bear the brunt of the curse of his descendants' words?"

He offered these words of comfort to Ying Pijiang.

But Ying Pijiang was still very frustrated.

He said, "If those wretched men sent to guard Yangguan can teach this brat a lesson, I'll go easy on him once he's dead!"

He Bo thought about the behavior of King Ying Qin after entering Xia, and then shook his head.

"Then we might as well just throw him into the animal pens!"

The Han soldiers nearby had no idea that such a case was taking place unnoticed.

They calmly invited the two Xia envoys to Yangguan, hoping they would open the city gates and let them into the Xia Kingdom.

“I see that the city gates are tightly closed, and soldiers in armor are pacing back and forth on them. It seems that the Xia people have risen up and recaptured this strategic pass.”

The Xia envoy, riding a tall horse he had stolen from the river, spoke with great anticipation.

After all, the Yuezhi people were barbarians who were only interested in plundering, and they could not spare too many people to guard Yangguan Pass, nor did they have such a long-term vision.

Apart from the gentlemen of the various Xia states,
Who would guard Yangguan, such a dangerous but incredibly costly and expensive place?
The Xia envoy sent ahead had a very bad feeling about this.

as predicted,

When they arrived at the city walls, they were alarmed to see the defending troops and the fluttering flags.

"They are Qin people!"

Old Xia urged his horse forward and asked in a trembling voice:
"Are you here to help my Great Xia?"

"I'll help your mother!"

A line of authentic Qinqiang opera came from the city wall.

at the same time,

An arrow flew by and grazed the Xia envoy's face.

The two immediately turned their horses around and rode back to the Han army.

They cried and said, "The Qin people have betrayed the friendly alliance between our two countries!"

"He even insulted me and tried to shoot himself in my face!"

General Huo was also angered upon hearing this.

"How can the Qin people still break their promises even after arriving in foreign lands!"

"With such character, it's no wonder they lost their roots in the Central Plains and can only come to foreign lands to bully equally unethical barbarians!"

"It seems I must step in and uphold justice!"

He immediately ordered an assault on Yangguan, who refused to open the door.

And because of the sunny environment, it has always been harsh—

Its terrain is similar to the Hexi Corridor, but it has no arable land or water.

For many years, this pass has relied on the provisions and supplies sent by the imperial court to maintain its stability.

The Xia court is now in turmoil and divided.

With dust and smoke rising from multiple directions, how could we possibly consider Yangguan Pass as we did before?

Moreover, among the feudal lords, those with outstanding talents are rare, while those who are lazy and idle are many.

The latter believed that once the Yuezhi people entered, their own people would follow, and there would be no more powerful enemies attacking them.

Therefore, the grain and money that the feudal lords arranged to send to Yangguan were often withheld, which made the soldiers below lose their will to fight.

quickly,

Yangguan was then captured by the Han army.

General Huo was quite surprised when the news arrived.

"I didn't even exert much effort, how did he collapse?"

"Is this all Ying Qin is capable of in the outer realms?"

Then he turned to ask the Xia envoy:
"How did you manage to let such an enemy throw the country into chaos?"

The two Xia envoys covered their mouths, tears streaming down their faces, too ashamed to speak.

Fortunately,

The current champion of the Han Dynasty did not criticize the other party too harshly.
He led his army straight into Yangguan, raised the banner of the Han Dynasty, and sent two Xia envoys to spread the news that "the emperor has sent troops to help Xia quell the rebellion."

This should have been a cause for joy.

Unfortunately, first the Yuezhi "served the king," and then the Qin people "aided their relatives."
Even the most simple and ignorant Xia people would not believe such a reason.

therefore,

Wherever the Han army went, few opened their gates to welcome the king's army, while many remained closed and on guard.

This prompted General Huo to complain again:
"The horses trampled the Xiongnu!"

"How could the Xia Kingdom have become like this!"

"Did we, the Heavenly Soldiers of the Great Han, come all this way only to be turned away by the Xia Kingdom's special products?"

The two Xia envoys stammered and lowered their heads in shame, rubbing their sleeves.

Fortunately,

Not long after,

General Huo didn't have time to question them.

After hearing about the Han people's activities, the Qin people immediately sent troops to confront them.

Those feudal lords, judging others by their own standards, did not realize that the Han Dynasty's dispatch of troops this time was truly for the sake of the Xia Kingdom.

"Even though they're so far away, they still send people to seize our land. The Han people are indeed greedy and cunning!"

"I will absolutely not let them have their way!"

"I swear to protect the peace of the Xia Kingdom with my life!"

With a wave of his hand, he clashed fiercely with the Han army.

Very soon,
He suffered a defeat and lost several cities in a sorry state.

The feudal lords could no longer stand up straight and criticize the Han people.

He wiped away his tears in private, saying, "Back in Qin, my own nephew, the emperor, would bully me."

"Now that we've arrived in the Xia Kingdom, even the Han emperor has sent people to bully me!"

"Is there any justice left in this world?!"

The champion on the opposite side also scratched his head, wondering to himself about the Qin people's fighting strength.

He thought:
"If the main force of Qin is of this level, then since I'm already here, I might as well earn more military merits and go back to please His Majesty?"

"And the Yuezhi people... the Yuezhi people!"

The two Xia envoys were overjoyed to see the Han army defeat the hateful Qin people. They rubbed their hands together, circling General Huo and chanting, hoping he could continue his efforts and help the Xia people defeat the even more hateful barbarians.

The Xia people's chanting skills were also something that General Huo could not withstand.

After being told twice and hearing that Yuezhi people had indeed appeared in the nearby countryside, sweeping through and plundering the area, he spurred his horse and rushed there, utterly defeating the Yuezhi people.

General Huo also told his men, "We have wiped out the Yuezhi people's homeland in the Yellow River. If they find out about this, they will surely fight us to the death."

"Since that's the case, it's better to nip it in the bud to prevent future troubles!"

They weren't ruthless or heartless towards the Qin people.

But when dealing with barbarians, we must never show them any mercy!

then,

The Han army then began to attack the cities occupied by the Yuezhi.

When the Taoist priests of the Beggars' Army heard about this, they held a meeting and said:
"The Han people are still honest and kind!"

"They actually came to help my Great Xia!"

"No wonder their emperor can be the Son of Heaven and rule the Central Kingdom!"

"Why don't we send someone over to make some contact as a gesture of goodwill?"

Some people expressed their concerns:
"But the Han people were invited by the imperial court's envoys, and the banner they raised was to support the Zhao and Xia dynasties."

Will they be friendly to you and me?

The Taoist priest in charge shook his head and said, "The most important issue right now is to resist the invasion of the barbarians. We cannot ruin the state of our Chinese nation because of our selfish desires."

Despite opposition, he insisted on sending several courageous men to meet with the commander of the royal army sent by the emperor.

Sui Ping was selected to be one of them because of his alertness, ability, and youthful vigor.

He thus met the Han people who had traveled thousands of miles from the distant East.

The young general, clad in armor and sporting only a short, thick beard, took the letter from the Beggars' Army from his hand, glanced at it, and then smiled at the two Xia envoys, saying:
"If your people have such ambition and insight, why bother making me come all this way?"

Xia Shi was somewhat embarrassed and simply lowered his head, refusing to respond.

Although the Western Xia dynasty has fallen, the Eastern Xia dynasty still exists.

How could they, as subjects of the Great Xia, rely on a rebel army like the Beggar Army?

In terms of its origins,

These guys were the first to raise the flag of rebellion in the Taiping Dao!

Without them
How could the Great Xia Dynasty have declined so quickly!
Meeting you today,

They were already very magnanimous and merciful by not rushing forward to kill the traitors!

However, Sui Ping lacked the magnanimity and benevolence of the two Xia envoys.

Relying on his youthful arrogance, he bluntly said, "Although the Beggars' Army has the ambition to restore peace, there are simply too many demons and monsters in the world!"

"Even a Ferghana horse can't pull a thousand pounds and gallop freely on the road!"

After hearing his words, the general developed a certain appreciation for Sui Pingsheng.

"I think so too!"

"In such chaotic times, it's not easy to be a good person!"

I have been in Xia Kingdom for some time now.
Having witnessed the elegance of the Qin people, the Yuezhi people, and the aristocratic families, General Huo was filled with emotion.

He originally thought that the Central Plains was rich in resources and had abundant resources, with everything imaginable and everything visible.

Once you go abroad,

Only then did I realize that some of these things could not be seen or even heard of in the Central Plains.

However, he was entrusted with the emperor's orders, and the two Xia envoys were skilled at using the tactics of crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide to pester people. This sometimes forced General Huo to reluctantly cooperate with powerful families and other forces.

After all, the Huo family has been passed down for generations and is now a well-established family.

Although he is often praised for having the demeanor of his ancestors and often emulates them, he can never truly achieve that carefree and unrestrained spirit.

He always has to consider the pros and cons.

it's good now,

The Beggars' Army is a pure-blooded Xia Kingdom organization.

Compared to other aristocratic families in the Xia Kingdom, it seemed far more humane.

In any case, His Majesty only instructed me to restore stability to the Xia Kingdom and prevent the lands of the various Xia from being occupied by barbarians.

in this way,

Rather than associating with powerful families, it's better to provide them with financial assistance.

The former is too abstract and too anthropomorphic!

"I agree to your request!"

"From now on, this lad will stay by my side and experience the royal grace of the Central Kingdom!"

The general put down the letter and pointed at Sui Ping, saying, "He's good-looking and speaks well; he'll definitely be a talented person in the future!"

The Taoist priest of the Beggars' Army naturally wouldn't refuse.

Sui Ping thus followed the Han army and began his constant travels.

at the same time,

At the mouth of the Xindu River,
Guagang in Guazhou
Several boats docked, and a group of people walked out from them.

Holding a staff, the Qin envoy frowned as he looked at the hurried and flustered pedestrians on the street, and couldn't help but take two deep breaths.

“Even a prosperous place like Guazhou is inevitably affected by war.”

"I wonder what kind of terrible situation exists in other places."

The Qin envoy then thought of the relative who had fled to the Xia Kingdom, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

If it weren't for the fact that some rebellious feudal lords within the country hadn't been quelled,

If it weren't for the fact that the military governors hadn't yet fully replaced the feudal lords and become the pillars of the Qin Dynasty in the regions,
If it weren't for the growing prosperity of Rome in the west, which kept the court too busy to look eastward...

It seems the situation in the Xia Kingdom won't deteriorate to this extent.

at least,

The Qin people, who already possessed much land but had not yet fully developed it,
They hadn't even had a chance to feel any appetite for their brotherly nation, which had helped them so much and had been friendly for a century.

Fulfilling the covenant to secure their nation's well-being,
If they had the time, the Qin people would still be willing to do it.

Therefore,
When the Qin state ended a new battle with Rome, and all the other feudal lords within its borders were suppressed, a brief period of peace arrived both domestically and internationally.
The emperor quickly dispatched an envoy by boat to the Xia Kingdom, wanting to see how much of his brother, who shared the same ancestor, was still alive.

In Rome,

Taking advantage of this rare intermission, they dispatched envoys to accompany the Qin envoys, hoping to open up a new chapter in their diplomacy.

Due to the Qin people's aggressive expansion in the Western Sea region, a new era of "unification" was created.
Rome was able to get to know fewer and fewer countries through diplomacy.

Only today have we sent envoys to enhance understanding.

Tomorrow, Rome's new friend might be turned away by the Qin people and go off to contribute to the Qin people's wonderful life.

This made Rome feel very uneasy.

To its west lies the vast ocean.

To the north lived a group of barbarian tribes who ate raw meat and drank blood.
Apart from the coastal and riverine areas to the south, the rest is all unbearably hot desert and Gobi.

And there,
It gradually followed the footsteps of the vast lands to the east of Rome, and was transformed into the prefectures and counties established by the Qin people.

If Rome doesn't find a way to resist, even if it one day gains control of the Mediterranean Sea due to its maritime advantage,

They themselves will be drawn into the embrace of the Qin state!
What a terrible future that would be!
Rome must not fall into such a nightmare.

therefore,

As rising stars like Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus gradually seized power in Rome,
Although the hatred between Marius and Sulla persisted, and internal strife did not cease,
However, they reached a consensus on foreign relations:
Rome must go further and make more friends!
Caesar, who had studied in the Qin state for many years, also said, "The Qin people's diplomatic art emphasizes befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones!"

"I think this is a wonderful idea for Rome too!"

"Since they can do it, why don't we imitate them?"

then,

After several detours, the Roman envoys arrived in the Xia Kingdom.

They longed to know this eastern nation, which was rumored to be as powerful as Qin and even more ancient, and to form an alliance with it to fight against the Qin people!
Rome didn't believe it.

These two countries, both belonging to the Chinese nation, were completely intimate, with no gaps between them whatsoever!

(End of this chapter)