Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 156 The Gu Family's Name Sweeps the Western Regions, and the World Submits (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The clarion call for the counterattack has officially been sounded.

The deep-seated fear finally surfaced in the hearts of the Western Turkic tribes.

The decisive battle, which lasted for twenty-eight days, once again provided the best proof of the Gu family's invincible reputation.

How can this war continue?

To Gu Quan, the Western Turkic Khaganate today is like a snow-capped mountain that could trigger an avalanche at any moment, and the rule of all its people is so weak.

This battle will lead to complete collapse!
The power of the Tang Dynasty was indeed about to surpass that of the Western Turks.

This is the result of the efforts of generations of people throughout Kyushu, and it is incomparable to the barbarians from all directions.

And now, this has been fully demonstrated.

July of the eighth year of the Zhenguan era.

After a brief period of rest, Gu Quan officially led his troops westward, forming a pincer movement with Li Jing against the Western Turks.

At the same time, all the preparations made in the past also began to take effect at this moment.

Under absolute pressure, unrest indeed broke out within the Western Turkic Khaganate.

The fragile political balance was finally and completely shattered.

The entire Northwest region was plunged into utter chaos, and existing internal conflicts also erupted at this time.

Internal strife; the Tang army's offensive.

All of this was like lighting a powder keg, turning this place into a complete meat grinder.

But for the Tang army...

They have only one goal.

That means fighting!

To completely resolve everything and reopen the road between Kyushu and the Western Regions.

The news kept spreading.

Battle reports from all sides were quickly sent back to Chang'an via the 800-li express courier service. With post stations gradually being built in all directions, the speed of news transmission had reached the limit of this era.

As the news spread, the world was shocked!
From the imperial court in Chang'an to the common people in all directions, everyone was incredibly excited.

Not only because after this battle, the external enemies that could directly threaten Kyushu had completely disappeared.

The key is--

Or, what are the actual benefits that this battle can bring to the entire Tang Dynasty and the Nine Provinces?

This is the most important part!
Li Shimin also attached great importance to this, and under the current circumstances, he released the news again.

This time, it is aimed at the countries of the Western Regions.

It was still an imperial edict from the Tang Dynasty emperor, and still the decree of the Heavenly Khan.

Even the content hasn't changed much.

It still exudes that same domineering aura.

— Surrender or die!
However, the feeling this imperial edict gave people was completely different from the previous ones. For the countries in the Western Regions that harbored ulterior motives, this imperial edict was a source of despair!
Rebel against the Tang Dynasty?

How should we resist?

Although the Western Turks have not yet been completely defeated, given the current situation, it is only a matter of time.

In this situation, who would dare to resist?

This is an easy choice to make.

Even if interests and power can blind the rulers, the threat of death can still bring everyone to their senses.

As the imperial edict spread, the entire Western Regions fell silent instantly.

And then——

One by one, envoys carrying surrender documents headed straight for the Tang Dynasty, while at the same time, the Western Turks completely lost their biggest source of strength.

—The situation has completely changed!
The cessation of tribute from the Western Regions completely pushed the already weakened Western Turkic Khaganate to its breaking point.

September.

Gu Quan led his troops, allied with their internal collaborators, and decisively defeated the Asijie tribe at Yanran Mountain. The Asijie tribe was completely annihilated, with nearly 20,000 able-bodied men dying in battle, and their tribal leader committing suicide in the deep mountains.

The Western Turkic forces in the northern deserts were thus completely disintegrated.

All the surrounding tribes lost their will to fight and surrendered completely.

Meanwhile, Li Jing had already captured Beiting.

The signs of the Western Turkic Khaganate's demise were already evident.

November.

Taking advantage of the clear autumn weather, Gu Quan set fire to the Lishui grassland, cutting off the winter livestock food supply of the remaining Western Turks, killing nearly 10,000 of their troops, and seizing the golden seal of the Western Turk Khan's Northern Desert Camp.

This officially opened the gateway to the Western Regions.

A profound sense of despair permeated the entire Western Turkic territory.

With the grasslands suffering repeated defeats, the loss of the grasslands once again seemed to have robbed them of all their vitality.

As the temperature continues to drop, no one feels any hope.

Their only option was to flee.

Abandoning everything and fleeing to the Western Regions might be their best option at present.

Although the Western Regions have cut off supplies to them.

However, with their strength, they can quickly sweep everything away as long as they can go to the Western Regions. Moreover, the situation in the Western Regions is currently very turbulent, so they can seize this opportunity to wade into the muddy waters.

But everyone also understands that the fundamental reason why the Tang Dynasty launched this war was for the Western Regions, and that fleeing to the Western Regions would not bring stability.

But where else could they escape to besides the Western Regions?

Juyan Lake and Baidaochuan, along with other grasslands, have now been occupied by the Tang Dynasty. Given their lack of reserves, they have no chance of surviving the winter.

All illusions shattered in an instant.

At this point, no matter how strong the desire, it ultimately cannot withstand the threat of death.

Ultimately, this is a choice that you make with the best interests of others.

More and more deserters and surrendered soldiers appeared among the remnants of the Western Turks, and the number was increasing. In just a few days, the entire tribe had broken away.

—It was under these circumstances.

Finally, the Khan of the Four Yabghu tribe completely gave up resistance.
On the vast grassland, the twilight was as black as iron.

He reined in his warhorse, the sound of Tang soldiers' hooves thundering across the wasteland behind him.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the blood-stained hilt of the knife at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force, his expression complex.

A myriad of thoughts, mixed with intense exhaustion and despair, overwhelmed me.

Suddenly, he let out a long roar to the sky, his Turkic command tearing through the wind and smoke: "Drop your weapons! We surrender!"

Before he finished speaking, the messengers beside him suddenly looked up, their pupils shrinking in shock and bewilderment.

But the Khan's blood-stained robe fluttered in the wind as they finally gripped the horns at their waists and roared their commands across the vast plains with unstoppable force.

"Drop your weapons! We surrender!"

"Drop your weapons! We surrender!"

"Drop your weapons! We surrender!"

In an instant, the sound of metal clashing echoed one after another.

Scimitars, bows and arrows, wolf-head battle axes—one by one, blood-stained weapons crashed onto the withered meadow, startling a few crows into flight.

Men from various tribes, clad in furs, staggered out of formation, their throats gurgling with broken Chinese, their necks bulging with veins and still stained with undried blood, yet they roared with all their might toward the Tang army:

"We've surrendered! We surrender!!!"

"We've surrendered! We surrender!!!"

The sound waves surged across the grassland like a tide, startling the sheep in the distance into a sudden halt.

The Tang army in the distance immediately heard these shouts.

In a moment——

Everyone's eyes lit up instantly. Gu Quan did not let his guard down, but waved his hand to signal the army to stop. Then he only exchanged a few glances with Gu Yan.

Gu Yan immediately gave the order, tightening the formation and preparing for an attack.

However, no direct action was taken.

Gu Quan led several thousand men forward quickly, completely dividing the remnants of the Western Turks. Only after confirming that it was truly safe did he signal Gu Yan to lead his troops over.

—The situation in the Northwest changed in an instant!

Gazing at the banners of the Tang Dynasty and the Gu family fluttering in the wind, these remnants of the Turkic tribes were utterly terrified.

They offered no resistance whatsoever!
Do not--

There was also resistance.

Ultimately, some people were unwilling to accept this situation, whether for the power they held or for their beliefs, and wanted to do something more at this time, even assassinate Gu Yan, the apparent commander.

Unfortunately, they are ultimately a minority.

Similarly, nothing can be accomplished.

Instead, it led to the massacre of their tribe.

Gu Quan will show no mercy.

For a system that has always been as ironclad to be obeyed by everyone, it requires large-scale bloodshed. This is the lesson that Gu Chen left to the Gu family members in the past.

Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to one's own people.

This is an eternal truth.

However, dealing with these people will inevitably take some time, and Li Shimin needs to consider everything, including their subsequent arrangements.

Fortunately, Li Jing was also rushing over.

Especially after the complete surrender of the Western Turks, Li Jing's marching speed increased even more.

Five days later, the two groups reunited.

Gu Quan did not go to see Li Jing.

From beginning to end, he adhered to his principle of staying in the shadows and entrusted everything to Gu Yan.

Although Gu Yan's abilities are not as good as his.

But as he gets older and the responsibilities on his shoulders become heavier, Gu Yan has also changed.

Li Jing and his generals were utterly astonished!
Although everyone in the world knew that the Gu family was extraordinary, they were still somewhat shocked by this outcome.

what is this?
They were still thinking of marching quickly to help Gu Yan, but now Gu Yan has already forced the Western Turks to surrender. What was the point of their rapid march these past few days?
How could they possibly know that all of this had been prepared since Gu Yu's time?

From the beginning to the end——

This is not the achievement of either Gu Yan or Gu Quan alone.

Rather, it is the legacy passed down between two generations of the Gu family, and the effort they put into achieving a common goal.

Even Li Jing was somewhat conflicted. Looking at Gu Yan, he finally sighed with mixed feelings, "Grand Tutor's military campaigns now make me feel the spirit of the great general of yesteryear."

He was referring to Gu Quan.

Although Li Jing's words were merely an exclamation and contained no other meaning or speculation.

But it still made Gu Yan's expression suddenly become complicated.

The news kept spreading.

The Four-Yagu Khan and other nobles of the Western Turkic tribes were all taken to Chang'an.

Gu Quan did not choose to wait there indefinitely, but instead had Gu Yan hand everything over to Li Jing, and then intended to lead his men to the Western Regions.

Li Jing was initially somewhat reluctant about this matter.

But after thinking about it carefully...

This matter is indeed more suitable for the Gu family to handle.

The situation in the Western Regions was not yet completely settled. Although the pro-Turkic forces among the various small states were not a big deal to the Tang Dynasty, they were a problem for the various small states in the Western Regions.

They need to solve all of this.

The Gu family's prestige throughout the land ensures that the risks of this matter can be minimized.

Yumen Pass.

Yellow sand filled the sky, the majestic pass stood tall, and the earthen-yellow city walls gleamed with a cold, hard light under the scorching sun.

Outside the mottled earthen wall, the statues of Gu Sheng and Ban Chao stand silently.

The marks of time erosion cover the surface of the stone statue, and the folds of its clothes are filled with the sediment of a thousand years of wind and sand.

With their backs to the nine provinces and their faces to the western regions, the stone statues gaze into the distance, seemingly transcending time and space, eternally guarding the vast mountains and rivers behind them, and resisting the ever-changing winds and clouds beyond the border.

These two statues were also of great significance to the Gu family.

Since Gu Sheng, the name of the Gu family has gradually spread in all directions, until it has reached this point.

For the entire Kyushu and Western Regions, everything these two did was equally extraordinary.

Gu Quan and Gu Yan, along with other members of the Gu family, paid their respects to the two figures before officially crossing the Jade Gate and heading straight for the Western Regions.

It's another large-scale purge.

Besides eliminating the pro-Turkic forces in various countries, Gu Quan also needed to cultivate forces that were friendly to the Tang Dynasty, which was destined to be a very troublesome matter.

The Nine Provinces have indeed been in chaos for far too long!

The Tang Dynasty was just beginning to rise, and under the influence of the Western Turks, the Western Regions countries had a less comprehensive understanding of the Tang Dynasty than the Gu family.

Gu Quan needs to demonstrate his abilities.

It will also take time to gradually promote cultural integration.

Fortunately, he still has plenty of time, giving him many opportunities.

March of the ninth year of the Zhenguan era.

Gu Quan quelled the rebellious forces in Yanqi, deposed its ruler, and installed someone else, thus officially beginning the governance of the Western Regions.

He showed no mercy, dispatching his troops one by one to the four regions.

Just like Ban Chao and Gu Sheng in the past, they launched a purge across the entire Western Regions.

He doesn't need to stop.

However, these forces in the Western Regions were not enough to make him too cautious.

This is not arrogance, but simply a difference in strength.

The entire Western Regions were in turmoil.

Compared to other places, the small kingdoms in the Western Regions did not actually have a very strong fear of the Gu family.

Because the Gu family never explicitly dealt with them from beginning to end, and Gu Sheng in the past even helped them wipe out the Xiongnu.

Only now have these people come to realize how terrifying the Gu family is.

There was no mercy shown.

To Gu Quan, the so-called kings and monarchs of these small countries were no different from those rebellious forces, and this attitude instilled fear in everyone.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this, and his anticipation grew stronger with each passing moment.

He knew very well—

With the complete pacification of the Western Regions, a brand new era is about to begin.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, this era is highly likely to become a dividing line in the entirety of history!
------

"At the beginning of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong reformed and innovated, and his army traversed the land with their golden spears and iron horses. Such great achievements are all magnificent chapters in the long scroll of Chinese feudal history."

At that time, the land had just experienced the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the chaos of war at the end of the Sui Dynasty. It was like a fish out of water or a tree withered by frost, its vitality extremely depleted.

However, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, with his extraordinary talent, revitalized the declining state of the dynasty.

His governance was like spring rain nourishing the earth, and his decrees were carried out smoothly; his military campaigns were like thunderous fury, and he was invincible.

By the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates had been wiped out, and the mighty army of the Gu family had conquered the Western Regions.

Thus, the Tang Dynasty's prestige and power rivaled that of the Han Dynasty under Emperor Xiaoren. After centuries of vicissitudes and dynastic changes, the land of China was reborn from the ashes, ushering in a new era of civilization, prosperity, and tribute from all nations.

—The Rise and Fall of the Tang Dynasty

(End of this chapter)