Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 437 I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for beyond Yangguan Pass you will find no old friends.
"Your subject, Cao Yuanzhong, Military Governor of the Guiyi Army, pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor."

"Long live our emperor, long live our emperor, long live our emperor~"

The phrase "long live the emperor" originated during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, who was known for her ambition and love of grand achievements.

Later, other places followed suit and it gradually became a trend.

The person bowing to Lin Dao outside Shazhou City at this moment was Cao Yuanzhong, the fourth military governor of the Cao clan's Guiyi Army.

Lin Dao did not accept the surrender of the various Tibetan tribes, nor did he accept the request of the Ganzhou Uyghur Khanate to become its son.

He accepted the surrender of the Guiyi Army.

This is Shazhou, which was Dunhuang Commandery during the Han Dynasty.

During the An Lushan Rebellion, the main force of the Tang army in Longyou and Hexi was transferred to Guanzhong to fight a decisive battle with the rebels at Xiangji Temple.

As for the outcome of this decisive battle between the rebels and the losers, it resulted in both sides suffering heavy losses.

The Tang Dynasty's most elite border troops were thus almost completely wiped out.

The Tibetans seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on Longyou and Hexi. Shazhou resisted for decades, but was eventually captured.

Several years later, the white-haired soldiers of Anxi, even further away, all perished in battle.

The Western Regions, which had been developed by the Han and Tang dynasties, fell into the hands of the nomadic tribes for a thousand years.

Sixty years after Shazhou fell to the Japanese, the local Han people, who had been oppressed, launched an uprising under the leadership of Zhang Yichao, drove out the Tibetans, and reclaimed the Hexi region.

Afterwards, internal strife broke out within the Guiyi Army, leading to the loss of many places.

The rebellion of the Uyghurs in Ganzhou, in particular, dealt a fatal blow to the Guiyi Army.

Ultimately, the Guiyi Army, which had been like a fleeting flower, was reduced to only two places: Guazhou and Shazhou.

The Zhang family was replaced by the Cao family, a prominent clan in Shazhou.

When Lin Dao traveled westward, relevant news was transmitted to various parts of the Western Regions through caravans along the Silk Road.

The massive army and its unparalleled victory greatly stimulated the Guiyi Army.

The news of the annihilation of the powerful Ganzhou Uyghurs was particularly shocking to the Guasha region.

It should be noted that the Guiyi Army was utterly defeated by the Ganzhou Uyghurs.

They were reduced to only two prefectures and were forced to address the Ganzhou Uyghurs as uncle and nephew.

The Guiyi Army were his nephews, while the Ganzhou Uyghurs were his uncles.

The Cao family, deeply shocked, held an emergency meeting and unanimously concluded that, with only the two territories of Guazhou and Shazhou, they could never be a match for the army of the emperor of the Central Plains.

The number of soldiers in that legion is greater than the total population they control!

How can we fight this?

With trepidation in their hearts, the Cao family sent envoys to surrender.

Unexpectedly, the emperor agreed.

This led to the welcoming scene outside Shazhou City.

"Get up."

Lin Dao, on horseback, said calmly, "Let's talk once we're in the city."

"I obey the decree~"

Cao Yuanzhong stood up and led the way, guiding Lin Dao's group into the city and heading straight for the Jiedushi's office.

At this time, the entire city of Shazhou was under the control of the Imperial Guards who had entered the city earlier.

The narrow, dilapidated streets were lined with imperial guards in full armor, their uniforms gleaming with metallic sheen.

The people in the city were forced to stay in their homes and could only peek out through cracks in doors and windows.

They had never seen such a powerful army before.

An army fully clad in iron armor is, of course, powerful.

If they knew that these imperial guards were actually wearing steel armor, they would probably be so shocked that their jaws would drop.

That's steel!

When Lin Dao rode the magnificent white horse that the Jurchens had presented as tribute when they destroyed the Liao Kingdom, wearing a golden cloak embroidered with dragons and golden armor, he passed through the streets.

The people who were hiding and peeping had tears in their eyes.

Middle-earth, that is a faraway place.

They had only heard about it from the stories passed down through generations.

But they also know that that's where their roots are!
Two hundred years have passed, and people have finally come to our hometown, which only existed in legends!

Moreover, it was the emperor himself who led the expedition!
At this moment, countless people in Shazhou shed tears.

Historically, they waited for over a thousand years, but never received the Han army from the Central Plains.

It was successively ruled by the Uyghurs, Western Xia, Western Liao, Mongol, and Jurchen tribes.

Even at the height of the Ming Dynasty's power, they only advanced to Jiayuguan, still thousands of miles away from places like Shagua.

They would only truly return to their homeland when the mighty army that swept away the old era and ushered in a new world arrived.

That was a story from over a thousand years later.

More than a thousand years~
Sun Wukong could go to jail three times!

Today, the forest road has made up for a regret in its thousand-year history!

He led the Han army here more than a thousand years ahead of schedule to recover the lost territory.

And he swore in his heart that he would never lose this place again!
The group arrived at the Jiedushi's office, and the first thing they did was to have a meal.

The army cooks took over the large and small kitchens.

Under the guidance of the chef at the Jiedushi's office, they prepared dishes that suited the local characteristics.

This was Lin Dao's special instruction.

Just like when you go on a trip, you have to try the local specialties.

Of course, once is enough to try things like prawns and sea urchins.

Hand-pulled mutton, golden sesame naan, Pamurdin~
As for the drinks, they were local wines.

Lin Dao originally wanted to roast a camel, stuff a sheep inside the camel's belly, a chicken inside the sheep's belly, a pigeon inside the chicken's belly, and an egg inside the pigeon's belly.

But there are important matters to discuss now, and there isn't enough time, so we have to give up.

Lin Dao sat high, with the accompanying generals and the Guiyi Army members sitting on his left and right.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

When Lin Dao put down his chopsticks, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

The Guiyi Army members, in particular, looked extremely tense.

They knew the time had come to decide their future.

"The people of Guazhou and Shazhou will all be relocated back to the Central Plains." Lin Dao's voice was calm, but his first sentence made the Guiyi Army members tremble slightly.

"Those who know their ancestral home should move back to their ancestral home."

"However, only one branch can be moved back to the ancestral home."

"The rest of the branches and households must obey the imperial court's orders and be assigned to various parts of the country."

"As for living conditions, land and housing will be provided, so there is no need to worry about it."

"Everyone may take their own wealth with them."

"Furthermore, all people who migrate from the states of Kuala Lumpur and Sacramento will be exempt from taxes for ten years!"

"As for your Cao family."

Lin Dao's gaze swept across the faces of the Cao family members, making them feel a chill run down their spines.

The emperor's aura was so overwhelming that people dared not even look him in the eye.

"Anyone who wishes to join the army may do so."

"Those who do not wish to join the army can enter local government offices, similar to retired veterans."

"If there are still descendants of the Zhang family in Guazhou and Shazhou, they will receive similar treatment."

This can be considered a reward for Zhang Yichao, Cao Shi, and others for their efforts in protecting the Han people here, who had survived for many years in an environment surrounded by barbarian tribes.

No military merits were required to gain direct entry into the local government office.

This is the only example of its kind in the forest trail.

He hadn't finished speaking when he said, "This applies only to Han Chinese people."

The area between Guazhou and Shazhou is inhabited by many different tribes.

Lin Dao took pity on them and did not punish them directly.

However, the male children had to be sent to the mines, and the family property was naturally left to the bachelors.

Some people may be dissatisfied, but compared to those who are directly dealt with, at least they can live a few more years, which is a good thing.

"I've finished speaking."

Lin Dao rested his hands on the two ends of the table in front of him, his calm gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Who is in favor and who is against?"

The generals in the army naturally agreed in unison, and while shouting, they did not forget to look at the Guiyi Army members.

Anyone who dares to say no at this time will immediately be splattered with blood.

After a brief silence, the Guiyi Army members unanimously agreed and rose to bow in gratitude for the Emperor's benevolence.

They were definitely dissatisfied.

After all, he had lost his status as a local tyrant.

In reality, they did receive preferential treatment from Lin Dao, and it was unprecedented.

If the forces in all the worlds that were wiped out by Lin Dao knew about this, they would surely curse these Guiyi Army members for being ungrateful.

A favor from Lindao is as rare as a child born to a man.

After confirming the matter, Lin Dao smiled.

He picked up his chopsticks again and greeted everyone with a smile.

"Eat food and drink wine!"

"Music starts~ Let the dancers in~"

The wind and sand rose, and the sun blazed fiercely.

"The morning rain in Weicheng has moistened the dust, and the green willows in the guesthouse are new and fresh."

"I advise you to drink another glass of wine. There will be no old friends when you leave Yangguan in the west."

Lin Dao, on horseback, gazed at the vast Gobi Desert before him and sighed softly.

The surrounding generals all rushed forward to flatter the emperor, praising his exceptional literary talent.
"Don't play dumb."

Lin Dao couldn't help but laugh and scold, "This is Wang Wei's red bean~ no, this is Wang Wei's poem! Don't tell me you don't know it."

This place is none other than the famous Yangguan Pass.

The term "Yangguan" originates from the idea that the south side of a mountain and the north side of a river are considered "yang" (positive/positive).

This is an important node on the southern route of the Silk Road.

From there, the caravan headed west from Yangguan, passing through Shanshan, Khotan, and other places, eventually reaching the distant Mediterranean Sea.

"Two hundred years."

A forest path draped in a golden cloak, with eyes gazing into the Gobi Desert.

"Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty's elite border troops were transferred to Guanzhong for a decisive battle, and the Western Regions have been lost for two hundred years."

"In the past two hundred years, I'm the only one who's managed to get here."

"Without me, Yangguan, built in the Central Plains, would not have returned for over a thousand years."

These words left all the generals completely baffled.

What do you mean by more than a thousand years? Are you perhaps referring to events from the Han Dynasty?
However, during the glorious period of the Tang Dynasty, it not only covered the entire territory of the Han Dynasty, but even expanded further.

It's only been two hundred years since the An Lushan Rebellion.

Where did this more than a thousand years come from?

Could it be that His Majesty's arithmetic skills are so poor?

Lin Dao ignored the generals who had strange expressions and wanted to correct him but dared not speak.

He rode his horse slowly forward, heading towards Yangguan, which resembled an earthen city.

"Who could have imagined that after the An Lushan Rebellion, a thousand years would pass before we looked back?"

"I did not indulge in drinking and revelry with beauties in the magnificent palace, but instead marched with difficulty under the scorching sun, and was cursed by countless people as a tyrant and butcher."

"Now, it's clear that the trip was worthwhile."

He told the truth.

As a time traveler, he also possesses a cheat-like ability.

If it were just for enjoyment, he could enjoy the best treatment in the world.

Lin Dao gave up enjoyment and instead braved the hardships of fighting to recover lost territory for the Central Plains.

Despite the criticism he received, he remained steadfast in his beliefs.

"Everything I've done has meaning."

"I have a clear conscience!"

(End of this chapter)