Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 421 Power

"I have already petitioned the court to grant you the title of Duke of Chiting, so that your descendants may enjoy wealth and honor forever," Liu Daogui said, looking at Yao Xing.

After the city fell, Yao Xing did not retreat to the inner city, but instead ordered the garrison to surrender. He also persuaded the armies of Yao Xu, Yao Shao, Hu Yidu, and Qiang Chao outside the city to surrender.

The fortresses of Tongguan and Dali surrendered without a fight.

The people in Chang'an were not slaughtered.

Yao Xing also sealed off the city's treasury to maintain order, handing over a complete Chang'an to Liu Daogui.

“I appreciate your kindness, Lord Pei, but as a person of a fallen kingdom, I dare not enjoy wealth and honor any longer. I wish to spend the rest of my life serving the Buddha, preaching and chanting Buddhist scriptures. I hope you will grant my request.”

Yao Xing looked utterly disheartened.

"Since you have this intention, I will certainly grant it. The title of Duke of Chiting can be bestowed upon your descendants. During your reign, you have promoted water conservancy, cared for agriculture, shown compassion for the orphans and widows, and greatly promoted education, thus making great contributions to China."

Liu Daogui was not trying to comfort him. At the beginning of his reign, he invited great Confucian scholars such as Jiang Kan and Chunyu Qi to Chang'an to give lectures. Confucianism flourished in the country, and he also governed the country with filial piety. As a result, Yao Qin experienced the fewest internal rebellions compared to other Hu states.

He even issued an edict that all Jin people who had sold themselves into slavery due to famine within his territory would be freed and returned to their rightful place as free people.

Yao Xing himself was a Buddhist and personally welcomed Kumarajiva to Chang'an.

Although Buddhism has its drawbacks, it also has the function of educating and transforming people.

Yao Xing's biggest problem was his weak military capabilities. In the Battle of Chaibi, he dared not fight to the death, which ultimately doomed the Qin dynasty.

When Liu Daogui bestowed such a high compliment upon Yao Xing, he was deeply moved. "With this, my wish has been fulfilled, and I have no regrets in this life!"

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, a commotion broke out outside.

"What happened?"

Meng Gan said, “The Xiongnu and other barbarian tribes could not burn, kill, and plunder, so they complained that the general’s reward was too small. They gathered their followers and caused trouble outside the palace.”

“I gave each of them three shi of grain and five strings of cash. Is that not enough?”

The Hu people were indeed insatiable. The moment the city fell, Liu Daogui distributed the rewards. Those who knew what was good for them had already left Chang'an. Only a few ambitious people wanted more.

Meng Gan said, "They want wine, meat, and women, saying that the Great General promised them to them..."

Yao Xing clasped his hands together and said, “The people of Chang’an are either Jin people or Qiang and Di people. They are all subjects of Lord Pei. If we seize other people’s wives and daughters and offer them to the barbarians, we will surely lose the hearts of the people.”

When Yao Chang rebelled against Fu Jian, he received support from powerful Jin people in Longyou. Therefore, apart from the Qiang people, most of the Yao Qin regime was composed of Jin people.

Yao Xing had been in power for so many years, and the rebellions of the various Hu tribes in Guanzhong never stopped.

Liu Bobo was also raised by him, bit by bit.

"Go tell them that I, the Great General, will reward each of them with one shi of grain and three strings of cash. After receiving them, they can return to their hometowns to marry or change women as they please." Liu Daogui took a step back, after all, these Hu people had followed his call to attack the city and suffered heavy casualties.

It would be best to solve this problem with money and food.

"I accept the order." Meng Ganzhi bowed and stepped forward.

Liu Daogui continued to chat with Yao Xing about the origins of the Qiang people.

Among the various ethnic groups in Guanzhong, the Qiang people had the largest population, followed by the Xianbei tribes, and then the Jin people. When Yao Chang rebelled against Fu Jian, Yin Wei, Yin Xiang, Pang Yan, and others from Tianshui gathered and incited the Qiang leaders, and more than 50,000 households joined Yao Chang and elected him as their leader.

Therefore, as long as the Qiang and Jin tribes are united, the Xianbei and Xiongnu can be basically suppressed.

Both the Xianbei and the Xiongnu had their own royal lineages and strong internal cohesion. They lived and thrived in Qin and Liang for more than two hundred years and even established the Tuyuhun Kingdom further west.

As for the miscellaneous barbarians, they are all opportunists, siding with whoever is stronger.

When the conversation got lively, Yao Xing even took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance, saying, "I have a daughter who is fifteen years old and quite beautiful. I have heard that the eldest son is the bravest in the army, and I am willing to serve her by his side."

Liu Daogui was overjoyed, saying, "It would be a great honor to be able to form a marriage alliance with you!"

The marriage between Liu Yiwu and Yao Xing's daughter could reassure the Qiang people in Guanzhong and solidify their relationship with the Yao family.

From then on, the Yao family had truly found a powerful backer.

Yao Xing was not good at fighting, but he was quite insightful and intelligent.

Verbal promises are all empty words; only marriage is a true alliance.

Just then, Meng Ganzhi returned, his face somewhat grim. "Several thousand people took the money and provisions and dispersed on their own, but more than six thousand refused to leave, saying that the general should not break his promise."

To be honest, giving them money and food would be enough for them to marry three more women. As long as there's food, women would throw themselves at them. Liu Daogui didn't get angry but laughed instead, "They don't know what's good for them. It seems they're determined to mess with me."

"The Hu people are unruly and difficult to govern. Back then, I treated Liu Bobo as an honored guest, appointed him as General Anyuan and Marquis of Yangchuan, but he turned around and rebelled." Yao Xing suffered a great loss in this matter.

Not only did they grant Liu Bobo a marquisate, but they also gave him his father Liu Weichen's 30,000 troops, foolishly hoping to influence Liu Bobo...

"Since they're courting death, they can't blame anyone else. Issue the order: in two hours, they'll go to the drill ground to collect the women and provisions. They don't need to bring any weapons." A murderous intent gradually surfaced on Liu Daogui's face.

Two hours later, at the Weiyang Palace training ground.

The Hu people really did come in high spirits.

"Where are the women, where is the wine and meat?"

"We should have a share in Chang'an!"

"If we could reward you with some fair-skinned and tender Jin women, that would be even better..."

"Wow, this palace is so luxurious! When will we be able to live there too..."

The Hu people were arguing and making noise in various languages.

However, they did not obey military orders and still came in carrying swords and spears. Some of them were even wearing armor that had been stripped from the corpses of Qin soldiers. The Hu people were greedy and cruel, but not stupid.

"Everyone, please be quiet." Liu Daogui, dressed in full armor and holding a sword, stood on the steps, with Yao Xing standing beside him, his expression complicated.

The tiger-armored warrior beside him repeated it loudly once more.

"General, quickly bring up the women, wine, and meat."

The Hu people below, confident in their superior numbers and the presence of armor, became even more unscrupulous when Liu Daogui treated them so politely.

"Where is the Tiger Guard Army?!" Liu Daogui's face darkened.

"exist!"

Shouts rose up, accompanied by the clanging of armor and the sound of orderly footsteps.

The palace gates slowly closed.

The Hu people's expressions changed, and they immediately became agitated, shouting and cursing at Liu Daogui with all sorts of foul language, but Liu Daogui pretended not to hear them.

If these unruly individuals are eliminated, Guanzhong will be able to maintain peace for more than a decade.

The Tiger Guard soldiers surrounded them from all sides, raining down arrows, and then advanced with spears, axes, and sabers like a wall.

Even with armor, the Hu people could not withstand these sharp weapons.

Some brave men charged forward fearlessly with swords and spears, but they were still stabbed to the ground by the Tiger Guards' infantry spears. Even as corpses, they were still chopped into pieces by axes and sabers.

The Hu people had no organization or formations; it was almost a one-sided massacre.

In less than an hour, the drill ground was a river of blood. The Hu people were finally terrified and knelt on the ground begging for mercy, but it was too late. The Tiger Guard showed no mercy and slaughtered all the Hu people...

The air inside the Weiyang Palace was thick with the stench of blood.

Even after killing the men, the Tiger Guard soldiers were still not satisfied and, as if venting their anger, chopped off their heads one by one.

Liu Daogui realized that they had long harbored murderous intent, and the only reason they had endured until now was because of their strict military discipline.

Yao Xing's expression changed, and he looked at Liu Daogui with awe.

"Three hundred thousand Han warriors, led by General Huo Qubing. Meteor feathers tucked at their waists, swords flashing like autumn lotuses from their sheaths. Heavenly troops descend upon the Jade Gate like snow, enemy arrows like sand piercing their golden armor. Clouds and dragons, wind and tigers, all turn back; Venus enters the moon, the enemy is crushed. The enemy is crushed, the banners extinguished, treading on the entrails of the barbarians, wading through their blood. The barbarians hang in the blue sky, the barbarians are buried beside the Purple Pass!"

As the north wind blew against his face, Liu Daogui, as if possessed, recited a poem. On a whim, he raised his hands to the sky and proclaimed, "Descendant Liu Daogui, with thousands of barbarians, will offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Han people!"

Under a clear blue sky, the wind howled, and the sounds echoed back and forth within the empty palace.

More than six thousand human heads were piled up on the street.

A solemn silence fell over Chang'an City, and no one came to ask for women or wine and meat anymore.

The surrendered Yao Qin generals and officials obediently returned to their own residences and stayed inside.

Even those Qin soldiers who surrendered became much more obedient, voluntarily entering the palace to bury the corpses and clean the palace.

(End of this chapter)