Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 81 Da Xi Chang Ru (Part )

"These three of your subordinates look mighty and majestic, and I imagine they are all exceptionally skilled warriors. I am deeply grateful that the Holy Khan has dispatched a general and several Shijin to lead their troops to aid me. I am willing to forever serve as the northern frontier of the Great Sui Dynasty and serve the Great Emperor, the Holy Khan."

Shabolue spoke earnestly, his words filled with gratitude for the kindness shown to Emperor Yang Jian. The term "Shijin" was originally a Rouran official title, later adopted by the Turks as a name for skilled and capable generals.

The title of "Saint Khan" is a respectful title for Emperor Yang Jian.

Lu Shang nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty, you are too polite. Since you have submitted your letter of submission to the Sui Dynasty, you are now a vassal of the Sui Dynasty. The Emperor will not sit idly by and watch the Khan being humiliated by Datou."

"My six thousand soldiers are only the vanguard of the army. Following behind us is the Thousand-Year-Old Yang Lin, who leads a hundred and fifty thousand troops and is heading towards Baidaochuan. When the time comes, your forces and mine will unite and we will surely sweep across the northern desert, water the Wusun, and avenge you, the Khan."

"Drinking Horse Wusun,"

Upon hearing what Lu Shang said, Shabolue's face lit up with excitement. He clenched his fists and said, "Great, great! Great for the Wusun people! With the help of the Sage Khan and the Sui Dynasty's heavenly soldiers, I will surely be able to regroup and summon my people again, to show old Datou how powerful my photography is!"

Wusun was the yamen of the Western Turks. Since the time of Datou's father, Shidianmi Khan, it had been the center of the Turks' rule over the Western Regions.

Shidiemi Khan was the younger brother of Il Khan, the founder of the Turkic Khanate. After Il Khan established the Turkic Khanate, Shidiemi led an army of 100,000 to pacify the various Hu states in the Western Regions, proclaimed himself Khan, and named the Ten Surnames Tribe.

The reason why Datou dared to compete with Shabolue, the great Khan, was because Shidianmi Khan had accumulated huge wealth and powerful military force for Datou during his western expedition. With these as his family foundation, Datou had the confidence to challenge Shabolue.

Datou, who controls the countries in the Western Regions, is an absolute powerful figure among the Turkic tribes.

Just when Shaboluo was full of excitement, a burst of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from outside the golden tent.

Immediately afterwards, a burly man stepped steadily into the tent. This man had a long chin and a hunched back, but he was extremely tall, like half a black tower. Every step he took caused the ground to tremble slightly.

"Aha, Lord Chu Luo, you've arrived just in time. I was just about to send someone to look for you. Look, my Golden Tent has welcomed a distinguished guest."

After seeing this man with a black tower, Shabolue was surprised and happy. He raised his hand and motioned him to look at Lu Shang.

Chu Luohou stepped forward. Although his body with long chin and hunched back was slightly hunched, he still exuded a heroic spirit.

He first bowed to Shabolue, then turned to face Lü Shang. After sizing him up, he bowed slightly and said, "This must be the general sent by the Sui Dynasty. The Turkic Yehu Chuluohou greets you."

Lü Shang saw that Chu Luohou had a strange appearance, but his demeanor revealed a sense of competence. He replied, "Lü Shang, the official vanguard of the Great Sui Northern Expedition Army. I am honored to meet Lord Yehu."

Before Lü Shang left Daxing, Yang Lin had told him about Chuluo Hou. He was Shabolue's younger brother, a prominent figure among the Turkic tribes. Shabolue disliked his eldest son, Yongyulu, believing him to be cowardly and unfit for important tasks. He had publicly declared that Chuluo Hou would succeed him as Great Khan of the Turkic Khanate a hundred years after his death.

Shaboluo walked between the two men, put one arm around Chuluo Hou, and gestured with the other, saying, "Chuluo Hou, the Sage Khan has sent General Lu with 6,000 elite soldiers to help us. King Yang Lin, the Backer, leads 150,000 troops and is heading towards Baidaochuan. We must show that Datou that the descendants of the Ili Khan are not to be trifled with."

Chu Luohou nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "Brother, you are absolutely right. That old villain Datou has repeatedly committed crimes and disturbed the peace of our Turkic people. Now that we have the help of the Great Sui Dynasty, it is a good opportunity for us to take revenge."

"General Lu, I, Marquis Luo, also have several thousand soldiers under my command. We are willing to obey your orders and attack Datou together!"

Lü Shang replied with a smile, "If we join forces, we can surely avenge the two of you." Seeing Lü Shang's exuberant demeanor, Shabolue's heart moved, and he said quietly, "It's a pity that Daxi Changru hasn't arrived yet. If Daxi Changru had led the troops, given his great reputation among the Turkic tribes, Datou would have surely fled."

"General Lu, I wonder how General Daxi Changru is doing these days?"

When Lü Shang heard Shaboluo mention Daxi Changru, his expression straightened slightly. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Khan, for your concern. The Duke of Qichun is doing well. When I left Daxing, I heard that the Duke of Qichun had been appointed by the Emperor as the Governor of Xiazhou, concurrently serving as the commander of the three prefectures and six towns."

"Xiazhou is adjacent to Baidaochuan. From now on, the Khan will have to deal with the Duke of Qichun more often."

Duke of Qichun was the title of Da Xi Changru. At that time, Da Xi Changru led two thousand elite soldiers and fought a bloody battle with Shabolue's 100,000 troops. He became famous in one battle and was named Duke of Qichun.

"Xiazhou?" Shabolue and Chu Luohou looked at each other, as if thinking about something.

Yang Jian let Da Xi Changru take charge of Xiazhou, probably with the intention of deterring the Turks.

Although Xiazhou was threatened by foreign tribes, no matter whether it was the Dangxiang, the Xiongnu, or the Tubo, they could not compare with the Turks, the overlord of the grassland.

Shabolue remained expressionless and said in a clear voice, "Daxi Changru's reputation is far-reaching. With him guarding Xiazhou, we will surely be able to maintain peace in the area."

As he spoke, Shabolue still felt a slight pain in his chest. The Battle of Zhoupan in the second year of Kaihuang was the worst defeat he had ever suffered in his life.

It was this defeat that destroyed Shabolue's heroic spirit. When Daxi Changru's troops encountered Shabolue's army, they fought and retreated. After three days of fighting, their weapons were exhausted. The soldiers even beat the enemy with their fists. Their hands were exposed to bones, but they still fought to the death. They were called ghosts and gods by the Turks.

According to the secret reports from the Turks in the Northern Sui Dynasty, Daxi Changru was wounded five times, including two serious wounds that penetrated his body. Almost all of his 2,000 elite soldiers died in the battle. They fought to the last man.

Therefore, the entire Turkic people both respected and feared Daxi Changru. The Turkic people "valued death in battle and were ashamed to die of illness". They advocated the use of force and regarded death in battle as a glorious destination. Daxi Changru's performance in the Battle of Zhoupan conquered the wolf nature of the Turkic people.

The lights in the golden tent swayed in the night wind, and the sounds of Shaboluo, Lu Shang, and Chu Luohou chatting and laughing had not yet faded.

A personal guard outside the tent hurried inside, knelt on one knee, and said, "Khan, the Great Mofu has prepared a thousand felt tents for the Sui army to rest. In addition, he has also prepared five hundred cattle and sheep as you instructed, and they are being slaughtered and cooked outside the tent."

The Great Mofu, equivalent to the prime minister in the Central Plains, was the core figure of the Turkic Khanate.

Shabolue nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Lü Shang and said, "General Lü, you've been on this long expedition, and you need to rest well tonight to recharge your batteries."

Lu Shang bowed to thank Shabolue and walked out of the golden tent with Wei Cheng and others.

The night wind blew, bringing with it the unique chill of the grassland, blowing away the slight warmth in the tent.

Lu Shang and others walked through the camp and saw that the Turkic soldiers were busy in an orderly manner. Some were taking care of horses, and some were wiping weapons. In the light of the campfire, the soldiers' faces were firm and focused.

(End of this chapter)