Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

"The Western Regions originally consisted of only thirty-odd small kingdoms, but now there are more than fifty."

"The situation of the various kingdoms in the Western Regions can be roughly divided into Liangzhou."

The candlelight in the hall swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the charcoal fire in the copper basin on the ground flickered.

Xun You, who had tightened his robes, stood in front of the charcoal brazier, holding a lamp in his hand.

Behind him was a map.

A map that Xun You had prepared long ago.

After seeing this map, Duan Yu had a clear understanding of the situation in the Western Regions.

The eyelid map is marked with dozens of densely packed names and locations, and even includes population details.

It can be said that everything is meticulous.

It's clear that Xun You put a lot of effort into this map.

Xun You, pointing to the map, began to explain in detail.

"There are two routes through the Western Regions, which are referred to as the Southern Route and the Northern Route, respectively, with the Tianshan Mountains in the middle as the dividing line."

Duan Yu nodded.

This is the difference between southern and northern Xinjiang.

Southern Xinjiang is south of the Tianshan Mountains, while Northern Xinjiang is north of the Tianshan Mountains.

The area north of the Tianshan Mountains is what later became the Junggar Basin, while the area south of the Tianshan Mountains is what later became the Tarim Basin.

"Because the geographical environments of the two places are different, the kingdoms of the Western Regions can be roughly divided into two different ways of life."

"Among them, the Western Regions, which are mostly grasslands north of the Tianshan Mountains, are called nomadic states. Because of their nomadic lifestyle, they migrate every year, just like the Xiongnu."

"The Western Regions south of the Tianshan Mountains are known as walled cities."

"These small and large countries were all founded along river regions."

“The Wusun, which is located north of the Tianshan Mountains and is the largest country in the Western Regions, is the Xingguo.”

"Before the last time the Han Dynasty severed ties with the Western Regions, the Wusun already had a population of over 600,000 and an army of over 100,000."

"Before the Xin Dynasty, the Wusun Kingdom was a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. However, as the Wusun Kingdom gradually grew stronger, it gradually broke away from the Han Dynasty and was no longer under the control of the Protectorate of the Western Regions."

"This Wusun Kingdom is the Wusun Kingdom that has the autonomy of Beigong Boyu."

Duan Yu frowned slightly.

So strong?

His death had given him a general understanding of the Western Regions.

As for which countries were in the Western Regions, Duan Yu was only familiar with a few of them.

For example, there was Ferghana, famous for its fine horses, the legendary Jingjue, Loulan, known for its beautiful women, as well as Shache, Cheshi, and some other countries that appeared in Journey to the West.

But as for how many people these countries have, how many troops they have, and what regions they live in, that remains to be seen.

Unless you're a historian, how many people actually study these things?

Duan Yu was very surprised to hear that the Wusun population was 600,000, and that this was decades ago.

"Whether you travel along the southern or northern route through the Western Regions, even starting from Dunhuang, it would still be a journey of ten thousand miles to reach Shache."

Ten thousand miles.

Duan Yu twitched the corner of his mouth.

No wonder that Li Guangli captured Shache three times, and countless people died in the process.

Given the current level of productivity and marching speed.

Conquering a country 5,000 kilometers away requires far more than just a huge amount of resources.

That's an astronomical figure.

The Wusun Kingdom was almost adjacent to the Shache Kingdom, located directly to the northeast of Shache Kingdom.

Xun You has already marked it on the map.

The Wusun Kingdom had a population of over one million and an army of over ten thousand.

It is obviously unrealistic to travel thousands of miles to conquer such a country.

Of course, the most important question is, what would we do after conquering Wusun?

Although the Western Regions have treasures, compared to the vast and resource-rich Central Plains, it is no exaggeration to say that they are barren.

We have no food and no resources.

Taking it is obviously pointless, otherwise we wouldn't have waited until now.

Moreover, given the current situation in Liangzhou, the idea of ​​conquering the entire Western Regions is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Liangzhou currently has less than 30,000 combat troops that can be mobilized and concentrated.

Of course, this number will definitely double next year.

With millions of refugees flocking to Liang, soldiers are now being recruited from among them.

Duan Yu wanted elite troops, professional soldiers, not recruited county soldiers.

The Western Regions comprised dozens of kingdoms and millions of people, and were inhabited by foreign tribes, making it far from easy to rule them.

His current plan is to re-establish a department in the Western Regions similar to the previous Protectorate of the Western Regions, just as he had done before.

This serves as a deterrent, and also allows for the collection of taxes and the export of goods.

This is much easier than conquering the Western Regions.

"Gongda, what do you think we should do if I were to take charge of the Western Regions?" Duan Yu asked Xun Yu.

"In fact, it is not a great problem for you, my lord, to manage the Western Regions."

"Even if Wusun is powerful, Wusun will not really turn against you, my lord."

"The Han Dynasty had a glorious history of four hundred years and still held considerable prestige in the Western Regions."

"As long as Your Majesty sends two armies into the Western Regions and establishes a foothold in Loulan in the southern route and Cheshi in the northern route, many countries in the Western Regions will surely come to submit."

"After all, the Wusun, in recent years, have been putting considerable pressure on the Western Regions by allying with the Northern Xiongnu."

"Moreover, the Wusun do not understand the current state of the Han Dynasty, and they will also fear the Han Dynasty and even the ruler."

“If Your Majesty could send an envoy to Wusun and Dayuan to demonstrate your military might, they would be even more wary and fearful.”

"Your Majesty's main purpose is to sell goods to the Western Regions and sell Liangzhou silk in the Western Regions. It is not to oppress the people. In this way, the Western Regions will definitely take the initiative to submit in order to break away from the oppressive rule of Wusun and Northern Xiongnu."

"Therefore, my suggestion is to submit a memorial to the court to re-establish the Wuji Commandery in Cheshi, temporarily establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Loulan, and send two armies to establish a foothold there."

"At the beginning of next year, we will send some of the displaced people to settle and cultivate land in the two places."

"In this way, it can take root and also create a deterrent effect."

“Using the strong troops of Liangzhou to slowly nibble away at the Western Regions will be far more effective than a large-scale military campaign.”

Duan Yu nodded slowly.

Whether navigating the Western Regions from Chang'an or Luoyang, the distance was nearly 20,000 li.

For the Han Dynasty, if it wanted to conquer the Western Regions, it had to first open up the Hexi Corridor.

But none of this was a problem for him.

He only needed to develop Dunhuang into an outpost, which would be the closest point for the Han Dynasty to the Western Regions.

It's twice as close as Luoyang.

This is the advantage of being close to the water.

He neither needs to nor has the ability to completely conquer the Western Regions.

As long as we deter them and sell Liangzhou's goods to the Western Regions, that will suffice.

Acquire wealth, and then slowly erode it.

That's what he needs to do now.

After some deliberation, Duan Yu made a decision.

“Since this strategy was proposed by Gongda, then Gongda should also be the one to implement it.”

"Therefore, I will present this to the court and request the re-establishment of the Protectorate of the Western Regions."

"I will also recommend Gongda to His Majesty as Protector-General of the Western Regions. In addition, Zhicai, you will follow Gongda and serve as Chief Administrator of the Western Regions."

"At the same time, I am mobilizing two armies: one led by Lü Bu with cavalry, and the other led by Qu Yi with infantry, to occupy the entrances to Loulan and Cheshi respectively."

"There are still more than half a month before winter arrives. I will personally go to Loulan to demonstrate the might of the Liangzhou army."

"As for the migrants and students, we will wait until next spring to carry them out."

"Gongda and Zhicai will have to work hard these next few days to organize the marching route."

“And Yuan Gu.”

Duan Yu looked at Gai Xun.

Gai Xun, who was kneeling to the side, quickly stood up: "Your subordinate is here."

Duan Yu waved his hand, signaling Gai Xun to sit down and speak: "Dunhuang County is a key gateway to the Western Regions in the future. Yangguan and Yumenguan need to be renovated, and Dunhuang County should also be appeased."

"As for the appointment and promotion of officials in each county, you may communicate with me at any time."

"I think Zhang Huan's son, Zhang Meng, is quite good. He could be promoted and given further consideration."

Gai Xun nodded as he took notes.

"I will temporarily leave Gao Shun in Dunhuang as acting prefect, to assist you in governing Dunhuang. As for Jincheng Prefecture, do you have any personnel to recommend?" Duan Yu asked Gai Xun.

When Gai Xun was transferred to Dunhuang County, the position of Prefect of Jincheng County became vacant.

Zhang Xun is currently serving as the Commandant of Jincheng County.

“I recommend Guo Xian of the Guo family of Yunwu,” Gai Xun replied. “This man was the first to sponsor Your Excellency’s defense of Yunwu last year. He is outstanding in both talent and ability, and is also from a prominent local family in Jincheng County.”

"Good." Duan Yu nodded and noted it down.

"Alright, everyone, go and rest. We'll rest for another day tomorrow, and then I will personally lead the army to Loulan."

P.S.: I'm working while sick, which has made my condition even worse, and I have less time to slack off. But I promise I will not stop updating, absolutely not. I will still update at least three times a day, with more than 6,000 words. This book has been going on for four months now, and I haven't missed an update even once. I won't now, and I won't in the future. This is my promise.