Chapter 63

"From here, the desert stretches endlessly. The horses are not suitable for this terrain. We should reach the Kingdom of Loulan as soon as possible to exchange for camels that can traverse the desert as easily as walking on flat ground!" Tang Yifu pointed to the depths of the desert. "From here, it is 1,600 li westward, passing through the White Dragon Beach and the Salt Marsh, to reach the Kingdom of Loulan. Loulan is one of the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions, with a population of over 14,000. It is a bustling place with many merchants. However, the King of Loulan has submitted to the Xiongnu, and it is uncertain whether he will have any ulterior motives against us!"

Loulan was a notorious example among the kingdoms of the Western Regions. First, it submitted to the Xiongnu, attacking and killing Han envoys and plundering merchants, which infuriated Emperor Wu of Han, who sent troops to subdue it, capturing the King of Loulan and forcing him to submit to Han. However, Loulan later followed the Xiongnu's deceitful plans, repeatedly intercepting and killing Han officials. General Huo Guang then sent Fu Jiezi with several brave warriors to Loulan, where they killed the King of Loulan, Changgui, and installed his younger brother as the new king, renaming the kingdom Shanshan and moving its capital south.

"Now that the Han army has not yet reached the Western Regions, the current King of Loulan may be even more reckless! However, Li You did not want to dampen the morale of his men and immediately said, 'We have already crossed the territories of the Chieftain of Xiutu and the King of Kunye! Why should we fear the Kingdom of Loulan, which has far fewer people and territory? Can the soldiers of Loulan be stronger than the elite troops of the Xiongnu?'

Seeing the nods of agreement from his companions, Li You continued, "What are the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions? Which small kingdoms will we pass through on our way to the Great Yuezhi?"

"The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions is a general term. The kingdoms are constantly at war, with frequent instances of one kingdom being destroyed and another rising. Loulan, for example, established itself on the former territory of the Great Yuezhi! However, such small kingdoms can rise and fall in a short time. Perhaps the next time we come to the Western Regions, the names of the kingdoms will have changed!" Tang Yifu slowly explained, "Among these thirty-six kingdoms, the stronger ones include Wusun, Kangju, Jibin, the Great Yuezhi, Anxi, and Kucha, each with a population of over 100,000 and numerous troops! The smaller kingdoms have populations ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands."

"After passing through Loulan and continuing westward, we will reach the Kingdom of Yanqi. Yanqi borders Wusun to the north and Kucha to the west, with a population of over 30,000 and 6,000 troops. The kingdom is near water and has many fish. About 500 li west of Yanqi is the Kingdom of Kucha, with a population of over 80,000 and 20,000 troops, making it one of the major kingdoms in the Western Regions! The people of Kucha are skilled in metal casting and forging, and their weapons are renowned in the Western Regions!" Tang Yifu continued, and the exaggerated military strength of these kingdoms left the others in awe.

However, in Li You's view, the military strength of these small kingdoms was greatly exaggerated. A ratio of five to one or four to one of soldiers to civilians could not produce a strong army. This was almost like conscripting all the able-bodied men in their countries! Only in such a chaotic place as the Western Regions could such a peculiar situation arise. While they might have some combat experience due to constant warfare, they could not compare to the elite troops under his command.

"About 600 li west of Kucha is the Kingdom of Gumo, with a population of over 20,000 and 4,000 troops. It produces copper, iron, and realgar, and the people of Kucha are skilled in music and dance. About 200 li further west is the Kingdom of Wensu, with a population of 8,000 and 1,500 troops. Continuing westward for several hundred li, we will reach the Kingdom of Shule, with a population of nearly 20,000 and 2,000 troops. It is a crucial passage to the Great Yuezhi, Dayuan, and Kangju!"

"West of Shule is the Kingdom of Juan Du, where the people live by following the water and grass, skilled in archery, with a population of over 1,000 and 500 troops. Further west is the territory of the Kingdom of Dayuan, with a population of 300,000 and 60,000 troops, making it a strong kingdom in the Western Regions! Dayuan is known for its汗血宝马 (heavenly horses) and grapes, and they make wine from grapes. The wealthy can store wine in quantities of up to 10,000 stones, which can last for several decades without spoiling."

After so much talk, they finally came to a more substantial kingdom. Dayuan was the kingdom that Emperor Wu of Han later sent Li Guangli to conquer twice to obtain the heavenly horses. The introduction of these horses greatly enhanced the combat capability of the Han cavalry, but unfortunately, due to their slender build and limited load-bearing capacity, they were eventually phased out in Central China.

"West of Dayuan is the Kingdom of Kangju, with a population of 600,000 and 120,000 troops. Although they nominally submit to the Xiongnu, the Xiongnu's influence is limited due to the long distance!" Just as he was marveling, another even more powerful kingdom was mentioned. A kingdom with 600,000 people would be a significant power even in the Han Empire!

"Wow, so many strange names, it's hard for the deputy envoy!" Pan Feng, feeling confused, rubbed his head and asked, "What kingdom is beyond Kangju? How far is it to the Great Yuezhi?"

"General Pan, the Great Yuezhi is located along the Ili River, bordering the kingdoms of Dayuan, Kangju, and Wusun. It has a population of 400,000 and 100,000 troops." Tang Yifu smiled and replied, "However, these are details from over a decade ago. The Western Regions have always been unstable, and we need to inquire further once we reach the Kingdom of Loulan to find out the current location of the Great Yuezhi!"

"Huh? This seems different from what I read in the historical records!" Li You vaguely remembered that in the route map of Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the Great Yuezhi was not near the Ili River but had established its capital on the west bank of the Amu Darya River. What was going on? Could Tang Yifu have remembered incorrectly?

Li You fell into deep thought. The Ili River and the Amu Darya River were thousands of miles apart. Could the Great Yuezhi have moved so quickly? Oh, right! After a moment's reflection, Li You understood.

Historically, the Great Yuezhi was first driven from the Hexi Corridor to the Ili River by the Xiongnu's Chieftain Lao Shang, and then defeated by the Wusun King Liejiaomi, forcing them to flee to the Amu Darya River. This event had not yet occurred when Tang Yifu left the Xiongnu, so he believed the Great Yuezhi was still in the Ili River region.

In the original history, Zhang Qian was captured by the Xiongnu while traveling through the Hexi Corridor and did not escape until ten years later. In the chaotic Western Regions, a lot could happen in twenty years. Clearly, the Great Yuezhi was driven from the Ili River to the Amu Darya River during the twenty years between Tang Yifu's departure from the Xiongnu and Zhang Qian's escape to the Western Regions.

But in which year did the Wusun King Liejiaomi defeat the Great Yuezhi? Li You tried to recall, but to no avail. He could only hope that the Great Yuezhi had not yet been driven from the Ili River, or his journey would be much longer!

"Now that we no longer have the Xiongnu pursuing us and need to exchange for camels, we don't have to be so sparing with our horses! Let's speed up!" Thinking that the Great Yuezhi might be in peril, Li You could hardly wait any longer!

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