Chapter 72 of 100
Chapter 72
12 min read3,086 words
This group of people, with their worn armor and dusty clothes, looked far less well-equipped than the king of Da Yuezhi’s personal guard at first glance! However, upon closer inspection, one could see their extraordinary qualities. They did not show the usual tension of an army approaching a city; they were relaxed and chatting, but if you observed their gazes, you would find that no place on either side of the road where soldiers could be ambushed escaped their eyes! Although the group was loosely formed, they could immediately counterattack from any direction; these mere fifty-odd people actually left the nearly thousand Da Yuezhi soldiers on the city wall speechless.
"Who are you? What important matters bring you to our Da Yuezhi?" The general at the East Gate swallowed hard, his right hand tightly gripping the curved sword at his waist, and he mustered the courage to stick his head out and ask loudly.
"We are envoys from the Han Dynasty! We have come from Chang'an, thousands of miles away, specifically to meet with the king of Da Yuezhi!" The voice of the newcomer was not loud, but the confidence in his heart overwhelmed the general.
"Han? What kind of country is that?" The general looked at the people around him with confusion; it was the first time he had heard of this country! However, since they could produce such elite soldiers, the Han must be an extraordinary country!
"General! I have heard my father talk about the Han!" A soldier from a merchant family answered in an incredulous tone, "The silk, more precious than gold, comes from the Han! My father said the Han is in the far East, thousands of miles away, a great country with vast lands and millions of people!"
"Thousands of miles away!" The general couldn't help but open his mouth wide! A journey of ten thousand miles was completely unimaginable to him!
"Yes, General! Between the Han and our Da Yuezhi lie the countries of Wensu, Gumo, Kucha, Yanqi, Loulan, and the Xiongnu! Even when we were still at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, it was several thousand miles to the Han! Not to mention now!" The soldier answered respectfully.
"Based on your understanding, are the Han our enemies or friends?" The Han envoy's group was getting closer, and the general became increasingly nervous. If such a group became his enemy, it would be a great misfortune for Da Yuezhi.
"I have only heard my father occasionally mention the Han! I dare not make any rash judgments!" The soldier swallowed hard and answered cautiously, "But I have heard that the Han and the Xiongnu are enemies! We have also fought against the Xiongnu before, so perhaps they can provide us with assistance!"
"Good! Open the city gates and let them in!" The general finally breathed a sigh of relief; he absolutely did not want to make enemies with such an army, even if they were only fifty! "Is your father in the city? Go and bring him here immediately!"
"Yes!" The soldier hurriedly ran down the city wall and toward the city center! The other soldiers began to open the city gates, preparing to welcome these guests from afar!
"Hmm? You mean they are enemies of the Xiongnu? How did they pass through the territories of King Kunye and King Xiutu?" The general only thought of this question at this moment, but the only soldier who knew about the Han had already run far away.
"Show your spirit! Don't let the Han envoys look down on us!" The general lectured his subordinates at the city gate before leading over a hundred soldiers to welcome them.
Even though he was mentally prepared, the general was still shocked when he saw the soldiers of the Han envoy up close! Soldiers like these, probably just thirty... no, at most twenty, could defeat the hundred elite soldiers he had brought! And these were the best soldiers of Da Yuezhi!
"The Han envoy Zhang Qian greets this general!" Li You's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"I am Huwischka of the Kushan tribe of Da Yuezhi! I am currently the general of King Yuezhi! Welcome, envoys from afar!" The fair-skinned man bowed respectfully, his eyes curiously fixed on the Han emblem Li You held tightly.
The Da Yuezhi people were originally ancient Indo-Europeans who had migrated from the Eastern European plains, so Huwischka had fair skin and deep-set eyes, quite different from the Xiongnu and Loulan people.
"I have long heard that the Kushan is one of the five tribes of Da Yuezhi, known for its many talents. Today, meeting you, General, I see that this is indeed true!" Li You knew that the Da Yuezhi was divided into the five tribes of Xiumi, Shuangmi, Kushan, Pandon, and Dumi, and that the Kushan would later develop the most. After being driven to the Amu Darya River by the Wusun, they unified the Da Yuezhi tribes and established the Kushan Empire, controlling the regions from Tajikistan to the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, and the Indus River Valley, ranking among the four great powers of Eurasia alongside the Parthian, Roman, and Han empires.
It wasn't until 241 AD that the Kushan Empire was conquered by the Persian Sassanid Emperor Ardashir I, after which the Da Yuezhi people gradually disappeared from history.
"These soldiers under your command are truly godlike!" Huwischka sincerely praised, leading them into the city.
After the Han envoy's group entered the city gate, the soldiers on both sides of the gate finally breathed a sigh of relief. The killing aura emitted by these fifty-odd soldiers had almost made it impossible for them to breathe.
Huwischka led Li You and his group to a camp near the city gate, ordered food and water to be brought, and went out for a while to confirm with the father of the soldier that Li You and his group were indeed from the Han.
After they were well-fed and satisfied, Huwischka asked, "I wonder what important matters bring you from afar to our Da Yuezhi? Surely it's not just to meet our king?"
"This envoy has come to the Western Regions for two reasons: first, to pay respects to the rulers of the Western Regions on behalf of the emperor; second, to survey the terrain of the Western Regions to prepare for future battles against the Xiongnu!" Li You did not directly state his purpose, as saying it now would mean the Han was seeking help from the Da Yuezhi, which would be slightly disadvantageous for him. On the contrary, if the Da Yuezhi first sought an alliance with the Han, things would be much easier!
"The Xiongnu! They are a very formidable enemy!" Huwischka sighed, recalling the Da Yuezhi king who had been killed by the Chanyu Laoshang over thirty years ago. His skull was still used as a drinking vessel by the Xiongnu Chanyu, a humiliation for all Da Yuezhi people. Yet, they not only lacked the ability to avenge this, but they might also face even greater attacks from the Xiongnu vassal state, the Wusun.
Li You's words also reminded Huwischka of his earlier question, and he couldn't help but ask, "May I ask how the noble envoy passed through the territories of King Kunye and King Xiutu of the Xiongnu?"
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