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Chapter 97: Chuluo
Currently, there are approximately Forty-Four Kingdoms in the Western Regions. They either submit to the Western Turkic or depend on Tuguhun. In Yang Guang's eyes, only he, the Son of Heaven, is worthy of receiving the homage of all kings.
What are the Western Turkic and Tuguhun that dare to tarnish the authority of the Son of Heaven? Like Goguryeo, they too must be subdued.
The emperor had originally prepared to send troops to attack the Western Turkic first. After Datou Khan's defeat, Nijue Chuluo Khan became the supreme ruler of the Western Turkic.
This man is extremely brave; it is said that in his early years, he was pursued by forty to fifty riders for three days and nights, yet he was the only one to return covered in blood.
However, compared to his bravery, his skills as a Khan are quite lacking. He is greedy and miserly by nature, preferring to exploit the various tribes and trusting no one.
In the First Year of Daye, he dispatched troops to attack the Tiele tribes, seizing their wealth. He also suspected that the Xue Yantuo Tribe was plotting against him and killed hundreds of their chieftains, which led to deep resentment among the tribes and constant rebellions.
Under such circumstances, as long as the court sends a great general, even without a battle, time will lead to internal strife and collapse.
However, Chancellor of the Yellow Gate Pei Ju intervened. Besides his bravery, Chuluo Khan has one commendable trait: filial piety.
His mother from the Xiang Clan had been stranded in the Capital City during the late years of Kaihuang when she came to pay respects to the Predecessor Emperor due to internal strife within Turkic.
Pei Ju suggested sending an envoy first to test the waters. If Chuluo Khan could bow down and acknowledge his submission without a fight, it would be an ideal outcome.
The emperor had not realized that the mother of the Western Turkic Khan was actually under his control, so he ordered Court Envoy Cui Junxu to go to Western Turkic with comforting words.
Upon arriving at Chuluo Khan's main tent, Cui Junxu felt a bit fearful but still feigned an imposing demeanor as he demanded Chuluo Khan kneel to receive the imperial decree.
Chuluo Khan let out a cold snort. The burly Barbarians behind him immediately drew their Waist Blades and approached Cui Junxu, poised to sever his head with a casual demeanor.
Cui Junxu laughed heartily, "Khan, it may be easy for you to kill me, but I lament that my wife will surely lie dead in Chang'an, and my head will be sent to the enemy's court. My Sui Dynasty will rally the people of the Eastern Kingdom to strike against you, and your nation will fall in no time!"
Upon hearing news of his mother, Chuluo Khan halted the Barbarians, the blade mere inches from Cui Junxu's neck.
"If anything happens to my mother, I will lead a Million-Strong Army south into the Central Plains."
"Haha." Cui Junxu pushed aside the Barbarian and said, "Why would Qimin gather its million-strong tribe, bowing low and submitting to the Son of Heaven? It is precisely because of their deep hatred for you, Khan. They cannot act alone and wish to borrow strength from a great nation to destroy you!
My Sui Dynasty need not entangle with you; as long as the Son of Heaven issues a decree, the Eastern Turkic will send troops to attack. From what I know, your western nation is plagued with internal strife. How will you defend against that?"
Although Chuluo was brave yet foolish, he had been Khan for several years and understood that while there was some exaggeration in Cui Junxu's words, his own side indeed faced significant issues.
Seeing Chuluo waver, Cui Junxu pressed on: "Khan, despite our two bows of respect, severing your mother's life for a mere word of submission turns your state into ruins. Is this what a ruler should do?"
In the end, Chuluo Khan knelt before his many subordinates and accepted the decree from the Son of Heaven of the Central Plains.
...
After meeting several talented individuals, Li Jian Cheng directly assigned them some official duties, instructing them to find an office within the Governor's Office where they could work and be available for his inquiries at any time.
Wang Yi, who had trimmed his beard and gained quite a bit of weight, stepped out from behind the screen and said, "Congratulations, Lord, on successfully taking charge of Zhuojun."
Li Jian Cheng shook his head and replied, "I am merely the Prefect appointed by the court. There is nothing to celebrate about managing my own territory. Moreover, while these individuals are decent, they fall short of my expectations."
Wang Yi smiled and said, "If they are willing to be obedient, His Majesty would be more than willing to reuse them. Given Lord's influence, it is already commendable that they can send some outstanding youths to demonstrate their sincerity."
These families would rather let their most talented offspring waste their lives within the family than allow them to serve in official positions unless they had a chance at the highest ranks.
The Lu Clan of Fanyang sent over the clan leader's second son, who was well-educated. Not to mention serving as a mere aide, he would be more than capable of being a County Magistrate and could easily train for a few years to become a Prefect.
However, Li Jian Cheng had heard from a friend of the He Dong Pei Clan that this generation of the Lu Clan had produced a Talent of a Loyal Minister. Of course, that person also mentioned that the Qinghe Cui Clan had its own Talent of a Loyal Minister.
These prestigious families that have descended from the Qin-Han era monopolized educational resources. While those in power could seize their lands and suppress their official positions, they could not take away their family traditions, knowledge, or cultural heritage.
This was not only true in the past; during the historical Li Tang period, the Longxi Li Clan produced ten Chancellors; the Zhao Jun Li Clan had seventeen Chancellors; the Bolin Cui Clan had fifteen individuals serve as Chancellors; the Xingyang Zheng Clan had eight Chancellors; and the Lu Clan of Fanyang also had eight Chancellors.
This was merely a count of five families and only included those who reached the highest positions as Chancellors. The number of mid-level and grassroots officials from these noble families was certainly greater, illustrating their significant influence on the state.
Li Jian Cheng understood that this was already the greatest sincerity that the Lu Clan could offer him. That hidden Talent of a Loyal Minister would rather sit idly at home for a lifetime than bow down to the Guanlong Aristocrat unless summoned personally by the Emperor.
The emperor had already begun to reveal his intentions in this regard. Establishing the Eastern Capital in the south was meant to break free from the constraints of Guanlong and to elevate the Southern Aristocracy and Shandong Gentry.
Not wanting to dwell on this matter any longer, Li Jian Cheng handed the letter from home to Wang Yi. "After the Western Turkic surrendered, Tuguhun was also defeated and fled. More than thirty countries from the Western Regions have come to pay their respects to Your Majesty. This battle was truly remarkable."
The letter was written by Li Yan. There wasn't much warmth between father and son, so it mainly discussed important court matters to ensure that his son wouldn't miss any crucial news while away.
After the emperor experienced the sweet taste of victory by subduing the Western Turkic without a fight, he generously rewarded Cui Junxu and contemplated using the same method against Tuguhun.
Fortunately, he quickly realized that Tuguhun Khan's mother was not under his control, and even if she were, there were no reports of her being a devoted son like Chuluo.
However, the emperor wisely decided to first use Tiele to attack Tuguhun. After all, this Tiele Tribe was also known for being untrustworthy.
Moreover, Tuguhun had publicly submitted to the Sui Dynasty long ago, making an unjustified war difficult to justify.
Thus, Pei Ju personally went to negotiate with Tiele. The Tiele Tribe launched an assault from Qiemu into the Qaidam Basin, catching Tuguhun off guard. Unable to withstand the attack, he hurriedly fled eastward to Xiping.
He quickly sought assistance from the Sui Dynasty. The emperor gladly agreed and dispatched Yuwen Shu to lead a large army for support.
……………
(End of Chapter)
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