Western Region.
This is a barren land in the eyes of the Central Plains people.
Even people who have been to the Western Regions say that it is extremely beautiful, with majestic snow-capped mountains, gurgling streams, green forests and countless lands suitable for farming, but this cannot change the concept at all.
Even those in the Hexi Corridor are unwilling to migrate, let alone the Western Regions thousands of miles away.
The people in Chang'an City said: "People in the Western Regions do not speak elegant language. They have no carved corridors and painted buildings, no buildings with flying eaves, no classics of the sages, no majestic temples of the Eight Lords, no sacrifices to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and finally... The important thing is that if you don’t understand what it means to be King Su, there is only darkness and wilderness, and that is not a place where people can survive.”
It wasn't until Emperor Liu Che appointed the Peerless Marquis Luo Wuji to guard the Western Regions that people's views changed a little.
The emperor and the Luo family publicized among the people: "Wu Shuanghou is the future Duke Zhao and the head of the Luo family. He is willing to go to the Western Regions. Even though it was once desolate, it will definitely not be completely dark and barbaric in the future.
I heard that the ancestors of Wushuang Hou took their clansmen to the Western Regions decades ago and left their heirs there. Decades later, they are still worshiping Emperor Su in the wilderness. "
…
Luo Wuji went to the Western Regions, so naturally he was not the only one.
The level of the Western Region Protectorate is higher than that of the county, which can be seen from the setting up of another Liaodong Protectorate.
The Liaodong Protectorate had jurisdiction over counties, kingdoms, and Yi Cong armies. The Liaodong Protectorate was a real feudal official, which was unprecedented in the two-level political structure of prefectures and counties in the Han Dynasty.
Liu Che's initial plan for the Protectorate of the Western Regions was to establish an unparalleled princely state and the governorship of the Protectorate. He would first establish a foothold in the Western Regions and have a place to garrison troops. As for the establishment of counties and counties later, they would be set up according to actual conditions.
Since ancient times, it can't be done by pointing fingers in a book or bragging, not to mention that there are relatively powerful indigenous residents in the Western Regions.
In particular, the Yishui River Valley, the place chosen by the Luo family, has abundant water flow and fertile land. It is not only a good horse farm, but also a good farming area. It is the location of the great Wusun Kingdom in the Western Regions.
This is not one of those small countries with a total population of only ten or twenty thousand, but a very powerful country in the Western Regions. At its peak, it had a population of one million, and was a powerful country second only to the Xiongnu.
Even after experiencing successive divisions and wars, the Wusun Kingdom still has a population of hundreds of thousands, which should not be underestimated.
And the most important thing is that the distance from Chang'an to Wusun is a full seven thousand miles, far exceeding the distance during the Mobei War in the past.
With such a long distance, even in modern society, it is difficult for many countries to complete the projection of power. In this era of relying on livestock, if they want to rely on the Han Dynasty to supply food and grass, plus the people on the road eating horse chews, the Han Dynasty will be sold out. It's impossible.
In the world where Ji Zhao lives, all dynasties have ruled the Western Regions with restraints. Not to mention the Western Han Dynasty, it can be said that it is the restraint among restraints. It basically relies on the intimidation of force and the marriage of princesses to exert influence.
Thirty-six people from Ban Chao traveled to the Western Regions and spent their entire lives fighting the rebellion.
The military force of the Tang Dynasty was extremely prosperous, and the country was destroyed at every turn. Gao Xianzhi went on an expedition to the Xiaobolu Kingdom, marching for four months and covering 5,000 miles. According to historical records, "without rest, he descended in half a day."
The Tang army, which was at its peak, also did not kill all the natives who rebelled when they surrendered.
Is this because our ancestors are kind and can be bullied?
Or is the wisdom of the ancients insufficient?
neither!
There is no doubt about the wisdom of the ancestors, but because there is no other way, the cost of sending the Central Plains army is too high and the benefits obtained are too small.
The Anxi Army of the Tang Dynasty was already the strongest force in the Western Regions, but just a small amount of the Anxi Army needed support from the Central Plains to maintain it. Several decades would not be enough to establish a stable rule.
People who travel frequently will understand how difficult it is to truly establish rule when they see the mountains and terrains of various places.
Naturally, the Luo family is not satisfied with Jisi's rule. The Luo family's goal is to occupy that place. If they don't leave, they will need a real land to live in.
If the current Han Dynasty conquers the Western Regions, if it is a big war, the number of armored soldiers that can be sent there can reach hundreds of thousands.
However, the permanent force will not exceed 3,000. This number is indeed not small. It is more than enough to defeat a king of the Xiongnu, but it is not enough to defeat the Wusun.
Because the Wusun Kingdom defends the city by waiting for work, and the Wusun Kingdom has as many armors. As the main road connecting the east and the west, and the only way to pass through the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the Wusun Kingdom is really rich.
If the Wusun Kingdom was not in disintegration, even Luo Wuji would not be willing to lead thousands of armored soldiers to die. It is easy to win a battle, and it is easy to destroy a country, but it is difficult to gain a foothold.
To maintain a standing army of 3,000 people in the Western Region would require a population of 300,000, which is really difficult.
The Han court's treasury was depleted so quickly, not only from the war, but also from the relocation and settlement expenses for the establishment of Shuofang County and Wuyuan County, and the ration expenses before the land was cultivated, all of which accounted for the bulk of the money.
…
Luo Wuji led five hundred warriors in full armor and horses, plus two thousand troops recruited from the Wushuang Kingdom. Each of the five Luo clansmen led the Luo clan to the Western Regions.
It can be said that since the end of the Bangzhou era, this is the time when the Luo family has contributed the most. Even the slaying of Qin Dynasty has not done so much.
After so many years of recuperation, the Luo Family has finally grown stronger again. After all, this is not only opening up territory for the Han Dynasty, but also opening up bases for the Luo Family. It is Luo Family's thousand-year plan.
Luo Wuji led the cavalry army through the Hexi Corridor and along the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Countries that were willing to provide food and grass along the way stayed, while those who were unwilling were attacked directly, causing the people to flee in all directions. It took a long time to We have arrived at Wusundong Kingdom.
The Wusun East Kingdom is a split part of the Wusun Kingdom. At the east end of the Yishui River Valley, there is a large grassland in the country, and the sky grassland of later generations is here.
Wusundong Kingdom has a lot of cavalry, so its strength is not weak. Unfortunately, it encountered Luo Wuji. If the infantry defended the city, they might have a better chance of survival, but fighting with cavalry is really asking for death.
When Luo Wuji fought with the Xiongnu, hundreds of thousands of cavalry fought. The thousands of cavalry in the Western Regions were like children playing house.
Luo Wuji led Luo's cavalry in just two charges and killed the Wusun Dongguo's cavalry. Then he entered the capital of Wusun Dongguo, cut off the head of Wusun Xiaowang, and announced the establishment of the Western Region Protectorate. Dongcheng is the office location of the Protectorate.
After the establishment of the Western Region Protectorate, there were two main problems. The first was to protect the existing achievements, and the second was how to continue to develop.
Although the Wusun Kingdom was torn apart, it was naturally impossible to sit back and watch its territory be invaded by the Han people, and wanted to send troops to attack the newly established Western Region Protectorate.
However, Luo Wuji quickly established a military management system in Wusundong Kingdom, which was able to provide food and grass for the troops coming from the Central Plains.
He also established commercial ties with several Western Region countries at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, such as Yanqi, Qiuci, etc., coupled with the development of the Hexi Corridor, Liu Che continued to transport grain and grass, and sent field troops from time to time to wander around, double Under pressure, the countries in the Western Region cooperated.
Once the logistical pressure disappears and Luo Wuji returns to what he is best at fighting, Luo Wuji will naturally be successful.
Especially the Wusun Kingdom dared to fight with him in a field battle, which almost made Luo Wuji laugh out loud. If the Xiongnu Qilian Shanyu Quanxia knew about it, he would probably be sympathetic to the Wusun King.
Even if it's thousands versus tens of thousands, Luo Wuji doesn't care.
The five Luo Shizi commanded the army from the front, while he led twenty spiritual soldiers and brave warriors. When the two sides were in a stalemate, he looked for an opening and charged in a wave.
How strong are the warriors and the Han army? The Han Empire and the Xiongnu Empire fought for ten years. White knives went in and red knives came out. The blood shed between the two sides dyed the entire grassland red. In the end, the Han Empire relied on more Strong national power and a stronger commander won this cruel war.
The Wusun Kingdom may have been very strong back then, but for many years in the Western Regions, no one had seen such an opponent before. Luo Wuji's horse stepped on the king's flag and killed the Wusun King directly. The remaining troops were like birds and beasts. The crowd dispersed and fled away.
"Defender, the Wusun Kingdom has retreated, and there should be no remaining strength to counterattack in a short period of time. What should we do now?"
After smashing the Wusun Kingdom's conspiracy and war to interfere with the Han's foothold in the Western Regions, the officials of the imperial court asked Luo Wuji, the Han's first Protector of the Western Regions.
Luo Wuji looked up at the blue sky and white clouds. In the distant horizon was the Tianshan Mountains. The top of the mountain was covered with snow, and underneath it was green. There was a fragrant moisture in the air.
What a beauty.
Luo Wuji couldn't help but think about it, and then pointed at the city and said loudly: "Of course, in that city, the sacrifice of King Su was erected and the tablets of the ancestors were placed. This is the land of the great Hans of Xia."
Everyone's hearts swayed when they heard this, and they responded in unison: "Here!"
The erection of King Su's sacrificial temple in the Yishui River Valley is like erecting a lighthouse in a dark place.
This light may only illuminate part of the Yishui River Valley, but it can give comfort and hope to all Han people heading to the Western Regions.
Because it is easy for people to feel lonely, especially in places far away from their native land, but the presence of King Su can weaken this feeling of being unable to leave the country.
The place where the Suwang Emperor is is the place where the people of Xia feel at ease.
————
The entry of the Han Dynasty into the Western Regions was an indelible event in the history of the Western Regions. Luo Zhongkan discovered this land, and his son Luo Wuji brought advanced civilization, excellent culture, and long-lasting peace to this land. Since Wuji entered the Western Regions, everything here has taken on a new look. People of all ethnic groups warmly welcomed the Han army. This was something that the Huns who once ruled the Western Regions could not do, and fully reflected the superiority of Zhuxia civilization. ——"Research on Historical and Cultural Migration of the Western Regions"
(End of chapter)
