novelAbuy Chapter 299 The Northern Desert is Settled
Chapter 299 The Northern Desert is Settled
The fifth day of the fifth month in the fifth year of the Qiming era. The Dragon Boat Festival.
City in the Clouds.
This important border town, besieged for forty-two days, finally celebrated its grandest festival. The beacon fires that had burned day and night atop the city walls had long since died down, replaced by rows of banners fluttering in the summer breeze. The city gates were wide open, and the people poured out to welcome the triumphant army returning from the northern deserts.
Chen Xing did not enter the city.
He set up a large camp three miles outside the city, allowing his soldiers to take turns entering the city to rest, while he stayed in the camp to discuss follow-up matters with Chen Wei and Jia Wen.
"Your Majesty," Chen Wei pointed to the map, "Although the northern deserts have been pacified, the various tribes have different intentions. Ashina Mo has not yet returned, and there are still many people within the Tiele tribe who outwardly comply but inwardly defy him. Although the Uriyangkhai and other tribes have temporarily submitted, it is hard to guarantee that they will not harbor rebellious thoughts in the future."
Chen Xing nodded without saying a word.
Jia Wen stroked his beard and said, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to establish Ashina Mo's position as soon as possible. Although he is Ashina Duobi's son, he is still young and has lived in Chang'an for a long time, so his influence in the northern desert is still shallow. Without the support of the court, I'm afraid he will have difficulty winning over the people."
Chen Xing looked at him: "What does Prime Minister Jia mean?"
Jia Wendao said, "I suggest that Your Majesty bestow upon Ashina Mo the title of 'Shunyi Khan,' grant him a golden seal, official robes, and ceremonial staff, and send an army to escort him back to the royal court. At the same time, the head of Xuelang Khan should be displayed to all tribes as a warning to others."
Chen Xing was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"Sending troops to escort him is the right thing to do. But whether Ashina Mo can hold his ground ultimately depends on himself."
He paused, then looked outside the tent.
"Issue the decree to summon Ashina Mo to see me."
Ashina Mo arrived very quickly.
The eighteen-year-old, dressed in plain clothes, knelt before Chen Xing and did not raise his head for a long time.
Chen Xing looked at him and said softly:
"I've heard about your father's death. How did he die?"
Ashina Mo's shoulders trembled slightly.
"Your Majesty... my father was poisoned by my elder brother... by Ashina Gudu. He offered my father medicine under the pretense of providing it, but secretly poisoned it. My father drank it, and less than half an hour later..."
He couldn't continue.
Chen Xing was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
Do you hate him?
Ashina Mo raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, but also with rage:
"I hate him! I wish I could kill him with my own hands!"
Chen Xing nodded.
"But you have no chance now. He's dead, killed by my hand."
Ashina Mo was stunned for a moment, then kowtowed deeply:
"Your Majesty has avenged my father's murder, I...I..."
Chen Xing raised his hand to stop him.
"No need to say more. Your father was a wise man, and I respected him. You are his son, and I hope you can be as wise as him."
He stood up, walked to Ashina Mo, and looked down at him.
"From this day forward, you are the Khan of the Tiele. I will bestow upon you the title of 'Shunyi Khan,' grant you a golden seal, a crown and robes, and send troops to escort you back to the royal court. But remember—"
His voice turned somber:
"You've secured this position not because of your father, nor because of me, but because of yourself. I can give you opportunities, but whether you seize them is up to you."
Ashina Mo raised his head and met his gaze.
In those eyes, there were tears, anger, and a trace of something Chen Xing was familiar with, something called "ambition."
"I understand," he said. "I will not disappoint Your Majesty."
On the eighth day of the fifth month, Ashina Mo led the Tiele tribes back north to the royal court.
Accompanying them was Zhou Hu's 3,000 elite cavalry—ostensibly for escort, but in reality for intimidation.
Before leaving, Ashina Mo knelt before Chen Xing and kowtowed three times.
"Your Majesty, I am leaving now, and I do not know when we will meet again. I...I have a request to make."
Chen Xing looked at him and said, "Speak."
Ashina Mo hesitated for a moment and said:
"Your Majesty, I would like to request a banner."
Chen Xing was slightly taken aback: "A flag?"
Ashina Mo nodded: "I wish to plant this flag in the highest place of the royal court. Let everyone know—my backing is Emperor Qiming."
Chen Xing was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"it is good."
He had someone bring him a black dragon flag and personally handed it to Ashina Mo.
"Insert it. Let those who don't respect you see who stands behind their new Khan."
Ashina Mo accepted it with both hands and kowtowed deeply.
Three thousand iron cavalry escorted him, gradually disappearing into the northern horizon.
On May 15th, the first caravan of merchants set off from Yunzhong towards the northern desert.
The cart was loaded with grain, cloth, iron pots, tea, and several boxes of porcelain transported from Chang'an—which Chen Xing had specially asked Su Xiaoxiao to prepare, saying it was "to broaden the horizons of the nobles on the grasslands."
The caravan leader was a middle-aged man in his early forties surnamed Chen, a veteran of the Imperial Trading Company. Before his departure, Chen Xing summoned him for a private audience.
"There are three things I need to do on my journey to the northern desert."
Chen Xing held up three fingers:
"First, the price must be fair. No bargaining, no price gouging. People on the grasslands aren't stupid; if you rip them off once, they'll remember it for life."
"Second, listen and observe more. Record which tribes are honest, which tribes are restless, and which people harbor resentment towards the court. Report back to me."
"Third," he paused, his gaze deepening, "make more friends. People on the grasslands value loyalty and friendship. If you treat them well, they will remember it. It will be useful in the future."
Manager Chen nodded repeatedly, making sure he remembered it.
On the day the caravan set off, a large crowd gathered outside Cloud City. There were merchants from the Central Plains, herdsmen from the grasslands, and envoys from several tribes. They gazed at the long caravan with eyes full of anticipation.
This is the first time.
But this won't be the last time.
On May 20th, Dianxiong was able to get out of bed and walk around.
He had been cooped up in the tent for a whole month and was terribly bored. On the first day he was able to get out of bed, he hobbled over to Chen Xing's tent, leaning on his crutches.
"Your Majesty! This humble general requests an audience!"
Chen Xing's voice came from inside the tent: "Come in."
Dian Xiong lifted the tent flap and saw Chen Xing bent over his desk, reviewing something. Beside him stood a small, thin figure—Lan Fenghuang.
Dianxiong was taken aback: "Your Highness, Consort Xian? What are you doing here?"
Lan Fenghuang blinked: "I've come to deliver medicine to Brother Xing."
Dian Xiong scratched his head, not thinking much of it, and turned to Chen Xing:
"Your Majesty, I have a request."
Chen Xing raised his head: "Speak."
Dian Xiong said, "This humble general wishes to return to the northern desert."
Chen Xing frowned: "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, what are you going to do in the Northern Desert?"
Dian Xiong said, "Of the 20,000 brothers I led out, 8,000 died and 5,000 were wounded. I must go and collect their bodies and erect a monument for them. Otherwise... otherwise I won't be able to live with myself."
The tent fell silent for a moment.
Chen Xing looked at him and remained silent for a long time.
"Your injury..."
"It's alright!" Dian Xiong patted his chest. "This humble general is tough and resilient; I won't die!"
Chen Xing did not speak.
Lan Fenghuang suddenly spoke up: "General Dian, your wound hasn't healed yet. What if you collapse on such a long journey..."
Dian Xiong grinned: "So what if it's collapsed? We can just heal it again. Your Majesty, your medicines are very effective; this humble general can take them with him."
Lan Fenghuang opened her mouth, as if to say something, but didn't say anything.
Chen Xing looked into Dian Xiong's determined eyes and slowly said:
"Very well. I grant your permission."
Dian Xiong was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Chen Xing waved his hand: "Don't thank me yet. I have conditions."
"Your Majesty, please speak!"
Chen Xing stood up and walked up to him.
"Kneel three times for me to those fallen soldiers. Tell them for me—their blood was not shed in vain. The northern deserts are pacified, the borders are secure, and I will take good care of their families."
Dianxiong stood there, his eyes gradually reddening.
He knelt down heavily, touching his forehead to the ground:
"This humble general...this humble general obeys the imperial decree!"
On May 25th, Dian Xiong led 300 cavalrymen north out of Yunzhong.
His back injury hadn't fully healed, and the jolting motion on the horse made him grimace in pain, but he didn't utter a sound.
The group included dozens of carpenters, carrying tools and timber. Their destination was the river valley—the place where Dian Xiong was ambushed, and also the burial place of eight thousand soldiers.
They want to erect a monument.
The inscription on the stele reads:
"In the fifth year of the Qiming era, 8,123 soldiers who were sent to the north perished here. Their souls returned to the northern desert, and their names are recorded in history."
Dianxiong said that the monument should be erected high so that everyone can see it.
We must let those nomadic people of the grasslands know that the people of the Central Plains are not to be trifled with. Killing a person from the Central Plains will come at a price.
We want future generations to know that those buried here are heroes.
News came from the northern desert on the first day of June.
Ashina Mo successfully arrived at the royal court and, with Zhou Hu's assistance, quickly took control of the situation. Those tribal chiefs who had outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied him, seeing that the tide had turned, all came to plead guilty. Ashina Mo did not kill them, but merely reduced their pastures and distributed them to those tribes loyal to him.
When the news reached Yunzhong, Chen Wei couldn't help but ask:
"Your Majesty, Ashina Mo is quite capable."
Chen Xing nodded without saying a word.
Jia Wen stroked his beard and said, "He's good at handling things because he knows who gave him his position. As long as he keeps that in mind, the Northern Desert can remain peaceful for a few years."
Chen Xing gazed northwards, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
"several years?"
He laughed softly.
"A few years will be enough."
On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, the first caravan of merchants returned from the northern desert.
They brought back horses, cattle, sheep, furs, and the goodwill of the grassland people towards the Central Plains. Manager Chen knelt before Chen Xing and reported everything:
"Your Majesty, on this trip, we made friends with five tribes. They all said they are willing to do business with the court, and as long as the prices are fair, they will come every year."
Chen Xing nodded.
"What about those restless ones?"
Shopkeeper Chen lowered his voice: "Two tribes are still secretly plotting. They say that Ashina Mo is a dog of the Central Plains people and is unworthy to be Khan. They want to wait until the imperial army withdraws before making their move."
Chen Xing's gaze sharpened.
Which two?
Manager Chen gave two names.
Chen Xing was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"Understood. You may leave."
After Manager Chen left, Chen Wei couldn't help but say:
"Your Majesty, should we...?"
Chen Xing shook his head.
"No rush. Let them jump. Once they've jumped out, Ashina Mo will naturally know what to do."
He paused, gazing at the vast expanse of the northern horizon.
"He is the Khan. There are some things he has to do himself."
On the tenth day of the sixth lunar month, the army set off south to return home.
The people of Yunzhong City, young and old, accompanied the procession for thirty miles. Standing on both sides of the official road, they watched the grand procession with eyes full of reluctance and gratitude.
Chen Xing rode his horse through the central army, occasionally nodding to the people on both sides.
A little girl suddenly rushed out of the crowd, ran to his horse, knelt on the ground, and held a bunch of wildflowers.
Chen Xing reined in his horse and bent down to take the bouquet of flowers.
The little girl looked up, her face streaked with tears:
"Your Majesty, my father was the city's defender, he... he's dead. But he said you would come. And you really did come."
Chen Xing looked at her and remained silent for a moment.
Then, he dismounted, squatted down in front of the little girl, and gently patted her head.
"Your father was a hero. I thank you on his behalf."
The little girl was stunned for a moment, then her tears flowed even more fiercely.
Chen Xing took a jade pendant from his waist and put it into her hand.
"Take this. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, take it to Chang'an and come to me."
The little girl held the jade pendant, knelt on the ground, and did not get up for a long time.
Chen Xing stood up and mounted his horse.
"Let's go!"
The army continued south.
Behind them, Cloud City gradually receded into the distance.
Ahead, Chang'an is in sight.