eurekapd Chapter 1145 The Emperor of Daqing and the Tribal Chief
Chapter 1145 The Emperor of Daqing and the Tribal Chief
In the center of the camp, in a sheltered, open area, a roaring campfire was burning.
A half-grown wild boar was sitting on the fire, dragged out of the pen of some Uyghur nobleman, I don’t know.
The wild boar was roasted until its skin and flesh were golden brown, and the fat dripped into the fire, sizzling and emitting an enticing aroma.
Li Che sat by the fire on a stone covered with a felt mat, with his generals standing on either side of him.
At this moment, he removed his helmet, revealing a head of black hair that was both wet with sweat and dry, which he casually gathered behind his head.
His military uniform was stained with some dark dirt, and the goose-feather saber at his waist was stuck in the ground beside him.
Holding a dagger, he cut meat off a roasted pig leg and unceremoniously put it into his mouth to chew. His eating manners were not exactly messy, but they were certainly not at all like the refined manners of an emperor's meal.
Li Che ate a few bites of meat, then took a leather water bottle from Qiu Bai and took a big gulp.
The flask contained strong liquor used by soldiers to keep warm; the spicy liquid slid down the throat, bringing a burning sensation.
A little wine dripped down his chin, soaking his collar.
By the firelight, he casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
Just then, several guards dragged a person to a spot not far from the fire.
This person was none other than Yao Luoge.
His magnificent robes were covered in mud and grass, his face was covered in sweat and ash, and his obese body trembled with fear.
The two armored soldiers released him and threw him to the ground, where he lay limp like a sack whose bones had been removed.
He looked up in horror at the young man eating meat and drinking wine by the fire.
The flickering firelight cast strikingly different silhouettes of the two men.
He was covered in dust and grime, and ate with a rough and unrefined manner, yet his back was as straight as a pine tree.
A man dressed in fine clothes, with a plump figure, yet limp as a rag doll.
For a moment, it was almost disorienting, making it hard to tell which was the civilized Emperor of Daqing and which was the barbaric tribal chief.
After finishing the piece of meat in his hand and taking a swig of wine, Li Che remembered that there was still someone lying on the ground.
He glanced at Yao Luoge casually, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a stone.
"Are you the Khan of the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs?"
Yao Luoge trembled all over, scrambling to adjust his posture before kneeling prostrate on the ground, his voice shaking uncontrollably:
"This humble... this lowly Medicine Luo Ge greets His Majesty the Emperor of the Supreme Kingdom! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!"
Li Che ignored his flattery, his gaze sweeping over the Uyghur camp still being cleared, and said calmly:
"I have heard that the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs have tens of thousands of archers, and their brave warriors roam freely in the Hexi Corridor. But now it seems... the rumors are not true."
Yao Luoge didn't dare to raise his head. He quickly followed up on the topic and squeezed out the most humble tone possible: "Your Majesty's heavenly soldiers are unparalleled in their might. Even the most skilled warriors can only be defeated and forced to retreat before Your Majesty's heavenly soldiers and generals!"
"How dare our humble tribe, with its insignificant tricks, contend with the mighty Celestial Empire? Tonight, we have offended Your Majesty's majesty and deserve to die! We beg Your Majesty's magnanimity..."
Despite being attacked for no reason, Yao Luoge spoke without any dignity and didn't even dare to ask a question.
It was as if he himself was the sinner who had offended the powerful, not his men who had been ambushed and slaughtered tonight.
Upon seeing this man's demeanor, the Qing army generals standing around couldn't help but reveal expressions of disdain.
They fought their way out of the bloodshed alongside Li Che, and they possessed an indomitable spirit.
If the enemy is brave and unyielding, even if they curse them on the battlefield, they will still have a sense of respect for the warrior in their hearts, despite their anger on the surface.
But someone like Yao Luoge, whose spine softens before the enemy even has a knife to his neck, fawns and begs for mercy without any bottom line.
It would only disgust them; to be an enemy of such people is an insult to the sword in one's hand.
Li Che's face remained expressionless, as if he had already anticipated Yao Luoge's cowardly behavior.
He cut off another piece of meat, but didn't eat it right away. He just held it in his hand and watched the leaping flames.
"Yao Luoge," Li Che's voice turned cold, "Do you know why I hit you?"
Yao Luoge was taken aback, then looked up, a hint of grievance on his face: "I...I didn't know..."
He really couldn't understand it. Although the Yellow-headed Uyghurs had always been fence-sitters, they had not offended Daqing recently and had even maintained neutrality between Tibet and Daqing.
Why did this emperor suddenly take such a ruthless action?
But seeing Li Che's cold and emotionless eyes, he immediately shuddered and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty's use of troops must have its reasons. It is my foolishness that prevented me from understanding the will of Heaven!"
Li Che chuckled, tossed the roasted meat back onto the plate, and clapped his hands: "Fine, I'll reason with you."
His gaze was icy, piercing Yaoluoge: "The previous dynasty, Dahuan, was in turmoil and its national strength declined, so it had to withdraw its troops from the Western Regions."
"At that time, you, the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs, were vassals of the Great Huan, receiving their investiture and protection, and enjoying the benefits of trade."
"Logically speaking, even if we can't work together through thick and thin, we should at least keep to our own responsibilities."
"But what have you done?"
Li Che's voice suddenly turned stern: "The Tubo are powerful and have invaded the east. Instead of thinking of fighting against foreign aggression together with your former master, you have abandoned righteousness for profit and are wagging your tails to your new master!"
"That's fine, the law of the jungle prevails, I understand."
"But in order to curry favor with Tibet, you actually took the initiative to slaughter the remnants of Huan's army who were left to guard the four garrisons of Anxi!"
"Betrayal, kicking someone when they're down, and even slaughtering women and children!"
"Yao Luoge, tell me! What kind of logic is this?!"
Yao Luoge was stunned by Li Che's series of questions, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner clothes.
He opened his mouth, wanting to argue that those were things done by the previous Khan or even the Khan before him, and what did they have to do with him, Yaoluoge?
When he took over the tribe, the situation was already like that.
But the words stuck in his throat, and he ultimately didn't dare to say them.
He could only force a smile that looked more like a grimace, and said dryly, "Your Majesty, please calm down... Your Majesty, please calm down... That... that's all in the past. Back then... there wasn't a Great Qing Dynasty yet... We were... we were forced by circumstances..."
Li Che interrupted him: "This is no excuse for your betrayal!"
"If you can betray the Great Huan today because of the rise of Tibet, won't you betray me tomorrow because of the rise of others, or even turn around and bite me?!"
Yao Luoge was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
"From now on, the Yellow-headed Uyghurs will only follow Your Majesty's lead! Your Majesty, you have no other intentions whatsoever! Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"
Li Che watched him kowtow repeatedly, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.
Li Che said calmly, "This is what the Uyghurs should do. The victor is king, and the loser should naturally submit to the victor."
"I summoned you here not to ask what the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs can do for me. I don't value your manpower or credibility."
He paused, looked down at the limp Yaoluoge, and asked, word by word, "I am asking you, Yaoluoge, the Khan of the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs, what value do you have to me?"
Yao Luoge was stunned, his mind went blank.
Value? What value could he possibly have?
tribe?
The tribe is almost completely destroyed.
wealth?
They've probably already been looted by the Qing army.
Martial arts?
Don't be ridiculous. Ten years ago he was quite the fighter, but now all he has left is a single abs...
Li Che seemed to have lost his last bit of patience, his tone clearly showing displeasure: "The Yellow-headed Uyghurs number in the hundreds of thousands, but only tens of thousands are archers, and they are scattered throughout the Hexi Corridor, not a significant force."
"Your title of Khan is of no importance. If I kill you today, I can easily install a more obedient person tomorrow. It won't take much effort at all."
He leaned forward slightly, the campfire casting flickering shadows on his face: "Yaoluoge, give me one... reason not to kill you."
"Reasons...reasons..."
Yao Luoge trembled all over, his mind a complete mess, fear overwhelmed him, and all he knew was to repeatedly beg for mercy:
"Your Majesty, spare me! Spare me! I am willing to serve you like a slave! I am willing to offer all my treasures! I am willing to be Your Majesty's vanguard in attacking Tibet! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy! Have mercy!"
Seeing his utterly useless state, the last glimmer of light in Li Che's eyes went out.
He waved his hand wearily and said to Qiu Bai, "Drag him away and behead him. Hang his head at the camp gate."
“After screening their followers, the able-bodied men were dispersed and assigned to auxiliary military camps, while the elderly, weak, women and children were moved to Liangzhou for resettlement.”
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Qiu Bai responded, giving a wink to the two armored soldiers beside him.
Two armored soldiers immediately stepped forward, one on each side, and lifted the limp Yao Luoge, about to drag him out.
The shadow of death loomed over him, triggering Yao Luoge's survival instincts and giving him a burst of quick wit.
Just as he was being dragged a few steps away and was about to leave the fire's range, he suddenly burst out with strength and began to struggle frantically.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I have news! I have important news!"
Qiu Bai paused and looked at Li Che.
Li Che had already picked up the dagger again, ready to continue enjoying the roasted pork.
Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and looked over.
"Speak," Li Che uttered a single word.
Yao Luoge was released by the armored soldiers and collapsed to the ground again.
Ignoring his disheveled state, he scrambled forward a few steps, panting heavily, and said urgently, "Your Majesty! I know... I know that in the Western Regions, there is an army of the Huan people... no, it is, an army of the Qing people! They are still here! They are still holding out!"
Upon hearing this, not only was Li Che stunned, but Luo Yueniang, Yu Daliang, Xu Jiezi, and others beside him also showed expressions of astonishment.
I thought this coward would eventually spill some information about the Tibetan troop deployment and supply routes, which might not be anything new, but it would still be something to gain.
But the result was...
Is there still a Qing army holding out in the Western Regions?
The dagger in Li Che's hand stopped in mid-air. He slowly turned his head and stared intently at Yao Luoge's terrified and distorted face.
"What did you say? Say it again!"