Chapter 127: The Kingdom of Gaochang

"Qu Boya?" Zhang Juntai asked, looking at the Night Owl standing before him. As one of the earliest followers of Li Wenyuan, he had gradually gained access to confidential matters. Furthermore, he was responsible for the Western Expedition against the Western Turkic Khaganate, and the Night Owl delivered all relevant intelligence directly to him.

"Yes, Qu Boya. He ascended the throne in Gaochang in the second year of the Renshou era. In the tenth year of the Daye era, a man claiming to be the heir of the former king staged a coup with the backing of the Western Turks and usurped the throne. He is currently under house arrest in the palace, cared for by designated servants and forbidden from communicating with the outside world. Somehow, he heard that the current King of Gaochang has gathered the country's army to assist the Western Turks in attacking us. He bribed a maid who cares for him to smuggle out this message, declaring that he is of Han descent and willing to submit to the Heavenly Dynasty. If we rescue him from his confinement, he will cooperate with us to pacify the Gaochang region." The Night Owl relayed all the intelligence to Zhang Juntai.

"Is the intelligence accurate? This is no small matter; any mistake will create unnecessary trouble," Zhang Juntai said, frowning.

"Our intelligence network in Gaochang is not yet fully established, so we cannot access information from inside the palace. However, there was indeed a coup in the tenth year of the Daye era, and the current king does indeed bear the surname Qu, though it is unclear if he is truly the heir of the former king. The new king repeatedly emphasizes his legitimacy, claiming he could not bear to harm a relative, which is why he imprisoned Qu Boya. These facts are true; as for his true intentions, we cannot know. His eldest son, Qu Wentai, is waiting outside," the Night Owl explained in detail.

"Qu Wentai? Let him in," Zhang Juntai said, his interest piqued upon hearing that Qu Boya's son had arrived.

Shortly after, a man dressed in foreign attire but possessing the distinct features of a Han Chinese entered the tent, guided by the Night Owl.

"This is our Great General of the Western Expedition, Zhang Juntai," the Night Owl introduced him to Qu Wentai.

"Qu Wentai, Crown Prince of Gaochang, pays his respects to the Great General of the Heavenly Dynasty." Upon hearing the introduction, Qu Wentai realized who was before him and quickly prepared to kneel.

Zhang Juntai stopped him with quick reflexes and said, "There is no need for such formalities, Crown Prince. Why have you come here?"

Stopped from kneeling, Qu Wentai bowed instead and said, "General Zhang, please listen to my account. My ancestors were originally Han soldiers guarding the border. Later, they gathered refugees fleeing from the Central Plains and established the kingdom of Gaochang in the Western Regions, working together to resist Turkic incursions. We have always maintained a tough, uncooperative stance toward the Turks. Some time ago, a man named Qu Boren, claiming to be the heir of the former king, launched a coup with the support of the Turks and became king. I had never heard of such a person in the palace; he must be a Turk-backed, Sinicized barbarian who fabricated a name to stir up the people."

Zhang Juntai nodded after hearing this and said, "I am aware of these matters. Your father claims he is willing to submit to our Heavenly Dynasty, but is it a total surrender of the nation? We do not need a semi-independent state within our borders. Since we are all Han, it is better to return to the fold sooner."

"When my father was on the throne, he often said that the Great Sui was immensely powerful and that if the opportunity arose, we should submit the entire country to them, even if it meant stepping down as king. In the fourth year of the Daye era, when the Emperor conquered the Yiwu region and built the Yiwu Commandery, my father wanted to go in person to express his loyalty, but he was blocked by the Western Turks and had to give up," Qu Wentai replied.

"If this submission is sincere, then that is for the best. I will clarify your father's righteous cause to the Governor and ensure your father receives a hereditary title as the Duke of Gaochang," Zhang Juntai said with a nod.

After settling Qu Wentai, Zhang Juntai wrote a report on the matter and handed it to the Night Owl, saying, "Deliver this report to the Governor as quickly as possible."

A few days later, Li Wenyuan received the urgent report from Zhang Juntai. He read it through and said to Qiu Niang, who was by his side, "Zhang Juntai says that if the King of Gaochang, Qu Boya, is sincere in his submission, he hopes we can appease him with the title of Duke of Gaochang. This would demonstrate to the other states in the Western Regions that our stance is directed only at the Turks, thereby helping us divide and conquer our enemies."

"That is a viable strategy. The states of the Western Regions have always lived by attaching themselves to powers. Since this does not significantly affect their interests, it will weaken their will to resist and reduce military pressure on the front lines," Qiu Niang mused.

"However, we intend to conquer the entire Western Region and push our borders west to the Sassanid Empire. These states will become the key nodes for our logistics. If the Western Regions are not stable, the supply lines for the front-line army will suffer," Li Wenyuan said, feeling a headache coming on.

"That is simple. We can follow the example of Emperor Wu of Han and his 'Edict of Grace' to gradually divide these dukedoms, slowly turning their titles into honorary ones and stripping away their actual power," Qiu Niang said, covering a smile.

Those involved are often blinded by the situation, while bystanders see clearly. Li Wenyuan, a traveler from the future, had been a leader for so long that he had become narrow-minded, momentarily forgetting the precedent of the Edict of Grace. Hearing Qiu Niang's words, he clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! With this strategy, we can ensure the peace of the Western Regions."

Li Wenyuan then took up his brush, approved Zhang Juntai's report, and handed it to the Night Owl to be sent back via express delivery.

Zhang Juntai had just finished preparing the army for the expedition and coordinating with the northern and southern front lines when he received Li Wenyuan's directive, which consisted of only four words: "Act at your discretion."

Grateful for Li Wenyuan's trust, Zhang Juntai confirmed the Western Expedition plan with his staff once more. After refining the plan as much as possible, a document codenamed "Falcon" was sent to the staff officers of each division. With the divisions fully mobilized according to the plan, and after giving some final confidential instructions to Cheng Yaojin at Yiwu Commandery, Zhang Juntai issued the order: "Launch the full offensive. Execute the plan."

Following the order, the divisions departed their stations and launched attacks on their pre-designated targets. This time, including support laborers, a total of two hundred thousand men were committed to the war against the Western Turks. Although modern warfare often requires two to three laborers to sustain the combat effectiveness of one soldier—a drawback that became even more apparent after Li Wenyuan began promoting the concept of professional soldiers within his territory—thanks to years of peace and the lack of natural disasters or warfare in the Western Regions, the manpower was sufficient to sustain this campaign under Li Wenyuan's careful management.