Chapter 30: Cao Cao: Since when has defeating a barbarian been considered a merit?

Li Er’s reprimands echoed through the air, heavy with fury and majesty. As he spoke, his agitation grew, and he spurred his horse as if to charge onto the bridge. Fang Xuanling and the others behind him rushed forward to stop him, but Li Er shouted them back.

Li Er was no fool. He charged to the middle of the bridge and roared, "I have just ascended the throne, and you come to offer your 'congratulations'?"

Jieli, observing the imposing and aggressive Li Er, sneered, "Hmph, I heard you were busy fighting for the crown prince’s position, so I thought I’d come to see for myself. And just now, you dared to address me by my name? How dare you! Even your father would not dare to address me, the Great Khan, so casually."

Li Er curled his lip, his expression perfectly controlled—neither mocking nor fearful. "Ha... you are too late. I have already ascended the throne. And I am here to tell you myself: you will honor our alliance!"

Jieli laughed as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world. Counting them all up, there were only seven men with Li Er. Did he really think seven men could force him to honor an alliance? Did he not understand his own position?

"And what if I refuse to keep the alliance?" Jieli asked with disdain.

Li Er did not waste any more words. His eyes grew murderous, and he shook his head, looking as though he held all the cards. Among the six men behind him, someone let out a hooligan’s whistle.

Suddenly, Tang troops began to assemble from all directions. Their ranks were orderly and disciplined, slowly surrounding Jieli from afar. This sight left Jieli shocked and pale. Recalling his detained envoys, he assumed this was a trap Li Er had meticulously set for him. He immediately signaled for peace.

Although Li Er had his army pressing the advantage, the strength of the Great Tang at that moment did not allow for a full-scale war. Exhaling in relief, Li Er looked at Jieli and said, "Very well. If we are to make peace, we shall sacrifice a white horse on the bridge tomorrow and take a solemn oath!"

The scene shifted. A white horse let out a mournful neigh. At this moment, the white horse was truly the most pitiful creature. *I’m just here for the oath; why on earth are you slaughtering me? Can’t I just graze on your Tang grass? Is it really necessary to kill me?* If it could speak, it would likely curse the entire families of both Li Er and Jieli.

***

The narrator’s voice rang out!

"After the two men sacrificed the white horse and swore brotherhood, they became 'brothers.' If Li Er was not particularly skilled at other things, he was certainly an expert in the art of 'fraternal harmony'!"

"No one understood better than he how to deal with brothers. From that day on, Li Er worked tirelessly, and the national strength of the Great Tang began to flourish!"

"In Li Er's eyes, the Alliance of Weishui was a disgrace—a monumental disgrace. And a disgrace to Li Er could only be washed away by the blood of the Turks."

"Three years later, as the Tang’s power peaked, Li Er used the Turkic invasion of Hexi as a pretext to order his forces to march in six columns to annihilate the Eastern Turks."

"Li Jing served as the commander-in-chief of the Dingxiang expedition, with Zhang Gongjin as his deputy; Xu Shiji was the commander of the Tongmo expedition; Chai Shao was the commander of the Jinhe expedition; Li Daozong was the commander of the Datong expedition, with Zhang Baoxiang as his deputy; Wei Xiaojie was the commander of the Heng’an expedition; and Xue Wanshu was the commander of the Changwu expedition. More than 100,000 troops were placed under Li Jing’s command."

"By the following year, Jieli was so thoroughly defeated he began to question his own existence. He was completely bewildered, forced to flee for his life, and even became separated from his own son during the retreat. Eventually, Jieli was captured by the Tang general Zhang Baoxiang."

"When brought back to Chang’an by Li Jing, the once martial and fierce Jieli suddenly became skilled in singing and dancing. Future generations would call him the 'Dance King of Chang’an'!"

"With this battle, the Eastern Turks were completely destroyed!"

"In retrospect, you will find that with an all-star lineup of Tang generals and the 'General of the Heavenly Strategy' Li Er sitting at the helm, Jieli’s defeat was well-deserved."

***

Under the celestial screen.

In the Three Kingdoms era, Cao Cao watched the screen. Although he did not know what kind of race these "Turks" were, he assumed they were just northern barbarians. *These barbarians dare to head south? In my impression, aren't these people just cannon fodder? They are nothing more than ingredients for Cheng Yu’s army rations!*

It is no exaggeration to say that back in the day, when the Eighteen Lords rose up, which one of them didn't treat these tribes like children? Now, with the addition of a fully developed Liu Bei, there were nineteen—and that was only because that was all who showed up at the time! Even Gongsun Zan, who didn't even make it to the finals, beat them until they were howling. Why, even that brat Ma Chao was called the "Great General of Divine Might" among them!

What has become of this world? Is it still the world I know? Is defeating a few barbarians now considered a great achievement?

Liu Shan, too, was filled with confusion, unable to comprehend it. Since when were these barbarians so formidable? They could actually reach Chang’an? He didn't know about others, but he knew of Meng Huo. His Prime Minister had captured him seven times, as easily as catching a chick. Why, in these later generations, were these trashy barbarians so bold as to invade the south?

***

In the Great Tang.

Li Er watched the screen, and his mind drifted back to the days of destroying the eighteen tribes of the grasslands. Seeing the title later generations gave to Jieli, he burst into laughter.

"Ha! I never expected that in the eyes of future generations, Jieli would be 'skilled in singing and dancing' and dubbed the 'Dance King of Chang’an'! How amusing... truly amusing!"

Fang Xuanling, standing nearby, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, though this is a jest, it shows that the prestige of our Great Tang is widely known to future generations, to the point where even the Turkic Khan has become a topic of casual conversation."

Li Er nodded slightly, his eyes filled with pride. "Naturally. What I planned back then was to ensure the Great Tang stood invincible, so that all the barbarians of the four corners would never dare to violate our borders."

At this moment, the image on the screen shifted again.

In the city of Chang’an, after several years of development, the people who once had to tighten their belts had undergone a earth-shattering transformation. The streets were filled with bustling traffic and merchants everywhere. The citizens were dressed in magnificent Tang robes, walking with their heads held high. Cheers echoed from the taverns, and the streets were filled with foreigners of various complexions.

Yet, facing these foreigners, the citizens were not timid; instead, pride radiated from their very bones. It was simply because they were the people of the Great Tang; they were the subjects of the Great Tang!

At night, families did not even need to lock their doors, for the soldiers of Chang’an were there to protect them. During the curfew, the streets were empty, save for the rhythmic footsteps of patrolling guards. The people slept in peace, confident that they could wake up at dawn without fear of thieves. Every citizen was proud to be a Tang person, even encouraging their children to enlist in the army.

The golden age was right before their eyes—the Great Tang was about to enter its peak of prosperity.