The news of the Great Wei army’s victory over the Hu Jie spread swiftly throughout Zhangye, proclaiming the might of the Wei military.
This was called controlling public opinion!
By promoting the strength of the Wei army, they aimed to intimidate those with rebellious thoughts.
The annihilation of the Hu Jie army signified that Zhangye was now part of the Great Wei territory.
Soon, with the efforts of Zane Wang and others, the news of the Great Wei Heavenly Army’s decisive victory over the Hu Jie, exterminating their 200,000-strong force, spread rapidly across Zhangye.
Initially, there were skeptics.
But when they saw the Great Wei Heavenly Army occupying Shangdang City and taking over the Hu Kingdom’s palace, people began to believe that the Hu Jie army had indeed been destroyed.
After Calvin Yang led his army to occupy Shangdang City, he dispatched his subordinates to continue eliminating the remaining Hu Jie people.
From now on, Zhangye was Great Wei’s territory, and there was no way they would allow the Hu Jie to remain.
“Finally, those damned Hu Jie are gone.”
“Hahaha, heaven has eyes, those beasts are finally wiped out.”
“Welcome the royal army, welcome the Great Wei Heavenly Army!!”
Someone started shouting this slogan.
Although it was unclear who started it, the people of Zhangye, infected by the sentiment, began to shout along.
“Wesley Hu, Harrison Zhou, you two lead the army to Qimen Town to eliminate the Hu Jie there and guard the pass,” Oliver Sheng ordered Wesley Hu and Harrison Zhou to prevent the Hu Jie from descending from the plateau.
“Yes, General!”
Wesley Hu led 10,000 troops, Harrison Zhou commanded another 10,000, and with an additional 30,000 barbarian slave soldiers, they had a total of 50,000 men.
“Qin Lin, take your troops to Gemu Town to guard it and support Wesley Hu’s forces,” Oliver Sheng commanded.
“Yes!!”
Qin Lin accepted the order and led his troops out.
Oliver Sheng deployed 80,000 troops along the plateau border to guard against the Hu Jie from the highlands.
After clearing the battlefield, Oliver Sheng led Felix Wu, Xiao Chuyi’s troops, Chi Tiansheng’s heavy cavalry, and auxiliary and logistics soldiers towards Shangdang City.
Along the way, they encountered the people of Zhangye, who no longer feared them.
“Welcome the royal army!!”
The people of the small towns along the way cheered. Zhangye had no decent cities compared to the Central Plains.
This place, though as large as a province of Great Wei, had a population of only two to three hundred thousand, comparable to a county.
The people were emaciated, with yellowish faces, weak bodies, and tattered clothes.
It was evident how much devastation the Hu Jie had wrought upon this land.
Governing Zhangye would not be easy.
Seeing the state of Zhangye, Oliver Sheng wrote a letter to Luo Capital, asking the Empress to send scholars to manage and educate the people, integrating them into the Great Wei populace.
When they arrived at Shangdang City, Calvin Yang led his army to greet them.
Looking at Shangdang City, Oliver Sheng felt it was inferior to River West City. Was this really the Hu Kingdom’s capital?
“Is this the Hu Kingdom’s capital?” Felix Wu couldn’t help but ask when he saw the so-called capital.
“It’s not as grand as the River West City I oversaw the construction of,” Felix Wu remarked.
“This is a remote place with a small population. Having such a capital is already quite good,” Xiao Chuyi said.
“I was expecting too much,” Felix Wu shook his head.
Zhangye was only equivalent to a province of Great Wei.
If it weren’t for the Hu Jie claiming kingship here, it wouldn’t even qualify as a country.
Among the thirty-six Western Regions countries, any one of them was much larger than Zhangye.
“Let’s go, into the city!” Oliver Sheng led the way into Shangdang City.
The Hu Kingdom’s palace became Oliver Sheng’s temporary residence.
“Oliver, these are the gold and silver treasures we found in the palace,” Calvin Yang pointed to the chests of gold and silver.
“Uncle, how much is there?” Oliver Sheng asked.
“In total, it’s worth over five million in silver,” Calvin Yang said.
“That’s it?” Oliver Sheng was somewhat disdainful.
These treasures were less than what he had seized from the Sima Clan.
The Hu Jie had plundered Zhangye for a century, yet only amassed this much.
“Leave three million for your military expenses to guard Zhangye,” Oliver Sheng said.
“Alright, I’ll keep half,” Calvin Yang nodded.
“The other half will be used to develop Zhangye’s economy and livelihood,” Oliver Sheng decided after some thought.
Zhangye needed development. It would become an important trade route to the Western Regions and required construction.
With the Hu Jie exterminated, the next step was to govern Zhangye, guard the land, and prevent a counterattack from the plateau Hu Jie and the thirty-six Western Regions countries.
Far away in Luo Capital, Hazel Han received Oliver Sheng’s report and read it repeatedly.
The River West army had conquered Zhangye, opening the trade route to the Western Regions.
Oliver Sheng requested the Empress to send officials to govern Zhangye, integrating it into the Great Wei territory.
She hadn’t expected Oliver Sheng to move so quickly, defeating the Huns and now conquering Zhangye.
This expansion added another province to Great Wei’s territory.
“Excellent, Shengwu King truly is a divine star bestowed upon Great Wei, expanding our borders with unparalleled merit.”
“Summon Left Minister Quentin Fu, Minister of War Gavin Wang, Minister of Revenue Jasper Zuo, and others. I have urgent matters to discuss,” Hazel Han ordered.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The eunuch outside the hall hurried to summon the court ministers.
Soon, Left Minister Quentin Fu, Minister of Revenue Jasper Zuo, Minister of War Gavin Wang, Minister of Rites Qian Cheng, and others gathered in Zhenghe Hall.
“Your ministers greet Your Majesty!”
“Rise, my beloved ministers,” Empress Hazel Han gestured for them to stand.
“Your Majesty, what urgent matter requires our presence?” Gavin Wang asked.
“Take a look at this,” Hazel Han handed them Oliver Sheng’s battle report.
After reading it, the ministers were first shocked, then elated.
“Well done, Shengwu King!” Minister of War Gavin Wang couldn’t help but cheer.
Conquering Zhangye was a great victory and a significant achievement.
“Shengwu King is indeed a formidable general of Great Wei, easily capturing Zhangye.”
“Your Majesty, this is a cause for celebration. Shengwu King’s conquest of Zhangye opens the trade route to the Western Regions,” Minister of Revenue Jasper Zuo was the most excited.
Opening the trade route to the Western Regions meant countless silver and riches, enriching the national treasury.
As the manager of the treasury, a well-funded treasury meant more influence in court.
A depleted treasury made military expenses a constant headache.
Empress Hazel Han nodded with a smile, “My ministers, we must discuss the situation in Zhangye.”
“We cannot abandon the land Shengwu King fought so hard to capture.”
Left Minister Quentin Fu agreed, “Indeed, the land our army conquers must become part of Great Wei. We must send officials to govern it.”
“The Hanlin Academy has a group of scholars. Why not send them to govern Zhangye?” suggested Minister of Personnel Fan Qi.
“An excellent proposal. Zhangye is a remote land. Sending our scholars to spread Great Wei’s culture and assimilate the people will make Zhangye a true part of Great Wei within decades,” Minister of Rites Qian Cheng said.
“Establish Zhangye as a Protectorate, incorporating it into Great Wei’s administrative system.”
The court ministers quickly decided to send officials to Zhangye.
Empress Hazel Han issued an imperial edict, announcing the establishment of the Zhangye Protectorate, appointing a governor and several county magistrates, and sending scholars to Zhangye.
The announcement caused a stir throughout Great Wei.
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