Mythical Three Kingdoms

As for whether doing this will seriously weaken the Sulun Family’s power, the Kalan Family does not care at all. The two sides have fought for hundreds of years, and they are well aware of each other’s strategies. Even if they add some royalty, at most, the Sulun Family will suffer a little, probably not enough to cause serious damage. After all, if you can’t win, you bow your head, everyone understands, because there’s still some favor left.

Thus, the Kalan Family willingly accompanied Vologases V, however, the Kalan Family did not know that Vologases V’s initial purpose was to decisively harm the Sulun Family, at least to strip them of the right to crown the king.

Of course, this purpose, even if Vologases V had told the Kalan Family, they would not have believed it. However, sometimes reality is more magical than fiction. After all, reality can operate without logic, whereas novels must narrate some truths.

The Kalan Family didn’t even understand what was happening when Vologases V completely defeated the Sulun Family. With their over ten thousand private soldiers and plenty of cavalry, the Sulun Family was routed by the Parthian Sacred Cavalry Corps led by Atlatome.

With just over three thousand members, the Divine Cavalry Legion lost only a few hundred men to totally defeat the Sulun Family’s private soldiers. When Atlatome, covered in blood, threw the Sulun Family’s gold clan emblem at the feet of the Kalan Family’s patriarch, the patriarch instantly realized their family had boarded a pirate ship that one could only get on but never get off.

Sadly, it was too late to say anything, so the Kalan Family, as accomplices of Vologases V, could only proceed angrily. Fortunately, after absorbing nearly eighty percent of the Sulun Family’s resources, the two parties could sufficiently restrain the other Five Great Nobles.

Afterward, Vologases V pardoned the Sulun Family’s sins due to their generations of meritorious service, and he awarded a piece of land, relocating the remaining members of the Sulun Family there.

Although Vologases V knew the Sulun Family wouldn’t take long to rise again, if he exterminated them, the Death Soldiers planted by the Sulun Family within Parthia would retaliate massively, potentially creating fatal weaknesses during his upcoming war against Rome.

Of course, even during normal times, that group wouldn’t be able to shake the state’s foundation, yet they could create considerable hidden dangers for Parthia. Therefore, reaching the current situation where the Sulun Family is docile and allowed to be monitored, Vologases V was satisfied.

Vologases V knew well that he couldn’t directly exterminate these families in his generation, but he could weaken them through strong authority.

Due to Vologases V displaying brave and valiant combat in this battle, courageous and decisive yet not brutal or cruel, perfectly meeting the expectations of the Parthians for their emperor, many strong individuals rallied to his cause after the battle, among whom there were no less than ten Inner Qi Manifestation martial artists.

With these truly loyal capable officials and administrators, the blueprint of Vologases V’s dreams could finally be sketched out in reality.

Events in such a distant place as Parthia hold almost no meaning for those currently residing in the Han Dynasty, as the Han Dynasty hasn’t yet embarked on its imperial journey.

Just as Severus of Rome is striving to quell domestic rebellions and resolve issues with barbarians left by the Era of the Five Wise Emperors, preparing for the journey ahead, the Han Dynasty is also striving to quell domestic unrest and clear up troubles left by the North and South.

Likewise, Parthia is struggling to suppress the Seven Great Nobles domestically, gradually reclaiming military and political powers under royal leadership, while Kushan, after pacifying domestic rebellions and reclaiming Khwarezm and Khorasan, finds the more important task not in waging war but in extricating itself from complex religious beliefs and cultural traditions.

For the Kushan Empire, its strength is quite reliable. Though subjected to alternating beatings from the Huns and the Han Empire, it hasn’t perished. As a country repeatedly ground down by the peak Huns and peak Han Empire yet still surviving, its battle power is actually dependable.

After all, the empire capable of being alternately thrashed by two great empires and not completely destroyed is reliable from any angle. Moreover, current times are different from past times; Kushan’s national power is gradually rising while the Han Empire and the Huns experience severe decline.

Thus, nowadays, Kushan’s overall strength is currently higher than Parthia, which has been frequently embroiled in conflict with Rome over the past hundred years.

Nonetheless, the question of how much of this raised national strength can be exerted remains significant. The complex religious and cultural issues of Central Asia and South Asia seriously limit Kushan’s capabilities.

Indeed, rebellions in places like Khwarezm and Khorasan have actually been partly due to Buddhism flourishing in Kushan.

Central Asia itself is a significant pit of theology and religion, with various theologies and religions, though this era hasn’t escalated to the life and death stakes seen in later times, it’s still pretty bad.

Overall, Kushan’s largest issue isn’t national power but religious challenges, and ultimately falling into Buddhism comes from the fact that Buddhism is at least a relatively harmonious sect, albeit conflicted, yet manageable.

Besides, in this world with Heaven and Earth Essence, the Visualization Dharma of Buddhist Relics is also a quite effective cultivation method, so Kushan chose Buddhism as its foundation among many religions.

And among vastly different cultures, chose the caste system as its usual social stratum. Though the caste system holds significant conflict with Buddhism, it at least offers beneficial advantages to the upper echelons.

In summary, Kushan is also currently striving to integrate domestic forces into their empire, attempting to exert their full strength. All four empires are keen to fight, but their internal issues remain unsolved.

This situation, where only an arm and half a leg can be freed up, creates few issues in attacking smaller kingdoms, but aspiring for battles against empires is a daytime fantasy for all mature adults.

Thus, every empire remains orally fierce, but even Chen Xi has been orally fierce over the years, with substantial mental pressure upon contemplating actual combat, therefore quietly restraining themselves and waiting for the right moment while cultivating national strength.

”Is Sunx Bofu’s group still not back?” Chen Xi reclined behind the desk, gazing at the group of civil officials working hard in front. Originally, he expected Sunx Ce and others to return in just ten days, yet over half a month has passed without a hint of them.

Regardless, the civil officials continue revising the five-year plan, initially assuming gathering the Central Plains talent would complete the task in ten days, yet as they undertook the work, its scope kept broadening.

From the start, everyone agreed that Chen Xi would draft the outline, and they would handle the details, yet now Chen Xi snacks while they toil.

”Zichuan, this isn’t right. Why is spreading agriculture assigned to me?” Jia Xu suddenly noticed his task was incorrect and immediately looked up at Chen Xi, his first response being that Chen Xi was randomly distributing work again.

Nearby, Guo Jia couldn’t help but whistle upon hearing this, and upon hearing Jia Xu, Chen Xi briefly glanced at him while eating, ”Hey, hey, hey, don’t cheat. We agreed that I’d draft the outline and you’d manage the details, plus I’ve explained the core areas we need to grasp. Don’t deny it now, besides, I recall that task was indeed yours.”

Jia Xu’s complexion darkened, deeply impressed that the task absolutely wasn’t his, and he wouldn’t mistake his own duties. The only person likely to forget duties among those present was the one reclining and eating.

”Moreover, the task isn’t tough. You could do it yourself. I think you’d be fine serving as Minister of Agriculture,” Chen Xi said indifferently. After all, in Chen Xi’s view, anyone present could accomplish what Jia Xu mentioned, it’s merely a matter of speed, so he didn’t care who did it, as long as it wasn’t him doing it!