The weakening of the Seleucid Empire was a long process, and the independence of Parthia and Bactria~ happened thirty-seven years ago, and with the local turmoil and wars, some ethnic groups in Central Asia became the most direct victims.

In the event of a war or instability, there will always be some people who have migrated and fled, and it is generally because of the redistribution of assets, which has led to the propertied becoming displaced people formed by the proletarians.

The independence of Parthia and Bactria~ not only broke the distribution of resources in the Seleucid period, but they also attacked the surrounding tribes and forced those who did not obey the rule to flee. These fleeing tribes inevitably wanted to get food in the process of wandering, and as a result, they continued to attack some of the people who had been guarding themselves, so that more and more people were drawn into the chaos and became part of the fugitives.

Driven by the combined forces of Parthia and Bactria, they were forced to flee eastward, causing unimaginable devastation along the way, and at one point numbering more than a million people.

Why did Parthia and Bactria hunt down some tribes? Of course, it was to acquire land, that is, to leave certain areas "blank" so that the so-called redistribution of assets could be carried out, and the land taken would be used to reward the new nobility. In addition, they also used the fugitives as a precursor, and used them as pawns for their expansion. To put it bluntly, it can't be to let the fugitives destroy everything in their path, and then let the two countries achieve greater results without having to work harder.

Beginning almost in 231 BC and continuing until 208 BCE, Parthia and Bactria pursued the fugitives for twenty-three years, stretching from the Tigris region to the Western Regions, after which the empire was named.

In the past twenty-three years, I don't know how many people have become corpses lying on the side of the road, former children have become prime, former prime-aged people have become old men, people have died and lived and changed stubble after stubble, and then how many tribes have perished and how many new tribes have been swept in.

"You've spent more than twenty years hunting them down?" The object to which Liu Bang spoke was Anglie. He had come to Anglie on purpose. Asking for information about the fugitives, the answers were not many, but they could almost understand the viciousness of Parthia and Bactria.

"It's not every year, we will stay for a while, give those who have fled a chance to breathe, and wait for the right time before a new round of hunting," said Angle. ”

Liu Bang understood almost in seconds, and he also thought that since he wanted to make the fugitives a pawn, he naturally couldn't be too weak, and at the same time, he couldn't let those fugitives completely breathe. He also thought of another layer, Parthia and Bactria's pursuit of fugitives.

Thinking of this, Liu Bang simply asked directly: "Your army must be moving things back and forth, right?" ”

Angre was stunned by the question. looked at Liu Bang in a daze, and said with some admiration: "Yes, you must also know, we are indeed constantly rotating, using new recruits to pursue fugitives, and transferring veterans who have seen blood to the Western Front to deal with Seleucus, and this cycle has been going on." ”

Seleucus was weakening, but it was still a behemoth for both Parthia and Bactria, far from being able to compete with the combination of Parthia and Bactria.

"In fact, Antiochus III did not exert all his strength against us." Anglie was well aware that as the imperial legations continued to move closer to Central Asia. Next, Liu Bang will definitely learn more and more, so he will simply introduce it slowly.

The current Seleucid has maintained at least three fronts, constantly fighting the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt in the west, and naval battles with the allied forces of the Greek city-states in the Mediterranean direction. To the east, of course, was the war against the two fragmented countries of Parthia and Bactria.

"Arsinoeid III of the Ptolemaic dynasty was a relatively virtuous monarch who always sought to win over the Armenians at great expense and beauty." Anglie smiled, pausing as if recalling something, before continuing: "Arsinoeil III is not like Ptolemy IV. Ptolemy IV was more focused on co-opting the Greek city-states. ”

Liu Bang listened to those things and the world a little around, but he still understood something.

The Ptolemaic dynasty seems to have had a dual monarchy, with pharaohs and auxiliary kings. For example, Ptolemy IV is the current pharaoh, and he attaches more importance to the power of Greece, but because he did an impulsive thing when he succeeded to the throne, he has not been able to gain the favor of the Greek city-states.

What did Ptolemy IV do? Shortly after his accession, King Cleonmini III of Sparta, who had taken refuge in Egypt, was arrested and imprisoned, leading to an internal rebellion. That might have been the case, but because the Greek city-states had reconciled with Antiochus III of Seleucus, Seleucus was able to draw troops from the Mediterranean and launch the Fourth Syrian War against the Ptolemaic dynasty for territory around Palestine in Syria.

The Fourth Syrian War was more than a decade ago, in 221 B.C., when the First Emperor was ruling the "world", and a certain man who is now the Emperor of the Emperor was still sleeping in a pigsty.

"Simply because the Ptolemaic dynasty was victorious in that war," Anglie said. Because of his victory at the Battle of Rafia, he successfully resisted Antiochus III's attack on Egyptian territory in Palestine. Through the peace treaty, Ptolemy IV seized all the coastal cities of the Seleucid dynasty except for Seleucia. After the war, he married his sister Arsinoui III, as was customary in Egypt. That is, the auxiliary king of Egypt, her tendency was to reject Greece and want to reconcile with Seleucus, and the two had a somewhat unpleasant quarrel. ”

"Huh? Brother and sister get married? Liu Bang felt a little incredible: "How can close relatives get married?" ”

Anglie did not feel anything wrong, he said: "It was the custom of the Ptolemaic dynasty to marry brother and sister, to ensure the purity of the royal blood, and it has long been this custom. ”

In fact, in order to ensure the purity of the bloodline, the royal family of consanguineous marriage was by no means only the Ptolemaic Dynasty, and the later Rome also adopted consanguineous marriage in order to ensure the purity of the so-called bloodline, and the result was ......

Egypt and Rome are not alone, in fact, the royal families of many countries have such a custom, that is to ensure the long-term rule of the royal family, and various relatives have been married in the future, for example, there is an old grandmother in England, her descendants are the kings of many kingdoms. It seems that there was such a custom in Huaxia as well. But it's not a brother and sister of the same father and mother who get married, it's the maternal side...... That is, the custom of cousins and cousins kissing each other is still forbidden in modern times.

Whether it was the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt or the Seleucid Empire, they were now a little far away from the envoys, and Liu Bang summoned Anglie over for something else.

"You, Parthia, were you at war with Usun last time?" Liu Bang was using a question, but the expression on his face was not much confused. He was talking about an established fact that had already happened, and then asked, "I heard that you are preparing for the Second Crusade?" ”

Angliel did not hide it. He replied: "Last time, we were not well prepared, and many nobles in the country were ashamed of their defeat to Wusun, and it was true that many nobles wanted to launch the Second Crusade. ”

"That's not good." Liu Bang raised his hand and gestured for a moment, and said, "Wusun is now an ally of the Empire, and Parthia and Bactria have also gained the friendship of the Empire. If war breaks out between you, the empire will be on the side of the Wusun if it is currently needed by the Empire to contain the Xiongnu and other steppe tribes in the northwest. ”

Anglie nodded, of course he knew that this would happen, the empire really needed Wusun. Then it is destined that whoever goes to war against Wusun will be the enemy of the empire. He hesitated and said, "We understand this situation and are looking for a solution, but ...... There are loud calls for war in the country, unless ...... Usun was able to take action. ”

What action? It was nothing more than Usun's compromise with Parthia and Bactria. Apologize and make reparations for the last war, and then perhaps give some benefits to Parthia and Bactria on the side of the Empire.

Liu Bang understood, Angliel was blackmailing in a tactful way, but whether it was tactful or straightforward. It's all blackmail.

The empire had just reached into the Western Regions, and Parthia and Bactria had already put their hands into the Western Regions, most notably some news from the Kangju Kingdom. With the decline of the overlord of the Western Regions, many countries in the western regions have fallen to Bactria.

"We are about to go to your country, and if our two countries enter a state of war halfway, this trip will not be necessary." Liu Bang was very blunt: "The empire is willing to win-win coexistence, which is based on the premise of mutual friendship...... In fact, he prefers to use violence to resolve differences. ”

Anglie did not expect that Liu Bang would be the first to issue a threat of war, which was very different from what he imagined. In his opinion, the empire is now facing a threat from the steppe, and it will make some compromises depending on the actual situation of the empire needs Wusun, so that both Parthia and Bactria can get some benefits from non-war means, such as tax incentives on trade, or more restrictions on opening up the empire.

You must know that Bactria and the Western Regions are actually connected by territory, and they have reached some agreements with several small countries such as Kangjuguo, and they are several steps ahead of the empire in the layout of the Western Regions. So in this actual situation, the empire, as a newcomer, should be more conservative, at least until Wusun stabilizes, or has a base to advance.

Liu Bang's strength clearly told Anglie that they were wrong, the empire was new to the empire, but the empire was not willing to show weakness.

"We're very far apart, aren't we?" Anglie's face was full of confusion, and he said: "In fact, there is no territorial entanglement, and it is more suitable for the two sides to conduct commercial exchanges." What we need is a more reasonable tax on trade on the part of the Empire, as well as the opening up of some restrictions on goods. The more we buy, the more you can benefit, so why should there be so many restrictions? ”

"Wusun is not far away from you, the empire needs Wusun now, and I don't want to see Parthia and Bactria when Wusun is facing the threat of many tribal wars in the steppe." Liu Bang didn't know what commercial fraud was, he just said a reality: "If your country and Parthia still insist on waging war against Wusun, the imperial army stationed in Wusun will also join the war against you. ”

After thinking for a while, Angle asked, "You mean, you need to stay in Usun and wait for the reply of my country and the king of Parthia, and then decide whether to continue the journey?" ”

Liu Bang shook his head and said with a smile: "No, no, no, we will stop in Wusun, but we don't need to get a reply." ”

Angli didn't understand a little, and looked at Liu Bang in a daze, wanting to get a clearer answer.

"War is war, and diplomatic relations are diplomatic relations. In our understanding, the fact that a state of war does not mean that the channels of communication should be severed, and in fact, it is not incomprehensible in our history that countries have remained friendly when they enter a state of war. Liu Bang tilted his head and looked at Angli strangely: "Isn't this the case over there?" ”

Admittedly, Angle's mind is a bit messed up right now.

In Central Asia or the Mediterranean, once the two countries enter a state of war, it is equivalent to completely cutting off the channels of communication, and only when one side admits defeat will the bridge of communication be re-established, but that is also to negotiate the terms of defeat and surrender.

On the Chinese side, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are actually civil wars between various vassal states, and there is a "co-lord of the world" above their heads, so naturally there is no shortage of communication bridges. In fact, unless the belligerents do not admit that they are still vassal states under the command of the Zhou royal family, it is really not easy to cut off the communication channels.

"I recommend...... Do you still want to ......?" Angre reorganized his language: "Ta Pilates and I will send at once to hurry back and tell the king what you mean. I personally have a suggestion, until the king makes a decision, maybe you should stay in Usun? ”

Liu Bang said: "How long we stay depends entirely on the weather, not on anyone's ad hoc decision." ”

"My friend, I personally know very well the strength of the Empire, and I also understand the Empire's determination to protect Wusun. It can even be said that I personally know very well that it is not a rational thing to be an enemy of the Empire, you can launch a run for thousands of miles against the steppe tribes, and you can also cross thousands of miles to establish an advance base on the Wusun side to prepare for a war on our side......" Anglie's face was full of confusion, and he asked: "But...... Is it necessary? (To be continued.) )