▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁w ield ▁a ▁usual ▁campaign ▁of ▁pl under . ▁Before ▁returning ▁to ▁Su y ab ▁he ▁instruct ed ▁B ö ri ▁Sh ad ▁and ▁his ▁gener als ▁to ▁" sp are ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁nobles ▁of ▁that ▁land , ▁in ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁they ▁come ▁out ▁to ▁meet ▁my ▁son , ▁surrender ▁to ▁my ▁rule , ▁conced e ▁their ▁towns , ▁cast les , ▁and ▁trade ▁to ▁my ▁troops ". ▁▁ ▁These ▁words ▁indicate ▁that ▁T ong ▁Y ab g hu ▁was ▁eager ▁to ▁retain ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁western most ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Sil k ▁Route , ▁as ▁he ▁tight ened ▁his ▁g rip ▁of ▁its ▁other ▁segments ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁east ▁to ▁China . ▁In ▁April ▁ 6 3 0 ▁B ö ri ▁Sh ad ▁determined ▁to ▁expand ▁his ▁control ▁of ▁Trans c au cas ia ▁and ▁sent ▁his ▁general ▁Chor pan ▁T ark han ▁with ▁as ▁little ▁as ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁caval ry ▁to ▁in va de ▁Armen ia . ▁Using ▁a ▁characteristic ▁p loy ▁of ▁nom adic ▁war riors , ▁Chor pan ▁T ark han ▁amb ushed ▁and ▁anni h il ated ▁a ▁Pers ian ▁force ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁dispatch ed ▁by ▁Sh ahr bar az ▁to ▁counter ▁the ▁invasion . ▁The ▁Tur ks ▁knew ▁the ▁S ass an id ▁response ▁would ▁be ▁har sh , ▁and ▁so ▁they ▁pl under ed ▁cities ▁and ▁with d rew ▁their ▁forces ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ste