Shu Chen

Chapter 427

In fact, Zhang Bao is a fan of the authorities.

It is not necessary for him to succeed Xiang Chong as the general guarding both inside and outside the capital.

At least Zheng Pu thought to himself that if he advised the emperor and the prime minister, there would be several people who could be qualified for the job no matter from the perspective of talent or loyalty.

It doesn't matter whether Zhang Bao's status dictates it or not.

However, Zheng Pu did not intend to let Zhang Bao fulfill his wish easily.

"Brother, as you said, I will play around with it."

Zheng Pu nodded and said in a slow voice, "However, I am only giving advice, and the result is up to the Son of Heaven to decide. And brother, you must first obey me, otherwise, even if brother hates him, I will not do it."

Why are you so cautious?
Hearing this, Zhang Bao first looked at Zheng Pu suspiciously for a while, then Fang nodded, "Zijin, tell me what's going on."

"It's just a matter of battle."

Zheng Pu's expression was serious, "I know that my brother is capable of force, like my uncle Wanfu's unreasonable courage, and he likes to lead the way every time he goes into battle. However, brother doesn't know the evil saying of 'a good swimmer drowns, a good rider falls'? Brother today Occupying the position of General No. [-], you should have the style of a general. If you can make your promise, you will be in the middle of the battle in the future, and you will not use force to imitate the bravery of the sudden, I will definitely try my best to make you get what you want and stay in Hexi!"

After the words fell, Zhang Bao was dumb.

To put it bluntly, Zheng Pu was worried that he had echoed the saying that "generals will inevitably die in battle".

"What Zijin said today, Wen Dai also mentioned it in a letter, could it be that?"

With some indifference, he raised his eyebrows and said in a clear voice, but seeing Zheng Pu's still serious face, he cut off his words abruptly, and waved his hands helplessly, "Okay, I'm going to deal with this matter as soon as possible." It is what Zijin wishes."

However, Zheng Pu still did not give up, but raised his hand instead.

The intention is obvious: to swear by high-fiving Zhang Bao.

Don't believe me?
It also made Zhang Bao feel a little embarrassed.

Although he didn't have Ji Bu's promise, he never broke his promise!

It's just that there is something to ask for in the end, he took a deep breath, raised his hand, and slapped it fiercely with the intention of venting his anger.

Unexpectedly, it fell through.

Zheng Pu burst out laughing when he raised his hand, and rode his horse forward.

"Shufu, how dare you play tricks on me!"

Zhang Bao, who was a little stunned, couldn't help but cursed with a smile, and chased after him on horseback.

I also suddenly remembered that his sister-in-law's temperament is not limited to stubbornness, he is also good at making jokes~
Laughing all the way.

About half an hour later, they ran into the Shaodang Qiang King Mangzhong who had heard the news.

Because Zheng Pu sent someone to inform him after he entered the West Sea, the Qiang King Mangzhong came out to greet him in a hurry, with only five or six horsemen in his entourage, and everyone was dressed unevenly.

This also shows his trust in Zheng Pu.

If Zheng Pu had malicious intentions, it would be a piece of cake to kill all his five or six riders.

"Zheng Jun, are you safe?"

The Qiang King Mangzhong, who was galloping towards him, waved his hands violently from a distance, and his voice was quite joyful.

When he got to the front, he turned to blame, "Zheng Jun came to visit, but he didn't notify in advance, so I didn't even have time to prepare a banquet!"

"It's rude of me to come here without warning, I hope the leader will not be guilty."

He handed over his hands and confessed his guilt, but Zheng Pu's voice showed no apology at all, "As for setting up a banquet and preparing wine, there is no need. I haven't met the leader for a long time, but now that I meet again, the joy in my heart is like drinking wine, and I don't feel drunk anymore. !"

"Hahaha~~"

Involuntarily, King Qiang glowed in his heart, "Zheng Jun is still funny, hearing what you say makes me feel like a spring breeze! Well, it's very cold, and this place is not a place to reminisce about the old days. You will come with me to the city and have a drink and have fun."

After saying that, he ordered people to drive the horse to lead the way.

After arriving at the tribe's habitat, they slaughtered cattle and sheep, held a big banquet, and summoned the tribe's shamans and nobles to have fun, fully embodying simplicity and hospitality.

In other words, after the Great Han resumed the Silk Road, he gave his tribe a rich life, which made them full of gratitude.

Although Zhang Bao is visiting for the first time, but as the brother of the empress, and having previously supervised two thousand cavalrymen of the Shaodang Qiang in the battle in Hexi, the reputation of drinking alcohol will no longer exist this time.

Under the enthusiasm of their frequent invitations to drink, they got drunk and were carried away by their subordinates to rest.

Zheng Pu, who casually found a reason for being unwell and also had a bad reputation, no one came to make fun of him.

Therefore, the eyes are still clear, and there is no hint of drunkenness.

And Qiang Wang Mangzhong also had a tacit understanding and kept restraining himself from being greedy.

As the leader of the tribe, he knew that there must be a reason why Zheng Pu and his party came unexpectedly during the season when the mountains were covered by heavy snow.

The feast lasted for a long time, and did not stop until nightfall.

After everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed, Qiang King Mangzhong stepped forward and said to Zheng Pu, "Mr. Zheng, it's so noisy here, why don't you go out with me to blow some air?"

"Stick what you want!"

Zheng Pu smiled sheepishly, got up and left the table, and waved his hand to signal Qi Ya Cuo and other followers not to follow.

At night in the West Sea after days of heavy snowfall, the night became very low, making people feel that the wanton twinkling stars and the clear Milky Way seemed to be within reach; the still whimpering wind, occasionally accompanied by a faint howl of wolves, made people walk Slowly, Zheng Pu suddenly felt various otherworldly feelings.

It's just that, as a duty, he will eventually stain this pure land with the filth of power.

"Don't hide it from the leader, I came here with a request."

After the two walked side by side for half a quarter of an hour, Zheng Pu stopped walking away from the dome of the yurt, and straight to the point stated the purpose of coming, "With the wisdom of the leader, seeing my wife and brother coming, you can already guess what I want here, right? "

"Well, I have guesses in my heart, but I dare not confirm it."

Gently nodding his head, Qiang Wang Mangzhong sat cross-legged with a low body, and patted the ground to signal Zheng Pu to join him, "The intention of Mr. Zheng to come here is to ask for soldiers from our army."

"Then, what do you think the leader wants?"

Zheng Pu, who was also cross-legged on the ground, asked slowly, and also explained the sentence, "My request for soldiers this time is different from the previous one. According to our Han military system, the soldiers and family members of the Qiang and Hu tribes will move into the counties and counties. membership."

"Hey, Mr. Zheng is sincere."

Hearing this, King Qiang raised his head and smiled, but he didn't give a damn, looking up at the bright galaxy.

Zheng Pu didn't rush, and quietly waited for the next sentence.

"Dividing the clan will inevitably lead to losses. I don't want to see it."

After a long period of silence, Qiang King Mangzhong said in a faint voice, "And I am not afraid of hating the Han court because of this. With the remoteness and desolation of this place, even if Mr. Zheng personally supervises the troops to attack, it will take a lot of time to defeat our troops." It wastes a lot of time and consumes countless food and fodder. Compared with asking for troops, it is not worth the loss to attack with anger. Not to mention, the enemy of the Han court is against Wei, not me. However. "

At this point, he looked sideways, his face full of helplessness, "However, even if I don't want it in every way, I have to agree to Zheng Jun's request."

Huh?
Why is this?

Zheng Pu raised his eyebrows, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Ugh"

With a sigh, Qiang Wang Mangzhong's tone was very annoyed, "I shouldn't have sent troops to help Hexi before!"

It turned out that it was just a battle in the Lushui tributary of Hexi in the past. When the big man repatriated the Shaodang people who accompanied the conquest, he also recorded the rewards for their achievements and the generous compensation for the dead.

It also made them return to the tribe, which aroused the yearning of countless people to fight for the great man.

Because many measures to treat Han and Qiang equally have not happened.

For example, during the Han Dynasty when the capital was still in Luoyang, every time the Zhongqiang tribes of Liangzhou vassals were conscripted, there were few rewards or compensation for casualties.

According to legend, there should be some according to the court law.

But at that time, the governor of Liangzhou, the prefect of Jincheng and the captain of Huqiang all claimed that there was no such thing.

Today, there is a Hanting whose capital is in Chengdu.

Moreover, those who were sent by the Qiang king to help the war could bring back countless wealth. If they were conscripted by the Han court to fight or recruited into the ranks of the big men, the treatment would be better and more generous, right?

Furthermore, compared with the counties and counties to the east of Chiling (Sun Moon Mountain), Xihai is really desolate, with frequent disasters and difficult livelihoods.

Under such circumstances, Zheng Pu used his family to move to Liangzhou or Hanzhong and other places as a way to recruit soldiers. According to the Western Qiang tradition that it is auspicious to die in battle, the Shaodang people will definitely follow like a cloud!
Although, the prestige King Mangzhong of Qiang was able to suppress this matter and force the clansmen not to be recruited, nor would they betray their relatives.

But since then, the people of the clan have been renounced and coerced by each other to abandon him and go to the Han Dynasty.

This is why he had to agree.

Instead of witnessing the tribe's continuous defection, it is better to take the initiative to animate the soldiers and control the loss of the tribe within an acceptable range.

And also to avoid the bad relationship with the big man from now on.

Anyway, his tribe is still sharing the benefits of the Silk Road trade today!

After eating marrow and knowing the taste, how can you give up easily?

"The Han court intends to recruit troops from our ministry, Mr. Zheng, please keep silent."

The Qiang King Mangzhong, who complained for a while, Zuo Surong said, "I will discuss privately with the nobles of the tribe, and use other reasons to transfer the clansmen and their families who originally accompanied the expedition to Hexi to Zheng Jun for resettlement. But before that , You need to follow my advice."

There were two thousand riders from the Shaodang tribe who had been enlisted before!
In other words, Qiang Wang Mangzhong's seemingly understated words actually added two thousand to the big man's household!
Due to the mixed residence of Qiang and Hu in Liangzhou, very few Li and Shu were entered into the household registration by the government.Taking the huge Longxi County as an example, before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there were less than [-] households registered in the government, but after many wars, there are now less than [-] households.
Therefore, even Zheng Pu's city, which has been somewhat calm in honor and disgrace, couldn't help but be surprised suddenly.

If you want to take it, you must first give it.

King Biqiang is so generous, he must ask for more!

"The leader's loyalty can be shown by the sun and the moon!"

Zheng Pu praised first, and then asked softly, "I don't know what the two things the leader said?"

"First, it's just a matter of lifting a finger for Mr. Zheng."

King Mangzhong of Qiang tilted his head slightly and looked over, with a playful smile, "Our tribe and Zhong Cunzhong Qiang are feuds, and he has never surrendered to the Han court. If our tribe fights with him in the future, I ask the Han court not to interfere. "

Huawai Zhongcun Zhongqiang is a tribe entrenched in the west of the Cizhi Hequ.

Previously, because he formed an alliance with the Shenlang Qiang in the Wangqu Valley, he was defeated by Ma Dai and the Shaodang Qiang. However, due to the stable relationship between the border counties, the Han army did not kill them all.On the contrary, after the war was over, both the prefects of Longxi and Xiping privately granted the county's Haoyou to trade with them, secretly helping the other side to restore their previous momentum.

In order to avoid burning Dangzhong Qiang's family alone.

Since the former Han Dynasty, the Liangzhou government has long been familiar with the checks and balances adopted by the Qianghu tribes such as differentiation, suppression of the strong and support of the weak.

Qiang King Mangzhong also knew this well.

That's why he took this opportunity to cryptically propose that the government no longer secretly assist Huawai Zhongcun.

And just as he said, with Zheng Pu's current status, it's not difficult to facilitate this matter: just say hello to Xiping and the prefect of Longxi on the way back to Ji County.

"it is good."

After pondering for a while, Zheng Pu nodded and said, "Zhong Cunzhong Qiang is not a vassal of my big man. If the leader takes revenge, please feel free to do so. I have no reason to interfere. If the leader doesn't believe me, I am willing to act in front of the witch Zhu of your department." Oath to curse alliance!"

"Hahaha~"

Immediately, King Qiang laughed loudly, "Zheng Jun has always treated me with sincerity, I don't believe it!"

But what he didn't know was that the reason why Zheng Pu replied so briskly was because he felt that even if the Shaodang Qiang attacked the Huawaizhong Cun Qiang, the big man could still secretly encourage the Baima Qiang who had become a vassal to contain them.
Moreover, Zheng Pu didn't feel that calculating him like this was against his personal faith.

It has something to do with state affairs, so there is no such thing as favoritism.

Furthermore, taking a step back, Shaodangzhong Qiang is too powerful, which is not good for each other.

Because if the big men feel that they will become a threat, they will inevitably increase their troops to guard against and cut off their Silk Road interests, and the Shaodang Qiang will naturally hold grudges, and eventually it will gradually turn into enemies and attack each other.

So, why bother!
Zheng Pu laughed a few times to accompany him, and then asked, "I don't know the second thing about the leader, what is it?"

But Qiang King Mangzhong didn't say anything clearly, but asked rhetorically, "Zheng Jun, I heard the caravan talk a few days ago, saying that Zhu Yi died in the battle in Hexi, and that General Ma had already disarmed in the Shandan Ranch and was no longer there. Supervising Xiliang iron cavalry. I wonder if this rumor is wrong?"

Note that it was the Shaodang Qiang King who originally lived in the Huangshui River Valley, and later became the Qiang Cavalry Sima of the Han Qiang Guard, and changed his name to Liu Zhu. He was killed by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in Wushaoling It is true that Ma Dai asked himself to be a virtuous man because of his old age, and retired to the Shandan Ranch to graze horses and train cavalry for the imperial court.

As for Qiang King Mangzhong's question, of course it was not as simple as asking for information about an old friend.

Gein, among the many assistants of the Han Dynasty, Shaodang Qiang is the only one who is friendly with these two, and only these two will protect their Silk Road interests in Liangzhou affairs.

Now, it was inevitable that Qiang King Mang would be worried if they retreated and died.

Hear the string song and know the elegant meaning.

After hearing this, Zheng Pu understood it in his heart.

Nai slowly opened his mouth and said, "The rumors are true, and I know the leader's worries. Well, my brother-in-law is a man of affection, and the leader sent all the people to fight with him. If something happens in Xihai in the future, he will definitely not stand by and watch. I have visited several times, and the chiefs have treated me very courteously, can I not be grateful?"

"With Zheng Jun's words, I feel at ease!"

King Qiang Mangzhong laughed out loud with palms in his hands, and got up to invite, "I didn't fully enjoy the banquet just now, I wonder if Mr. Zheng would like to get drunk with me?"

"Do you dare not obey?"

Zheng Pu also got up, "Boss, please."

Just on the way back to the yurt, he was already thinking about the matter of driving north to welcome the emperor.

The leader of a foreign-born Qiang tribe is busy planning for the future; and the big Han with a larger territory and more interest factions will also usher in a conflict of interests after the prime minister returns to power as the emperor?
Or in other words, the reason why the prime minister pushes the government to the public is not limited to resting his body?

(End of this chapter)