Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 758 Certificate of Surrender

It turned out that the eight tribes were afraid of Jia Changsheng's expansion and worried about their own safety, so they united and planned to resist Jia Changsheng together. They not only strengthened the fortifications between the tribes, stored food and forge weapons, but also stepped up the training of soldiers to try to improve their ability to cooperate in combat. In addition, they also planned to send people to divide the tribes that Jia Changsheng had conquered, intending to provoke civil strife.

A Yong knew that this matter was of great importance, so he did not dare to delay and immediately rushed back to the tribe with the information. He came to Tieshan without stopping and reported the information he had obtained in detail.

After listening to this, Tieshan frowned and fell into deep thought. He knew that the combined strength of these eight tribes should not be underestimated. If they really clashed with Jia Changsheng, it would inevitably bring a bloody storm to the entire Dayuan Island. The Jiuniu Tribe would face huge risks no matter which side they stood on. But after weighing the pros and cons, Tieshan believed that Jia Changsheng's development potential and leadership ability were more worthy of following.

Tieshan thought for a moment, then raised his head and said to Ayong with a firm look in his eyes: "Ayong, you have made a great contribution this time. Our tribe cannot be involved in this fight. I decided to tell Jia Changsheng the news as a token of my allegiance to him. You should immediately select a few brothers and go with me to Jia Changsheng's camp."

A Yong looked embarrassed and said, "Chief, it's a long way to go to Jia Changsheng's camp, and we don't know if he will accept us. What if..."

Tieshan patted Ayong on the shoulder and said, "I have made up my mind. Jia Changsheng must have some extraordinary qualities to be able to conquer so many tribes in a short period of time. If we take the initiative to surrender to him and offer this important information, he will definitely see our sincerity. Moreover, if we continue to stay out of it, once those eight tribes go to war with Jia Changsheng, our Jiuniu tribe may not be able to remain unscathed."

Seeing that the leader had made up his mind, A Yong said no more. He quickly selected a few strong and loyal tribal warriors and set out for Jia Changsheng's camp with Tieshan.

Along the way, they crossed mountains and ridges, traveled day and night. Finally, after a few days, they saw the flag of Jia Changsheng's camp in the distance.

When they arrived in front of the camp, the guards immediately stopped them. Tieshan quickly stated his identity and purpose: "We are from the Jiuniu tribe, and we have important information to present to Lord Jia Changsheng. This is a matter of great importance to the safety of his forces."

The guards did not dare to neglect and quickly reported the matter. Soon, Tieshan and others were brought before Jia Changsheng.

Jia Changsheng sat in the tent, looking at Tieshan and the others, and asked, "Why did you from the Jiuniu tribe suddenly come here, and what important information do you want to tell me?"

Tieshan knelt down quickly and said respectfully, "Master Jia Changsheng, we in the Jiuniu tribe have always heard of your reputation and admire you very much. Recently, we have noticed that the eight tribes neighboring us have been acting unusually. After investigation, we found that they have united to resist you because they are afraid of your power. They not only strengthened their defenses, stored food and grass, and trained warriors, but also tried to send people to divide the tribes you have conquered and provoke civil strife. I know that this matter is of great importance to you, so I came here to present this information. I am willing to use this letter of surrender to lead the Jiuniu tribe to join you and serve you."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng was shocked and took Tieshan's report very seriously. However, he remained calm on the surface and carefully asked Tieshan about the specific deployment of the eight tribes, the strength of the troops, and their action plans. Tieshan told Jia Changsheng everything he knew.

After Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment, a gratified smile appeared on his face. He stood up, personally helped Tieshan up, and said: "Chief Tieshan, your move is very wise. This information is extremely important to me. I admire your vision and decision. If the Jiuniu tribe is willing to surrender, I will naturally welcome it. From now on, we are a family. I will definitely let the Jiuniu tribe prosper and develop on this land together with other tribes that surrender."

Tieshan was overjoyed and thanked him again, "Thank you for accepting me, my Lord. My Nine Oxen Tribe will be loyal and follow you, even if it means going through fire and water!"

Jia Changsheng accepted the surrender from the Jiuniu Tribe, and thus learned the plans of the eight tribes in advance, which won him precious preparation time for the upcoming challenges. The surrender of the Jiuniu Tribe also further strengthened his power and gave him a more advantageous position in the situation on Dayuan Island.

After learning the important intelligence provided by the Jiuniu tribe, Jia Changsheng knew that the situation was urgent, and immediately summoned Zhou Yu, Xu Shu, Pang Tong and other counselors and generals to gather in the tent to discuss countermeasures. The atmosphere in the tent was solemn, and everyone sat around, their eyes focused on Jia Changsheng.

Jia Changsheng looked serious and spoke first: "Everyone, the Jiuniu tribe just came to surrender and brought an important news. Eight tribes on the other side of the island have united and intend to fight against us. But we can't lose our composure because of the threat of these eight tribes. After thinking about it, I think we can first subdue the other more than ten tribes that have not yet expressed their opinions, strengthen our own strength, and then turn back to deal with these eight tribes. What do you think about this?"

Zhou Yu stroked his chin, thought for a moment and then said, "My Lord, this is a brilliant plan. Conquering the other tribes first can expand our human and material resources and increase our strength. Secondly, it can isolate the eight tribes and make them surrounded by enemies. However, to conquer these tribes, we need to be strategic, and the best strategy is to use both kindness and force."

Xu Shu nodded in agreement: "Gongjin is right. We can first send envoys with generous gifts to the tribes to publicize the benevolence of the lord and the many benefits of surrendering, such as teaching advanced technology, ensuring the safety of the tribes, and promoting trade development. For those tribes that are interested, we can further discuss the details of cooperation; if there are tribes that are hesitant, we can appropriately show force to let them know that there is no benefit in being our enemy."

Pang Tong frowned slightly and added: "What you said makes sense, but we must also be wary of those eight tribes interfering. They may send people to lobby other tribes to fight against us together. Therefore, while sending envoys, we must arrange spies to closely monitor the movements of various tribes. Once we find that the eight tribes are taking any action, we will respond in time."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng agreed deeply: "What Gongjin, Yuanzhi, and Shiyuan said is to the point. Let's act according to this plan. Gongjin, you are responsible for selecting envoys who are eloquent and have insight into people's hearts, and form several delegations to go to various tribes. Be sure to explain our sincerity and strength to them, and try to get them to voluntarily submit."

Zhou Yu clasped his fists and accepted the order: "My lord, rest assured, I will live up to your trust."

Jia Changsheng looked at Xu Shu again and said, "Yuanzhi, you should prepare a detailed cooperation plan and formulate corresponding assistance and development plans based on the characteristics of different tribes. Let each tribe clearly see the prospects after joining."

Xu Shu bowed and said, "My Lord, I will do it immediately and make sure the plan is thorough and detailed."

Jia Changsheng then said to Pang Tong: "Shiyuan, the arrangement of the spies is left to you. Make sure the intelligence is accurate and timely so that we can have a full understanding of the dynamics of each tribe. In addition, strengthen the defense of the camp to prevent the eight tribes from attacking." Pang Tong responded: "Don't worry, my lord, I will make the arrangements properly."

At this time, Gan Ning stood up and said in a muffled voice: "My lord, if any tribe is ungrateful and refuses to submit, I will lead a team of troops to attack them and defeat them until they are convinced!"

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Xingba, force is the last resort. We should avoid it if possible. We must convince people with benevolence and righteousness, and let the tribes follow us willingly. However, you must also be prepared. If necessary, we must let the enemy see our military might."

Gan Ning scratched his head and said, "Okay, my lord, I'll listen to you. But if we really start fighting, I promise to beat them to a pulp!"

Jia Changsheng also reminded everyone: "This time, conquering the tribes is related to our success or failure. Everyone must act with caution. When interacting with the tribes, respect their customs and beliefs, and do not be arrogant in the slightest."

Everyone responded in unison: "We will obey the Lord's orders!"

Afterwards, everyone dispersed and took action according to Jia Changsheng's deployment. Zhou Yu carefully selected the envoys and trained them in detail; Xu Shu worked day and night to formulate detailed cooperation plans; Pang Tong arranged spies in an orderly manner and built a tight intelligence network; Gan Ning urged the soldiers to intensify their training and be ready to deal with possible battles at any time. Jia Changsheng himself also paid close attention to the progress of all parties, looking forward to the smooth implementation of the plan to conquer other tribes, in order to meet the challenges of the eight tribes and lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of Dayuan Island.

While Jia Changsheng was busy preparing to conquer other tribes, the spies arranged by Pang Tong returned one after another. After Jia Changsheng learned the news, he immediately summoned Zhou Yu, Xu Shu, Gan Ning and other confidants to gather in the tent to listen to the spies' reports.

The atmosphere in the tent was a little tense, and everyone's eyes were focused on the dusty scouts. Jia Changsheng looked solemn and spoke first: "Thank you for your hard work. Now I will tell you in detail about the situation of the other ten tribes that I have scouted."

The leading spy saluted, cleared his throat, and began to report: "My lord, we have conducted in-depth investigations on these ten tribes one by one. Let's talk about the Aries tribe, which is closest to us. This tribe makes a living by herding sheep. The tribe members are gentle and the tribe is medium-sized, with about 3,000 people. Their defense facilities are relatively weak and mainly rely on the surrounding natural terrain. At present, the tribal leaders are worried about the growing population and limited pasture resources. If we can provide methods to expand pastures or improve breeding techniques, they are very likely to join us."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly, signaling the spy to continue.

The spy continued, "Next to the White Sheep Tribe is the Green Bamboo Tribe. This tribe is good at bamboo weaving and lives a rich life. There are about 2,500 people in the tribe, with their own unique culture and beliefs. They attach great importance to their own traditions. In the past, foreign forces tried to interfere, but they cleverly resolved them. However, their bamboo weaving products have limited sales channels. If we can help them expand their trade, we may be able to impress them."

Xu Shu was recording the key information and asked, "What is their attitude towards us? Do they know our intentions?"

The spy replied, "It seems that they have heard about us, but they are not sure of our true intentions and are in a wait-and-see state."

The spy took a sip of water and continued to report: "Further south is the Feiyun tribe. This is a nomadic tribe. The tribesmen are good at riding and shooting, and are highly mobile. There are about 4,000 people in the tribe. They live by the water and grass, and currently have average relations with the surrounding tribes. After hearing about our strength, they have different opinions. Some people think we are a threat and advocate joining forces with other tribes to resist; others think they may be able to cooperate with us to obtain more advanced weapons and supplies."

Gan Ning's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Are they good at riding and shooting? If we can recruit them, our cavalry strength will be greatly increased."

Jia Changsheng nodded in agreement, and then asked the spy: "For those who advocate cooperation, is there any way we can contact and win them over?"

The spy thought for a moment and said, "My lord, we can establish preliminary contact with them through the small tribes that have trade relations with them."

The spy continued, "There is also the Stone Gravel Tribe, which is located in the mountains. The tribe is good at mining stones and making stone tools. The tribe has about 2,000 people. Although it is small in size, its stone weapons and tools are very popular among the surrounding tribes. They are currently relatively closed and are extremely vigilant against external forces. However, their mining technology is relatively primitive and inefficient. If we can provide advanced mining technology, we may be able to break their defenses."

Zhou Yu stroked his chin and analyzed: "For this kind of closed tribe, the key is to gain their trust. Our envoys need to show enough sincerity, start with technical exchanges, and gradually establish relations."

The spy reported the situation of several tribes: "The Qingquan tribe is mainly engaged in fishing and farming. It has abundant water resources and fertile land, and has a population of about 3,500. They occasionally have conflicts with surrounding tribes, mainly because of water distribution issues. At present, their attitude towards us is unclear, but if we can help resolve the water dispute, we will surely gain their favor."

"The Lingmu tribe is proficient in medicine and good at using herbs to cure diseases and save lives. There are about 2,200 people in the tribe. They advocate peace and are extremely disgusted with war. I heard that we often put benevolence and righteousness first when conquering tribes. They don't seem to reject us, but they don't have the intention to actively submit. Perhaps we can start with medical exchanges to enhance mutual understanding."

"The Wind Tribe, the tribe members are known for their speed and agility, and are good at tracking and reconnaissance. There are about 2,800 people in the tribe. They are currently neutral and observing all forces. They are very interested in new things. If we can show some unique technology or tools, it may attract them."

(End of this chapter)