My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 503 Hetao Model
Although he was full of doubts, Cheng Buzhi did not hesitate at all in taking action.

After receiving the invitation from Cheng Buzhi, the leaders of the various tribes in Hetao came to Bowang City with great anticipation.

Upon hearing that Cheng Buzhi was going to hold a bonfire party with the chiefs, the chiefs of each tribe had some doubts, but most of them were genuinely happy.

——Cheng Buzhi today is no longer the same as before.

As early as the reign of Emperor Taizong, Cheng Buzhi was already a representative figure among the new generation of generals in the Han Dynasty's military.

Li Guang and Cheng Bushi are almost the only new generation of generals that the Han Dynasty can produce, except for veteran generals such as Li Ji, Luan Bu, Han Tuidang, and Zhou Yafu, who is at the ceiling level.

During the reign of Emperor Xianjing, Zhou Yafu's one-time experience card was used up after the Wu-Chu Rebellion was quelled, and he faded out of the Han Dynasty's military.

Li Guang was hated by Liu Rong, who was still the crown prince at that time.

By the time Liu Rong ascended the throne, the structure of the Han Dynasty's military generals had become clear.

——Old generals such as Li Ji, Luan Bu, and Han Tuidang are there to hold up the show, and there is only one Cheng Bushi in the new generation who can be trained to take over from these older generation generals.

After the Battle of Chaona between the Han and the Xiongnu, although Cheng Buzhi was controversial and some people said that he could only fight defensive battles and passive responses, it has to be admitted that in the Battle of Chaona, Cheng Buzhi proved that he could stand on his own.

When it comes to commanding the troops alone and being responsible for a war or a battle alone, Cheng Buzhi has a lower limit above the passing line.

Later, in the Hetao-Mayi Campaign, Cheng Buzhi further proved his upper limit based on his "high lower limit", which was not as low as the world's stereotype.

Then let’s take the Battle of Gaoque last winter - no matter how people in the world will discuss this battle in the future, no matter whether the hero of this battle will be defined by the world as Zhidu or Cheng Buzhi, there is one thing that no one can deny.

——Today, Cheng Bushi has already made outstanding contributions.

Unknowingly, Cheng Buzhi had participated in all three major wars between the Han and the Xiongnu since the reign of Emperor Liu Rong, and had a considerable presence in each of them.

Today's Cheng Buzhi is no match for the leaders of the Hetao tribes or the nomadic peoples of the grassland.

Even in the Han area and in Chang'an City, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to meet Cheng Bushi.

If it is said that during the reign of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, anyone who was a Marquis of Che, Marquis of Guannei, or anyone with a salary of 1,000 to 8,000 dan could have pointed out the country's affairs and made speeches in front of Cheng Buzhi;

During the reign of Emperor Xian Xiaojing, before the Wu-Chu Rebellion broke out, Cheng Buzhi was still a little-known young man;

After the Wu-Chu Rebellion was quelled, Cheng Buzhi and Li Guang each emerged and became potential stocks worthy of investment by the nobles in Chang'an.

So, now if Cheng Buzhi wants to meet even his former superior Zhou Yafu, it all depends on whether Cheng Buzhi has time or even whether he wants to meet him.

In terms of achievements and military exploits, in the Han Dynasty today, perhaps only the faded Marquis of Tiao Zhou Yafu can slightly surpass Cheng Bushi.

In terms of seniority, although Cheng Buzhi is still not considered an old minister or veteran general, he is definitely no longer green and his seniority is no longer shallow.

In terms of identity and status, Cheng Buzhi is now the governor of Shuofang, and the de facto military and political leader of the Hetao region!

The rank of general reached was General of Chariots and Cavalry, second only to Grand Marshal after the reform of Grand Commandant, and General who could only be a relative of the emperor.

At the same time, Cheng Bushi was the only close confidant of Liu Rong who was active in the army during his reign, and he was also the first military merit marquis conferred by Liu Rong.

Considering all these factors, it is no exaggeration to say that in today's Chang'an City, the number of people who want to see Cheng Bushi without currying favor with Cheng Bushi's doorman is probably no more than ten.

Such a new nobleman of such a prominent position was a big man in Chang'an, and was sought after by ministers, nobles and relatives of meritorious officials.
Not to mention that in the eyes of the chiefs of the various tribes in Hetao, such a big shot invited him to attend the bonfire party.

Nomadic people are no strangers to bonfire parties.

This mode of rewarding troops, which was used by the Han people to stabilize the morale of the army and boost its morale, is often used to entertain guests on the grassland.

Moreover, in the hearts of the nomadic people on the grassland, there is such an unwritten and even unspoken tacit understanding.

——When someone invites you to a bonfire party, there must be something good to share with you.

To put it simply, it is the beef, mutton, and kumis that will appear at the party, and the woman who will randomly appear in your bed after the party.

Generally speaking, it is something that is beneficial to the tribe, such as resources, or a low-risk, high-return plunder.

And today, Cheng Buzhi invited the leaders of almost all the tribes in Hetao to attend a bonfire party on the outskirts of Bowang.

This makes it hard for the heads of various departments not to have wild thoughts.

"Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor sensed our loyalty and wanted to confer us a title of nobility?"

With this in mind, the leaders of each tribe looked around, secretly calculating which people had a greater chance of being crowned and were more qualified to receive the title if someone was to be crowned.

After all, the Hetao region has already spent a whole year under the rule of the Han Dynasty.

No matter how slow-witted and ignorant the chieftains of the tribes in the Hetao region were, they would not fail to understand the situation of the Han Dynasty and its resettlement methods for the surrendered foreign tribes.

For example, at this moment, the leaders of various tribes only saw the possibility of being made a marquis from Cheng Buzhi's bonfire party, but they did not dare to think about being made a king.

Because everyone knows: as early as several decades ago, the founding emperor of the Han people was mentally broken and even dragged to death by the chaos of the princes of different surnames that appeared one after another, and the Han family no longer appointed people of different surnames as kings.

It is said that the wife of this founding monarch made her own family members kings after her husband's death.

As a result, after the death of "Empress Dowager Lu", all people with the surname Lu were purged, and Chang'an was flooded with blood!
Since then, even if someone had no connection or association with the Lu family back then, as long as they had the surname Lu, they would most likely not be appreciated or reused - especially not trusted.

Therefore, everyone is very clear: being crowned a marquis is the upper limit of what one can achieve, and being crowned a king is out of the question.

Furthermore, even if one is granted a title of nobility, not everyone can receive it.

According to the usual practice of the Han people, when a certain community or a certain area surrendered to them, which was called "returning to the country", they would usually only symbolically enfeoff one or two people as marquises.

Moreover, this marquis is different from the tribal chiefs and petty kings on the grassland. His status is mostly honorary and symbolic.

Even so, the leaders of various tribes who were sitting around the campfire, each with their own ulterior motives, looked at Cheng Buzhi with eyes that were hotter than the campfire itself.

——Everyone knows that the Emperor of Chang'an's impression and even judgment of everyone present depends entirely on Cheng Buzhi's evaluation!
If Cheng Buzhi could mention in the report sent to Chang'an that "the head of a certain tribe is quite respectful and dutiful", then the emperor in Chang'an would label this person as a loyal minister - or at least a positive label as "not an unstable factor"!

On the contrary, if Cheng Buzhi mentioned in his report that "so and so is not very obedient", the Emperor of Chang'an would certainly regard that person as an unstable factor affecting the harmony and stability of the Hetao region.

Since Hetao came into the hands of the Han family, although several people have been granted the title of marquis and taken to Chang'an to lead a life of extravagance and luxury, everyone knows very well that there are still at least three to five positions of Guiyi Marquis in the Hetao area that have not yet been determined.

Even if we put aside the positions of these Guiyi Marquis, the future Hetao area was mostly controlled by Cheng Buzhi, a provincial governor.

Being able to make friends with Cheng Buzhi and leave a good impression in Cheng Buzhi's heart means that one will be able to live smoothly in the Hetao area in the future, and even gain many benefits.

If they failed to make friends with Cheng Buzhi, or even offended Cheng Buzhi, the tribe would face many unexpected troubles and obstacles in the future in the Hetao area. It is no exaggeration to say that before the Hetao area was completely converted to farmland and 1.8 million Han farmers were relocated, or before it was recaptured by the Xiongnu, Cheng Buzhi, the governor of Shuofang and the general of the Han Dynasty, was the local emperor of the Hetao area and even the surrounding areas!

Everything in the Hetao tribes will be closely and subtly connected to Yu Cheng Buzhi, the local emperor...

"Today, I summoned all the leaders here on the orders of His Majesty."

After three rounds of wine, the meat has five flavors.

Cheng Buzhi finally attracted the attention of everyone present to himself with these words.

It is true that Cheng Buzhi was strict in military management and attached great importance to military orders.

But this does not mean that Cheng Buzhi would only issue military orders to his soldiers.

It can even be said that it is precisely because Cheng Buzhi is strict in military discipline that the soldiers under his command are under considerable physical and mental pressure. Therefore, Cheng Buzhi, who is "strict in military discipline", is the most familiar and skilled senior general in the Han Dynasty at rewarding troops and relaxing soldiers through bonfire parties.

Normally in the army, he often held bonfire parties for his soldiers. This time, it was easy for Cheng Buzhi to hold one for the leaders of the various tribes in Hetao.

However, Cheng Buzhi's relatively ordinary opening remarks had a completely different meaning when they reached the ears of the leaders of various tribes.

——The order of His Majesty the Emperor Chang'an!
As expected, is he going to be conferred the title of Marquis of Guiyi again in Hetao?

Everyone has heard about the days those 'pioneers' spent in Chang'an!
There is a big, sturdy house, obedient servants, a fixed amount of money every year, and beauties bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor!

There is no worry about food and drink, and even no worries about material desires - apart from losing control and leadership of the tribe, there is nothing else to find fault with!
As for the only drawback, it may not even be considered a disadvantage in view of the countless benefits.

——You have all become marquises of the Han people, so who would want that broken tribe?

Everything has to be distributed among the people below. Although you can keep the best part for yourself, you still have to distribute most of it.

It would be great to be granted a title of nobility. You don't have to worry about the tribe anymore. You can keep whatever you get and no one will share their good things with you.

Being granted a title and entering the court + losing the tribe, isn't this a double happiness?

So, for a moment, the leaders of various tribes who were originally clinking glasses and eating meat, all put down the bones and wine bowls in their hands, and looked up at Cheng Bushi.

For a moment, the sound of palms rubbing against clothes rang out one after another, causing Cheng Buzhi to shake his head and smile helplessly.

After more than a year, Cheng Buzhi has basically understood the temperament of the nomadic people.

——Honest and straightforward, his thoughts are written all over his face!
At the same time, there are also some smart little ones who have survived hard on the grassland.

People in later generations often say that people from Northeast China are honest and easy to get along with.

Cheng Buzhi had roughly the same feeling towards these Hetao tribal leaders.

Although they got along well, Cheng Buzhi did not let down his instinctive guard.

His eyes casually scanned the venue, focusing especially on the leaders of the medium and large tribes.

After everyone nodded and bowed, or even rubbed their hands and looked at him with a flattering smile, Cheng Buzhi raised the corners of his mouth again.

"The leaders of each tribe should understand your majesty's intentions."

"——Hexi is the next step for our Han family. It is a vital place that we must take."

"But your majesty is kind and righteous, and cannot bear to create massacres in Hexi."

"I am also worried that the tribes in Hexi are not as wise as you are and can accept the teachings obediently."

"So he sent a message to me, asking me to try out a new system for governing nomadic people in Hetao first."

...

"If the trial is effective, it will be used in the future to rule Hexi."

"The same is true for the various tribes in Hetao."

After roughly explaining the theme of this bonfire party, Cheng Buzhi paused deliberately to give the leaders of each tribe time to digest it and observe their reactions.

Just as Cheng Buzhi expected, the heads of various departments suddenly became suspicious of the "new system" he mentioned. They looked at each other and exchanged glances with their acquaintances.

Cheng Buzhi didn't think there was anything wrong with this reaction.

When it comes to reforming a new system, it's not something that people would instinctively think "this couldn't be better."

The better ones are doubtful and hesitant, while the worse ones just frown and think about how to dissuade them - this is normal.

If there really was someone who would kowtow and obey orders at the first opportunity, Cheng Buzhi would start to suspect whether that person had any other intentions.

Seeing that the leaders of the various tribes did not have any violent reactions, Cheng Buzhi had a rough idea in his mind.

He pretended to be casual and picked up the wine bowl, frowned slightly, and took a sip with a little resistance.

He also said calmly, "Your Majesty will not hesitate to give land to the three tribes that perform best in the new system."

"Five other tribal leaders can be granted the title of Guannei Hou."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the doubts on the faces of the leaders of the various tribes disappeared, and they returned to their previous fawning expressions, laughing endlessly, nodding and bowing.

——On the grassland, there is nothing that is absolutely impossible to gain or lose.

As long as the price is right, livestock can be sold, tribesmen can be sold, and even wives and children can be sold.

As for the new system that is about to be piloted in the Hetao region, it is indeed not a good thing for the leaders of various tribes.

But if it can bring back the benefits of being a marquis, it would be worth it.

Again.

If you can become a marquis among the Han people, who would care about that broken tribe?

No matter whether it is grazing or farming, no matter whether it is a new system or an old law - do whatever you want.

(End of this chapter)