A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Xiao Guanyin returned from the border.

When she arrived in the capital with envoys from five different ethnic groups, the officials of the Ministry of Rites nearly crushed the roster in their hands.

"The new Khan of the Northern Barbarians has come to the court."

"The new king of the Western Qiang has come to court."

"The chieftain of the Southern Barbarians has come to pay homage."

"The chieftain of all the tribes of Xianyuan has come to the court."

"The Great Chanyu of the Donghu has come to the court."

The names were called out one by one, echoing from outside the palace gates into the main hall.

All the officials raised their heads.

It's not that they haven't seen foreign envoys before.

During the old Wei dynasty, envoys from foreign tribes also came to the capital, bringing tribute horses, furs, and jewels. They verbally submitted to the emperor, but their eyes were full of daggers.

At that time, the so-called tribute was, to put it bluntly, just exchanging grain, exploring routes, and assessing the strength and weakness of the Central Plains.

But today is different.

The leaders of the five major alien races all entered the Xinwu court.

Moreover, it was brought back by Xiao Guanyin.

Wei Zhao sat on the throne, his fingers lightly pressing the armrest, his gaze fixed on the palace entrance.

coming.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The internal strife has been quelled, the rebel kings have bowed their heads, the military merit system has been established, and the imperial examination system is about to begin.

However, if the five alien races continue to fight each other on the border, Xinwu will never be able to truly breathe.

A knife can kill and subdue a generation.

But a sword cannot bring three hundred years of peace.

This is something that someone has to do.

It must be someone who understands different ethnic groups, Han people, and the Wei family.

Xiao Guanyin.

Outside the palace gate, Xiao Guanyin, dressed in a plain long robe combining Han and non-Han styles, with a Wei family short sword at her waist, slowly walked in.

Behind her, the leaders of the five alien races entered the hall in turn.

The new Khan of the Northern Rong did not wear the old wolf-skin cloak, but only a blue narrow-sleeved robe, and his forehead still had the grassland pattern.

The new king of Western Qiang walked the slowest, his head bowed.

The chieftain of the Southern Barbarians had dark skin and wore copper rings on his body, but he carried no weapons.

When Xian Yuan Gongzhu looked at Xiao Guanyin, his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

The Great Chanyu of Donghu was younger, and there was still an untamed wildness in his eyes.

The officials watched with their throats tightening.

Li Huai stood at the forefront of the civil officials, barely raising his eyelids.

He sneered inwardly.

Are these old fogies scared now?

In the past, whenever people heard that foreign tribes were entering the pass, they would shout for the border troops to hold the line, for the defenders to defend their homes to the death, and for the people to move away.

When the leaders of the alien races knelt before the new Martial Hall, they were speechless.

Xiao Guanyin walked into the hall and knelt down.

"Your Majesty's concubine, Xiao Guanyin, was ordered to travel north to Xianyuan to make contact with the five tribes, and I have fortunately fulfilled my mission."

Her voice was not loud.

But no one in the main hall dared to interrupt.

Wei Zhao looked at her.

She has lost weight.

His cheeks were thinner than when he left Beijing, and there were fine cracks on the back of his hands.

A woman who was once caught between the Xianyuan and Wei families managed to bring the leaders of the five major foreign tribes to the capital.

This is not something that can be easily explained in just two words.

On the grasslands, Xiao Guanyin had to face the doubts of the former Xianyuan tribes, the hatred of the remnants of the Northern Rong, the old grievances of the Western Qiang against Tuoba Yue, and also convince the Southern Barbarians and Eastern Hu that Xinwu was not the next Old Wei.

She had to put the knife on the table, and she also had to put the grain on the table.

She cannot back down.

We can't just be rigid.

difficult.

Too difficult.

Wei Zhao did not speak immediately, but simply raised his hand.

"Stand up and speak."

Xiao Guanyin stood up and unfolded the memorial book.

"The five alien races are willing to formally submit to the new Wu."

As soon as these words were spoken, someone in the hall trembled, and the jade tablet struck the floor tiles with a clear, jarring sound.

Xiao Guanyin did not look at the man and continued, "From this day forward, the Northern Rong, Western Qiang, Southern Man, Xianyuan, and Eastern Hu will all be under the jurisdiction of Xinwu. Each tribe will retain its pastureland, stockade, and old customs for self-governance, but its military power, tribute, border trade, intermarriage, and household registration will all be included in the Xinwu register."

One of the officials suddenly looked up.

autonomy.

belong.

Putting these two words together is too harsh.

It wasn't like the old Wei dynasty, where people were granted amnesty one day and rebelled the next, nor was it about forcibly relocating all foreign tribes into the Central Plains.

Wei Zhao spared their lives, and then handed the rope around their necks to Xin Wu.

Wei Zhao knew very well that this was the right thing to do.

The new martial arts technique can now kill all five major alien races.

But what if you kill them all?

The grasslands are still there, the mountains are still there, and the malarial forests are still there.

When the children grow up, as long as someone raises the flag again, it will be another round of bloodshed.

Instead of fighting every ten years, why not incorporate trade, marriage, household registration, military merit, and food into the system?

slow.

But it's stable.

Xiao Guanyin said, "Your Majesty, I have already established trade routes with the five tribes. The Northern Rong will exchange horses, cattle, and sheep for grain and cloth from the Central Plains; the Western Qiang will exchange medicinal herbs, warhorses, and mountain products for ironware and farm tools; the Southern Barbarians will exchange ivory, rattan armor, and herbs for salt and tea; the Eastern Hu will exchange furs and fine bows for grain; and Xianyuan will serve as a transit point, with 30% of the customs duties going to the imperial court and 10% going to each tribe for their own use."

Su Qingyun stood beside the Empress's seat, her eyes brightening slightly.

This account can be done.

And it was a large tent.

Seeing her expression, Wei Zhao felt somewhat relieved.

If it can make Su Qingyun's eyes light up, then it's not a losing proposition.

Xinwu now needs horses, cattle and sheep, and stability on the border.

The foreign tribes needed food, cloth, salt, and iron.

Once trade begins, looting will become unprofitable.

People don't suddenly become good.

But as long as farming, herding, and trading are more profitable than robbery, they will naturally choose another path.

This is more effective than talking about benevolence and righteousness.

Xiao Guanyin turned to the last page and paused for a moment.

"Furthermore, I propose an intermarriage decree."

The hall fell silent again.

This time, the quiet was even more pronounced.

Several veteran officials turned pale.

Intermarriage.

These two words were even more provocative to them than the act of submitting.

The new Khan of the Northern Rong was the first to kneel down.

"The Northern Rong are willing to acknowledge Emperor Xinwu as the Heavenly Khan."

The new king of the Western Qiang knelt down.

"The Western Qiang wish to be included in the new military register."

The chieftain of the southern barbarians kowtowed very deeply.

"The southern barbarians are willing to open their villages and trade with each other, and will no longer invade the north."

The leader of Xianyuan looked at Xiao Guanyin, his eyes reddening, and finally knelt down.

"Xian Yuanyuan was willing to guard the north gate for Xinwu."

The Great Chanyu of Donghu gritted his teeth and knelt down as well.

"The Donghu are willing to submit."

The five people spoke in unison.

"Long live Your Majesty!"

The sound echoed throughout the palace and beyond.

The people of the capital city outside the palace had already crowded the long street. When they heard the five foreign tribes shout "Long live the Emperor!", they were first stunned, and then someone shouted.

"Even the alien races have knelt?"

"He really knelt down!"

"Even the Khan of the Northern Rong knelt!"

The sound quickly exploded.

The common people are not ignorant.

They understand it all too well.

How many people have died on the border over the years?

How many people in the Wei family died?

How many villages were burned down, how many women and children were robbed, how many fields were left to become wastelands of bones?

Now the leaders of the five major ethnic groups are kneeling in the new Wu court, acknowledging their allegiance, being registered, and opening trade markets.

This made them even more bewildered than the ceremony of presenting prisoners of war.

The war seems to be truly over.

Wei Zhao stood up.

Everyone in the hall bowed their heads.

He walked down the imperial steps one by one and came to stand in front of Xiao Guanyin.

Xiao Guanyin remained kneeling, clutching the memorial in her hand tightly.

Wei Zhao looked at her, lowering his voice slightly, but it was enough for the entire hall to hear clearly.

"Guanyin".

Xiao Guanyin looked up.

Wei Zhao said, "What you have done is more important than me winning a hundred battles."

Xiao Guanyin's tears fell instantly.

She had endured it for too long.

In Xianyuan, she cannot cry.

She couldn't cry in the Northern Barbarian tent.

She couldn't cry in front of those who accused her of betraying her ancestors.

Even when faced with suspicion from officials in the Central Plains that she was pleading for a foreign tribe, she could not cry.

But Wei Zhao's words gently touched the bone that she had been holding on for months.

She finally couldn't hold on any longer.

Wei Zhao continued, "From now on, there will be no more 'foreign race'."

The envoys from the five different races all kowtowed.

"Long live the new martial arts!"

"Long live Your Majesty!"

This time, the people outside the palace also joined in the shouting.

The shouts echoed over the palace walls in waves.

As Wei Zhao heard that voice, his fingers slowly tightened.

Daughter.

Did you see it?

The Wei family's nine coffins were not placed in vain.

Before she died, the old lady said, "The country comes first, then the family."

Now, the country can finally function like a country.

After the court session ended, Xiao Guanyin stood alone outside the main hall and did not immediately return to the palace.

You can still see a corner of the eaves from the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

She gazed at that spot, her tears already dried, her voice so soft that only she could hear it.

"Mother, did you see that?"

"You said that the country comes first, then the family. Now the country is at peace, and our Wei family's family is also complete."

Footsteps stopped behind me.

Xiao Guanyin did not turn around.

A hand grasped her hand.

Wei Zhao stood beside her without saying a word.