White-robed Minister

Chapter 184 0182 [Reporting Merit]

Gao Zunyu arrived in Qinzhou earlier than Gong Dingchen because he had previously served in the Northwest.

He first visited Cai Kang, and then made contact with the eunuch Liang Shiban, where he astutely discovered many problems.

For example, the imperial court had just approved the construction of additional fortified villages, and within the same month the official document arrived in Qinzhou, three fortified villages were completed. One of these fortified villages even immediately repelled an attack by the Western Xia.

What about fooling the ghost?

"The civil and military officials here are really bold," Gao Zunyu muttered to himself, chuckling as he flipped through various files.

In recent years, only Guo Kui has dared to build unauthorized fortified positions on the front lines.

Because Guo Kui was a veteran general, second only to Di Qing in rank. Even if the Privy Council was displeased, they could only issue a letter of reprimand and warning, and did not punish Guo Kui for it.

The handover was completed in just a few days, and Gao Zunyu went to visit Cai Kang again.

Cai Kang probed, "What are your views on the military affairs of Qin-Feng Road, Commander Gao?"

"You have done a very good job in guarding the borders of the country and forging ahead with determination," Gao Zunyu said with a smile.

Cai Kang immediately understood the other party's attitude and flattered him, saying, "Commander Gao is truly a pillar of the nation."

Gao Zunyu actually supported them in doing this.

Gao Zunyu, who is only 41 years old, has not yet completely turned into a scoundrel.

Aside from a host of bad habits, he also had many virtues: he was kind and compassionate, eloquent, far-sighted, and knowledgeable in military affairs.

The young emperor sent him here not only because of their family ties, but also because Gao Zunyu supported the opening of the Xihe border!

The next day, Gao Zunyu led a troop of imperial guards straight to Guwei Village.

He was a garrison commander, responsible for leading the garrisoned imperial guards along the Qin-Feng Road.

Gao Zunyu led a small detachment westward, visiting Zhang Shouyue, the deputy commander of the Qin-Feng Road, along the way. They arrived at Guwei Village the next day.

Just as he could see the market in the distance, he suddenly heard a deafening cheer.

The Han and Qiang people who were trading at the market all ran westward, and even the brokers at the market followed suit.

Immediately, someone on horseback shouted along the way, "Yu Longke's tribe surrenders! Yu Longke's tribe surrenders!" The archers and tenants working in the fields, upon hearing the shouts, all stopped working and looked westward with smiles on their faces. From their position, they couldn't see what was going on, but everyone knew they were safe now.

Because the army in Guwei Village was too small, while there were too many Qiang people nearby, they lived in constant fear while farming, always ready to flee into the village or further east.

Many archers simply abandoned their tools, left the fields, and headed towards the cheering crowd to watch the spectacle.

These archers hadn't trained this year, spending their time clearing and cultivating land with the tenant farmers. After spring planting came summer planting, all they could do was finish cultivating their tax-exempt fields.

All that was planted were millet and sorghum. The newly reclaimed land had low yields, so they could only cultivate extensively and reap meager harvests.

Did Yu Longke's troops submit?

Gao Zunyu has been handling the handover these past few days, so of course he knows about Yu Longke's department.

He led the imperial guards cavalry around the border market and saw a large number of Qiang people in the distance: hundreds of Qiang cavalry were responsible for clearing the way. Following them were Qiang civilians, supporting the old and carrying the young, carrying loads and leading sheep.

The social structure of the Qiang people is as follows: chiefs of varying ranks and nobles, free people and semi-free people (commoners).

Dependent people (similar to serfs) — a small number of slaves.

The three hundred Qiang cavalrymen in front of him were escorting Yu Longke to the capital to meet the emperor.

Secondly, many Qiang civilians were also relocated here with their families to cultivate wasteland along the Wei River. Xu Laihui allocated wasteland to them, changed their surnames to Han surnames, registered them as commoners, and encouraged them to marry their daughters to Han archers.

Some serfs and lower-class slaves were bought by Xu Lai from Qiang nobles. These people were temporarily incorporated into military settlements and would later be given to meritorious soldiers as tenant farmers.

Gao Zunyu saw a Han Chinese official and a Qiang chieftain being escorted by a group of people riding horses at the front; these must be Xu Lai and Yu Longke.

The Han and Qiang people cheered and shouted "General Xu" and "Great Chief" and other titles.

All the Han Chinese archers nearby looked at Xu Lai with awe and worship, some even kneeling and shouting "General Xu, you are invincible!"

Gao Zunyu thought to himself: The hearts of the people are at our disposal, the morale of the army is at our disposal, this is the place to make a name for myself!

He turned to his imperial guards and shouted, "Follow me to welcome Commander Xu!"

He brought only twenty or thirty imperial guards, but they were all mounted on two horses each, and their armor was carried by empty horses.

Everyone knew from this display that it was the Imperial Guard stationed there, and officials and civilians alike gave way.

Qin Prefecture currently has three types of imperial guards: garrison troops, encampment troops, and supply troops.

The garrisoned Imperial Guards were the most elite troops, belonging to the mobile forces directly under the central government, and could only be commanded by officials such as the Chief Steward and the Bell Commander.

The garrisoned imperial guards were security and garrison troops, generally under the command of the prefect or governor. Their families were required to remain in the capital, and soldiers could return home after serving for several years.

The grain supply troops initially served in rotations, but now they are permanently stationed and allowed to bring their families with them. Some grain supply troops were even upgraded from local forces such as the local militia.

Xu Lai rode forward and asked, "Who is the commander ahead?"

Gao Zunyu rode forward alone: ​​"Gao Zunyu, the military commander stationed on Qin Feng Road."

Xu Lai, who had appeared quite troubled during the meeting, now wore a completely different expression. He dismounted, bowed, and feigned great joy: "I have long admired Commander Gao's strategic brilliance and military prowess; I have been eagerly awaiting General Gao's arrival!"

Seeing that Xu Lai was giving him face, Gao Zunyu smiled and dismounted, saying, "Although I am a military officer, I am also somewhat literate and have long admired General Xu's writing."

If the young emperor were present, he would surely be pleased to see this: harmony between civil and military officials!

Gao Zunyu pointed to the Qiang people and asked, "Are these all Qiang people from the Yulongke tribe?"

Xu Lai took Gao Zunyu's hand and walked towards Yu Longke, saying, "I was just about to introduce you, Commander Gao. This is Yu Longke, the great chieftain of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. He admires the majesty of the Han people and has led 120,000 of his people to submit to the Great Song Dynasty."

"How much?" Gao Zunyu was stunned for a moment.

Xu Lai repeated, "All 120,000 people have returned to the Great Song Dynasty."

Upon hearing that there were 120,000 people, Gao Zunyu's mind went blank.

He had a very bold idea.

He not only wanted to be the resident military commander, but he also wanted to petition the court to concurrently manage the Qiang tribes of the western route of Qinfeng Road.

This tactic is tantamount to taking away half of the power—the military power of the Qiang tribe—from Zhang Shouyue and Xu Lai respectively!

Moreover, the imperial court is highly likely to agree, because Gao Zunyu is a relative of the imperial family. Giving him control of the Qiang military would reassure the court more than Xu Lai or Zhang Shouyue.

Gao Zunyu is not greedy for money. What does he want?

Military power and military merit!

He planned to personally train these young and strong Qiang men, teach them more advanced combat tactics, and then lead countless Qiang soldiers to expand the territory.

As long as his request is met, he can cooperate with Xu Lai without any bottom line, and he can do whatever Xu Lai says.

"Brother Yu Longke, this is Commander Gao Zunyu, the military commander of Qin Feng Road," Xu Lai introduced enthusiastically. "Commander Gao is the maternal great-uncle of the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty."

The Qiang people still value lineage. Upon hearing that Gao Zunyu was of noble birth, Yu Longke immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Yu Longke greets Commander Gao."

The Qiang chieftain, who commanded 120,000 followers, knelt down voluntarily, which greatly pleased Gao Zunyu. He quickly helped him up, saying, "I have been commanding troops on the border for many years and have long heard of a great chieftain here named Yu Longke. Meeting him today, I can confirm his reputation is well-deserved!"

Xu Lai said, "Brother Yu Longke will lead three hundred men to the capital to meet the Emperor."

Gao Zunyu smiled and said, "His Majesty will surely be pleased to see this."

At that moment, the two men, one a scholar and the other a military officer, pulled Yu Longke into the stronghold.

Yu Longke was flattered and surprised, never expecting to be so popular.

Little did he know that both Xu Lai and Gao Zunyu were ruthless people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Winning over a chieftain who had submitted to the Song Dynasty was something they were willing to do without shame.

Historically, Gao Zunyu also seized military power from the Qiang tribe as soon as he arrived at Guwei Village.

But he truly achieved results, not only training the Qiang soldiers well but also uniting the Qiang leaders of all ranks. He could even discipline his subordinates, treat the Qiang people in enemy territory kindly, and quickly win over the newly recovered Qiang tribes.

Aside from being a bit petty and having a penchant for taking credit and power, this guy doesn't have any major flaws. On the contrary, he's extremely capable!

However, his attempt to steal credit at a crucial moment ultimately led to his disgrace and ruin.

Four civil officials, Wang Shao, Hou Ke, Lian Ding, and Zhou Kuo, led military officers and civil clerks to stand at the gate of the stronghold to welcome them.

Xu Lai introduced Gao Zunyu and Yu Longke to them, and another round of cheers immediately erupted.

That evening, a banquet was held to celebrate.

Two days later, Yu Longke, accompanied by three hundred Qiang cavalry and escorted by Gao Zunyu, headed to Qin Prefecture. Yu Longke was going to Tokyo to meet the Emperor and be granted a surname and official position.

Although they did not enter the city after arriving in Qinzhou, their arrival still caused a huge sensation.

Officials and civilians alike flocked out of the city to see what Yu Longke looked like.

Upon hearing the news of Yu Longke's allegiance, many of the powerful clans in Qin Prefecture mobilized and began to coordinate their efforts. They saw an opportunity to strengthen their families and expand their territories.

More and more landlords in Qinzhou are choosing their young sons and tenants to move to Guwei Village and Shuyang Village.

Gong Dingchen met Yu Longke in Baoji and was overjoyed to learn the details.

The official reports of merit were sent even faster, delivered to the capital by express courier.

At this time, the Tongjin Division was under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council, and both the emperor and the Privy Council received the news simultaneously. The chief ministers, however, were a step behind.

Wen Yanbo, Lü Gongbi, and other Privy Council ministers looked at the report of merits and exchanged bewildered glances. Their first reaction was to suspect that Xu Lai had fabricated the report; how could there possibly be a Qiang leader leading 120,000 people to surrender?

Wen Yanbo hurriedly ran to see the emperor.

Zhao Xu was overjoyed to see Wen Yanbo: "Have you received the report of your victory? 120,000 Qiang people have submitted!"

Wen Yanbo said, "Your Majesty, this matter still needs to be verified. Please send two officials to Tongyuan Army to investigate."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu was instantly displeased, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. However, he could not lash out, and only said, "I will send people to investigate. But Xu Lai has rendered meritorious service in managing Tongyuan Army. Yang Shu, the former magistrate of Chengji County, repelled the Western Xia army during the construction of the city, and Wang Shao persuaded the Shuyang tribe to submit. These have all been verified and should be richly rewarded."

Just as the emperor and his ministers were talking, Chancellor Zeng Gongliang also received the news and rushed over. Zhao Xu asked Zeng Gongliang to arrange how to reward them.

Xu Lai, Wang Shao, and Yang Shu are getting promoted!

Other officials in Qin Prefecture and Tongyuan Army, although they will not be directly promoted, will receive some rewards.

(Toad has started a new book, "Drawing the Sword." Fans of martial arts novels should check it out.)