Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2659 What’s the trap?

As the sky gradually became brighter, outside of Dingxiang County, everything around the Shan Yu Ting's jurisdiction in the central part of the old Xiongnu gradually became visible.

 Nowadays, this place has become a gathering place for various tribes in Jiankun.

In the Jiankun Kingdom, not everyone is like the Po Shihe clan and still remembers the great Han in their hearts.

Even among the tribes of Poshihe, some ordinary herdsmen may not be able to remember the imprints in history, or have any feelings for the big man. Just like those Chinese Americans in later generations who have stayed abroad for a long time, many people have forgotten where their roots are as time goes by.

Summer is the busiest time for nomadic tribes. Coupled with the prosperity of grass, cattle, sheep and other livestock also begin to breed. As production labor stabilizes and expands, the demand for equipment gradually increases.

 In a few days, there will be a large gathering in Jiankun, and at this large gathering, the leaders of each major tribe will also come.

In the area under the jurisdiction of Shan Yuting in the central part of the old Xiongnu, the Poshihe tribe has the most tents and occupies the largest grassland. The other tribes are also distributed around it, and from time to time there are herdsmen riding on them. Horses drive cattle and sheep, far or near.

In the tribe of Poshihe, Wang Ling woke up from his tent, washed himself a little, put on his robe, and walked out of the tent.

 The preserved meat has already been prepared, and the broth is boiled with some spices and exudes the smell of fat. The dough is not too dark, it is the kind that has been fermented. After baking, the outside is a little brown, but the inside is still soft. You can chew it directly, or you can tear it into pieces and soak it in the broth to eat.

Such food, if it were in Sanfu, Chang'an, or in the land of Hedong, it would be nothing, but here, it is relatively rare, especially the spices, as soon as it is cooked, it immediately overflows, it is simply outstanding. Uncompromising luxury.

You must know that spices were expensive no matter what in the feudal era when there was no large-scale artificial cultivation.

It’s not that Wang Ling was so extravagant, but because this spice was specially given to Wang Ling by General Li Dian.

 According to Li Dian, the Hu people do not understand Chinese, but they do understand spices.

 The civil strife among the Southern Xiongnu also caused some turmoil within Jiankun.

 It is normal for a fox to feel sad when a rabbit dies.

Wang Ling originally thought that coming to Jiankun this time would be a bit more difficult on the way, but it couldn't be easier to convince the various tribes in Jiankun. However, when he came here, he found that Po Shihe Yuanchang's attitude was slightly ambiguous, and the other tribes Some people refused to meet each other, and some were confused, but Wang Ling immediately felt the undercurrent here.

The Jiankun people originally thought it was a unified Han country, but they found that the Han Dynasty had been divided into three parts: east, west, and south.

 What will happen to Dahan in the future?

 This naturally requires consideration.

Not everyone has God’s forty-five-degree perspective. For most ordinary Jiankun people, they are unwilling to fall into this obviously huge storm and be crushed into powder.

Wang Ling can understand this, but understanding is understanding, and attachment is attachment.

Three or four miles away from Wang Ling's tent, there were about a hundred tents, old and new, guarding the king's tent under the banner of the Jiankunpo Shihe tribe in the middle.

Although neither Li Dian in Yinshan nor Zhao Yun in Changshan specifically sent soldiers to garrison here, in order to avoid suspicion, the Jiankun tribe did not dare to build a strong camp with deep trenches and high forts. It is probably necessary to dig a trench and set up a thin wooden fence to prevent livestock from running around, but it is basically zero for defense, let alone building any defensive facilities such as a deer village. Perhaps this is to express support for Piao. The cavalry was not on guard, and had no intention of defecting, escaping, and fighting accordingly...

This may be regarded as a tacit understanding that is still tacit at the moment.

As the Jiankun people gradually settled around this place, these herdsmen on the grasslands brought some vitality to this land. Groups of herdsmen and men shouted, rode horses and wore fur robes, Driving cattle and sheep, and from time to time singing pastoral songs to the herdsmen women...

Wang Ling looked at it, then smiled, lowered his head and continued eating.

Wang Ling believes that the possibility of Po Shihe Yuanchang's rebellion is indeed not high, but he wants an opportunity to squeeze the Jiankun Kingdom tighter.

The pain that Jian Kun has experienced before proves that the strength of an alliance structure that is too loose is very weak. If this time he can take the opportunity to ally with most of the tribes and unify their affiliations, Jian Kun will be able to pull out 30,000 to 40,000 warriors at any time. Stronger. In this way, Jiankun will certainly gain a better status, whether among the Eastern and Western Han people or in the desert.

But now that Wang Ling is here, can Jiankun Country's calculations still go as expected?

 After finishing eating and drinking, Wang Ling changed his clothes again and then headed to the king's tent in Poshi River.

The royal tent of the Poshihe clan is naturally much larger than an ordinary tent. After all, it is a large tribe with tens of thousands of people.

This king's tent is composed of more than a dozen large cowhide tents, which are interconnected and multi-purpose support. The largest space can accommodate dozens of people to gather in the king's tent.

The big pillar in the center of the king's tent stretches out from the top of the tent, and above it flies the king's flag, which represents the Yuanchang of the Poshi River. It has a green background and white tassels, and is dancing.

From a distance, this royal tent is tall and majestic, and quite impressive. Although it is not as good as the king's tent when the Huns were at their most powerful, it is at least much taller than the southern Huns. However, this impressive tent, if you look closer, is inevitably a bit shabby.

 The tabernacle is just a layer of cowhide, plus a layer of felt, with many patches on it...

When Jiankun migrated, the amount of cattle and sheep they consumed along the way was staggering. Even if we don’t count the cattle and sheep, the Jiankun people who died on the road alone would have lost at least thousands. Under such conditions, if As soon as Poishi Hemoto took office, he said that he would renovate the king's tent first, so he would not be able to sit for long even if he was worried about his position.

Someone had already gone to report it. As soon as Wang Ling arrived in front of the tent, the curtain of the king's tent was opened from the inside. A tall, middle-aged man, who looked like a guard, strode out of the tent, stretched out his hand to touch his chest as a gift, "I've seen you before." Han envoy. 』

Wang Ling nodded.

Subsequently Po Shihe Yuanchang also came out and invited Wang Ling to enter the tent.

From the outside, it looks like a whole king's tent, but in fact, after entering the king's tent, you will find that in order to support such a large tent, large and small pillars are indispensable, and these pillars have no specific details. The distribution of the space is very particular, resulting in poor light and ventilation. The scattered pillars cut off the light, and a strong smell of mutton rushes towards you.

Wang Ling couldn't help but sneeze and then rubbed his nose.

 Although the felt carpet laid on the ground provides a certain degree of softness, you can still feel that the ground is not completely flat...

Po Shihe Yuanchang greeted, "Please sit down, Han envoy!" Come on! Get some snacks and dried fruits! 』

Wang Ling expressed his gratitude to Po Shihe Yuanchang and then sat down.

 Suddenly, Wang Ling understood why people like Jian Kun seemed a little stubborn.

 Look around, look at the royal tent, and then look at the utensils in the royal tent, and you will understand that these Jiankun people have been out of this era for too long...

 Their impression of the Han Dynasty may still be from one or two hundred years ago.

　　　　『I don’t know what the reason is for the Han envoy to come to see me? ” Po Shihe Yuanchang pretended not to know anything and said with a smile.

 As far as the Jiankun State was concerned, they were unwilling to accept conscription by the Han people.

It is one thing for the Jiankun people in individual tribes to accept conscription from the Han people, but it is another thing to be conscripted into an organized system.

Jiankun people are unwilling to fall into the quagmire of war between the Eastern and Western Han people.

 This is what they fear most.

Secondly, the Jiankun people want to do business on both sides. Anyway, they are the same items. If the goods are better, buy them from the other side. If the money offered by the other side is higher, buy them from that side.

 Of course this is the most ideal state.

 In fact, Po Shihe Yuanchang didn’t have a definite number in mind as to which step he could achieve, or to what extent he could achieve it.

Wang Ling looked at Po Shihe Yuanchang, smiled and said: "There are some stupid people in Chang'an who once gave advice to General Hussar, saying that if you Jiankun disobeys orders, you should simply be destroyed..."

When Po Shihe Yuanchang heard this, his heart skipped a beat, and then he realized, "Huh?" Well... Then the Cavalry General is so smart and wise, he must not listen to the advice of these stupid people..."

Wang Ling chuckled, "Of course it's not possible to kill them all. After all, our Hussars General has a kind heart and benefits the world... However, some people have suggested that we kill half and leave the other half..."

The smile on Po Shihe Yuanchang's face finally couldn't be stretched anymore. He pulled it down and asked in a deep voice, "Did the Han envoy come to threaten me?" 』

Wang Ling still looked calm and calm, "This is not a threat... Dear King Jiankun, this is reality..."

"Reality? ” Po Shihe Yuanchang repeated.

Wang Ling nodded, "Dear King Jiankun, have you ever seen the wolf king on the grassland negotiate terms with a group of cattle and sheep?" 』

Po Shihe Yuanchang took a deep breath and fell silent immediately. In the king's tent, the candle made of beef and mutton fat was burning and swaying, as if it was emitting the unyielding cry of the cattle and sheep after their death, or as if they were hiding in the light and crying out their sufferings.

 What Wang Ling said is indeed reality.

 Weak country, no diplomacy.

"But..." Wang Ling smiled, and it seemed that his smile had not changed from the beginning to the end, "General Qiusi respects the contributions made by the ancestors of the Jiankun royal family for the Han Dynasty... so he is willing to give you another chance... Of course, 豠You can also choose to refuse. You know, in fact, the things you think are very important are just like that to us... And the very common things from us are very important to you... So what do I think? Dear King Jiankun, you may have misunderstood something... Just like this time, I am not here to discuss, just to inform..."

Wang Ling still smiled softly, "Dear King Jiankun, do you understand?" 』

Po Shihe Yuanchang was silent for a long time, and a smile appeared on his face, "Ah, I understand, I understand... If the great hussar general has any instructions, please let the Han envoy tell me..."

Wang Ling nodded, slowly recounted the matters that Fei Qian had informed him, and then said that a formal document would be coming in two days, and Po Shihe Yuanchang could choose whatever he wanted.

Of course, the choices you make are different, and the prices you pay are naturally different.

Po Shihe Yuanchang personally escorted Wang Ling out of the tent, and then watched with a smile as Wang Ling mounted his horse and returned to his temporary residence. When the figure gradually faded away, Po Shihe Yuanchang's face sank, and he turned around and walked towards the main tent. Go inside the tent.

 Entering the big tent, the difference in atmosphere between the inside and outside made Poshihe Yuanchang, who was used to being in the big tent, feel a little suffocated. He couldn't help but take a few heavy breaths, and then punched a pillar.

 The pillar shook, and then dust fell down.

Po Shihe Yuanchang ignored the dust falling on his body and whispered: "Go and ask the elders to come!" 』

Wang Ling did not force Po Shihe Yuanchang to make a decision on the spot because Wang Ling had the confidence.

 But Po Shihe Yuanchang did not have this confidence.

Elder Jiankun arrived soon, and they all paid tribute to Po Shihe Yuanchang.

　　　『What did the Han envoy say? Some impatient ones asked before they could sit down, "Are the Han people going to conscript our men, cattle and sheep?" This is absolutely unacceptable! 』

Po Shihe Yuanchang glanced at the impatient elder and said, "I don't like him." 』

"What? ” The impatient elder didn’t hear clearly.

Po Shihe Yuanchang took a breath and said almost word by word: "Han people, look down on them!" Do you understand? 』

The impatient elder nodded first, and then became furious. After jumping up, his face turned red. In the end, he didn't say anything or do anything. He sat down dejectedly and repeated, "Look, don't you?" Go up... ha, look down on..."

"Alas..." The elder with white hair and beard sitting on the other side sighed, "Before, on horseback, we were stronger, but now... alas..."

　　　Why are you depressed? ! We have our advantages! ” Some people feel unconvinced.

　　　『Then tell me, what do you think we have? ” The white-bearded elder sneered.

　　　　We have war horses! Excellent war horse! 』

　　　　There are also Han people, they have Dawan horses! 』

　　　　We have cattle and sheep! 』

　　　"There are Han people, there are many Huns and Qiang people who are herding sheep for the Han people..."

　　　『We have the craftsmen who know how to make bows and arrows best! 』

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　They have what is called workshops, and they do nothing every day, just make weapons, armor, bows and arrows...』

　　　『We have strong sons and unyielding warriors! 』

　　　Okay, forget it, but with this brave man, do you want to fight to the death with the Han people, or do you want to fight to the death for the Han people? 』

"I…"

 Then everyone fell silent.

 In the huge royal tent, the atmosphere was like frozen ice, weighing heavily on everyone's heads.

I don't know how long it took before someone asked Po Shihe Yuanchang, "What conditions did my king, the envoy of Han... say?" 』

"Huh..." Po Shihe Yuanchang took a breath, as if he wanted to spit out the worries in his chest, "It's not a condition, it's a notification... There will be a formal document issued in two days... Do you understand?" This is the attitude of the Han hussar general towards us... Either we are his subordinates and follow orders, or we are his enemies and start a war... We are not qualified to negotiate terms..."

　　　　Why? ! 』

　　　Because we can’t defeat him! 』

　　　　We are not vassals! 』

　　　Is it possible that you still want to be the master of the Han people? ha! 』

　　『The worst case scenario is that we leave! Let's go back to the Northern Desert! 』

"You go back? If you don't ask your people, how many of them are willing to go back to that cold place again? 』

“Which side are you from, us Jiankun people, or are you a spy sent by the Han people? 』

　　　『You look like a spy to me! They just want to lead us Jiankun people onto the road of death! 』

　　　…

 The elders were in confusion again.

"Shut up! Shut up! Po Shihe Yuanchang shouted loudly, "Didn't you hear what I said?" ! The Han people look down upon us! Do you know what it means to look down on? ! Regarding money and grain reserves, I heard that the Han people have begun preparing to build a ten-year warehouse! Do you know what a ten-year warehouse is? It is to store food and grass that can be eaten even if there is a famine for ten years! As for us, how many cattle and sheep will die in one year from both white and black disasters? ! When it comes to fighting with force, the Han people welcome us to take action at any time! The Han envoy said that the Han soldiers in Hedong had not been able to obtain the merit of a head for a long time! Do you know what the first level of merit is? It’s our heads! One head, one achievement! And it still requires men, old, young, women and children are not included! So the Han soldiers in the Hebei region are eager for our heads! Some Han people are already calculating, saying how much merit and bounty we will get if we take action! 』

Po Shihe Yuanchang finished a lot of words in one breath, but he could not help but feel a little short of breath. He sat on the top with a huff, looked at the elders around him, breathed for a while, and then continued, "Of course, we still have an identity, that is us Our ancestors were Han Chinese, so the Han people did not completely regard us as people from the desert, so they did not take action..."

Po Shihe Yuanchang said in a deep voice, "But the first condition is that we must accept the order of the Hussar General..."

　　　So...what do the Han people want? 』

Po Shihe Yuanchang was silent for a while, seeming to be reminiscing and organizing his words, "The Han envoy said that we are not prohibited from selling war horses, but we must have war horses with sales certificates. Go to Chang'an to get them. How many war horses have been obtained with sales certificates?" , how many war horses can be sold...as well as skins, horns, tendons, etc. The same is true. Report the quantity first, pay sales tax, and then sell it. How much it sells for is our business. However, if you sell it without a warrant, you will be punished according to the smuggling theory. …It’s not just us Jiankun people who are like this, the Hu merchants from the Western Regions and the Han merchants from the East are all the same..."

The elders were all stunned, and they all hesitated. It took a long time for someone to ask: "What about this tax..."

Po Shihe Yuanchang said: "They are all the same, all are the same!" Same as everyone else! Different grades of war horses, different leather horns, according to the standards set by the Han people... Then someone will randomly check... If the goods are found to be different from Pingyin, they will also be dealt with as smuggling..."

"It seems... not bad..." The elders started chattering, seemingly forgetting their previous state of indignation against the Han people.

"Also, the Han people will set up a large, fixed market in the clouds... The Han traders in the market will also be certified, and there will no longer be problems with low prices and fake goods... In addition, because of the previous Due to language communication barriers between us and the Han people, the Han people gave us ten places to study and work as interpreters in Chang'an, the Han people... The Han people will also send some interpreters here and teach our children some basics for free. After all, our ancestors are also Chinese, how can we not understand Chinese..."

 ‘This…’ The elders looked at each other.

They originally thought that the Han envoys had put forward very harsh conditions, such as how many cattle, sheep and livestock they wanted, and how many vassal soldiers they wanted to participate in the war, just like the Huns treated them back then. However, they did not expect to hear these so-called conditions, and they were immediately confused. Some are unbelievable.

Hoshikawa Motochan looked around and sighed, "I called you here just to discuss... Are there any traps here..."

 (End of this chapter)