Things have already happened. Whether or not to arrest the spies is a matter for the Turks. The Liang Kingdom has no status in the first place, so what is the use of Xue Lilai making a fuss? What good would it do him to capture the traitor? Zhao Deyan had already understood that Xue Li was clearly taking the opportunity to ask for benefits.
"Great Khan, no matter why Liang Guo went to attack at night for us this time, the losses are so huge, we should show something." Zhao Deyan persuaded.
Jieli pondered for a moment and said loudly: "Let's do this. I will be responsible for the loss. We will compensate for the compensation for those killed in battle and those captured. In addition, we will give you three thousand war horses. How about that?"
Xue Li shouted: "Great Khan, I am not just asking for benefits. There are spies in the Turkic army. If we don't get rid of them, a war with the Tang Dynasty in the future will be a big problem!"
King Zuo Xian couldn't help but scolded: "What spies? Get out of here after taking advantage! There are no spies in our Turkic army. Go back and check around you. The Liang Kingdom is full of trash. They can't even carry out a night attack. I want you to What’s the use?”
Xue Li angrily took his leave with the benefits and looked back at Dingxiang City with a mocking look.
After the others left, Jie Li scolded King Zuo Xian: "No matter how useless the Liang Kingdom is, we will have to rely on them to share the pressure of the Tang Dynasty. You have repeatedly humiliated them. If they vote for the Tang Dynasty, will you guard Shuofang?"
King Zuo Xian was so scolded that he did not dare to raise his head.
Jie Li pondered: "Military advisor, please pay attention. Is there really a spy?"
Zhao Deyan bowed and agreed.
But at this time, Tuli had already led his men to Yunzhou, Shanxi Province. How to investigate? What else can be found?
To put it bluntly, it was not because the Liang Kingdom was weak and no one cared how many people died in the Liang Kingdom.
At the west camp of the Tang Army, Sima came to Qin Shubao with an ugly look on his face, "General, the soldiers of the Liang Kingdom are too weak. When they saw the night attack and were ambushed, many people simply dropped their weapons and surrendered, not even bothering to escape. This time we captured 7,000 prisoners alone."
Qin Shubao smiled, "Isn't it a good thing to capture seven thousand prisoners? Why are you crying so hard?"
Sima Wei said: "General, we don't have enough food and grass. Originally, the Central Army adjusted the food. Our 20,000 soldiers eat horse chews, which consumes a lot of money. If we want to feed these 7,000 people, we simply can't afford it..."
"How about killing them all?"
Upon hearing Sima's suggestion, Qin Shubao's face darkened, "You are a Sima in the army, a scribe and a civil servant, how could you be so murderous? That's seven thousand living lives!"
Sima in the army defended: "General, it's not just his subordinates who don't know how to pity human life. But they are from the Liang Kingdom. The Liang Kingdom helped the Turks against the Tang Dynasty. They are our enemy. If you treat the enemy too kindly, you will create trouble." "
Qin Shubao didn't want to criticize. He pondered for a moment and then changed his words and said, "Let's let all the prisoners go."
"Let go? General? Let go of all the prisoners you finally captured? Wasn't the fight last night in vain? Moreover, these people will still take up weapons to fight us when they go back!" Sima in the army did not dare to say a word. That means letting the prisoners go is tantamount to endorsing the enemy.
But who is the person in front of me? Qin Shubao, the general of Zuowuwei who saved the emperor's life, who in the Tang Dynasty would rebel against the Tang Dynasty, not even him.
Qin Shubao said with a smile: "You kid, don't be so stubborn. There is a saying in the art of war, attacking the heart first and attacking the city second. Although these prisoners are all soldiers and generals, they are essentially ordinary people of the Liang Kingdom. The Liang Kingdom is bitter and cold, but not as good as Our Tang Dynasty was prosperous, but the people’s lives were not easy.”
"If we let them go back, will they appreciate our kindness to Datang? Maybe they will switch to Datang one day?"
Sima in the army suddenly realized what he was doing and praised him quickly: "The general is brilliant, but his subordinates are short-sighted."
"However, since it is a stratagem, my subordinates do have an opinion."
Qin Shubao encouraged: "Tell me and listen."
Sima in the army said: "It is better to escort these prisoners to the rear of Yanzhou to work for a few days, doing some corvee work such as digging ditches and water wells, so that they can get along with the people of Yanzhou."
"Firstly, it can allow the local people in Yanzhou to provide food to feed them, which saves the food and grass in our camp. Secondly, it can let them see the prosperity of our people in the Tang Dynasty. Only by seeing the people of the Tang Dynasty with their own eyes can they realize that the Liang Kingdom If we are unfair, we might be able to rise up and rebel against Liang Shidu."
Qin Shubao clapped his hands and praised, "Okay! This is a good suggestion. As expected, you scholars are the ones who can plan. So, I will leave this plan to you. If it works in the future, I will give you credit."
"Thank you, General!" Sima happily went to do the work.
So these 7,000 captives were anxiously escorted into the hinterland of Yanzhou to do corvee labor.
Here we met the common people who were also requisitioned by the imperial court as corvees. The prisoner camps and the common people were right next to each other. They worked and ate together during the day, and lived and slept separately at night.
Among the common people, there is a military Sima who is specially arranged to come in to do work. He usually likes to chat with others, even if the other person is a prisoner. At this time, they are working together with hoes. Everyone is a coolie. There is no saying that no one is discriminating against anyone. Let’s chat. It can also relieve boredom and forget the hardship of work.
"Hey, why are you doing corvee work and the army is watching? Where do you come from?" asked the people of the Tang Dynasty.
"We are not conscripted into corvee service. We are soldiers of the Liang Kingdom. We were captured while fighting on the Shuofang front line and sent to do hard labor."
"Oh...it turns out they are a group of prisoners. Then you deserve it. The Liang State helped the Turks to fight against the Tang Dynasty. You are definitely not a good thing to serve as soldiers for the Liang State." When they heard that they were prisoners, the eyes of the people of the Tang Dynasty were different. .
"Hey, how can you curse like this? We are ordinary people in Liang State, working on the land. We were forced to become soldiers because we had no choice but to fight against the Tang Dynasty. It was not because we wanted to fight against the Tang Dynasty, but because the Liang masters forced us to do so... We didn't want to either fight."
"Yes, who wants to fight if they can live a good life? But the land in Liang is too thin, and the grain harvested requires a 30% field tax, which is not enough for food. Those who come to join the army will be exempted from 20% of the field tax, otherwise who would want to come?"
…
All the people talking are pouring out their bitterness.
The people of the Tang Dynasty were surprised and said: "No, we have only one out of ten Tianfu. You, the Liang State, are too cruel, three out of ten? Only a 20% reduction in conscription and war? How can we still live? The men have gone out to fight, and at home. Who will plow the fields? Here in the Tang Dynasty, soldiers are exempt from taxes."
What? ? ? Is everything you said true? Are taxes so low in the Tang Dynasty? The prisoners' outlook on life was refreshed, as if a door to a new world had been opened at this moment.
After a few days, the commander-in-chief of the army saw that public opinion was almost done, so he took the prisoners back and let them go when they reached the border.
"Everyone, since we are all ordinary people, we are not really helping Master Liang to attack the Tang Dynasty. Then we don't want to cause more killings. We can let you go, but you must ensure that you go back to cultivate the land and live a good life, and not go to the battlefield again. If Anyone who goes to the battlefield and is caught by us for the second time will not be so lucky, but he will be killed without mercy!"
After Sima made the announcement, he ordered the prisoners to be released and allowed the prisoners to leave on their own.
But who could have imagined it? At this time, those brave people shouted: "Sir, stay here. I am alone in my family. I don't want to go back and follow Master Liang. I have suffered. Can I join the army with you? From now on, I will be in the Tang Dynasty." Be a soldier."
"And me, and me... I have too many brothers in my family who joined the army because my parents couldn't support them, and I don't want to go home. Can you count me as dead in battle, and then I can join the army here? I heard that Being a soldier in the Tang Dynasty allowed me to have enough to eat, so I want to be a soldier in the Tang Dynasty."
"And me, I also want to..."
...Almost half of the Liang soldiers were unwilling to leave.
ah? Sima in the army was confused. How could this be different from what he originally expected? Has the scheming gone too far? We let you go because there was insufficient food. If you stay and serve as soldiers for the Tang Dynasty, our military rations will soon be insufficient...
