Dozens of eagles circled and soared over the vast west-facing mountains, emitting crisp calls. The dark mountains stretched like giant dragons across the border between Sui Dynasty and Tuyuhun. The mountains close to Taozhou were densely forested. The long and narrow forest stretches for thousands of miles.
In this wild wilderness, there are few people, but the Qiang people only live in some places that are suitable for human survival, and most places are almost uninhabited.
The Qiang people live in the mountains and forests, and live with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Although they are not civilized, they are good at many things, such as taming animals, refining detoxification drugs, weaving rattan armor, searching for mineral deposits, etc. If the Sui Dynasty could tame them These people can definitely contribute to the development of the Sui Dynasty. However, it is a pity that these simple men and mountain people have always been the chief's profit tools and have been used by the chief as a weapon to negotiate with the court.
They live in a closed environment, and their understanding of the Sui Dynasty is only through the chiefs, large and small. Their impression of the Han people is that "the Han people are very treacherous." After the tiger skins and mountain goods were entrusted to the chief to trade with the Han people, what they got back was pitiful grain and salt. They had no idea that 70% to 80% of the value of the goods had been embezzled by the chief they trusted. As long as the chief said "Han people" "Treacherous", they believed it, and then they said "the Han people are treacherous".
If someone with a smarter mind dares to question the chief and offend the chief's authority, he will die a tragic death, and everyone thinks that this person's death was reasonable and he deserved this end.
Therefore, to this day, their way of life and living habits have not changed much. They are still dominated by chiefs, they still say that the Han people are treacherous, and they still say that the Han people’s court cannot be trusted. Therefore, when Tuoba Ningcong, Fei Tinglong, etc. When the big and small chiefs said they wanted to fight, everyone followed without hesitation.
In an open space opened deep in the jungle, cow dung, horse dung and mosquito-repelling herbs are constantly burning, using smoke and the smell of smoke to drive away snakes, rats, mosquitoes and flies. Although the smell is not very good, at least it makes the environment much cleaner.
In a huge wooden building nearby, leaders such as Tuoba Ningcong and Fei Tinglong were sitting there quietly. The atmosphere in the tent was a bit dull. After listening to the man who came from the stockade to ask for help to explain the situation of the Sui army's massive arrival, Tuoba Ningcong silently waved his hand and asked him to retreat.
Tuoba Ningcong looked at the vast sky with a dazed expression, thinking about something motionlessly.
Although both he and Fei Tinglong successfully escaped from Weizhou, the more than 20,000 warriors they brought with them became meritorious deeds of the Sui army, and among these meritorious deeds, his five sons, three Son-in-law, Tuoba clan’s descendants are even more numerous.
These people have always been the backbone of his control over Party Xiang Qiang, but now, everyone has paid the price with their lives because of his ambition.
Do you regret it?
He had long regretted it in his heart, but now it was too late to say anything.
The death of more than 20,000 young men and the large-scale invasion of the Sui army not only caused mourning throughout the country and made people's hearts shake, but also shook his authority. Everyone now blames the chiefs for this fiasco. Their actions and abilities are filled with complaints, resentment, and unbelief.
Of course, the disaster of Dangxiang Qiang was indeed inflicted on the people of the tribe by Tuoba Ningcong, Fei Tinglong and other leaders in order to satisfy their own selfish desires. Now that they have returned from a disastrous defeat, they will naturally have to bear all the consequences of the disastrous defeat. .
If it were normal times, they could use the authority of the chiefs and chiefs to suppress these dissatisfied voices with harsh means. However, this tragic defeat caused the death of more than half of the families of the entire race, including sons, husbands, and fathers. There were grievances. If they dared to suppress them, the families of these deceased relatives would definitely jump out to oppose them. They did not dare to face the grievances formed by half of the tribe.
Tuoba Ningcong breathed a long sigh of relief, put his hands on his knees, looked at the somewhat depressed chiefs, and said sadly: "The 'four-class people' policy implemented by Yang Ji in Liangzhou is to solve the problem of those of us." The forces outside the imperial court. Compared with other Qiang tribes, Sogdian tribes, and Hu tribes, our party Xiang Qiang has a larger population and greater strength, so it has become Yang Ji’s first choice enemy. If we lose, those small tribes will Naturally, they did not dare to disobey his orders, so they had no choice but to obediently follow his policies and dispersed to various states and counties. If things go on like this, everyone will become the people of the Sui Dynasty and gradually forget what kind of people they are, while the Qiang, Sogdian, and Hu Humans and other races will no longer exist. It is this crisis that makes us chiefs prefer to be the knives of the Sui people and go to Weizhou to ambush Yang Ji. As long as he dies, the "four-class people" policy will no longer exist. Let it go. However, Yang Ji was very treacherous and used a fire attack to cause us to be defeated and returned."
"Shuai Qu is right. We ambushed Yang Ji for the sake of the future of Dang Xiang Qiang." Fei Tinglong took over and said in a deep voice: "Our decision represents the voice of all Dang Xiang Qiang people. and appeal, but Yang Ji was so cunning that we suffered a disastrous defeat."
The singing and singing of these in-laws made the chief and the chief look much better. The strong sense of mission for Party Xiang Qiang's future not only made the guilt in their hearts a little weaker, but also seemed to make them taller. stand up. One or two of them involuntarily puffed up their chests, which made the sluggishness just now much less severe.
Tuoba Ningcong seemed not to notice the changes in everyone, and still said in a calm tone: "Now, Yang Ji has transferred a large number of troops to Taoyuan County. The purpose is naturally to deal with us. It seems that he does not care about his territory and his son. The people are not willing to accept all the possessions. Please tell us what good ideas you have and what should we do now?"
"Let me tell you!" Fei Tinglong narrowed his eyes slightly and said to the chiefs: "We are not afraid of war, but we are afraid that Yang Ji will fight with us. Because he has the backing of the imperial court, he can obtain a steady stream of soldiers, There is an endless supply of food. But we live in harsh mountains and cannot withstand endless consumption. If we continue to confront Yang Ji, we will collapse without a fight."
Gu Duozhi said: "The worst thing is that our soldiers are all laborers in the village. If the war is fought for too long and dragged on for too long, it will seriously affect farming and grazing, and our people will not be able to live. , then the morale of the army will inevitably be weakened. Yang Ji is now pressing forward step by step, and we have no way to retreat. "
A chief named Yelizhan next to him hesitated for a moment and said hesitantly: "Many Qiang villages living in Hezhou and Lanzhou have accepted the arrangements from the government. Every household has land, and the government also sends people to teach them. How to farm the land, and their children also learn Han culture with the children of the Sui people. Isn't this the goal we have been pursuing for generations? If we ask for peace with Yang Ji and join the Sui Dynasty, we can naturally live such a good life. .”
"Yes! In fact, there is absolutely no need for us to fight this war." Another chief named Xiang Liyuan was a little moved when he heard this, and he echoed: "As long as we become Sui people, Yang Ji will have no excuse to treat us Let’s do it. There is absolutely no need for us to fight such a hopeless battle, let alone risk the lives of our entire clan for the sake of impossible ambitions.”
Gu Duozhi glared at the two of them fiercely: "Yang Ji's army has invaded and vowed to wipe us out. What's the point of talking about it now?"
Ye Lizhan said coldly: "We can't win the fight, and we can't use up the energy. Then tell me, what should we do now? Do you have to let the whole clan die before you are willing to do it?"
Ye Lizhan glanced at Tuoba Ningcong and said insinuatingly to Gu Duzhi: "When we first became attached, the emperor not only accepted us, but also asked the government to allocate fields and land, teach us how to learn Han culture, and teach us how to learn Chinese culture. Farming, the imperial court has never treated us badly at all. But you, Guduozhi, have been complaining. Not only did you not accept the imperial court's kindness, you also provoked the imperial court and attacked Ningzhou. After the defeat, the imperial court just moved us to Taozhou and You are not sorry for us at all. But what about now? How can we repay this kindness? How did more than 20,000 warriors die? It was your "Gu Du Zhi" inflated ambition and your "Gu Du Zhi" arrogant ignorance. .”
"So what?" Gu Duozhi stood up angrily and sneered: "Our party Xiang Qiang and the Sui Dynasty have sworn hatred! In the past, tens of thousands of tribesmen were killed under Huizhou City, and hundreds of thousands of cattle were killed. The sheep were robbed! Have you forgotten that? Now you are telling me to 'seek peace' but surrender to the Sui Dynasty who massacred our people and become the Sui Dynasty's dog!" He shouted angrily with red eyes: " You are not worthy of being a party member at all!"
"Everything must be done in order. If we hadn't violated the taboo first, how could the government kill our warriors and rob our livestock? Everything we are doing now is our own fault." Ye Lizhan pounded his knees with his fists, coldly He said coldly: "In the past, we could trade fairly with the Sui people without having to fight the imperial court or shed blood. We could exchange goods for what we needed in an upright manner. It was your arrogant and ignorant ambitions that made so many warriors die in vain and changed the bright future. All in vain."
Ye Lizhan has always given people the impression of a good old man, but the majestic anger that burst out at this moment shocked the chiefs, and it gradually became apparent that the old man Ye Lizhan was like a crazy wolf.
Now that he had pierced the window paper, he didn't bother to hide it anymore. His eyes passed over the bones, stared at Tuoba Ningcong, and said word by word: "You have no ability to let everyone live a better life." Good day, otherwise, everyone would not have allowed Tuoba Chici to rush to Hezhou; if the emperor had not asked you to manage everyone, how could we have obeyed your orders? As the commander of Dangxiang Qiang, you have repeatedly It leads everyone to a dead end.”
He puffed up his cheeks and said through gritted teeth: "I can't control other people, but I will never allow you to lead the Yeli clan to destruction. Don't let the people of the Yeli clan treat a broken pot or a broken knife again. The days of family heirlooms are over. We have to go back to the past. We have to have food and housing like the Sui people. I, the Yeli clan, are no longer worthy of being a party member. What do you want to do now? You can play with those idiots yourself. Go."
At this point, anyone with a little knowledge knows that Shunchang will perish. If they resist stubbornly, everyone will be buried with the immoral and incompetent Tuoba Ningcong. So at this time of life and death, the unbearable Ye Lizhan didn't want to endure it anymore. After venting the anger in his chest, he stood up and left without hesitation.
After thinking about it for a while, Xiang Liyuan also got up and left; after that, several more chiefs left one after another.
Tuoba Ningcong did not stop Ye Lizhan, Xiang Liyuan and others, but his face was as dark as water at this time, and he looked at everyone's back with cold eyes.
When there were only a few confidants left in the hall, Tuoba Ningcong slowly stood up and said in a deep voice: "When Yang Ji treats the enemy, he always treats the enemy as either friends or enemies. How does he treat the ministries in the Great Lakes Region? It was a massacre without distinction between men, women, old and young; and how was the Turkic captives treated? It was an endless process of enslaving captives day and night. The Turkic captives were now building official roads for the Sui Dynasty, and a large number of captives died every day. die."
When everyone heard this, their hearts trembled.
Tuoba Ningcong slowly said to everyone: "Yang Ji wants people from our party to annihilate us, and we simply can't satisfy his appetite. Ye Lizhan and Quang Liyuan thought that by begging for surrender now, they would be able to return to the peace of the past. Getting along with each other is simply a big joke. The only way to survive is to hurt him and scare him, so that he will never dare to treat us as lambs that can be slaughtered at will! In this battle, we have made progress There is no retreat, we must fight.”
Fei Tinglong suddenly stood up and shouted in a deep voice: "Everyone immediately cut down trees, strengthened the camp, made rolling logs and other defensive equipment, and ordered the old man and his daughter to collect poison, temper arrowheads, and cut bamboo arrows. In this battle, we can only win. No defeat allowed!”
"Yes!" Gu Duozhi and others put their hands on their chests, bowed and said in unison: "There is no retreat, no victory, no defeat!"
The majestic momentum in the hall made the soldiers patrolling in the distance faintly audible. They stopped and looked over. The horses tied outside seemed to feel the tragic atmosphere in the voices of the chiefs, and they all raised their heads and neighed. .
Guduozhi and others left the hall one after another and rushed back to their bases with enthusiasm, arranging the tribesmen to seize the time to build fortifications.
In the hall, only Tuoba Ningcong and Fei Tinglong were left.
Tuoba Ningcong's angry look just now disappeared, and he became very calm and calm. After waiting silently for a while, he whispered: "If this battle fails, our negotiation capital with the imperial court will no longer exist. We can gamble with our own lives, but the survival of the entire clan cannot be gambled with!"
"I understand!" Fei Tinglong said in a deep voice with a calm look on his face that was inconsistent with his roughness: "From the day we became chiefs, we are no longer people who only live for ourselves and our families. If we abide by If we can’t live there, we have no choice but to move our entire clan and go to Tuyuhun or Tuoba Chici.”
Tuoba Ningcong nodded: "That's what I planned too, but we'd better go to Tuyuhun. Murong Fuyun will ask for property and soldiers from us, but he has no desire for our people, and Tuoba Chi Ci is not like that. Once we attach ourselves to Tuoba Chici, he will definitely kill all of us chiefs in order to annex us!"
Fei Tinglong deeply agreed, exhaled a heavy breath, and said in a heavy tone: "It depends on the situation, let's finish this battle first!"
"Yeah!" Tuoba Ningcong walked out.
Fei Tinglong whispered: "What should Ye Lizhan, Xiang Liyuan and others do? Otherwise..."
"No!" Tuoba Ningcong understood what Fei Tinglong meant. He interrupted the other party's unfinished words and said: "The enemy is about to attack, and we cannot afford the suffering of civil strife now. If we get rid of Yeli at this time, If Zhan and Liyuan go to Liyuan, their sons will definitely lead the Sui army into the country, and then we will be finished."
"Okay then!" Fei Tinglong nodded.
. . . . . . . . .
At the same time, a massive Sui army came from Meixiang County in the north to Taoyuan County. The rumble of horse hooves was like thunder mixed with dark clouds, and the earth was shaking. More than 15,000 elite soldiers, The state soldiers created a momentum that was enough to destroy everything. The afternoon sun shines on the Mingguang armor and weapons of the Sui soldiers, emitting a cold light. The Chinese army's red battle flag with the word "Sui" and the black flag with the word "Wei Wang Yang" are particularly eye-catching in the sun. The ribbons on the two big flags fluttered in the wind and made a sound.
Although this army did not draw its crossbows and swords, nor did it arrogantly expel pedestrians on the official road, the chilling atmosphere created by the silent marching team made the pedestrians pale in horror, and they gave way to both sides of the official road. This allowed this imposing army to sweep towards the south with unstoppable force without any stagnation.
Yang Ji is the commander-in-chief of the army. He, his staff and personal escorts are located in the middle and front of the army.
To be honest, Yang Ji did not intend to kill all Dangxiang Qiang. What he wanted was to take back Dangxiang's high degree of autonomy and pave the way for naturalization of Dangxiang. As long as they were scattered among states and counties, it would only take one In two generations, Dangxiang Qiang will be lost in the long river of history.
But now, Dangxiang Qiang not only has a place to recuperate, but also has the power that the imperial court cannot interfere with their military, politics, and beliefs. The power of life and death for the entire clan lies in the hands of the great chief Tuoba Ningcong.
Yang Ji originally wanted to use war to force Dang Xiang to come out. Only after learning more about it, Yang Ji realized that Dang Xiang was not as easy to deal with as the Turks.
In order to survive, the Turks have been plundering the people on the Sui border, thus putting the two sides in an absolute and irreconcilable opposition. Although the Turks are countless times more powerful than the Dangxiang, it is actually very simple to naturalize them. That is to establish their authority through killing and plundering. The Turkic population enters the country and then leaves behind the old, weak, women and children to wear them down; as for the young and strong, they either kill or enslave them, and then use culture to change the next generation's cognition.
However, the Dangxiang Qiang and Bashu barbarians in the south are completely different from the Turks in the north. This is because the ethnic minorities in the south are not as predatory as the Turks. They have coexisted with the Han people for a long time. They can be self-sufficient and trade with the Han people. ; He neither surrendered to the Han court nor took the initiative to provoke him. He would even donate treasures to obtain funding from the court. Large tribes like Dangxiang have even opened up their own farmland and lived a self-sufficient life. Their living habits are very close to those of the Han people, and they are already in the semi-Chinese stage. As long as they take a small step forward, they can be completely eliminated. Chinese.
Faced with such ethnic minorities, if the imperial court uses the iron-blooded methods used to treat the Turks to kill them and force them to persecute them, it will only deepen the hatred between the two parties and push the ethnic minorities who should be their own people into hostility.
But if you don’t use iron-blooded means to deal with them, they will continue to live with you as friends and foes, and this kind of half-friends and half-enemy neighbors are often more terrifying than clear enemies, because they tend to be around you. An unexpected critical moment will stab you hard.
Even if there were no large-scale battles, small frictions would continue, and the court's manpower, material resources, and energy would be wasted here. If the court ignores them, they will turn into chaos sooner or later. What's more serious is that once the situation is unstable, the party will definitely take the opportunity to grow and take advantage of the situation.
When the population ratio of Sui and Qiang people living on this land is balanced or unbalanced, the final result will be that Dangxiang barbarizes the surrounding Sui people instead of being naturalized by the Sui people.
And judging from the map, the area where the Party members are entrenched is the choke point for heading east to Guanzhong, west to Qinghai, and south to the Chengdu Plain. If the Sui Dynasty and Tugu are equally powerful, then the geographical location here will become even more important.
If this place cannot be completely occupied and controlled, and the Dangxiang Qiang living here cannot be completely naturalized, then they will become the most unstable factor during the war. Once Tuyuhun's strength is equal to or stronger than that of the Sui Dynasty, they will have common interests with Tuyuhun. The various Qiang people in Dangxiang will definitely go hand in hand with Tuyuhun and become "Wu Sangui who released the Qing troops into the pass".
Now the only way Yang Ji can think of is to use the power of the Sui Dynasty and the Battle of Weizhou to press forward step by step, force them to split internally, and then pull each one to fight.
But the specific operation will only depend on the actual situation when you reach the destination.
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