Songzhou, Dudu Mansion.
"What? He Ba also won the battle?" Wang Wenzuo asked in surprise: "Didn't I order him to withdraw his troops? He didn't comply?"
"No, He Ba did not disobey your order, Sanlang. He did withdraw his troops!" Cui Hongdu's face was full of a smile that could not be hidden: "But things are unpredictable!" He smiled and said He Ba Yong had withdrawn his troops and went to the wrong place. The road happened to go in and out at the wrong time, and he bumped into a Tubo man drinking his horse. He told the story again, and finally said: "According to what was said in the letter, our army beheaded more than 300 people, captured more than 400 people alive, and captured 1,200 horses. There are more than a hundred, and the battle is useless! But we only killed and wounded thirty-nine people! This battle can be won much more beautifully than Hei Te Changzhi!"
"Yes!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "Although Hei Te Changzhi won, he also suffered hundreds of casualties. It was indeed not as good as He Ba's victory. After all, the commander Ruoding is still not as good as Hong Fu Qitian!" At this point, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Sanlang, what do you plan to do with these Tubo prisoners? Will they be incorporated into the army or -?" Cui Hongdu asked.
"It hasn't been decided yet!" Wang Wenzuo said: "But I have considered talking to the Tibetan generals. If possible, let them go and see if they can be replaced with some captured Qiang Hu slaves!"
"Put them back and bring them back in exchange for Qiang and Hu slaves?" Cui Hongdu was surprised and thought he heard wrongly: "Why do you want to do this? Judging from Hei Te Changzhi's letter, these Tubo people are not easy to deal with. Putting them back is like letting the tiger return to the mountain. , what’s the use of getting back those Qianghu slaves?”
"Politics, politics, Hongdu, you are now the commander-in-chief of the Dudu Mansion, you must understand politics!" Wang Wenzuo looked like he hated iron.
"Politics? What does this have to do with politics?" Cui Hongdu asked puzzledly. There was also the word "politics" in ancient China. "Shangshu Bi Ming" has "Tao harmonizes politics and nourishes the people"; "Zhou Li·Di" "Guan·Suiren" has "controlling political prohibitions". In ancient China, "government" and "governance" were often used separately. "Government" mainly refers to the power, system, order and laws of the country; "governance" mainly refers to managing and educating the people, which is quite different from the meaning of the word "politics" today.
It is not difficult to see that the word "politics" in ancient China focused more on the subjectivity of the country and ignored the activities and relationships of social members as objects. However, our today's word "politics" recognizes that state power is the core of politics. Under the premise, it also includes related activities and relationships of members of the entire society. This is why Cui Hongdu does not understand Wang Wenzuo's approach.
"I have been in Songzhou for a while. What do you know about the situation in Tubo?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
Cui Hongdu's current official position is the marching commander of Songzhou Dudufu in the Tang Dynasty, that is, the second-in-command of the Dudufu and Wang Wenzuo's deputy. Naturally, he has paid a lot of attention to the situation of the main enemy. When he heard Wang Wenzuo test himself, he hurriedly said: "Tubo People are tenacious and resistant to fighting. The front team is exhausted and the rear team is forward. The people are brave and brave. Those who have been defeated in countless battles are regarded as the best. Those who run away from the battlefield hang a fox tail on their head. It shows their cowardice like a fox. In fact, they are my powerful enemies! "
"What else?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"What else?" Cui Hongdu was stunned: "What else?"
"Hongdu!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "Have you read all the interrogation records of Tenzin?"
"I read it, but it seems that most of it talks about things that have nothing to do with the war!"
"It has nothing to do with the war?" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "Then let me ask you, if these prisoners are released back, what do you think Tubo will do with them? Is it a reward or a punishment?"
"The defeated army surrenders, of course it will be punished! And it will be a heavy punishment!"
"That's right!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "The Tubo people use tribes as soldiers. Even if I keep these prisoners and incorporate them into the army, I'm afraid it won't be of much use. After all, their parents, wives and children are still in Tubo. If there is a chance, they will still find a way to escape back to reunite with their families. But if they are released, the Tubo officials will definitely punish them and their families more severely, so that other soldiers will take a warning and fight to the death the next time they fight, you Is that right?"
"Yes, Sanlang, you want to make those Tibetan prisoners unlucky? But what good will this do to us?" Cui Hongdu asked in confusion.
"Tubo people are also human beings, and it is human nature to like life and hate death. The reason why Tibetan soldiers can be brave and perseverant on the battlefield is because of their fierce military law. But after I asked Tenzin, I found that the Tibetan military law There were small rewards and heavy punishments. Not only did the soldiers go into battle without food and pay, but they also had to provide their own boots and clothes. However, after winning the battle, they received trophies and land slaves, but the generals and nobles ate most of it, and the soldiers got very little. Very pitiful.
Moreover, when soldiers go to war, their families cannot be exempted from taxes and labor. While the old, weak, women and children pay tribute while grazing on farmland, they also have to prepare rations and clothes for their husbands and fathers. Once the battle is defeated, the soldiers' families will be subject to various punishments, and even Being the target of ridicule and attack, do you think this military law is fair? "
"Of course it's unfair, but almost all military laws in the world are unfair!" Cui Hongdu said with a bitter smile: "And it seems that this military law is very effective. The Tubo people are famous for their ability to fight!"
"The effect of Qin's method is also very good, but when the emperor made a three-chapter agreement, the Guanzhong elders were afraid that the emperor would not rule Guanzhong!" Wang Wenzuo sneered: "The Tubo people are like this because they have never seen other laws and have no choice. If they let When they see a better law, they will no longer endure it!”
"Sanlang, do you plan to use these Tubo soldiers to deal with Tibet?"
"Not bad!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Let them open their eyes in the Tang Dynasty, and then let them go back to Tubo. After comparing the two sides, many things will naturally become clear!"
"Open the eyes, how to open the eyes?" Cui Hongdu asked: "Let them go to Chengdu to see?"
"That's no need. Letting them see the wealth and splendor of Jinguan City will only arouse the desire to plunder!" Wang Wenzuo said: "I plan to let them build roads!"
"Building roads?"
"Yes, to be precise, it is the Songmao Road from Songzhou to Dujiangyan. First of all, the repair of this road is indeed very beneficial to us. Not only does it speed up the mobilization of troops, but it is also conducive to the future tea and horse trade. There are many roads around Songzhou. The large tracts of meadow are suitable for grazing cattle and sheep as long as there is no war. The horns and furs of cattle and sheep are in short supply in Chengdu, so business is promising."
"Building roads is strenuous work, and it's still winter. Those Tibetan prisoners will only resent us, right?"
"They are prisoners of war, and they should do hard labor!" Wang Wenzuo sneered: "It's just that in our Tang Dynasty, even if they served hard labor, they would not get nothing, such as better daily meals, clothes and shoes Hat, there is a holiday every ten days. During the holiday, they can take a bath, don’t have to work, eat better, and get a little pocket money every month, so that when they go back, they can use the money to buy some things, such as A bag of tea leaves, two pieces of silk cloth, etc., wouldn’t that be great!”
"This is a good idea!" Cui Hongdu said with a smile: "But where will the money and food come from?"
"This is not simple. Who will take the biggest advantage after the road is built? One is us, and the other is the merchants. The trade on this road is very profitable! We sent someone to Chengdu to spread the news that Songmao Road will be built. , ask them to raise a sum of money, and those who are willing to pay will be engraved on the stone tablet. Those who pay more will be written on the front, and those who pay less will be written on the back. After they are carved, they will be erected at the entrance of Songmao Road. Those merchants know that, I’ll definitely be happy to pay for it!”
"That's right!" Cui Hongdu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Those merchants have the best reputations. As long as they can be listed on the stone monument, their reputation will be immortalized. After they know it, they will definitely pay for it!"
"So don't say you don't have money. There is a lot of money in the world, but you can't come up with a good reason for others to take out the money. This Songmao Road benefits the country and the people, but the project is huge and ordinary people don't have the ability. As long as we build the road and build a bank to collect tolls, two cents for a person, five cents for a big animal, and two cents per hundred miles for goods, isn't this road a ready-made cash cow? Use the tax money collected to exchange for repairs Isn't it good to borrow money from the road? Give fame to those who like good reputation, and give profits to those who like profit, what can't be done? "
When Cui Hongdu heard this, he was already convinced and said with a smile: "Then who do you plan to let go to Chengdu?"
"It would be great if Cao Sennu and his uncle and nephew were here, what a pity!" Wang Wenzuo sighed.
"Yes!" Cui Hongdu smiled: "Actually, let me see, there is another good choice, why not let your brother give it a try!"
"My brother?" Wang Wenzuo was stunned.
"Yes, it's Wang Ence. Anyway, it's better to use your own family for this kind of thing. He has never fought in a war, and he can't do anything in front of the government office all day long. Why don't you give him something serious to do? It’s time to practice and practice!”
Wang Wenzuo didn't speak. Cui Hongdu's suggestion made him feel as if he had eaten a mouthful of flies. He had no feelings for this nominal brother. There was no other place to throw him in front of the Yamen. Without this person, Cui Hongdu suddenly mentioned him this time, which made him feel extremely unhappy. However, he also knew that Cui Hongdu did this out of good intentions. In ancient times when clan relations were extremely strong, he was selfless and indifferent to his close relatives. Will be considered unkind and immoral. No matter how much I dislike Wang Ence, as long as my surname is Wang, I can't kick this "nominal brother" away.
"Enze, right? How can such a big thing be left to him alone!" Wang Wenzuo snorted coldly: "Let's let Yiji Lianbode host it, and Enze will follow suit!"
"That's what Sanlang said!" Cui Hongdu was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "Sanlang is still thoughtful!"
"How thoughtful? I didn't think about it. I just said it casually!" Wang Wenzuo thought to himself: "Where did Cui Hongdu think of this guy?" But he was too lazy to say more: "Let's arrange it like this! Send a messenger to Tibet. There is no rush to contact us, we will wait for half a month before dispatching, lest the Tibetan generals become suspicious and think that we are deliberately pretending to exchange prisoners and stab them behind their backs, causing any further complications!"
"Yes, yes!" Cui Hongdu responded twice. He knew what Wang Wenzuo meant. As long as winter was sure to come, it would be difficult for both the Tang army and the Tubo people to conduct large-scale military operations and exchange prisoners on this plateau. It is easier to win the other party's trust.
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Denzin swung the broom vigorously and swept the horse manure on the ground into the basket. Even with a thick cloth wrapped around his mouth and nose, there was still a strong and disgusting smell in the stable. But Tenzin seemed to have no feeling at all and just worked hard. When the basket was full, he poured the horse dung into the mule cart outside and exchanged it for a bamboo stick. He had already figured out what the bamboo chips were for. People in the Tang Dynasty treated prisoners quite well. If you did nothing, you would only have two meals of gruel in the morning and evening, barely surviving from starvation.
But if you go out to work, such as cleaning stables, repairing city walls, carrying goods, etc., as long as you complete a certain amount of work, you can get this bamboo chip. Then at night, you can use these bamboo chips to exchange for corn rice, Hu cakes, pickled rice, etc. Meat and wine. Some people even got a sheepskin mattress, which made all the Tibetan prisoners red-eyed. The winter in Songzhou is no joke. It is not easy to survive the winter here with just haystacks and the clothes on your body. After that, no one cursed the Tang people anymore. The reason was simple. Instead of having time to curse, it was better to save their energy for work. They were no longer the proud Tubo warriors, but just a group of poor people trying to survive.
"Tenzin, is Tenzin here?"
Tenzin put down his broom. He could already understand some simple Tang dialect, especially his own name. He saw a Tang Army soldier standing at the door and ran out quickly, bowing and saying, "I'm Tenzin, what can I do?"
"Stop sweeping the stables! The boss has something to do with you, so come with me!"
"Yes, yes!" Tenzin hurriedly washed his hands stained with horse manure in a bucket nearby, then followed the soldier. He crossed the street and came to a secluded courtyard. He entered the door and saw When I arrived at Acton, I stood in front of a short-bearded Tang army general, who was whispering something. He didn't dare to look any further, so he knelt down.
"Is this person Tenzin? The Tibetan prisoner whom the Governor interrogated?" Cui Hongdu asked.
"Yes, that's him!" Aktun said: "The Governor asked for a long time, and he asked very detailed questions! He has also learned Tang dialect well now, and he should be considered the best among the Tibetan prisoners!"
"Well!" Cui Hongdu looked up and down at Tenzin who was kneeling on the ground, nodded, and said to Acton: "Tell him what your superiors want!"
"Yes!" Acton responded and said to Tenzin: "Tenzin, get up. Now there is something for you to do. If you do it well, you will not only be rewarded, but you will also be let back to work with you. family reunion!"
"Let me go back? Reunite with my family?" Tenzin raised his head in surprise. He could hardly believe his ears. In his opinion, the people of Tang Dynasty had been very lenient to him and actually allowed him to sweep horse manure without wearing wooden shackles. Of course, the fact that he couldn't escape at all was also a reason.
I feel that my writing is good, but my grades are not improving!
(End of chapter)
