The cold wind is biting and raging across the ice.
Zhou Jun walked on the frozen soil where the Chinese army was camped. Although he was wearing a tight leather jacket, he could still feel the cold air like a dull knife, cutting his skin and causing him excruciating pain.
After looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, Zhou Jun took a long breath and continued walking forward, entering the tent of the Chinese army camp.
There was a charcoal fire burning inside the tent, and the temperature was significantly higher than that outdoors.
Zhou Jun took off his leather hat and entered the last seat of the military council.
Wang Zhongsi, who was sitting in the main seat, was stroking the beard on his chin with one hand and holding a letter in the other hand with a solemn expression.
While waiting for the generals to take their seats, Wang Zhongsi shook the letter in his hand and said, "Last night, a Turkic envoy sent a letter."
"The letter stated that the six tribes, including Bao Ta He and Mo Luo, were willing to lay down their weapons and surrender to the Tang Dynasty."
Hearing this, the generals in the tent had different expressions.
Someone questioned: "The Turks are cunning and cunning, and they sent this letter just to delay time."
Someone else said: "If the six Turkic tribes are willing to surrender and agree, then it will not only divide the enemy's strength but also weaken the enemy's morale. It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone."
Regarding these two views, Wang Zhongsi just remained silent and did not express any opinions.
Zhou Jun looked at Wang Zhongsi and saw that the latter had a heavy face, but he had doubts in his heart.
Zhou Jun thought to himself that the six Turkic tribes were willing to surrender, which was a good thing for the Northern Expedition. Why did Wang Zhongsi seem to be worried?
After thinking for a moment, Wang Zhongsi asked the military officer: "How many prisoners are there now and how are they arranged?"
Jundian cupped his hands and replied: "Since the army set off, a total of more than 4,000 Turkic soldiers have been captured, and they have been detained in the rear camp under strict supervision."
Wang Zhongsi nodded and asked Zuoyiya again: "How many troops are there in the remaining troops of Abo Dagan?"
The latter replied: "Abo Dagan heard that our army was heading north, so he ordered the eleven Turkic tribes to move north."
"Along the way, the troops behind us clashed with our army several times, but they were all defeated and fled. The number of troops available at the moment is probably less than 50,000. The rest are just old, weak, women and children, and the number is about 60,000."
Wang Zhongsi nodded when he heard this and said nothing more.
The next military meeting will be to discuss the possibility of war and combat strategies.
Wang Zhongsi sat in the main seat with his brows furrowed, just listening to the reports from the generals. From beginning to end, he looked thoughtful.
When Zhou Jun saw it, he already had an idea in his mind.
When the military meeting adjourned, Zhou Jung just wanted to leave, but was stopped by Wang Zhongsi: "Zhou Lingshi will wait a moment. I have something to ask you."
After hearing this, Zhou Jun bowed his hands and stayed alone.
Wang Zhongsi first asked Zhou Jun to take a seat, and then asked: "I heard that Zhou Lang's ancestors are from the Nuya family?"
Zhou Jun nodded in agreement.
Wang Zhongsi: "Since I was born a slave, I must have some experience in capturing slaves."
Zhou Jun roughly knew Wang Zhongsi's worries, so he raised his hand and asked: "The Protector would like to ask how to deal with the Turkic prisoners?"
Wang Zhongsi was stunned, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.
Zhou Jun asked again: "Do you think the secret message from the six Turkic tribes begging for surrender is probably true?"
Wang Zhongsi: "That's right."
Zhou Jun: "If our army accepts the letter of surrender from the six Turkic tribes, the remaining tribes of Apodagan will definitely be in chaos. By then, I am afraid that more Turks will come to surrender."
"Including the four thousand prisoners guarded by the rear camp, I am afraid that after this battle, the number of Turkic troops surrendered alone will exceed 10,000."
After listening to Zhou Jun's words, Wang Zhongsi frowned deeper and said directly: "If more than ten thousand troops are surrendered, if a saint comes to inquire, I will give you some instructions."
Zhou Jun thought for a while and said: "In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Li Jing, the Duke of Wei, defeated the Eastern Turks and captured Jieli Khan alive. One hundred thousand Turks were taken prisoner."
"Taizong once asked his ministers for advice on how to place one hundred thousand prisoners."
"Zhongshu Shilang Yan Shigu once said, please put them all in Hebei, separate the chiefs, and lead their tribes, then there will never be any trouble."
"Li Baiyaodao, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, still requested to set up the Duhu Mansion in Dingxiang to control the country. This is a long-term strategy to stabilize the border."
"Dou Jing, the governor of Xiazhou, said that the nature of Rong and Di is like that of animals... It will be harmful rather than beneficial to leave China alone... Divide its land, analyze its tribes, divide its power into weak ones, and easily control them, so that they can always serve as vassals.
, forever protecting the frontier."
"Zhongshu ordered Wen Yanbo to say that the king's influence on all things has spread over the world and left nothing behind. Now that the Turks have come to me, I can't help but abandon them and ignore them... I taught them the business and etiquette. After a few years,
All are our people."
"But Wei Zheng, the secretary supervisor, said that the Turks were bandits and thieves in the past, and they were the common people. Fortunately, they are now destroyed. Your Majesty surrendered them and could not bear to kill them all. It is better to let them return to their homeland and not to stay in China."
After saying this, Zhou Jun looked at Wang Zhongsi and stopped talking.
Wang Zhongsi stroked his beard and said: "Taizong finally accepted Wen Yanbo's method and settled the Turks in Hebei, Hanoi and Guannei."
Zhou Jun nodded, took a breath, and continued: "In the 13th year of Zhenguan (639), the Turkic nobles formed a group and acted as Zhonglang generals. They first wanted to assassinate Emperor Gaozong, and then tried to seize the city gate, but ultimately failed and escaped."
"In the first year of Tiaolu (679), the leader of the Eastern Turks, Astdewen Fu, launched an army to rebel. The Turkic people in the twenty-four northern states responded and gathered more than 100,000 people. They were finally defeated by Pei Xingjian."
"In the first year of Yonglong (681), the Turkic Ashina Gudulu led more than 5,000 people to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. They gathered the remaining troops along the way and reached 60,000 people. They were later defeated by Xue Rengui."
"After that, the Turks launched more than ten rebellions and never stopped."
Having said this, Zhou Jun stopped.
There was another passage in the history book that kept echoing in Zhou Jun's mind, but he had no way to tell Wang Zhongsi.
This passage means that the over 10,000 Turkic surrender soldiers captured by Shuofang's army during the Northern Expedition were forgiven by Xuanzong and were placed in Youzhou, Jizhou, Yingzhou and other places in Hebei.
All these surrendered troops later surrendered to An Lushan and became the vanguard of the rebels in the Anshi Rebellion. However, they were the first batch to invade Chang'an and carry out massacres and plunder.
Wang Zhongsi, on the other hand, rubbed his forehead and said, "I understand what Zhou Lang means. As for the Turks, if Taizong had used Wei Zheng's method, 'Even if they are returned to their homeland, they will not be left behind.
China' is the best strategy."
Zhou Jun shook his head when he heard this and said softly: "Wei Zheng's method is not as good as Wen Yanbo's. It is just a bad move. This move is tantamount to letting the tiger go back to the mountain."
When Wang Zhongsi heard this, he was stunned on the spot and asked Zhou Jun: "In your opinion, what is the best policy?"
Zhou Jun raised his right hand, slashed it down hard, and said in a deep voice: "Take fuel to stop the boil, cut the grass and root out the roots!"
Wang Zhongsi's eyes widened and he looked at Zhou Jun with a look of shock on his face.
Zhou Jun also said: "Good can't be lost, evil can't be long-lasting. When you see evil, you are like a farmer who removes the weeds and worships them. He cuts off his roots and doesn't allow them to reproduce. Then the good people will believe in them."
Wang Zhongsi pondered for a moment and then said: "It is unlucky to kill prisoners. This is a great evil. I fear that I will lose my way to the border tribes."
Zhou Jun cupped his hands and said: "The Turks captured the people and were influenced by heaven and earth. They wanted to pay for their crimes and perform meritorious service, and jointly punish the remaining sins. The remnants of the Turks repeated their old tricks and pretended to surrender and set up ambushes. Fortunately, they were seen through."
Wang Zhongsi was silent for a long time after hearing Zhou Jun's words.
On the second day, Shuofang's generals received two orders.
Order 1: Take 4,000 Turkic captives and form an army to free yourself from slavery.
The second order said: The six Turkic tribes issued a letter of surrender, so Wusu Khan’s false surrender plan was intended to induce an ambush. All armies prepare for war strictly and must not make mistakes.