Within a day, several special envoys sent by the Anbei Protectorate to the tribal gathering areas returned to Baiting County, but none of them brought good news.
After the riots in Egu County, most Mobei border residents no longer trusted the Tang people. Facing the special envoys who came to negotiate, they blocked the camp gates and shouted orders to leave. Some even used bows and arrows to drive away the envoys, and almost shot the envoys dead.
Zhou Ze, who originally pinned his hopes on negotiations, was extremely disappointed after hearing this.
Feeling helpless, he planned to order the evacuation of businesses and civilians around Baiting County, and then organize troops to rush to the tribal camp to prepare for battle.
At this time, Zhou Ze's son Zhou Shang found his father and said to him: "We should not give up the peace talks. It is not the time to start a war yet."
Zhou Ze: "The tribe sealed the camp and drove away the envoys, presumably giving up on the peace talks. At this time, the Anbei Protectorate could only organize an army and prepare to fight."
Zhou Shang: "Father, if the Mobei tribe really intends to go to war, according to their habits, they should directly send out cavalry to plunder and occupy the land. Why don't they send out troops at this time? Instead, they blockade the camp and prohibit others from entering and exiting.
Woolen cloth?"
Zhou Ze was stunned for a moment, then asked: "Are you trying to say that the tribe doesn't want to start a war?"
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Contact the tribe leaders and have a conversation with them."
Zhou Ze: "I sent a special envoy, but they can't even enter the other party's camp. How can we negotiate in this way?"
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Zhou Ze: "Tell me about it."
Zhou Shang: "I plan to go to the tribal camp in person to negotiate with the other party."
When Zhou Ze heard this, he was startled at first, then shook his head and asked: "The special envoy has not been able to see the leader, so what can you do if you go?"
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As the deputy envoy of Anbei, in the eyes of the border people, you are the spokesperson of the Tang Dynasty here. In the eyes of the border people, the special envoys you sent are just a group of officials. But if I go there as the son of the deputy envoy of Anbei,
Then it will attract more attention from border residents, and maybe there will be a chance to speak out."
Zhou Ze kept shaking his head: "This matter is too dangerous. If something happens to you, how will I explain it to your mother when I go back?"
Zhou Shang said anxiously: "Father! The situation has reached the point where it is now, how can there be any reason to worry about the danger anymore?! If the tribe goes to war with the Tang Dynasty, even if we win, my father will not be able to escape the crime of bad governance, and the Zhou family is afraid that the same will happen.
You will be implicated for this!"
After Zhou Ze heard this, he began to hesitate in his heart, put his hands behind his back, and kept pacing in the room.
After a while, Zhou Ze finally made up his mind and said to Zhou Shang: "My father agrees that you go to negotiate with the tribe. How many troops do you plan to bring there?"
Zhou Shang: "I will go alone without any soldiers."
Zhou Ze was stunned on the spot.
After coming to his senses, Zhou Ze argued with his son for a long time, and the two finally reached a unified opinion, not to bring an army, but to bring a small team to ensure the most basic safety.
Next, the news that Zhou Shang was going to negotiate with the tribe reached the Anbei Protectorate. After hearing about this, Ban Weizheng of Jinyiwei North Town took the initiative to ask for help and asked to go with Zhou Shang.
When Ban Weizheng was training in Bachuan in the early years, he was familiar with the Zhou family. He was the same age as Zhou Shang and had many personal relationships.
Therefore, Zhou Ze finally chose Ban Weizheng and a dozen Jinyi guards as Zhou Shang's bodyguards to go to the largest gathering place of the Mobei tribe.
After traveling ninety miles from Baiting County, Zhou Shang, Ban Weizheng and his party finally arrived at a tribal gathering place called Mang Village.
Ban Weizheng saw that there were horses and wooden fences at the entrance of the village, and there were many tribal warriors patrolling behind the wooden wall, so he said to Zhou Shang: "Although there are roadblocks at the entrance of the village, the road is not blocked."
Zhou Shang nodded, drove his horse to the entrance of the village, and shouted loudly: "I am the eldest son of Deputy Zhou of the Anbei Protectorate, and I wish to see the leader of the tribe."
Hearing Zhou Shang's call, there was a commotion at the entrance of the village.
In the span of a stick of incense, just when Ban Weizheng thought that the peace talks were hopeless, the roadblock at the entrance of the village was suddenly removed. A rather old man, with a group of clan leaders in different clothes, shouted: "Invite the guests in."
account."
Ban Weizheng was a little surprised and whispered to Zhou Shang: "I didn't expect that they actually let you go."
Zhou Shang: "The Mobei people regard blood relations much higher than official positions. I am the son of the deputy envoy of Anbei. Just this fact is enough."
The tribal leaders led Zhou Shang and a group of royal guards into the tent.
Only then did Zhou Shang discover that there were many leaders of other tribes in the tent. Not only did these people not go out to greet them, but their expressions were full of hostility and wariness.
Zhou Shang thought to himself that it seemed that his guess was not wrong. There were also differences among the Mobei tribes as to whether to make peace with the Tang Dynasty or start a war. Many tribes were divided into two factions.
Before Zhou Shang could sit down, a tribe leader couldn't wait to ask: "I've always heard that people in the Tang Dynasty were well-educated and sensible, but in the incident in Egu Town, Tang officials falsely accused the tribesmen of treason and wanted to execute them on the spot. What's the explanation for this?"
"
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Someone in the tribe shouted: "A battle with weapons and hundreds of people died, how can we just say two words of misunderstanding?" The Tang State has hated the northern tribes since the founding of the country. This time they agreed to let us go south. Maybe they were harboring evil intentions and wanted to take us away.
Catch all these tribes in one fell swoop and then monopolize the grassland!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhou Shang: "If Datang really wanted to wipe out all the northern tribes, there would be no need to spend money to build villages, towns and mines around Baiting. We only need to build a few camps.
Introduce the tribes who are going south into it, and finally close the gate of the village to encircle and suppress the tribesmen inside."
"Furthermore, if the incident in Egu Town was really premeditated by the Tang people, why did they choose to launch it now? You must know that Shuofang Jiedu just led his troops to the depths of the grassland. In this
At this critical moment, some people say that the Tang Dynasty is going to be detrimental to the border people. Isn't it a joke? If they really want to encircle and suppress you, why didn't Sun Duhu do it when he was there, and why did he wait until now?"
As soon as this statement came out, the leaders of the tribes in the tent fell silent.
Zhou Shang's words directly pointed out the biggest flaw in the rumors.
At this time, the old man from the tribe who led Zhou Shang into the account said: "You are the eldest son of Deputy Envoy Zhou's family, and your father is a nobleman of the Tang Dynasty in Baiting County. You only brought a dozen followers with you today.
, came here to see us, this already illustrates Datang’s attitude towards the tribes, I hereby propose..."
Before the old man could finish speaking, a tribe leader suddenly shouted: "Don't believe what these Tang people say. They have always regarded us as enemies! We should use a war to prove our strength and strive for more power!"
Ban Weizheng looked at the tribal leader, narrowed his eyes slightly, and secretly took note of his appearance.
Zhou Shang looked at the leader named Xiao and said coldly: "For the tribe, rashly launching a war is self-destruction! Think about it for yourself, there is Sun Duhu's army to the north of Baiting County, and Shuofang is to the east.
The army is stationed in an endless desert to the west, and to the south is Liangzhou, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. No matter you win or lose, you have nowhere to go."
As soon as these words came out, everything in the tent fell silent, and no leader dared to speak out anymore.
Seeing this, Zhou Shang softened his tone and said: "The Tang Dynasty wants to rebuild the Anbei Protectorate, manage the grasslands, and create taxes. Everyone here is a guest of the Tang Dynasty, so how can you have the intention to do harm? Because...
It is really heartbreaking to choose to fight each other because of a misunderstanding."
The tribal leaders in the tent looked at each other.
Finally, the old man bowed slightly to Zhou Shang and said: "We are willing to negotiate."