Although there is no harm in being cautious when marching outside, those hundreds of Qiang and Rong who cautiously approached the Qin army were not here to offend, but to...kneel and lick them.
Seeing the Qiang Rongjun who was worshiping at Li Xin's feet, wearing a military uniform and braided hair, Heifu glanced at the charioteer Sangmu and signaled him to hide the high-saddled stirrups, and then asked Qiang Huang softly:
"Could this person be the leader of a vassal state that submitted to Qin?"
Heifu knew that "Dianke", one of the nine ministers of the Qin Dynasty, was responsible for "managing the barbarians in Guiyi", and his "Pedestrian Office" was equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in later generations.
Xiongnu, Donghu, Yuezhi, overseas Jizi Korea, Hao Kingdom, various barbarians outside the southwest, Minyue, Ouyue, Nanyue, Xiyue in the southeast coastal area, various ethnic groups that have established contact but have not yet surrendered to the Qin Dynasty
, the Pedestrian Department is responsible for liaison, and there are also staff specialized in translation work.
In addition, there is an organization under Dianke called "Dianguo", which is responsible for "controlling the surrender of barbarians". That is, the Di and Qiang barbarians who have surrendered to Qin and are within Qin territory but still have independent forces are equivalent to the united front of later generations.
department.
For example, Ganyue in Yuzhang, Yuyue in Kuaiji, and the Ba people in Nanjun of Bajun were all under the jurisdiction of the "dian vassal state". The imperial court called them "the lords of the vassal state, the lords of the state, the lords of the state, the lords of the state," which was a bit like the chieftains of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Lao Ai rebelled and incited the Duke of Rong Zhai in Longxi.
After praising Li Xin as "Flying General", Qiang Huang seemed to be more pleased with Hei Fu and responded:
"However, during the more than a year since the general was appointed as the county lieutenant, he has not been idle. Seven or eight tribes west of Taoshui and more than a hundred miles east of Lishui have surrendered to the Qin Dynasty under the general's persuasion!
"
"How to persuade, with a strong crossbow and a sharp sword?" Heifu looked at the trembling appearance of the minister, but he didn't think Li Xin would have a good discussion with him.
Qiang Huang smiled and said: "The right concubine is right. The general went out to collect firewood once and wiped out a large tribe that had repeatedly rebelled. These Qiang Rong became more honest and asked to be attached as vassals."
From Qiang Huang's mouth, Heifu learned that Qin's laws gave preferential treatment to these "subordinate rulers" who had surrendered, allowing them and their children to enjoy the treatment of "Shangzao" titles.
If a person commits a crime because he does not understand the law, he should be sentenced to a jail sentence or more, and he can pay money to atone for his crime. And because these Qiang Rong people like to plunder each other by nature, if there is a "group robbery" of robbing other rulers, they will be given a lighter sentence.
If you want to be punished, you can be sentenced from death to ghost salary. If you want to be punished by corruption, considering this is a great humiliation, you can also be sentenced to "redemption of the palace" and pay for the sin. If you don't have money, you can use the cattle and horses from the tribe to pay off the debt.
Of course, if the Qin people were plundered without their lives, then the judges and officials of the subject country would have to have a straight face and impose harsh punishments...
Ordinary Qiang and Rong people who belong to the state are regarded as heads of Guizhou and have no legal privileges.
These preferential treatments are like green grass that lures goats into the pen. Once they are in the pen, they will never want to get out.
The law also stipulates that those who are members of the minority nationalities belonging to Qin who are dissatisfied with their superiors and want to go to Xia will not be allowed. What is "going to Xia"? Wanting to leave the territory of Qin is called "going to Xia".
This is equivalent to restricting the migration rights of people from the Qiang and Rong states. If you do not want to submit to a powerful chieftain, you can apply to become a Qin household resident in Qin. The government will place you elsewhere and start as a farm laborer. But you can't.
Leaving the country or migrating as a whole clan is considered a rebellion and will be treated as a bandit and killed.
In addition to paying tribute of cattle, sheep and horses, when war comes, the Qiang and Rong states must also send cavalry to join the Qin army in fighting.
In fact, the Qianghuang family was also the head of the Qiang vassal state in Beidi County, but they had already entered the Qin Dynasty for four generations, and their language and food had been assimilated. His grandfather Qiang You even led the Beidi Qiang Rong cavalry to join the army. As Wang Jian's deputy general, he went on the Eastern Expedition.
He fought against the West, made great military exploits, and became a great leader. Now the whole family regards theirs as Qin people, not Qiang people.
Thinking about this, Heifu discovered that the Great Wall built by the Qin Dynasty not only prevented the Rong and Di from outside the country from invading the people, but also served as a fence for sheep. It would surely raise the Rong and Di within the country as livestock, so that they could keep company with the Qin people for a long time.
The Rong became a mature Rong and finally assimilated completely.
"After all, as long as one of the parents is from Qin, the children will be Qin people's 'Xia Zi' system. As immigrants intermarry, there will only be more and more Qin people, and there will be fewer and fewer Qiang, Rong and Zhai people in the territory...
"He looked at the Rong people driving cattle and sheep and looking at the Qin army in fear from a distance, and thought to himself.
Heifu heard Ba Zhong mention this system many years ago. At present, it seems that Qin's assimilation policy is successful. There are a large number of Rong people from Qin in the garrison in the three counties of Guanxi. He remembers visiting it in his previous life
During the period of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, there were also many Qin soldiers with alien features on display.
However, outside the Great Wall, there are no fences around the sheepfold. If the ministers and rulers want to escape Qin's rule, it shouldn't be difficult, right?
"Leave? They don't want to leave."
After Heifu asked, Qiang Huang pointed to the lush Tao River Valley and said: "The Di Qiang are mainly engaged in hunting, but they also raise cattle, sheep and horses, and grow some millet. There are many mountains outside the Great Wall, which are not suitable for grains. Only along the Tao River
, there are some flat valleys that can not only grow grains, but also facilitate livestock grazing. They don’t want to leave this fertile land and go to Hehuang and Qiang to compete for food with the more arrogant Di and Qiang tribes.”
Heifu understood that starting from here, the further west, the higher the terrain, the worse the natural conditions, and the fewer tribesmen that could be fed. The rich Hexi Corridor was occupied by the powerful Yuezhi, and the Qiang and Rong tribes were torn apart.
Small tribes are no match at all.
Instead of going to the barren mountains and rivers, it is better to stay here and be a dog for Da Qin...
What's more, Longxi County also used trade as bait, making the ministers and princes even more reluctant to leave.
Heifu heard from Qiang Huang that as early as the beginning of spring, Li Xin had sent people to set up a sentry post at a place called "Puhan" where the river meets Li Shui, and agreed that the surrounding Di and Qiang Rong tribes that had not yet surrendered could be sent to the area in the spring and summer.
At that time, he drove his cattle and sheep to Wuhan for trade.
"That's why I carried a lot of cloth, salt, sugar, and grain..."
Hei Fu understood, and it was no wonder that Li Xin strongly agreed with Hei Fu's "Western Expansion" strategy. This was what he had been doing for more than a year, and the people of Qin were already very skilled at doing similar things.
Not long after, after paying homage and knowing that Li Xin did not lead his army out of the fortress to "collect firewood," the ministers relaxed and pointed at the Tao River, which they called "Luqu", and swore that they would never
After rebelling against Qin, he also gave the Qin army five yaks as a labor force...
…
That night, when they were camping and resting on the west bank of Taoshui River, the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty set up a bonfire. After slaughtering the yak meat, they skewered it on wooden sticks and roasted it until it was seven-mature. They sprinkled it with the green salt they brought, which was also a delicacy.
.
While feasting, Heifu also had an in-depth exchange with Li Xin, mainly about high saddles and stirrups.
"Although I am from the south and have only fought on foot, I have also heard that the criteria for selecting knights for the Qin army are those under forty years old and over seven feet five inches tall. They must be strong and agile.
He must be faster than ordinary people; he can gallop on horseback and draw a bow and shoot arrows on horseback; he can handle battles in front, back, left, and right, and advance and retreat skillfully; he can ride his horse over ravines, climb hills, overcome obstacles, and cross floods. In this way, only then can he
Those who chase powerful enemies on the battlefield and defeat many with a small number are called martial knights!"
In an era without high saddles and stirrups, knights could only make up for it with more intensive training, which is why there were such harsh standards.
"May I ask General, among the hundreds of knights on this trip, how many are worthy of the name of 'Martial Knight'?"
Of course Li Xin knew the level of his subordinates, so he said without hesitation: "No more than fifty people, all of whom are cavalry officers or above."
The Qin military system consisted of five cavalry and one commander, ten cavalry and one officer, one hundred cavalry and one general, and two hundred cavalry and one general. Among the Longxi cavalry, which is the best in the world, only one-tenth is an elite "martial knight", and the rest are
His riding skills are not bad, at least better than Heifu...
Chariot soldiers also have similar selection criteria, and they are called "Chariot Warriors." Heifu knew that Zhao Gao was a Chariot Warrior, and he was also a guy with strong martial arts skills.
According to these two standards, Heifu will not be qualified even if he trains for five more years. A southerner who only learns to ride a horse as an adult will never be able to compare with a northerner who has been climbing on a horse since he was a teenager. Riding a sheep at the age of three,
At the age of eight, everyone can ride a horse and draw a strong bow, let alone Hu'er.
Heifu asked again: "But if they are equipped with high saddles and stirrups, how many of the generals under his command can become martial knights?"
Li Xin has already experienced the convenience of high saddle stirrups today. The high saddle makes him more comfortable and stable when riding. The stirrups make his feet feel like they are on the ground. He no longer has to have his legs on the horse's belly like in the past.
The two sides of the horse were hanging empty without any support. It was necessary to clamp the violently lame horse with both legs to maintain its own stability.
The hands are completely freed, and riding, riding, shooting, forward and backward, left and right, and circling forward and backward, which were difficult to do in the past, are now much easier.
It is conceivable that if this thing is used by his horsemen, it will have similar effects.
After thinking for a while, Li Xin said: "In that case, at least half of the five hundred knights can be called martial knights!"
"That's right!" Heifu held up his hands. Sure enough, Li Xin tried riding it once, and it was much better than what he just described in vain.
In addition to making the strong stronger, high saddle stirrups can also greatly shorten the Qin cavalry training period during training. Three years later, tens of thousands of cavalry entered Hexi, and taking the Hetao was no longer a dream.
The expansion to the west is no better than the expedition to the south. It definitely requires coordinated operations by horse and foot, especially the war against Hexi and Hetao, which often requires long-distance marches of more than a thousand miles. Without high saddles and stirrups, it is almost impossible to do it.
This is also the purpose of Heifu showing these two things to Li Xin.
"I would like to ask the general to join me in Shangshu. I propose to build a cavalry force in Longxi, Beidi, Shangjun, and Neishi each. Recruit good men from Guanxi who are skilled in archers and horses to join the army, and equip them with high saddles and stirrups.
Secret training will make everyone a martial knight! They will be of great use in three to five years!"
If Heifu, a southerner, raised his high-saddled stirrups to propose, he would probably be said to be "a southerner talking about horses, a northerner waving his spear"! Even if he was approved by the emperor, those arrogant cavalrymen from the three counties would say
Maybe he would be like Qiang Huang, who was so proud of his riding skills that he refused to use them and caused some trouble for nothing.
But it's different when joining forces with Li Xin.
The general who is best at playing cavalry in the world agrees, so who can have any objection?
Of course Li Xin was happy to see such a good thing that was even more powerful than a tiger, but he noticed the words "secret training" mentioned by Heifu.
"You, the concubine, think that this thing should not be released lightly?"
"Of course! This is a sharp weapon of the country and cannot be lightly shown to outsiders! It must be hidden and used later. Three or five years later, Hu Rong will be caught off guard again! After the high-saddled stirrups shine, Qin's sheepfold fences can be extended
Go thousands of miles away, encircle all Hexi, Henan, and Hetao. Qin will occupy all the rich pastures, open up wasteland for farming, immigrate and garrison troops, and build cities!"
Heifu said: "At that time, there will be only two choices before Hu Rong."
Li Xin understood, and the general's eyes were full of brilliance. He handed a piece of yak meat to Hei Fu and said with a smile: "Are you going to be a sheep to be slaughtered in the pen, or are you going to be a hungry wolf in the Gobi tidal flats?"
