It is not necessary for him to succeed Xiang Chong as the general who guards the capital and inside and outside the capital.
At least Zheng Pu thought to himself that if he advised the emperor and the prime minister, there would be several people who could be qualified for this duty, both from the perspective of talent and loyalty.
Regardless of Zhang Bao’s identity or not.
However, Zheng Pu did not intend to let Zhang Bao get his wish easily.
"As my brother has said, I will deal with it."
Zheng Pu nodded and said slowly, "However, I am only giving advice, and the result will be decided by the emperor. And brother must first obey me, otherwise, even if brother hates it, I will not do it."
Why are you so cautious?
Hearing this, Zhang Bao looked at Zheng Pu suspiciously for a while, then nodded and said, "Tell me, Zijin, what's the matter."
"It's a matter of urgency."
Zheng Pu's expression was astonishing, "I know that my brother is capable of martial arts. He is as brave as my uncle, and he always likes to lead the troops in battle. However, I don't know that 'those who are good at swimming will be drowned, and those who are good at riding will fall'? What's wrong with my brother now?"
As a general with an important title, you should have the air of a general. If my brother can promise me that I will take control of the situation in the future and not use force to emulate the courage of the Botu, I will definitely try my best to deal with it so that my brother can get his wish and stay in Hexi!"
After the words fell, Zhang Bao was speechless.
To put it bluntly, Zheng Pu was worried that he would follow the saying that "a general will inevitably die in battle".
"What Zi Jin said today was also mentioned by Wen Dai in her letter. Could it be that..."
With a little disdain, he raised his eyebrows and said loudly, but when he saw Zheng Pu's face still full of solemn expression, he abruptly stopped his words and waved his hand helplessly, "Okay, I will do this.
That's what Zijin wishes."
However, Zheng Pu still did not give up and instead raised his hand.
The intention is obvious: to high-five Zhang Bao as an oath.
You don't believe me?
It also made Zhang Bao feel a little embarrassed.
Although he didn't have Ji Bu's huge promise, he never made a mistake!
However, he finally had something to ask for. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and slapped it hard with the intention of venting his anger.
Unexpectedly, it failed.
When Zheng Pu raised his hand, he burst into laughter and rode forward before the crowd.
"Shu Fu, how dare you tease me!"
Zhang Bao, who was slightly stunned, couldn't help laughing and scolding, and then chased after him.
I also suddenly remembered that his sister-in-law’s temperament is not only stubborn, but also good at joking~
Laughing all the way.
About half an hour later, they met Shaodang Qiang King Mangzhong and his party, who learned the news.
Because Zheng Pu sent someone to inform him after he entered the boundary of Xihai, the Qiang King Mangzhong came out to greet him in a hurry. He was accompanied by only five or six horses, and everyone was unevenly dressed.
This also shows his trust in Zheng Pu.
If Zheng Pu had evil intentions, it would be easy to kill all five or six of his knights.
"Zheng Jun, are you okay?"
The Qiang King Mangzhong, who was speeding towards him, waved his hands fiercely from a distance, his voice quite cheerful.
When he arrived, he turned to blame, "Zheng Jun came to visit, but he didn't inform him in advance, so I didn't even have time to prepare a banquet and wine!"
"It's rude of me to come here without telling you. I hope the leader will not offend you."
Zheng Pu handed over his hand and confessed his crime. There was no apology in Zheng Pu's voice, "As for preparing banquets and wine, there is no need. I haven't seen the leader for a long time, and now we meet again. The joy in my heart is like drinking wine, and I am already drunk without realizing it."
!”
"Hahaha~~"
Involuntarily, King Qiang was filled with joy, "Zheng Jun is still as funny as ever. Hearing your words makes me feel like a spring breeze! Well, the weather is very cold, and this is not the place to reminisce about the past. You will follow me into the city to have a drink and talk happily."
After saying this, he ordered people to drive horses ahead to lead the way.
After arriving at the tribe's habitat, they slaughtered cattle and sheep, held a banquet, and invited the tribe's shamans and nobles to join in the fun, embodying simplicity and hospitality to the fullest.
In other words, after the Han Dynasty restored the Silk Road, it gave his tribe a prosperous life, making them full of gratitude.
Although this was Zhang Bao's first visit, as the queen's brother, he had previously led two thousand Shaodang Qiang cavalry in a battle in Hexi, so the reputation of drinking heavily no longer existed.
In the enthusiasm of their frequent invitations to drink, he got drunk and was carried away by his retinue to rest.
Zheng Pu casually found an excuse for being unwell and had a reputation for being evil, but no one came to complain.
Therefore, his eyes are still clear and there is no trace of drunkenness at all.
And Qiang King Mangzhong also had a tacit understanding and always restrained himself from drinking.
As the leader of the tribe, he knew that there must be a reason for Zheng Pu and his entourage to come unexpectedly during the snowy season.
The feast lasted for a long time and did not stop until nightfall.
After everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed, Qiang King Mangzhong moved closer and said to Zheng Pudao, "Mr. Zheng, it's so noisy here, why don't you go out with me to enjoy the breeze?"
"It's what you wish for!"
Zheng Pu smiled solemnly, stood up and left the table, waving his hand to signal that Qi Yacuo and his followers did not have to follow him.
At night after the heavy snow in the West Sea stopped for days, the darkness became very low, making people feel as if they could reach out to pick up the stars and the clear Milky Way. The still whimpering wind occasionally brought with it the faint howl of wolves, which made people walk.
Zheng Pu slowly felt something different from the world in an instant.
However, it is his duty to stain this pure land with the filth of power.
"To be honest, chief, I came here with a request."
After the two of them walked side by side for half a quarter of an hour, Zheng Pu stopped when they were far away from the yurt and dome hut. He said straight to the point the purpose of his visit, "With the wisdom of a leader, when you see my wife and brother coming, you can already guess what I want here, right?"
"
"Well, I have a guess, but I can't confirm it."
Nodding lightly, Qiang King Mangzhong sat down cross-legged and patted the ground to signal Zheng Pu to join him, "Zheng Jun came here to ask for troops from my tribe."
"Then, I wonder what the leader's intention is?"
Zheng Pu, who was also cross-legged on the ground, asked slowly and explained, "My request for troops this time is different from the previous one. According to our military system of the Han Dynasty, the Qiang and Hu tribesmen who join the army, the soldiers and their families will move to counties and counties to register as households."
membership."
"Hey, Mr. Zheng is sincere."
Hearing this, King Qiang raised his head and smiled, but he did not comment and just looked up at the dazzling galaxy.
Zheng Pu did not rush, and quietly waited for the next step.
"If you divide the clan, you will definitely suffer losses, and I don't want to see it."
The silence lasted for a long time before Qiang King Mangzhong said in a faint voice, "And I am not afraid of hurting the Han court because of this. With the remoteness, desolation and openness of this place, even if Lord Zheng personally supervises the troops to attack, it will still take a long time to defeat our troops."
Many days were wasted and countless grains were wasted. Compared with asking for troops, attacking with anger is not worth the gain. Not to mention, the enemy of the Han Dynasty is against Wei, not me. However..."
After saying this, he looked sideways, with a look of helplessness on his face, "However, even if I don't want to in every way, I have to agree to Zheng Jun's request."
Huh?
Why is this?
Zheng Pu raised his eyebrows and his eyes were filled with surprise.
"well......."
With a sigh, Qiang King Mangzhong said in a very annoyed tone, "I shouldn't have sent troops to help Hexi!"
It turned out that it was just a war on the Lu River tributary in the west of the Hexi River. When the Han Dynasty sent back the Shaodang clan members who accompanied the expedition, they also recorded rewards for their achievements and generous pensions for the war dead.
It also caused countless people to yearn to fight for the Han after they returned to the tribe.
Because many measures to treat Han and Qiang people equally have not happened.
For example, during the Han Dynasty when the capital was still in Luoyang, every time the Zhongqiang tribes who were vassals of Liangzhou went to war, they rarely received rewards or compensation for death or injury.
According to legend, it should exist according to imperial decree.
But at that time, the governor of Liangzhou, the prefect of Jincheng, and the captain protecting Qiang all claimed that there was no such thing.
Today, there is a Han court with its capital in Chengdu.
Moreover, those who were sent by the Qiang King to assist in the war could bring back countless wealth. If they were recruited by the Han court to fight or recruited into the Han army, they would surely be treated better and more generously, right?
Furthermore, compared to the counties east of Chiling (Riyue Mountain), Xihai is indeed desolate and white disasters occur frequently, making life difficult.
Under such circumstances, Zheng Pu moved his family to Liangzhou or Hanzhong as a way to recruit soldiers. According to the Western Qiang tradition of seeing death in battle as auspicious, the Shaodang tribe would definitely follow them like clouds!
Although the powerful Qiang King Mangzhong was able to suppress this matter, he forced the clan members not to recruit and would not betray their relatives.
However, since then, the clan members have become alienated and coerced each other into abandoning him and joining the Han.
This is why he had to agree.
Instead of watching the tribesmen continue to rebel and leave, it is better to actively mobilize troops to control the loss of tribesmen within a tolerable range.
And it also prevents the relationship with the big man from getting worse.
In any case, his tribe is still benefiting from the Silk Road trade!
After eating the marrow and knowing its taste, how can you easily give it up?
"Zheng Jun, please keep quiet about the fact that the Han Dynasty wants to recruit troops from our army."
Qiang King Mangzhong, who had been complaining for a while, said solemnly, "I will discuss privately with the nobles of the tribe to transfer the tribesmen and their families who originally accompanied the Hexi expedition to Zheng Jun for other reasons. But before that, , you need to rely on me for two things."
There were two thousand horses from the Shaodang tribe that accompanied the expedition earlier!
In other words, Qiang King Mangzhong’s seemingly inconsiderate words actually allowed the powerful man to add two thousand households!
Because of the mixed Qiang and Hu populations in Liangzhou, very few Li Shu people were registered as household registers by the government. Taking the huge Longxi County as an example, there were less than 6,000 households registered with the government before the Yellow Turban Rebellion. However, after many wars, this number is no longer enough. Three thousand households......
Therefore, even in a city where Zheng Pu was already somewhat calm about honor and disgrace, he couldn't help but be suddenly shocked.
If you want to take it, you must first give it to it.
That Qiang king is so generous, he must ask for more!
"The leader's loyalty can be demonstrated by the sun and the moon!"
Zheng Pu first praised, and then asked softly, "I wonder what the two things the leader said are?"
"First of all, it's just a piece of cake for Mr. Zheng."
Qiang King Mangzhong tilted his head slightly and looked over, smiling a little playfully, "My tribe and Zhong Cun's Qiang breed are feuding, and he has never surrendered to the Han court. If our tribe comes into conflict with him in the future, please don't interfere with the Han court." "
Huawai Zhongcunzhong Qiang is a tribe entrenched in the west of Cizhihe meander.
Because he had formed an alliance with the Shenlang Zhongqiang in Wangqu Valley, he was defeated by the combined forces of Ma Dai and Shaodang Zhongqiang. However, due to the stability of the border county, the Han army did not kill them all. On the contrary, after the war was over, no matter whether it was The governors of Longxi and Xiping privately granted powerful officials in the county the right to trade with them, secretly helping their tribes to regain their previous momentum.
In order to avoid burning, the Qiang family is the only one.
Since the Pre-Han Dynasty, Liangzhou officials have been familiar with the methods of dividing the Qiang and Hu tribes by using checks and balances such as suppressing the strong and supporting the weak.
Qiang King Mangzhong also knew this well.
Therefore, he took this opportunity to cryptically ask the government to stop secretly helping Huawai Zhongcun breed Qiang.
And as he said, with Zheng Pu's current status, it is not difficult to accomplish this: he only needs to say hello to Xiping and Longxi Prefect on the way back to Ji County.
"good."
After pondering for a while, Zheng Pu nodded and said, "Zhong Cun's Qiang is not a vassal of our great Han. If the leader takes revenge, please do it yourself. I, the great Han, have no reason to interfere. If the leader does not believe it, I am willing to do it in front of your shaman."
Swear alliance!"
"Hahaha~"
Suddenly, King Qiang burst out laughing, "Zheng Jun has always treated me with sincerity, I can't believe it!"
But what he didn't know was that the reason why Zheng Pu replied so cheerfully was because he felt that even if the Shaodang Qiang and the Huawai Zhongcun Qiang were attacked and destroyed, the big man could still secretly encourage the Baima Qiang who had become a vassal to contain them.
.......
And Zheng Pu didn't think it was against his personal integrity to plot against him like this.
Since it is related to state affairs, there is no talk of favoritism.
Furthermore, to take a step back, Shaodang Qiang is too powerful and is not good for each other.
Because if the Han felt that they would become a threat, they would definitely increase their troops to prevent them and cut off their Silk Road interests. The Shaodang Qiang would naturally hold grudges, and eventually they would gradually turn into enemies and attack each other.
So, why bother?
Zheng Pu laughed a few times and asked, "I wonder what the second leader is doing?"
However, Qiang King Mangzhong did not say it clearly, but asked instead, "Zheng Jun, I heard the discussion of the caravan a few days ago, saying that Zhuyi died in the battle in Hexi, and that General Ma had already removed his armor and was at Shandan Ranch, and he was no longer alive."
Commander of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. I wonder if this rumor is wrong?"
Zhu Yi was the Shaodang Qiang King who originally lived in the Huangshui River Valley. He later became a Qiang Cavalry Sima of the Han Dynasty's Qiang Guard Department, and was renamed Liu Zhu. He was killed by Qinlang Governor Hubaoqi in Wushaoling.
Ma Dai did indeed ask for help because of his old age, and retired to Shandan Ranch to herd horses and train cavalry for the court.
When Qiang King Mangzhong asked, it was certainly not as simple as asking for information about an old friend.
Gein, among the many assistants of the Han Dynasty, Shaodang Zhongqiang was the only one who had good relations with these two people, and only these two people would protect their Silk Road interests in Liangzhou affairs.
Now that they retreat and die, it is inevitable that Qiang King Mangzhong will be worried.
Hear the string song and know its elegant meaning.
After Zheng Pu heard this, he understood in his heart.
Then he slowly said, "The rumors are true, and I know the leader's worries. Well, my brother-in-law is a man of friendship and loyalty. The leader sends his clan members to fight with him. If something happens to the West Sea in the future, he will not stand idly by. And
I have visited several times and the chiefs have treated me with great courtesy. How can I not be grateful?"
"I feel at ease with your words from Mr. Zheng!"
King Qiang held up his palms and laughed, and stood up to invite him, "I haven't held the banquet just now. I wonder if Mr. Zheng would be willing to get drunk with me before we leave?"
"Dare you disobey your orders?"
Zheng Pu also stood up and said, "Chief, please."
On the way back to the yurt, his mind was already thinking about welcoming the emperor's car from the north.
The leader of a foreign Qiang tribe is busy preparing for the future; as for the Han Dynasty, which has a larger territory and more interest factions, will it also face conflicts of interests after the prime minister returns to power as the emperor?
Or could it be said that the reason why the Prime Minister promotes government to the public is not just to rest his body?
