Chapter 1187 Mountain City
Chapter 1187 Mountain City
The north wind blows the ground and the white grass turns, and Hu Tian snows in August.
Although there was no snow, severe frost had already covered the sky and the earth.
On the fifth day of August, the air was a little cold in the early morning, as if there was a hint of solemnity in every breath.
It is August now, and the millet seeds at the roots of the eastern tree are almost ripe. They are no longer afraid of severe frost, but they are afraid of wind.
The north wind brought news from afar...
Camel bells rang, hooves thumped, and a huge team came from the northern horizon.
The personal troops that Shao Xun had released for training returned triumphantly, escorting the captives back to Dongmugen Mountain.
Shao Xun looked at the captives in the convoy with sad expressions, without any emotion, and turned to look at Wang Que'er, saying: "What do you think about the Shanyu government moving to Dongmugen Mountain?"
Wang Que'er pondered for a long time.
"What? Do you feel unsafe?" Shao Xun asked.
"Your Majesty is so powerful in the desert that the grassland will be extremely obedient within a few decades. The Chanyu's residence can be located in Dongmugen Mountain." Wang Que'er finally said, "But after dozens or hundreds of years, the tribes will surely rebel. The Chanyu's residence will not be able to stay there and will most likely have to retreat to Pingcheng."
After hearing this, Shao Xun laughed and said, "Que'er, why are you even more pessimistic than me?"
Wang Que'er was puzzled.
"If the grassland can be obedient for several decades, I am already satisfied. If it can be stable for a hundred years, I don't know what to say, Daliang will have made a lot of money." Shao Xun said: "Since ancient times, there has been no law that will last forever. If future generations lie on the foundation I have laid for them and live a life of drunkenness and debauchery, then the country deserves to be destroyed."
Wang Que'er's expression changed slightly when she heard this.
A minister is absolutely not allowed to say such words, and even some emperors never say such words because they think it is unlucky, but the current emperor is more free and easy-going and open-minded, and he never hides these things.
"The grasslands also have their ups and downs." Shao Xun said: "In my opinion, the grasslands should have risen one day, but I strangled it in its infancy. This has both advantages and disadvantages, and our descendants must not take it lightly."
The dynasties in the Central Plains rose and fell, and so did the dynasties in the grasslands.
Some things are a matter of time and fate.
Human power is limited. You can't calculate everything. You can only complete your mission in the present.
When Wang Que'er heard about the rise and fall of the grassland dynasty, she felt somewhat surprised and somewhat skeptical.
There were already five dynasties in the Central Plains, namely Qin, Former Han, Later Han, Wei and Jin, and it was entering the sixth dynasty, Liang. However, there were only two dynasties in the grasslands, namely Xiongnu and Xianbei. The latter was a short-lived dynasty, and Tan Shihuai died and his country was destroyed.
Will there really be another dynasty that will unify the grasslands? If they have written language and a more rigorous official system, will this dynasty be more difficult to deal with than the Xiongnu and Xianbei?
He couldn't imagine it.
Shao Xun glanced at him and said, "You have been in Pingcheng for eight years, and you have managed all affairs in an orderly manner. If it were someone else, the country might have been in chaos two years ago, and I would not have been able to lead the army north to stabilize the situation. You should go to Chengdu in a while to help Yu Yuangui control the situation, and you will be in charge of the military affairs of Ning and Yi states."
Moving from the bitterly cold Pingcheng to the "gentle land" of Chengdu is a reward for Wang Que'er.
He was now rich, but still a little short of being wealthy. After going to Chengdu, he didn't need to embezzle or bribe, and could get a lot of money through legal means, enough to lay the foundation for his family's wealth.
This was a tacit understanding between the monarch and his subjects, and Wang Que'er immediately accepted the order.
"Let's go and see what we have captured." Shao Xun asked someone to bring a horse.
Wang Que'er glanced down the mountain and suddenly felt a little nostalgic.
Eight years have passed.
In the eight years, he fought with the Xianbei people, from being alone at the beginning to gradually becoming stronger. The reason was that the 20,000 soldiers in the three towns of Hongcheng, Wuzhou and Gaoliu gradually formed combat effectiveness, and his influence on the Liangcheng National Army and the Imperial Guards gradually deepened, and the Wuyuan National Army also began to be established...
As the saying goes, a general is the courage of his soldiers, but in fact, the soldiers are also the courage of their general.
Now everything will be handed over to others, and he will go to Shuzhong to live a "good life" - a good life according to the emperor's order.
My life's achievements may end here. There is no chance anymore.
A first-rank official, a second-rank envoy, a governor, and a Duke of Pingyang with a fief of 2,220 households, what else do you want...
******
Tong Qianjin and others arrived at the foot of Dongmugen Mountain. They looked at the emperor's canopy from afar and couldn't help cheering.
They just had to wait for the emperor to agree to distribute the things they had snatched.
Almost at the same time as them, the cavalry commander of the Hengchong Camp, Pugu Zhongchen, led his troops back and escorted more than 2,000 people.
These are the people of the Suhe tribe who were not included in the roll call and were defeated by the army. Of course, there were more than this number of people in the tribe, but some were killed, some fled, and only these few were left.
"Your Majesty." Before Tong Qianjin could do so, Pugu Zhongchen paid his respects with great ceremony.
"I can't even remember how many people, cattle and sheep we have robbed in the past few days." Shao Xun helped Pu Gu Zhongchen up and said with a smile.
Su Zhongshun trotted over and acted as an interpreter.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone laughed.
After several charges and battles, their morale was boosted and they looked like soldiers instead of slaves.
"How is the grassland of the Baba tribe?" Shao Xun asked.
After hearing this, Pu Gu Zhongchen was at a loss for words and didn't know how to describe it. In the end, he could only utter one word: "Very good."
Shao Xun smiled again, then pointed to the area around Dongmugen Mountain and said, "The pastures here are all good, and some places can be used for farming. Do you want some?"
After hearing this, Pu Gu Zhongchen widened his eyes.
Shao Xun pretended to be displeased, pounded his chest, and said, "I said that you must be a noble from the grassland. Is that true? Not only you, but all the soldiers in Hengchong Camp are rich and noble."
After saying that, he clapped his hands, and the Yellow Gate Minister Yin Yuan immediately stepped forward and handed over a map.
The honey-scented paper has a faint fragrance, and the mountains and rivers in the Dongmugen Mountain area are painted on it, very clearly.
Shao Xun pointed to one of the places and said, "This is Changchuan. It was the pasture that Dou Bin, the leader of the Moluhui tribe, allocated to Tuoba Liwei when the Tuoba clan migrated west."
"This is Ningchuan, the first place where the Tuoba clan settled when they migrated westward."
"This is Ju Ru, the old city of Ju Ru County in the Han Dynasty."
"You can get one of these three places. Which one do you choose?"
"Chuan" is a Chinese character, but here it is actually a transliteration of the Xianbei language, just borrowed from the Chinese character.
In Xianbei language, "chuan" means barren grassland, not river in Chinese. Ningchuan is roughly located at the junction of Bashang grassland and Ulanqab, southeast of Dongmugen Mountain.
Changchuan is located in the northwest of today's Xinghe County, southwest of Dongmugen Mountain.
Ju Ru is also in the northwest of Xinghe County, but southeast of Changchuan.
Among these three places, only Changchuan is one of the pastures of the Baba tribe.
"Your Majesty, I--" Pugu Zhongchen felt a little dizzy.
He was just a gatekeeper who suddenly became rich, how could he understand these things? Therefore, he was stuck and didn't know what to say.
Seeing him like that, Shao Xun laughed and said, "Then let's go to Changchuan. I promise you to build a city and it will be your territory for generations."
Pu Gu Zhongchen stood there in a daze.
Shao Xun ignored him and went straight to the soldiers of Hengchong Camp. He pointed at one of them and asked, "What's your name?"
"Lu." The man was wearing a tube-sleeved armor with traces of blood on it. He was a little short of breath when he saw Shao Xun and answered in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, '赀麓' means slaves." Su Zhongshun explained on the side.
"This is not a proper name, right?" Shao Xun asked.
"How can a lowly person have a proper name?" Su Zhongshun said with a smile, "He just looks like a big fool. The nobles of the tribe like him, so they let him practice martial arts, just like the scholars in the Central Plains train servants to form an army."
"I am a slave, and the noble calls me a slave. Over time, slave has become my name." Shao Xun shook his head and laughed, then looked at Fu Lu and asked, "Do you have any family?"
He did not ask about his property, as he probably had none, since he was not a free shepherd. At most he could only eat and drink better.
Fu Lu talked to Su Zhongshun.
"Your Majesty, the noble lady of the Po Liu Han family saw that he was strong and powerful, so she let the female slaves have sex with him and gave birth to several children. I don't know if they can be considered family members." Su Zhongshun said.
Shao Xun was speechless for a moment.
This is pure slavery...
"Ask him if he is still willing to find his family. If he is, I will order Po Liu Han to send them over." Shao Xun said.
Su Zhongshun asked, and Fu Lu shook his head. Suddenly he walked to a carriage, pointed at a woman in her twenties, and said something more.
Su Zhongshun listened and asked, and after a while his expression became a little dazed.
Shao Xun crossed his arms and felt a melon.
"Your Majesty." Su Zhongshun said carefully, "This woman's surname is Po Liuhan. Later, she married into the Suhe tribe. When Fulu was young, he used to be her slave."
After saying this, seeing that Shao Xun's expression did not change, Su Zhongshun became a little bolder and continued, "After defeating Su He, the bandits went straight to Po Liu Han's tent and abducted her. On the way back, a soldier from Heng Chong Camp tried to molest this woman and was almost chopped by the bandits. He didn't want anything else, not any spoils of war, but this woman."
After he finished speaking, the place was extremely quiet.
Tong Qianjin blinked his one eye and looked at Su Zhongshun, thinking to himself that you are quite brave.
Su Zhongshun felt bitter and regretful.
Shao Xun suddenly laughed and sighed, "Why is it so! Why is it so!"
"Well! I have feelings, so what if I do what you want!" He pointed at the woman and said, "I make the decision, she is yours."
After saying this, he pondered for a moment and said, "Be a good person to the end. I will give you two more brocade quilts, ten pieces of colorful silk, and fifty pieces of silk from my own pocket. My brave warrior, how can you marry a new bride without a grand ceremony?"
After Su Zhongshun finished translating, Fu Lu strode towards Shao Xun.
The soldiers were horrified and drew their swords.
Shao Xun waved his hand, signaling not to panic.
Fu Lu stopped a few steps in front of him, kowtowed repeatedly, then returned to the carriage and carried the woman down.
The woman struggled, but the captive held her tighter and tighter and refused to let go.
Everyone burst into laughter and were envious at the same time.
Shao Xun waved his hand and said, "You have been fighting against the enemy and have won many battles. You have captured several slaves and dozens of livestock, which are enough for you to settle down. I want to build several cities around Dongmugen Mountain. You can choose one to live in. Every family will have a pasture. If there is farmland that can be cultivated, it will also be divided. This is not a matter of one day or one night. You can temporarily gather your slaves in Dongmugen Mountain, and return home after the city is completed and the pasture is divided."
Su Zhongshun was a little surprised when he heard this.
How come this is a bit like the Fubing? The only difference is that the Fubing in the Central Plains farmed, while the Fubing here herded livestock.
Could the imperial court control these soldiers? Because grazing required much more land than farming, these people were destined to live in more dispersed areas.
Su Zhongshun was a little uncertain. But the emperor's favor to these people was so great that this generation should be controllable, but the next generation was hard to say.
Wang Que'er didn't have as many thoughts as Su Zhongshun.
He already understood Master Shao, and he would control him as long as he could. If the next emperor had good skills, he would not let them rebel.
They have cities to live in, slaves to herd livestock, and maybe even a little farmland to cultivate. As long as the court provides relief in times of disaster and rewards in times of war, who would rebel?
As for the financial difficulties of the imperial court and its inability to pay the money, or even worse, to abolish these border cities and retreat completely to Pingcheng or even Yanmen Pass, that is the business of future emperors and the current emperor has no control over it.
He has done everything he can, what else can you ask for? There are always unfilial descendants.
"Fine wine has just been sent from Pingcheng. Tonight we will slaughter cattle and sheep and feast the whole army." Shao Xun waved his hand and said, "Find some fun for me. Whoever dances well will be rewarded! Whoever can drink a lot will be rewarded! Whoever sings well will be rewarded!"
After the order was passed down, cheers broke out.
Yellow Gate Minister Yin Yuan quietly left and returned to the city. A moment later, a letter was sent to Pingcheng.
After receiving the letter, Secretary General Lu Chen immediately drafted an imperial edict, asking Luoyang to send craftsmen to Dongmugen Mountain to plan the city site.
Of course, it's just a plan. We don't have the money to build it this year.
The emperor was stationed in Dongmugen Mountain, and the various tribes were killed so happily that the Tuoba Xianbei as a whole was seriously damaged, not to mention the disaster this year. The various tribes are still receiving relief food one after another.
The earliest this can happen is next year, or maybe the year after, but in any case, the military system with Dongmugen Mountain City as its core is already being established.
New soldiers like the Shooting Eagle Camp and the Hengchong Camp are like seeds, and will spread to other places sooner or later.
(End of this chapter)