Chapter 119: Deciding the Cold Plan

The Tang army brought not only the army to Suzhou, Ganzhou, but also the order entered unknowingly.

The fifth commander of Hexi who was ahead did the work of opening the road, and once Zhang Mai arrived, many of the work was already underway without orders.

After entering Ganzhou, the fortification troops immediately scattered to various places. According to the Hexi map presented by the Zhang family, they selected important strongholds to occupy them. They had to set up villages, and important traffic roads were established. The rivers blocked roads and ferries were established, and the mountains and rocks blocked roads were opened. The laborers who did these tasks were all slaves of war.

Along with them were a hundred elite teams of infantry, either in fire, team, or battalion, and using thunder to clear out the forces that influence public security in the territory - including robbers and all tribes and villages that showed disobedience. The strong men in the thief cave were gathered, the ones who were suitable for charge became soldiers in front of the formation, the ones who were suitable for work became slaves, the women were dispersed, the children were taken to the rear, and adopted by the military family.

Not all the unowned land is like the top fertile land by the Zhangye River, used to lure the Xinmins in Ganzhou. The land of the Uighur nobles in the two states of Gansu has been confiscated and become military farms. Tens of thousands of war slaves have been reorganized to work in these places. In the next one or two years, the surplus grain produced in these farms will also become important military resources. Of course, in this autumn, people will only see sweat, and the harvest will be at least about the next year.

The changes in the surrounding areas of Zhangye were subtle and gradual. The militias that had been concentrated in the city were reorganized. According to the evaluation criteria that the Tang army had formed, they were divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower levels. The upper-class soldiers joined the palace and became reserve soldiers. After the medium was ready to be retrained, they were used as local security forces, while the lower-class were concentrated in fixed farms and pastors, becoming farmers and pastors.

Unlike Cao Yijin's policy of controlling central towns and escorting surrounding villages, Zhang Mai embarked on a completely different path from the beginning.

This is the implantation of a complete military and political system, and public security has improved rapidly. Even merchants have begun to follow the tail of the Zhangmai convoy. There has been smoke from cooking fires ignited for business in Zhangye City. The prosperity of the former commercial center seems to have begun to make people see a little hope.

The ones that opened earlier than the shops were officials, households, law, warehouses, and comrades. The Tang army brought a new set of laws that had been implemented in the northwest region that had been effective - not laws that were made behind closed doors, including customary laws that gradually accumulated over the past few years and suitable for the customs of the northwest. Unlike Cao Yijin's government, Zhang Mai did not allow these laws and regulations to exist on paper that the people could not reach. There were long ago monks who changed their writings to compile them into songs and ordered monks from all over the country to sing widely, and designated the areas where each elder and monk were responsible for. Every six months, people would send down the field to check. If children over ten years old sang differently, the monks and elders in the hometown had.

After arriving in Zhangye, a group of skilled craftsmen carved dozens of the most core laws and regulations of the Tang Dynasty on stone pillars. They did not do it after they arrived in Zhangye, but they would erect such a stone pillar every time they arrived in a town. The people of the Dharmakaya called these stone pillars legislative pillars, which had gradually become a symbol of the Tang army's establishment of its rule in a region.

What people saw was the stability and the dawn of prosperity in Ganzhou, what they saw was Zhang Mai's comfort to the people in Zhangye City, Wu Ainong and others praised their kindness, but most people did not see the bloody outside the city where people were not paid attention. On this newly acquired land, the Tang army did not need different voices.

Of course, for this change, the unconquered areas are not just popular. When they heard what is happening in Suzhou and Ganzhou, the rich people in Liangzhou realized that what is coming is not just a supreme lord. What is swept towards us is the craze and storm that wants to change all old customs and habits!

Zhang Mai inspected the Zhangye River for three days. When he returned to the city, the city gate was already crowded with people, and Xinmin came to visit the households to seek land everywhere. When he arrived in the city, Xue Fu reported that the local soldiers handed over from Wu Ainong and his son had been reorganized and the camp had been set up, so he would wait for training.

Zhang Mai just nodded. During this period, he only asked the results for his subordinates and did not interfere too much. But Murong Guiying submitted a document and said, "He came to Liangzhou to report, and Zhe Buhuang heard that the general was here, so he came to ask for the title of Liangzhou Jiedushi and General Fenwei." Zhang Mai was slightly surprised and smiled and said, "Liangzhou Jiedushi? General Fenwei?" Then he ordered his envoy to enter.

Zhang Mai did not live in the palace in Zhangye City, but only asked Wu Ainong to find a big house. He received all the elders of the township and counties here, and sometimes even sat on the ground with the elders, but the receptionists established great authority and set up two large tents in the schoolyard in the city.

At this time, the generals gathered in front of the golden tent. The envoy of the Zheji clan looked at Zhang Mai, surrounded by civil and military affairs, and said, "This must be General Zhang." As he said that, he kowtowed, and Zhang Mai was not polite to him and asked, "Zheji Huang is coming to seek the title?"

"yes."

Zhang Mai asked, "What is his contribution to Zhehuang? How dare he come and ask for a title?"

The messenger crawled on the ground and replied, "I have made great contributions to Liangzhou, protecting the land and protecting the people."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "Before I came, I didn't see you placing the Tang Dynasty. Are you protecting the country or your family? If you protecting the land for your family, although it is not a big mistake, there is no credit. As for protecting the people, you have to wait until I enter Liangzhou and look at the lives of the people there to know whether Zhehuang protects the people or abuses the people."

The messenger said, "Why don't the general say this? Isn't it going to reward my master?"

Seeing that the messenger was so rude and unconscious, Xue Fu and others frowned.

The effect is different with different ethnic groups. For example, Zheng Wei, he interacted with people with Persian aristocratic traditions and Tianfang religious traditions. Therefore, although the texture of the culture has changed, the cultural heritage has not been greatly reduced. As for Li Bin, although his family was long-standing, he was admitted as a slave in the Uighurs, and his temperament was much worse. However, the slaves were at least the Mobei Khan tribe who had won and lost with the Han family. As for the Han family, such as the Zhebu family, the Han family traditions were both from martial arts and from Tubo, and the herdsmen who walked down the plateau. Not only did they have a very low level of culture, but they were completely incomparable to the diplomatic skills compared to Arslan and Satuk, but they were just stronger and more powerful in Hanzhong in the countryside.

Zhang Mai said: "Why, you still have to force yourself to fight?"

The envoy said, "If the general wants to pass through Yanzhi Mountain, we naturally need to open the way for the general! If our master cut off Yanzhi Mountain, I am afraid that the general will not be able to enter Liangzhou again."

Shi Ba, Tian Han and others were furious when they heard this, but Zhang Mai just smiled and waved his hand, and someone took the messenger down. Zhang Mai said, "It seems that you will encounter some obstacles when you walk over again. Ganzhou has gradually settled. Let's discuss the matter in Liangzhou."

At this time, Sun Chao was sick, but he entered the tent with illness and said to Zhang Mai: "General, for the past few decades, the Han and the foreigners lived in Liangzhou. The people were strong and did not know the law. Liangzhou left behind and could only control the city of Liangzhou. The government orders were not implemented after leaving the city for ten miles. The strongholds, farmlands and pastures outside Liangzhou were all in the hands of the rich families with mixed blood of Han and Fans. Among them, the Zhebu clan was the strongest. The Zhebu clan was divided into two branches, one was close to the Han and the other was close to the Han. Those who were close to the Han tent now obeyed the orders in the tent - that is, Zhebu clan was the biggest leader. The Zhebu clan was this Zhebu Huang."

Zhang Mai asked again: "What is the purpose of Zhe Huang now coming to seek an official position? Is he willing to submit to him?"

"It is not necessarily true that it should be a test." Sun Chao said: "If the general follows his request and enthrone him, he will think that the general is weak and can be bullied, and will try to set up a checkpoint in Yanzhishan to make profits. If the general angrily denounces his request and wants to punish him, he will incite the tribes to block the mountain roads in order to protect himself."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "So, whether I seal them or not is the same, he will not really submit to them."

Sun Chao coughed and sneered, saying, "Yes, these local tyrants have lived a long life with high mountains and emperors. They have been cedeed and relied on their own for a long time, so they naturally cannot be willing to give up Liangzhou honestly. However, when they came to ask for a title, they were still afraid of the general."

Zhang Mai asked again: "Did the Zhe family have established a centralized rule in Liangzhou?"

Sun Chao said: "How is that possible? These wealthy families are either in-laws, in the same tribe, or worship the same master. Together together, Zheyin is the largest one. Beyond him, there are dozens of wealthy families."

Zhang Mai said: "How many soldiers and horses can Zhehuang mobilize himself?"

Sun Chao said: "His old nest is in Fanhe, there are about thousands of serfs, and the herdsmen are about two thousand to three thousand. There are eight great families near it, known as the Nine Pearl Fort. If one fort has something to do, the Nine Forts will all be answered! If the handling is not done properly, and these nine families work together and have local advantages, it is very difficult to be accused of."

Zhang Mai asked, "Is Zheqijun one of these nine families?"

"No," Sun Chao said: "Zhei Jun's family is in Changsong. Although Zhei Huang is of the same clan, there are conflicts."

Zhang Mai said: "If I advance eastward, how many tribes do you think there will be dares to resist my army in Liangzhou."

Sun Chao pondered and said, "The general is now intimidating Hexi. These Liangzhou tyrants may not dare to come to block the road and fight in the field, but they all defend themselves in the mountain city, which will make us very troublesome. It will not be easy for us to attack one by one."

Zhang Mai asked, "Do you think you should deal with it?"

Shiba, Tian Han and others said, "Di Yin is dead at our hands. Are you still afraid of such a small local tyrant? I just want the general to give us a team of people and we will go and level the Fanhe immediately!"

Zhang Mai asked Xue Fu and Murong Guiying and said, "Do you think it is?"

Murong Guiying said, "Our army arrived with its power, and the equipment in the rear has also been transported. With the power of General Shi, why are you afraid that you can't defeat a small Liangzhou rich man? But what Sun Liu said was very much. Liangzhou rich man was in a mixed manner in the whole province, attacking each other and attacking each other. It is easy to destroy one family, but it is troublesome to remove one family. Moreover, our army took advantage of the power, and most of the Liangzhou rich man waited and watched. If there is no reason, he would advance to the city, so that the Liang people would think that we would not allow others to survive wherever we were, and it might force some people who originally planned to surrender to our opposite. It was not done by the wise. It would be better to divide first and then strike."

Xue Fu said: "What Mr. Murong said is right. Killing a chicken to warn the monkey is necessary, but it is best to be polite first and then soldiers."

Zhang Mai asked, "How to be polite to the law first?"

Murong Guiying said: "Please ask Sun Liuhou to inform Liangzhou City and let them publicly offer the city. Now there are people in our army in the eastern Hexi provinces. We can send all the representatives of each state to promote the kindness and power of the general, and put pressure on the Buddhist temple to let the general come forward and support the general to take charge of all the Tang Dynasty's hometowns west of the Yellow River. Through the channels of the temple, the news spread throughout Liang, Shan, Kuo, He, Min, and agreed that the princes of the states would meet in Liangzhou within the established time.

Then the general arrived in Liangzhou. When the army passed Yanzhishan, whoever dared to block the road would be wiped out immediately! When the escort carriage arrived in Liangzhou, anyone who feared the might of our army would come to pay tribute. If all the states came, the great cause of Hexi could be decided overnight. If Zhehuang came, we would have another way to subdue him. If he did not come, we would ask the general to follow the example of Dayu killing the Fangfeng clan and send troops to fight. Once the head stubborn was impounded, Yu Zi would no longer dare to fight with me. The west of the Yellow River could be issued an edict to make a decision!”

Xue Fu said: "This plan is good, but it is very close to the Central Plains. If we conquer first and then establish a position, the Central Plains will not be able to do anything to us. If we first win the people and then advance, we are afraid that Guanzhong will have already responded to us before we reach Liangzhou. No matter how powerful our army is, it may not be able to withstand the army in the Central Plains."

Young generals such as Shiba and Tian Han have won many battles in recent years, and they have not taken the Uighurs and Tubo seriously. But when they think that they will soon contact the forces in the Central Plains, it is the orthodox Han family. Although they are not very clear about what the situation in the Central Plains is now, just like a young man who has been away from home for a long time and has made some achievements outside. However, when they return to their doorstep, they will naturally feel awe in their hearts.

Zhang Mai thought to himself: "It seems to be the so-called Five Dynasties in history textbooks. I have never heard of Zhao's surname. It seems that I have not yet entered the Song Dynasty. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with this history at all. Besides, I don't know whether this world is as I knew before." But I feel a lot of emotion about the upcoming contact with the Central Plains.

Lu Jialing, who had not spoken, suddenly said, "But I think Mr. Murong's plan may be possible. In the Central Plains, there may be no need to worry about them for the time being."

Zhang Mai asked, "Why?"

"I just got some news yesterday." Lu Jialing said: "Although this place is far away from Guanzhong, there is Liangzhou in the middle, and Lanzhou and the situation in both states is quite chaotic, but the exchanges among Buddhists are not isolated, so some news has reached Zhangye."

Xue Fu said: "Then did you hear any news when you say you don't have to worry about Zhongyuan?"
Chapter completed!