The sun was setting in the west. In the Qiang camp north of Xiangwu City, Tang Yi was about to leave the camp when he was stopped by his brother Song Qi.
Song Qi was surprised and asked, "I heard that you are going to the north to meet the Qiang people from Liangzhou. How can you go when we are at war? What if Zhao Gongshi finds out?"
Tang Yi glanced at his brother who kept asking questions, and said with a little disdain: "Don't be so nosy. Song Qi, now it is the Han people in Yizhou who are begging me, not me begging them. Then Yuan Chen is in the south of Xiangwu City, how did he know that I went to the north?"
"As for Zhao Fang, the officer sent by Prime Minister Zhuge to our army." Tang Yi walked out of the tent and patted the surprised Song Qi lightly: "Go! Keep an eye on Zhao Fang for me. If he asks, just tell him that I went hunting!"
The place of Fuhan, which is Linxia, Gansu in later generations, is located in a remote area.
Since the death of Song Jian, a Han Chinese who occupied Fuhan for more than 30 years, the Qiang people Tang Ji has been in charge of this place for 13 years. Under such a strong power, even though Song Qi is Tang Ji's brother, he can't refuse at all.
He had no choice but to agree and went to watch outside Zhao's tent in person.
The Qiang camp was in a mess. Although there were people waiting outside the camp gate to greet them, Tang Yi, together with two extremely strong guards on his left and right, went straight into the big tent in the center of the camp. This process did not attract much attention.
Tang Di, who was over fifty years old, was obese and had a thick beard. He was led by the envoy to the big tent and met Qiu Ling, a Xianling Qiang leader who was over sixty years old and had a thin face and white beard.
Qiu Ling smiled and walked forward, pretending to hug Tang Ji. Tang Ji put on a serious face, and after Qiu Ling patted her back several times, she patted him back softly twice.
"Old Qiu Ling, you sent someone to invite me here for a drink. What do you want to talk about? You sound so mysterious." Tang Yi relied on his greater power and more soldiers, so he was not polite in his words to Qiu Ling, who had a higher prestige among the Qiang people.
Qiu Ling forced a smile, laughed twice, stroked his beard and said, "It's been two years since we last met, right? Of course I want to see you to catch up, but today there are others who want to see you."
"Who?" Tang Yi asked in confusion.
"Let's go into the tent first, and then you will know." Qiu Ling put his arms around Tang Di's waist and half-pushed and half-embraced Tang Di into the tent from behind.
The Qiang people are not the type to stick to one place and never move.
During the Later Han Dynasty, the Qiang Rebellion lasted for a hundred years. Wang Guo, Bian Zhang, Han Sui, Dong Zhuo, Ma Teng, Ma Chao... almost every Han hero in Liangzhou could recruit a large number of Qiang people to fight.
It is also common sense that the Qiang leaders know each other.
When Tang Yi entered, he found that a banquet had been prepared in the tent, but nearly twenty Qiang warriors were already crowded and sitting in the two rows on the left and right sides of the tent.
Moreover, the person in the lead and the person at the front of the left row were clearly dressed as Han people.
Tang Yi was in doubt and turned around to tightly grasp Qiu Ling's wrist. He glared and said, "When you invited me here, you didn't tell me there was a Han man here? Is this man a Wei general?"
Qiu Ling smiled, raised his right hand and pointed to the sky, saying: "He is indeed a general of the Great Wei. But it doesn't matter, I guarantee it with our 400-year reputation as the Xianling Qiang. This banquet will not harm you in any way!"
Tang Yi was also used to seeing life and death situations. When he saw the Qiang warriors from Liangzhou in the tent either standing up to salute him or waving to greet him, he slowly let down his guard.
Tang Yi snorted very lightly, stretched out his hand and pointed directly at Lu Xun who was sitting in the middle: "Who is the Han man sitting in the middle?"
Qiu Ling quickly advised: "Don't talk nonsense, this person is..."
Before Qiu Ling could finish, Xiahou Ba, who was sitting on Lu Xun's right, stood up and shouted in a low and majestic voice: "Tang Di, do you know who I am?"
Xiahou Ba had a strong physique, wearing a dark red brocade robe over a set of soft armor, with a jade hairpin on his head, a jade pendant on his waist, and a green ribbon and silver seal. When he questioned Tang Yi, he frightened her for a moment.
Tang Yi walked forward slowly, and just halfway through, he stopped and asked, "I have been in Fuhan for many years, and I don't know you, a Han official. Who are you?"
Zhi Wudai, who was sitting in the middle of the tent and closest to Tang Di, stood up immediately and said, "Lord Tang Di, this is our Xiahou Envoy from Liangzhou."
Thanks to the hundreds of years of intermarriage between Qiang and Han people, the Qiang people also directly called this kind of famous nobleman "gong". The position of a provincial governor was high and powerful, and although Tang Yi was in a remote place, how could he not know it.
"Greetings, Envoy Xiahou." Tang Yi narrowed his eyes and then asked, "Since your last name is Xiahou, who are you, Xiahou Zhengxi?"
Xiahou Ba said proudly: "I am Xiahou Zhongquan, the governor of Liangzhou, so Xiahou Zhengxi is my father. Do you know him?"
"How can I not recognize it?"
Tang Ji, who had been looking down on others since he entered the tent, now showed a look of surprise. He even bowed and then walked up to Xiahou Ba, bent over and smiled apologetically, which stunned all the Qiang heroes in the tent.
"Lord Xiahou," Tang Di smiled, and the fat on his face became more wrinkled. "When Xiahou Zhengxi surrounded the city of Fuhan in the past, it was me who responded from outside the city and caught Song Jian who was trying to escape." "Because of this contribution, Xiahou Zhengxi allowed me to lead the Fuhan Qiang people. After more than ten years, I have the number of people I have today!"
Xiahou Ba narrowed his eyes and looked at Tang Ji, while Tang Ji kept talking: "If this is the case, I am also a former official of Xiahou Gong's family!"
No one in a high position, even a Qiang leader, is a fool. Xiahou Ba came here in person as the governor of Liangzhou, with more than 30,000 soldiers at his side. Only a fool would fight them head-on!
The arrogant look just now was just an act by Tang Ji.
As for Tang Yi's claim that he was Xiahou Yuan's former official, it was just nonsense. It has been more than ten years, and how many people can understand the chaos of the attack by the Fuhan army at that time?
However, Tang Yi remembered clearly that Xiahou Yuan himself called all the prominent figures of the nearby Qiang tribe into the city and ordered them to chop off the head of Song Jian, who had been entrenched in Fuhan for thirty years!
Xiahou Ba's expression also eased a lot. He pretended to pull Tang Yi's sleeve and continued with the previous words: "Since you are my father's former official, I will also give you a chance since you come here in person today."
As he was speaking, Xiahou Ba pointed to Lu Xun who was sitting in the hall and said, "Tang Yi, this is Lord Lu, the Protector of the Qiang of the Wei Dynasty. You must bow down to him!"
Tang Yi bowed without hesitation. Lu Xun stared at Tang Yi expressionlessly, his sharp eyes seemed to penetrate her, making Tang Yi, who was secretly glancing at Lu Xun, even more confused.
Tang Yi had heard of the deeds of Captain Lu stationed in the Huangshui Valley a long time ago. Now that Xiahou Yuan's son had personally introduced him and was sitting at the head of the group, Tang Yi did not dare to neglect him at all.
"Greetings, Captain Lu." Tang Yi asked cautiously, "I wonder if Captain Lu sent someone to look for me today. Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Please take a seat." Lu Xun nodded: "Of course I have something to ask you to come here, but it's a good thing, not a bad thing."
Before Tang Ji turned around and sat down, Lu Xun glanced around and looked at the Qiang warriors in the tent.
"Everyone," Lu Xun said loudly, "I am the commander of the Wei Qiang Guard. I can handle all the affairs of the Qiang people in Liangzhou and Yongzhou. Is there anyone who doesn't want to listen to me today? You can stand up now."
Tang Yi was horrified. "I just sat down. Why do I have to obey your orders? I am not from the same group as those Liangzhou Qiang people who came with you!"
However, this is the advantage of having more people over fewer people. Tang Ji was alone, and after thinking for a moment, he still didn't say anything.
Tang Yi didn't say anything, but Lu Xun asked Tang Yi: "Tang Yi, you have been in Fuhan for a long time. This time Zhuge Liang sent someone to invite you to the outside of Xiangwu City. What benefits did he promise you?"
Is this something you can say in public?
Tang Yi looked hesitant, but there were many Qiang warriors in the tent who had known Tang Yi for twenty or thirty years, and they all urged him to ask.
Who isn’t curious about this?
Especially since Lu Xun promised the Qiang people in the vicinity of Huangshui River, Xiping County and Jincheng County the territory of Yinping County and Wudu County, they were naturally interested in the price Zhuge Liang offered to Tang Yi.
Tang Yi gritted his teeth and thought for a moment before he said, "Zhuge Liang sent someone to find me and said he would give me the two cities of Didao and Shouyang."
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ba shook his head slightly in his seat, and some of the Qiang generals present laughed out loud, and then there was a big laugh.
Tang Yi was embarrassed, and didn't care about Xiahou Ba and Lu Xun anymore. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you laughing? Why are you laughing? Don't you want the two cities of Didao and Shouyang? What conditions did the Great Wei offer you?"
The Qiang heroes laughed even louder.
It was Zhi Wudai who had just spoken. He stood up and bowed to Lu Xun like a Han Chinese, saying, "Captain Lu, how about I help Tang Yigong solve his doubts?"
Lu Xun nodded slightly.
Zhi Wudai also bowed to Tang Yi and said, "Lord Tang Yi, Captain Lu made it clear to us in Yuzhong that if we help Wei to send troops this time, all the arable land in Yinping and Wudu counties, except for the cities and passes, will be allocated to us."
"Moreover, Captain Lu also said that if we enter Yinping and Wudu counties, we can be treated the same as Han people in these two counties, and people from various tribes can also serve as officials in the counties."
"If you are willing to join the army, you can also be selected as a volunteer of the Great Wei, and receive the same food and salary as the county soldiers!"
Tang Yi's face flushed: "But I didn't wait for you for half the city!"
Zhi Wudai shook his head: "Although Captain Lu said that we can be treated the same as the Han people in these two counties, we also need to know how the court will let us guard the city."
"To be able to obtain land for farming and grazing, and to be able to enter the county as an official in the state from among the various failed candidates, this has not happened for four hundred years!"
Tang Ji was not unintelligent, but he was blinded by the temptation of Zhuge Liang's two cities.
After Zhi Wudai said this, and with the advice of Qiu Ling, Shu Muhe, Tuliyan, and so many acquaintances who had known each other for 20 to 30 years, Tang Yi figured it out in a short while. (End of this chapter)
