"Is the Marquis showing up at this time to ask questions?"
Han Yi's sudden appearance surprised the Niu-Slaying Clan. The men of the Niu-Slaying Clan instinctively raised their swords and arrows to prepare for battle, looking a little panicked.
After ten cavalry were dispatched to scout the surroundings, they found that there were only fourteen people following Han Yi, and more than a hundred cavalry were dismounting and resting openly in a sheltered place five miles away. There was no surprise attack on the temporary camp of the Niu Killers. Tuoba Xiong finally let go of his tense nerves - he thought that the Qingzhou army took advantage of the heavy snowfall to fall from the sky overnight and surrounded him.
"I met the clan leader by chance a few days ago. I saw that the clan leader was under heavy siege and was not afraid in the face of danger. He is a true man, and I admire him very much in my heart. I only regret that I am so busy with worldly affairs, and in the middle of the army, that I have no time to have a long talk with the clan leader. It's very sad. What a pity. Unexpectedly, last night, I heard that the leader of the Tuoba tribe wanted to move the whole clan to the southwest to find a good place to spend the winter, so he came all night in the snow, hoping to say goodbye to the leader of the Tuoba tribe. Could it be that the cattle-killing tribe is dignified? Do you welcome guests with swords and arrows?¡±
"Oh, you blind people, why don't you disperse!" Tuoba Xiong was secretly impressed by Han Yi's fearless temperament. He pretended to shout at his tribesmen, and the tribesmen put away their swords and arrows. They dispersed in twos and threes, but did not go far.
Tuoba Xiong said again:
"My people have lived in the mountains and wilderness for a long time. They are wild and untamed. They have never seen much of the world. They will lose their etiquette when meeting new people. Please forgive me. Lord Marquis once acted righteously to help me resist the war with the Pheasant tribe. The little chieftain I haven¡¯t given my grand thanks yet. Now that the Marquis is here, how dare I not welcome the Marquis? However, the world is not peaceful now. If you accidentally hurt a distinguished guest like the Marquis, the little chief will have committed a serious crime! "
Tuoba Xiong apologized and welcomed Han Yi into his tent. He looked humble and respectful, but in fact it contained a threat.
Tuoba Xiong¡¯s large tent can accommodate at least fifty people. There is firewood burning in the tent and it is as warm as spring. Han Yi sat on the floor facing Tuoba Xiong, took off his boots, and burned the sweaty soles of his socks on fire, as if he were at home.
Zheng Bao, Cao Shisan, Bai Ruhu and others looked relaxed, but in fact they straightened their waists and legs, staring nervously at Tuoba Xiong and the Niu Slayer warriors standing behind Tuoba Xiong. They were ready at any time. Prepare desperately.
The Niu-killing warriors stared at Han Yi and his guards, holding their swords and arrows in their hands, waiting for Tuoba Xiong's order.
Except for Han Yi and Tuoba Xiong, everyone else was at war with each other. No one in the tent spoke for a while.
"Since the Marquis is here to say goodbye to the little chieftain, I wonder what the Marquis wants to say to me?" Tuoba Xiong asked cautiously. He seemed to feel that his words were a bit too humble, so he subconsciously puffed up his chest and said loudly , "We, the cattle-killing people, pay attention to clear distinction between grudges and grudges. I am very grateful that the Marquis came to see me off today. Why don't we hold a banquet in my big tent today to entertain the Marquis. I will definitely give you generous gifts. But after drinking, we We¡¯re about to travel far away.¡±
"It's snowing a lot. Looking at the weather, I'm afraid there will be another heavy snowfall in the afternoon." Han Yi said nonchalantly about irrelevant things.
"It's hard to live in winter. People in the city of Gyeongju, who are not sitting at home burning the kang during this month, just waiting for the New Year. It's hard for me, the deputy ambassador of Shaanxi border pacification, Qingzhou was so busy last night I am afraid that many people and animals will freeze to death in the jurisdiction. The New Year is about to come. We say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, and we can¡¯t guarantee food and clothing. How can we talk about celebrating the New Year? In the first month of the year, after the annual holiday, the imperial court may write a letter to reprimand me for my incompetence as a governor. ah."
"Yeah, winter is hard" Tuoba Xiong said with emotion. He stopped talking in time and suddenly realized that he shouldn't have exposed himself in front of Han Yi right away.
"Chief Tuoba is afraid that he is deceiving me. Your cattle-killing clan has great achievements and prosperity of people and animals. How can such a heavy snow be difficult for the clan leader?" Han Yi straightened his feet and moved closer to the firewood. The clear meaning coming from his feet made his face There was a very comfortable and comfortable look on his face.
"The Marquis is joking. Although our cattle-killing clan is a relatively large clan within a radius of 300 miles, we can't compare with you Han people. You have houses to live in, silk clothes to wear, and you can also farm and produce food. Even those who know how to blacksmith and do carpentry can make a living by relying on their craftsmanship. We Tibetan people can only raise cattle and sheep, exposed to the wind and sun, to barely fill our stomachs, and we are afraid of snowstorms and plagues." Tuoba Xiong said. .
"You Han people cultivate the land, weave cloth, forge iron and trade, and we Tibetan people raise cattle, horses and hunt. We all have different habits. There is no need to force the same. We can live in peace with each other. We, the cattle-killing people, are wild, but we have never offended the government. I wanted to Living and working in peace and contentment, not fighting against the world, all life, old age, illness and death are dependent on the mercy of God. Now I just hate the thought that it is not part of my destiny. The Marquis has a noble status and has seen the world. I don¡¯t know how to explain this? Is it wrong for me to kill the cattle clan? Enjoy peace?"
"Has Chief Tuoba ever raised a horse?" Han Yi suddenly asked.
Tuoba Xiong was not used to Han Bian¡¯s way of talking that changed the topic at any time. He was a little unhappy:
"We, the cattle-killing tribe, do not just raise cattle. Horses are both our property and our food, and they are also our warriors' most reliable friends when fighting the enemy!"
"So when you raise a group of horses, there will always be one or two bad horses that you don't like, right?"
"Of course. Bad horses cannot be used as companions in battle, and they are not worthy of the best forage and the most careful care. They can only be selected, either castrated to work as carts, or used in hungry years. Slaughter them and use them as food! We must not allow bad horses a chance to mate. We need horses with the best bloodlines to reproduce!"
"Very good, a bad horse is a black sheep, and you can't keep it. By extension, when there are one or two unscrupulous people in a group of people, is that a 'black sheep'?"
"Of course!" Tuoba Xiong seemed to understand the meaning of Han Yi's words. He was also a shrewd person, otherwise he would not have been supported as the clan leader by his tribe at a young age. Tuo Baxiong took the opportunity to ask:
"As the Marquis said, when a group of people take advantage of an unscrupulous person, they are the 'black sheep'. I wonder how the Marquis will deal with the 'black sheep' among this group of people?"
"Of course the 'bad horses' have to be eliminated, but can the patriarch tell me that all the stallions are castrated because of a bad horse in a group of horses? Because one or two bad guys appear in a group of horses, should we Just reject everyone as a bad person?¡±
"This" Tuoba Xiong was stunned.
"I would like to ask again, can the patriarch think that everyone is your enemy just because one person has offended you?" Han Yi then asked, "In life, we cannot choose who will be our enemy, but we can choose Whose friend do you want to be? When friends come, there is wine; when there are wolves, there are arrows!"
Tuoba Xiong¡¯s brows tightened and relaxed, and he suddenly smiled:
"Haha, Mr. Hou is really eloquent. I was speechless by your refutation. I have learned a lesson!"
Even so, he changed the subject:
"We Tibetan people pay attention to pleasure and grudges, and we have a clear distinction between grudges and grudges. If the Marquis is kind to me, I will repay you. At least you can drink wine and eat meat as much as you want in my clan's tent, and no one will make things difficult for you. But the Marquis, don't do it. Because of this, you naively thought you could convince me!"
"Does the patriarch think the Pheasant Clan is reliable?" Han Yi said clearly.
"Huh, it's better than your government taking things by force!" Tuoba Xiong snorted coldly.
"I'm afraid the patriarch is not sincere in what he said. I heard that the Pheasant Clan has a feud with your Cow-killing Clan. How could they be of the same mind as you? Even if they take you in, are you willing to listen to Li Wanquan's orders? The law of the jungle will dominate the world in the future. There is still a Pheasant Clan, but there will be no Cow Killing Clan, because the men of the Cow Killing Clan will fight for the Pheasant Clan, and the women of the Cow Killing Clan will bear children and grandchildren for the Pheasant Clan men!¡±
"I have my own sense of proportion, so I don't need to worry about it!" Tuoba Fangcun was a little confused.
"Clan Chief Tuoba wants to unite with Li Wanquan, but also wants to be careful secretly to prevent being annexed by him? In this case, do you still dare to fight with our officers and soldiers? You must know that there are two horses in a chariot. If the two horses go separately It goes everywhere, if you don't exert force in one place, can this car still move?"
"Perhaps Li Wanquan is thinking the same thing as you. He wants to guard against you shooting arrows at him from behind. What's more, not long ago, you personally took the cattle and sheep to the army to greet him. There is no way he doesn't know about this! Even if you don't know about it! He doesn¡¯t know that Zhe Linggong can also spread rumors that you, Tuoba Xiong, just benefited from the army and pretended to join the Pheasant Clan, but in fact you were an ambush buried by the army around Li Wanquan!"
"If I were Li Wanquan, I would send the warriors of the Niu Killing Tribe as the vanguard to fight against the officers and soldiers, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. I would not only kill the officers and soldiers, but also avenge the world, and allow my own soldiers to save their lives, killing three birds with one stone. Wouldn¡¯t it be great fun!¡±
Han Yi gave full play to his talents, analyzed various possibilities, pointed out the most worrying areas of the Niu-Slaying tribe, and clearly persuaded the Niu-Slaying tribe.
Hearing this, Tuoba Xiong took a deep breath. Even the rough men standing behind him couldn't help but change their colors.
Seeing the move of the cattle-killing clansman, he quickly struck while the iron was hot:
"Chief Tuoba, think twice before you act! There is no medicine for regret in the world. Today, the Pheasant Clan is determined to oppose our officers and soldiers, and their heart is to be killed. If the Clan Chief decides to unite with the Pheasant Clan, there will be no way back. Pull back from the brink, and for the sake of It¡¯s not too late!¡±
"However, that Zhang Jianwu bullied others too much and killed my son. If he doesn't take revenge, how can I, Tuoba Xiong, lead the whole clan?" Tuoba Xiong said with hatred, "Master Hou is emptyThere is no proof. Yesterday there was Zhang Jianwu. If I listen to the advice of the Marquis today, I am afraid there will be Li Jianwu tomorrow and Zhao Jianwu the day after tomorrow, riding on our heads to dominate us! "
"Well, let's use Zhang Jianwu's head as proof!" Han Yi sat up straight and his eyes became sharp, "If the shame of the Niu Killing Clan is washed away with blood, what will happen to the Tuoba Clan Chief?"
"If this is the case, we will naturally join the army and never rebel!"
"I have always heard that the Tibetan people keep their promises and keep their word. However, I am not a Tibetan. Please forgive me, Chief Tuoba!"
Han Yi¡¯s implication was that he couldn¡¯t believe Tuoba Xiong¡¯s verbal promise.
"You and I have made an alliance with our blood, and let the gods bear witness. I wonder if it is me, Tuoba Xiong, who has risen to the top?" Tuoba Xiong's chest was stirring.
"That's what I want!" Han Yi also said loudly.
Tuoba Xiong immediately ordered his clansmen to bring in a few white horses. The Dangxiang people regarded white as noble and nine as respected. He couldn't get nine solid white horses at the moment, so he had to find a few variegated horses to make up the number.
Invite the wizards from the tribe to bathe and change clothes, kill horses to sacrifice to heaven, wear masks and perform rituals, dance and mutter words, the Niu-killing tribe members from Tuo Baxiong and below all look solemn.
Such a grand ceremony is enough to reflect Tuoba Xiong¡¯s sincerity. For the Tibetan people, this ceremony is the golden rule, and they dare not violate the power of the gods.
"In the eternal life of heaven, Tuoba Xiong, the people of God, has become brothers with the noble Marquis of Beihai. I wish to support you throughout my life and never betray you. If I go against your will, I am willing to turn into a rock on the mountain and be blown away by wind and rain in all my life. beat."
"Although I, Han Yi, are not from Tibet, I met the Tuoba clan leader late. Now I have become brothers with different surnames. I will support him throughout my life, and we will work together for wealth and well-being. We will never go against each other. If I disobey, I am willing to be burned by fire. Five thunder strikes!"
In a solemn commemoration, Han Yi and Tuoba Xiong pledged their blood to form an alliance and vowed never to betray each other.
"Okay, I drank the wine and ate the meat. I want to say goodbye to my brother."
After drinking heavily, Han Yi stood up and left.
"Brother, you and I have just become brothers, how can we separate so soon?" Tuoba Xiong asked in surprise.
"Brother has forgotten that the head of Ningzhou Governor Zhang Jianwu is still stored in his neck, waiting for me to harvest it!" Han Yi said with a smile, "I have never forgotten the promise I made just because I became sworn sworn brother. .¡±
If it weren¡¯t for the alcohol-heavy look on his face, Tuoba Xiong would definitely blush. Han Yi took the initiative to mention this, but it made him sincerely admire Han Yi for being a person who values ??promises.
Although Han Yi is sworn sworn kinsman to Tuoba Xiong, he will not naively think that the people of the Killing Niu tribe will really be with him from now on. To subdue the Tibetan people, either the government represented by Han Yi has the strength that the Tibetan people dare not resist, or the Tibetan people are tied up with benefits, or a combination of both, emphasizing both kindness and power.
Han Yi believes that he will do this in the future.
Today, I made a sworn vow with Tuoba Xiong to avert a disaster and expand the circle of friends. This is something that cannot be achieved by simply following Ruan's army. This is also a good revolution, not only for Han Yi, but also for the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty to consolidate the northwest and even expand further to Hexi.
Putting aside his long-term considerations, Han Yi quietly wiped away a trace of embarrassment in Tuoba Xiong¡¯s heart and said solemnly:
"To be honest, the reason why I want to take Zhang Jianwu's head is not to kill the Niu people. In the army, military discipline is as iron as iron and above all else. In the official position, being an official and not protecting the people is worse than a dog. Shit, Guo Yanqin, the former assassin of Gyeongju, is a clear proof! According to the laws and regulations of the country, Zhang Jianwu will definitely kill him, for fear of staining my sword! Come back as you go!"
"Brother, you don't have enough manpower, why don't I take my clan members with you?" Tuoba Xiong felt Han Yi's sincerity and took the initiative to say, "Besides, Zhang Jianwu is currently stationed in my Shaniuling, and this heavy snowfall, He must be trapped too. Brother needs a guide!"
"Brother, I only need to give me a few guides, but I don't need any manpower." Han Yi inadvertently looked up at the ridge in the distance, and saw several flags fluttering in the cold wind in the distance.