Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Wuwei Guzang City in Liangzhou was an important town in Longyou as early as the Qianliang period. It is now the seat of the Liangzhou Governor's Office and the military and political center of Longyou, so the welcoming scene prepared here is particularly grand. In addition to Han Guo, the general manager of Liangzhou, and his subordinates, there are also tens of thousands of Han and Hu armed forces that have been assembled recently. They are arrayed in clear formations and lined with flags outside Guzang City.

Among this grand welcoming team, there was a middle-aged man wearing plain short brown clothes who stood out. The other people nearby were either wearing military uniforms or gorgeous fur clothes and brocade robes, but this one was the most plainly dressed, yet he stood at the front of the queue, almost alongside Han Guo, the general manager of Liangzhou, which showed his superiority. He had a good status, which attracted more and more curious attention from others.

This middle-aged man was none other than Tuguhun Khan Kualu who had just arrived in Wuwei day and night. At this time, under the gaze and whispers of everyone, Kua Lu felt uncomfortable, but he had no intention of paying attention to these things at the moment. He just kept tiptoeing to look eastward, and at the same time, he got closer to Han Guo several times. The person beside him asked in a low voice: "Excuse me, Ambassador Han, when will the holy chariot arrive?"

Because a heavy army was gathered here in Guzang, Han Guo stayed here to wait for the arrival of the holy driver, instead of leading his followers to the state border to greet him. At this time, when he heard Kua Lu's inquiry, he said in a deep voice: "The holy driver has stopped for a certain period of time. Khan, just wait. If you feel the autumn wind is chilly, you can sit in the back tent for a while."

"No, no need! The crowd has been standing here waiting for a long time, how can I be rude!"

After hearing this, Kua Lu quickly shook his head and waved his hands, saying that he was dressing up like this to show his respect, but if he waited in the tent because he was afraid of the cold, it would be self-defeating. Although the weather was really cold, he gritted his teeth and insisted on standing where he was.

Finally, nearly an hour passed in the afternoon, and a galloping horse galloped towards us in the eastern suburbs, informing everyone present that the Holy Driver was about to arrive. After hearing this, everyone cheered up and tried to show a better appearance.

Not long after, the front of the Wang Division arrived outside Guzang City. Under the leadership of the sergeants, they settled in the already built camp to rest and recuperate. As the former masters arrived one after another, the Holy Driver finally slowly drove towards this place amid great expectations.

"I have met with you, Your Majesty, and I respectfully welcome the Holy One to visit the state on his westward tour!"

The people who had been waiting for a long time, led by Han Guo, the general manager of Liangzhou, bowed down to pay homage, shouting the eulogies agreed in advance.

As for Tuyuhun Khan Kua Lu and some other imperial kings, since they were not officials of the Tang Dynasty, they did not need to pay homage with great ceremony, and they had another set of etiquette for returning to justice.

But when the other emperors also bowed and bowed, Qualuton, who was still waiting to bow deeply, was highlighted.

The Murong clan of Liaodong was originally an example of Donghu people who admired Han customs. After Tuyuhun moved westward, they needed to communicate frequently with the outside world because of their business operations, so the degree of Chineseization was also very high. Kua Lu repeatedly sent envoys to communicate with the Southern Liang and Northern Wei Dynasties. This was one of the reasons why Tuyuhun was able to suppress the Di and Qiang groups and become Dahehuang.

Kua Lu knew that the way he dressed was just an expression of attitude, but if he kowtowed directly like this, it would be difficult for him to rule the tribes and groups in Haidong in the name of Tuyuhun Khan in the future. In the eyes of this group of barbarians, he will be reduced to the same status as them, just a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, and there will no longer be any distinction between them.

Although he was currently under strong intimidation from the Tang Dynasty, he was still unwilling to bow down to the vassal of the Tang Dynasty in public, so even though he was highlighted in the crowd, he still resisted the pressure and did not bow. It's just that he bowed deeper, so that the tangled hair on his forehead touched the dust, and his posture seemed very awkward.

As early as during the trip, the Liangzhou governor had reported in detail the personnel and affairs here. Coupled with Kua Lu's outstanding dress and posture, Li Tai naturally saw him at a glance.

He first signaled to everyone to excuse themselves, and then briefly exchanged greetings with Han Guo and other Liangzhou officials. When the heads of states and chiefs came forward to meet each other, Li Tai's eyes turned to the people lined up in front. Kua Lu.

When Kua Lu came in to express his welcome, Li Tai stretched out his hand to hold his wrist, pulled him straight to him, and said with a smile: "God's will rewards good and punishes evil. I see Khan's posture is very respectful today, which is different from previous years." , my heart is also very comforted. Although martial arts has greatly damaged diplomatic relations, it is not entirely evil. However, if it can make people guard themselves, laugh away their past grievances and restore good relations, it is also a great good! Exposing you to the cold wilderness without asking any questions."

As he spoke, he waved to the rear, indicating to the envoy behind him to offer him a brocade robe, and then asked Kua Lu to stand in front of him and put on the robe. Such behavior seemed to be caring, but it undoubtedly made Kua Lu feel more ashamed. He felt that he was being played with by Emperor Tang, but he did not dare to refuse this kindness in public and wore this brocade robe. After putting it on his body, he danced again to express his thanks.

There is certainly a reason why Kua Lu is so groveling. When he rushed to Liangzhou day and night, he discovered that the Liangzhou division had arrived at the Qilian Pass, and some famous Haidong Qiang and Hu kings who had received his conferment in Fuqi City were actively guiding the Tang army. Each of them had their own strategic points in the Qilian Mountains, and they were ready to welcome the Tang army's entry.

In other words, if he is really stubborn and refuses to come to see him, this beating seems inevitable. Even if the Tang army has not been able to occupy Haixi for a long time, with the cooperation of these Qiang and Hu tribes, it is unthinkable to invade Haidong. Difficult matter.

Haidong is the essence of Tuyuhun. The upper reaches of the Hehuang River all flow through it. It is also the most important farming and grazing area in Tuyuhun. Once it is occupied, Tuyuhun will only have half of its life left even if it does not die. The hard-won achievements of generations of low-key development by ancestors may be lost in one day. More importantly, if the natural barrier of the Chiling line of the Qilian Mountains is lost, it can only survive under the sword and iron hoof of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Tai was quite satisfied with Kua Lu's attitude. As soon as possible, he still had a more obvious desire to maintain independence, but he did not expect to completely conquer Tuyuhun immediately. Although there was a plan to use troops during this western tour, the main target was not Tuyuhun, but the Western Turks further west. Therefore, this time against Tuyuhun, the main method was to beat it, supplemented by other means to strengthen interaction and influence.

Because a series of activities such as military training and hunting were to be held in Liangzhou, Li Tai did not enter the city, but simply settled in the military camp outside the city and entertained Kualu and other Hu leaders in the big tent.

If the Tang Dynasty wants to control Longyou and Hexi for a long time, and even use it as a springboard to attack the Western Regions, it is not realistic to send a large army to station there. Not to mention in the Middle Ages, even in the later generations with advanced technology and convenient transportation, the cost of long-distance garrisons far away from the mainland is extremely high, so local forces must be cleverly used.

An important task of Li Tai's western tour this time is to establish a set of tributary rule order between Longyou and Hexi and the Western Regions. As an important town in Longyou, Guzang in Liangzhou is also the place to manage and implement this set of tributary order in the future. The Hu chiefs who came from Qinzhou, Hezhou and other places to welcome him also followed all the way here. In addition to the gathering here in Liangzhou, there are hundreds of Hu chiefs and leaders of various states alone.

Some of these Hu chieftains had been conferred titles by the Northern Wei, Western Wei, and Southern Liang, and this vassal relationship was naturally inherited by the Tang Dynasty. Of course, there were also those who refused to enter the court and lost contact. Some of them had their own tribal forces annexed and eliminated, and some were unwilling to accept the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty. In short, if these forces missed the opportunity to join the Tang Dynasty's control system, it would definitely not be a loss for the Tang Dynasty.

For the leaders of these states and tribes, Li Tai now came to Liangzhou to personally grant them various official titles. Unlike the founding titles accepted by the Tang Dynasty's civil and military meritorious officials, these Hu chieftains were all granted the title of Guiyi.

According to the size of their respective forces, the location of their tribes, and whether they obeyed the Tang Dynasty's orders, the highest title of Guiyi was King, followed by Duke, and then Marquis. The official position was basically to set up control states and counties in their respective territories, the largest of which was the governor, and the smallest was the county governor. At the same time, a governor's office was established in each area, and the most powerful local person or the one who could convince the public served as the governor.

In addition to governing their own territories and people, these Hu officials also had to bear some of the instructions and obligations from the Tang Dynasty, including but not limited to offering gifts, obeying orders, and paying tribute.

In contrast, the Tang Dynasty needed to provide them with a certain degree of protection, and was responsible for mediation and arbitration when disputes and conflicts arose between them. When they were attacked from the outside, the Tang Dynasty directly sent troops to help them fight and defend, and also carried out mutual trade with them.

The series of rights and obligations involved in this were difficult for the Hu chiefs to digest at one time. But it didn't matter. With the implementation of subsequent relevant regulations to form a new order, these people would always have the opportunity to experience it personally.

For the Hu chiefs, the biggest gain this time was the official title conferred by the Tang Dynasty court. For some Hu chiefs, especially those whose prestige and power were not strong, striving to obtain the title conferred by a powerful country was an important way for them to establish their authority internally.

For example, Tuyuhun had successively accepted the title conferred by various regimes. As an outsider, he gradually gained a foothold in the Qinghai region with the title conferred by various parties, until the leader Kua Lu officially called himself Khan.

However, it is precisely because of this that the current Tuyuhun is not a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, nor has it been canonized by the Tang Dynasty. This is certainly what Kulu insisted on, but when he saw that other chieftains were happy to accept the Tang Dynasty's ennoblement, Kulu gradually became anxious.

In any case, being excluded from the majority and becoming an outlier is undoubtedly very dangerous, and it takes more energy and cost to guard against and protect yourself.

Originally, Tuyuhun was the overlord between Hehuang, but as the Tang Dynasty completed its unification and rose strongly, the original Tuyuhun vassal turned against it, so that in front of Kulu, the original overlord, they rushed to join the Tang Dynasty without any scruples, making Tuyuhun an excluded outlier.

When Kulu heard that the Tang Emperor personally promised that as long as he accepted the Tang Dynasty's official title and ennoblement, he would be protected by the Tang Dynasty in the future, he was already on pins and needles, and when he heard that the future Tang Dynasty's mutual trade would only be open to these vassal vassals, Kulu became even more unable to calm down.

He had been sitting at the table with a bit of reserve, listening to the Emperor's speech to the Hu chieftains. But now he couldn't hold back. When the Emperor finished his speech, he stood up and said, "Although I am a Hu from Xihe, I have always admired the greatness of China, so I came here as soon as I was summoned by the Heavenly Army. My subordinates were poor in livelihood before, and because of the atrocities committed in Longyou, I regretted it after being punished by the Heavenly Army. This time I came to meet His Majesty the Emperor to apologize. I also ask His Majesty the Emperor to have mercy on the difficulty of my subordinates in making a living and be magnanimous and tolerant."

With Tuyuhun's current size, Datang's restraint system certainly cannot exclude it, otherwise the effectiveness of the system's operation will be greatly reduced. What's more, the game between countries has always been more than just a hot war. Sometimes the effect of underhanded tactics is no worse than a direct attack.

When he heard that Kua Lu took the initiative to express his hope to join in, Li Tai spoke again: "God has the virtue of good life, whether it is my people in Xia or other tribes, as long as they can adhere to their moral duties, Who can bear to kill them with swords? The difference between humans and beasts is that beasts only know how to kill and eat, and only kill themselves to make themselves fat. Humans are good at economics and nutrition, and can be self-sufficient without taking human lives.

Khan's poor education in the past led to people's evil hearts and hatred. I have called you here now to teach you the art of governance, so that you can manage things skillfully, and your subjects will always be nourished, and you will no longer need to seek others to enrich yourself. "

As he spoke, he asked someone to present a long list and then handed it over to Qualu.

Kua Lu was also proficient in Chinese characters. He was not angry at the Tang Emperor's ridicule and humiliation to him, but when his eyes fell on the list handed over by the envoy, he was immediately attracted by the words on it and couldn't move his eyes away.

This is a purchase order, which details the types and quantities to be purchased, as well as the prices of various goods. The value of the goods involved in this cargo list alone has reached the trade volume of Fuqi City, the capital of Tuyuhun King, in the past six months. The goods on it are all products produced by Tuyuhun, and the prices are relatively fair.

After browsing the cargo list, Kua Lu felt his heart beating wildly. He suppressed his excitement, pretended to be puzzled, held the cargo list in his hands and respectfully asked Emperor Tang: "I'm stupid, may I ask Tang Huang?" What does His Majesty mean by this letter?"

"This is to teach you the art of governing people and affairs. Everything here is needed by my country and is rich by your country. The Khan can control his subjects to collect all the things and send them to our country. The country is self-sufficient and the people are also able to use it. If you are rich, you don’t have to do bad things because of old times, and your public and private needs will naturally be abundant.”

Li Tai looked at Kua Lu and said with a smile, he naturally knew how tempting such a sky-high purchase order would be to Tuyuhun, whose business was declining day by day. Although Kua Lu did not pay homage to the Tang Dynasty like other powerful chiefs, Li Tai still gave him generously. If Tuyuhun could really complete this order, the harvest would definitely be very rich.

However, Li Tai is certainly not simply trying to win over Tuyuhun. Although Tuyuhun is not Datang's primary opponent at the moment, whether it is to ensure Longyou's border security, or to strengthen influence and control over the Qinghai region, or even future confrontations Tubo and Tuyuhun, which are about to rise on the plateau, are both targets that need to be solved.

At present, Tuyuhun is obviously unsure of his position amid the strong rise of the Tang Dynasty. Such an order will not only allow it to adjust its position in the new order of Longyou, but the huge benefits will also drive Tuyuhun to actively make adjustments to suit its needs. Defeating opponents through commercial means has never been the exclusive preserve of future generations. During the Warring States Period, Guan Zhong was already very good at playing.

Now that the Tang Dynasty has been unified internally and all industries are revitalized, the market is huge and the demand is strong, and it can absorb massive amounts of materials supplied by surrounding parties. Once Tuyuhun accepts its position as a supplier, Datang can influence the direction of its people's investment through order adjustments, and can also change Tuyuhun's influence in the region through adjustments in supply.

If the regime and forces of the Hu tribe were changed, business activities might not have too strong influence. However, Tuyuhun itself was deeply involved in trade and thought, and trade was one of the foundations of its country. As the main tribe of the country, Tuyuhun itself did not have an absolutely strong position. There were also many tribes such as Di and Qiang in the country.

Therefore, influencing and controlling Tuyuhun through trade is actually more effective than pure military operations. Historically, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty once conquered Tuyuhun and established prefectures and counties within its territory, but the scope and time of actual control were very short.

In the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and Tubo successively launched campaigns against Tuyuhun. Although the Tang Dynasty achieved greater military results, Tubo eventually took over the remaining population of Tuyuhun, especially the territory of Tuyuhun, and later used this As a springboard, he occupied Longyou and Hexi in one fell swoop.

Today's Datang does not yet have the power and conditions to completely occupy Qinghai and operate it for a long time, but it cannot slow down its pioneering efforts in the Western Regions for this reason, so it uses this method with more room for maneuver to strengthen its influence on Tuyuhun.

"His Majesty, Emperor Tang, no, I am truly grateful that His Majesty is so generous and considerate, and has given our people a prosperous livelihood!"

Kua Lu thought that he would inevitably face difficulties for this trip, but he didn't expect that Tang Dynasty would prepare such a generous gift for him. Kua Lu didn't care about being reserved anymore and went to worship in the tent.

Seeing Kua Lu like this, Li Tai also laughed, but he did not intend to make this guy happy forever, and then said: "As long as the Khan can stay respectful and docile, there will be no more military disasters, and there will be more gifts one after another." Come."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and made another move. Soon a eunuch introduced a child into the tent. Then Li Tai pointed at the child and said with a smile to Kua Lu: "Before, the two countries were at odds. Master Wang once entered Fuqi City. , although he has not met the Khan, he has received the Khan's wife and son. This child is of Khan's blood. He was once in his infancy, but now he has a yellow mouth, but he has always been separated from his closest relatives and has not seen his father. Now he returns to you. Father and son reunited!”

Kualu's smile froze on his face when he heard this, and his face turned red and white. It was not only because the Tang Emperor mentioned the shame of his royal city being breached in the past, but also because he was not even sure whether the completely unfamiliar boy in front of him was his son. Therefore, he froze in place for a while, not knowing how to answer.

Li Tai ignored Kualu's embarrassment. Since he wanted to make this money, he had to be willing to lose his face. He pointed at the child and said, "In the past, the two countries were at odds. This child was innocent, but he also turned a disaster into a blessing. He returned to our country before his father. Now I have a good chat with the Khan, so I will give this child the title of Jiaohe Gong. This child is blessed. The Khan should not alienate and despise him because he has returned after a long absence!"

Kualu's face changed again when he heard this. If the Tang Emperor just humiliated him again, he could just endure it and abandon this child casually later, but now he was directly given a title, which was of great significance.

He really couldn't imagine that the Emperor of Tang would do such a thing. He pondered for several times but had no clue. However, when his eyes fell on the tempting order, he couldn't help but be greedy. In the end, he made up his mind to recognize this cheap son: "This child has been so favored by the Supreme. It is really a blessing for my family. I am honored by the Supreme's gift. I will definitely treat this child well and live up to the Holy Spirit!"