Ling Tianfang, who had been temporarily appointed by me as the director of the Jinzhou Prefecture's Administrative Department, followed closely behind me as he walked through the streets of Jinzhou. "Sir, I think it's better to send some of the personal guards along, just in case."
"Oh God, if the Gaoyue people really want to harm us, sending hundreds of guards will not help. On the contrary, it will increase their suspicion. I don't think they will fall out without hearing the conditions. Anyway, I am still the chief executive of this side, and I don’t think they will be so hasty. They have been restrained in this mountain for long enough. Do they really not yearn for a better life? It is difficult to be willing to be trapped for generations. Unable to develop in this mountain? I think their leader will make a wise choice."
Although the urban area of Jinzhou is not large, it is quite prosperous. There are a large number of medicinal materials stores, medicine halls, wood processing workshops, furniture workshops, and carriage manufacturing workshops concentrated here. Of course, this is because it is rich in medicinal materials and wood. The whole street seems to exude a faint smell of medicinal materials and wood. A refreshing blend of fragrances. This is really an excellent rear area! When I sighed deeply, Ling Tianfang also closed his head in agreement.
"Sir, it seems that we have taken the right step. With this place, Qingyang has become a solid shield. We can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat. This greatly reduces the risk, and Qingyang has also gained a strong shield. What a strong backing. I really didn’t know that Wang Shiqi had such good conditions, but he made this place look like this." Ling Tianfang was obviously very satisfied with the plan he designed.
"It's too early to talk about success. Controlling Jinzhou is certainly one of our goals, but bringing the Gaoyue people under our command is our more important goal." My eyes had already flown over the mountains in the distance. Fly towards the lush depths.
After cleaning up Wang Shiqi's family assets, I discovered that this guy is indeed a master of making money. He actually left nearly one million gold coins in the small treasury of the Finance Department and the normal treasury, which gave me a huge bargain. From here we can also see that the financial revenue of Jinzhou Prefecture for a year is very considerable. With Wang Shiqi enjoying such luxury, there is still a huge amount of money left over. We can also imagine the temptation of Jinzhou.
"Stop! Don't come near! Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Not long after Ling Tianfang and I, together with a few guards, entered the sphere of influence of the Gaoyue tribe in the Greater Hengduan Mountains after two days of trekking, a few vigilant shouts came from the woods.
"I am Li Wufeng, the new city guard of Jinzhou City of the Empire. I came here today to meet with the noble elders and discuss some matters." I glanced at the dense woods and answered in a neither humble nor condescending manner. It has been known from the intelligence that the Gaoyue people are somewhat different from other ethnic groups. They are composed of many tribes of different sizes, and they are also divided into regions. Most of the people live in the high mountains of the Great Hengduan Mountains that span thousands of miles from north to south of the mainland. , the total number of people is probably around one million, and there are about two hundred thousand people living in the Imperial Golden State.
There was a panic immediately in the dense forest. Although it had long been hostile to the local government and even had constant conflicts, this was the territory of the Tanghe Empire after all, and this man claimed to be the new local chief executive. The minions responsible for the vigilance could not help but be confused. I got busy and didn't know what to do for a while. After a while, a young man came out of the dense forest, looked at me suspiciously for a while, and then asked: "You said you are the city guard of Jinzhou, what proof do you have?"
"Bold!" Several soldiers behind me shouted, "Who dares to impersonate me!"
Ling Tianfang also added: "This is indeed my master. I don't think you can make the decision on this matter. Why don't you please inform me."
There was a trace of anger in the eyes of the man who came out to talk, but he soon realized that it was definitely not a trivial matter for these people to come up the mountain. Not to mention himself, even ordinary leaders would not dare to receive them. As the man said, I am afraid that Only the great elders can receive them.
"Okay, wait a moment. I'll report to the higher-ups first. If there's a response from the higher-ups, I'll let you know." He gave Ling Tianfang a hard look. The figure of the young man quickly disappeared into the dense woods.
After half an hour, the young man reappeared in front of us, but his demeanor had calmed down a lot, so we followed him. After another half-day of trekking on the path, we arrived at a slightly flat dam, here. There are obviously many more residents, which are very different from the scattered houses we saw along the way. It seems that this should be an important settlement place for the Gaoyue people.
"Reporting to the Great Elder, the guests have been invited." The man leading the way bowed very respectfully to the few people standing in front of a very old wooden house.
I also took this opportunity to carefully look at the people in charge of the more than 200,000 Gaoyue people. Standing at the front was an old man in brown clothes. His wrinkled face made it difficult to tell his exact age, but his black hair matched his old face, which made people visually feel indescribably mysterious. His bright eyes also made people feel his abundant energy. Three of the four people at the back are also old men in their sixties, and they all look quite imposing, but only the man in black at the far end looks to be under thirty years old, and he is also a senior elder, which is quite surprising. , especially the elusive smile that always appears on his dark face, and his hands tightly closed in the armholes, which makes people unforgettable at first sight.
"The distinguished guest is here, and we are welcome from afar. Mr. Li is famous and famous in the northwest. Even though I have been in the wilderness for a long time, I have heard about it for a long time." The old man in brown clothes smiled and came forward to welcome him, and the four people behind him were silent. followed quietly. "I am Kapok, the chief elder of the Gaoyue tribe in Jinzhou."
It can be seen that these people are very prestigious here. When the Gaoyue people who were watching saw the five people walking down the stairs to greet them, they all showed unbelievable and shocked expressions. Maybe they had never seen any guests who needed five elders at the same time. Come out to welcome us.
"My subordinates have already heard about Elder Kapok's name. I should have come to visit earlier, but when I first took over, there are still many trivial matters that need to be dealt with, so it has been delayed so far." I also gave a sincere smile and strode forward to hold Elder Kapok's hand. Soft hands.
"Please." "Please"
This is a rather simple wooden house, but it can be seen that this wooden house has a long history, and it is by no means a place where anyone can enter and exit. Several wooden chairs with original colors have been polished to a shine. Although they are simple, they are spotless. This is probably their meeting hall.
"This is Mr. Ling Tianfang, the current administrative director of Jinzhou Prefecture." Signing to the guards to stay outside, Ling Tianfang and I walked into the wooden house calmly.
"I have also heard of Mr. Ling's famous name. Now Mr. Li has the world in mind, and Mr. Ling can make great achievements under his command." Elder Kapok's seemingly pointed words made my brain, which was originally thinking about how to break into the topic, start to work quickly. , I can’t see that this old guy has such a sharp vision. I have just entered Jinzhou, and he can actually guess my ambition from this. It’s not easy, but it’s okay. It’s much easier to deal with smart people. It seems that today The trip should have paid off.
"The Great Elder really speaks volumes. The Great Elder must also know a little bit about the purpose of Mr. Li and I coming here today." Ling Tianfang also responded tit for tat.
A cunning smile appeared on his wrinkled face, "I would like to hear your opinions."
Seeing that Kapok is so cunning, I don’t want to fight with him, "Elders, I went up the mountain with Master Ling today because I want to change the current situation in Jinzhou that is not conducive to the economic development of Jinzhou, so I am here to talk to you. Discuss."
"I would like to hear the details." The attitude of the five elders became serious.
"As we all know, under the leadership of the world, there is nothing but royal land, and our Jinzhou is the territory of the Tanghe Empire, and it is also a geomantic treasure land rich in precious wood and medicinal materials. It is also famous throughout the continent. The current situation is that because of the Gaoyue people The confrontation with the Jinzhou local government and local forces has resulted in the Jinzhou government's management being unable to reach the entire territory. Due to various restrictions from the local government, the Gaoyue people are unable to provide themselves with basic necessities such as food, salt, and cloth, and have difficulty in production and life. However, the wood and medicinal materials produced are subject to various restrictions and cannot be sold freely. Therefore, I would like to discuss with the elders to fundamentally solve this problem, so that the economy of Jinzhou can develop smoothly, and at the same time, the lives of the Gaoyue people can be improved. and development." Although my first few words made a few people a little dissatisfied, after hearing the next few words, several people showed careful thinking.
After a long time, Kapok nodded slightly, and at the same time looked at the other great elders beside him, "It seems that Mr. Li must have some good advice to teach me during this visit. Kapok and my brothers all want to hear it." Listen to Mr. Li’s ideas.”
I stood up and slowly walked around the spacious hall. Everyone's eyes were focused on me, "For now, it seems that no government on the mainland has recognized the equal status of the Gaoyue people, including The Tanghe Empire, including the Tanghe Empire, adopts a discriminatory attitude towards the Gaoyue people. This is also the main reason why the Gaoyue people are always trapped in the Hengduan Mountains. As long as this reason still exists, the Gaoyue people will never be able to truly develop and grow, and It will gradually decline.”
Although what I said was unpleasant, these elders had to admit that what I said was the truth, and two of them couldn't help but sigh softly.
"I can promise you that in the area I rule, the Gaoyue people are equal to other ethnic groups, including the Tang people, in all aspects, including rights and obligations. Of course, this includes the rights and obligations of all ethnic groups in migration, working, farming, doing business, and receiving income. Education, military service, politics and other aspects. No one is allowed to have any behavior or speech that discriminates against other ethnic groups, otherwise he will be punished as endangering national security."
My words immediately moved all five of them, but Kapok quickly calmed down. He knew that the more he got, the more he paid. There is no free lunch in the world.
"In terms of specific implementation, I will allow the Gaoyue people to live in the plain areas in the central and southern areas of Jinzhou. As for the policy, please refer to the regulations I formulated in Qingyang. Each person can obtain ten acres of land for farming, but they are not allowed to buy or sell it within a few years. Of course. The Gaoyue people can also move to anywhere in Qingyang and Jinzhou if they wish."
If the previous words are a bit pragmatic, then this is the most real thing. The Gaoyue people have worked hard for generations to get down to live on this plain, but they have never succeeded. Now that I have taken the initiative, they are surprised and delighted. Even Elder Kapok, who was as calm as a mountain, couldn't help but say "Oh", and the wrinkles on his face seemed to be reduced a lot. This is the dream of generations of Gaoyue people. The other four elders couldn't help but whisper to each other.
Seeing that this condition has deeply touched the hearts of the Gaoyue people, I struck again while the iron was hot: "I can also ensure the supply of basic production and living materials for the Gaoyue people, so that the Gaoyue people can live a better life."
After finishing speaking, I easily returned to my seat and sat down. Now it was Gao Yueren's turn to think carefully.
"Master Li, to be honest, even I am quite tempted by your offer of such generous conditions. But I think you must also have corresponding requirements. Why don't you say it directly so that we can consider it." Kapok finally couldn't bear it anymore. Come on, if such favorable conditions were known to ordinary tribesmen, it would probably cause chaos immediately. Who wouldn’t want to go down the mountain one day early to enjoy a better life
"My conditions are not harsh, there are only two conditions. First, the Gaoyue people's inhabited areas in Jinzhou must obey the management of the Jinzhou local government, but the specific management method can be negotiated. Second, the Gaoyue people must obey my military The operation requires joining the army. Specifically, the troops of the Gaoyue tribe in Jinzhou, I think there are about 30,000 people, join my army unconditionally, and must strictly obey the management of the army." I calmly said I put forward my conditions.
Several elders immediately fell into a quarrel. After pondering for a long time, Kapok finally made a difficult decision: "In principle, we agree to your terms, but the matter is serious and we must hold another meeting of tribal chiefs to decide whether to Accept it. Please wait a moment, sir, we will convene a meeting of chiefs on this matter immediately."
The meeting of chiefs ended quickly, and the final result was that they accepted my conditions. This was what I expected. The desire for a better life was enough to overwhelm everything else. Regarding specific matters, Ling Tianfang conducted careful consultations with the youngest elder, Elder Shan Gen.
"Master Li, let's go out for a walk." Elder Kapok, who had remained silent since receiving the results, suddenly made this invitation.
The two of us were walking on the path in the forest, "Master Li, actually I don't agree very much with the outcome of this negotiation. After all, our Gaoyue tribe is an independent nation, and in this way, although our lives will be greatly improved. Improvement, but we have lost our independence. Is this a blessing or a curse?" Elder Kapok said in a low voice, as if he was talking to himself.
"Every gain must come with a loss. The development and growth of a nation does not come from being complacent. Elder Kapok, I believe that the Gaoyue people will gain more development opportunities after being baptized by wind and rain. The outside world will be more exciting. Let these young people go The entire Gaoyue clan will benefit a lot from trying." I comforted Elder Kapok in a high-sounding way.
When Elder Kapok and I returned to the cabin, Ling Tianfang had already reached a final agreement with Elder Shangen on the terms of both parties, and was only waiting for Elder Kapok and I to sign. In addition to our conditions, we have added two conditions: building roads leading to the Gaoyue inhabited area in southern Jinzhou as soon as possible and increasing investment in education and health infrastructure for the Gaoyue people. Correspondingly, on the Gaoyue people's side, we have also added the following: ensuring the supply of troops and ensuring the safety of troops in the area. In the future, we will assist the Gaoyue people in other areas when necessary.
When Elder Kapok and I exchanged the agreement after signing, Elder Mumian looked at me with complicated eyes: "I hope you can keep your promise and live up to the expectations of the Gaoyue clan."
I also looked around and shouted in a voice that could be heard by everyone around me: "If I, Li Wufeng, violate what I have said today, I will be punished by heaven and destroyed by the earth!"