In the Dafeichuan military camp, something big happened today.
More than 10,000 former Dafeichuan soldiers who accompanied Hou Junji on the expedition came back.
At dawn, the patrolling sentries found a large number of people in the northwest. They thought it was a sneak attack by the enemy, so they immediately sounded the alarm. The army of Marquis Zuo of Dafeichuan immediately responded to the stress. Zhu Bancheng, who commanded his troops, led his cavalry to stop the battle, only to find that it was one of his own!
The area of the military camp was quite large. When Qin Mubai arrived at the Zuoyuhou camp, all the more than 10,000 soldiers took off their armor and upper body and knelt on the ground.
"What's going on?" Qin Mubai asked Zhu Bancheng, the commander of Zuo Yu's army.
Zhu Bancheng reported the truth he found out, saying that these people were bombed back by Hou Junji. By now, Hou Junji should have been heading towards Luoxucheng, the home base of Tubo. Before the war started, Hou Junji sent back all the sick, seriously injured, and only male members of his family.
The more than 10,000 soldiers knelt on the ground in complete silence.
Zhu Bancheng sighed and said: "These soldiers know that they have violated military law and are here to plead guilty."
Qin Mubai looked at the group of Guangbang soldiers kneeling in front of him with his eyebrows furrowed and was silent for a long time.
"Young Marshal, please give me a chance to die!" Someone suddenly shouted among the kneeling sergeants.
Everyone agreed - "Please give me a chance to die!"
In response to one call, all the soldiers shouted. Many people were carried back lying on stretchers, but they also screamed.
Qin Mubai continued to be silent, looking at the people in front of him quietly.
The soldiers shouted for a while, but when they saw Qin Mubai's terrible silence, they all shut up again.
"You are not guilty. Return to the army immediately and temporarily return to Zuo Yuhou Camp under the command of General Zhu." Qin Mubai finally spoke, and then said to Zhu Bancheng, "Go to Quan Wanji and ask him to send more medical officers and medicines to You. None of these people in front of you can die!"
"Yes!" Zhu Bancheng agreed excitedly and shouted, "Brothers, the young marshal said - you are not guilty!"
Originally, he thought that the soldiers kneeling on the ground would burst into cheers when they heard the news. Unexpectedly, it was even quieter. All the sergeants raised their heads and looked at Qin Mubai in unison.
Qin Mubai sighed, mounted his horse, and rode away with his whip raised.
Among the people kneeling on the ground, someone suddenly burst into tears! Immediately afterwards, more people, many people, all the people burst into tears in unison!
"We are the ones who deserve to die! If we are not buried on the high ground, we should die under military law!"
"The military regulations of the Tang Dynasty are ruthless and strict. If the young commander condones and guarantees us like this, he will be implicated in the future!"
"Young Commander Bo Yuntian's righteousness is no less than that of his father, the old Duke Qin!"
…
Zhu Bancheng looked at the scene in front of him and was stunned for a moment. Although he was already one of the Eighth Army, his days with Qin Mubai were short-lived. At this time he murmured: "Now I probably understand why no one can shake Qin Mubai's prestige in the Kansai Army! - Apart from anything else, the more than 10,000 soldiers in front of me will be willing to fight for him in the future. die!!"
When Qin Mubai returned to the Chinese Army Commander's Camp, he felt a little depressed and sat alone in the backyard pavilion in a daze. Li Ke came to look for him. Seeing him like this, he stepped forward and asked, "I heard that a group of soldiers who followed Hou Junji on the expedition have returned?"
"Yeah." Qin Mubai responded casually.
"What are you going to do with them?"
"Already dealt with."
Li Ke was startled for a moment, then sat down next to him and said, "It's so fast..."
"How long will it take for a sentence?"
Li Ke raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Then... how did you deal with it?"
Qin Mubai asked calmly: "Your Highness is the supervisor of the army. In your opinion, how should they be dealt with?"
Li Ke frowned, "These people have seriously violated military law, and even committed heinous crimes. They have committed two crimes - conspiracy and disrespect!"
"It's not that serious." Qin Mubai remained indifferent and said, "It's far-fetched to say that they committed a heinous crime. Did they commit treason? Not only did they not commit treason, they also seriously injured the enemy's country; it was so disrespectful... They even more No more. When did they insult the emperor? When did they destroy the imperial mausoleum? And when did they harm any member of the royal family?"
Li Ke was speechless for a moment and said with a wry smile: "I forgot that in the early years when you were in Baiqi, you studied law with Yu Shinan and knew it very well. Having said that, they have no enmity with me. Of course I don’t want them to die. I’m just worried that some people will say that you are not strict in enforcing the law and tolerate adultery, and you are selfish and lawless!”
Qin Mubai looked at Li Ke and said seriously: "No matter what, I will never wield a butcher's knife against my brothers. They are warriors, one in a hundred warriors who are truly loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Even if I am imprisoned for this in the future It doesn’t matter if he is impeached or not. Qin’s half-term position is worth more than 10,000 lives!”
"Well, I should have known that I couldn't defeat you. And since you have already decided, I will not intervene to change anything." Li Ke smiled and said, "But who made me the supervisor? , it’s my duty, even if I don’t interfere with you, I should always remind you.”
"That's true." Qin Mubai nodded with a smile and said, "Thanks to you for being the supervisor. If it had been anyone else, how could I have let him follow me to the university if I had left him to eat, drink and have fun in Lanzhou? Feichuan is here to cause trouble for me?"
"Haha!" Li Ke laughed and said, "I guess my father was sure of your temperament before sending me here. Otherwise, anyone else would have trouble with you - well, I'll let you know about this." No more questions, just make your decision. Now, let’s discuss another very important thing!”
"What's the matter?"
Li Ke looked Qin Mubai squarely in the face and said, "Not long after you left the Central Army to go to Zuo Yuhou camp today, the Tubo envoy arrived."
"Oh?" Qin Mubai was slightly surprised, "What are you doing here?"
"Surrender, please make peace." These four simple words came out of Li Ke's mouth, causing Qin Mubai's expression to change.
"What?"
"Surrender, please make peace!" Li Ke repeated.
Qin Mubai was a little stunned for a moment, and remained silent for a long time.
"What's wrong with you? Are you surprised? Tubo is beleaguered on all sides and is about to be subjugated. It should be reasonable for Tubo to surrender and ask for peace at this time!" It was Li Ke's turn to be surprised.
"If you know Gar Qin Ling, you will know that this is completely unreasonable." Qin Mubai said sternly, "Gar Qin Ling is ruthless, scheming and competitive. Surrendering before a formal full-scale confrontation? This is definitely not his style!"
"What if this is Zamp's decision?" Li Ke said.
"That's even more impossible!" Qin Mubai said even more confidently, "In Tubo, there will be some major events that are decided or implemented without going through Zanpu; but there will never be any major events that don't go through Gar. Qin Ling will make a decision or implement it.”
"Gar Qin Ling, is it really that powerful?..." Li Ke frowned and said, "Actually, if you can win without fighting, that would be great. After all, war is not a good thing. Killing one thousand enemies will result in eight losses. 100. But since you said so, we have to think more about it. Is it a fraud for the Tibetans to propose surrender and peace at this juncture
"Wait until I see the Tibetan envoy!"
"Okay!—Come here, invite the Tibetan envoy Dege Dambawangjie!"
"One ear, Derge Damba Wangjie?" Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment and then smiled and said, "We are old acquaintances."
"Yes, that man is indeed missing an ear, which is still covered with medicine." Li Ke asked doubtfully, "Do you know him?"
"Of course." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "A very familiar old friend! Without him, how would my previous plan of cheating death have succeeded? I didn't expect him to come again this time!"
"Again?" Li Ke couldn't help but laugh when he heard this strange word, "It seems that you are playing tricks on him again."
Just as he was talking, Damba Wangji came, alone.
"My humble envoy, Danba Wangjie, pays homage to His Highness King Wu of the Tang Dynasty, and pays homage to General Qin, the Marshal of the Tang Dynasty!" Danba Wangjie bowed and saluted very respectfully.
"You're welcome." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "General Dege, we have become familiar with each other. Why did you come this time? Let's make a long story short. Don't beat around the bush."
"The humble envoy is here to ask for the surrender of your army and peace to your country on the orders of Zanpu!" Damba Wangjie did not hesitate and directly took out his credentials and handed them over.
Qin Mubai took it and gave it to Li Ke, "Your Highness, please take a look first."
Li Ke took the letter of credence and read it with a look of surprise on his face, "Is this really written by Tubo Zampu?"
"It's absolutely true." Damba Wangjie said sternly, "General Qin knows that the envoy is the captain of Zampu's personal guard, and he only listens to Zampu's orders. Even Marshal Gar has no authority to send me orders. .Last time… "
Qin Mubai waved his hand to interrupt him, and said with a smile: "There's no need to talk about what happened in the past! I'm sorry, General Derge. I was unkind last time and took advantage of you and even made you lose an ear. . At that time, I knew that what you said was true, but I had to listen to it as a lie, do you understand?"
"Your Majesty understands that you don't blame General Qin..." Damba Wangjie sighed and said, "General Qin used his troops with unparalleled intelligence. Even Marshal Gar fell into your trap. What else can I say? Can it be said?”
"Let's not talk nonsense, let's talk about what's at hand." Qin Mubai said, "What is the reason that made you Zanpu make the decision to surrender and ask for peace so early? Does Gar Qinling know about this?"
"Marshal Gar not only knew about it, he also participated in the decision-making. This decision was made jointly by Zamp and Marshal." Damba Wangjie replied.
At this time, Li Ke was startled again and said softly: "Mu Bai, there is something you will definitely not guess - abandoning Zong and Nong Zan, he is willing to become a prisoner of our army, and is willing to go to Chang'an to serve as a hostage!"
"Oh?" This was beyond Qin Mubai's expectation. He took the Tubo credential and read it carefully. The book indeed said this - if the Guanxi Army accepts Tubo's surrender, Tubo will Zanpu abandon Zongnong. Zan is willing to go to Chang'an to plead guilty to His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, become a vassal, and stay in Chang'an forever and never return to the plateau. From then on, Tubo became a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, becoming a vassal and paying tribute every year.
"Presenting pledges, professing vassalship, and paying tribute—that's all!" After Qin Mubai read it, he threw his credentials on the table with a cold smile.
Damba Wangjie's expression suddenly changed, and he said anxiously: "General Qin, Zampu and Marshal are definitely sincerely asking for peace!"
Li Ke was unsure, so he kept silent. After getting along for a long time, Li Ke developed a habit of disrupting Qin Mubai's thoughts and arrangements without hesitation before he could think clearly. Because he believed that Qin Mubai could always think clearly before him and make wise decisions.
Is this a kind of trust or dependence? Li Ke himself didn't know.
"General Dege, please forgive me. Your letter of surrender and credential does not contain the slightest bit of sincerity." Qin Mubai said suddenly.
"Why did General Qin say this?" Damba Wangjie was a little anxious.
"Since the two countries are at war, they must be deeply hostile. Now if you surrender, surrender, and ask for peace, then the troops and material resources we invested before will be in vain?" Qin Mubai said, "Since it is Enemy, don't talk about trust. Since it's surrender and peace, please start from the position of distrust between us - if you want me to accept your surrender, you want Datang to accept your peace, unless my conditions are met. !”
Danba Wangjie's eyes revealed a look of extreme fear and uneasiness. He took a deep breath and said, "General Qin...please speak!"
"First, it is necessary for Zanpu to go to Chang'an to be a hostage; but it cannot be him alone. He must also go with Zanpu's entire family, including his parents, brothers, wives, concubines, and children!"
"Second, the Garqin Mausoleum must be handed over. I and the Tang Dynasty will never allow this war criminal who has committed numerous crimes to remain on the plateau!"
"Third, since it surrenders and becomes a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, the plateau area of Tubo must accept the administrative divisions of the Tang Dynasty, which means abolishing the tribal structure and implementing the state and county system. The state officials, governors, and county magistrates must be governed by the Tang Dynasty. The Tang court came to appoint us!”
"Fourth, the Tang Dynasty must station troops on the plateau; the former Tubo military areas will be taken over by the Tang Dynasty, and the original generals and soldiers will accept the transfer and assignment of the Ministry of War of the Tang Dynasty!"
"Fifth, abolish all your previous systems and laws and accept the laws, regulations and civilization of the Tang Dynasty!"
"Of these five terms, if you don't agree to one of them or can't do it, surrender, please don't negotiate at all, and let Gar Qinling lead his troops to fight me to the death!"
…
After listening to Qin Mubai's eloquent talk, both Danba Wangjie and Li Ke were stunned.
Danba Wangjie was stunned because each of these five items was a symbol of the complete destruction of the Tubo Dynasty; Li Ke was stunned because in this short period of time, how could Qin Mubai think so carefully
Seeing Danba Wangjie standing blankly on the spot, Qin Mubai smiled calmly and said, "What's wrong, General Derge? Is what Qin said unreasonable?"
"General Qin, you want to destroy Tubo!" Damba Wangjie's voice trembled.
"Correct answer." Qin Mubai's face darkened, "So, don't come and play any tricks with me! - Either fight to the death, or accept the five conditions I mentioned! Apart from this, there is no third way!"
"Mu Bai, wait!" Li Ke said suddenly, "Why don't you think twice?"
"No need!" Qin Mubai suddenly shouted sharply and said, "Your Highness, please forgive Qin for being arbitrary! - Let's make this decision for now, and I will explain it to you when I have time!"
Danba Wangjie was almost desperate. He looked at Qin Mubai with a pale face, then looked at Li Ke. Suddenly he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and shouted loudly: "Your Highness, King Wu, doesn't it mean that the Tang Dynasty has no more power?" Did your surname change from Li to Qin?”
"Presumptuous!!!" Li Ke was furious and reached out to draw his sword.
On the contrary, Qin Mubai held him back, turned to Danba Wangjie and said coldly: "Danba Wangjie, go back and tell Qizong Nongzan and Gar Qinling. What they are thinking in their hearts is not clear to others. , I, Qin Mubai, know all too well that all tactics of slowing down the troops and being gentle will be useless in front of me, Mr. Qin! I will not repeat what I said. It is up to you to choose between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo! It is destined that only one dynasty can continue to stand firm! —Finally, I will give you a message: Although the Han Dynasty is a Confucian, it is not necessarily weak! Anyone who violates the majesty of the Celestial Dynasty will be punished even if it is far away!