Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 547 Contradictions
"But the Tang people branded us on our faces!"

"Is it not branded to be a master's slave? It's not uncommon to cut off hands, feet, and eyes!"

"Yes, if I had known that being a slave to the Tang people would be like this, and I wouldn't have to be beaten, or cut off my hands and feet, and goug my eyes, I wouldn't have run away in the first place, and I would have eaten the whip for nothing!"

"You're just being whipped. It's better than those unlucky people whose heads were beheaded, right?"

"That's true, but Tang people are really ruthless! Six or seven of my fellow countrymen were beheaded because they escaped, hung on trees, and after half a day they were pecked by crows beyond recognition!"

"Isn't it normal for captives to escape and be beheaded? Otherwise, the Tang people would still buy them a drink?" Someone sneered: "It's not bad to cut open the stomach, tie the intestines to the horse's tail, and beat the horse's intestines. Speaking of which, you are lucky, if you escaped with those fellow countrymen, you probably would have hung your head on a tree!"

"Bah! Maybe I escaped back? You don't expect me to be better!"

"Escape back? Do you know how far it is from Dajian Furnace? It's hundreds of miles! In winter, there are Qiang people everywhere, and the Tang people have promised us a usual reward! You must be able to escape, unless you can fly! "

"Not bad, unless you can fly!"

There was a burst of laughter from the crowd, the captives had already forgotten what they said at the beginning, and they laughed loudly at the companion who was overwhelmed, while the unlucky guy tried his best to defend himself red-faced.During this short period of time, these unfortunate people temporarily forgot the cruelty of fate, laughed at each other, and tasted little joy.

"To be honest, if it weren't for the women and children, parents, I really don't want to go back!" A red-faced man with a bearded face sighed: "When I think about it, there is nothing wrong with the people of Tang, it's just work. , the same is to eat, and you can learn crafts from Tang craftsmen, and you still have some money every month. After working for a few years, you can use the money to redeem yourself with the Tang masters. It's not hard to support yourself, life might be better than going back to Tibet!"

"Indeed, the craftsmen of the Tang Dynasty are much better than the craftsmen of Tubo. If you can learn it, you can live a good life wherever you go!"

"I'm afraid they won't teach me!"

"If you don't teach, you won't be afraid. We can serve as soldiers for Master Tang! You know how to fight?"

"That's true. I've also heard that soldiers in the Tang Dynasty are different from us, but those who are paid by the army don't have to prepare food, clothes and shoes by themselves. Besides, they also get paid for it!"

"Really? Is there such a good thing?"

"Of course it's true. I heard from a Tang guard. Besides, we can get some meat every month. Why can't their own people get it?"

"That's true!" The red-faced bearded man just now sighed: "It's really a pity!"

The sigh of the red-faced bearded man calmed everyone down. This "pity" touched somewhere deep in everyone's heart. For the first time in their lives, they compared their past life with their current situation, and then made judgments , This feeling is very strange to them.Because in ancient society, the vast majority of people had no chance to choose their own lives, they could only passively accept their own destiny, whether they liked it or not.But this time, these Tibetan captives were surprised to find that they had the opportunity to choose their future life. They were like blind men seeing the sun for the first time, strange and frightened.

Tenzin stood up and rushed out. His companion reached out to grab him, but he shook his arm away, as if throwing off a burden.The companion called out his name in surprise: "Den Zeng, it's time to eat soon, where are you going?"

Dan increased his stride, leaving the shouting behind, his head so full of one thought that there was no room for anything else, he crossed the uneven hollows and the meadows, his feet covered in mud , until caught by a strong hand.

"Deng Zeng, where are you going?" Acton looked at the Tibetan prisoner coldly: "Are you crazy? If you go a little further and leave the camp, then you are running away and you will be beheaded!"

"I want to see Dudu Wang!" Tenzin said out of breath, "I have something to say to him!"

Acton stared into Tenzeng's eyes, and after confirming that the other party was sane, he said: "What's the matter? The king's governor is very busy, and he doesn't have time to see such a small person as you!"

"I want to stay, I don't want to go back to Tibet!" Tenzin said.

"Stay here, go back to Tubo!" Acton frowned impatiently, if it was not Tenzin who was talking but another Tubo captive, he would have no patience to listen: "Be clear, don't talk nonsense. gibberish!"

"I heard that Wang Dudu is negotiating with that Tubo nobleman to exchange us and Tubo for Qiang slaves. Is this true?" Tenzin asked.

"Den Zeng, do you want to eat the whip?" Acton said angrily, "I am the one who asked the question, not you!"

"I'm sorry!" Dan Zeng calmed down: "But I can only answer your question if I make sure there is such a thing!"

Akton looked at Tenzeng coldly, several times Tenzeng thought he would be tied to a tree, and whipped a dozen times fiercely. As an officer in Yaqiandu next to Wang Wenzuo, Akton had the right to do so. .But in the end Acton still didn't do it, he nodded: "There is such a thing, but it hasn't been confirmed yet!"

"Well, I want to stay here, I don't want to be put back!"

"Why? Don't you want to go back and see your family?" Acton showed a curious look: "There are not many opportunities like this!"

"You don't understand!" Tenzin sighed: "The Qiang slaves are the property of the nobles. If I were exchanged in this way, the nobles would ask me to compensate them for their losses. Not only myself, but also my own. The family members are also likely to become slaves of the nobles, so instead of doing this, it is better to stay with you, at least the family will not be implicated!"

"You and your family will become slaves of the noble lord? Is it true?" Acton was taken aback: "How could this be? Didn't you get captured because you were a soldier? The cost of redemption is already It should be paid by the state! Why do you have to pay for it yourself!"

"It's like this in Tubo!" Tenzin said with a wry smile, "and even if I can afford the ransom, my family will be looked down upon, ridiculed as a coward, and taken prisoner because I didn't die in battle. If I stay , as long as my companions say that I am dead, my family will live better!"

"But I can't blame you!" Acton's face showed sympathy for the first time: "You have tried your best in the situation at that time, even if you die, you can't change the result!"

"Yes, but that's how we are in Tubo. We either win or die. Those who escape after losing the battle will be called cowards and mocked with fox tails on their heads; let alone captured, if I If I go back alive, I'm afraid the whole family will be ashamed, it's better to be regarded as dead in battle!"

"I understand!" Acton nodded: "I will tell my superiors what you mean, but in the end it is not up to me to decide whether it will work or not!"

"Thank you!" Dan Zeng let out a long breath, and bowed to Acton.

Looking at the back of Tenzin's departure, Acton had mixed feelings in his heart, and he suddenly shouted: "Tanzeng, don't be sad, things will get better!"

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Wang Wenzuo's residence.

Wang Wenzuo bowed his head to write the case, and the quill pen in his hand was swipe quickly on the paper, without raising his head, he said: "Speak!"

"That's the thing, Commander, I don't know if I should tell you, it might be a waste of your time." Acton hesitated.

"You are already wasting my time!" Wang Wenzuo put down his pen and raised his head: "Tell me, let me judge whether I should tell me or not!"

"Yes!" Acton lowered his head in embarrassment, recounted what Tenzin told himself just now, and finally said: "That's it, this subordinate feels that although this matter is not big, it should be told to you, after all There should be more than one person like him among the Tibetan prisoners!"

"You are right!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "Akton, did you do this because you sympathized with him!"

"Yes!" Acton raised his head and plucked up his courage: "I was the one who captured him at the time, but I swear, he had tried his best at that time. I first launched a night attack, and then smoked it with fireworks. His people He was so smoked that he couldn't open his eyes, rolled down from the high ground, and even lost his weapons, so they surrendered. On the way back, he endured a lot of pain, but even so, he still did not abandon A copper pot containing the bones of a friend!"

"This is a brave man!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "A brave man should not be reduced to a slave. You can go back and tell him that he can stay if he wants. If there are other people in a similar situation to him, You can also stay, but not too many people!"

"Yes!"

After Acton left, Wang Wenzuo sat down behind the tables again, trying to continue the work just now, but he gave up after a few minutes and threw the quill on the tables, and it took a while to calm down again.

"It's unbelievable that the Tubo people can still have a national fortune for more than 200 years by doing this!"

Compared with the stubborn arrogance when exchanging prisoners, Longer appeared to be more reasonable in conducting trade.As a Tubo aristocrat who had studied in Chang'an and Luoyang for many years, he was very familiar with the commercial and trade conditions of the Tang people at that time.When Wang Wenzuo proposed the tea-horse trade, he immediately proposed a quite feasible plan—in short, it was a crude version of Chang’an’s east and west cities:
The two sides conduct trade once in the middle of the month and at the end of each month. The place of the transaction is in a predetermined small market. Merchants from both sides conduct trade in the market, and the market is managed by a three-member committee——Tang and Tang Tubo each sent an official, and the remaining one consisted of a respected businessman. They adjudicated disputes, collected taxes, and sent a hundred soldiers on each side to guard the market.The types of commodities to be traded are agreed in advance.Any trade conducted outside of this bazaar is considered illegal. Once discovered, the goods will be confiscated, and the merchant will be sentenced to exile.This agreement will be secured by an oath, which is made at the beginning of each year.On the whole, this agreement is simple, crude but effective. Although it has nothing to do with the principle of free trade, it has two great advantages: first, it is conducive to taxation and management; second, it can be monopolized.Whether it is Langri, who represents the interests of Tubo Zanpu, or Wang Wenzuo, they have maximized their own interests in the agreement.

"That's about it, the specific details will be discussed with the following documents!" Lang Ri smiled and raised his glass: "How is it?"

"Very good!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile, "Then when will the two parties hold the oath?"

"Hehehe!" Langri laughed: "Wang Dudu is still so impatient!"

"It's not that I'm impatient, but as far as I know, your country believes in gods. As long as you slaughter livestock in front of the gods of mountains and rivers and make an oath, you don't have to worry about it within the validity period. After all, this trade is also a matter of mutual benefit. My family is not the only one benefiting!"

"That's true! Dudu Wang really understands us Tubo people!" Lang Ri smiled: "But there is another question, Dudu Wang, you are the governor of Songzhou Dudu Mansion, and you trade with Tubo without harming each other; but But the Tang Dynasty is dispatching troops and generals, and Xue Rengui is also appointed as the general manager of the Luosuo Road, and Luosuo is the capital of our country, how can this be explained?"

"Hehe!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "General Xue is in Longyou, and I am in Jiannan. Do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean that General Xue beat General Xue, and it has nothing to do with you?"

"General Xue and I are both courtiers of the Tang Dynasty, so it doesn't matter!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "But there are not many soldiers in the Tang Dynasty in Jiannan, and they are on the defensive. As long as I can make Jiannan stable, don't let the Tubo soldiers advance." If you hit the city of Chengdu, you will be worthy of General Xue, and the court will not blame me!"

"Hehehehe!" Lang Ri laughed and said, "Wang Dudu's words are a bit wishful thinking, right? In a confrontation between the two countries, you gain but we lose. You want to use the weak soldiers of Jiannan Road to contain the southern line of our country, but Letting your country's Longyou soldiers attack me in Qinghai, isn't it too good to think?"

"Really? But I think that even if the Great Tang captures Qinghai, it will be a blessing in disguise for your country!"

Lang Ri's eyes narrowed, and he stared at Wang Wenzuo's face, trying to see the reality of his heart through his appearance. After a few minutes, he whispered: "The land of Qinghai is the most important place for our country. Animals are born here, and the Huanghe Valley is even more fertile land, if it is lost, it will be like the Xiongnu losing the land in the west of the river, and women are colorless, how can we be said to be blessed?"

"Good horses, beautiful animals, and ten thousand hectares of fertile land are good, but it is a great disaster for the country if the inside is light and the outside is heavy, and the tail is too big. You should understand this truth?"

(End of this chapter)