A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1122 Begging for mercy
early morning,

The sun rises as usual, and it is a new day.

Beiting in the west of Mount Dianhe will be transferred to Gongyue City today. For herders, moving on the grassland is a common thing. Their pastures have spring pastures, summer pastures, winter pastures, and even transition pastures between spring and summer pastures.

Even on the same pasture, herders do not live in one place but move frequently. Some herders even move every ten days or half a month.

They were already used to this kind of migratory life, and moving was convenient. They just dismantled their tents, packed up their belongings, and loaded them onto camels or pulled them on ox carts.

A herder with more property may have seven or eight camels, while an average herder may only have four or five camels.

The night before the migration, the herders had already driven all the cattle and sheep back. Early in the morning, the herders' wives and daughters began to milk the cows for the first time before dawn. The fresh milk had to be beaten into cream, which was a physical job that was time-consuming and laborious. However, the cream that was beaten out was golden yellow and kneaded into balls. It was the herders' favorite delicacy and even a hard currency for trading goods.

Even if you have to relocate,
This morning's pot of milk tea doesn't need to be boiled. The hard tea bricks are hit hard with a scissors to produce foam, then put into the pot to boil, and add fresh milk, salt, cheese and other things that herdsmen like.

The children were used to the relocation, although this time they were not going to the summer pasture deep in the mountains, but to Gongyue City in front of Cheling Mountain.
But they were excited for everyone to be together,
Normally, the herdsmen are scattered around, with only their children playing together. It is rare for them to gather together like they are now.
Groups of children were playing, and dogs were chasing them.

The older children rode ponies, the younger children rode sheep, some children shot arrows with bows, and some played wrestling together.

Women are the busiest.
Not only do they have to milk today, they also have to make ghee and boil milk tea. After finishing all these and having a simple meal, they will help to dismantle the tents, pack various belongings and load them onto the camels, then drive the cattle and sheep, ride on horses, drive camels, and keep up with the large migration group.

Normally, the transfer of pastures is not as grand as this.

Everyone's transition time is different, so there won't be so many people.
Wu Huaiyu had a good night's sleep.
I woke up in the morning full of energy and a good appetite. I had the Turkic people's butter milk tea, fried sheep dough, smoked horse meat jerky, beef sausage, and some hot wild vegetables.
Wu Huaiyu ate very comfortably.

After eating and drinking, they began to prepare to go to Gongyue City.

The Gongyue is actually in the northeast of Khan Court.
Khan's court is downstream of Gongyue City.

Fortunately, the two places are not too far apart.

Facing the rising sun in the east, the teams set out one after another.

There were herds of cattle and sheep, and herds of camels.
Wu Huaiyu rode on a horse, leading 4,000 cavalrymen from the central army, "escorting" this mighty team forward.
The scene was extremely spectacular.

Wu Huaiyi rode up from behind on horseback, "A fast horse from Gongyue City has come to report victory."

"Very good." Wu Huaiyu said to his brother with a smile. He was not surprised that Cheng Yaojin led 6,000 Han and Hu cavalry to raid Gongyue City and had a secret weapon like the Shenjiying, so they were able to take Gongyue City in one night.

It would be a surprise if I couldn't get it.

Although Gongyue City is a city,

But after all, it was a newly built city by nomads on the grasslands, a city that was not built for war defense, but for the Silk Road trade.
"Good progress," Huaiyu felt better.

Wu Huaiyi shook his head and said, "We did take Gongyue City, and we also beheaded the head of Gongyue City's advance Ji Jin, but there were some complications."

Judging from your tone, it seems like the matter is not a small matter.

"What accident happened exactly?"

After Wu Huaiyu heard what his brother said about the accident in Gongyue City, he felt that it was not an accident. Demon King Cheng obviously deliberately tricked the Tuqishi people, which was very unkind.

He could guess why Lao Cheng did this. Firstly, those who are not of our race must have different hearts. Now, more than 10,000 of them have penetrated deep into the enemy's heart. Facing these surrendered soldiers, Lao Cheng would definitely not trust them so much.

It's normal to take the opportunity to weaken them, or to teach them a lesson. It's normal for the Tang generals to look down on the Hu generals. You go up when the fight is desperate, and I take the credit when the merit is achieved.

When fighting against Tuyuhun before, Xue Wanjun and Qibi Heli had a quarrel in the Golden Palace. Qibi Heli was not an ordinary Hu general.

They are completely different from the newly surrendered soldiers like the running bull. Qibi is still the son-in-law of the emperor, so what? He will still steal your credit.

"Your father-in-law is too rude." Wu Huaiyu was helpless. He knew that what Old Cheng did was wrong, but he couldn't get to the bottom of it.
If you look into his actions carefully, there is nothing wrong with them.

Huaiyi could only say, "My father-in-law did act a little too recklessly this time, but it was those surrendered soldiers who repeatedly violated military orders first."

Huaiyi is also a person who helps his relatives but not others.

"Let's go. We'll talk about it when we get to Gongyue City."

This matter is easy to handle and difficult to handle.

It was easy to deal with because, as Huaiyi said, although Lao Cheng was not a decent person, the rigid Turkic surrendered soldiers could not find any points to attack.

But as I said, Lao Cheng’s method is too rough.

If we ignore it completely, it will inevitably affect other Turkic surrendered soldiers and affect the prestige and credibility of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions.

You can't go back on your word.
If there is no trust, how can the Tang Dynasty command the Western Regions in the future?

From this perspective, Lao Cheng lacked a broad vision and lost the big picture for the small. The bad precedent he set this time brought about huge subsequent losses, and even caused the loss of many intangible assets of Datang.

But Lao Cheng was only a deputy general manager and a veteran military leader. He certainly would not consider things like the Tang Dynasty's future rule over the Western Regions and commanding the various tribes. He only considered the present, his 3,000 Tang troops, how to better control the surrendered soldiers, and even how to seek benefits for his brothers.

Bon Voyage,
Half a day later, Wu Huaiyu arrived at Gongyue City first, with a caravan of camels and sheep winding like a dragon behind him.

Gongyue City was built on the east bank of Sihunchuan, a tributary of the northern bank of Yilishui River.

On the other side of the river is Xiaogongyue City, and to the north is the southern pass of Cheling. The Sihunchuan River is very narrow and dangerous, but only here does it become open and flat, and merges into the Yili River.

The mountain pass of Cheling is the only way for the Northern Silk Road. From Gaochang to Luntai, and then to Yili and Suiye, Cheling is a must-pass place.

The Cheling Mountain is high and the road is dangerous. After crossing the watershed, go south along the river. The road gradually widens, and then you will reach the Big and Small Gongyue City.

Merchants along the Silk Road rested and traded here, making this place very prosperous.

But at this time, Gongyue City,

The air was still filled with the smell of blood.

Cheng Yaojin went out of the city to welcome him personally.

When Wu Huaiyu got off the horse, Old Cheng offered his hand to help him up. Wu Huaiyu smiled and asked, "Why is Mr. Cheng so attentive?"

Old Cheng chuckled a few times, "We've taken Gongyue City, and the small Gongyue City opposite has also been taken. I've also sent a battalion of troops to station at Cheling to guard the mountain road."

"The leader of the Gongyue tribe, Yuzhi Jijin, was killed in battle in the city last night."

"This morning, the Gongyue tribe surrendered, and I recruited three thousand young men to help us march west."

Wu Huaiyu walked towards Gongyue City, nodding from time to time.

He did not mention the accident in Gongyue City.

Old Cheng couldn't help himself.

"Well, I have something to report to you. I have no good command over my troops. Last night, after the Turkic troops under my command broke into the city, they disobeyed orders and looted without authorization.
This morning I asked them to hand over the booty they had taken, and they mutinied because of it, so I had to suppress it."

"The mutiny was quickly suppressed. I executed several hundred people according to the 11-draw method, and then mixed the remaining 2,000 people with the newly recruited 3,000 Gongyue tribesmen to form my left and right auxiliary armies."

"General, it is my fault for not managing the army properly and my incompetence that caused such a big mistake. I beg the general to punish me."

Wu Huaiyu glanced at the old devil and shook his head, "Let's go into the city first."

Lao Cheng deliberately slowed down his pace.

He fell behind his son-in-law Huaiyi and asked, "What is Erlang's plan?"

"Don't worry, Father. Erlang knows what he is doing." Huaiyi comforted his father-in-law, but still couldn't help saying, "Father, you handled this matter a little too roughly."

"I also want to seek some benefits for my brothers, but Erlang's military orders are so strict that we can't just rob them, so we have to trick those guys. But then again, I didn't completely trick them. I repeatedly told them about the military discipline, but these people just wouldn't listen.

Alas, it is hard to persuade the damned ghost with kind words, military law is ruthless, I have no choice but to enforce military law and enforce strict military discipline."

Huaiyi couldn't say anything about Lao Cheng, after all, he was his father-in-law.

Wu Huaiyu entered the city.

Ask someone to call Amubuzai first,

The bull is now listless.

Old Cheng was really ruthless when he took action. He killed eleven people at once, and spared no one from the auxiliary army. Everyone had to draw lots, including Gong Niu, the general manager of the auxiliary army. He was the son of the Tuqishi Dachuo Heluoshi.

Old Cheng still forced him to draw lots. Fortunately, he was lucky and did not draw a dead lot.

But it also scared this guy enough,

After all this trouble,
Now the bull was completely depressed, just like a castrated bull.

What he didn't know was that although Lao Cheng forced him to draw lots, he took special care of him and arranged a live lot for him in advance. Lao Cheng also had to take his identity into consideration.

If the bull draws the death lottery, should he be killed or not? If he is killed, what if Heluo Shichuo originally wanted to submit to the Tang Dynasty, but this incident ruined his plan, and forced the Tuqishi to resolutely rebel against the Tang Dynasty, which would not be worth it.

"Amubuzai, do you know your crime?"

When Gong Niu met Wu Huaiyu, he wanted to sue Cheng Yaojin, but he didn't expect that Wu Huaiyu would start by questioning him.

Wu Huaiyu took the lead.
He enumerated several serious crimes committed by the Bull and his accomplices, each of which was punishable by death.

The Bulls were stunned.

"Come here, drag him out and behead him, in accordance with military law."

"Behead him and hang his head on the gate of Gongyue City as a warning to others!"

Amuzaier was also a leader among the younger generation of Turks, a famous warrior, and the captain of the Fuli Wolf Cavalry guards of Yugu.

"Chief Butler, I, I," Gong Niu was completely scared and knelt down with a plop. He didn't expect that the young Chief Butler Wu was even more ruthless than Deputy Chief Butler Cheng. He was really scared now.

"General Manager, spare my life!"

(End of this chapter)