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Yi Huawei slowly glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, smiled, raised his hand slightly, and motioned for everyone to stand up:
"Everyone, get up."

Everyone stood up cautiously, their eyes focused on Yi Huawei, waiting for his next instruction.

"Are you Yin Tong?"

Yi Huawei's eyes fell on Yin Tong.

Yin Tong knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly involuntarily, his voice hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "The sinner Yin Tong pays homage to the Prime Minister."

Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes slightly: "Do you still know that you are a sinner?"

Yin Tong's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and his heart was filled with regret and fear, but at this moment he could only bite the bullet and answer: "I know my crime!"

Yi Huawei's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness. He stared at Yin Tong closely and said slowly: "Yin Tong, you have committed such a serious crime, killing the Supervisory Commissioner and rebelling. This is a blatant provocation to the laws of the Qin Dynasty. You are a Qin official. According to the law, you should execute your entire clan to uphold the majesty of the national law."

At this point, Yi Huawei paused slightly, and the air seemed to freeze instantly. Everyone was so nervous that they dared not breathe. Yin Tong knelt on the ground, his body trembling violently, his face as pale as paper, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Yi Huawei's expression softened slightly, and he continued, "However, I am concerned about your wife, children, and parents. They should not suffer a catastrophic disaster because of your sins. I also don't want to be too cruel. After all, the Qin Dynasty ruled the world with benevolence. Now, the army is about to pacify the Dayuezhi. Although the Western Regions are inhabited by barbarians, it is also the place where you and your three tribes will atone for your sins."

Yi Huawei's voice rose a few degrees: "Yin Tong, from today on, you and your people will be exiled to Loulan in the Western Regions. There, you must make up for your crimes and educate the barbarians. Let them know the laws, benevolence, and civilization of the Qin Dynasty. If you can atone for your crimes, you may be able to return home after three generations. This is the mercy of the God, but also a test for you."

Glancing at Yin Tong and the people behind him, Yi Huawei continued, "You must remember that this exile is not the end of punishment, but the beginning of atonement. In the Western Regions, you must do your best to repay the tolerance of the Qin Empire with loyalty and hard work. If you slack off, the law of the country is ruthless and will not let you off easily."

A glimmer of hope surged in Yin Tong's heart. At this moment, his face was already in tears. He kowtowed heavily and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your mercy! I will definitely remember your teachings and make meritorious contributions in Loulan. I will never let you down. My family and I will do our best to educate the barbarians."

Yin Tong's parents, wife, children, and relatives from the three clans all knelt on the ground, shedding tears of gratitude. Yi Huawei's decision was both a punishment for them and a ray of hope for their survival. In the hearts of these people, they were still full of worries about the future. After all, the Western Regions was a strange and difficult place, but at the moment, it was their only choice.

...............

The second year of the reign of Qin II, the end of May.

The border wall was like a sleeping dragon, lying on the ground, ancient and majestic. When the heavy gate slowly opened, a low "creaking" sound echoed in the air.

More than 10,000 Qin troops marched in neat steps, slowly marching out of the Great Wall like a tide. Their figures looked particularly majestic on the vast land, and the sunlight shone on their armor, flashing a cold light.

The leader, Li Xin, the prefect of Longxi County, rode a tall horse. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, his eyes were firm and sharp, and his mighty armor was shining in the sun. He looked like a sword drawn from its sheath, unstoppable!
Not far from Li Xin was Xiao He, who was appointed by Yi Huawei as the military supervisor. Xiao He had a calm face, wearing a dark robe and a black belt around his waist. His hair was neatly tied on top of his head, with a few strands of hair fluttering gently in the breeze. Riding on a horse, he had an upright posture and looked majestic without being angry.

At this moment, a scout passed by the army and shouted a warning: "The Qiang and Rong are approaching us! They are ten miles away!"

"All troops on alert, mount your horses! String your crossbows! Protect the Right Minister and the baggage behind!"

Li Xin gave a loud order, and the Qin army immediately took action, entering a state of alert in a tense and orderly manner.

The soldiers quickly mounted their horses, their bows and crossbows were pulled to the full, the strings were buzzing, their eyes were full of vigilance, and they were always ready to deal with any emergency.

However, the hundreds of Qiang and Rong who were cautiously approaching the Qin army were not here to offend. A group of figures gradually became clear in the distance, led by a Qiang and Rong leader wearing military uniform and with braided hair. With awe and humility in his eyes, he walked towards the Qin army step by step.

Xiao He glanced at the Qiang and Rong leader who was kneeling at Li Xin's feet. He wore military uniform and had braided hair. He then asked the captain Qiang Di beside him in a low voice, "Is this person the leader of a vassal state who has submitted to Qin?"

Xiao He knew that the "Dianke", one of the nine ministers of the Qin Dynasty, was specifically responsible for "managing the barbarians who had returned to the Qin Dynasty". The "Xingren Office" under it was equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in later generations, responsible for contacting the Xiongnu, Donghu, Yuezhi, overseas Jizi Joseon, the Wi Kingdom, the various barbarians outside the southwest, the Minyue, Ouyue, Nanyue, Xiyue and other ethnic groups in the southeast coastal areas that had established contacts but had not yet returned to the Qin Dynasty. There were also people under it who specialized in translation work.

The Dianke Agency occupied an important position in the political system of the Qin Dynasty. It represented the connection and communication between the Qin Dynasty and the surrounding barbarians, and was an important force in maintaining national stability and unity. The officials of the Xingren Agency shuttled between the various barbarian tribes, conveying the majesty and benevolence of the Qin Dynasty.

In addition, under the Dianke, there was an institution called "Dian Shuguo" which was responsible for "managing the surrendered barbarians". That is, the Diqiang barbarians who had surrendered to Qin and were within Qin territory but still had independent forces, such as the Ganyue in Yuzhang, the Yuyue in Kuaiji, and the Ba people in Bajun and Nanjun, were all under the control of the "Dian Shuguo". The court called them "Chenbang Junchang" and "Chenbang Jungong", which was a bit like the chieftains of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Qiang Di bowed and replied, "Of course, the general has not been idle during his time as a county lieutenant. Within a hundred miles west of the Tao River and east of the Li River, seven or eight tribes have surrendered to the Qin under the general's 'persuasion'!"

"How to persuade? Use a strong crossbow or a sharp sword?" Xiao He looked at the trembling appearance of the vassal king, and he didn't think Li Xin would discuss things with him in a friendly way. Qiang Di smiled and said, "The military supervisor is right. The general went out to collect firewood once and eliminated a large tribe that had repeatedly rebelled. These Qiang Rong people became much more obedient and requested to join the country as vassal states."

The so-called "da chai" was the name given by the Qin army in Longxi to the restless Diqiang tribes that were exterminated outside the border. The Diqiang Rong tribe was diverse and powerful, and the strong ones called themselves "chieftains". They regarded death in battle as auspicious, and death from illness as unlucky. Therefore, they liked to plunder and invade each other, dominate with violence, and even risk invading the interior. After all, in their eyes, the Qin people were all rich.

The Di, Qiang and Rong tribes were like unstable bombs that could trigger wars and conflicts at any time. Their belligerent nature made them constantly look for opportunities to plunder more wealth and resources. In their eyes, the Qin people were a huge treasure trove, full of temptation.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Qin army in Longxi, the Di and Qiang were like the wildly growing trees outside the Great Wall. If they were not cut down in time, they would get out of control and even cross the Great Wall and invade the cities and towns inside the Great Wall.

From Qiang Di, Xiao He learned that according to Qin law, these "vassal kings" who surrendered were given preferential treatment, and they and their children could enjoy the treatment of "superior" titles.

If someone committed a crime due to ignorance of the law, he should be sentenced to a life sentence or above, but he could pay money to redeem his crime. Also, because these Qiang and Rong people liked to plunder each other, if they committed the "gang robbery" of other rulers, they would be given a lighter sentence, from death penalty to ghost firewood. If castration was to be imposed, considering that it was a great humiliation, it could also be sentenced to "redemption of palace", and redemption of crime by paying money. If there was no money, the cattle and horses in the tribe could be used to pay the debt.

These preferential policies reflect the wisdom and strategy of the Qin Dynasty rulers. For these barbarian tribes, it is not enough to rely solely on military suppression, but also necessary to adopt a conciliatory policy and stabilize the border by combining kindness and severity. By giving certain privileges and preferential treatment to the vassal states, they can feel the benevolence and majesty of the Qin Dynasty, and thus serve the Qin Dynasty more loyally.

The Qin Dynasty would never tolerate the barbarians who dared to invade the Qin people. This was not only a protection for the Qin people, but also a maintenance of the dignity of the Qin Dynasty's laws. As for the ordinary people of the Qiang and Rong states, they were regarded as the people of the state, and like the Qin people, they had to abide by the laws of the Qin Dynasty and bear the corresponding responsibilities.

Under the rule of the Qin Dynasty, the right of migration of people from the Qiang and Rong states was strictly restricted. If they did not want to submit to the chieftains, they could apply to be registered as Qin citizens, and the government would relocate them to other places and start as hired farmers. However, there was a red line that could not be crossed, that is, they could not leave the country. Once the whole family migrated, they would be regarded as rebels and would be killed like bandits.

In addition to paying tribute of cattle, sheep and horses, the Qiang and Rong states also had to send cavalry to join the Qin army in battle when war came. This was their obligation as subjects and also a way for the Qin Dynasty to control them.

Just like the Qiang Di family, they were originally the vassal kings of the Qiang people in Beidi County, but now they have been in Qin for four generations. During this long period of time, their language and diet have gradually been assimilated. Qiang Di's grandfather Qiang Huai even led the Beidi Qiang Rong cavalry to join the army, conquered the east and the west, made great military achievements, and became a great Shangzao. Now, Qiang Di's family has regarded themselves as Qin people, not Qiang people.

After careful consideration, Xiao He discovered that the Qin Dynasty built the Great Wall not only to prevent foreign barbarians from invading and disturbing the people, but also to serve as a sheepfold and fence.

The Qin Dynasty kept the Rong and Di people in its territory like livestock, allowing them to live with the Qin people for a long time, so that they would gradually become mature Rong people and eventually achieve complete assimilation. After all, the Qin Dynasty had a "Xia Zi" system where as long as one of the parents was Qin, the children would be Qin people. As immigrants and intermarriages continued, the number of Qin people would only increase, while the number of Qiang, Rong and Di people in the territory would decrease.

At present, it seems that Qin's assimilation policy was successful. Among the garrisons in the three counties of Guanxi, there were a large number of Rong people who had been assimilated by Qin. They fought side by side with the Qin people and jointly guarded the borders of the Qin Dynasty.

However, the sheepfold fence outside the Great Wall had not yet been completely enclosed. It should not have been too difficult for the rulers of the vassal states to escape from Qin's rule. However, this was not the case.

After Xiao He raised his question, Qiang Di pointed to the river valley and said, "The Di Qiang people are good at hunting, but they also raise cattle, sheep, horses, and grow some millet. There are many mountains outside the Great Wall, which are not suitable for growing grains. Only along the banks of the Tao River are there some flat valleys. Not only can they grow grains, but they are also convenient for grazing livestock. They don't want to leave this fertile land and go to Hehuang and Qiangzhong to compete for food with the more barbaric Di Qiang tribes."

Xiao He understood immediately. From here, the further west you go, the higher the terrain becomes, the worse the natural conditions become, and the fewer people you can support. The rich Hexi Corridor is occupied by the powerful Yuezhi. Those fragmented Qiang and Rong tribes are no match for the Yuezhi. Instead of struggling to survive in a poor and bad place, it is better to stay in this relatively rich place.

Moreover, Longxi County used trade as bait to make the vassal states even more reluctant to leave. Trade brought abundant materials and wealth, making their lives more comfortable. They could obtain the items they needed by trading with the Qin people, and at the same time they could export their specialties to other places. This mutually beneficial and win-win situation made them somewhat dependent on the rule of the Qin Dynasty.

Soon, the ruler of the vassal state was relieved to learn that Li Xin did not lead the army to "collect firewood" and pointed to the Tao River, which they called "Luqu", and swore that he would never rebel against Qin. He also sent the Qin army ten yaks as a reward.

That night, the sky was as dark as ink and dotted with stars.

At the place where the Qin army camped and rested, a bonfire was burning, and the dancing flames illuminated the tired but resolute faces of the soldiers. Large chunks of slaughtered yak meat were skewered on wooden sticks and slowly roasted over the bonfire. Green salt was carefully sprinkled on, and with the sizzling sound, the tempting aroma gradually spread.

The soldiers sat around the campfire, turning the barbecue in their hands and chatting in low voices. The firelight illuminated their smiles, temporarily forgetting the fatigue and cruelty of the war.

The next morning, the sun shone through the thin clouds onto the ground, bringing a hint of warmth. At the camp gate, a dozen scouts rushed in like a whirlwind, raising a cloud of dust. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, breaking the tranquility of the early morning.

Soon, the personal soldiers brought a scout squadron covered in dust who had just entered the city and came in front of Li Xin and Xiao He.

The scout leader looked exhausted, but his eyes revealed anxiety and nervousness. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "Reporting to the two lords, we have discovered a large group of cavalry fifty miles west of our army, heading straight for the county city."

Li Xin and Xiao He looked at each other, and a trace of solemnity flashed in their eyes. Li Xin frowned slightly and said, "Did you see clearly, is it the Qiang or the Yuezhi? How many troops are there?"

The scout leader lowered his head and said uncertainly, "Your Excellency... their attire is similar, I can't tell them apart, there should be about 50,000 of them."

(End of this chapter)