At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 398: Qiang people’s example and blind date

March 3rd, the tenth year of the Han calendar.

As the spring breeze blows, the ice and snow in Hexi begin to melt, the grass begins to grow, all things begin to revive, and the best time for Hexi begins to arrive.

Under the escort of a group of Han troops, the Qiang tribe on the plateau left their impoverished homeland and headed for the legendary Han Kingdom where there was endless food.

The Qiang people looked at the scenery around the road carefully and curiously. Although the ice and snow in Hexi had melted, their hometown was still covered with snow. The scene before them made them happy. The grassland here was much more fertile than that in their hometown.

After the team had marched for half a day, a two-meter-high city wall began to appear in front of them.

"This is Xin'an, and it will be your home from now on," the Han official on horseback said to his compatriots in a proud tone.

"Jinglei, the Han people allow us to live in the city?" The Qiang people said in disbelief.

The Qiang people were an extremely divided ethnic group. In the past, they were driven into the mountains and onto the plateaus by the more powerful Dayuezhi people.

Within their group, the big tribes exploited the smaller ones, and the weaker tribes could only live in even more barren places. Now, not only can they go down the mountain and have fertile pastures, but they can also live in the city. This treatment is unbelievable to them.

Jing Lei said dissatisfiedly: "What Han people? We will all be noble Han people in the future. You should get rid of those bad habits of Qiang people as soon as possible. You should learn Chinese well, practice Chinese characters well, and integrate into the Han people as soon as possible, so that you can live a good life."

The Qiang man following behind him nodded carefully: "Got it, Brother Jinglei."

Jing Lei is considered a legendary figure among the lower-class Qiang people. A few years ago, he was so poor that he didn't even have a sheep. However, he relied on his fighting spirit and managed to grab a spot to work in Chang'an City.

At that time, this matter was widely discussed in the Qiang tribe. No one knew whether it was a good thing or a bad thing to go to Chang'an City, where they were unfamiliar with the place, to work.

But a year later, Jing Lei arrived in a beautiful carriage loaded with all kinds of rare goods, and wealth returned to the tribe.

Jing Lei followed the Han people's customs and hosted a three-day banquet for the entire tribe. This was the first time he brought the tradition of the buffet to this strange land.

During the conversation, Jing Lei also revealed that he had found a good job in Chang'an City, and his monthly salary was enough to buy 50 sheep.

This matter shocked everyone. Earning 50 sheep a month means more than 600 sheep a year. On the plateau, even a medium-sized tribal leader may not have so much wealth. This income shocked everyone.

After the buffet, Jing Lei took his mother and relatives to settle in Chang'an City.

But Jing Lei's buffet and his high-paying job made him famous. The protagonists of the heroic stories circulated on this plateau were all the high-ranking tribal leaders. This was the first time that a story of a small person like Jing Lei turning over a new leaf appeared.

This story was more popular among the poor Qiang people at the bottom of society, so in a very short time, Jing Lei's story spread throughout the entire plateau, making his reputation surpass that of the big tribal leaders among the Qiang people.

At the same time, Chang'an City also became a kingdom of God in the stories of the Qiang people. There were cattle and sheep all around Chang'an City, which were too much to eat. There was food as high as the mountains, and milk and honey flowed on the ground. All the people in Chang'an City had endless food and wine. Chang'an City became the kingdom of God in the minds of the Qiang people.

Originally Jing Lei had settled in Chang'an City with his family. Even though his fame had spread throughout the entire plateau, it was of no use to him. He had already planned to become a noble resident of the imperial capital.

But after the Han Dynasty took over Hexi, how to migrate the population and govern Hexi well became a top priority.

Although military settlements can help build infrastructure in Hexi, no one knows how many of these soldiers will eventually choose to stay in Hexi.

Tian Zang, the governor of Jincheng County, knew that although some Qiang people followed Ji Bu to fight in the Western Regions, most of them stayed in the plateau. He planned to educate these Qiang people and make them new residents of Jincheng.

Tian Zang's memorial was submitted and approved by the court.

In order to naturalize the Qiang people as soon as possible, the Han court found 200 naturalized Qiang people in Chang'an City and gave them simple training to become Han officials.

And Jing Lei, who has a high reputation on the plateau, has become a role model set by the Han Dynasty. He is now a naturalized official of the Han Dynasty, with an official salary of 400 stones.

Jing Lei, who had lived in the Han Dynasty for three or four years, of course understood what this meant. He was promoted from an ordinary citizen to an official, and then to an official, becoming a member of the upper class of the Han Dynasty.

This made Jing Lei full of gratitude to the Han court. After returning to the plateau again, he ignored the obstacles of wind and snow and persuaded his compatriots one by one to leave the plateau and settle in Hexi.

An elderly shaman asked: "The Han people gave us such good pastures, do they want us to fight for them?"

Jing Lei said proudly: "The enemies who dared to attack the Han Dynasty have long been killed by the emperor. Do you know the Xiongnu in the desert? The heads of their Chanyu were chopped off by the Han army and presented to the emperor. No one in this world can be a match for the Han Dynasty."

"Hexi was originally the territory of Duke Ji, but he wanted to go to the Western Regions to hunt down the Great Yuezhi people, so he sold this territory to the emperor. The emperor saw that there were few people in Hexi, so he wanted to recruit us as the people of the Han Dynasty to help the emperor take care of this territory in Hexi."

"Hexi is such a fertile land, why don't the Han people come here?"

Jing Lei laughed and said, "Hexi is fertile land for you, but for the emperor who controls the whole world, it is just the poorest piece of his vast land. The Han people are unwilling to come here, so it is a bargain for us."

Jing Lei's words made the Qiang people feel a little relieved.

"Mr. Wang Qiang, this is the Kuangfeng tribe on the plateau. The entire tribe, including the infants, has a total of 203 people. They have been persuaded by someone to come and join the emperor and become his subjects."

"Shaman Liefeng of the Kuangfeng tribe greets Mr. Wang Qiang." The shaman and his tribesmen saluted to Wang Yu.

Wang Yu said: "It would be best if someone who knows Chinese is the best. Does your tribe have a tradition of farming?"

Liefeng said, "We have also planted some barley in the valley."

Wang Yu nodded and said, "It's good that you know how to farm. Those of you who are willing to farm can get 100 mu of land per household. Those who want to graze can get 10 mu of grassland per household. However, the grassland is far away from here. For the immigrants like you who have settled here, the emperor is benevolent and righteous. Each household can get dan of grain and a wooden house."

Lie Feng was shocked and said, "The emperor is truly kind and righteous."

He was so shocked that he could hardly think for himself. Were the Han people really that wealthy? Could the stories in the myths and legends be true?

"Everyone should come and register as a household based on their family," said Wang Yu.

Then a Han official who spoke Qiang language beside Wang Yu said it again.

These Qiang people began to line up according to their families.

Wang Yu divided the Qiang people into farmers and herdsmen according to their specialties, and the livestock in their tribes were also distributed equally according to the population size.

From now on they were no longer members of the Kuangfeng tribe, but ordinary people under the Han Dynasty.

Then the Han officials led them to the wooden houses assigned to them. These wooden houses were all built by the princes and common people of the Han Dynasty. Because they were built not long ago, most of them are relatively new and have complete functions. There are fireplaces and kangs to meet the needs of keeping warm in winter, and there are also cellars for storing food.

When these big men's new citizens came to their wooden house, they looked around and couldn't stop laughing.

Compared to their previous cold tents, this house was no match for even their tribal leader.

More importantly, the cellar was filled with food, so they no longer had to worry about starving to death.

Soon they abandoned their identity as members of the Kuangfeng tribe and became Han people.

In this way, under the busy work of the naturalized officials headed by Jing Lei, countless tribes on the plateau migrated to the Hexi area.

The empty city of Jincheng was filled with migrating tribes. Cattle and sheep were scattered throughout the grasslands west of the Yellow River. All the barren land was reclaimed, and the entire Jincheng became more prosperous and lively.

April 15th, the tenth year of the Han calendar.

Wang Yu, the husband of Xin'an, called all the people together and said, "Every family should prepare tomorrow. The girls who have reached the age of marriage but have not yet married should be dressed up and put on their best clothes. Tomorrow I will take them to Jincheng for a blind date."

"Blind date?" During the past month or so, the naturalized people have cultivated the land, learned Chinese, and have gained a general understanding of some Han customs, so they also understand the meaning of blind date.

"Who are you going on a blind date with?" Lie Feng asked. Wang Yu said, "Don't worry, the blind date partners are all top-notch guys. They are all soldiers of our Han Dynasty. Each of them has a bright future. If you are chosen, you will all enjoy the happiness."

Lie Feng was a little worried and asked, "Can I go with you?"

Wang Yu understood his concerns and said with a smile: "Parents can go with one person. Don't worry, our Han soldiers have strict military discipline and will never do dirty things. If such a scum really appears, I will be the first one to spare him."

"This is a formal matchmaking organized by the imperial court. If the couple is interested in each other, they will be married formally. Such marriages are protected by Han law."

Wang Yu explained it so carefully and clearly, and was willing to let them follow him, so Liefeng and the others felt relieved.

The 10th year of the Han calendar, April 16th. Jincheng, the Han army barracks.

Early in the morning, the county magistrate Tian Zang ordered the soldiers to clean all the barracks.

"Everyone, clean the room spotlessly, put on your spring and autumn uniforms, and be alert. Today is a big event that will determine your whole life."

"Cook Village, slaughter a cow and ten sheep. Today's food standard is the highest."

"promise!"

The soldiers were excited and busy, and from time to time they looked at the streets outside the camp to see when people would arrive.

"General, for such a big event as marriage, shouldn't we report it to our families first?" a soldier asked worriedly.

Most of the soldiers here have just reached adulthood, and now they are suddenly going on a blind date. Although they are a little happy inside, they are also nervous. They always feel that such a big thing should be discussed with their families before making a decision.

Tian Zang said: "Of course I have to report, but you are on a blind date, so report after you find someone you like. Besides, I am also your elder, and I can officiate your wedding."

"This kind of group wedding is a tradition of our Han Dynasty. When the emperor captured Chang'an City, he married tens of thousands of palace maids in Chang'an City to our comrades in arms in a collective blind date."

Tian Zang said excitedly: "The emperor spent a lot of money at that time. Not only did he give me a cow, he also gave me a brick house and all the furniture."

"Today, I will also use the emperor as an example. If you like me, I will also build you a brick house and a cow."

Of course these soldiers had heard of this story, especially the soldiers from Guanzhong. Many of them had seen it with their own eyes, which made them extremely envious.

To ordinary people like them, palace maids were no different from fairies in the sky. They normally wouldn't even see them, but tens of thousands of their ancestors married such wives.

This is like tens of thousands of fairies coming down to earth to marry the farming cowherd. This caused a huge sensation, and the myth came into reality. And it was not just one case, but tens of thousands of cases. They really wished they could have become Han army soldiers a few years earlier.

This is also one of the reasons why countless young and strong men want to join the Han army. For the young men of the Han Dynasty, there are thousands of bushels of grain and beautiful women in the army.

(Recently, some people on the Internet have been digging into the details of this story, saying that the cowherd's behavior was no different from human trafficking, but the core of this story is that the lower-class people at that time could not see the hope of breaking through the class barrier, and those noble ladies were like fairies in the sky, invisible and untouchable. So the vast majority of the lower-class people fantasized about the cowherd and let the cowherd marry the fairy in the sky with their hopes. Breaking down class barriers is the core of this story, and this is also the reason why this story has been passed down by word of mouth for thousands of years. This is the will of the lower class to resist the solidification of class.)
Now, when these soldiers think of the stories of Chang'an City in the past, they are actually full of anticipation for this blind date.

Tian Zang felt relieved when he saw the soldier's expression.

Logically speaking, these are active-duty soldiers and cannot marry in the military, but sometimes rules have to serve reality.

When these soldiers first came to Jincheng County, they thought they could join the army to fight and make achievements. However, after arriving in Jincheng, they spent more than two months reclaiming wasteland and repairing houses.

It was only at this time that they realized that they had joined the military farming army, and their main task was to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land.

It is impossible to say that these soldiers have no complaints at all, but fortunately, they have all the benefits that the Han army can enjoy, and applying to military academies and colleges is also a way to change their destiny.

However, not many people were willing to stay in Jincheng to continue development. Even if these soldiers could not be admitted to the military academy, they planned to return to their hometowns. This made Jincheng prefect Tian Zang very worried.

Although Jincheng is not short of population now, most of them are Qiang people. Even if it wants to assimilate them, Jincheng must have a certain number of Han people, otherwise it would be like inviting a wolf into the house.

He could only report his concerns to the court.

Finally, the emperor found a solution for him, which was to let the soldiers get married and start a family locally. Since their families would be rooted in Jincheng, they would naturally not think of leaving.

Tian Zang was overjoyed after receiving the emperor's reminder, so he prepared this blind date event. If the effect was good, he planned to hold it every year. In this way, within 5 years, Jincheng could become the same as Guanzhong.

"Here they come, here they come!" At this time several carriages appeared outside the barracks.

Tian Zang said: "Captain Zhao, take these guests to the guesthouse first."

"promise!"

Under Zhao Zhong's guidance, one carriage after another stopped at the reception room next to the barracks.

As time approached noon, more and more carriages appeared and the Han army camp became more and more lively.

In order to leave a good impression on these fathers-in-law, Tian Zang ordered the military commander Li Wei to lead these people to visit the soldiers' training and their barracks.

After Liefeng and his men entered the Han army barracks, they were a little bit unbelievable. This was the house where ordinary soldiers lived. The room was made of bricks and stones and was spotlessly clean. It was cleaner and better than any other house he had ever seen.

The Han army soldiers' wardrobes were filled with beautiful clothes that he could not even imagine.

Is this military service?

I’m afraid that even the leaders of the big tribes on the plateau don’t have so many clothes.

Compared with these Han soldiers, Liefeng felt like a beggar.

"Come on, fellow villagers, come and see the training of my Han army soldiers!" Li Wei welcomed them warmly.

Since it was a blind date, there was naturally no intense military psychology arranged, just the simplest operational queue training.

Even so, the simple queue training shocked Liefeng's men. The Han soldiers were in uniform and neat formation, and the movements of ten people were like those of one person. Liefeng and his men had all fought in wars, so they naturally understood what this meant.

This means that these Han soldiers are an extremely powerful elite force.

"No wonder the powerful Dayuezhi and Xiongnu were no match for the Han army. An army like this is more than enough to sweep the world." Liefeng sighed.

Of course, after looking at these soldiers carefully, they finally put aside their last worries, because these Han soldiers were indeed a good match.

It has been 10 years since the founding of the Han Dynasty. These young soldiers grew up during the heyday of the Han Dynasty. Hunger has become a distant memory to them.

The people of this era were tall, and with the abundant food in the Han Dynasty, these soldiers were all tall and strong. In addition, they generally received compulsory primary education, and each of them was in high spirits and had a refined temperament. They were the most qualified group of young people since the founding of the Han Dynasty. In addition, they wore handsome spring and autumn uniforms, and each of them looked like a first-class handsome guy.

Compared with the Han soldiers, the guys from his own tribe were short in stature, had a vulgar temperament, and looked dirty and messy. The contrast between the two was even more shocking.

Therefore, Liefeng and his group were satisfied with the Han soldiers.

When it was time for lunch, Tian Zang smiled warmly at Liefeng and the others and said, "Come on, let's go somewhere else to eat and leave this place for these young people to get along and communicate with each other."

"I brought the best sugarcane wine from Chang'an City. We won't go home until we are drunk today."

Lie Feng smiled and said, "Since the general has invited us, we will naturally obey your orders."

(End of this chapter)