Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Yanmen Pass.

When this small Turkic tribe, riding horses, driving carts, and herding cattle and sheep, cautiously and tremblingly arrived at Yanmen Pass...

But he was so shocked by the almost unfamiliar Yanmen Pass that he was speechless.

It wasn't just them; a group of herders, some acquaintances and some strangers, but all clearly Turkic, gathered here.

Amidst shouts and calls, there were Tang people who spoke Turkic or Turks who spoke Chinese, dressed in uniforms that were clearly those of Tang government officials, surrounded by excited Turkic herdsmen.

"Number 47! Is Number 47 here?!"

"If you're not there, you'll have to jump..."

"Yes, yes, sir, I'm here!"

A yamen runner held up a wooden sign and shouted, and then a burly Turkic old man hurriedly squeezed out from the crowd, followed by a family that was clearly his children and grandchildren.

"Take this sign and go to Registration Office A to register your family's names, ages, and occupations. Then, the staff there will issue you a property registration certificate, and a specialist will accompany you to register your cattle, sheep, and horses."

"Then we'll allocate land to you. You can use your cattle and sheep as collateral to apply for a loan from the Livestock Development Bureau inside Yanmen Pass to build pastures and breeding farms..."

"Did everyone in the back hear that? You'll all be in the same boat in a minute!"

The scene was a complete mess.

Peng Chi, the leader of the small Turkic tribe, and his people were all bewildered by what they saw.

He hurriedly and respectfully bowed to Cheng Chumo, who was in a good mood because he had just accomplished something.

"General Cheng, we don't know what to do next. We've heard that His Majesty the Great Tang Dynasty is willing to protect us from the ravages of war on the grasslands..."

Cheng Chumo chuckled.

"Your Majesty? His Majesty doesn't care about the lives of you guys. That bastard Jieli just invaded our Great Tang. His Majesty wishes he could wipe out all of you Turks."

Peng Chi and the others' expressions changed instantly.

Cheng Chumo shook his head and pointed to a row of flags with the words "Bingzhou New Administration Office" not far away.

"It is only because our Crown Prince is kind that he knows that Jieli is Jieli and you are you. You small tribes do not have an easy time in the Turkic lands either, which is why you have this way of life today."

As he spoke, Cheng Chumo made a clicking sound, as if to say, "You guys have hit the jackpot."

"Alright, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll personally show you guys around and broaden your horizons, so you understand exactly what the policies of my Great Tang Dynasty are, lest you all cause trouble for me like bandits once you enter the city..."

With Cheng Chumo leading the way, the processing of this small tribe, Peng Chi, was significantly faster.

In no time at all, the Turkic herders, who had already been assigned numbered by family unit, were led by Cheng Chumo.

Arriving at an open space in front of Yanmen Pass, here we saw...

Behind each Tang dynasty official dressed as a civil servant stood a map showing the grasslands north of Yanmen Pass.

The grasslands were clearly surveyed and allocated by specialists, and were evenly and systematically arranged into distinct areas.

"Go, they will allocate pastures to you, and you can build ranches or farms in the designated area in the future."

Cheng Chumo stood with his hands on his hips, while Peng Chi beside him had a slightly changed expression after seeing the location of those grasslands.

"General, these... these are all Turkic grasslands..."

"Ok?"

Cheng Chumo, who had been smiling, suddenly turned cold.

"What do you mean by 'Turkic grasslands'? Are you perhaps Turks yourselves?!"

Upon hearing this, the dozens of elite Tang soldiers from Yanmen Pass who were following Cheng Chumo instantly turned cold, and one hand was already gripping the hilt of the sword at their waist.

Peng Chi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly waved his hand.

He hurriedly blurted out his broken Chinese.

"No, no, General. Now that we have joined the Tang Dynasty, we are naturally subjects of the Tang Dynasty. Our monarch is the great Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. I mean... those Turkic cavalry will not let us go."

Cheng Chumo then gave a faint "oh".

"We must still be careful in the future. Our Great Tang is not the Turkic Khaganate. In our Great Tang, there is a saying: 'Disaster comes from the mouth.'"

"Of course...we also have a saying in our Great Tang Dynasty: 'Those who understand the times are heroes!'"

Cheng Chumo, unusually, used a few literary phrases and patted the other person's shoulder with a stern, authoritative smile.

"Don't worry about any Turkic cavalry. As citizens of the Great Tang, you can graze your livestock, raise cattle and sheep, and live peacefully on your own land. Whether it's the Jieli or the Tuli, if they dare to invade you, they are infringing on the property of the citizens of the Great Tang!"

"We, the garrison of Yanmen Pass, guarantee that they will not return alive!"

Speaking of it.

Cheng Chumo couldn't help but lick his lips, looking war-loving, which made Peng Chi and other Turkic tribal leaders turn pale.

Subsequently, the group quickly obtained a document and land deed bearing the seal of the New Policies Reform Office of Bingzhou Circuit of the Great Tang Dynasty through the processing of documents.

He officially became a Turkic herdsman of the Tang Dynasty.

Similarly, legally, the Tang Empire officially possessed the land depicted in their deeds, as its territory north of Yanmen Pass...

North of Yanmen Pass, there are vast grasslands.

Now, on the Turkic steppe, the Ashina family's four forces are already locked in fierce battles.

Today, Jieli defeated Tuli, and tomorrow the grasslands of Jieli's tribes will be completely looted by "Eternal Heavenly Wolf King" Ashina Dili and "Eternal Heavenly Horse King" Ashina Duer.

They were on all sides, united with each other, yet also attacked each other...

However, this caused great suffering to the smaller Turkic tribes, and even some medium-sized tribes, which suffered heavy losses of men in the war and were showing clear signs of being unable to hold on.

East of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Tuli Khan, whose face was scarred by an arrow, stared at the tribal cavalry commander in front of him with a gloomy gaze.

"Are you sure those Chinese people really want to trade with us? And that they've agreed to trade us ironware?"

The leader of the Shiwei tribe's Turkic cavalry, who had encountered Cheng Chumo, bowed his head respectfully.

"Yes, Great Khan, that man is the garrison commander of Yanmen Pass of the Great Tang Empire. He also said that the Crown Prince of the Great Tang has agreed to trade with us. However, if we want to discuss the details, you will need to go to Yanmen Pass in person..."

"Hmph! Great Khan, these Tang people are cunning. They must see that our strength has been weakened, so they want to take us down in one fell swoop. You must not go!"

A Uyghur tribal chief immediately objected.

However, another voice immediately came from the side.

"But we really need those weapons from the Tang people now, especially arrows. We were ambushed by that despicable Jieli, and the tribe storing our supplies was destroyed. Without weapon support, we will definitely be the first to be eliminated..."

Tuli's face was ashen. In one of his greasy hands, he held a roasted lamb leg in one hand and a gold dagger inlaid with gemstones in the other.

After pondering for a long time with a gloomy look in his eyes, he suddenly slammed the dagger in his hand into the table.

"boom!"

"I, the Great Khan, will meet these Tang people and see what tricks they have up their sleeves!"

Yanmen Pass.

With Tuli sending people to Yanmen Pass in advance to confirm the negotiation location and other procedures.

Three days later.

On a grassland less than ten miles from Yanmen Pass, guards from the Tang Dynasty and the Turks stood silently and vigilantly on either side of a camp.

Inside the main tent, Tuli's gloomy face turned pitch black from the shamelessness of these Tang people before him.

"Duke of Lu, this is our Turkic territory! What do those people outside mean? You people from the Tang Dynasty are invading our Turkic land!"

"This is aggression!"

Hou Junji was reprimanded, but his smile remained unchanged.

He slowly toyed with a royal jade cup bestowed upon him by His Highness the Crown Prince, and swallowed the tea slowly.

"Heh, your Turkic territory? Then send your troops to attack!"

Hou Junji's eyes were like those of a hawk, cold and vicious, and he made no attempt to hide his arrogance as he looked at Tuli, who was trembling with anger.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, yet he calmly poured a cup of tea into the porcelain cup in front of the other person.

"Great Khan Tuli, we are all sensible people, so let's not talk about such ridiculous bluster. Even if our Great Tang invades your Turkic territory, it should be the Turkic Khan's concern."

"As you are now... forgive my bluntness, but without the help of our Great Tang, you would be destroyed by Ashina Dili or your uncle, Jieli Khan, within half a month. Of course, it is also possible that they will join forces to eliminate you."

Tuli: "..."

After a long silence, Hou Junji appeared completely unconcerned, like a fisherman sitting on a calm plate.

Despite his burning anger, Tuli had to take a deep breath and calm himself down.

"What are your conditions for selling us ironware and refined salt?"

Hou Junji slowly handed a pre-prepared list to the other party.

Tuli picked it up and took a look.

Immediately, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He glanced at Hou Junji, who seemed completely unconcerned about his refusal. Even Tuli had to admit that these cunning Tang people had truly found his Achilles' heel.

"1. Publicly acknowledge and formally recognize the Tang Empire's actual ownership of the pastureland within a radius of 60 li north of Yanmen Pass by submitting written documents, and sign a non-aggression pact between the two parties. The Tuli Yazhang is obligated to ensure that no armed forces threatening the Yanmen Pass pastureland will appear within its territory."

"2. Tang Dynasty caravans are permitted to move freely within the territory controlled by the Turkic tribes. Turkic tribes and cavalry along the way shall not obstruct or inspect them. Furthermore, Tang Dynasty caravans shall have an obligation to assist and protect other Turkic tribes if they are attacked by them."

3. Transactions were conducted using cattle, sheep, horses, gold, silver, and copper coins, with payment and goods settled immediately.

"4. Open humanitarian aid channels, allowing ordinary Turkic civilians who have lost their tribes or pastures to enter the Yanmen Pass area. When civilians are attacked, or when the Tang Dynasty provides aid, the armed forces under the Turkic Khaganate have an obligation to assist in the rescue."

"5. Officially certified caravans of the Tang Dynasty are permitted to freely recruit Turkic herders for labor or services within the territory controlled by the Turkic Khaganate. The Turkic Khaganate has no right to interfere, and contracts may be freely signed by both parties."

6. The Tang Dynasty relinquished its recognition of the legitimate legal status of the former Turkic Khan, Jieli Khan, and Ashina Dubi.

Although some of the content and vocabulary were somewhat obscure even for Tuli, who had some understanding of Chinese culture, he could still understand the basic meaning.

Hou Junji took another sip of tea and smiled slightly.

"As long as the Great Khan signs this treaty, our Great Tang is willing to trade anything you want, even ironware, at a fair price!"

Tuli took a deep breath.

The temptation of gaining huge profits simply by betraying one's country caused several voices to begin arguing noisily in his mind.

"My Khan, how can I believe that your Great Tang is not planning to take advantage of the fact that my tribe and Jieli are locked in a fierce battle to attack from behind?"

Hou Junji spread his hands: "Because there is no need for that. Our Great Tang is currently implementing new policies, and we are putting a lot of energy into ensuring that the people are well-fed and clothed. Even our Crown Prince is working day and night in Taiyuan Prefecture."

"As long as you Turks are in chaos, my Great Tang will profit."

Such blunt and unflinching words made Tuli's expression very unpleasant.

But deep down, at that moment, I made a decision.

"I can sign, but how many weapons can you sell us?"

Hou Junji took out another list from the wooden box next to him and pushed it in front of the other party.

"Please take a look, Great Khan Tuli. Our Crown Prince said that he dislikes the Turks, but only dislikes that opportunistic villain Jieli. He has great respect for you Turkic men galloping on horseback."

"Therefore, our prices are absolutely fair..."

"As long as the Khan can afford it, cash on delivery, as much as you want, we'll have it..."

Tuli left with his men.

Hou Junji stood outside the tent, holding a teacup in his hands and making clicking sounds.

Looking at the vast grassland in the direction the other person had left, he was filled with mockery and disdain.

"Truly a bunch of barbarians from beyond the borders... Guards, bring me pen and ink!"

"Our lord intends to write a letter to the other chieftains of the grasslands..."

......

Time flies, and three days have passed.

Taiyuan Prefecture, Bingzhou, during the Tang Dynasty.

"Breaking news! Breaking new territory! Our Great Tang has gained sixty miles of grassland north of Yanmen Pass, and the Eastern Turkic Khan Tuli has signed a non-aggression treaty with our Great Tang!"

"The Department of New Policy Reform announced the official launch of the five-year infrastructure development plan for Bingzhou Road, which will completely renovate the waterways and land routes connecting Bingzhou Road to the surrounding roads!"

"The Department of New Policy Reform is holding a business bidding conference at the Wangjiashenglong Restaurant in Taiyuan. The regional auction will be held for the distribution rights of various commodities, including perfume, paper, sugar, refined salt, and soap!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has decreed that, effective immediately, the New Policy Reform Department will conduct promotion assessments for officials at the end of this year. Officials in all prefectures and counties within the jurisdiction of the province can learn about the promotion details through the 'New Examination Outline' published by the Great Tang National Bookstore!"

Early in the morning.

One by one, the boys and girls from the former Taiyuan Prefecture Orphanage, who had been given a brief lesson by the palace maids who had accompanied them from Chang'an, took to the streets under Li Chengqian's arrangement.

The children's clear voices were full of enthusiasm because they would receive a penny as commission for each newspaper sold.

People, filled with anticipation for the new day, either went to the streets to sell vegetables or went to work in the workshops that were now practically everywhere in Bingzhou.

When everyone's face is filled with anticipation for each day to come.

West of Taiyuan City, the execution platform.

Wang Qingyun's eyes were icy cold. The execution warrant in his hand fell to the ground amidst the mournful and angry howls of yet another official from Bingzhou who had fallen from grace.

"Snap! Slash!"

At Yangcheng Palace, Li Chengqian looked at the construction blueprints for the Imperial University that had been prepared in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

"What a wonderful day!"