Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

Ta Shili·Jinshan greedily devoured the dazzling array of snacks, not even sipping a drop of tea, and yet he didn't choke—that's quite an achievement.

Jinshan has a limited variety of products, so it's normal that Ta Shili·Jinshan hasn't tried many different kinds of snacks.

After drinking a bowl of tea, Jinshan stopped eating, his smile no longer showing any shyness.

"Sir, I've heard that the Tang Dynasty intends to deal with the Tuyuhun, and the Karluks are willing to send ten thousand servants to serve in the army!"

Jinshan patted his chest and said.

"This matter is not something that the Court of State Ceremonial can decide. I can only guarantee that this matter will be reported to the emperor."

Dou Fengjie said calmly.

When reporting to the emperor, a comment must be attached: Beware of my servant being bribed by the enemy!

If you want Dou Fengjie to help, you'll have to pay him more!

"The Karluks could facilitate the submission of a tribe to the Tang Dynasty."

Jinshan spoke mysteriously.

Dou Fengjie scoffed, "The Qibi tribe, wandering around the Rehai area?"

Jinshan was dumbfounded, while Mu Zhancheng and Beimen Shuang exclaimed in unison in admiration.

The Karluks and the Qibi tribe both originated from the Tiele and had similar reputations.

The Qibi tribe is notorious for its lack of integrity, except for the Qibi Heli of this generation, who is somewhat more trustworthy.

The entire Qibi tribe was dragged forward by him alone, while his mother and younger brother, Qibi Shamen, were professional drags on.

Dou Fengjie chuckled and didn't continue the conversation.

Even without Jinshan's mediation, the exhausted Qibi Heli would have led his people to submit to the Tang Dynasty.

Jinshan gritted his teeth and revealed his last piece of information: "Yugushe, the son of the Turkic Khagan Jieli, has led 30,000 troops to garrison in Khagan Futu City, coveting Xiyi Prefecture from afar."

Yu Gu was established as the son of Jieli Khan, as recorded in the "Old Book of Tang - Uyghurs".

The city of Khan Futu is lush with water and grass, enough for him to rest and recuperate.

Besides Yugushe, another former Turkic tribe, Ashina She'er, resided in the Western Turkic Khaganate, intending to wait for the Siyabgu Khan and Mohedu Khan to settle their differences before launching his own uprising.

The Karluk tribe promised that when the Tang Dynasty attacked Yugushe and the Western Turks, they would mobilize all their able-bodied men to serve as servants of the Tang Dynasty.

This promise is far more realistic than a joint attack on Tuyuhun.

As for not attacking the Xueyantuo, it's not because the Xueyantuo and the Karluks both came from the Tiele, but because they couldn't defeat them.

That's just how reality is.

Dou Fengjie finally managed a genuine smile.

Of all the things Jinshan has said, only this last sentence is true; the rest are empty words.

"If the Karluks can persuade the Chuyue tribe, which is active in the eastern Tianshan Desert, and the Chumi tribe, which is active in the Jinsha Mountains, to submit to the Tang Dynasty, I will try to plead with the Emperor and see if the title of Khan can be added after the word 'Yabgu'."

Dou Fengjie drew a big, round pie in the sky.

The Chumibu did not leave a deep impression on later generations, but the Chuyuebu was different.

The Chuyue tribe, also known as Zhuxie, lives in the desert and their main mounts are camels, hence they are also called Shatuo.

Li Keyong, who defeated Huang Chao, was from the Shatuo tribe.

Jinshan fell into deep thought.

These two tribes were not large in size, but they were quite fierce and were well-known in the Western Turkic Khaganate.

It's not impossible to get them to submit to the Tang Dynasty, provided that the Western Turks' influence in the Tianshan area is eliminated.

"With that ability, you might as well stir up trouble within the Western Turkic Khaganate."

Jinshan rejected Dou Fengjie's suggestion.

Dou Fengjie wasn't angry; instead, his eyes lit up: "Tell me more."

-----------------

Another urgent message arrived: the pedestrian Zhao Dekai's condition had stabilized and his life was no longer in danger.

The officials of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, including Dou Fengjie, all breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Dekai was gentle with his subordinates and rarely spoke harshly. Everyone hoped that he could return safely.

"How did Kang Chuzhi protect him?" Dou Fengjie muttered to himself.

Logically speaking, a general with troops at his disposal should not be unable to handle even this basic security work.

Zhao Dekai is neither Melo Zong Laoken nor worthy of such serious treatment from Busabo Khan, so he certainly wouldn't send an eagle shooter.

Dou Fengjie felt that there was something strange about this matter.

After Zhao Dekai returned injured and spent several months recovering, he would definitely need to move up a bit.

Dou Fengjie must continue serving as the acting clerk.

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial Affairs did not find it inappropriate for a lowly eighth-rank official to make comments about a fourth-rank lower-ranking general.

After all, Dou Fengjie was a Duke. What was wrong with him speaking up for his own official?

"The Lieutenant General is from Xunfu's residence." Mu Zhancheng's casual remark revealed the truth.

Within the Left and Right Guards, there were distinctions between the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Household Department, and the Imperial Household Department, which were filled by officials and their sons of different ranks.

Apart from the Yi Mansion having ample fighting power, the Qin Mansion and Xun Mansion are mostly just for show.

Tsk, this tastes even worse. Why send an unreliable lieutenant general for this kind of occasion?

Why didn't Su Dingfang use it?

It is worth mentioning that Liu Shan, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, fulfilled his promise. Li Xuanjiang, the Chancellor of the Ministry of Agriculture, went on a mission to Goguryeo to bring back the hostage guard, Qian Gaesomun, from Pyongyang.

The Honglu Temple official was known for his volatile temper.

The surname Xiangli is relatively uncommon. The only notable people with this surname in the present dynasty are Xiangli Xuanjiang and the deceased Lady Xiangli of Yingguo.

Xiangli was the first wife of Wu Zetian's father, Wu Shihuo, and the mother of Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang.

Fei Tingdanji acted swiftly, already leading the ugly Mei Lang from Dajishi Mountain into the Honglu Temple.

The slightly dark-skinned, ragged Mei Lang didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Shangguan, I heard from Fei Tingdanji that one can exchange livestock for enough wheat by surrendering to Tang?"

Dou Fengjie smiled: "That's right, even if the actual value of yak and oxen is slightly lower."

Unfortunately, these two types of cattle are not suited to most parts of the Tang Dynasty, and they can only be used as beef cattle after being traded.

Fei Tingdanji revealed Po Choumeilang's true colors: "He is a minor chieftain of the Dangxiang people in the snowy mountains. The area is harsh and cold, and there is an earthquake every few years, so life is difficult."

"We use wheat to brew wine, he uses wheat to save his life."

Broken-faced Mei Lang's eyes were red.

The severe cold, snow, and earthquakes that have struck Dajishi Mountain in recent years have prompted the Dangxiang people to consider migrating eastward, but the Tuyuhun and the Dangxiang Tuoba clan are determined not to yield an inch.

In recent years, in particular, the Tuyuhun, which has been aggressive and militaristic, has been even more oppressive to its vassal Qiang tribes. Last year, the number of people who died in the disaster in the Snow Mountain Dangxiang reached 100!

"Besides cattle and sheep, we can also provide fern rhizome, cordyceps, fritillaria..."

Po Chou Mei Lang clumsily explained the significance of the existence of the Dangxiang people in the snowy mountains.

They no longer wanted to suffer endless exploitation from the Tuyuhun.

If the medium-sized Snow Mountain Dangxiang tribes are like this, then it goes without saying that smaller tribes like the Bailan Qiang are even more vulnerable.

"not enough."

Dou Fengjie replied directly.

Po Chou Meilang was sweating profusely, unable to think of anything the Snow Mountain Dangxiang could do for the Tang Dynasty.

"Fool! Even if you can't stop the Tuoba clan or something like that for the Tang Dynasty, leading the way shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Fei Tingdanji shook his head helplessly.

If it weren't for the fact that it was for the quota of wheat exchanged for my own Fei Ting family, I would have stopped paying attention to this fool a long time ago.

What herbs, yak, and the like? Do you think other Qiang tribes didn't have them?

The ugly young man's eyes widened like copper bells, and his joyful voice almost lifted the roof of the black tile roof: "I know how to do this!"