Don't think this is a joke. You should know that if the chieftain's army goes down the mountain without permission, it is a great disrespect to the chieftain. Just like the Han emperor, anyone other than the chieftain himself who mobilizes the army without authorization will be executed immediately.
The centurion had already made a mistake. As long as Zhang Jiuli helped him to make up for it after returning, the matter would be over. Otherwise, countless people would have lost their heads.
"These things will be distributed to the brothers below later. Consider them as your gains. I won't say much after we get up there."
After finding a deserted place, Zhang Jiuli threw a bag of money over. Even if these people robbed everywhere around tonight, they probably wouldn't get such a harvest. After all, the people around were so poor that they couldn't even have food to eat. If they robbed them, they would only get some rags and junk.
"Thank you for the reward, sir. Thank you for the reward, sir."
The centurion knelt down happily. Since Zhang Jiuli said so, he would not pursue his guilt, and he also gave him so much money. In fact, the people in the mountains did not live very richly, but compared with the people living at the foot of the mountain, at least they would not starve to death. However, the food they ate every day was enough for them to eat once and not for the second time.
"There's been a lot of tension on your mountain lately, and that's why I'm going up there to explain. Don't do anything wrong. The prince from the capital is indeed very powerful, but we don't want to make things too awkward. We'll be heading to Nanzhao soon."
Zhang Jiuli knew that the centurion on the mountain must know some information, much more than the people he arranged. After all, this guy was directly in the army.
"Master Zhang is right. The troops on the mountain are indeed very nervous. Even our Tusi Master has no idea what is happening down there. We also sent a messenger, but it seems he was captured by your Highness's men."
The centurion had no doubts after hearing this. If Zhang Jiuli only wanted to know the information on the mountain and did not say the previous words, this would be a bit suspicious.
"I've seen the letter. I was thinking of writing a reply, but I decided to go there in person. This matter is indeed very serious. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not an ordinary person. We can only accompany him in whatever he wants to do. I'm going there to make it clear to your chieftain not to act rashly. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not an ordinary person."
Zhang Jiuli said as he stirred the fire, just like he had some resentment towards Li Xiang, this behavior was also very normal. In the past, when the imperial court came, Zhang Jiuli would discuss it with the chieftain's people, and then they would put on a show together to fool the court people and leave, so that they could continue their business trip.
The people on the mountain once laughed at Zhang Jiuli. This guy was obviously a Han Chinese, but he often betrayed the Han army, allowing the chieftains to find their weaknesses, and then he would kill the Han army with one blow, causing the Han generals to lose confidence and ultimately achieve their common goal.
Although Zhang Jiuli was also their collaborator, the chieftains in the mountains never regarded him as an equal. Everyone thought this guy was a clown. Although you are a high-ranking Han official, once you betray your own people, no one will regard you as a real person.
"Master Zhang's arrival couldn't be more timely. Several chieftains have already held a meeting. If there are no other contacts, a chieftain coalition may be formed. Several major chieftains will send out their most elite troops. If that prince acts against you, the chieftains will march down the mountain. We are all family."
Zhang Jiuli didn't believe a word the centurion said. Although he and the chieftain on the mountain were now in-laws, if they didn't have common interests, the two sides probably wouldn't even want to say a word to each other. The relationship was so cold. You said they would raise an army to avenge me, isn't that nonsense?
Of course, there is another possibility, that is, the chieftains did announce it to the outside world and let their subordinates believe it, and the Bai Fuchang in front of him was deceived.
"Thank you so much, Chieftains. However, this time the situation is different. The troops Your Highness brought from the capital are all elite. I'm sure you've heard of them before. Your Highness led these troops to conquer all corners of the land, expanding the territory of the Tang Dynasty. If a real fight breaks out, your troops will suffer heavy losses."
When Zhang Jiuli said this, he wanted to find out the specific situation of the army on the mountain. In the past, he only knew a general situation, and it was difficult to say how much combat power they had.
This centurion had also heard of Li Xiang's name. Originally, they admired the Tibetan cavalry the most. They had fought against the Tibetan cavalry before, but in the end they were no match for them.
So they believed that the Tibetan cavalry was very powerful, but what was the result now? It is said that the Tibetans were also turned upside down by Li Xiang, a young master. No matter what methods he used, he made the Tibetans no longer a threat to the Tang Dynasty.
Furthermore, the Tuyuhun and Xueyantuo, both skilled warriors, were now completely obedient to the Tang Dynasty, and their local governing bodies had been removed, reportedly replaced only by Tang officials.
The most terrible one was Goguryeo, which was a big enemy during the Sui Dynasty. Even when Li Shimin just ascended the throne, he was unable to solve the problem.
But what was happening now? With the massive annual shipment of grain and other cash crops to the Tang, the entire country was like a vassal state, and the local people were practically under control. This was all intelligence gathered by the chieftains, so when they heard Li Xiang's men had arrived in Sichuan, they took necessary precautions but didn't take any direct action, not wanting to provoke Li Xiang.
"Master Zhang is right. Our chieftain has already said that it's best not to become an enemy of your Highness this time. If we do, our chances of victory are slim. However, we have already gathered over 60,000 men. We are not afraid if something goes wrong."
The centurion was no match for Zhang Jiuli at all. He said everything he should and shouldn't say in just a few words, while Zhang Jiuli only gave a general idea.
