The sun was setting in the west, and at the Qiang camp north of Xiangwu City, Tang Tie was about to leave the camp when he was stopped by his younger brother, Songqi.
Songqi was surprised and asked, "I've heard that our eldest brother is going to meet the Qiang people from Liangzhou? It's during wartime now, how can he go? If Zhao Official finds out, what will he say?"
Tang Tie glanced sideways at his younger brother, who was endlessly asking questions, and said with slight disdain, "Don't be so nosey. Songqi, it's the Han people of Yi state who are seeking my help now, not the other way around. As for Yuan Cong in the south of Xiangwu City, how would he know I'm heading north?"
"As for the official sent by Zhugeyang to our army, Zhao Fang." Tang Tie walked out of the tent, lightly patted his surprised younger brother Songqi, and said, "Go! Keep an eye on that Zhao Official. If he asks, say I went hunting!"
Buhan, also known as the later Gansu Lingshe, is located in a remote area.
Since the Han general Song Jian, who had occupied Fuhan for over thirty years, died, it has been under the command of the Qiang general Tang Tie. This has been going on for thirteen years now. Under such accumulated authority, even though Songqi is Tang Tie's own brother, he could not possibly refuse anything.
He had no choice but to accept and went to stand outside Zhao Official's tent personally to keep an eye on it.
The Qiang camp was scattered, and although there were some people outside the camp gate to greet them, Tang Tie and his two guards with extremely strong physiques entered straight to the central pavilion of the camp, which also attracted little attention.
Tang Tie, over fifty years old, was a chubby man with a beard covering his face. Under the guide of the messenger, he arrived at the grand tent where he met Qiu Ling, a Qiang leader over sixty years old, whose face was lean and his beard was completely white.
Qiu Ling smiled and stepped forward, pretending to hug Tang Tie in a gesture of respect. Tang Tie held his face straight, and after Qiu Ling patted his back several times, he softly returned the gesture twice.
"Old Qiu Ling, you sent people to invite me for a drink. What exactly do you want to talk about? You're being so mysterious." Tang Tie, relying on his stronger strength and more troops, did not speak courteously to Qiu Ling, the man with higher authority among the Qiang.
Qiu Ling forced a smile, chuckled twice, and combed his beard before saying, "It's been two years since we last met. I naturally want to see you and catch up on old times. However, there are also others who want to see you today."
"Who?" Tang Tie asked puzzledly.
"Let's go inside the tent first, and you'll find out then." Qiu Ling grabbed Tang Tie's lower back and half-dragged, half-pushed him into the tent.
The Qiang are not like those who stick to one place and don't move.
During the Later Han Dynasty, the Qiang's rebellion had been going on for a hundred years. Kingdom, Bian Zhang, Han Su, Dong Zhong, Ma Teng, Ma Chao... almost every Han hero in Liangzhou could recruit a large number of Qiang warriors to fight.
It's only natural that Qiang warrior leaders know each other.
Tang Tie entered the tent and found that there were already set tables with drinks inside. However, there were nearly twenty Qiang warrior leaders sitting in two rows in the tent.
Moreover, the leader at the front and the first person in the left row were obviously dressed in Han attire.
Tang Tie was puzzled and suspicious, turned around, and tightly grasped Qiu Ling's wrist, staring fiercely and saying, "When you invited me here, did you say there would be Han people present? Is this man a Wei general?"
Qiu Ling smiled and raised his right hand to point to the sky, saying, "Yes, he is indeed a general of the Wei. However, don't worry. I guarantee that there will be no harm to you in this banquet with our four hundred years of credibility as Qiang people!"
Tang Tie, having seen his share of death and life, noticed that the group of Qiang warrior leaders from Liangzhou in the tent, some standing up to greet him and others waving their hands to show respect, slowly lowered his guard.
Tang Tie gave a very faint snort and pointed directly at Lu Xun who was sitting in the center, "Who is that Han person sitting in the middle?"
Qiu Ling quickly intervened, "Don't say such things, this is... "
Before Qiu Ling finished speaking, Xiahou Hao, sitting to the right of Lu Xun, stood up abruptly and drank in a low but powerful voice, "Tang Tie, do you know who I am?"
Xiahou Bao was muscular and imposing, wearing a dark red brocade robe over a soft armor, with a jade hairpin on his head, jade pendants at his waist, and a green sash with a silver seal. His question momentarily startled Tang Tie.
Tang Tie walked forward slowly and stopped halfway, asking, "I have lived in Fuhan for many years and I don't know you, this Han official. Who are you?"
Zhiwu Dai, the one sitting next to Tang Tie, quickly stood up, "Tang Tie, this is Xiahou Qin of Liangzhou."
Owing to the hundreds of years of intermingling between the Qiang and Han people, even within the Qiang community, they address such distinguished leaders directly as 'Gong'. The position of a prefecture-level governor is of high rank and considerable power, and even though Tang Tie is in a remote area, how could he not be aware of it.
"I have met Xiahou Qin." Tang Tie squinted his eyes, and then quickly followed up with the question, "Since you bear the surname Xiahou, can you tell me who Xiahou Zhengxi is to you?"
Xiahou Bao spoke up confidently, "I am Xiahou Zhongquan, the governor of Liangzhou. Xiahou Zhengxi is indeed my father. Do you know him?"
"How could I not know him?"
Tang Tie, who had been arrogant and looked down on everyone inside the tent from the moment he entered, showed a surprised and delighted expression. He even directly bent down and gave a respectful bow before walking up to Xiahou Bao, bowing low and smiling apologetically. The other Qiang leaders inside the tent were all stunned by this.
"Xiahou Gong," Tang Tie laughed and the wrinkles on his face increased, "During the siege of Fuhan by Xiahou Zhengxi, it was I who responded from outside the city and caught Song Jian who was trying to escape."
"Because of this merit, Xiahou Zhengxi appointed me to lead the Qiang people in Fuhan. Over the past ten years, that's how I've gathered such a large following!"
Xiahou Bao squinted his eyes at Tang Tie, and Tang Tie was still talking non-stop, "If we calculate it this way, I can also be considered an old servant of Xiahou Gong's family!"
People in high positions, even Qiang warrior leaders, are not fools. Xiahou Bao, the governor of Liangzhou, had personally arrived in this area with 30,000 troops beside him. It would be foolish to engage in a direct confrontation with them!
The haughty expression he showed earlier was merely an act by Tang Tie.
As for Tang Tie claiming to be an old retainer of Xiahou Yuan, it was just made up. It's been more than a decade, and how many people can truly understand the chaos that occurred during the attack on Fuhan?
However, Xiahou Yuan himself, on that day, had summoned all the prominent individuals from the nearby Qiang tribes to the city and ordered the execution of Song Jian, who had occupied Fuhan for thirty years. Tang Tie remembered this very clearly!
Xiahou Bao's expression also softened, and he pretended to pull Tang Tie's sleeve, following the previous conversation by saying: "Since you are my father's retainer, today you have come personally, I must also give you a chance for fortune."
As he spoke, Xiahou Bao pointed to Lu Xun, who was seated in the middle of the hall, saying, "Tang Tie, this is Lu Qiu of Wei's Guoying Camp Commandant. You must greet him!"
Tang Tie did not hesitate and immediately bent down to kowtow. Lu Xun watched Tang Tie with a blank expression, his sharp eyes piercing through as if they could see right through him, leaving Tang Tie, who was secretly sizing up Lu Xun, even more puzzled.
Tang Tie had heard of Lu Xun's deeds long ago. With Xiahou Bao's son introducing him personally and sitting in the first seat, Tang Tie dare not be negligent.
"I have met with Lu Camp Commandant." Tang Tie cautiously asked, "I wonder if there is something that needs to be discussed today that has brought me here?"
"You may sit down," Lu Xun nodded, "I summoned you for a reason, and it is a good thing, not a bad one."
Tang Tie turned to leave the tent without sitting down, but Lu Xun quickly scanned the room, looking at all the Qiang leaders inside.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lu Xun said loudly, "I am the Camp Commandant of Guoying for Wei. I am capable of handling all matters concerning the Qiang in Liangzhou and Dunhuang. Is there anyone who does not want to listen to me today? They can stand up now."
Tang Tie was shocked. "I just sat down, how can I now be ordered by you? I am not of the same group as the Qiang who came with you from Liangzhou!"
However, this is the advantage of having many people against a few. Tang Tie was alone and after thinking for a moment, he ultimately decided not to speak up.
Tang Tie remained silent, but Lu Xun began to ask Tang Tie directly, "Tang Tie, you have been in Fuhan for a long time. This time, when Zhuge Liang sent someone to invite you to outside of Xiangwu City, what benefits did he promise you?"
"Is this something that can be said in front of everyone?"
Tang Tie's expression showed hesitation, but there were many Qiang warrior leaders in the tent who had known Tang Tie for twenty or thirty years. They all urged him on.
Who wouldn't be curious about this?
It is especially intriguing for the Qiang people under Lu Xun's jurisdiction, including those in the Huan River Valley, Xiping County, and Jin Cheng County. They are naturally interested in what land advantages Zhuge Liang has offered Tang Tie.
Tang Tie gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and then said, "Zhuge Liang sent someone to look for me. He said he would give me the cities of DiDao and ShouYang."
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Bao slightly shook his head in his seat. Some of the Qiang warrior leaders present laughed out loud upon hearing this, followed by a burst of laughter.
Tang Tie's face couldn't maintain the composure, and he didn't care about Xiahou Bao or Lu Xun anymore. He directly pulled his voice to ask, "Why are you laughing? Why are you laughing? The two cities of DiDao and ShouYang, why don't you want them? What conditions has Wei opened for you?"
The Qiang warrior leaders laughed even harder.
It was Zhiwu Dai, the one who had spoken just now, who stood up, mimicking the manner of the Han people by bowing to Lu Xun and saying, "Camp Commandant Lu, why don't I clarify the situation for Master Tang?"
Lu Xun nodded slightly.
Zhiwu Dai also bowed to Tang Tie and said, "Master Tang, Camp Commandant Lu has explained this clearly to us in Yuzhong. If we assist Wei in this campaign, Wei will give us all the cultivable land in the two regions of Yinping and Wudu, except for the city walls and fortresses."
"And Camp Commandant Lu also said, if we enter the two regions of Yinping and Wudu, we will be treated equally to the Han people within those regions, and members of all tribes can also become officials in the region."
"If you are willing to serve in the army, you can be selected and become a Wei E-Commander, with the same food rations as the county troops!"
Tang Tie's face turned red: "But you didn't give me half a city!"
Zhiwu Dai shook his head: "Although Camp Commandant Lu said that we can be treated equally to the Han people in those two regions, we should also be aware that the court wouldn't let us defend city walls."
"Being able to obtain cultivable land and grazing land, as well as being able to allow members of all tribes to become officials in the region, is already a rare occurrence in four hundred years!"
Tang Tie was not lacking in wisdom; he simply allowed his intelligence to be clouded by the lure of the two cities offered by Zhuge Liang.
With Zhiwu Dai's words, and the persuasion of so many acquaintances like Qiuleng, Shuminghe, Tuliyin, who have known Tang Tie for twenty or thirty years, it didn't take Tang Tie long to see the truth.
