Hearing Yang Fu's words, Cao Rui nodded slightly: "Even with these two incidents, I still want to retain the Marquis of Youqiu and the General of Wei. In essence, these two matters are one and the same, that is, the matter of the royal family."
"Yang Qing, I have always heard that you have distinguished achievements in the administration of Liangzhou. I appointed you mainly for the affairs of Liangzhou," Cao Rui said: "However, I do not know about your other abilities."
"What is the approach to treat the great Wei royal family, does Yang Qing have any suggestions?"
Cao Rui gazed at Yang Fu, a man in his fifties from Liangzhou, whose appearance was as imposing as that of a military officer.
Yang Fu was silent for a moment, bowing and saying: "Your Majesty, why do we need to use the royal family?"
Yang Fu's serious expression implied that he had no intention of saying anything superfluous. Cao Rui also responded seriously, "Of course, we need to use the royal family to protect me and protect the vast realm of Wei."
Yang Fu continued, "As Your Majesty is aware, during the rebellion of Ma Qiao in Liangzhou, seven of my clan brothers died, one after another. I would like to tell Your Majesty about the background of these seven individuals."
Cao Rui nodded slightly.
Yang Fu said: "Among the seven people, two are my close younger brother, four are my cousins, and only one is a distant relative of mine. This distant relative has had a close relationship with me since childhood. He is not those relatives who rarely come into contact."
"I come from the Yang family of Tian Shui, and there are over a hundred relatives in my generation. However, when I planned to defend the city and fight to the death with Ma Qiao's army, only a dozen or so people were with me. The others either refused or fled quickly, and I could not stop them."
Yang Fu paused for a moment and explained: "I am not referring to old matters, but I just want to inform Your Majesty that at critical moments, only close relatives can be relied upon, while distant relatives are no better than strangers."
Cao Rui sighed slightly: "Yang Qing, what you have just said, I fully understand. However, close relatives pose a threat to usurping power, while distant relatives are safer, which is a common sense."
Yang Fu solemnly said, "Your Majesty, even if we take a step back, if it truly comes to a time when the imperial power is in peril, what difference can there be between distant relatives and officials of a different surname?"
"When the world was in chaos during the reign of Huan and Ling, many local kings and lords were either confined to their fiefdoms, inactive, or simply enjoying their leisure time. Even the kings with the surname Liu did not take action. Could we expect any help from other royal families?"
Cao Rui nodded, displaying a hint of difficulty: "You are all right, but there are too many things in the world that are right, and it's not so easy to do them."
"Yang Qing, you may go. I have heard all that you just said."
"I will withdraw." After bowing, Yang Fu walked out of the study hall.
……
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Liangzhou, the scene was completely different.
On the western frontier of Wei, outside Lingqiang City, there was a band of Qiang cavalry consisting of about a thousand men resting in a valley.
The cavalrymen were gathered around, and the few distinguished persons in the center were whispering among themselves, discussing something.
"And Tang, are you really going to listen to what Coach Lu, who is stationed in Lingqiang City, says?" An older Qiang hero asked beside him.
He Tang, in his thirties with a strong build, replied, "Every time it's been the Han people who've won since the beginning of this year and five years ago. Our Burnang tribe no longer has the glory of old. The Dangzhai and Quedong tribes have repeatedly attacked our already scarce grasslands."
"If we don't think of some ways to counter this, it's uncertain whether the Burnang tribe will still exist next year!"
He Tang's younger brother, He Mo, pushed his way over and whispered, "Brother, if you go to serve Coach Lu, can he accept you?"
"How could he not be accepted? It was Coach Lu from Lingqiang City who sent people to various settlements to recruit 800 auxiliary troops, and I didn't force myself onto them." He Tang smiled craftily: "Besides, I also have a gift for Coach Lu."
"You still have a gift?" The older Qiang hero asked in confusion: "We have no grain left. Where did you get a gift from? Go and exchange it for grain instead!"
"Exchanging for grain is possible. Exchanging for merit is also possible," He Tang pounded his chest and said: "This gift, Coach Lu will definitely like!"
He Mo asked anxiously, "Brother, are you talking riddles here? It's really killing us."
"Hahaha, He Mo, you can't imagine," He Tang laughed heartily and said, "My men caught Qu Ying, the one who fought against the Han people, in the mountains yesterday!"
"Qu Ying?" The older Qiang hero was very surprised: "He has always been hiding in the Dangzhai tribe. How did you capture him?"
"Perhaps he ran out himself. Perhaps the Dangzhai tribe dared not keep him anymore. Anyway, he is now in my cavalry."
"That's good, that's good." The older Qiang hero no longer opposed, and instead said, "Take your four hundred men with you! Remember to bring back some more grain."
"Understood!" He Tang said directly.
After negotiating with several people, He Tang led the 400 cavalrymen he commanded out of the valley and slowly made his way towards Lingqiang City.
At this moment, within Lingqiang City, Xiahou Bao and Lu Pan had already left, leaving only Lu Sun's two hundred Wuwei soldiers, as well as Hao Zhao's two thousand outer soldiers to guard the city.
The 400 riders galloped across the open plain, producing a considerable sound. When soldiers on the watch tower in Lingqiang City saw the approaching cavalry, they hurriedly reported to the city marshal. The city marshal dare not be careless and urgently reported this matter to the Guarding Qiang Military Officer Lu Sun.
Lu Sun smiled and said, "Dudao, just now you and I were talking about the Qiang people. Now the Qiang people have come, there should be about three or four hundred cavalry."
Hao Zhao also laughed, "Indeed, Brother Lu, you are truly a divine predictor. If we can deploy the eight hundred volunteer troops effectively from the Qiang tribes around the two counties of Lingqiang and Xidu, then there should be no need to worry about this place anymore."
"It's not me who is so capable, but the court is like that," Lu Sun said lightly, without mentioning that this was the inspiration given to him by the emperor.
Isn't 'using Qiang to control Qiang' just the idea of using Qiang people to balance and recruit and use Qiang people?"
Since that's the case, for the one thousand troops that the Marquis Wei Zhen of Luoyang promised to himself, he will keep two hundred Han soldiers as his original unit, and the rest can be made up of Qiang volunteer troops.
The difference won't affect the overall situation.
The 400 Qiang cavalry arrived at the foot of Lingqiang City, surprising the soldiers on the city wall, with almost no sound. After a moment, a leader-like Qiang from the horse descended and knelt on one knee at a distance of about sixty steps from the city gate.
"Who is it below?" the watchman on the city wall shouted loudly.
"I am He Tang of the Shaoang tribe. I heard that Coach Lu was recruiting volunteer troops, so I came to apply for it!" He Tang also shouted loudly.
"Please wait outside the city. I will go to Coach Lu and consult." After speaking, Du Bo immediately sent someone to report this matter to Lu Sun, and He Tang also stood up from the ground.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the city gates slowly opened, and Lu Sun, accompanied by Hao Zhao and the two hundred Wuwei soldiers left by Xiahou Bao for Lu Sun, marched out in line from the west gate of Lingqiang City.
The two hundred soldiers were all wearing armor and carrying long spears. After forming a long line slowly coming out from the west gate, they stood in line behind the two generals, standing straight and silent.
Seeing that the two generals had no intention of letting them approach and the Wei troops were forming an array, the 400 Qiang cavalry led by He Tang showed signs of withdrawal, and their formation gradually became unstable.
He Tang turned around and shouted angrily to his men, "I came here to be a volunteer soldier, not to rebel! What are you afraid of!"
He Tang filled with courage walked forward, before reaching a distance of about three hundred feet from Lu Sun, a scholar-like person dressed in official clothes came to meet him, who was actually Zhou Tou, Lu Sun's senior counselor.
Zhou Tou asked in a calm manner, "Which tribe do you belong to? This time you brought horsemen here for what purpose?"
He Tang saw Zhou Tou dressed as a scholar and guessed that he was someone close to Lu Sun, so he copied the Han style of bowing and said, "I am He Tang from the Burnang tribe. I have come to bring my tribe's young men to volunteer as auxiliary soldiers."
After saying that, He Tang couldn't help but add, "Have I come too late?"
"It's not late," Zhou Tou said. "However, whether we accept you or not, that depends on Coach Lu."
Said and done, Zhou Tou extended his right hand and made a 'please' gesture: "Come over and join me to see Coach Lu."
"Thank you, your excellency," He Tang was indeed courteous.
Lu Sun sat on horseback, and when he saw He Tang approaching, he opened his mouth with a somewhat stern tone and said, "Is this the first time you've seen me? Remember, I am the newly appointed Guards Qiang Military Officer of the court. The man beside me is General Hao Zhao."
He Tang hurriedly kowtowed: "I am He Tang from the Burnang tribe, bowing to meet Coach Lu and General Hao. I have heard of Coach Lu's name for the first time, but I have heard of General Hao's reputation for a long time."
"Is that so?" Lu Sun smiled and looked at Hao Zhao beside him: "General Hao's fame echoes in the Western Regions, and his reputation does not exaggerate!"
Hao Zhao dare not be arrogant in front of Lu Sun, nor could he be too formal with the Qiang people. So he looked serious and asked He Tang, "How many horsemen have you brought for volunteer service this time? Do you know that as a volunteer soldier, you must follow the court's orders?"
"I know, I know it all, and I brought four hundred riders this time," He Tang forced a smile as he looked at the two: "I didn't come empty-handed. I also brought gifts for Coach Lu... and for General Hao as well."
"What kind of gift?" Lu Sun asked: "What kind of gifts do you want to give the court?"
He Tang stood up on his own accord, pointed to the Qiang cavalry behind him and said, "I've brought Qu Ying to Coach Lu!"
"Qu Ying???" Lu Sun and Hao Zhao exchanged a glance, realized what was going on in their hearts, and then instead of being in a hurry, they relaxed.
Lu Sun hummed softly: "The court has already recaptured the two counties of Lingqiang and Xidu, and Qu Ying, this traitor, is almost as good as dead. He's not much use anymore."
"The rebellion has been quelled; the two counties of Lingqiang and Xidu have returned. What use does Coach Lu have for Qu Ying now?"
He Tang originally thought that by making such a great achievement, he would be rewarded with many honors. But from Lu Sun's words, it seems that Qu Ying may not be of much use after all.
He Tang became anxious: "When I captured Qu Ying yesterday, he said anything to try and get some food from me!"
"Qu Ying said that he was also framed this time! He claimed that the Wei magistrate of Hanzhong in the south sent someone to incite him!" (Chapter ends)
