Xiaobei was still painting a picture of the tribesmen. He only talked about the benefits in the future, but did not mention the obligations that the tribesmen had to bear.
The children in the tribe liked to listen the most. They were attracted by the various activities that Xiaobei introduced for children. The adults were also listening. Although they were not as engrossed as the children, they also had their own fantasies about life in the outside world.
Without much knowledge, they could not say anything to refute, and did not know how to ask about the specific things. It was only because Xiaobei's picture was too big, and it sounded very reasonable. It was possible to achieve it.
Compared to the people in the tribe, Cuan Mo 'a, as the chief, was much stronger and more realistic. He hoped that what Fan Fan said was true, that the Zhang Family and Wang Family of Sanshui County had the ability to do what his child said now.
What supported him to try his best to believe Fan Fan's words was that … the caravan Between the Clouds and the Water that came here three years ago did indeed change the price of goods exchanged between the two sides. From this, he could see the strength of the caravan.
At this moment, there were also some thoughts that he was worried about. First, how fast could the Zhang Family and Wang Family make their child say or brag about it? He did not expect to really do it completely. He would be satisfied if only part of it could be realized.
Second, how would they protect their good lives? Dianchi Lake was surrounded by people with the surname Cuan. Not far away, there were people with the surname Meng. Even further west, there were the Six Zhao eyeing them covetously.
Once the people with the surname Cuan had a good life, would others just stand by and watch? Would they not plunder by force?
With these worries, Cuan Mo 'a discussed with Fan Fan. Now, he could only believe in Fan Fan, who usually performed well in trading. In three years, Fan Fan had not deceived his tribe.
"Can you talk to them and let them take out something that we can see first? For example … "
"Salt?" Fan Fan did not wait for Cuan Mo 'a to finish and asked first.
He could understand the uncertainty in the other party's heart. If it were him, and he didn't know the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, he would also think that Xiaobei was talking nonsense. He would say that there was a beautiful corridor built on Dianchi Lake, and there were countless boats fishing on it. There were also boats carrying people who could spend a lot of Tang Empire's money on sightseeing.
In addition, they had built a dam and dug a man-made river. In the future, the region would not suffer from floods every year. The children of the tribe would be able to learn the various books of the Great Tang and even learn how to write.
They didn't need to spend money to see a doctor when they were sick, and the medicine they took was very effective. Even if they couldn't be cured, at least it was better than using random herbs or curses in the tribe.
Who would dare to think about it if they had never seen it before?
However, Fan Fan knew that it was all true, and it was not difficult to make it happen. At least, it was not difficult for Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. If he could take Cuan Mo 'a to Tang Empire, he believed that all the doubts would disappear.
Not to mention Sanshui County and the capital that he had never been to, as long as he went to Lu Zhou, he would know how powerful Little Bao and Little Cuckoo were. The prosperity of that place was unimaginable, and it was impossible to guess that it was a desolate place many years ago, a place of exile.
The ships on the sea in Lu Zhou, the crowds at the docks, the square that stretched as far as the eye could see, the wide road, and the kapok blooming like a sea of fire in spring. It really made people feel like they were in a dream.
As he thought about it, Fan Fan became homesick. Although the place he came from was not as good as Lu Zhou, it was still very good. It was more than a hundred times better than the local area. If it were not for the money, who would want to go to such a poor place?
Cuan Mo 'a was waiting for Fan Fan's answer to give him confidence. When he saw Fan Fan's mind wander after he said the word' salt ', he had no choice but to nudge Fan Fan and say, "It's salt. How many days will it take for them to let us see the salt? I think they should send someone who can talk to us instead of sending a child. Although you said the child is very powerful, I don't think so. "
"Oh, impressive. Right, right, I don't think it will take more than a few days. At least before they leave, I will let you see some hope. Don't worry, listen to me. If you want to see Xiaobao and Cuckoo, you have to wait for them to find time, otherwise they won't have time to see you."
Fan Fan helped Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan say something.
"What are they busy with?" Cuan Mo 'a felt that Fan Fan was deliberately saying this to deceive him. If the person in charge did not come, it meant that they looked down on his small tribe. The other party had more than 10,000 people.
Fan Fan glanced at Cuan Mo 'a and said, "War. Now, Tang is at war with the Duo people. You should know this. They are the ones who command the army and dispatch the logistics. Also, Xiao Bao is in charge of the economic development of Tang. All the merchants of Tang have to listen to him. They only dare to raise the price of anything when he says so."
Cuan Mo 'a did not believe Fan Fan. He suspected that Fan Fan and the group of children were colluding to deceive his tribe. A faint look of displeasure appeared on his face.
After pondering for a while, he said to Fan Fan, "I want to have a hunting competition with their people. I want to give them what I get and let them taste the delicacies of our tribe. Can you help me persuade them?"
When Fan Fan heard this, he understood. Cuan Mo 'a still felt that he was not telling the truth. The other party wanted to show off their strength so that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo would care about their tribe.
It was ridiculous that they dared to have a martial arts competition with their team. Crazy, this was truly crazy. A team of more than ten thousand people could easily destroy any tribe. Even if the Six Zhao were to join forces, as long as Xiaobao and Juanjuan were willing, they could end the battle in a month at most. No matter how deep into the mountains they hid in, it would be useless.
"You are so stubborn. Fine, you are too embarrassed to say it. I will tell you. It's just hunting together. It's simple. Xiaobei and the others are probably bored. There is no one waiting for them to clean up here."
Fan Fan shook his head and agreed. He did not go directly to Xiaobei. Instead, he randomly picked one of the nine people who accompanied Xiaobei and whispered to him.
The person listened while looking at Cuan Mo 'a. When Fan Fan finished, he nodded to show that he understood. He squeezed to the front and whispered to Xiaohai, who was standing behind Xiaobei.
Xiaohai looked up at the position of the sun and felt that today was not the day. If they wanted to hunt together, they would have to start tomorrow. They would gather early in the morning and enter the mountains. They would eat something at noon and arrive at the agreed place before dinner. Then, they would compete to see who could hunt more prey.
So, after giving a few instructions to the person who came, he went to Xiaobei, who was still happily inciting others, and discussed with him.
When Xiaobei heard that his brother wanted to compete with the locals, his eyes widened. He was very excited and nodded repeatedly. He began to speak loudly to the people around him.
"Just now, the leader of your tribe, Cuan Mo 'a, has already discussed with us. Tomorrow morning, we will gather here and go into the mountains to hunt animals together. At night, we will hold a barbecue party, the kind that you have always liked to do.
Everyone will gather around the campfire and eat, drink, sing, and dance. Now, why don't we go to the pond to catch a few fish and finish our meal first. What do you think? "
"Okay!" The children in the tribe were led by Xiaobei to form a tacit understanding in terms of cooperation. The adults were stunned. They could not understand why the leader wanted to hunt with others. What about the salt? When were they going to dig for the salt?
With these questions in mind, the group walked toward Dianchi Lake together. It was not far away. The locals also fished. They used hemp ropes to weave nets or forked fish on the shore or small boats. It was also a kind of daily food.
*****
The news quickly spread to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's tent.
When the two of them heard the report from their subordinates, they looked at each other and said at the same time, "It's alright."
"It's alright. It's much easier than I thought. When interacting with them, the scariest thing isn't a competition. It's that they don't give you a chance to communicate. For example, when we were in Lu Zhou, the local mountain people were always vigilant of you. When you went to interact with them, the first thing they would think of was how to guard against you.
At that time, it was a good time to spread the water. Let's call it a good time. Many of the villagers were threatened. With our help, we had the opportunity to communicate with them. After that, we even had to let Father adopt a local child. It wasn't easy. "
Zhang Xiaobao was in a good mood as he reminisced about the past.
Wang Juan said empathetically, "It's really difficult. There's good news as soon as we come into contact with this place. This shows that business can provide a lot of help to political exchanges. The price adjustment three years ago has yielded results, and the locals have more trust in Tang. We have to make good use of it.
The hunting tools they use are knives, guns, bows, and simple traps. Before we compete with them tomorrow, we'll let them see how we use guns. Then, we'll tell them that we don't use guns. We'll use cold weapons like them. "
"Yes, we'll convince them when they feel that they're the strongest. That way, we can communicate with them in other aspects. We'll also have to mine some salt first to give them hope. Free salt can also allow them to save the things they need to exchange for salt. They can exchange it for other necessities. "
Zhang Xiaobao began to think about what kind of development model he should develop before he left. Right now, he was helping the people with the surname Cuan, who were the White Barbarians. There was also the Black Barbarians with the surname Meng to deal with.
The Black Barbarians were more difficult to interact with than the White Barbarians. The language was a big obstacle, and there was also the philosophy of survival. You might think that everyone should develop together, but the Black Barbarians felt that it was more convenient to plunder. It took a lot of extra effort to gradually change people's hearts.
Wang Juan also thought about the issue of ethnic integration. Peaceful integration, not military force. If it was military force, it was simple. The people she brought were enough to push all the people with the surname Meng. When the time came, the people with the surname Meng would become obedient. But that would require bloodshed. Why bother?
Why did they always leave a line for the Six Zhao? It was all because they were the ancestors of the Yi. Most importantly, the Six Zhao posed little threat, unlike the Turks and Tibetans. Without a unified Six Zhao, they would not be able to form a powerful fighting force, and they would not have any military advantage over the Great Tang.
"How can we rope in the people surnamed Meng without resorting to force? Give them direct benefits? "Wang Juan asked.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and then shook his head. "We have to give them benefits, but we can't give them for free. Otherwise, they will think that we owe them. The best way is to let them see that there is hope for a better life by interacting with us. Let me think about it and see what we should do. "
Wang Juan also thought about it. They needed a very good way to quickly solve the current problem. When the time came, they would have to leave and there was no more time to waste.
While the two of them were thinking, an intelligence officer came in from outside the tent. With a happy expression, he said to the two of them, "There is news from Annan. Zhen La has sent a message in advance to tell the government there that their king has written a letter of apology and sent people to our Tang Empire to ask for forgiveness in the capital city. They hope that we won't go there.
They also said that this time, they have brought a lot of valuable things as compensation. After the money is exchanged, it will be used to make up for the damage their people have done to our Tang.
They also said that if there is a need, their king can come in person, but the Tang side has to give a guarantee that they will not kill them when they come. "
"As expected, a weak country has no diplomacy," Zhang Xiaobao said to Wang Juan after the person left.
"It has always been like this. Force is not the goal, but it is a good way to carry out politics. If it was the Tang of the past, they would not have done this. It is more likely that they would have stationed troops at the border to threaten us."
Wang Juan sighed in relief. If they could avoid attacking Zhen La, they would not attack him. Otherwise, it would waste too much time.
"If it was in the past, maybe those officials would have taken the initiative to find women for them to play with to show the magnanimity of our country. A bunch of people who deserve to be killed. Now, I want to see who dares? It is fine to be nice to others, but they have to be obedient first. It is better than coming one by one to say a few nice words and then some soldiers think that they can be the boss. "
Zhang Xiaobao scolded for a while, but he was also in a good mood. He did not need to worry about Zhen La now. He could use the break to observe whether Zhen La was secretly mobilizing troops to build up the local area. Then, he would pass through the Six Zhao and participate in the battle there.
"Tell Xiaobei and the others to come back quickly. There is a new mission," Zhang Xiaobao shouted outside.
Wang Juan smiled and asked, "Do you have to find something for them to do?"
"I have to. Do you think they can stay idle? Moreover, by doing more things, they can develop experience. I don't want to raise a bunch of obedient children. If I don't train them now, they will still grow up with losses when they grow up. That is not my way of teaching. "
When Zhang Xiaobao talked about his younger brothers and sisters, he showed a doting expression.
Wang Juan's smile did not change. "The people who came back just now said about their situation there. It seems that they are already doing well. They actually started to instigate people. They even tricked one of the chief's sons in front of the chief. It is really a good method to start with the children."
"Let's go and take a look at Dianchi Lake. This Dianchi Lake that still retains its original flavor." Zhang Xiaobao took the binoculars and pulled Wang Juan out of the tent.
*****
"If you don't have the ability, don't swim to the deeper parts. Look, drink water, right? Don't be afraid, relax, we will bring you to the shore. In the future, when you practice swimming, it is best to do it in places where you can't reach. Let your body train, have endurance, and be closer to the water before you go to the deeper parts."
In the water of Dianchi Lake, Xiao Bei and Xiao Yuan were swimming towards the shore together with a child. Cuan Mo Ah's son had received a pair of swimming trunks. When he saw Xiao Bei and the other nine people catching fish with their bare hands, he was very envious. Therefore, he felt that he could also swim normally, so he followed them into the deeper parts to catch fish.
In the end, he, who usually only swam and played, could not bear the physical exhaustion of catching fish. Naturally, he had no strength and struggled in the water. He was supported by Xiao Bei and Xiao Yuan.
As they swam back, Xiao Bei talked about him. Xiao Bei and Xiao Yuan looked very relaxed. They could even laugh a few times. They did not have the difficult situation when they were swimming after saving someone in the water.
Cuan Mo Ah, who was on the shore, was also very worried. His son had swam too far away. At that time, there were only children around. He was worried that the children would not be able to save his son, and it would be too late by the time the adults came to rescue him.
He did not expect Xiao Bei to be so fast. She was dozens of steps away, but she was like a fish. She reached the shore in a few strokes. Even when his son grabbed her arm, she did not sink. She still waited for another child, Xiao Yuan, to come over and support his son together.
Cuan Mo Ah was very helpless. He knew why his son had gone down to learn how to catch fish with his bare hands. It was because the five little girls were wearing beautiful swimsuits and skirts. His son wanted to show off, but in the end, he made a fool of himself.
The more Cuan Mo Ah thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. He raised his leg to go over, but was stopped by Fan Fan. He advised, "Children love beauty. Everyone has that. Xiao Bei and the others are so cute. Don't adults always show off in front of beautiful women?
If you beat the children now, you will be giving Xiao Bei and the others a hard time. When Xiao Bao and Cuckoo find out, you will suffer. They dote on their younger siblings to the heavens. "
Cuan Mo Ah retracted his leg. He felt that it was not good to lecture the people of the tribe in front of the guests. After thinking about it, he turned his eyes and asked Fan Fan, "I think Xiao Bei is not bad. Not only is she good-looking, but she is also capable. Can my son …"
"Don't even think about it. Xiao Yuan is Xiao Bei's man in the future. A hundred of your sons can't compare to Xiao Yuan. It seems that you still don't know their identity. Let me tell you this. Even if they don't object, the Tang people will not agree. How can we let Xiao Bei marry into your family? "
Fan Fan looked at Cuan Mo Ah as if he was looking at a fool.
"Aren't we brothers?" Cuan Mo Ah began to pull strings again.
"Don't. Brothers are brothers. If the girls in his family want to get married, His Majesty has to make an appointment first. You, a small tribe, want to get involved? Say something practical, don't joke. "
Fan Fan did not buy Cuan Mo Ah's words and did not give him any face.
Cuan Moa finally gave up, and he decided that he needed to find out just what sort of status the Zhang and Wang Clans had in the Great Tang for Fan Fan to be so protective of them. From Fan Fan's words, it was hard to imagine that all the people of the Great Tang were willing to protect the Zhang and Wang Clans.
"Okay, if you still feel uncomfortable breathing, squat while breathing. This way, you can cough out the water you choked in. Don't be afraid of the water in your ears. Just shake your head. Remember, don't take risks in the future."
At this time, Xiao Bei and Xiao Yuan had pushed Cuan Mo Ah's son into the shallow water and told him the method. Then they turned around and swam inside. Obviously, they were not tired from saving people just now.
Before Xiao Bei and the others could catch a few fish, someone shouted from the shore, "Little ancestors, come back. The young master said that he has arranged a new task for you."
"Hey!" Xiao Bei cheered. She pressed on Xiao Yuan's shoulder and jumped up in the water. Her calves were almost exposed. She jumped very high.
Xiao Yuan, who was pressed down by her, popped his head out after two seconds. He was very angry.
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