The Muzhai City in front of him was a residential area of the Jiang tribe. They had a total of six residential areas like this. There was also a larger stone city, which was their core.
These smaller Muzhai Cities were distributed around the periphery, while the core stone city was located in the middle. These Muzhai Cities did not have high defensive capabilities, but in the Western Detention Area, where heavy weapons were lacking, these Muzhai Cities had enough defensive capabilities to deal with the neighboring tribes, bandits, and wild beasts. These Muzhai Cities were also relatively economical and sufficient.
Ang Lee stood on the high ground and used his binoculars to see the flag on the Muzhai City. However, the sentries of Muzhai City could only see the smoke on this side. They did not have advanced optical equipment, so they could not see the situation on Ang Lee's side. Therefore, the best way was to send someone to investigate.
The head of this Muzhai City was Jiang Laoqi, who was also known as Seventh Grandpa. The Jiang tribe was divided into seven branches. Each branch occupied a piece of land. The largest branch occupied the largest piece of land and built a stone city. The rest of the branches were scattered around, surrounding and protecting the middle branch. Among the children of the six surrounding branches, some chose to live in the stone city in the middle, especially the children and grandchildren of the head. There were literate teachers there who could teach them a lot of knowledge. Muzhai City did not have such conditions, but most people still chose to live in their own tribes.
In order to defend against wild beasts and bandits, these tribes had long lived in a stronghold. This way, they could resist these hidden threats. Even when they worked in the fields, they would go in groups and would not go out alone. When they worked, there would also be a small number of people patrolling nearby to discover hidden dangers in time.
The people in these strongholds were not to be trifled with. Almost all of them knew some basic martial arts. Archery was a skill that every man had to master. Even some women had learned how to use a crossbow in order to strengthen the strength of the stronghold.
This place was deep in the mountains and the land was relatively barren. In order to better survive, besides farming, people also needed to go into the mountains to hunt from time to time to obtain a more adequate source of food. A necessary skill for hunting was to use a crossbow. Therefore, using a crossbow was a must for everyone. No one was an exception.
"Seventh Grandpa, it seems that there are many people on the other side. Could it be a caravan?"
A man asked.
Jiang Laoqi replied, "I can't tell yet. Silang, bring some people to take a look. Let's figure out the situation first."
Although Ang Lee was just passing by, he still had to pass through their territory. They had no choice but to pay attention to him. Their crops were all outside. If a bad person came and burned their crops, then their losses would be too great. And if a hostile tribe attacked, then they had to be prepared.
"Yes, seventh grandpa."
The young man named Silang led a few men on horseback towards the smoke in the distance.
Although the people in these strongholds were not part of the army, their martial arts were not bad. They could be considered a paramilitary organization. As long as they were recruited into the army, they would be able to quickly form a powerful fighting force.
"Assistant Minister Li, a few people are coming on horseback. They should be here to check on our situation."
Chen Long put down the binoculars and said.
Ang Lee smiled and nodded. "These tribes have a strong sense of territory. Now that we are near their place of residence, it's natural for them to send people to check on us."
Soon, Silang and his men rode to the vicinity of Ang Lee's team. Silang reined in his horse and stopped.
The uniforms of the soldiers were all uniform. Although Silang lived in a secluded mountain, he knew a little about it. For this reason, he immediately sent someone back to report. He rode closer on his horse and seemed to want to ask about the situation.
"Are you the soldiers of the imperial court?"
Silang had seen the soldiers of the imperial court before and felt that they were very similar. However, the soldiers of the imperial court he had seen were all from Jiannan Circuit. The uniforms of the soldiers of the imperial court were different from those of the Dragon Martial Army in the capital. The difference was not small, but the overall difference was not big, so he could still tell.
Chen Long stepped forward and said, "Yes, we are from Chang 'an City. We are going to Dongnu Province. We are just passing by. You don't have to be nervous."
Silang saw that the soldiers of the Tang dynasty were cooking in an orderly manner. They knew that there was a stockade ahead, but they still cooked in the wild. This military discipline made him feel quite respectful, so he naturally trusted them a little.
"Thank you. Goodbye."
Silang rode back on his horse. He wanted to tell this important news to the young chieftain as soon as possible. The other party was the soldiers of the Tang dynasty from the capital. There were more of them than the people in their stockade. Half of them were wearing armor. They did not dare to underestimate this strength.
"Grandpa Seven, Grandpa Seven, it's amazing. It's amazing."
As soon as Silang returned, he shouted loudly. His voice was particularly loud, as if he was very anxious.
"What's wrong? Aren't the soldiers here? Are they coming for us? "
Jiang Laoqi, who had learned that it was the soldiers, asked anxiously.
Silang said, "They are the soldiers from the capital. It seems that they have a strong background. They said that they are going to Dongnu Province and will pass by here."
"Oh, they are just passing by! What's there to be nervous about? They are not coming to attack us. "
Jiang Laoqi breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes were blaming Silang for making a fuss.
Silang said, "Grandpa Seven, why is the capital so far away from here? Why do the soldiers from the capital have to pass by here from so far away? This is not right! It seems that something big is going to happen. "
"That's the imperial court's business. It's none of our business. Besides, what big thing can happen?"
Jiang Laoqi said disapprovingly.
Silang frowned and said, "Grandpa Seven, when I went to the main stockade last time, I heard about what happened in Dongnu Province. It has something to do with us. We can't stay out of it."
"Is there such a thing? Why didn't you tell me? "
Jiang Laoqi blamed him.
Silang said, "At that time, I didn't take it seriously, so I didn't tell you. Today, seeing so many soldiers coming, I think it's not so simple. Maybe what the foreigner said is true."
"What the hell is going on? Tell me clearly. "
Jiang Laoqi looked a little anxious.
Si Lang said, "That foreigner came from the East Woman Kingdom. He said that the East Woman Kingdom was going to be completely incorporated into the Tang Empire. In the future, it will be a county of the Tang Empire. The Tang Empire will directly send officials to govern it. All the people will have to pay rent and serve in the military. Nothing will be decided by them. And here we are sandwiched between the East Woman Kingdom and the Tang Empire's Shu Land. Maybe we will also be changed into a county. At that time, we will have to hand over more than half of the food we grow and the game we hunt to the imperial court.
Obviously, some people who didn't like Dongnu Province's submission to the Tang Dynasty were spreading rumors and fabricating lies as much as possible, trying to mobilize a large number of people who didn't know the truth to stand up and oppose it, so as to achieve their own ulterior motives. Once Dongnu Province became a standard prefecture of the Tang Dynasty, they would lose some freedom, but their lives would definitely be better, and there would be no regression in life. Those who spread such rumors were all independent vested interests. Once Dongnu Province completely submitted to the Tang Dynasty, their interests would not be well taken care of. Therefore, they would naturally oppose it and incite the people who didn't know the truth to oppose it.
"Dongnu Province is going to be completely incorporated into the Tang Dynasty? Is this for real? Why? Isn't it good to be free? As long as we accept the conferment of the Tang Dynasty, we will be fine. How nice it is to offer some local products as tribute every year! After all, it's uncomfortable to be controlled by outsiders. "
Jiang Laoqi said.
"I don't know the specific situation. I just stopped a little and came back in a hurry. Big Brother has been in the main village all the time. He should know everything."
Shiro said.
Jiang Laoqi thought for a moment and said, "No, I have to go to the main village and tell uncle about the situation here. This is not a small matter. It's not a small matter!"
"Grandpa Qi, what will happen to the village if you leave? These soldiers may come here at any time. If they ask us to open the door, should we let them in or not? "
Shiro asked.
"Didn't the soldiers say that they would pass by? Maybe they don't have such a requirement. Besides, our village is too small to accommodate so many people. It's okay if they want to come in, but they can't have more than 30 people. That's settled. I have to go to the main village immediately and see what's going on. "
Jiang Laoqi asked someone to prepare a horse. He had to go to the main village in person to report the situation here and inquire about Dongnu Province from the main village.
They did not reject the idea of submitting to the Tang Dynasty, but they still preferred this kind of autonomous state model. They did not want to be ruled by the officials sent by the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty because they had a lot of autonomy. They only needed to send some local products to the imperial court every year, and they could also get a lot of rewards from the imperial court. Once they completely submitted to the Tang Dynasty and became an ordinary state or county, they would lose their autonomy and many of their attached rights. The burden on their shoulders would also be heavier. Therefore, these guys naturally did not want to completely submit to the Tang Dynasty. They all wanted to take advantage of it and did not want to suffer losses. Moreover, they were used to this kind of free life. It was not a good feeling to be watched by the imperial court all the time.
Shiro's worry was unnecessary. Ang Lee did not plan to go to Jiang's Wooden Stockade City. As long as the team had a good rest, they would continue to move forward. Ang Lee had no interest in Muzha City.
The distance from Jiang Laoqi's Wooden Stockade City to the main village of the main family was not very far, only about 20 miles. Jiang Laoqi, who was not too old, could ride a horse. He rode a horse and soon arrived at the main village, which was the main village of the largest branch of the main family. There were more than 1,000 people in the main village. The walls were made of earth, stone, and wood. The outer layer was made of stone, which looked relatively solid. It could be regarded as a stone city, which was much stronger in terms of defense than the wooden walls.
"Grandpa Qi is here."
Because the main village was large and had a large population, the gate was very well-built. There were more than a dozen strong men guarding the gate. When they saw Jiang Laoqi, they immediately went to get the horse.
"I have something urgent to see the patriarch. Take me there quickly."
Jiang Laoqi said.
Several people behind him dismounted from their horses and walked, but Jiang Laoqi did not. He was led by a strong man. This was because he was older and it would be too slow and tiring for him to dismount. The reason why he could not gallop was that there were many old people and children. If he galloped on a horse, it was very likely that he would bump into people, which would be bad.
Although it was the main village, it was not very big. It was not far from the gate to the meeting hall. It was almost as big as the smallest county in the Tang dynasty. It could be regarded as a small county.
When Jiang Laoqi arrived at the meeting hall of the main village, he found that the patriarchs of the other branches were all there. Everyone seemed to know what was going to happen. Jiang Laoqi was the last to arrive, which made him feel very bad. He felt that he was not valued. No matter what happened, as a patriarch, he should be notified as soon as possible. How could he be kept in the dark? This was something he could not accept.
"Laoqi is also here. Now, everyone is here."
Sitting in the main seat was an old man in his eighties. He was the patriarch surnamed Jiang. Next to him were his sons, the patriarchs of the branches. Some of them were in their seventies, while others were in their fifties or sixties. The older ones were Jiang Laoqi's elders. The others of the same age were his peers.
Jiang Laoqi said angrily, "What happened? Why didn't anyone inform me? If I didn't come, would they not tell me?"
The patriarch said, "Laoqi, don't be angry. I didn't inform anyone. They all came by themselves. Laoqi has been here for three days. It's not a big deal. At least, I'm not sure yet. So, I didn't inform you."
"Oh, I see."
Jiang Laoqi felt a little better. As long as it was not against him, it was fine.
The patriarch surnamed Jiang looked at the crowd and asked, "Everyone, what do you think?"
Jiang Laoer said, "Brother Duan doesn't know us. He suddenly came to tell us these things. We can't believe it all. Who knows if he's lying to us. "
"That's right. How can Mr. Duan be so kind? He suddenly came to think of us. What's in it for him?"
Jiang Laosan said.
Jiang Laoqi could not sit still. He asked, "You've been talking for a long time. What on earth are you talking about?"
"Laoqi, since you don't know what's going on, why are you here?"
The patriarch said.
"I'm here to report the situation. A troop from the capital has arrived at the open space next to our stockade. They said they were going to Dongnu Province. There are nearly a thousand of them. There are also nearly three hundred vehicles and three or four hundred soldiers in armor. What a big troop! "
Jiang Laoqi said.
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