Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

A burly man, around thirty years old, wearing a red morning glow crown, a red headband, his ears tied in buns, a gray robe with a turned-down collar, a gray-yellow tiger skin draped over his shoulders, a leather belt around his waist, and a short sword hanging from his left hip, sat on the throne.

This man was none other than the nominal new leader of Tibet.

Dongzhan!

He looked down.

At this moment, a scruffy-bearded civil official in a green robe was seated on the left.

Dong Zhan asked, "What brings the envoy to Xining?"

Lately, Mu Zheng has been making moves and constantly testing him, clearly intending to challenge his prestige.

In terms of troop strength, he had 60,000 soldiers, while Mu Zheng had only about 50,000.

With his strength, he has no fear of Mu Zheng.

However, the actual situation is somewhat different.

The battle involving tens of thousands of soldiers could not be decided in a short time.

Muzhengbing was stationed in Qingtang, a typical area that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there were no strong enemies in the surrounding area.

And he was located in the eastern part of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

If a real battle breaks out, Mu Zheng's 50,000 soldiers can be mobilized in full force, while his 60,000 soldiers will have to leave at least 10,000 to 20,000 to guard against the Great Zhou.

If the Great Zhou doesn't take the opportunity to attack him, then he has nothing to fear from Mu Zheng.

If the Great Zhou takes advantage of his predicament and joins forces with Mu Zheng to attack from both sides, he will be at a complete disadvantage.

Therefore, the attitude of the Zhou side is very important.

Dong Zhan's eyes shone brightly as he looked at the envoy from the Great Zhou.

The official in green robes rose and bowed, saying, "I have come here on the orders of the Pacification Commissioner."

"The Pacification Commissioner?" Dong Zhan understood immediately.

Jiang Zichuan expanded the territory to seven states and became a disciple of Han Zhang, the head of all officials.

As an enemy, he knew a lot about Jiang Zichuan.

A high-ranking official in his twenties, holding the rank of third or fourth grade, he was undoubtedly a rising star in the political arena.

This is a person who is qualified to keep his word.

Whether or not the Great Zhou attacked him was decided by this person.

"I wonder what Jiang Xuanfu Envoy means?" Dong Zhan asked hurriedly.

Given his situation, it would be best if he could maintain peace with the Great Zhou.

Otherwise, a newly appointed leader wouldn't deliberately maintain such an indecisive attitude.

"The Pacification Commissioner hopes that the Zanpu (leader) will send someone qualified to make decisions for Tibet to Xihe Road for a meeting to discuss border affairs," the envoy replied honestly.

He made a special trip to Xining Prefecture just to convey this message.

"Anyone with decision-making power?"

Dong Zhan pondered for a moment.

The relationships between the various forces are now quite clear.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had only recently expanded its territory and gained control of it, so it needed time to digest the changes.

Therefore, the Great Zhou Dynasty was worried about the eastward expansion of the Tibetan tribes. To maintain the long-term struggle between the Dongzhan and Muzheng tribes and keep them in check, neither tribe had the energy to expand eastward.

In addition, the Great Zhou also had to guard against the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty.

The Dongzhan tribe, fearing the westward expansion of the Great Zhou, joined forces with the Muzheng tribe to attack from both sides.

Both the Great Zhou and the Dongzhan tribe requested that peace be maintained as much as possible.

"it is good."

Dong Zhan waved his hand: "Ren Duo Bao Zhong."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly Tibetan general stepped forward and knelt down on one knee.

Ren Duobaozhong was Dong Zhan's top general.

"Go with the envoy to find Jiang, the Pacification Commissioner," Dong Zhan instructed.

Since the demands of both parties overlap to some extent, they can begin to negotiate.

Otherwise, a prolonged period of constant tension and vigilance would not be good for either side.

Rendo Baozhong nodded respectfully.

As Dong Zhan's absolute confidant, he knew perfectly well what the leader's biases were.

"Someone, escort the messenger away so he can rest well. Do not neglect him."

Xizhou, the drill ground.

"Array up!"

"prick!"

Zhao Ceying, 23 years old, dressed in black hammer armor, let out a long roar and thrust his spear.

Encouraged, the soldiers in formation thrust their spears forward, sweat beading on their cheeks, their brows resolute, displaying the demeanor of elite warriors.

"prick!"

Five hundred soldiers thrust their spears again.

"what!"

The roar of five hundred men attracted the attention of many soldiers.

When Gu Tingye, the militia commander, looked up, he couldn't help but be surprised.

It's not unusual for someone to command 500 people in such a disciplined manner.

Any general could achieve this level.

However, Zhao Ceying was not a general.

These are members of the imperial family who have been summoned to the capital; they may be the future crown prince.

What's even more commendable is that Zhao Ceying, dressed in armor, actively took the lead and set an example, rather than simply issuing orders for the soldiers to practice while he rested.

Of the five members of the imperial clan, it is unclear what level they were at when they were demoted to county magistrates. The remaining three members who chose to take charge of military affairs were all in Xizhou.

With Gu Tingye's connections, a quick exchange of information and comparisons would naturally reveal who is better.

Putting everything else aside, his exemplary conduct alone sets a standard that the other two members of the royal family cannot match.

The remaining two members of the imperial clan were responsible for two different tasks: one was in charge of escorting grain supplies, and the other was in charge of maintaining the tea-horse trade.

In the end, you really expect those two to move things themselves?

It's already a miracle that they don't worship it!

On the drill ground, Zhao Ceying noticed Gu Tingye and was delighted. She turned around and waved her hand, saying, "Let's all rest for a while. I reckon it'll be time for dinner in about half an hour."

The implication was that they could rest until dinner was served.

The soldiers exchanged smiles, their smiles filled with goodwill.

Given Zhao Ceying's status, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he personally led the shooting practice, demonstrating "respect for the virtuous and talented."

Taking the initiative to lower one's status undoubtedly earns goodwill.

Gu Tingye was even more surprised when he saw it.

He was able to get along well with the soldiers.

interesting!

"General Gu." Zhao Ceying called out, then strode over.

Gu Tingye was taken aback, then walked towards him.

Of the five members of the imperial clan, two were demoted to county magistrates, and the other three were in charge of military affairs, belonging to the Transport Commissioner, the Grain Commissioner, and the Xizhou Militia, respectively.

Since Zhao Ceying was assigned to the military training, his first priority would definitely be to find the militia commander.

Therefore, the two had known each other for several days.

We interact almost every day.

Zhao Ceying was enthusiastic, so Gu Tingye naturally had to respond in kind.

"Young Master Zhao." As the two approached, Gu Tingye politely cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhao Ceying stepped forward and laughed heartily.

"General Gu, we have known each other for some time now."

"How about this, you call me Ceying, and I'll call you Zhonghuai," Zhao Ceying said affectionately.

Gu Tingye hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Five members of the imperial clan were sent to Xihe for testing, which may affect the selection of the crown prince.

However, the heads of the various departments only play a supporting role and are not involved in taking sides.

"Ce Ying," Gu Tingye addressed him.

Zhao Ceying was overjoyed and quickly called out, "Zhonghuai."

"I wonder if Zhonghuai has any free time? Let's go out for a meal together?" Zhao Ceying asked solicitously.

"In that case, it would be impolite to refuse."

"It's just a meal, nothing serious," Gu Tingye replied.

Restaurant.

After a hearty meal, Zhao Ceying tentatively said, "Zhonghuai, this military training is rather tedious."

"A true man who commands troops should strive to achieve great deeds!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye nodded in understanding.

Five members of the imperial family are engaged in a hidden competition; Zhao Ceying is deliberately trying to show off.

“There has been no war in Xizhou recently,” Gu Tingye explained. “Currently, apart from the need to eliminate some bandits who may be remnants of the Tibetan forces, there are no other matters to attend to.”

"Suppressing bandits is good, suppressing bandits is good!"

“Zhonghuai”.

Zhao Ceying bowed deeply, his face full of hope: "I just want to see for myself."

Gu Tingye sighed and nodded slowly.

Pacification Division.

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Zhao smiled gently and went to greet a young man.

"Brother Shimao, it's been six years!"

"Zichuan." Han Jiayan stepped forward excitedly.

Han Zhang's son, Han Jiayan, has officially arrived at Xihe Road and assumed the post of Director of the Ever-Normal Granary!

Chapter 110 Peace Negotiations! (3k)

The Pacification Division, the main hall.

The main hall, distinct from the pacification commissioner's hall and the pacification deputy commissioner's hall, was usually built on the central axis of the government office and served as the core place for handling government affairs and receiving guests.

Inside, the layout is solemn, with the "Map of the Seven Prefectures of Xihe" and calligraphy and paintings by famous people hanging on the walls. There are screens and tea tables, creating a simple yet grand atmosphere.

Dozens of elite soldiers, clad in armor and holding long spears, stood solemnly.

At the head of the table sat Jiang Zhao, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, holding a cup of tea, his expression calm and unreadable.

Below the chief minister, on the left, Zhang Heng, Han Jiayan, Wang Shao, Gu Tingye, Zhong E, and others sat solemnly, while on the right were Tibetan officials led by Renduo Baozhong, their faces serious.