Zhou Zhi understands that the best way to hide his purpose is never to conceal it, but to make the other party make a wrong judgment.

"Lord Tuoba, the request of the people is also very simple, just hope to integrate into the Tuoba Department from now on, and ask the Lord to give the name Tuoba Thorn Blade, and swear to the grassland that from now on I will always regard the Thorn Blade Department as my own person, and never turn my back, and I implore Lord Tuoba to provide shelter for the future conquest of the Thorn Blade Department!"

This request seems excessive, but in fact it is not, because the conditions for paying tribute to the seventh-layer population are very special, so special that the Tuoba adults sitting there cannot refuse.

Because, what Zhou Zhi is about to do is what the Tuoba clan wants to do, but they dare not do because of their identity!

Of course, the Tuoba tribe wants to strengthen themselves, as long as there is an opportunity, they will not give up the annexation, and always want to enrich the households in their own territory, but because of the rules on the grassland, they dare not go too far, and it is not easy to do anything to the tribes that are subordinate and subservient, otherwise they will face the catastrophe of mass resistance.

It can be said that Tuoba is in a period of change from the primitive tribal system to feudal centralization, and it is the efforts of these generations of Tuoba people in history that gradually laid the foundation of the country, and finally successfully established the Northern Wei Dynasty during the Tuoba period.

Zhou Zhi understood this, so the conditions he said were difficult for Tuoba to refuse, and the Tuoba people wanted to do what they wanted to do but couldn't, and now suddenly someone was willing to do it for them, which was an irresistible doubt, and it was what they urgently needed.

Tuoba Jiefen didn't think much about it, so he looked at Zhou Zhidao squarely: "I agree to your conditions, but I hope you understand what to do and weigh the pros and cons." Speculate on the gains and losses. Otherwise, I will see you as violating Tuoba's intentions. Do you understand? ”

"Of course, if the people take action, they will naturally send someone to inform them first!"

"Okay, as long as you are sincere to the Tuoba family, then not only can you get what you want, but I will also let you get more!"

"Thank you, my lord, then the people will go back to the tribe to make arrangements, and let the warriors come every few days. As for how to distribute it, I bothered Lord Tuoba to arrange it himself! ”

"Go ahead! I hope you can fulfill your responsibilities in the future, and Tuoba will give you all the convenience! Tuoba Jiefen said with a wave of his scepter.

Zhou Zhi slowly retreated, and all the adults of the Tuoba family also stared at him quietly, staring at this mysterious dependent.

When it was completely gone, Tuoba Liwei turned around and said to Tuoba Jiefen: "Father, this person is scheming and comprehensive, and he is definitely very comparable. Be careful! ”

"I understand, but whoever it is. As long as his conditions are not a threat to Tuoba and can do things for Tuoba, then let him be! If he wants to make waves on this grassland, he will regret it, but if he can faithfully fulfill his promise, then we will give him what he wants, and now it is better to see how he does it! ”

Tuoba Jiefen said indifferently, his face calm......

Zhou Zhi completed the expected goal, and then hurriedly left the development department, he didn't want to stay longer for a moment, although it seemed easy just now, but it was not a fight for life, if there was a slight mistake, the head would fall to the ground, and that feeling was not so comfortable.

Jia Kui had been waiting for a long time a few miles outside the Tuoba headquarters, and when he saw Zhou Zhi riding his horse from a distance, he immediately greeted him.

"My lord, why is it so fast? Failed? ”

"!" Zhou Zhi's clothes were soaked with sweat at the moment, and his mood seemed a little unstable.

"If it fails, I can come back!"

Jia Kui breathed a long sigh of relief and sighed sincerely: "I didn't expect that the adults would let Tuoba recognize us so quickly, it's really amazing!" ”

"It's fast, if I stay any longer, I won't be able to stand it anymore, that Tuoba Jiefen's momentum and calculation are really not ordinary!"

Zhou Zhi complained and took the cowhide water bag handed by Jia Kui, and then poured a few sips of "grunt", and then continued: "But the most difficult level has passed, and in the future, we only need to act according to the plan, and he will definitely trust us soon!" ”

Jia Kui thought about it, and then asked, "My lord, I can understand that you want to win the trust of Tuoba as soon as possible and gain a high degree of freedom to act, but why are you going to befriend some other big tribes?" What does that have to do with our actions? ”

"Do you think the grassland is so easy to gain a foothold, we will annex the tribes everywhere and hand over what we have to Tuoba, what do you think Tuoba will say? He must say to the tribes that we are in charge of it, and that they take it as punishment for us, in order to control us, otherwise how can they explain it to the tribes? ”

"If so, won't we be hated by other tribes and besieged en masse?" Jia Kui exclaimed.

"No, Tuoba will say that on the surface, but the benefits in it are something he can't refuse, the better I do, the more satisfied they are, the more reluctant they will be, and they will use other reasons to keep our tribe, because this stabbing blade is in their hearts, at that time it was already the sharpest sword of their Tuoba family, but Tuoba Jiefen also knows that there is always a limit to everything, and if you do it too much, it will cause public anger, and Tuoba will not be able to protect us, so he just made it clear that I want to weigh the pros and cons."

"What's the trade-off?" Jia Kui was a little dazed.

"Stupid, isn't it the best way to pull more people onto this chariot and muddy the waters?"

"You mean?"

"Not bad! We continue to annex small tribes, but we can't eat alone, Tuoba takes the big head, but some other close big tribes also have to let them get a piece of the pie, so that they can shut up, and even get their support, and isolation will not end well! ”

Jia Kui suddenly realized and exclaimed: "My lord is really wise! ”

"Wise fart, I was scared half to death just now, I won't do this kind of thing in the future, I can't stand the toss!"

Zhou Zhi shook his head with palpitations, and then waved his hand and said: "Okay, it's useless to talk about this now, the most important thing next is to do a good job of this-stirring stick, and to muddy this pool of water." We started three days later, we will carry out a comprehensive sweep of those small tribes around the tribe, and in the future, you will be responsible for contacting all parties, and give the seven layers to Tuoba, and the remaining three layers will be divided equally between us and several large tribes around, of course, you have to add some water to it appropriately, not too much, so that our gains outweigh our losses. ”

"Add water?" Jia Kui was puzzled: "Wouldn't this cause Tuoba to be dissatisfied?" ”

Zhou Zhi smiled, and said while riding forward: "No, as long as the water is not large, always ensure that it takes the main part, we will always be under it, he will turn a blind eye, Tuoba Jiefen's old fox is definitely a human essence, if we don't add some water, he will doubt us, like the kind of person I showed, how can I do things that harm myself and others, proper water, can make him more sure of what I am, and believe in me more!" ”

"As for the other big tribes that belong to Tuoba, they won't say anything, they don't do anything but take the profits for nothing, so let's have fun! Clever people know that I'm trying to stand on my feet, and stupid people are afraid that they still laugh at me for being stupid! As long as there is a guarantee of benefit delivery, then they will support me openly and secretly! ”

"I see, but if this continues, when will we complete the task?" Jia Kui said worriedly.

Zhou Zhi paused for a moment and looked westward.

"Xiliang is in a special situation, it will take time to stabilize the people alone, and the state of Chu will definitely not be able to defeat it in a short period of time, so you don't have to worry, when we get the complete trust of Tuoba, we will be able to bring a huge number of heavenly soldiers to the state capital of Liangzhou!"

"I can't wait!" Jia Kui's eyes shone with a desire for victory.

Zhou Zhi showed a bright smile on his face, and under the sun, it was as if he was brought out by Wang Xu from a small mountain village, and the years have not been able to polish away that charm.

"Lord Thornblade, but if we do this, will it make it a big trouble for Tuoba to find a way to unify Xianbei in the future?"

"I don't know that!"

"Huh?"

"As long as the Han can be reunified, you capable ministers and famous generals are still there, and the British lord is still there, what is Xianbei afraid of? I can't wait for that day, you guys will have a headache in the future! ”

After Zhou Zhi finished speaking with a smile, he was already slamming the horse's belly and galloping away!

"What do you mean, sir? What can't wait for that day? ”

The two of them rushed forward and one after the other, galloping on the vast grassland, accompanied by a breeze, and a warrior who followed not far behind them, walking towards the sky!

………………

When Zhou Zhi fought for his life on the grassland, the war between Chu and Liangzhou became more and more intense.

Earlier, Ma Yi sent people to intercept the fake secret letter from Xiangtian, which became a breakthrough for the soldiers and horses on the southern line of Chu State, on that letter, Wang Xu asked Zhang Liao to try to lead his troops to change to Lintao in Longxi, only to set up suspicious troops in Xixian in the east, and then find an opportunity to send a small number of soldiers and horses to attack the road between Lintao and the western front, cut off the connection between the Liangzhou army of the two places, and wait for an opportunity to break the enemy.

This in itself was a good strategy, and Ma Yi had no problem obtaining the letter, so he did not doubt it.

In that half a month, Pang De personally led the army from Xixian to Lintao secretly, set up an ambush, and at the same time sent elite soldiers to lay a net south of Shidao.

It's just that they never dreamed that this war was a hoax from the very beginning, and their deployment was completely empty.

The main force of Chu State did not leave at all, all of them were in the south of Xixian County, and the one who secretly went to Lintao was a suspicious soldier, and there were not many people at all.

Through observation, it was inferred that after the deployment of Liangzhou was completed, Zhang Liao then concentrated his superior forces and personally led his troops to attack Xixian.

Xixian County was unable to break it earlier, firstly, because Pang De and other generals had a degree of command, and secondly, because its troops were too strong.

Now Pang De has gone to Lintao, and a lot of elite soldiers and strong generals have been transferred, and they are divided in Lintao and Shidao, which has greatly weakened Xixian. With an army of nearly 100,000, Zhang Liao besieged Xixian and attacked day and night. The reinforcements sent by Ma Yi from Ji County were also blocked by Wang Ling and Zhang Wei halfway, and the two set up camp on the main road, and with the help of the dangerous terrain, they blocked the reinforcements from Ji County.

On the other side, Ma Wan, Yang Qiushu, Luan, Yan Jun, Ju Yan, and Jiang Shi, the four deputy generals, totaling nearly 10,000 people, also had to be rescued from the clan...... (To be continued......)