The wind was bleak, Fang Chongyong stood at the head of the outer city of Mulu City, looking at the inner city of Mulu City in the distance, and felt a little spicy for a while.

Because the defenders of the outer city surrendered unexpectedly, the local nobles and large families also sent people to ask for surrender, but there was no movement in the inner city at all.

The defenders of the inner city are the "three noes" principle: do not escape, do not fight back, and do not surrender.

The fortress in the inner city of Mulu City is extremely tall, and it is more than ten zhang high.

However, the defense of the outer city is really not worth mentioning, even if the city wall is very thin, the height is only a head taller than that of a strong man, and many areas are not stone walls, but temporary replacement with wooden walls. Many walls are also "rat holes" at the base of the wall, making it easy for people to enter and exit.

The area enclosed by the outer wall is huge, much larger than Zhezhi City, and even if there are tens of thousands of defenders, I am afraid that it will not be able to defend this place impregnably.

Therefore, occupying the outer city walls, militarily speaking, does not make much sense.

Fang Chongyong looked at the outer city wall of Mulu City at his feet, and remembered Jiankang City (Nanjing City) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. As early as when Yang Guang destroyed Nan Chen, this city was razed to the ground by the order of Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian. Fang Chongyong felt that what he was doing today seemed to be the same as Yang Jian.

In the process of the development of Jiankang City, it was also based on several fortresses, and residential and commercial areas developed under the city, and then gradually formed a large city that was militarily undefensible and extremely prosperous economically.

Mulu City can be regarded as a "copycat version" of Jiankang City, and its surrounding environment is not as abundant and suitable for human habitation as the surrounding Jiankang area.

Therefore, the defenders of Mulu City must fight the outside line to defend the enemy outside the city.

If the war extends to the outer city, then even if it wins, Mulu City will be greatly damaged, and for the defenders, winning or losing will not matter much.

In the process of fighting with the Great Cannibal, Fang Chongyong found that although the other party had a lot of slots in terms of combat, and the alliance formed by the tribes was not very coordinated with each other, the Great Cannibal was still remarkable in terms of territory management and strategic vision.

Here in Central Asia, it is indeed too close to the basic plate of the big cannibal! Unless you count on the opponent's civil strife, unless Datang's national strength has always been at its peak, the various costs required to compete with the big cannibals here will be too large to bear.

"How's it going?"

Fang Chongyong saw Che Guangqian walking towards him, his face was a little unsightly, so he asked.

"Marshal, the Black Flag Army is willing to lay down their arms and armor and surrender, but they demand to leave Mulu City and are unwilling to be taken prisoner."

Che Guangqian said in a deep voice.

"Is there such a thing?"

Fang Chongyong was stunned for a moment, a little confused about what those big cannibals were thinking. The inhabitants of the outer city have already given up resistance, and without their support, how long can the inner city hold out? It's all about the conditions at this juncture, don't you know how sharp the Tang Army's soldiers are?

"Jie Shuai, the situation is a bit ...... How to put it, it's not the same as I imagined. This army was not a close confidant of Abu Muslim, but was sent to the rescue of the Abu Muslims after the Great Eclipse King Abbas learned of the defeat of Abu Muslims in the East.

And the local is not a group of people. ”

Che Guangqian, who is very familiar with the world, has already inquired about things clearly, and he feels that this is an opportunity.

"And what do you think?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

"Commander, the general thinks that those people are from places farther away in Baghdad and other places, and they have no intention of fighting to the death. It's not worth it for us to fight with them.

It's better to let them go, so that the locals of Mulu City think that they have been abandoned by the black-clothed food. Those who go back, in order to cover up their own incompetence, will inevitably describe us as if we were gods.

In this way, it can deter the inside of the Great Food Country. ”

Che Guangqian clasped her fists and saluted, saying what she thought.

"What about you? What do you think of General Cha's suggestion? ”

Fang Chongyong looked at Feng Changqing and asked.

"Marshal, what General Che said is very true. Isn't it often said that if you can control the invasion of the mausoleum, how can you kill more?

Our purpose in this war is not to kill.

If these 2,000 people are released, they can deter 100,000 soldiers and horses of the Great Food Country, and the general will think that this deal can be done. ”

Feng Changqing echoed Che Guangqian and said.

Hearing what the two said, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, noncommittal, and secretly wondered how to deal with it.

Their purpose in this battle is to abolish the bridgehead of the Great Food Country to attack the Western Regions, and it is also the birthplace of the black-clothed Great Food Elite "Black Flag Army" Mulu City. The important thing is to destroy the local supply capacity and population potential, not to kill a few more soldiers.

Bringing the defeated captives back to Baghdad would help spread the word and cause unrest within the Black Eaters.

If the Great Cannibal wants to make a comeback in the future, he must be very cautious. This is much stronger than destroying one or two thousand Great Food Defenders.

"Then go to the inner city again, and tell them that we accept their advice to lay down their arms and get out of here.

But everyone has to cut off the little finger of their left hand, not much, just cut off one section.

If you are unwilling to cut it, you can voluntarily become a slave. Regardless of the generals and soldiers, we treat everyone equally, it is this rule. ”

Fang Chongyong instructed Che Guangqian.

Cut a section of the little finger of the hand?

Che Guangqian and Feng Changqing were both shocked, and then secretly figured it out, only then did they realize the old spicy nature of Fang Chongyong's move.

Why do you say that, because the little finger is cut off a small section, specifically the one with the nails, which basically does not affect life, or even combat!

But this kind of thing is devastating and immeasurable for the self-confidence of a person and even an army.

If you don't do anything, just let those people go back. In terms of the inherent inferiority of human beings, those people were only afraid that they would promote themselves as victors, saying that their heroic performance had won the admiration and respect of the Tang Army, so they would let them go.

Maybe it will give the big cannibal the illusion that "the Tang Army is weak and wins by piling up people".

This is contrary to the meaning that Fang Chongyong wants to convey.

Cutting off a piece of the little thumb can not only knock out the arrogance of the defenders of the inner city of Mulu City, but also knock out the self-confidence of the big cannibals, but it will not cross their psychological bottom line.

"Get the order, and I'll run here at the end."

"Don't be in a hurry, draft a treaty first, and let the guards look at it later.

With this, we will be straight when we talk in the future, so as not to be unclear afterwards. ”

Fang Chongyong sneered.

In this era, there were no tape recorders and no cameras, and if there was no evidence, when some people in the DPRK and China wore small shoes in the future, small things would make a big fuss.

"Order! Please rest assured, the end will be done! ”

Che Guangqian said excitedly, these are all combat exploits, and you can get them without real swords and guns, it's not too cool.

After he left, Fang Chongyong said to Feng Changqing again:

"Go to the city and count it, and give a few places for the locals to choose from. Shiguo, Kangguo, Broken Leaves, or the places under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate, you can go anywhere. Those who have money and are willing to pay money will be included in the Datang household registration, and those who have no money will be directly enslaved. ”

"Jie Shuai, aren't we too merciful to do this?"

Feng Changqing asked with some puzzlement.

In the hearts of the traditional Tang people, these "outsiders" similar to Mulu City here are all Diyi beasts, which are similar to the status of livestock. For these people, they can use them if they can, and kill them if they can't use them, so why engage in those "refined operations"?

Feng Changqing is not that they don't talk about morality, but that morality is also divided into objects.

Fang Chongyong immediately understood this simple emotion, in the eyes of Feng Changqing and others, it was normal to have a strategy of "killing if you are above the wheel" like the Mongols.

To be a slave of the Tang Dynasty is also a supreme honor!

"Go ahead and do it, we just need to destroy Mulu City, there's no need to make a killing.

Of course, those who are stubborn, don't want to leave, and want to live and die with Mulu, then send them all the way! ”

"Order!"

Feng Changqing also took the order and left.

"The economic base determines the superstructure!"

When there was no one around, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh and said to himself. His idea was still too "civilized", forgetting that this was actually a barbaric era.

The feast of the hiccups is about to begin, but unfortunately, this is also the last carnival.

……

"Woo woo ......"

A sergeant of the big food soldier bit a piece of cloth in his mouth, and tried to scream but couldn't scream.

Beads of sweat the size of beans flowed down his head, his face was distorted by severe pain, and his eyes widened.

The little finger is cut off, and although it has little impact on the rest of life, the pain during the removal is unbearable for anyone.

Fang Chongyong didn't have much leisure to give them "anesthetic"!

"Next!"

He Changqi, who was watching the "execution" on the side, shouted, the big food sergeant who wanted to die in pain, as if he had survived the catastrophe, didn't dare to look at He Changqi, he hastily wrapped the injured little finger, and retreated to the side in embarrassment.

It's not cold in winter here, but the locals of Mulu City who are watching the "finger amputation" nearby all feel a chill to the bone.

Several days have passed, and the Tang Army's control of Mulu City has no suspense. Fang Chongyong sat in the inner city, collecting all kinds of books all over the city and preparing to transport them back to the Tang Dynasty, and sent Che Guangqian to inquire about craftsmen from all walks of life in the outer city, and then register them.

"Inviting people" to watch and cut his little finger is just a small means for him to deter the locals.

Sure enough, as Fang Chongyong expected, the defenders of the inner city of Mulu City did not hesitate at all, and accepted Tang Jun's proposal. No one "voluntarily" chooses to become a slave in order to keep his little thumb.

Probably they also knew what kind of treatment slaves were like in the Great Food Country. Becoming a slave is essentially the death of social identity compared to the loss of a pinky finger.

It's better to have your fingers cut off!

But what is puzzling is that not everyone among the locals is willing to go. A lot of people would rather be killed than leave here.

Most of these people were local large landowners and elites.

Just as He Changqi was watching the execution, a personal soldier came over to him and said:

"General He, Marshal has something to look for you."

"Got it, I'll go here!"

He Changqi, who was bored, was worried that he had nothing to do, so Fang Chongyong sent someone to find him.

After coming to the inner city of Mulu City, He Changqi was taken to the library. Fang Chongyong is visiting this library that occupies a large area and has a large number of houses.

I have to say that Mulu City, which originated hundreds of years BC, still has some heritage.

Books of all kinds of materials are everywhere, including medicine, astronomy, and religion, and there are not only many classics from West Asia, but also a hand-copied version of the Analects written in Chinese with annotations, and similar Confucian classics.

As a necessary place for the Silk Road after the Han Dynasty and a transportation hub, Mulu City has indeed achieved "embracing all rivers in the sea" and gathering humanities.

Of course, people like He Changqi don't know what the meaning is, he just feels troublesome.

"Marshal, what do you command?"

Seeing that Fang Chongyong was staring at the bookshelf, He Changqi whispered.

"There are some big families in the local area, who are stubborn, have you heard about this?"

Fang Chongyong asked with his back to He Changqi, not seeing the expression on his face.

"Hui Jieshuai, I have heard a little."

He Changqi didn't know how to answer, so he had to deal with it.

"So have you heard about the local mob of Mulu attacking big households, plundering their wealth, and enslaving their masters?"

Fang Chongyong continued to ask.

"Well, I don't know ...... general."

He Changqi touched his head and said casually, he is not the kind of Che Guangqian who is responsible for intelligence investigation and private work, how can he know if there is such a in Mulu?

Fang Chongyong saw that he was not enlightened, so he added: "Those big households, originally under the protection of the Great Food Black Flag Army, acted as a prestige and offended many people. Now that the big cannibals are gone, I heard that they have often been troubled by the former bitter lord recently, and this section is handsome. ”

Having said this, if He Changqi doesn't understand it anymore, then he is really a pure fool!

"Oh, oh, oh, the marshal said this, that's really miserable, really miserable."

He Changqi "suddenly realized" and said.

"Well, you know it. These women from big families must be well protected.

Some soldiers in the army can't afford to pay a bride price or marry a mother-in-law. You can ask those women for them if they are willing to go back to Datang with them.

If you wish, you can free these people from slavery.

You understand the meaning of this section, right? ”

Fang Chongyong said meaningfully.

"Understand, men's killing, women's arrest! The last general understands very well! ”

He Changqi blurted out his debut.

"! Is that what does this section mean? ”

Fang Chongyong scolded with a displeased face!

"Uh-huh, it's the last general who lost his words. It was the man who was killed by the local sufferer, and the woman volunteered to go with us.

We didn't force anything. ”

He Changqi is serious nonsense.

"Well, go ahead and do it. It's about the well-being of the brothers, and you need to use snacks. ”

Fang Chongyong nodded with satisfaction, waved his hand lightly with his back to him, and motioned for He Changqi to step back.

After He Changqi left, he couldn't help but sigh.

The strong can always give to the weak, this is the way of the world.

"If you pull out Mulu City, you can fight for twenty years of peace for Datang.

Brother Kei, I don't owe you anything. ”

He muttered something quietly.

(End of chapter)