1890 King of Southeast Asia

"Report to the commander-in-chief, the envoys of the Pudawa tribe who defected have come to see the emperor and are waiting outside the camp."

On the empty western Sichuan plateau, the endless tents look very abrupt.

What's more abrupt is that although the iron-blooded flag is flying on the tent, the soldiers in the camp are dressed similarly to the former Qing Empire militia, except for the weapons.

This is Zhao Erfeng's plateau border guards, who are resting at the border of the western Sichuan plateau. Before officially entering the plateau, they need to make full preparations, so they stay here.

They must prepare to cross the snow-capped mountains, which are higher than their destination.

"Call me commander, the times have changed... What are they doing here? Want to surrender again?" Zhao Erfeng said with sarcasm.

The Pudawa tribe will be Zhao Erfeng's first stop after crossing the snow-capped mountains, and the envoys sent here are nothing more than a few types.

Either they come to make harsh remarks, or they come to surrender.

Of course, they will use a better name-surrender.

"The Pudawa tribe claimed that they were coerced by the Sunlight City and had to..." The messenger did not finish his words when he saw Zhao Erfeng waving his hand and immediately stopped talking.

"I don't know what they are thinking. Can't they try something new?" Zhao Erfeng snorted coldly.

Isn't this treating him, Zhao Erfeng, as a fool?

But, whether in the past or now, in order to better complete the task, he has to pretend not to know and treat himself as a fool...

"Let him in." Even so, Zhao Erfeng was not without a way to vent his anger.

"Doji Citan of the Pudawa tribe, meet Mr. Zhao." A plateau man wearing traditional clothes came in and bowed his head in the etiquette of the Central Plains.

Zhao Erfeng observed him. The decorations on Doji Citan's body showed his identity, belonging to the upper middle class of the tribe.

"Get up, I have also dealt with Pudawa several times. I believe this is not the first time you have heard of me. I heard that you are here to surrender?" Zhao Erfeng said casually.

While speaking, he also drank a sip of tea.

Seeing that Zhao Erfeng had no intention of letting him sit down, Duoji Citan's heart sank, and he immediately half-knelt and bowed.

"Lord Zhao, my tribe was coerced by Sunlight City. They sent people to control the women, children and the elderly in the tribe, and forced us to participate in the rebellion. We don't want to do that!" Duoji Citan shouted in grief and anger.

Listening to this grief and anger, as if he had really suffered a lot of grievances, Zhao Erfeng put down the teacup in disgust.

"Then what are you doing here? Do you want to kill your relatives for the sake of justice?" Zhao Erfeng said coldly.

"No! It's still thanks to you that the Pudawa tribe has expelled the people sent by Sunlight City and returned to the embrace of the motherland."

"The guys sent by Sunlight City immediately crossed the snow-capped mountains when they heard about you. They were intimidated by your majesty and lost their composure, so we had the opportunity to take advantage of it."

"Three days ago, we raided the camp and rescued our women and children while the garrison sent by Sunlight City was checking their weapons and preparing to stop you on the snow-capped mountains."

"After that, the Pudawa tribe chopped off the head of Tashi, the envoy of Sunlight City. Unfortunately, the others ran too fast and we couldn't catch up."

"I also brought Tashi's head, which is outside the camp. I want to present it to you."

Doji Citan's status in the tribe is indeed not low, which can be seen from his pure northern accent and his unhurried speech.

Ordinary people, even Han landlords, cannot speak pure northern Mandarin.

Many people who grew up in the southwest speak Southwestern Mandarin, and may not even understand Northern Mandarin.

Many people may think that it is just an accent, so what is the problem?

It is precisely the accent. Doji Citan is a plateau native. He belongs to the Pudawa tribe on the edge of the plateau. They generally make a living by grazing and planting. The biggest intersection with the outside world is the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

In this environment, it is already amazing to be able to speak a not-so-fluent Southwestern Mandarin, not to mention Northern Mandarin.

Doji Citan can speak Northern Mandarin, which proves that he has been there, and even stayed in the Northern Mandarin area for a long time.

Where can a plateau native go to the north?

Zhao Erfeng can't think of where else to go except the capital.

In the past, Zhao Erfeng would definitely hesitate again and again when encountering such a situation, and then choose to treat Doji Citan strictly and try not to offend him.

Anyway, it is just a Pudawa tribe. Giving them a little preferential treatment will not affect the overall situation. Otherwise, what if Doji Citan has really been to the capital and knows some big shots?

This is also the significance of Pudawa sending Doji Citan out.

"Expelled? That doesn't change the fact that you once opposed the central government and rebelled. If anyone can use the excuse of being coerced to escape the central government's judgment, then what am I doing here?" Zhao Erfeng said bluntly.

Doji Citan was too smart for his own good. Zhao Erfeng knew that Doji Citan might have some connections, but it was this possibility that made Zhao Erfeng even more unwilling to let them go.

After all, this is no longer the Qing Empire. He is now the commander of the Plateau Border Defense Army of the Provisional Government and a surrendered general.

In the past, he served as the acting governor and was a senior official of the Qing Empire. After the collapse of the Qing Empire, even if he was not Sun Zaizhi, the one who dared to use him had to be at least a minister of the central government.

In this case, if he wants to keep his position, he can only be a lone minister.

If a surrendered general still goes around to connect with others, that would mean he doesn't want to live.

Moreover, the facts that Dorje Tsetan said were too bizarre, and he was simply fooling him like a three-year-old child.

Why did he expel them at this time, instead of earlier or later?

What's more, let's not talk about the rationality of this matter. Let's talk about one thing.

Under normal circumstances, if the people from Sunlight City control the old, weak, women and children of the Pudawa tribe and want to control the Pudawa tribe, what will be the first reaction of this group of people when encountering a war?

The answer is to strengthen the monitoring of these old, weak, women and children and the young and strong soldiers of the Pudawa tribe.

This is a choice that normal people will make. Under what circumstances is it possible for the situation that Dorje Citan said to happen?

The rebellion of the Pudawa tribe was very firm, so firm that Sunlight City would not doubt it.

At this level, will Sunlight City still send people to monitor their families?

I believe that as long as you are not a fool, you will not do this.

"My lord, seeing that the Pudawa tribe is forced to do so, please raise your hand. All the tribesmen of my tribe are willing to take the blame and ask for your forgiveness." Dorje Citan said humbly.

"I will forgive you if I take the blame, but the punishment I should receive will not be less." Zhao Erfeng waved his hand in disgust.

"First, the Pudawa tribe needs to hand over 100 healthy horses and 500 sheep to reward the army."

"Second, the Pudawa tribe must accept the policy of changing the land system to a commoner and abolishing serfdom."

"Third, in order to atone for its sins, the Pudawa tribe must send 200 cavalrymen to follow our army, and all expenses will be borne by the Pudawa tribe."

"Can you make the decision?" Zhao Erfeng looked down at Duoji Citan, his eyes full of amusement.

"Sir, this is too harsh. The Pudawa tribe is willing to contribute 800 sheep to reward the heavenly army, and send another 500 soldiers, including 200 cavalrymen, to follow the army to fight against the rebels."

"I only ask you to raise your hand, and the leader of my tribe will definitely reward you generously." Duoji Citan looked at Zhao Erfeng anxiously.

"You are not qualified to negotiate. You only have two choices. One, nod your head and agree. Someone will be sent to supervise the progress."

"Two, you go back. I will go to the Pudawa tribe and do these things by the way."

"Now, choose, or do you still need to go back and ask your tribal leader for instructions? Go, go, but it's better to go quickly. When the army arrives, the Pudawa tribe will no longer exist."

Zhao Erfeng looked at Duoji Citan with contempt, and when he said the last sentence, there was an expectant expression on his face.

Duoji Citan's heart sank. Based on his many years of experience, Zhao Erfeng was serious. He might have set his eyes on the wealth accumulated by the Pudawa tribe.

What should he choose? Give up all rights? Or stare at the confrontation?

Thinking of the confrontation, Duoji Citan shook his head.

The purpose of his coming here was to avoid a direct confrontation between the Pudawa tribe and the Han army, which was tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg.

The Pudawa tribe is a medium-to-large tribe with less than 10,000 people. The entire plateau area, excluding merchants and foreign garrisons, has less than one million people.

Even if the lamas are counted, the entire plateau cannot muster a 100,000-strong army. These serf soldiers can't even beat the bandits, let alone the brutal Central Plains army.

Along the way, he saw Zhao Erfeng's army after changing their clothes, each with a rifle, or a quick gun.

He also saw some machine guns and artillery, with bullets and shells piled up into a small mountain. He felt that even if the living Buddha's army came, they would not be able to beat the army in front of them.

What Dorje Citan saw was Zhao Erfeng's confidence, which was urgently supplied to him by the three towns.

Including six light artillery, 24 water-cooled heavy machine guns, a large amount of food, meat, tea, medicine, etc.

In addition to thick military uniforms.

The interim government did not have so many thick cotton-padded clothes, and the Qing Empire did not have a large garment factory that could accept large orders of tens of thousands of cotton-padded clothes.

If they waited for the import, the daylilies would be cold, so Zhao Erfeng took out all the old clothes and put them on the soldiers.

He didn't think it was a problem. Thick clothes were precious (in the era of material scarcity, thick cotton clothes were one of the family's assets.) They could still wear them, and they could be patched up if they were torn.

The problem that troubled him was that the complex terrain restricted the transportation line, and it was difficult to transport these "heavy equipment".

On the plains, a light artillery weighing hundreds of kilograms could be pushed away by three or five people even without transportation tools, but this was not possible on the plateau.

The air on the plateau was thin, and if people really pushed it, they might die, so he was waiting, waiting for the caravan, the caravan on the ancient Tea Horse Road.

Of course, he didn't want to buy tea, he didn't lack that, but these caravans had horses, and quite a few of them, and they were also adapted to the plateau environment.

"Okay, if you don't decide, I'll make the decision for you. Two hundred cavalrymen, report in within seven days. The leader of your tribe will be the first official, and the second one will also be selected from your tribe."

"If I don't see the cavalry of the Pudawa tribe in seven days, then the Pudawa tribe will have no need to exist. Get lost."

Zhao Erfeng waved his hand, and his personal guards stepped forward and carried away the dazed Doji Citan.

"This kind of thing dares to rebel, really thinks we are made of clay..."