Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 818 Atayal People 2
"Are you from the mainland?"

After a moment of silence, the Narutou seemed to understand something.

Shi Tianbao was very frank: "Yes, we came to Taiwan under the order of the imperial court, and we are going to fight side by side with the Taiwan volunteers who don't want to be slaves to the Xiyi, and drive the Xiyi out of Taiwan."

The head of Naru's eyes lit up: "The imperial court decided to send troops to Taiwan to expel Xiyi?"

Shi Tianbao said: "It has been decided a long time ago, but it will take some time to make preparations for crossing the sea and attacking Taiwan. My task is to keep creating troubles for the Xiyi during the preparation period of the army, so that they will not be safe. I can't concentrate on preparing for the battle. Head Naru, I need your help!"

A group of Atayal youths were whispering, looking quite excited.The Dutch and the Spaniards are not good people, and the exploitation of Taiwan’s aborigines is quite cruel. It can be described as “bone-sucking”. The Atayal people who have been living in seclusion in the mountains and forests have also been implicated. Many Atayal tribes were forced to relocate or even razed to the ground. The Atayals hated these barbaric and greedy colonists, but they were too weak to compete with them. They were looking forward to the imperial court sending troops day and night , Drive away those damn Xiyi.Well now, the imperial court is finally going to send troops, it's great!

Nalu was very calm, looked at Shi Tianbao, and asked: "After driving away the Xiyi, how will the court plan to treat us aborigines?"

Shi Tianbao said: "After driving away the Xiyi, the imperial court will set up a governor's office in Taiwan and send capable officials to govern Taiwan. At that time, all Taiwan will pay food and serve military service together..."

Naru said angrily: "What's the difference between that and being ruled by the Western Yi! We are the masters of this land. We have lived here for generations, unrestrained and free. There is no need to pay food and serve to a court that has never taken care of us!" "

Shi Tianbao ignored him and continued: "After driving away the Western Yi, the imperial court will build several ports in Taiwan, build roads throughout Taiwan, and redistribute fields. At that time, all tribes must abolish the custom of headhunting and want to hunt The first level can only be used on the battlefield."

As soon as these words came out, all the Atayal youths roared.The custom of headhunting is an old tradition of Taiwan's high mountain people. In their traditional concept, the human head is the noblest trophy and a proof of their courage. Every year after the autumn harvest, each tribe will go out to hunt for the head in order to hold a grand ceremony. An ancestral ceremony, an important ceremony without new heads, would be useless.The rite of passage for young people of the Atayal tribe and even most mountain tribes is to hunt for a head. Only by hunting the head can he be qualified for tattoos and become a real man.Of course, this headhunting is also very particular. The old and the weak are not hunted, children are not hunted, pregnant women are not hunted, the sick and mentally retarded are not hunted, and the Han people are not hunted - because they still have to trade with the Han people, using furs, medicinal materials, etc. They exchanged rice, linen, iron, salt and other necessities from the Han people for daily necessities. Headhunting activities were usually carried out between hostile tribes.I heard that the imperial court was going to ban headhunting after driving away the Western Yi. They were not willing to comply. Someone immediately shouted that it would be better to let the Western Yi continue to rule Taiwan!

Shi Tianbao was very calm, and waited until they finished shouting before saying: "In return, your fields, hunting grounds, and forests will be protected, and no one will infringe upon them. After victory, you will also have the right to scientific examinations. As long as you pass the examinations, you will be able to become Officer... yes, while shouldering the same responsibilities as the Han people, you will also enjoy the same rights as the Han people, and even enjoy some privileges. Generals with heavy troops, high-ranking officials with high morals! This is the promise of the imperial court to you! Are you willing to undertake some obligations in exchange for the power to let your ethnic group multiply and grow, or refuse to undertake any obligations for this country and continue to live unrestrained, but bloody? Days, will always be called mountain barbarians, ferocious people!?"

At this time, the Atayal youths immediately stopped arguing and asked excitedly: "Is everything you said true?" "Can we really become soldiers or even generals?" "Can our children really go to school? ?” I asked all kinds of questions.They are not stupid. They naturally know the benefits of studying, being an official, or a general. The problem is that Taiwan is a completely barbaric land now, and there is no such way.Now they heard that as long as they pay food and serve like the Han people, they can get such a way, and they are naturally excited.

Nalu stopped his clansmen, looked at Shi Tianbao, and asked, "Is that what the imperial court really said?"

Shi Tianbao said: "I haven't had the guts to make fun of you yet." He took out a letter and handed it over, "Let's have a look."

Nalu took it over and saw that it was all Chinese characters, and he couldn't understand it at all.He handed it to Ah Hu, and Ah Hu read it out sentence by sentence.Naturally, the letter was dictated by Yang Menglong, and written by Li Yan, using plain language that is easy to understand.In the letter, Yang Menglong promised to give Taiwan aborigines a series of rights, guaranteeing that after victory, they would not carve up their forests, hunting grounds, and land, and gave them the right to move out of the mountains to the plains to settle and reclaim wasteland. The imperial court will treat them like the Han people They provide cattle, fertilizer, seeds, and help them build new homes.As a condition, they must pay taxes to the court and perform military service, no tribe can be an exception.

After Ah Hu finished reading, Naru was silent for a long time, and finally smiled in the anxious eyes of the tribe, and said: "Young man, you show us a letter from the governor as an imperial decree, don't you?" Are you underestimating us? Although I am old, I am not confused, and I am not so..."

Shi Tianbao said indifferently: "Head Naru, to tell you the truth, for us, the governor's words are more effective than the imperial court's imperial decree! At least he will not regard us as barbarians like the imperial court, and will deliberately expel us and rob us. Our land! Under his rule, the Miao people, the Yao people, the Yi people, the Bo people, the Qiang people... All ethnic groups are treated equally, and we can have the power that the Han people can enjoy, so there are so many fierce and warlike foreigners. Human warriors willingly join his command, follow his banner to fight, and death is not imminent!"

The Nalu head was silent again, and he said after a long while: "The Xiyi are very powerful...they have incomparably sharp firearms and strong fortresses. We have fought against them before, but they can't be defeated at all..."

Shi Tianbao said: "We don't have to attack their fortress! They like the fortress so much, so they stay inside and don't come out. As long as they dare to leave the fortress, they have to watch out for their heads! Governor Yang has an order prohibiting those who attack Xiyi The fortress is mainly for harassment, take advantage of it, and withdraw when the situation is not good, no matter what the record is, as long as the tribes participating in this war will enjoy some special rights in the future!" He looked around the more and more Atayals The young man yelled loudly: "Are you willing to stay in the mountains for generations to live this life of ruthlessness and blood? Are you willing to let Xiyi wantonly trample on your hunting grounds and bully your wives and children? Is there anything better than wielding a knife?" Cut off the invader's head and bring it back to the tribe for higher honor? Are you willing to give up such honor and pride!?"

Hearing Ahu's translation, the blood of the fierce and warlike Atayal youths burst into flames. They all pulled out their scimitars and shouted loudly: "Fight! Fight! Fight! Cut off all the heads of Xiyi, so that they will never dare to step into the Our territory!"

Shi Tianbao looked at Naru, waiting for him to make a choice.

Nalu suddenly smiled, asked for the letter to be folded, returned it to Shi Tianbao, and said, "Young man, I admire your courage and eloquence! Although I have never met the governor you mentioned, I believe he is If you are reliable, otherwise you will not be able to bring out subordinates like you! We are willing to join this war against Xiyi!" The conversation changed, and he said: "However, a tree cannot grow into a forest. Xiyi has a large number of people, and The firearms are sharp, we must gather more warriors and formulate a more careful hunting plan in order to capture the victory and their heads! In this way, you go to my tribe first, and I will send someone to notify all the blood alliance tribes around, Let them bring the best fighters to meet up and join hands in great things!"

This is exactly the purpose of Shi Tianbao's trip. Hearing this, he was overjoyed and said, "That's great! Inform those tribes that we only need young and strong warriors who are 30 years old, and if they are the only son in the family, don't come. You must give them One seedling is left at home. We brought a large number of weapons, which are only as strong as those of Xiyi, and as long as we equip [-] soldiers, it is enough to make Taiwan City and Chixian City a mess!"

Hearing that even the arms had been brought in, Nalu was overjoyed and said, "That would be great! Xiyi is as clumsy as an elephant that has been shot blind when he enters the jungle. What he relies on is firearms. Now there are If we don’t have firearms as good as theirs, we’re afraid of nothing! Let’s go to my tribe to drink!”

Most of the ethnic minorities like to drink, with very few exceptions. Shi Tianbao did not refuse, and took Asu Na to lead the Narutou people across the bridge and into their tribe.

The Atayal tribe is located in a sunny place halfway up the mountain, relatively dry, with a clear stream not far away.The houses of the Atayal people are wooden houses with thatched roofs. They are very simple. What is shocking is that there are human heads hanging under the eaves of many wooden houses. They seem to have been specially treated and have not rotted. When it blows, heads sway around, and those who are timid can be frightened to death.However, among these powerful mountain tribes, these heads are a symbol of honor. The more heads they have, the braver and better at fighting that person is, and they are highly respected no matter where they go.Naru carefully observed the reactions of Shi Tianbao and Asu, and saw that Shi Tianbao had a dull expression, as if these things were nothing in his eyes. Asu, that naughty boy, even counted the heads on the eaves with interest, thinking Find out how many there are.Now he believes that these two people are from the high mountain ethnic group like them, and only ethnic groups with the same tradition can be so calm. If the Han people saw this scene, they would be scared to death.

In the center of the Atayal tribe is a large flat, rammed open space where they dry their grain during harvest and sing and dance during festivals.They also have a cattle pen, in which there are more than a dozen cows, all of which are scalpers, and only scalpers can adapt to life in the mountains, not buffaloes.As for the land of this tribe, it is in a depression more than 300 meters away from the tribe, where the Atayal people plant crops such as millet, soybeans, and peas. Millet is the staple food of the Atayal people, and it can only be planted once a year. How the harvest is directly determined fate of the entire tribe.When the millet is harvested, the Atayal people will take some out to make wine, and hold a grand harvest festival to thank the ancestors... After the harvest festival, it is time to go hunting for the head. Those heads that are hung under the eaves for exhibition come from this way.

The Atayal women undertake all the housework, they carry water, plant food, take care of the children, take care of the livestock, and spin yarn and weave cloth after they are done, all year round.Every Atayal woman has thick calluses on her hands, which are left by years of housework and spinning and weaving. Atayal people evaluate whether a housewife is competent mainly by looking at her hands. It is a shame to have no calluses things.

But today those women can take a break, because the first thing Nau did after returning to the tribe was to announce the killing of a cow, take out all the good wine, and invite all the nearby blood alliance tribes to come and hold a banquet!
(End of this chapter)