Every noon in July in the Northland, apart from the wheat stubble that has just been harvested, there are few busy farmers in the wild.
It was so hot that even the birds lazily hid in the shade of the trees to rest.
On the official road, there were occasionally caravans driving carriages and camels with sweat and sweat to the capital, the center of the celestial dynasty, to create wealth.
Beside the official road thirty miles south of the city, there was a simple tea stall set up by nearby people, selling herbal tea and plain water. After the young woman brought the herbal tea snacks to the table, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
There are obviously more people traveling to and from the capital these days. It is said that caravans from all over the country are rushing to the capital to arrive in the capital in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival to participate in the first Daxia "Wuhua Tianbao" Cup item exchange and negotiation held by the Ministry of Household Affairs during the Mid-Autumn Festival. meeting.
The little woman couldn't understand what this cup exchange was about.
But the meeting that Mr. Hube was going to hold brought a lot of profit to her small tea stall.
Taking advantage of this busy period, she and her husband could earn at least twenty or thirty taels of silver during the off-season. Not to mention buying new clothes for the elderly mother and children at home, they even bought some meat every now and then, so they could have a few dollars left over during the New Year. Two pieces of silver.
The man raised his head and glanced at his wife, who was sweating on her forehead. He stood up and wiped off his hands that were stained with dust when lighting the fire. He poured a bowl of cold fermented glutinous rice soup and brought it to the little woman.
"Master, no one ordered sweet soup. Why are you serving this sweet soup?"
"This is what I brought for you to drink~"
Jia Cong, who was drinking bitter tea, felt that the herbal tea in his mouth was even more bitter. Almost all the businessmen sitting in the tea stall subconsciously glanced at the tea in their hands...
Damn it, feed people green oranges on a hot day!
"Brother really loves his wife, sister-in-law, drink it now, it must be sweet!"
Someone suddenly shouted, and the people in the tea stall immediately started cheering. The laughter dissipated the fatigue in their bodies. They all looked at the couple in front of the stove with their aunty smiles.
The young woman who had been greeting guests openly before now wanted to hide herself in her husband's arms, not even daring to raise her head.
On the contrary, the man chuckled, forced the sweet soup in the bowl into his wife's hand, and smiled at the person who just shouted: "My daughter-in-law has been married to my family since she was married, and she has been filial to her parents and raised her children. How can I not feel sorry for her?" . This tea stall was my wife’s idea. If we open it for another two years, not only can we build a brick house, but our two sons can earn enough money to marry their wives. Do you think I don’t feel sorry for my good wife? ?”
"Good woman, I'm so lucky!"
The couple became more enthusiastic due to the compliments of the guests, and even gave each person a small plate of delicious pickled vegetables.
"To say that the changes in the past two years are really big, the court not only abolished the handymen, but also successively reduced the collection of land taxes. The people's lives are getting better and better."
"That's not the case. If nothing else, the common people have spare money, and the business of us merchants has improved a lot."
"That's true. I originally thought that the imperial court's increase in commercial taxes would make it more and more difficult to do business. Unexpectedly, the imperial court also canceled exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes in various places. In comparison, the cost is actually smaller than before."
"What this guest officer said is that before I went to the city to sell vegetables and fruits, I had to pay city fees, and I had to pay security fees to the yamen patrolling the streets. I couldn't make enough money all year round. But now, all I have to do is go to the city. If Fangshi pays a management fee of five cents, he can sell at a fixed stall for three days..."
"With the Holy King in the dynasty, we and other people are really lucky to be born in the dynasty. Only by being born in the dynasty can we enjoy a stable and prosperous life. It finally rained in Shanxi a few days ago..."
Jia Cong's ears twitched but remained calm.
Most of Shanxi Province has not had a few rains since the beginning of spring, and reports of severe drought have reached the capital from various places.
While he continued to eat the sesame cake in his hand, he listened to the guests chatting away.
After the businessman with a Shanxi accent took a sip of herbal tea, he continued: "You may not believe it, but this time there is a severe drought that has spread throughout most of Shanxi, and not one person has starved to death!"
"Oh? Could it be that the government is concealing the report?"
"Who dares? When Uncle Yongfeng killed many people in Taiyuan, and His Majesty sent many masters from the Metropolitan Procuratorate there, who dared to conceal the report?"
"It's not necessary. The imperial court is not short of money and food now. The potatoes and corn stored in the granary are enough for tens of millions of people to fill their stomachs. What's more, the nearby Anbei Protectorate supports a large amount of dried meat, which is comparable to food And a full stomach.”
"I never thought that one day I and other Han people would be able to receive support from the Tatars during a disaster and eat dried meat from the grasslands..."
"That's wrong. What do you mean by Tatars? We are also the subjects of His Majesty the Khan, upright Han people!"
The strange accent and slightly angry words diverted everyone's attention, and they saw that the owner of the voice was a tall man wearing a short shirt.
He has dark skin, a burly figure, and the ability to run a horse on his arms...
The person who said the word "Tatar" before looked embarrassed. This person's hair style was obviously different from that of the Central Plains people. Needless to say, he should be a man from the grasslands.
"Sorry, I didn't mean that..."
The grassland man waved his hands indifferently: "I know, but please don't call us people on the grassland by Tatars in the future. Now, like you, we are all descendants of Yan and Huang, and are the most loyal warriors of His Majesty the Khan... …”
As soon as the emperor was mentioned, this man from the prairie stood up in reverence and bowed to the north again. He was more loyal than those believers.
Everyone's topic turned to the grassland again, and the man who looked like a black iron tower started to talk.
Oara and Tatar withdrew their vassals and established counties, and completely surrendered to Daxia. In just three years, the world seemed to have changed, and the people's lives became visibly richer.
Without the war, coupled with the development of the wool, meat, and fur trade, the people on the grasslands no longer have to worry about the white snow in winter.
The Central Plains has thoroughly promoted the cultivation of high-yield grain seeds, and coupled with the rice harvested three times a year by the Chief Envoy of Jiaozhi, the people on the grasslands have no shortage of food at all.
As long as a political power or an emperor can feed and clothe his people, then his prestige will definitely make the people worship him as a god.
The prestige of Emperor Yuanyou has surpassed that of the Supreme Emperor who made the grassland fearful. The power of Tian Khan has become as powerful as the grassland people's Immortality. It is said that in the tents of the grassland, every family worships the sacred tablet of His Majesty Youtian Khan, and the incense burns day and night. .
Following the words of this prairie man, a white-skinned businessman from the Western Regions next to him was also filled with emotions.
The people of the Anbei and Beiting Protectorate's Palaces lived a prosperous and happy life, so what about their Western Region Protectorate's Palace?
The Marquis of Ningyuan County in the Celestial Dynasty destroyed most of the small countries in the Western Regions, allowing the imperial army to quickly and smoothly unify the Western Regions.
What does the death of those nobles have to do with the common people at the bottom?
No, it still matters!
The imperial court established prefectures and counties in the Western Regions, confiscated the land of the nobles who resisted the imperial dynasty, and distributed it to the poor people, so that the people who cultivated the land had their own land, so that the people were no longer slaves of the nobles and enjoyed the protection of the "Daxia Law".
He was able to own a fleet of camels in just two years and transport goods from the Western Regions to the capital along the Silk Road for sale, all because of the protection of the Daxia army and the support of the government.
Before release, his camel team would probably be robbed completely by those noble gentlemen before they even reached Yumen Pass.
All the kings of Kucha and Loulan must die. I am only loyal to the great and sage His Majesty Tian Khan and to the Great Xia Dynasty!
Even the scorching sun at noon seemed unable to calm the conversation among the people at the tea stall. Businessmen from all over the world talked about the tremendous changes in their hometowns.
Among these people, Jia Cong sounds proud. All these changes are due to his Third Master Cong!
On the other side of the group of people, the leader's face was ashen and he wanted to scold the "storyteller", but he looked at Jia Cong who was "listening to the book" while chewing melon seeds rather scrupulously.
Only those groom slaves who were not qualified to rest in the tea stall hid their envious and hopeful eyes, licked their chapped lips, and tightened the reins and whips in their hands.
Jia Cong didn't come here specifically to see off the living Buddha of Wuszang. The chance encounter at the tea stall was really a coincidence.
He was going to Tongzhou Pier to greet his teacher Xu Jin who was returning to Beijing. When he was passing here, the heat was unbearable, so he wanted to drink a bowl of tea at a tea stall to escape the heat.
But he didn't expect to meet the Uzbeg national master and Lamaist Living Buddha Dalima Bala who was also spending the summer here.
The merchants in the tea stall were very lively and chatting, but since it was so hot outside, there was not enough time to communicate. They could only praise His Majesty the Holy Emperor and express their hopes for a happy life in the future.
This can be regarded as irritating Dali Maba half to death. The people of Daxia are so rich and the court is so rich. Why is there no reward for him, the national master of Uzang?
What's the name of the guy from the Ministry of Rites? Oh, Nie Chaoyi actually said that the Ministry of Household Affairs was in a tight situation and wanted to reduce the money and food support provided by the imperial court to Wu Zang this year!
Jia Cong didn't bother to talk to him. After he had enough rest, he left the tea stall with his guards.
The guests in the tea stall got up one after another to continue their journey, and so did Dali Mabala.
But when he left, he glanced coldly at the owner of the tea stall.
"Lito, take two people to stay and kill that hateful couple!"
Lito was stunned for a moment, seeing the coldness in his master's eyes getting even worse, and finally lowered his head to the urn and obeyed the order.
Soon, there were only three people left in the tea stall, and there was no one on the official road. Only the big trees beside the road swayed in the wind, and the occasional chirping of cicadas and birds reminded people that time was slowly passing.
The couple started to put away the dishes and tea cups. The two people behind the stove were still discussing in a low voice whether they should go to town later and buy some pastries and snacks for the elderly and children at home.
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa that..."
Lito's eyes flashed coldly, he glanced at the big tree not far away, and nodded.
"Woo-hoo!" (Okay, get ready...)
Uh-huh!
The scimitar from his waist was suddenly pulled out, and after two groans, the couple behind the stove heard the noise and stood up to look this way.
Immediately, the man muffled his wife's exclamation.
Jia Shiyi jumped down from the tree with a few people and rushed over quickly.
"The miscalculation is indeed correct. Your master is really a cautious person!"
Jia Shiyi said to the horrified couple at the tea stall: "Jia Shiyi, the commander of the personal guards of Yongfeng Mansion, please go home early today. The Yongfeng Mansion has taken over the affairs here. By the way, we will leave as usual tomorrow. Just wait and see, don’t be afraid, Daxia’s soldiers will always be the people’s strongest backing!”
…
Lituo is the trusted warrior of Tarima Bala. He follows the living Buddha and is well fed and well clothed, but he is still a lowly slave.
He had tattoos on the back of his hands. Even if he married a wife and gave birth to children, he would still be a slave of the Imperial Prefect's Mansion, and his descendants would not be able to escape the fate of being tattooed.
This is Uzang, the seemingly powerful and hierarchical Uzang!
Lito has forgotten what his parents looked like, only remembering that his father died in the civil strife in Uzang, and his mother was tortured to death by a Dharma King of the Imperial Prefecture when he was young.
That Dharma King was one of the most trusted subordinates of the Imperial Preceptor. Lito thought about taking revenge, but the Imperial Preceptor would not allow it. He would even tie him to a stone and die in the sun the moment he proposed revenge.
"Lito, if you had dared to attack that couple just now, you would not be able to leave this tea stall."
"I never thought of attacking them. A samurai's sword would not be drawn at a lamb."
Lito didn't say the truest thoughts in his heart. He envied that couple and he didn't want to break their happiness, as if to protect the desire in his heart and the only remaining sunshine in the darkness of his heart.
Jia Shiyi threw a token engraved with a flying fish pattern over, and Li Tuo caught it in surprise.
Just listen to Jia Shiyi say: "You are a true warrior, and you should not be a slave to a violent and cruel demon. A true warrior should serve the country and the people, and draw a sword for the weak."
"Aren't you also a slave? Your master, Uncle Yongfeng, killed countless people. Even I in Uzang heard that he killed tens of thousands of grassland people in Hexi."
Lituo's rhetorical question did not make Jia Shiyi feel the slightest bit angry, but instead burst into laughter.
"Lito, who said I was a slave? I..."
Jia Shiyi pointed at the few soldiers of the Rongguo Mansion beside him and said solemnly: "And they, we are the soldiers of the Jia family, soldiers are different from slaves..."
The soldiers, including Jia Shiyi, puffed up their chests.
"We, the soldiers, were born as soldiers and retainers of the Jia family. After our death, we were buried in the Jia family's ancestral graves. The tablets were placed in the Jia family's ancestral hall and were worshiped and enjoyed by the descendants of the Jia family for generations."
"That is to say, if I die, my son and grandson will offer incense and kowtow to me every year and festival, and call me their ancestor."
"Lito, after your death, will you be able to enjoy the incense of your national master's descendants?"
Incense, when Uzang's slave dies, the body will be eaten clean by birds and beasts, and no one will remember him, just like his father, who doesn't even have a name.
Lituo was envious, and the desire in his heart was infinitely amplified by Jia Shiyi's words.
until……
…
Dali Ma Bala frowned and looked at the bloody man kneeling in front of the carriage, and asked dissatisfiedly: "Where are Hei Qi and Hei Ba? Who hurt you?"
Li Tuo endured the pain on his body and replied with a loud voice: "Master, that Uncle Yongfeng guessed that the master would take action against the people at the tea stall, so he sent people to hide quietly not far away. Hei Qi and Hei Ba were covering up The villain died in their hands."
"Trash! You can't handle this. Go behind and follow the convoy..."
Dali Mabala did not doubt Li Tuo's words. After staying in the capital for several months, his initial indifference to Jia Cong had long since turned into hatred and concern.
This son of the Jia family is full of scheming and scheming, and is Uzang’s great enemy!
It is not advisable to stay here for a long time, it is better to leave as soon as possible. When we get back to the Holy City, we can have a good talk with those foreigners in the West.
If you want Uzang to fight for Daxia for them, you have to show sincerity...
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
I’ll stop here tonight and continue tomorrow. Good night!
(End of chapter)
