Looking down at the land of Yongzhou from a high altitude, countless people, cars and boats are surging towards Xiangyang.
As the court's blockade on Yongzhou was lifted, a large number of merchants poured into Yongzhou. The news of a treasure hunting conference held in Xiangyang stimulated merchants from Qin, Wei, Yan and other countries to come with a large amount of property to hunt for treasures.
These merchants soon discovered that the people of Yongzhou had a strong purchasing power. Not to mention the hawkers with carts and burdens, many caravans also ran out of goods halfway through and had to turn back to restock.
Corn in Yongzhou cost one hundred and eighty cents per stone. Taiwei Huanxuan decided to waste the money and use grain and silk. Smart merchants found that by selling Yongzhou corn to Yangzhou, they could earn at least seventy or eighty cents in price. They could make a fortune by selling corn back and forth. .
After entering Yongzhou, numerous bandits, bandits, and water thieves disappeared. Merchants found that they no longer had to pay expensive protection fees to enter Wubao, and they no longer had to worry about the tribesmen in Wubao turning into bandits.
Xi County is located at the northern end of Nanxiang County, bordering Shangluo County occupied by Qin Dynasty, and connected to Shangnan County in Luo County by official roads.
At the north gate, more than a hundred people in ragged clothes lined up, with ropes tied to their ankles in groups of ten, waiting to enter the city.
These people included men, women, old and young. Yu De, who was at the front of the queue, looked blankly at the Jin flag flying above the city of Xixian. It had been twenty-seven years and he never expected to return to his homeland.
Yu De was from Yishan, Yidu County, Jingzhou. When he was 26 years old, his family was abducted by the soldiers of the former Qin Dynasty and became slaves of the Di people. The family raised cattle and farmed for the master's family in the Lantian area, and was humiliated.
I thought I was going to die as a guest in a foreign country, but I didn't expect that some time ago, the host's family heard that the governor of Yongzhou of Jin Dynasty had purchased a large number of Han slaves, so he and his family of seven were traded with human traffickers for a cow and two sheep. The traffickers gathered more than a hundred people and drove the purchased Han slaves from Shangluo to Nanxiang and into Yongzhou to sell them.
He carried two clay pots with him, which were the ashes of his parents. Before his death, his father told him to bury him under the pear tree in front of his hometown when he had the chance. More than twenty years later, I wonder if the pear tree is still there.
"Grandpa, is this the Kingdom of Jin?" said his grandson, who was supporting Yu De beside him: "Is our hometown far from here? Can we go back?"
Yu De sighed softly. As a slave, there is no freedom. Returning to his hometown is an unattainable dream.
Reaching out and gently stroking his grandson Yu Ying's hair, Yu De forced a smile and said, "Yes, this is not far from my hometown. You will always have a chance to go back."
"Line up and enter the city one by one." A guard came galloping forward on horseback, shouting loudly, "Don't move around, you're looking for trouble."
The whip made a sharp roar and hit the man in front of him. Yu De couldn't help but tremble slightly. The feeling of the whip hitting his body was already etched in his bones.
The queue moved forward slowly, passing through the city gate and entering Xi County. Shan Huzhi was riding on his horse, counting the number of Han slaves passing by in his mind. The sun shone on his brocade robe, shining with silver light. ap.
Shan Huzhi was a Di merchant who had been doing business with the Jin State all year round. His eldest brother was a lieutenant colonel of the Qin Dynasty. With this relationship, he was able to traffic cattle and horses into the Jin State to make a profit.
Some time ago, news came from Yongzhou, Jin State, that Han slaves were purchased at high prices. Adult men could be sold for 3,000 yuan, women could be sold for 2,000 yuan, and children could be sold for 700 to 800 yuan. More than 10,000 yuan was settled in gold.
Shan Huzhi immediately felt that this was a big deal. In the Qin State, Han slaves only cost about 1,500 yuan, and children were even more important. The profit from selling them to the Jin State was higher than selling cattle and horses.
The first time Shan Huzhi tentatively brought fifty Han slaves to Xi County, where there were officials from the Jin Dynasty who were responsible for the purchase of Han slaves. Sure enough, he got twelve taels of gold according to the planned price, which was enough after deducting the cost. Gain five taels.
Gold has always been collected by nobles. One tael of gold can be exchanged for tens of thousands of dollars on the market. Shan Huzhi knows that one tael of gold can actually be exchanged for 11,000 to 12,000 dollars.
After tasting the sweetness, Shan Huzhi took a hundred Han slaves with him on his second trip. He no longer planned to sell them in Xi County, but went directly to Xiangyang. The result was beyond his expectation, and the price in Xiangyang was the same.
After inquiring, Shan Huzhi found out that the business of purchasing Han slaves was done by Yang Anxuan, the governor of Yongzhou. He also set the price, and no one dared to change it. The price of selling Han slaves to other places was 30% lower than that of Yongzhou. It was a loss-making business. Who does it.
Shan Huzhi quickly returned after taking action on the second batch of Han slaves.
When I arrived in Chang'an, I found that the price of Han slaves had increased by 30% to 50%, and the price of adult slaves had risen to 2,200 yuan. It seemed that the news had spread and there were more people competing.
Shan Huzhi sent people to various counties to collect Luohan slaves and gathered 150 people. Seeing that July was coming, Shan Huzhi decided to go to Xixian County. He planned to sell these Han slaves and then go to Xiangyang. Yang Anxuan, the governor of Yongzhou, was going to hold a treasure auction. If he had the opportunity, he might as well buy a few pieces for his elder brother. If you give it to a noble person, your eldest brother will be promoted, and your business will grow bigger and bigger.
Walking on the streets of Xi County, Yu Ying curiously looked at the shops on both sides of the street, pointed at the flamboyant signs and asked Yu De curiously. Yu De responded patiently, his eyes gradually became brighter, and he shed tears unconsciously. The flow is open.
Shan Hu Zhishu led everyone to the Yin Hotel on the right side of the county government office, where the business of buying and selling Han slaves was settled.
There were many people in the Yin Hotel. Some people saw Shan Huzhi saying hello loudly, "Master Shan, we are here again", "Master Shan, this business is not small"...
Shan Huzhi responded with a smile on his face, looking around for acquaintances. When he saw an official standing in front of the hall with his hands behind his back, he smiled hurriedly and came forward to salute: "Master Jiang, you are always kind. Last time you asked a villain to buy something." The sesame oil has arrived, can you deliver the small one to your house?"
Jiang Shang was the Cangcao of the county government. He was entrusted with the responsibility of purchasing Han slaves and had dealings with Shan Huzhi. Hearing Shan Huzhi talk about the sesame oil, he immediately understood and said, "It's Boss Shan. The sesame oil will be delivered to Yu's home later. How many people have you bought back this time? Come with Yu."
With Jiang Shang's guidance, Shan Huzhi quickly completed the sales documents. One hundred and fifty Han slaves were exchanged for twenty-eight taels of gold, as well as four thousand two hundred five bahts.
The ropes on the feet of Yu De and others were taken off, and someone led them to a courtyard. There were already seventy or eighty people in the courtyard, and they looked like they were also sold Han slaves.
When the sun turned west, more than 300 Han slaves were crowded in the courtyard. Yu Ying tugged on his grandfather's dark sheep coat and whispered, "Grandpa, my servant is hungry."
Yu De smiled bitterly. Along the way, Shan Huzhi provided grain cakes and corn porridge. Now Shan Huzhi resold them. I don’t know what their fate will be. It is estimated that the new owner’s family will not take care of them.
"If you bear with it for a while, you will have something to eat." Yu De comforted him feebly, feeling helpless and sad in his heart.
The aroma wafted from the courtyard gate, and a dozen military men came in carrying several wooden barrels and baskets of flour cakes. Yu Ying shook his grandfather's hand and said with a smile, "There are flour cakes."
Yu De looked at the wooden barrel and the basket of flour cakes placed under the eaves. The golden corn porridge in the barrel was steaming, and the white flour cakes were fragrant. Yu De could no longer remember the taste of the flour cakes. It seemed that it was More than ten years ago, his host family gave him a small piece of leftover noodle cake. He carried it in his arms and brought it to his parents to try.
The parents divided the dough into small pieces, and everyone in the family took a bite. The sweet wheat aroma is still lingering in my mind.
The crowd in the courtyard couldn't help but push forward, and the soldiers shouted: "Stop, listen to Captain Pan's words before we share the food."
Yu De saw a strong man in a turban, bowing his hands to everyone in the courtyard, and said: "I am the captain of the county, Pan He, and all the fellow villagers have suffered. Governor Yang can't bear to see you all being slaves in a foreign country, so he ordered the government generals to Waiting for redemption. When you step into the motherland, you will no longer be slaves. Governor Yang will naturalize you as citizens and grant you lands..."
Yu De's mind was buzzing, and he could no longer hear clearly what County Captain Pan was saying. He could only read a few words like "No longer a slave", "Granted fields", etc. He felt a little dizzy. Yu Ying quickly held him tightly. Live grandfather.
"...The government will allocate 50 acres of land to men and half to women. They will rent houses, grain seeds, cattle, farm tools and other items. You can cultivate the fields with confidence, and the rent will be 40% of the income. If you have spare time, you can open up wasteland. , the cultivated fields will be your own..."
Waves of cheers could not be suppressed. Yu De knelt on the ground, placed the two small clay pots on his back in front of him, and cried: "Mom, dad, did you hear it? You can go home, oh , ho, ho.”
The piercing wails soon became louder, making those who heard it feel sad and those who heard it shed tears. All the pain, grievances and joys flowed freely along with the tears.
Since June, such cries have been heard continuously in border cities such as Xixian, Luoyang, Mengjin, and Xingyang. Merchants have brought in a steady stream of Han slaves bought from Qin, Wei, Yan and other countries.
Sent to Yongzhou.
In Luoyang, Chun Yuzong, accompanied by several disciples, followed the caravan selling Han slaves and entered Xiyang Gate.
Walking on the wide streets, looking at the ancient capital of the Han and Jin Dynasties that had gone through wars, I sighed: "My late father left Dongping County and lectured in Luoyang for two years. I was under twenty at that time. In the blink of an eye, twenty-two years have passed. It’s over."
Chun Yuzong, the son of the great Confucian Chun Yuqi, heard that Yang, the governor of Yongzhou, was repairing Confucianism in Xiangyang and restoring Confucian etiquette, so he thought of going there to have a look.
Passing Tongguan from Chang'an to Luoyang, he met a caravan selling Han slaves on the way. He learned that the same governor Yang wanted to buy these Han slaves to redeem their lives. Chunyu Zong repeatedly praised "the house's kindness" and became more and more interested in Yang Anxuan.
The pagoda of Yongning Temple stood quietly as before. Chun Yuzong bowed to the pagoda. The disciple beside him asked in confusion: "Sir, we are Confucians, why do we worship Buddha?"
"Being a teacher is not to pay homage to the Buddha, but to be grateful for the rise and fall of dynasties. Things have changed and people have changed. Only the buildings built by these ancestors have remained the same after the vicissitudes of life." Chunyu Zong sighed: "How can I not be filled with emotion when I return to my homeland? That year I don’t know if the place where my late father taught is still there. Let’s go and have a look.”
The Henan Prefect's Mansion is opposite the Yongning Temple Pagoda. In April, Xin Gongjing, the prefect, suffered from a relapse of an old injury and was bedridden. He asked the governor Yang Anxuan to resign many times and wanted to return to his hometown to recuperate.
After receiving Xin Gongjing's resignation, Yang Anxuan was very emotional. He remembered that in history, Xin Gongjing was captured by the Qin State, and later escaped and returned to Jiankang. He died of illness at the beginning of Yuanxing, and the time was about two years ago.
The imperial court once again issued an edict appointing Yang Anxuan as the governor of Yongzhou. Yang Anxuan made adjustments to the prefects of Yongzhou counties: he agreed that Xin Gongjing should return to his hometown to recuperate, gave him fifty taels of gold, and ordered Yang Anyuan to take over the post of prefect of Henan.
The prefects of other counties are divided into Nanyang Prefect Yang Siping; Xiangcheng Prefect Yang Zijing; Xingyang Prefect Hu Fan; Yingchuan Prefect Feng Li; Runan Prefect Yin Dun; Yiyang Prefect Yang Anshen; Xinyang Prefect Fan Zhen; Nanxiang Prefect Lu Zongzhi; The prefect He Hao; the prefect of Xincheng Yang Shangbao; the prefect of Xiangyang Yang Anxuan appointed himself.
The Yang family accounts for half of the twelve counties of Yongzhou. In addition, Hu Fan, Yin Dun, and Feng Li are Yang Anxuan's cronies, and most of Yongzhou is controlled by Yang Anxuan.
Regarding the two counties of Xinyang and Xinye, Yang Anxuan sent the county magistrates, which actually made the prefects of the two counties empty. Only Lu Zongzhi, the governor of Nanxiang, had a reputation as a virtuous man and was deeply supported by the people. Yang Anxuan only sent eyes and ears secretly and did not interfere in the affairs of the county.
Zhao Tian was the Sima of Yongzhou, Wang Zhenwei was the Zhongzhong; military generals such as Meng Longfu, Kuaien, Yu Fei, and Liu Zhong, Yang Anxuan, were not given civilian posts, and several of them served as fifth-rank generals in the army, with official ranks equivalent to those of prefects. Yang Anxuan bluntly said that promotions will be faster based on military merit, and officials will definitely be awarded based on merit in the future, so they don't have to worry about their future.
Five sand-proof flat-bottomed wooden boats used for navigation were docked at Mengjinguan Ferry. These boats were eight feet long, had square heads and square tips, and had multiple masts and sails. Each boat could carry at least a thousand stones of cargo, making them stand out among the merchant ships.
Zongti stood on the bow of the ship and looked at the busy Mengjinguan dock. He sold his family property and bought 160 good horses and 500 cattle and boarded the ship in Feiru County. Three days later, his eldest son Zhenav took his family to the ship. Come and join.
Set sail from Feiru County and headed straight to the entrance of the Yellow River in Nanyan. Because under the banner of Beiyan, the journey to Mengjinguan was relatively smooth. Zongti felt uneasy. I am afraid that it will be difficult to return to the Yan Kingdom after leaving home this time. Lin Lao He settled in Jin State, but he didn’t know what his fate would be?
Smoke and dust rose in the distance, and a group of light cavalry came galloping. Zongti squinted his eyes and watched carefully. The flag of Jin loomed in the smoke.
Zongti had already notified his third son Zena in advance, asking him to report to Yang Anxuan. If his guess was correct, Yang Anxuan should have sent someone to greet him.
When the Qingqi approached, Zongti saw that the third son, Zena, was at the front. He finally let go of his worries, stretched out his hand to stroke his beard and smiled.
