As soon as I saw the situation outside,
Good guy.
Wang Lishi was shocked!
Cattle and sheep all over the mountains and plains.
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Chongyuan's voice sounded from inside the carriage.
Wang Lishi stammered in reply: "Your Majesty, have we arrived in Mobei?"
Mobei is a nomadic people, and the whole family makes a living by raising livestock, and they will cross the border before the arrival of each year.
"What Mobei? How did you get to Mobei safely?"
Zhao Chongyuan frowned slightly and reached out to lift the car curtain.
When he saw the situation in front of him clearly, his eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Did I really get Mobei?"
Zhao Chong murmured to himself, then suddenly turned his head and glared at the driver driving the carriage: "You bastard, who asked you to carry the carriage to Mobei? Hurry up!"
Zhao Chongyuan shouted loudly.
His eyes were filled with shock and anger.
He is the emperor of Daqian, and Mobei is a foreign race. He has been hostile to farming countries like Daqian since ancient times. Now that he, the emperor of Daqian, has arrived in Mobei, if someone is not careful, the situation in the Daqian Dynasty will be in turmoil. , in danger of overturning.
"Your Majesty, this is Youzhou."
The driver's liver and gallbladder were broken, and he hurriedly thought only of the stone pillars on the roadside.
"Youzhou?"
Zhao Chongyuan murmured to himself.
Look in the direction pointed by the driver.
Sure enough, there is a stone pier on the side of the road.
There are several big words written on it: Youzhou welcomes you.
Isn’t Youzhou a bitter cold place?
Didn't Zhao Ding complain to him every day in the memorial that it was extremely difficult to survive in Youzhou?
"Lux, what's going on?"
Zhao Chongyuan turned to look at Wang Lishi.
Moreover, compared to the rugged mountain road before, the horses were now on a bluestone road that was three feet wide, and the ground was smooth and exceptionally clean.
"Your Majesty, my servant, I don't know."
Wang Lishi also felt a little confused at the moment.
He didn't understand how Youzhou could become like this.
The violent collision just now was caused by the carriage's wheels hitting the cliff of the bluestone road.
"Your Majesty, would you like me to ask a few people to go over and ask."
Wang Lishi pointed to the herdsmen who were herding sheep in the mountains in the distance, turned around and asked softly.
"go."
Zhao Chongyuan replied in a deep voice.
Deep down in my heart, I even had the urge to scold my mother.
Is this the bitter cold place that Zhao Ding told him in the memorial?
Youzhou, who yells for things from him every day and fights him back?
There are cattle and sheep all over the mountains and plains.
And the smooth bluestone road with no end in sight under the carriage.
Even the post road outside the imperial capital of Daqian does not have this atmosphere.
The width of this bluestone road is enough to accommodate four carriages traveling side by side, and it is also built on a mountain.
How much people's fat and money will be wasted?
"嗻."
When Wang Lishi saw that his master was angry, he quickly shouted, got up and walked out of the car shop.
Before he could open the car curtain.
Just looking at it, in front of the carriage, a guard in the escort suddenly shouted when he saw the herdsmen walking in the distance:
"Uncle."
"Ah, Erwazi, why are you back?"
When the herdsman saw the guard, he shouted in surprise and ran over three steps at a time.
Zhao Chongyuan glanced at Wang Lishi.
Wang Lishi immediately whispered something in Zhao Chongyuan's ear.
Only then did Zhao Chongyuan understand.
This guard is the guide they selected from the Tiger Army that guards the imperial capital this time. He was originally from Youzhou, and was later transferred to the capital because of his outstanding performance.
"Hey, I'm such a cow."
When he ran closer and looked at the lifeless cow on the ground, the herdsman let out a distressed cry.
"Uncle, I didn't know it was from your family."
The guard named Erwazi raised his head in embarrassment. He reached out and took out two taels of silver from his sleeve and handed it to the herdsman: "Uncle, how about I help you with some money? You are living quite well in Youzhou." hard."
However, the herdsman waved his hand and said indifferently: "Hey, it's just a cow. It doesn't matter if it dies."
Upon hearing what the herdsman said, Erwazi was immediately confused: "Uncle, this is a cow."
In the past few years since I left home, has my uncle become so wealthy?
The herdsman glanced at Erwazi and said with a look of disgust on his face: "Do you think our current Youzhou is still the previous Youzhou?"
Pointing to the herds of cattle and sheep all over the mountains and plains: "See, those are our village's cows and our village's sheep."
"Are they all from our village?"
Looking at the cattle and sheep all over the mountains and plains, the guard named Erwazi suddenly froze on the spot.
At a glance, there were four to five hundred cattle alone, and there were even thousands of sheep, and these were actually just the cattle and sheep of their village.
And their village is full of people, less than a hundred people, and there are thirty-four households.
Counting at his uncle's house, there are at least a dozen.
This is still their village, what about the entire Youzhou?
Even Wang Lishi and Zhao Chongyuan on the carriage were stunned when they heard these wealthy words.
Youzhou has been a land of bitter cold since ancient times. It borders Beiliang and Nanchen, and is often harassed by foreign tribes from Mobei.
Since the founding of Daqian, it has been the site of three wars.
People's livelihood is in decline and wars continue.
It has always been the most worrying place for emperors of all ages.
When did you become so rich?
There are over a hundred cattle in a village, and even thousands of sheep?
"Uncle, don't joke, when did our village become so rich?"
After a while, the guard named Erwazi realized what he was doing and looked at his old uncle with a look that was embarrassed to expose him.
It was just because Youzhou couldn't survive back then, and it had only been a few years.
That’s how much has changed.
"Bad calf, are you bragging about your uncle? Let me tell you, these cows were obtained by our Highness, King Yan."
The villager said proudly, and then pointed to the bluestone road on the ground: "See, this was built bit by bit by our Highness, King Yan, together with the people of Youzhou.
Our Highness, King Yan, has said so.
If you want to get rich, you must first build a road. Sure enough, after the road was built, businessmen from other places began to come to Youzhou. "
"The cattle were obtained by Prince Yan, and this road was also built by Prince Yan?"
The guard named Erwazi opened his mouth and looked at his old uncle in disbelief.
Even the expressions on the faces of Wang Lishi and Zhao Chongyuan on the carriage became increasingly weird.
This seems to be a little different from what they thought, and the majestic prince actually took the initiative to build the road?
If you want to be rich, build roads first?
What the hell slogan?
Hey, don’t say it.
Pretty smooth.
"Ahem."
Wang Lishi coughed lightly.
The guard named Erwazi suddenly understood and asked: "Old uncle, I have made a name for myself outside these years. Why don't you tell me, did His Highness King Yan force you to practice?
And how many people died when this road was built?
I will go back and file a complaint for you..."
However, before he could finish speaking, the herdsman came up and slapped him.
Erwazi was instantly stunned.
"You bastard, you can say bad things about anyone, but you can't say bad things about His Highness King Yan. Do you know who paid for your parents' illness these years?
They were all paid by our Highness, King Yan, from the cooperative medical system to pay for the doctors.
Without His Highness King Yan, your parents would be dead? "
"ah?"
Upon hearing this, the guard named Erwazi was stunned and asked, "What about my parents?"
The herdsman glared and said angrily: "Don't worry, it's good!"
"That's good, that's good."
Hearing what the herdsman said, the guard named Erwazi breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What about cooperative medical care?"
"This thing won't make sense to you outsiders. You'll understand when you go to the city later."
The herdsman shook his head, and then pointed to the bluestone road on the ground: "As for this road, I tell you, don't go out and talk nonsense about our Highness, King Yan, exploiting the people's wealth and people's anointing.
When we were doing this work, His Highness King Yan not only provided us with two meals a day, but also gave us wages, which was sixty coppers a month. Just talk about this wages. Where can we, the common people, get it? "
"Sixty cents is so high?"
Upon hearing this, the guard named Erwazi was shocked again.
Sixty coppers a month, which is seven hundred and twenty coppers a year, or seven taels in silver.
This is the salary that one usually gets after serving in the army for one year.
It is only now that he has been transferred to the Huben Army Camp that his salary is better.
"He doesn't take away people's wealth and money, but also pays wages. This guy is pretty good."
Inside the carriage, Zhao Chongyuan nodded with satisfaction in his heart after hearing this.
At first, he thought that the bluestone road was built by Zhao Ding by squeezing the local people into doing corvee service. Unexpectedly, not only was he not squeezing the local people, he also gave them wages and food.
At this moment, he was satisfied.
At least it didn't embarrass him, the emperor.
"Your Majesty, that's not right. The wages are not worth it."
But Wang Lishi on the side was anxious.
It cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to build this bluestone road, and how much tax did a fiefdom earn per year?
Especially in Youzhou!
"Eh...this..."
Zhao Chongyuan also reacted, frowning and calculating with his fingers.
A prince's annual salary is 50,000 shi of rice, 25,000 guan of banknotes, 40 pieces of brocade, 300 pieces of silk, 100 pieces each of yarn and luo, 500 pieces of silk, 1,000 pieces of winter and summer cloth, and 2,000 taels of cotton. , two hundred dollars of salt, a thousand catties of flowers.
After all this, it only amounts to about 30,000 taels of silver a year.
If you add in the local taxes, it will only cost you 70,000 taels of silver.
Even if Zhao Ding came here without food or drink for eight years, all the taxes and salary would not necessarily be enough to build such a bluestone road.
After all, this is a mountain, and the polishing and transportation of these bluestone slabs are huge projects.
"Where did this guy get his money?"
After settling the accounts, Zhao Chongyuan was also stunned.
No matter how I calculate the accounts, they still don't add up.
"Is this considered high? When you get to our Youzhou City, you will know what high is."
However, outside the carriage, the herdsman smiled nonchalantly, and at the same time glanced meaningfully at the carriage behind Erwazi. ,
But before Erwazi could say anything, the herdsman called to a young man dressed as a cowherd boy next to him and patted the latter on the head: "Dog boy, come here and call your cousin."
The latter suddenly called out to his cousin reluctantly.
Seeing this, the guard named Erwazi quickly suppressed the doubts in his heart and glanced at Zhao Chongyuan and Wang Lishi on the carriage. After seeing the two nodding, he reached out and took out a piece of sugar paste bought from Guiyunfang in the capital and handed it to them. Give this cowherd baby.
"Pooh."
The cowboy took it, took a bite, spat it out, and said disgustedly: "It's not sweet, it's not delicious."
After speaking, he took out a candied date from his sleeve and threw it into his mouth, his face full of satisfaction.
"not sweet?"
Upon hearing Gouwa's words, the guard named Erwazi suddenly gave up.
Guiyunfang is the most famous time-honored brand in Daqian Imperial Capital. Even the pastries in the palace are made by the masters of Guiyunfang.
He spent a lot of money to buy these two pieces.
Just to take this opportunity to go back to my hometown and show off.
Unexpectedly, I was disliked.
Wang Lishi and Zhao Chongyuan frowned slightly while watching this scene.
Guiyunfang's pastries are not only famous in Daqian, but also among the best in surrounding countries.
Now he is actually disliked by a cowherd boy?
Seeing this, the herdsman smiled awkwardly and said, "Hey, Erwazi, don't be angry. Your little brother has been picky about the pastries from Tiansulou in the city since he was a child. It's normal to not like things outside. It's normal." "
"No, uncle, this is from Guiyunfang. I bought it for two taels of silver just to bring it back to everyone to try. It's valuable."
Erwazi looked pained.
He spent half a month's salary to buy this frugally, but he was disliked in the end.
"You eat mine."
The boy named Gou Wa took out a purse from his arms, took out one and put it in Er Wazi's hand.
"Just try it, I still don't believe it... Oh, it's so sweet. It must be covered in honey, even honey is not that sweet."
Erwazi was a little disbelieving at first, but as soon as he put it in his mouth, he was immediately shocked.
This is more than sweet.
It's like putting a spoonful of crystallized wild honey in your mouth.
It's so sweet that it's a bit too sweet
"real or fake?"
Seeing the fuss made by the young man named Erwazi, the guards around him also became interested.
One by one, they walked forward and looked curiously at the remaining cakes in Erwazi's hands.
"Give, give."
Gouwa is not stingy either.
Knowing that these people were all friends of his cousin, he took out some pastries from his purse and distributed them among them.
Everyone took the cake.
He put it in his hand and looked at it.
But in terms of workmanship, there is still a big gap between it and Guiyunfang.
But put it in your mouth.
Everyone was shocked for a moment.
This is so damn sweet.
It's like it contains honey.
Comparing the pastries from Guiyunfang to this pastry, they are like heaven and earth. After eating this, and then eating pastries from Guiyunfang, it suddenly feels boring.
No wonder this cowherd boy dislikes it.
Wang Lishi and Zhao Chongyuan also looked at everything in front of them curiously.
However, due to his identity, he did not participate.
Just sitting in the carriage watching this scene with interest.
"Hey, Erwazi, you are too short-sighted. What kind of honey is this? This is saccharin. This was also invented by King Yan himself, and the Sulou that day was opened by King Yan."
The villager said with a proud smile.
In the past few years, since King Yan came to their Youzhou, their lives have completely changed.
A bitter and cold place that was looked down upon by others before has almost become a paradise on earth in the surrounding area. Even from Nanchen and Beiliang, there are countless refugees who want to escape.
They, King Yan, don’t want it!
Only the people born and raised in Youzhou are so lucky.
"Is this also done by King Yan?"
Hearing what his old uncle said, the guard named Erwazi was shocked again.
At first he thought this thing was the crystallization of wild honey after being stored for a long time, but he didn't expect it to be saccharin?
But the question arises what exactly is saccharin.
He had heard of sucrose.
Because Guiyunfang’s pastries are made of cane sugar.
The herdsman continued to smile and said: "You don't know that the business of Sulou is very good today. Not only the people of Youzhou, but also the people from the surrounding areas are coming over, as well as the people from Beiliang and Southern Qi. I'm thinking of going to Tiansulou to buy pastries.
Even the ones you eat are the cheapest ones in Tiansulou, and we can’t afford the most expensive ones. "
Seeing the fuss made by the people around Erwazi, the herdsman felt extremely comfortable in his heart.
They are the only ones who envy other people's points. How can anyone envy them?
But since King Yan came, it was really different.
But when Erwazi heard this, he understood instantly.
At this moment, he finally understood why Zhao Ding had the money to build this road.
He was actually doing business with people from Southern Chen and Northern Qi.
Thinking of this, Erwazi suddenly swallowed a mouthful of saliva and looked at the herdsman with a frown on his face: "Uncle, do you think King Yan is doing business with people from Beiliang and Southern Qi?"
