The squad leader's expression suddenly dropped when he saw a few team members with unnatural expressions among the nods. "When I go to Pingxia City this time, the higher-ups will check them one by one. If there are any who can't memorize the words, hurry up." Review on the road.”
"I'm not kidding you. This inspection was personally ordered by the president. It will definitely not be as casual as before. I can let you pass the test. If you fail the inspection and are kicked out of the escort team, don't come to me to plead for mercy."
When the team members saw that the team leader was not joking, they took out their books and memorized them while walking on horseback, regardless of whether they knew how to memorize. This job was their life and fortune. If they lost their jobs because of a pinyin table, they would regret it. died.
The laughter and laughter just now were suddenly replaced by high and low recitations, all the way to the largest store in the city - Xifeng Trading Company.
In front of the shop stood several teams like Yaze and others, guarding each carriage. On the carriages were neatly stacked bags of green salt tied with hemp ropes.
Yaze also joined the team, guarding beside a carriage.
Not long after, a wealthy businessman who was so fat that he needed the support of two servants walked out of the shop and got into the five-horse luxury car in the middle.
"Set off!"
The captain of the front guard team gave an order, and the convoy began to move forward slowly.
The people in the city moved out of the way and looked at the black-clothed guards riding tall horses with envy in their eyes.
Today's chamber of commerce guards have the same status as the emperor's personal guards three years ago, and their benefits and benefits are even better. Even a young man would want to cut his head to get in. Unfortunately, the chamber of commerce has not recruited more guards this year, and they have no chance to rise to the top. Opportunity.
But also because of the Chamber of Commerce, their life is much better than before. They basically have enough food and warm clothes. They can save a lot of money by sparing a little, not to mention they don't have to sacrifice people or horses at every turn. The imperial court went to war, and life and death depended on fate.
This was something that was unimaginable before. It began to sprout in May three years ago, and it is now bearing fruit three years later.
Everyone in Xixia believes in Buddhism. They firmly believe that the person who pulls them out of the quagmire and brings them a prosperous and happy life is the reincarnation of the Buddha.
If not for the reincarnation of the Buddha, how could he have lifted the masses out of poverty and ushered in prosperity in just three years?
Wang Erlang also thought about the reason, and after a rough analysis, he came to a conclusion: Xixia is a semi-tribal and semi-urban country. Most places still implement the patriarchal management system, so they do not rely heavily on the central system. After all, before Li Yuanhao ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, , Xixia is an anarchic tribal alliance. As long as there are no conflicts within the alliance and can deal with the outside world unanimously, then the central government is actually dispensable.
But now that the Xixia Chamber of Commerce has replaced the central government to speak out, it can be more fair and just, and it will not impose taxes and corvee on the people, nor will it force conscription. As long as no one stands on their heads to suck blood, and there are no wars, the people will recover. The ability is very strong.
Moreover, when the leader of a clan manages his clan members, he will at least be fair and equitable, and will not bully his own clan members or covet the property of the Mo clan people. This is why Xixia can develop rapidly after receiving cheap living supplies from the Song Dynasty.
The same chamber of commerce was placed in the Song Dynasty, but the effect was not satisfactory. The reason is also very simple, because the ruler of the Song Dynasty did not consider the people under his rule to be his clansmen.
Having said that, the caravan did not move very fast because of the cargo. It set off in the morning, rested in Weizhou at night, and set foot on the wide and flat road again the next morning.
Yaze rode on a straight road, talking to his teammates about the past of this road. He was full of pride because this road still had his hard work. It was when he was hired by the Chamber of Commerce to build the road that he heard that the Chamber of Commerce was recruiting guards. Team members, and priority was given to recruiting from road construction workers. Only then did he stand out from the crowd and be selected into the escort team.
This road leads directly to Pingxia City. When passing Tiandu Mountain, the team leader pointed to a valley not far away and danced to the team members, describing how they lured the imperial generals into the valley three years ago, only to be killed by Captain Yue eight hundred years ago. Bu Wai's headshot with an arrow made all the guards excited. They wished they could go back to three years ago when they joined the guard and experienced those days of gunfire and arrows with the Chamber of Commerce.
After passing Tiandu Mountain, we arrived at Tongxia Village. Of course, there are also memories of the early days of the Chamber of Commerce. When the squad leader mentioned that the president was almost shot through by an assassin here, all the team members turned pale with fright. Bai, think of it if the president was successfully assassinated at that time, then...
The guards didn't dare to think about it anymore, that was a consequence they couldn't accept.
"Then what?" one team member asked eagerly.
"Then..." the squad leader drawled, and said, "Do you know why Captain Yue has big eyes?"
Seeing the team members shaking their heads, the team leader said with satisfaction: "The arrow that was shot at the president's vest was split in half by Captain Yue. As a result, the broken arrow grazed Captain Yue's brow bone, leaving a scar. This is why one eye looks bigger and the other smaller now."
"Ah, that's it!"
After hearing this, everyone sighed repeatedly, thinking that Captain Yue was the Arhat who was reincarnated with President Buddha, and that was why he had such force.
I have heard this argument so many times that even the team leader who had been in contact with the president and Captain Yue every day could not help but nod, and somewhat believed this statement.
After passing Tongxia Village, there were more people of all ethnic groups along the way, because not far away they reached the destination of their trip, Pingxia City.
Looking at Pingxia City, which was slightly taller than Xingqingfu, the capital of Xixia, Yaze and his teammates stopped joking and their expressions became a little solemn, because this city is also a holy city in the hearts of Buddhist believers like them.
The caravan entered the city slowly because there were too many people in the city. All that could be seen were human heads. People from every tribe in Xixia, Yaze, could be seen here, and their skin color was obviously much different from theirs. There were many people, and some of them wore thick white cloth hats on their heads. He even saw blond and blue-eyed aliens. These were tribes he had never seen before, and he couldn't help but be stunned.
Only after the squad leader explained his doubts in due course did he realize that they were all businessmen from further west in Xixia, some from Gaochang Uighurs, some from Khwarezm, and some from Seljuks, from various countries. Some even the well-informed squad leader couldn't name them.
For Yaze, it was simple. Apart from his ancestral land of Tubo, he had only heard of Gaochang. Apart from that, Yaze had never heard of other countries. Those were too far away from his world. It's far away, but today is an eye-opener.
He didn't know what this city looked like before, but now it was the most prosperous city he had ever seen. Everything in his eyes impacted his eyes and refreshed his understanding of the world.
If the Buddha were not here, why would people from all over the world come to pay homage?
The team leader was also convinced again by his concept. Thinking that he often ate wine and meat with the Buddha earlier, he felt as if there was a trace of Buddha's light protecting him.
The convoy entered the city in the evening and did not reach the Chamber of Commerce until late at night. The short journey took two hours. Yaze couldn't help but sigh that Pingxia City was too congested!
This originally small border town cannot serve as a multi-national forum.
Looking at the majestic and huge chamber of commerce in front of him, Yaze didn't know how to describe it. His vocabulary did not support describing such a tall building. He only knew that the door was almost two feet high, and even the five-horse tycoon of the clan leader was Cars can drive in without any hindrance.
Entering the Chamber of Commerce is like entering a small city. Each type of item has its own independent warehouse. Even at this moment, there are countless figures loading and unloading goods.
When the convoy drove to Qingyan District, someone came to record the unloading. Yaze took this opportunity to look left and right, focusing on every floor, as if he was looking for something.
The team leader seemed to see through his intentions and said with a smile: "Don't look at it, the president does not live in the Chamber of Commerce."
"Where will the president live?" he asked immediately.
"The president lives in the government office. Don't worry, we will be assigned to the chamber of commerce hall tomorrow. You will naturally see the president then."
"Really!"
Seeing the squad leader nodding, Yaze was beyond words happy. If he wasn't on a horse, he would even want to do a hometown dance.
Even late at night in the guard dormitory, he was too excited to fall asleep. He lay on the bed without moving for a long time, but his eyes were wide open in the dark night.
He had just started to feel sleepy and hadn't squinted for long when he was called out by the squad leader. Only when he got out of bed did he see all the black-clad guards lined up in the courtyard, marching neatly in groups. Walking out of the courtyard.
They carried knives on their waists, and teams of guards were on the streets and alleys of Pingxia City, keeping the roads clear at all times. The streets in front of the Chamber of Commerce were all cleaned up, so that no other people could enter.
The common people who got up early also knew what day it was, and they just stretched their heads to watch. No one interfered with the work of the escort team.
Yaze did not go to the street, but was led by the team leader into the chamber of commerce, where he was arranged to stand guard on one side in front.
The hall was still empty at this time, with only ten guards, including Yaze, standing around with guns. In the hall was a long table that could seat thirty people, with fifty chairs on each side of the hall.
Is this the Chamber of Commerce Hall...
Yaze originally thought it would be like a clan meeting or a court meeting, with the clan leader and the emperor at the top, and the ministers and clansmen below taking orders. It turns out that the chamber of commerce meetings are the same for every member, so it seems that the people sitting at the long table in the middle should be the elders. Members, the people sitting on both sides should be ordinary members.
As expected by Yaze, half an hour later, wealthy businessmen from various clans entered the hall one after another and took their seats. Yaze did not know the other members, but he knew the leader of the Xifeng clan, which was the main family he was responsible for guarding.
Xifeng Huai was supported by two boys and walked to the long table in the hall. He just sat down with some difficulty. When he glanced at the entrance, he saw the tall and strong figure and stood up in an instant. Come.
