The sky was dark, the wind and snow were whining, and the blowing wind and heavy snow almost engulfed everything in Tianshan County. The visibility was less than a few feet, and the cold wind blew fine snow particles towards the face, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes. But in this blizzard, there were still bursts of noise before the prefectural government. Looking around, there were excited Sui people everywhere, shouting about the Sogdian profiteers who wanted to steal the little girl alive.
There were three types of Sogdian merchants. One type had lived in the Central Plains for many years. Not only did they join the Sui Dynasty, but they could also speak fluent Chinese. They married wives, had children, and bought properties like ordinary merchants in the Sui Dynasty. However, these Sogdian people were still in the Sui Dynasty. When doing business in various places, the most popular ones are jewelry stores, barbarian wine shops, and barbarian brothels. Some people even became officials in the Sui Dynasty, such as He Chou and He Tuo. Their ancestors came from the Sogdian country and had settled in the Sui Dynasty for several generations. In addition to their appearance and Sogdian characteristics, in other aspects they were similar to those of the Sogdians. There is nothing different about the Han people.
The second type of Sogdian merchants opened stores at both ends. They opened a jewelry store in Daxing, specializing in selling products from the West, and then opened a porcelain and silk shop in Sogdian merchants, selling products from the Central Plains. This kind of people are close to being assimilated. They live in Central Asia where there is no war. Once the weather is bad, they will go to the Sui Dynasty to settle down.
The last type of Sogdian merchants traveled on the Silk Road all year round. They transported Sogdian gold and silver jewelry, Persian carpets, Roman gold and silverware, and food and spices to the Sui Dynasty. They also transported silk, porcelain, paper, and medicine back to the West. They generally did not stay in the Sui Dynasty for too long. They usually sold their goods directly to the Sogdians who settled in the Sui Dynasty, or to big businessmen with deep backgrounds like Dugu Min. The former had the same beliefs, while the latter could Sui Dynasty provided them with convenience.
The first two, because they were people of the Sui Dynasty and semi-settled in the Sui Dynasty, seemed to be relatively law-abiding and able to abide by the laws of the Sui Dynasty well, while the latter were not so disciplined. As long as there was money to be made, they would use any means.
The Sogdians who stole girls belong to the latter group. They plan to steal the girls and raise them as singing prostitutes in Sogdiana. When they grow up, they will either sell them at a good price or use them as gifts to make friends with Western dignitaries; or they will open a brothel. Letting these girls use their talents and bodies to make money for them is the same as the Hu Ji they brought to Daxing City.
"What's your name?" In the heavy snow, Yang Ji looked at the caravan leader who was brought up indifferently. This man was wearing a roll-brimmed hat. He was so scared that he knelt on the ground and shivered.
"Go back to the chief manager, my name is Kang Sishun, and I am the leader of this caravan. We are from the Sogdian Kang state."
Kang Sishun's voice was very low and his tone was trembling. He knelt in front of Yang Ji and begged: "We have shops in the capital of the Sui Dynasty and in the state of Kang. We often travel between the east and the west. We have always abided by the laws of the Sui Dynasty and have never sold girls. and forbidden objects. And these seventeen people are new people who have joined my caravan. We Sogdian merchants have an agreement to help each other, so we brought them here. Who would have thought that they are so unruly. That is because they are carrying What the three of us did, please forgive us for our lives.”
Yang Ji ignored Kang Sishun and asked Li Jing, who was striding forward, "Besides the child, has anything else been found?"
Li Jing shook his head and said: "No more. Although they all have swords and daggers on their bodies, it is normal for each of them to have one set."
"I know!" Yang Ji looked at Kang Sishun and said coldly: "I won't kill you! But as the leader of the caravan, you can't even look down on your own accomplices. You can avoid the death penalty, but you can't escape the living penalty. , these wealth and camels have been confiscated. Do you have any objections?"
"I, I, I don't dare to have an opinion." Kang Sishun's heart felt like a knife piercing his heart, and he hated the profiteers who had harmed them. He knew that he could still make money in the future, but he only had one life. If he dared to disagree, even if Yang Ji did not kill them, but was beaten to death by the Tianshan people who shared the same hatred and looked angry.
"How much are your goods and camels worth?" Yang Ji asked again.
Kang Sishun quickly calculated in his mind and said: "Report to the General Manager, if converted into gold, the price of these goods in the Central Plains is more than 4,600 taels. If they arrive in Sogdia, they are worth more than 13,000 taels. Over in Persia, you can sell it for three taels or more."
"Huge profits!" Yang Ji looked at Kang Sishun and said, "It seems that you are a big merchant in Kang State. If you get more than ten big horses and horses to sell to me, I can return these goods to you. Can you Can it be done?"
"I can do it!" A look of love flashed across Kang Sishun's face. In the Sui Dynasty, rare things were considered valuable. After being shown off by the powerful people who owned them, other people regarded them as treasures and eventually became a member of a powerful family. This is one of the facades of the Sogdians, which also made the Sogdians sell it at a sky-high price. In fact, although Dashi horses are rare and expensive in Dashi, with a little work, Kang Sishun can get more than a hundred of them.
The shrewd Sogdians are good at joining a political force, either to obtain a certain political status through this force, or to act through this force, which is conducive to the development of commercial activities. Kang Sishun was exactly this kind of person. He knew very well about the Sui royal family and powerful people. Not only did he know Yang Ji's status in the eyes of the emperor and the prince, but he also knew that he had monopolized the power of Liangzhou. After ten years of status, almost no one can shake it. If you can establish a relationship with such a powerful prince who is closely related to the Silk Road, let alone selling him a dozen big food horses, it will be a free gift. , Kang Sishun is also happy.
"Get up and talk."
"Thank you, Chief Manager." Kang Sishun stood up. He looked at Yang Ji carefully and asked, "Can these people who violate the rules be handed over to me?"
"According to the rules of our Sui Dynasty, any foreigner who dares to show his sword to the people of our Sui Dynasty will die. These people stole the children of the people, which is tantamount to starting a war with our Sui Dynasty." Yang Ji swept away the colorful beards indifferently. Person: "We, the Sui Dynasty, pay attention to doing business with integrity. As long as you abide by the laws and regulations in the Sui Dynasty, the laws of the Sui Dynasty will protect you. But since these people have betrayed their faith and are lawless, they naturally have no right to survive in the world. Come here. !”
"Here!" Xue Ju came forward with two personal guards.
Yang Ji ordered: "Go and call Zhu Can and others."
Zhu Can and other eighteen cooks have practiced the nine-style sword skills taught by Gongsun Huan for nearly a year. Not only did they have to undergo physical training and fight with the guards, but they were also taken to the mountains to suppress bandits by dead soldiers. The superb cook turned into a qualified bodyguard. Zhu Can, a guy with a quick mind, had become a leader of the Xuanwu Guards, with twenty soldiers under his command.
Yang Ji took them with him on this tour. With this group of people here, there was never a shortage of delicious food on the table. However, they were ordered to protect Xiao Ying and other girls and were not here at this time.
"Here!" Xue Ju asked his guards to call someone in confusion.
After a while, Zhu Can came running with his team and saluted: "See you, Young Master."
"Fat man, your business is here." Yang Ji pointed at the dozen Sogdians with a cold smile on his face: "These people stole dozens of girls and deserved to be punished. You put these The profiteers cut them into pieces for me."
"Yes!" Zhu Can grinned. Although he had become a muscular man, the word "fat man" made him feel more friendly.
They did not use torture tools such as fish and meat. They stepped forward and interrupted the profiteers. They untied the ropes and stripped off their clothes. Then when Kang Sishun waited for the Hu people to stop looking at him, they took out small and sharp daggers and cut them with one knife after another. The skin of these profiteers was cut off.
The blood on the ground flowed all over the ground, and the pieces of meat as thin as cicada wings fell to the ground and instantly froze into a "U" shape. They were so tender and delicious.
The shrill screams of the profiteers and their own entourage began with curses and ended with weak sobs begging for mercy. The entire torture process continued until dark. Under the burning torches, these Sogdian profiteers could not find a single piece. With their skin and flesh intact, these people breathed their last after being tortured for an hour, but Zhu Can and others still strictly followed Yang Ji's orders and completed the punishment.
Kang Sishun and his entourage did not disperse. Although they had killed many people on the Silk Road, they had never seen killings so cruel and full of violent beauty. They both vomited and felt sorry for themselves. The Sui army's fear was almost melted into their bones after this execution.
After the execution, Yang Ji took a deep breath and said to Kang Sishun: "If you bring Hu Ji and Hu Nu into the country, I will never interfere, but you cannot bring Sui women out of the country. This is a principle that cannot be touched. Whoever dares will be punished." die."
"Uh...yes!" Kang Sishun knelt down nervously. After this incident, his fear of Yang Ji had been integrated into his bones.
"Don't worry, our Sui Dynasty welcomes Sogdian merchants who abide by the law. If you are treated unfairly, the law will protect you." Yang Ji did not ask him to get up, but said calmly: "I hope you will go back. , Promote the laws of the Sui Dynasty more, so that your friends will not make mistakes."
"Yes... yes." Kang Sishun stammered. Even if he had a thousand courages, he wouldn't dare to say no.
"Let's go!" Yang Ji waved his hand, and Xue Ju and Zhu Can quickly followed Yang Ji with their guards.
Li Jing left the matter to Yao Junsu and followed him.
"Puff" until the figures of Yang Ji and his party disappeared into the thick night, Kang Sishun knelt down on the ground slumped again, and a fishy smell filled the air around him.
. . . . . .
Yang Ji had no ability or means to interfere with the slave trade that was rampant in the Sui Dynasty. In fact, even if the imperial court forcibly abolished the slave trade, the slaves might not be grateful, because every time there was no harvest, the common people could not even eat porridge. , but the slaves live quite comfortably with the support of the master's family. In normal times, the slaves rely on the big tree of the master's family and don't have to worry about being bullied by officials. Take the slaves in Yang Ji's family as an example, even if they are given free rein. , they may not be willing to be common people in the imperial court.
Yang Ji couldn't control the slaves in the country, but he could control these barbarians. As long as the gates were properly managed, at least the girls of the Sui Dynasty would not have to go to the Western Regions, Western Turks, and Persia to be slaves and prostitutes, but they would have food to eat and humanity. Compared with many great Sui masters, those places were real beasts. They were relatively good at killing slaves, but the horror was that they were in a dilemma between life and death.
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey!
These dozen Hu merchants and their entourage are obviously not enough. The most important thing is to establish rules. Only in this way can their clutches be completely cut off.
"Cousin, the Sogdians have accumulated huge wealth and formed a mature business group dominated by families. They stay away from home and continue to open up their own trade nodes along the trade routes. At the same time, they also use their financial and military power to Influence and connect local political forces to seek longer-term political security and even commercial monopoly rights for themselves. For example, the Shekui Khan relied on the military and financial resources of the Sogdians, and what they gained was absolute control over the territory. He had the right to govern and used his accumulated network advantages to monopolize foreign trade. If not for this, how could Shekui Khan be as powerful as he is today!"
Dugu Pingyun said: "This kind of people only have real money in their eyes and have no sense of shame. What happened today can be seen. I suggest that these Hu businessmen be permanently denied entry."
"It's a sentimental view." Yang Ji shook his head: "Their connections, financial resources, and items are what I need in the Sui Dynasty. They transported a large amount of silk, porcelain, paper, and medicine, which played a huge role in the prosperity and development of these industries. How can we shut out the majority of good businessmen because of a small group of scum? We should take a long-term view when doing things."
Dugu Pingyun said worriedly: "I'm worried that more traders will follow suit."
"Businessmen seek profit but save their lives. The Sogdians came from the far west with the purpose of making money. As long as regulations are established and strict inspections are carried out at the border, and at the same time, inns and wine shops are encouraged to report, under strict laws and heavy supervision, I will understand that The Sogdians will not continue to do such illegal things." Yang Ji said: "And the girls they brought need to spend effort and financial resources to cultivate before they can become talents. Before they are fifteen or sixteen years old, they cannot help them make money. If If you die on the road, your work will be in vain. Therefore, whether it is in terms of personal life or immediate benefits, it is not worthwhile to be a human trafficker, and the Sogdians are smart businessmen, and they are all people with families. , they will naturally choose products that are in their interests.”
"I understand!" Dugu Pingyun nodded. He knew that the Sogdian people "planned profits between father and son." Therefore, there was no big family system, but a patrilineal small family system prevailed. But on the other hand, when a man becomes an adult, he must leave his family and go into business alone to make a living. He begins to live apart from his parents and brothers. If there is an interest dispute between father, son, or brother, he will go directly to the official. Therefore, Sogdian men are very selfish and mean. , very indifferent to humanity, and have no idea of loyalty to the emperor or patriotism. They like money more than anything else. The father likes his daughter more than his son who competes for the family property. If he does not die, the son will never know how much property his father has.
Once you have a family business, you are bound to it, and then you cherish your life and fear death, for fear that you will die before you can enjoy the family business you have worked hard for. Almost all of these big Sogdian businessmen who came from afar are "successful people" and have no regard for life. The level of cherishment is far higher than that of ordinary Sogdians. It is almost difficult for them to continue to risk their lives to do illegal things.
Everyone discussed the development direction of Tingzhou and the security issues. After Yang Ji solved them one by one, they dispersed.
7017k
