"Princess Yunle's suggestion has been adopted by Emperor Jing, and all negotiations with Hua Xiaodao have been handed over to Princess Yunle!"
While Emperor Jing's chariot was still slowing down the official road, the majestic outline of the Shengjing Imperial City had already appeared in the sight of Jiang Li and the others.
Taking off the mailbox from Jade Falcon's sharp claws, Jiang Li took out the letter and read it, a trace of joy showing on the young man's dusty cheeks.
As long as Princess Yunle can reach a cooperation agreement with Hua Xiaodao, not only is there hope for the implementation of the three strategies to control Mang, but he can also get some support from Hua Xiaodao.
The borders of the Great Zhou Dynasty are long, and there are constant frictions with the surrounding countries. The military strength is tight. Since the founding of the country, it has tacitly allowed the children of aristocratic families to bring a certain number of private troops to join the army.
For those with less than a thousand households, the maximum number of private troops is a hundred.
The commander of the guard station can lead three hundred private troops.
Of course, all the supply costs of the private army are also borne by the aristocratic families, which is an unimaginable expense.
Disciples from aristocratic families are already skilled in martial arts and extremely intelligent and courageous. With the help of powerful private troops, they are even more powerful and can move across the battlefield, accumulating enemy heads many times that of ordinary military officers.
More capable of performing some special and difficult tasks.
These people often rise quickly and lead a party within a few years of joining the army.
It is already very difficult for low-level officers from poor families to improve their martial arts realm and increase their strength. It is even more difficult to accumulate military merit and be promoted.
Jiang Li wanted to quickly accumulate military exploits in the Northern Expedition and gain a certain degree of self-protection, so he also needed a strong private army to follow him.
He was born in the Zhenwu Marquis Mansion, but he was no different from a humble martial artist. He had to plan and fight for all the accumulation by himself.
"I have a close friendship with Liu Honglie, but my status has been reduced to a lowly status. Even if the Qianjun uncle's house breaks off the engagement, it will be difficult to change the current situation.
What's more, I am over sixteen, my literary lamp is not on, and my career path has long been cut off. If I want to protect myself, the only way to go is to join the army. As long as I have fame and fame, Jiang Shirong and the eldest lady will also be able to do something. Scruples. "
Jiang Li secretly thought in his mind that he had mastered the divine power of Tiangang, and his martial arts and Qi vessels had entered the four realms, but in front of the martial backbone of Zhen Wuhou, he was still as small as an ant.
He is not strong enough and has limited means. Even if he leaves the house alone, he cannot escape the search and control of Marquis Zhenwu.
Although this world does not have the technological means of the previous life, it does have endless mysteries and extraordinary magical powers.
For a being like Jiang Shirong, finding a low-level martial artist without channeling skills in the vast nine states is not much different from bending down to pick up something.
"Mr. Mo, let's go to Beishi first!"
Jiang Li and the others rode into the city, instead of returning directly to the Hou Mansion, they headed towards Shengjing North City.
Shengjing is the largest city in Kyushu. The city has a symmetrical layout, wide streets, neat squares, crisscrossing canals, and green shade. There are 108 squares in two cities and millions of people.
The people live in different districts, each of which is surrounded by high walls, like a small city.
There are also two cities, the East and the West, where merchants gather. There are many mansions and shops, a wide range of goods, and prosperous trade. They are the commercial and trade centers of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The East Market gathers rare treasures from all over the world, and most of the items sold are high-quality luxury items.
The West Market mainly sells clothes, candles, cakes, medicine and other daily necessities, and is more prosperous as it is close to people's needs. It is also called the "Gold Market".
The Yumen Restaurant where Jiang Li and the veterans first met was in the West Market.
As for the North City we are going to this time, although it is named after a city, it is actually a low-rise shopping street less than 200 meters long.
But in terms of popularity, it is even worse than the eastern and western cities.
All because this is the only place where prisoners of war are sold in Shengjing City.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had constant frictions and wars with its neighboring countries. The captured prisoners of war were not suitable to be released and returned to the country. To raise them all would consume huge financial resources and manpower, and the gains would outweigh the losses.
Therefore, except for those with special status and status, almost all prisoners of war captured on the battlefield will be escorted here and handed over to the Labor Department of the Ministry of War for unified processing.
Since they are an official institution for disposing of prisoners of war, the ten stalls in Bei City have a unique decoration style that is different from ordinary shops. They are all low-tiled houses with white walls and black tiles, with a simple and unified style.
The only difference is that the prisoners of war imprisoned in the stalls are from different enemy countries and tribes.
It was approaching noon, which was the busiest time of the day in Bei City, but there were not many people walking around near the entrance.
Unlike ordinary domestic slaves who were voluntarily sold into the noble families, most of the prisoners of war sold by the Labor Service Department of the Ministry of War were soldiers with full muscles and strong bones.
There are even some warriors at the Jiao Martial Realm and the Tai Chi Realm, but their prices are not much more expensive than ordinary domestic slaves.
Due to the special status of the prisoners of war, in order to prevent neighboring countries or relatives of the prisoners of war from mixing into the Zhou Dynasty and buying the prisoners out of the country, the Labor Department of the Ministry of War had strict requirements on the identity of the buyers.
Ordinary merchants are not eligible to buy. Only the Houmen family is eligible to enter the North City.
Once a prisoner of war is purchased, he or she cannot be released at will or the slave status can be lifted.
They also have the responsibility to control these prisoners of war. Once these prisoners of war escape from control, the Ministry of War will charge a large fine.
The North Market was not so much an official place for selling prisoners of war, but rather a tacit agreement between the Ministry of War and the aristocratic families. The aristocratic families took care of the burden of raising prisoners of war for the imperial court, and the imperial court provided low-level warriors for the aristocratic families to drive.
"Why don't you let me in? Is this the tolerance of Da Zhou?"
"Since it is a commercial market and it is open for business, everyone should be treated equally. Why can people from the Zhou Dynasty enter, but we barbarians cannot?"
"The Ministry of War has an order that anyone who enters Bei City must be from a registered aristocratic family. Otherwise, even if you have tens of thousands of gold, you will not be allowed to enter!"
"Leave quickly. If you cause trouble and alert the government officials, we will take you all into the army and send you eight thousand miles away!"
Before Jiang Li and the others reached Bei City, they heard angry and dissatisfied noises coming from afar at the entrance, mixed with the low voices of passers-by.
"Another alien who came to redeem his relatives!"
"Wishful thinking, not to mention whether they can collect enough ransom, even if they buy the person out, how can they pass through all the interrogations and checks to reach the border without a road guide!"
…
"This is Bei City?"
Jiang Li and the other four rode their horses and saw many people gathered at the entrance of Bei City. They were pointing and talking, as if some dispute had occurred.
"Who is making such a noise!"
In the North City, there was the sound of chain armor and weapons clashing with each other. Sitting on his horse, Jiang Li saw a group of sergeants rushing towards the entrance holding long guns and sabers at their waists.
"Da Zhou bullies people too much. It's all about business. The family's money is money, but our money is not money?"
"Let's go. If we are not allowed in, is there no other way?"
Hearing the sound of the soldiers' armor from the Great Zhou Dynasty, two big men wearing animal skins and hunky backs squeezed out of the crowd at the entrance.
They are about eight feet tall, with towering bodies, dark skin, short hair, and primitive and mysterious tattoo symbols on their faces.
Although he was bare-handed, he gave people an extremely dangerous and ferocious feeling, like two humans and bears walking in Shengjing City.
The crowd watching the excitement around them tried to avoid him and got out of the way. Some of the slow-moving ones were knocked down by the two big men and knocked to the ground, screaming in pain.
"The barbarians from Shiwanyao Mountain! Why did they come to Shengjing City?"
Old Man Tu exclaimed.
"Monster Mountain Barbarians?"
Jiang Li raised his eyebrows slightly.
In the "Jiuzhou Supplements" he had read, there were relevant records about the Shiwan Demon Mountain in the south of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The book says that it is an uncultivated and primitive land, and it is also a paradise that the monsters in the world yearn for.
The mountains are endless, primitive and vast, almost half the size of the Great Zhou Dynasty. There are overlapping jungles, crisscrossing streams and waterfalls, and strange mountains and ridges. They are mysterious and dangerous, and are home to countless ferocious beasts, monsters, and people who work with monsters and beasts. Barbarian tribes that have been around for thousands of years.
