Chapter 7 Outsmart Yiwu

The Wusun people are an extremely ancient nation that have always lived in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, they had close relations with the Xianbei people. However, they were repeatedly oppressed by the Rouran people and were eventually forced to retreat to the west of Congling. There are still a small number of Wusun people.

People left behind, and the Yiwu State was a country built by a part of the Wusun people.

Like other countries in the Western Regions, the country of Yiwu also has complex ethnic groups. In addition to the Wusun people, there are also the Tielchuyue people, who later became the Shatuo people, and a small number of Qibi and some Western Turks.

There are even hundreds of households of Han people who have become barbarians. They are the descendants of the original Han people in Yiwu County. They live in Yiwu City. They have intermarried with barbarians for hundreds of years. Their language and customs have become barbarians. In addition to their appearance, they are slightly Han Chinese.

Characteristics and other characteristics are completely different. There is no trace of the Han people in them.

Among these complex ethnic groups, the Tiele Chuyue tribe is the most powerful. They occupy the most abundant pastures in this area. They occupy the pastures around Puleihai, while the Wusun people are mainly concentrated in Yiwu.

They built an army of nearly 6,000 people in the city and its surrounding areas.

The king of Yiwu is called Mochu. He is about forty years old this year. He is quite fat. He has more than a dozen wives and concubines, who have given him dozens of children. Especially the three older sons have been fighting for power and profit in recent years.

The territory has caused panic among the people of Yiwu country.

But the real worry of King Mochu was not the struggle for power among his sons, but foreign aggression, the threat and control of the Western Turks to the Yiwu Kingdom. Before the death of Datou Khan, the entire Western Region was under the control of the Western Turks.

Next, after the death of Datou, a struggle for power began to occur within the Western Turks. Countries in the Western Regions and Tiele tribes took the opportunity to break away from the control of the Western Turks. However, Yiwu country could not escape the control of the Western Turks. This was not what the Wusun people were willing to do.

They are slaves of the Western Turks, but because the powerful Chuyue people always threaten the survival of the Yiwu country.

It was precisely because of the mediation of the Western Turks that the Chuyue tribe did not dare to attack the Yiwu country, and the Western Turks used the strong pressure of the Chuyue tribe to prevent the Yiwu country from betraying.

This is a painful balance, and the price is heavy taxes every year. Half of the country's treasury revenue every year must be handed over to the Western Turks. For this reason, the Western Turks also specially set up a permanent financial supervisor called Tutun.

Yiwu Country, supervise the tax payment of Yiwu Country.

This situation has lasted for many years, from initial disgust to gradual compliance, until now it is commonplace.

The brutal exploitation of the Western Turks has made the people of Yiwu generally poor. The city wall was still built hundreds of years ago by the Han Dynasty. Hundreds of years of erosion have made the city wall low, and it has collapsed in several places and cannot be repaired.

The city is divided into two, and they are two completely different worlds. To the west is the civilian area, with short and shabby houses, crowded buildings, and sewage everywhere. Children all over the street are running naked and have no clothes to wear. Yiwu Country

The vast majority of people are civilians.

To the east is where a small number of nobles and businessmen live together. The houses are neat and the shops are densely packed. They sell silk, porcelain, pottery and various Japanese supplies from Dunhuang. The nobles on the street are well-dressed and have red faces. They

Most of them have groups of wives and concubines and live a luxurious life. They enjoy tax-free privileges and the Western Turks cannot exploit them.

At the end of the middle street is the Yiwu King's Palace, which is also a magnificent palace. King Mo Chuo and his dozens of wives, concubines and children live here.

On this afternoon, Yiwu City was still as lively as usual. The news that the Sui army invaded Rouyuan Town did not reach here. Although the weather was extremely hot, Yiwu civilians had to work hard to survive. The streets were bustling and noisy. .

"The caravan has entered the city!"

I don't know who shouted, and people rushed to the city gate from all directions. They saw a huge caravan coming in from the city gate, consisting of more than 200 camels and thousands of horses, loaded with pottery, cloth and other items. Cargo, on a horse headed by a young flag-bearer, raised a large flag high with the word "Xiao" written on it. This was the Xiao family's caravan from Dunhuang.

There were also flag bearers on the following horses holding flags into the city. The big flags had the characters 'Xie' and 'Chen' written on them respectively. These were also two big families in Dunhuang. The caravans of the three big families came to Yiwu country hand in hand, so that The city of Yiwu was boiling. The caravans were surrounded by three layers inside and three layers outside. Everyone's eyes were full of enthusiasm, which was the desire for wealth. The children ran barefoot and followed the caravans, shouting happily.

Countless merchants came after hearing the news, preparing to snatch the goods. At this time, the eldest prince Aman led a group of cavalry. Aman was in charge of the trade of Yiwu country. The arrival of the Dunhuang caravan also made him smile. The caravan could It would bring an extra income to the treasury, and it would also allow him to publicize his political achievements in front of his father.

"Prince, here are three caravans!" an official shouted in surprise.

Next to the eldest prince Aman is a bald old man, about fifty years old. He is a Tutun stationed in Yiwu country by the Western Turks. He is also a tax supervisor. His name is "Shun". Everyone calls him Tushun. Tu Shun's brows furrowed and he said to himself: "It's strange. In previous years, we didn't come here until autumn. Why is it that the peak of summer is here now? How can they survive in the Gobi Desert?"

"Your Excellency Tutun, it doesn't matter when they come. The important thing is that they brought wealth. In this way, we can pay the taxes in the autumn and spend the winter comfortably. Isn't it a good thing?"

The eldest prince Aman was in high spirits. He ignored Tutun and urged his horse to meet him.

"Mr. Xiao!"

When he saw the team leader Xiao Yuansong, he shouted and went to greet him.

Almost everyone in Yiwu City knows Xiao Yuansong, and everyone calls him Xiao Caishen, because he always comes to Yiwu City with rich goods and makes a lot of money.

Xiao Yuansong was surrounded by more than a dozen merchants. The merchants not only wanted to sell his goods, but also sold the local products they usually purchased to Xiao Yuansong. Although the Xiao family was not the largest caravan, several groups of Sogdian merchants The team was even larger than his, but the merchants in Yiwu City did not like the cunning of the Sogdians, and they preferred to do business with the Han people.

Xiao Yuansong heard the shouting and turned around to see the eldest prince Aman. He walked forward with a smile, hugged the eldest prince tightly on the horse, and joked: "Your Highness, you are thinner than last year. I'm worried." , is there enough food in the city to satisfy these greedy guys of mine?"

Aman then discovered that there were many more caravan men than before. There used to be only two to three hundred people, but now there are nearly a thousand. He couldn't help but be shocked, "What are you doing with so many men?"

Xiao Yuansong introduced him with a smile: "It's not all my guys, there are two other caravans. Didn't you notice that the goods we transported were twice as much as before?"

Aman nodded. It didn't matter to him how many guys came. He didn't have to worry about food and accommodation. Moreover, the more people came, the more money they spent. This was a good thing for Yiwu City. He also smiled and said, "As long as you can pay."

If you pay for the meal, you can get any amount of food."

Both of them laughed. Xiao Yuansong saw Tutun. He didn't like this fat, dark, bald old man. He came to count his goods every time, as if he was the owner of the goods. But this time, his goods could not be counted.

.

Xiao Yuansong has a way. There is an unwritten rule here. It is not necessary to take inventory of the merchant's goods, but a redemption money must be paid to Tutun. This is considered Tutun's private income.

He urged his horse forward and bowed: "Honorable Lord Tutun, I was just going to find you."

"What do you want to do with me?" Tutun squinted his eyes and smiled, his little eyes shining with longing. In fact, he also hoped that caravans from Dunhuang would come to Dunhuang ten times a year.

Xiao Yuansong scratched his head, looked at the caravan, and said helplessly: "I plan to pay the redemption money this time. I have to do business soon and will go back early tomorrow morning."

"Why are you in such a hurry to go back? Why don't you stay a few more days?"

"There is no other way. There is a grand chamber of commerce in the capital in early August. The owner wants us to attend, so we can only come earlier this year."

"No wonder!"

Tutun stared at the caravan with sharp eyes, thinking in his mind, and whispered a few words to Xiao Yuansong. Xiao Yuansong frowned, "A little too much, subtract a little."

"Why is Mr. Xiao so stingy?"

Tutun refused to give in, "If you don't do it, then there is nothing I can do!"

Tutun caught the caravan and was eager to return. He did not give in at all and looked at Xiao Yuansong with a smile. His term will expire next year. What if he doesn't seize the time to make more money?

"good!"

Xiao Yuansong reluctantly agreed, "I'll settle in first. According to the old rules, I'll go to your house in the evening."

"welcome!"

Tutun chuckled, turned around and left.

When Xiao Yuansong saw that the prince and Tutun had left, he shouted to various merchants around him: "The merchants from the inns will come first. We need to stay in at least twenty inns."

Dozens of innkeepers gathered around, shouting loudly, this hotel has exquisite food, that hotel can provide beautiful girls, competing with various specialties, vying for the big deal that is rare this year.

Shen Guang, who was mixed in the team, looked at the city and the city gate, curled his lips, and said to Su Lie: "In such a dilapidated city, there is no need for the general to use this kind of 'hiding from the sky' strategy. As soon as the army comes, he will

Crushed."

Su Lie said coldly: "What do you know? A general cherishes his brothers and subdues others without fighting. Do you understand?"

Shen Guang didn't dare to say anything. At this time, Xiao Yuansong chose a hotel, and the shopkeepers led them to various hotels.

.......

Night slowly fell, and more than four thousand Sui army cavalry slowly stopped and looked at Yiwu City ten miles away. Under the bright moonlight, Yiwu City was particularly clear.

Wang Wei whispered uneasily at the side: "General, Lieutenant Su is inexperienced, so I'm a little worried."

Yang Yuanqing smiled and said, "Don't worry. Although he is inexperienced, he is very smart, and he is not reckless. He will act according to my plan. As long as I give him more opportunities to train, he will definitely be a famous general of the Sui Dynasty in the future."

"I hope! I also hope there won't be any accidents."

"Don't be afraid even if there is an accident. This low and dilapidated city cannot stop the Sui cavalry. I just don't want to consume too much of Wusun's army."

Yang Yuanqing turned around and ordered: "I am ordering the three armies not to slack off and to be ready to charge at any time!

........
Chapter completed!