While settling the bill with the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper said with a smile: "Sir, I am curious about whose family the pair of dolls just now belong to? Haha, they are a truly world-famous giant business family.
Did the guest officer see that, the mule carts and carriages on the roadside as far as the city gate belong to their family?
I heard that they came back from Qianxiang Country, and I don’t know how many precious spices and goods they bought. Tsk, tsk, tsk, it’s a pity..."
"A big business family?" Jia Lian asked thoughtfully.
Just because Jia Lian had also discovered a long time ago that there was indeed a long queue of goods piled up beside the yellow avenue outside that led directly to the border market. It was impossible to tell how many goods there were at a glance.
At first, he thought it was a grand occasion organized by many merchants, but he did not expect that it was owned by one family.
"It's the Xue family in Jinling, the old capital of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It has been a wealthy family for hundreds of years.
Although it is somewhat in decline now, the skinny camel is bigger than the horse, and it is still not comparable to other merchants.
Just by looking at the appearance and upbringing of their children, you can already tell the background of these wealthy families."
There was deep envy in the shopkeeper's eyes. Perhaps for all business people, building a century-old family of wealthy businessmen is their ultimate dream.
"Xue family, no wonder."
Jia Lian suddenly felt enlightened. He felt that he should know who the girl he saw just now was.
"By the way, why did the shopkeeper just say it was a pity?"
Under such circumstances, Jia Lian was willing to ask more questions when he met an old family friend.
"What else could it be? Those evil-hearted people are simply eating people without spitting out their bones! Even such a big family can't escape, let alone others. If this continues, who will dare to come to this desert to do business in the future? I'm afraid
This thousand-year-old road will be desolate again in the future..."
A look of regret and indignation appeared on the shopkeeper's face.
The waiter who had just been waiting for Jia Lian's tables just came back. At this time, he answered: "Don't you know, guest, that the Xue family arrived here three days ago, but they haven't been able to enter the city. I heard it was because..."
The waiter wanted to reveal the news, but was glared at by the shopkeeper, who then gave Jia Lian an apologetic look.
Jia Lian understood, nodded and left the counter.
When he walked back, Aqi had already gone to lead the horse. Princess Zhaoyang smiled and asked him: "Isn't that little girl pretty?"
Jia Lian glanced at her, nodded calmly and said, "She is indeed very beautiful."
"Are you attracted? I see that your eyes have not left her home just now. Unfortunately, she is a girl from a rich family. If she is from a small family, Erlang can buy her and take her home to be a personal maid, for fun and other things.
"
Jia Lian was speechless when he heard this. Don't people in this era have the awareness to protect minors? They can drive any car!
"I don't have the qualifications, but with Qingran's status, it would be okay to be called a maid by my side. How about Qingran help me raise her first?"
Maybe the relationship between the two of them was too restrained before, so that after the Hu family farmhouse, the two of them became a little wanton.
This kind of wantonness has almost eliminated the obstacles and barriers between the two of them, and they can talk about anything. Jokes like this are not inappropriate.
Princess Zhaoyang rolled her eyes slightly, but then nodded seriously: "This is a good suggestion. It just so happens that I have never seen such a cute little sister. If you have her with you, it will definitely be very eye-catching."
Princess Zhaoyang responded with a smile and gave Jia Lian a meaningful look.
Jia Lian also looked at her, and suddenly realized why men in the world always face east today and west tomorrow, even if they get an immortal, they can't be satisfied.
There are all kinds of women in the world with all kinds of styles.
At this moment, if it were Wang Xifeng, he would have scolded him for being uninterested and pinched him hard on the waist before giving up. If it were Miaoyu, he would have either sighed with regret or frowned coldly. If it had been You, he would probably have said nothing.
If the Qin family is a good minister, he may smile sweetly, and then whisper in secret how to help him get his daughter back...
And this Zhaoyang is even more unique. Even what he says and does, he is quite unpredictable, hazy, and between his clever smiles, he always makes people feel heart-thumping.
So, it’s not that the man’s will is weak, but that he spends his money in a sloppy way that gradually enchants the eyes.
…
In the long queue of goods piled up, there was a makeshift tent in the middle.
This place was originally the residence of Mr. Xue family, but now it is filled with drugs and the atmosphere of death.
The housekeeper walked in and saw his master propped up on the hospital bed waving to him, so he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
"So, they still refuse to let me go?"
The housekeeper nodded dejectedly, and then said angrily: "Master, those people are simply bandits and hooligans! We paid the border tax as early as in Yulan City, but they refused to acknowledge it and said it was the order of the Governor of Anxi.
To raise military supplies and wages, all merchants must pay half of the money for goods!
Isn't this an obvious robbery?
Moreover, the slave discovered that other merchants only needed to hand over more property than usual, but they only held on to us!
Master, let’s just take a detour, we can’t waste time here any longer…”
The steward's words made the second master of the Xue family look even more depressed. He shook his head and said: "Since ancient times, people have been told not to fight with officials. The reason why they did this was because they were greedy and deliberately because they saw the value of the goods in our hands.
Make things difficult for us.
Now they are holding our goods, and they are obviously unwilling to give up until they achieve their goal. They also have officers and soldiers in their hands. If we choose to take a detour, they will charge us with unfounded charges of smuggling and other unreasonable charges. I am afraid the situation will be worse.
That’s all, this is the last time I will take this path anyway, and I probably won’t have the chance to do it again in the future, so I’ll just follow them..."
The second master of the Xue family took one look at his heavy body and said with some resignation.
The steward heard this and said anxiously: "Master, think twice. We have spent an unknown amount of money on this trip, so we decided to transport these goods back to the Central Plains and sell them. Now if we hand over half of the goods, we will not be able to make this trip."
You will lose all your money.
Besides, not all of these goods belong to our family. If they are handed over, how will the master explain to other companies in the city..."
"I have walked through this road in the early years, and I know the guard well. He assured me before that he would let us pass as long as we pay 30% of the goods."
"But……"
"That's it, no more words, cough cough cough..."
The sound of violent coughing caused a pair of children who came to visit to rush into the tent.
"Father~~!"
The second master of the Xue family looked at the pair of well-behaved and lovely children throwing themselves in front of the couch. He reached out and touched his daughter's hair, and finally a look of relief appeared in his eyes.
He fell seriously ill on a business trip and encountered this unfortunate incident again.
Nowadays, he no longer cares much about the gain or loss of wealth. His only thought is to escort his two children back to Jinling safely to keep his incense alive.
"Zha'er, Qin'er, help me get up, let's go into the city..."
…
The border city is simple, and its city wall is only made of black bricks and mud. It can only prevent bandits and thieves, but it is obviously vulnerable to the army attacking the city.
But even in such a small border town, there are nearly a thousand officers and soldiers stationed.
Just because this is a border market, huge wealth has been gathered through trade from various countries.
Therefore, in addition to the officers and soldiers guarding the city gate, there are also some civilian officials stationed here. All merchants who enter the Wei Dynasty from other countries need to pay a certain proportion of money or goods as border tax.
At this time, at the city gate, a young man in his twenties, of medium appearance, and with a skinny build, walked out of the city gate, supported by seven or eight followers.
When he saw a young woman passing by with a curvy and graceful figure, his eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly stepped forward and reached out to lift up the woman's downcast face.
The little woman raised her head, revealing a slightly weird face that was not as attractive as her figure. She also let out a loud exclamation, causing everyone around her to look sideways.
The man next to the woman saw that she was about to curse, so he quickly stopped her and took her to escape into the city.
"It's so damn unlucky. There's really not a single woman in this damn place to see!"
The disinterested young man cursed secretly, shook his head and glanced at the water dragon-like goods still piled up in the distance, his expression even more unhappy.
The surrounding officials responsible for collecting taxes and city gate officials turned a blind eye to the young man's teasing of women in public. Instead, they all surrounded him and showed their hospitality.
"Why did my uncle come here in person today?"
"My uncle is personally raising military supplies and food for Master Jiedushi this time. He has worked so hard and accomplished so much. When he returns home, he will definitely be praised and appreciated by Master Jiedushi. When the time comes, my uncle will become famous and prosperous. Don't forget about the little ones...
…”
"It's easy to talk about." The young man smiled and accepted all the flattery, and then said with a slightly cold face: "Then the Xue family still refuses to hand over the goods?"
"Brother-in-law, there is no need to be angry. There are so many of them, and every day they are delayed outside the city will cost a lot of money. As long as we hold them for a few more days, we are not afraid that they will not obey."
"Hmph, these Xue family members are so disrespectful that they angered me and led people to collect all their goods!"
Young people are full of greed.
According to the estimates of his men, once the Xue family's goods are shipped to the Central Plains, they will be worth at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!
He had never seen so much money in his life, and now that he had the opportunity, he couldn't let it go.
"Young master, no! This Xue family is also a prominent family in Jinling, and Jinling is the old capital of the country, with powerful people everywhere.
Although the Xue family is in decline, there is no guarantee that there are no other family friends or relatives.
If we rob their goods and they bring it to the court, I'm afraid the Jiedushi Master will be in trouble!"
"What are you afraid of? My brother-in-law is the governor of Anxi. He is in charge of one hundred thousand troops. He is the king of this land. Who can cause trouble for him?"
Even so, the young man suppressed his anger for the time being.
Others also kept smiling and tried to persuade him to calm down.
Suddenly seeing movement in the Xue family's caravan, all the officials immediately returned to their positions and put into a prepared posture.
"Master Xue, have you thought clearly?"
Seeing the second master of the Xue family who looked like he was about to die, the leading official stepped forward and said with a smile.
"Ahem... Mr. Wang, can this matter be more accommodating? We have indeed paid border tax in Loulan City. In previous years, we could rely on documents issued by other border cities..."
"Master Xue!"
The official interrupted the second master of the Xue family impatiently.
"We have made it very clear to you that today is different from the past.
Nowadays, other barbarian states are restless, the marriage between the imperial court and Oara has failed again, and the situation on the border is tense.
Now the imperial court has specially ordered Anxi Jiedufu to prepare for war, but this war requires money and food? We can't let our son go hungry and fight the enemy, right?
For this reason, Lord Jiedushi personally sent a special envoy to supervise the raising of military supplies, food and wages. With such a national crisis at hand, Mr. Xue is asked to consider the overall situation, cooperate with the Anxi government's decree, and don't embarrass us..."
Hearing this, the Xue family's housekeeper couldn't help but said: "But most of our hands are spices and cloth brought back from the Qianxiang Kingdom. These things cannot be used as weapons and food."
The official replied with a smile: "I asked you to pay the goods because you said you didn't have that much silver. If you don't want to, just pay the corresponding silver. Humph, you don't know what to do! You still think this is...
Not in the Central Plains? In Anxi Prefecture, you have to follow the rules of Anxi Prefecture!"
Although the second master of the Xue family looked ugly, he still managed to hold the housekeeper in order to prevent him from offending the people in front of him.
"What your Excellency is saying is that we are all willing to cooperate with the Anxi Prefecture's decree and assist the Anxi Prefecture in raising military supplies and food. We can just hand over these goods."
Hearing the agreement from the second master of the Xue family, the official immediately changed his face and said with a smile: "That's it. With a sensible person like Mr.
Don’t worry, you helped Jiedu Mansion today. Jiedu Mansion will definitely remember that when your caravan comes to Anxi Mansion in the future, with Jiedu Mansion taking care of it, it will be able to travel smoothly throughout Anxi Mansion. By then, all your money will be able to
Earn it back..."
He smiled cooperatively, and the second master of the Xue family took advantage of the situation and said: "My lord, it is true, but please be a little more accommodating. It is really difficult for me to wait for the return of Qianxiang Kingdom. I have to manage all the way and meet in Yulan City.
The border tax will cost a lot of people and horses. If we pay another 50% of the goods here, I will not even be able to make back my capital after working hard for more than half a year. I ask you to have mercy on me and allow me to pay for it after I go back.
People from various aristocratic families in the partnership interact with each other."
All the officials were not surprised when they heard this. Yesterday, the second master of the Xue family went to see the guard. They also knew that if they did not reach an agreement among themselves, the guard would not ask the Xue family for support.
So they pretended to discuss it and replied: "Seeing that it's not easy for you to do business all the way, well, let's be accommodating and you can pay 30% of the supplies. This is our maximum authority. Mr. Xue doesn't want it."
If you make things difficult for me again, I’ll wait.”
"Wait!"
Just when the negotiation was over and both parties were about to organize manpower to intercept the goods, the young man who had been silent stopped and shouted.
Everyone looked around and saw that the young man was staring intently at the girl next to the second master of the Xue family. His naked gaze made everyone who understood the situation frown.
"Ahem..."
Facing everyone's gaze, the young man coughed, and then said seriously: "How can the laws of Jiedu Mansion be accommodated at will?
If my brother-in-law found out, wouldn't he blame me for not doing things well?
unless……"
Seeing that the second master of the Xue family did not recognize the young man, the officials hurriedly introduced him: "This is Lord Jiedushi's... brother-in-law, and he is also the special envoy responsible for raising military supplies and food for this trip..."
The second grandfather of the Xue family had long seen the young man in front of him looking at his little daughter unkindly, but he didn't know the other person's identity so he couldn't react much.
Now that I heard that he was the brother-in-law of Jiedushi, my heart suddenly sank.
Judging from his appearance, he is probably a lustful person. If he had known this, he should have let Qin'er stay in the carriage!
After protecting his daughter behind him, the second master of the Xue family asked with a serious look on his face: "May I ask, Mr. Special Envoy, how to be accommodating?"
The young man smiled unceremoniously and said: "Unless you and I become a family, in that case, for the sake of the family, even if Master Jiedu knew that I was partial to others, he wouldn't say anything more... Hahaha
, Master Xue said so..."
"you!
"
The second master of the Xue family almost fell down with anger. He didn't expect that the other party would be so shameless and threaten him with this.
Feeling his daughter nervously clutching his hand, the second master of the Xue family managed to control his body and said in a cold voice: "I'm afraid that I will live up to the special envoy's kindness. My little girl has already been married to someone else."
When the young man heard this, he became anxious, and regardless of other people's expressions, he said loudly: "It's okay to just agree to her, at worst, I just need more money to accompany you when the time comes.
How about it, as long as Mr. Xue agrees to transfer his daughter to me... no, marry me, I will go back immediately, divorce the stupid woman in the family, and make your daughter my real wife.
At that time, not to mention exempting you from the 20% border tax today, with my support in the future, your Xue family will be able to run sideways in the entire Anxi Mansion..."
The young man was extremely eager.
He never thought that there was such a beautiful little lady in the world! He didn't know how to describe it, but just one glance completely captured his soul. There was a voice in his heart that kept telling him:
I must get the girl in front of me!
Faced with such ridiculous and shameless words from the young man, the second master of the Xue family was so angry that he couldn't even say a word. His body was shaking and he couldn't even stand firm.
"Father!"
The Xue brothers and sisters hurriedly supported him, and the housekeeper and others also panicked.
After a while, the second master of the Xue family finally took a breath and stared at the young man:
"My Xue family has been in the country for hundreds of years, after Ziwei Sheren, a close minister of Taizu, has been in the country for hundreds of years. Although it is not as good as it was before, we are not allowed to be bullied by others!
My little daughter’s fiancé is also the son of Lord Mei of the Hanlin Academy in Beijing.
Therefore, you might as well tell the special envoy that there is absolutely no possibility of me agreeing to this marriage!"
The young man's expression changed and he immediately said: "Then you must hand over half of the goods!
No, pay 70%!
"
"you!
"
The second master of the Xue family was so angry that his hands and feet were shaking. He was already sick, as if he might not be able to breathe at any time.
The young man was secretly happy when he saw this. If this stubborn old thing died, wouldn't things be much easier to handle?
At that time, the two and a half-year-old children will not be at his mercy, and I am not afraid that he will not be able to force them to submit...
When the young man was full of expectations, he suddenly saw a Hu man, who unexpectedly crossed the onlookers and came to them.