In the previous dynasty, Datong was under the jurisdiction of Governor Xuanda and was the first line of defense to protect Beijing, so Governor Xuanda was the first governor.
With the resurgence of Shaowu, the threat from the grassland gradually decreased, Governor Xuanda was deposed, Datong Town became Datong Prefecture, and Xuanfu became part of Hebei Province.
In the early Ming Dynasty, King Dai established Datong as a vassal to defend Mongolia. Xu Da personally built the city of Datong, which can be described as majestic.
Of course, the most dazzling time of Datong was in the Northern Wei Dynasty, when it was the capital, and later in the Liao and Jin Dynasties, it was the capital.
The historical clouds, Yanmen, are located here.
There were hundreds of prefectures in the Ming Dynasty, and there were only a few capitals of several dynasties like Datong.
As the northernmost part of Shanxi, Datong Prefecture is bounded by Suiyuan to the north and Xuanzhen, Hebei Province to the east. It is the first entrance to the Monan Grassland.
At the same time, Datong Prefecture is also an important node for border trade.
It is also the first stop when going to Suiyuan, Mobei and Datong.
Because of this, the population of Datong Prefecture has continued to grow in recent years and has exceeded one million. It governs twelve counties and has become the second prefecture in Shanxi after Taiyuan. It can be said to be the Pearl of the Great Wall.
The summer is hot, and the hotter the weather, the more merchants there are in Datong Prefecture.
There were crowds of people and a lot of wealth was circulating.
A few miles outside the city of Datong Prefecture, a station has been erected. It covers an area of more than ten acres and is particularly conspicuous in the entire Datong Prefecture.
Bao Ri was squatting outside the city. He had already taken off his Mongolian robe, which was wrapped in a bag and carried on his back. He was only wearing a linen garment.
Big beads of sweat were flowing on his dark face, and he could only stand under the poisonous sun with his baggage on his back, looking around.
It's not that he doesn't want to enjoy the cool air, but the wooden sheds here all have owners, and he has only been in Datong Mansion for two or three days, so he is not qualified to go.
Besides, he didn't want to go to enjoy the cool air.
Because it is under this soil slope and is the closest location.
At this time, he was like a lamb crying for milk, praying for the ewe to feed him but not getting it.
"Baori, drink water."
At this time, a big man came over, wearing a short shirt, but he said in Mongolian: "Is it hot?"
"It's not hot. When we are herding sheep at home, we have to be exposed to the sun every day. There is no place to hide on the grassland."
Bao Ri took the sheepskin bag, took a sip, licked his lips, hesitated, and then drank heavily.
"Brother Zhebu, why is this water a bit salty? Have you added salt?"
Baori's eyes were full of disbelief.
"That's right." Zhebu nodded, grinned, and looked at Baori's red face: "In Datong, salt is very cheap."
"You have been in the sun for so long. If you don't add some salt, you will get heat stroke soon."
"That's great." Bao Ri's eyes were full of happiness.
Zhebu looked at his sixteen-year-old cousin and couldn't help but laugh at him: "Salt in Datong Prefecture is very cheap. It only costs ten cents per catty. In Suiyuan, it probably costs twenty or thirty cents!"
"Yes." Baori nodded, his clear eyes full of resentment: "It costs twenty coins, and a lamb only costs a hundred coins. Livestock need salt, and people also need to eat it. It's expensive."
"Get out of the customs, that's what profiteers do."
Zhebu sighed.
"Yes." Bao Ri clenched his fists, raised his head and said, "Brother, please teach me Chinese."
"Why, you also want to stay in Han Dynasty?"
Zhebu asked affirmatively.
"The Han area is better than the grassland." Baori said in a low mood: "Last year there was another white disaster on the grassland, and half of the sheep in the family died, so I came to join you and find a job to eat."
"No matter how bad the weather is in Han, people can't freeze to death."
"I want to stay in Han Dynasty and make a fortune. I heard that you can pick up money while walking here."
Zhebu touched his head and sighed.
He looked around and saw that at the foot of this hillside, there were no fewer than three hundred men waiting to be killed. Each of them had their heads drooped and their ears pricked up to listen to the sound.
Among these people, at least half are Mongolians.
With the prosperity of border trade, a large number of merchants were attracted to Datong Prefecture. They were ready to go north to the grasslands at any time, and at this time they needed a large number of guards and protection.
Mongolians can be guides and have good riding skills, so they are naturally the most suitable candidates and are also very popular among businessmen.
As a result, seven or eight markets, large and small, were spontaneously formed outside Datong Mansion, and caravans also liked to come here to pick people.
As for the Mongols?
After the province of Suiyuan was established and incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, a large number of troops, Han people, and merchants poured in, which led to the end of the border crisis. Therefore, they turned a blind eye to the Mongols going south.
After all, the Great Wall is thousands of miles long and has more than one gap. It is difficult for an army to climb over it, but it is very easy for individuals to climb over it.
When there is a disaster on the grassland, herdsmen will browse the Great Wall and beg for food in Datong Prefecture.
Whether you are working as a part-time worker, a helper, or a guard, you will never be short of food. There are many more opportunities in Datong than in the grassland.
Zhebu arrived in Datong two or three years ago.
He had to cook, cut wheat, feed sheep, and plow the fields. He worked part-time jobs and finally settled down in Datong. Now he makes a living by working as a guard for businessmen.
His dream is to open a shop in Guihua City and live a living after he saves money.
"Brother, I still don't understand."
Under the scorching sun, Bao Ri said puzzledly: "If you want to protect someone, it must be someone you can trust. Why would businessmen look for strangers?"
"On the grassland, even brothers will fall out because of a woman."
"The caravan naturally has its own people."
Zhebu explained: "But it is more dangerous on the grassland, so we need to recruit more people in Datong, maybe dozens of people or a few small ones."
"Not only will we be able to have multiple guides interpret, we will also be able to move goods and drive cattle and sheep."
Speaking of this, Zhebu said helplessly: "The most important thing is that we are cheap."
"A serious guard can't go to the grassland without two or three silver coins a month. But we only need thirty coins per day, and no more than fifty coins at most. It's very cheap."
"Besides, if we die, we will die. The worst we can do is wrap ourselves up in a mat and be buried. If the guard dies, he will receive compensation..."
Bao Ri nodded, it turns out that escorts make so much money: "Brother, I want to be a escort."
"Let's wait until you learn Chinese."
Zhebu said in a bad mood.
"We're hiring! We're hiring!"
I don’t know how long I waited. When everyone was drowsy, a few big men beat the gongs and kept shouting.
They were leading horses and carrying knives at their waists. They had fleshy faces, big shoulders and round waists, and they looked like they were not easy to mess with.
Baori took two steps back in fear, and then with Zhebu's encouragement, he took the first step.
Unfortunately, although he was the closest, the swarm of men who came behind him squeezed him away without hesitation.
Soon, about ten people were picked away.
After that, several more groups came and picked away twenty or thirty people, which didn't end until dusk.
Bao Ri went from being full of expectations to finally returning home lonely.
It's not that he has no hope, it's just that he is a little thinner and too young. He is much worse than those guys who are big and round.
"Don't be discouraged." Zhebu didn't care at all: "You'll get used to it after a while. Nothing in the world is that easy."
After another two or three days, the number of men in the market decreased a little, but there were also fewer and fewer businessmen, and many people had disappointment on their faces.
Zhebu and Baori lived in a shack, their faces full of melancholy.
The place where they live is on a gentle slope, next to a small river.
Many Mongolian men who went south could only dig a few feet into the ground, build a wooden shed, put a bed and a stove, and it was considered a house.
Go south in spring and return home in autumn.
This is their journey.
Some stay there for years and don’t want to go back.
His daily meals were mixed with wild vegetables, black steamed buns, and two pieces of bacon, which made his life very difficult.
Even so, people like Zhebu are reluctant to go back.
Because you can make money here, more money than grazing on the grassland.
Twenty years of peace, coupled with the consolidation of grassland pastures and no baptism of war, have allowed the grassland population to continue to grow.
If there is a way to survive, going south to make a living is the best way.
"elder brother!"
Bao Ri ate the steamed bun and licked his fingers clean: "The steamed bun is so delicious."
"You have eaten too much, so you think the steamed bun is delicious."
Zhebu shook his head and took the last bite of steamed bread into his mouth.
After hesitating for a long time, he made up his mind: "Baori, there are more and more men outside the city. Not only those from our grasslands, but also many men from Shanxi have come to Datong."
"We have to find another way."
"Brother, I will listen to you." Bao Ri nodded and said, "As long as you have steamed buns to eat every day, anything will happen."
"Go to sleep!"
Zhebu glanced at the stars in the shack, covered Baori with the sheepskin blanket beside him, and then closed his eyes.
The next day, the two brothers walked eastward carrying large and small baggage and all their belongings.
After walking for about twenty miles, we saw a construction site.
I saw a large number of men wearing straw hats and shorts, exposing their copper-colored upper bodies, sweating profusely, waving hoes, and digging constantly.
Not far away, a lot of wood was transported, and the men wielded saws and continued to cut into squares of the correct size.
No matter how you look at it, it is extremely hard physical work.
"Brother——" Bao Ri turned his head, looking puzzled.
"Let's go." Zhebu gritted his teeth and said, "Although it's a bit hard, you can make money."
The two brothers came to a wooden shed.
Outside, the word "Recruitment" is written on the wooden board.
"What?" The middle-aged man in a thin shirt looked up and saw two Mongolians approaching, and smiled: "Want to come work?"
"how much per day?"
Zhebu asked without timidity.
"Twenty cents a day."
The middle-aged man stroked his beard: "Don't underestimate me, but I provide food and accommodation here, and I also provide food every now and then. It's much better than being a guide or escort for you."
"how do you know?"
Zhebu couldn't help but make a sound.
"There are more people like you these days."
The middle-aged man shook his head and said: "We are stable here, and it's worth being tired."
As he spoke, he whispered: "I told you, don't leak it out. You have worked here for a long time. I will recruit some construction corps in the future. There are many opportunities here!"
“What is a Construction Corps?”
"Hahaha!" The man smiled: "You just serve as a soldier for the imperial court, and you can also divide the land in the future. Such a good opportunity is hard to find!"
When Zhebu heard this, he swallowed his saliva.
Who on the grassland doesn't know that the Ming Emperor's soldiers are the best.
With two silver coins a month, he is provided with food, clothing, housing and transportation, which is much better than many nobles on the grassland. It is a first-class and enviable place.
It's a pity that Suiyuan only recruits a few hundred people a year, which is very rare.
"I did it."
"Okay, sign it!" The middle-aged man smiled slightly and randomly pulled out a piece of paper from the pile: "If you don't know how to write your name, you can just press your fingerprints."
The two of them pressed their fingerprints.
Since they were new arrivals, the two could only be assigned the simplest digging work.
"Remember, you need to dig three feet. Dig along these two lines. It must be neat and not crooked..."
After listening to the instructions, Zhebu asked curiously: "Is this the way to practice officialdom?"
"What official way?"
The leading man laughed and said: "Don't think we are digging roads, but actually we are building iron horses."
"Iron horse?" Zhebu was shocked: "A horse made of iron? It can also run?"
"Hahaha!" The big man liked these ignorant people the most. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head to show off: "Just build two roads made of iron and let the carriages run on them."
"I heard that when a horse is running, even if there are a dozen people behind it, it's as if nothing happened. It's very relaxed."
"The imperial court likes to repair this thing the most."
"How fast can it run?" Zhebu asked curiously.
"As long as we can change horses along the way, we can run four to five hundred miles in a day and night!"
The big man said proudly: "Datong is seven hundred miles from Beijing and can be traveled in two days."
"What about going to Suiyuan?"
Zhebu couldn't help but ask.
"Then it's even closer. Suiyuan is right next to Datong and can be reached in half a day."
Zhebu was so surprised that he didn't recover for a long time.
"good."
A few days later, a team of people arrived at the construction site and saw the workers at work.
The first fat man is covered in silk and satin, wearing cool clothes, with gouache on his face, and holding an umbrella on his head: "How much can you repair every day?"
"Master, there are still too few people."
The middle-aged man lowered his head and said: "There are only three hundred people on the construction site, which can only cover half a mile a day."
"not enough."
A sharp voice sounded, and the fat man's face suddenly changed. He was no longer as gentle as before, as if someone had stepped on his foot: "At least two miles of land must be repaired every day."
"There are not enough people, please recruit them for me."
"Yes Yes Yes."
The middle-aged man did not dare to show any disobedience and nodded hurriedly: "Everyone in Datong Prefecture dislikes the low price. Only the Tatars are willing to do it."
"In my humble opinion, we can recruit Tatars in Datong Prefecture to build roads, and we should be able to catch up soon."
"Then let's do it." The white-faced man said sharply: "Whether they are Han people or Tatars, they all have to worship our emperor, can't they be the same?"
"This money should be saved and spent, and there should be no delay."
"It's just that the Tatars have no roads and it's difficult for the government to arrange..."
"He dares to mislead the iron horse? I will rush to help him." The white-faced man raised his orchid finger and said proudly: "Just do it like that, what are you afraid of?"
"yes!"
After getting out of the car and walking three to five steps, the white-faced man left.
The middle-aged man straightened up and spat: "You bastard, don't you just lose three ounces of meat? Why are you so proud?"
He waved his hand and summoned someone: "Go to Datong Mansion to recruit people. I can make up for five hundred..."
Zhebu saw it and couldn't help but think, is that the eunuch serving the emperor?
Wouldn't it be so majestic without that thing?
"Brother, I also want to be so majestic." Bao Ri couldn't help but said.