It is difficult to guard against domestic thieves. Su Ren did almost all the defenses, but in the end he still stumbled. However, this stumble was carried out very well. Falling into thorns is always better than falling into the hands of any other party.
.Starting from Tianshui, no need for Su Ren to say anything, everyone was on alert. The sentry stopped dozing off at night, and no one secretly drank during the march. Even the naughty Hawking had a lot of rules at this time.
.
The expected danger did not appear. I didn't know what King Xiutu was doing. He didn't even look at Su Ren and arrived at Yumen without any danger. Yumen is located in the west of Ganliang and is the gateway to the Western Regions.
, only after passing here can we truly enter the Western Regions.
Yumen Pass has not yet been built at this time. It is a bare desert. Looking forward, the field of view suddenly broadens, and it feels like using a wide-angle lens. Who would have thought that in the near future this place will become an important pass, and the famous Silk Road starts from
Passing here, silk, tea, and porcelain from the Han Dynasty were sent to the far west, and spices and jewelry from the West were sent to the Han Dynasty. This further promoted cultural exchanges and made the two places no longer isolated. It is a miracle for mankind.
Su Ren decided to camp here not because he wanted to feel the majesty and prosperity of Yumen Pass, but because he needed to calm down completely before entering the Western Regions. As the saying goes, there are thirty-six countries in the Western Regions, but in fact, there are so many countries in the Western Regions.
It is a small area, as small as a small city. And it changes at any time. Today it is still a country, maybe tomorrow it will become a land without one, and the next moment it will become a new country.
The countries in the Western Regions are not determined by people, but by water sources. Whoever controls the water sources can become the king or even the emperor. However, the most unreliable thing in the deserts and Gobis of the Western Regions is water. It will be on the left for a moment.
Sometimes it is on the right, sometimes it is up and sometimes it is down. No matter it is water, there is no guarantee that the water here will always be here. Rather than saying that the Xiongnu herdsmen live after water and grass, the people of the Western Regions also live after water and grass like the livestock.
It is precisely because of the water that Yumen will become the Yumen Pass in the future. Sitting in the tent and looking at the stars in the sky, Su Ren thought about the things in Zhang Qian's notes in his mind. Zhang Qian didn't go very far last time. For
The understanding of the Western Regions is not at all what Su Ren wants, let alone what changes the Western Regions have undergone after so many years. The people sent there have sent back the information. Although there are some discrepancies, the difference is not very big.
.
Han Qing sat next to Su Ren: "Are you sure you want to build a city here?"
Su Ren didn't speak. Han Qing looked around and then said: "Although this place is good, it's a pity that it is a place of four wars. If you are not careful, it will be destroyed. I'm afraid there are more people coming and going than in Mayi."
Trouble, the most important thing is that this place is too far away, even if we build a city, no one would dare to stay here, and the final result will only be an advantage to the Huns or Qiang people."
Su Ren smiled: "Are you sure?"
Han Qing sighed: "Hey! Looks like there's going to be another bloody storm!" After saying that, Han Qing patted his butt and got up and left.
It was very quiet in the camp, and the surrounding area was also very quiet. Su Ren planned to stay here for a while, and he had to wait for someone. King Xiutu did not show up along the way, and there was definitely something wrong with it. As a king sent by the Huns to guard Ganliang Road
, his main responsibility was to cut off the communication between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. Precisely because of this responsibility and convenience, King Xiutu was the richest king among the Huns.
Although the Ganliang Road is difficult and dangerous, there are still a lot of exchanges between merchants. According to Zhang Qian, the annual taxes in a small place like Jincheng are about the same as Fufeng. You must know that there are not many places in the country that are better than Fufeng. Such an income will definitely make Xiu
King Tu paid attention to it. After passing the Yumen, he would enter the Western Region. This was the last chance for King Xiu Tu, so Su Ren believed that he would definitely come.
When his body became cold, Su Ren had to go back to the tent to warm up. Unexpectedly, many people were awake and waiting in Su Ren's tent. Hong Cheng has now become a representative of some merchants, and he held several meetings with him
The position is constantly getting closer to Su Ren, and the place where he is sitting today is only three places below Su Ren's left hand. He seems to be the most important leader in the caravan besides a few core members.
Seeing Su Ren come in, everyone quickly stood up and saluted. Su Ren waved his hand: "We are all here, what do you want to do at this late hour?"
"Mr. Su, do we really want to stay here? Since we have passed the territory controlled by the Huns, we should immediately enter the Western Regions, sell the goods, and go back. If we stay here and are caught by the Huns, not only will there be no goods left, but also
I am afraid……"
The person who spoke was a silk merchant, and he was also a member of the Sichuan Chamber of Commerce. He had been a member of the association for a long time, and for some unknown reason he had not been able to make a name for himself. This time, he made an unknown amount of determination to follow Su Ren and prepare to go to the Western Regions.
So he was extremely anxious, for fear that something would go wrong. It wouldn't be a big problem if he lost the money, but it would be useless to call anyone if he lost his life.
As soon as the man finished speaking, another person stood up. This person was in the tea business and was not considered a core member, so his tea was relatively low-end. When Su Ren developed a large number of tea in Dahan, his business
It was even more difficult to do. This person had a twisted personality and was unwilling to give up his ancestral business, so he tried his best to maintain it. This time he also made great determination to promote tea grass.
"Shopkeeper Sun is right. Since we are here to do business this time, we want to sell the goods as soon as possible. Although Yumen is good, it will definitely not reach the Western Region. Mr. Su, how about we rest for two days and set off as soon as possible?"
The two raised their heads, and several guys started talking together, but Hong Cheng sat there silently. The leader, Lao Wang, really couldn't stand it. He was crazy and followed Su Ren on Cui Chengru's order. Today, the Cui family
He has a high status in the Shuzhong Chamber of Commerce. As an elder of the Cui family, Lao Wang is more effective than Su Ren in speaking in front of this group of merchants.
"Hmph! Since I came with Mr. Su, I will listen to Mr. Su in everything. If anyone has any complaints, the Western Region is ahead, so you can leave now!"
As soon as Old Wang spoke, everyone quickly shut up, but the expressions on their faces were still very depressed. Su Ren glanced at Hong Cheng, and the guy was still there. Su Ren smiled and said, "I stopped at Yumen when I came here.
It has already been planned, just like what we did in Jincheng. None of you here, including me, have been to the Western Regions, so you have to be careful. It may not be appropriate to go in hastily. But don’t worry, since I can stay here, I have already done it.
Once you are prepared, it won't matter even if the Huns come."
Lao Wang glared and said: "Have you heard that? Keep your mouth shut from now on. Don't be fooled into talking nonsense. If it's irrelevant, you can leave. The Sichuan Chamber of Commerce never forces others to do anything!" As he spoke, Lao Wang glanced at it.
With one glance, Hong Cheng could see the source of these merchants' tension.
Su Ren was more patient than Lao Wang. After persuading for a while, he answered a few people's questions and sent the merchants out, leaving only a few core members to talk. When he turned around, he found that Hong Cheng had not left either. Su Ren smiled.
: "Shopkeeper Hong, if you have nothing to do, take a rest. It's getting late."
Hong Cheng saluted and said, "I'm not busy. Sir, I haven't slept either. I'm here for a short time and need to study more."
Lao Wang glared at Hong Cheng and was about to speak when Su Ren stopped him. Su Ren said: "In that case, sit down and listen. It's not a confidential matter. I also want to tell the other shopkeepers through you guys so that they won't be anxious.
"
Sitting down again, Su Ren took a sip of tea: "I originally planned to stay at Yumen for a while so that I could send someone to see the situation in Shanshan Kingdom first. That is the first place we passed through, so we must be careful and careful with the people from the Western Regions.
This is the first time for any of us to do business, and we don’t know many things clearly. We are not as big as here, and a wrong word may lead to danger. You should restrain the other shopkeepers to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Lao Wang said: "What kind of charter is this, sir?"
"There will definitely be news in three days. Depending on the situation, some of them will be implemented. I wonder if you have any opinions?"
Lao Qi nodded and said: "That's right. When we went to Qiang land back then, we also sent people to explore the road first. Going there rashly is really risky. I don't know if you, sir, are going to let us go first. If you don't dislike me, I
Boss, I’ll go down and explore the way for you guys, hehehe!”
Su Ren smiled: "Uncle Qi is old, so he should rest more. Shopkeeper Hong, how about you go out for everyone? Find a few merchants who have urgent goods and go take a look first."
Lao Wang wanted to stop him, but Hong Cheng had already stood up, clasping his fists and saluting: "No! Sir, I have your orders, and I will do my best!"
"Then there's shopkeeper Lao Hong!"
At dawn the next day, Hong Cheng had already contacted several merchants, and they had begun preparations. There were not many people, and there were no escorts accompanying them, which was what Hong Cheng and the others had requested. Since they had arrived in the Western Regions, as merchants, they consciously would not show up.
It's dangerous. Besides, if they add escorts, their profits will be diluted, which is what the merchants don't want. In the impression of the merchants, the Western Regions are full of treasures. Although it is more difficult, the danger can be ignored.
Looking at those people who were actively preparing, Han Qing wanted to laugh, but he took a sip of sand and said, "Are you so relieved? You know that this guy is not of the same mind as us, so I'm afraid the news I asked him to send back is wrong."
Su Ren clasped his hands behind his back and said, "It is precisely because he is not of the same mind that I let him leave. He also knows what my purpose is. This man is a smart man! I can tell you about the timely rain. When will King Xiutu arrive?"
"We'll be there in five days, but they said there are a few Han people under King Xiutu's account."
"That's right. It would be strange if there were no Han people! King Xiutu has controlled Ganliang Road for so long, so it makes no sense for him not to deal with Han people."
"Those people are probably Mohists!"
"It's not surprising. The one we want is Mo Zhe. Since they are going to hide behind King Xiutu, it's actually a good thing for us." After looking at it for a while, Su Ren lost interest and just left happily.
The people who couldn't leave felt a little lonely. Su Ren turned around and entered the tent: "The Huns are actually the most interested people. It can be seen from Yu Dan and Yi Zhixie. Mo Zhe followed King Xiutu just right.
As long as we set the price, King Xiutu may be our greatest help."
"The Huns are not Qiang people. There is no harm in being more careful."
Su Ren waved his hand and motioned for Han Qing to sit down: "Let's not talk about it anymore. We'll see when they come. Is there any news about Mo Cong and that Shao Weng?"
Han Qing smiled: "Sir, please guess first."
"not coming?"
Han Qing shook his head: "Not only is he here, but he is also very close to us. The foster father of the Queen of Shanshan is Mo Cong, and the national preceptor of Shanshan is Shao Weng. It can be said that these two people actually control Shanshan."
"Oh? It's so powerful. It's really unexpected." (To be continued)
