The two of them walked to the bank of the Chi River. New shoots had sprouted in the large grassland, which looked like a green blanket from a distance. However, there were only a few tender green plants in the dry soil under their feet. Huangfu Weiming squatted down and looked along the undulating grass hills.
, nodded approvingly and said: "It's rare for young grass to grow without a group of livestock to eat it."
Not far away, a small team of the Tang Army came towards this side. They only had two horses at the head and tail. The horses had bits on their mouths and several rolls of sheep felt were tied on the horse's back. They looked uniform and uniform.
It feels lean and neat.
When this Tang army approached, Wang Sili stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Several military lords, we would like to ask for directions. How to get to Shule City?"
The leader of the soldiers looked at the two of them strangely, put his hand on the handle of the knife and asked, "Aren't you two from the business road?"
"We came from the trade route, but we got lost halfway."
"In Anxi, we set up guideposts every two or three miles along the post and commercial roads from Qiuci to Dihuancheng and then to Shule. If you can read and follow the arrows, how can you get lost?"
Why didn't he think of this section? There was indeed something to be learned along the way. This reason was really lame.
Huangfu Weiming stepped forward but did not hold back his hands. He only put his hands on his abdomen and said: "Our camels are short of food, so we have to look for pasture along the river and barely feed them before they can go on their way."
The commander then raised his hand from the handle of the knife and pointed into the distance: "Go west from here and you will be able to return to the commercial road." He pointed to his feet again: "The pasture here has been designated for a long time. It is the autumn pasture in the pastoral area.
You are not allowed to feed livestock here. There are food and hay at the stations along the way, so don’t be reluctant to spend money.”
Wang Sili said quickly: "Thank you, Master Jun. We understand."
The chief returned a salute to them and continued to move forward with the team. Huangfu Weiming followed their figures with his eyes and found that these soldiers had water bags, wooden bowls, dry food bags hanging on their left waists, and carried crossbows and quivers on their backs.
There are no extra items outside.
Huangfu Weiming looked at the green pasture in front of him thoughtfully, twirling his beard and said: "If there is a civilian pastoral area, there must be a military pastoral area. The pasture is planned for the four seasons and changes according to the seasons. This is what I learned from the Tuqi Shiren. Ma Zheng
The regulations are almost as strict as our Longyou Stable Animal Husbandry Department."
Although we haven't arrived at Shule City yet, we have already caught a glimpse of the leopard. What we see now is barely up to the passing mark. Whether it is a mule or a horse, we will wait until we get to the city.
…
In the past, when business travelers entered Shule City, they had to pay a certain amount of commercial tax. One in thirty was drawn based on the pricing of the goods. This ratio was very low, and it mainly relied on the flow of merchants. However, the merchants in the city were paid through land tax.
, each has its own method.
The city gate that collects taxes is different from the main city gate. The city gatekeepers are local people. Although there are some conveniences for local protectionism, it is still fair on the surface. Tang Jun also participated in tax supervision. This is the Anxi Protectorate.
main source of income.
In the early Tang Dynasty, there were no official exclusive industries. Although the salt and iron officials had workshops, they did not prevent private operations, as long as taxes were paid. It was precisely because of this that the Western Regions trade routes had a steady flow of Chinese and foreign business travel.
Two merchants had very little goods, so they had to pay a total tax of ten copper coins to enter the city.
After entering the city, the two of them were not in a hurry to stay in a hotel. Instead, they led the camels around, as leisurely as wandering rangers like duckweeds.
They specifically went to look around the Shule Army's barracks. They paid attention to the location of the barracks, the guards at the camp gates, and the rotation of guards on the city walls. There was indeed nothing wrong. As for the Governor's Mansion, which is a prison agency, it was not in their consideration.
Within the scope of the class, it seems that the only one left that has not been visited is the Governor's Mansion.
Of course, what the eyes see is not necessarily true. They also have to judge the person through interviews with the people. The personal ethics of officials also account for a large proportion in the exam. If the evaluation among the people is not good, they will be directly reduced by one rank.
.
The chill of last night had just been dispelled by the rising sun. A few idle men were sitting under the city wall, basking in the sun and gossiping about trivial rumors in the streets and alleys of Shule Town.
"Have you ever been to Geng Gong's Well? Since the water was regenerated from this well, everyone has been running to the well to fetch water. It is said that drinking it can prolong life."
"I would like to drink it, but unfortunately I don't have a bucket or a rope at home, so I can only watch it."
"Everyone said that Ambassador Li Zhen was blessed by gods. He just stood on the edge of the well and bowed, and saw a white-bearded fairy floating in the air. He was holding a fly whisk and said that the well had been dry for seventy years and was waiting for Li.
When such a wise and powerful general came to pay homage to him, the spring immediately gushes out of the well mouth, which is really auspicious."
When these words reached Huangfu Sinong's ears clearly, heavy turbid air came out of his nostrils, and all the good impressions he had accumulated from what he saw and heard at Chihe Ranch a few days ago completely disappeared without a trace.
Using auspicious signs to earn official status and fame is the most despicable thing in Huangfu Weiming's opinion. The celestial cycle, the changing stars, rare birds and animals, and the fairy grass and Ganoderma lucidum are all naturally bred and have nothing to do with the political achievements of local officials.
, and has nothing to do with the emperor's wisdom. Nowadays, saints believe in Taoism and show extraordinary interest in auspicious things. Many local officials follow suit and fabricate a lot of auspicious things to get promoted.
Of course, he could not change the saint's preferences, but he could take action against these despicable speculators to prevent these villains from getting close to the emperor.
He led the camel and turned around, his expression getting colder and he said: "There is a well dug by Geng Gong in the Han Dynasty in Shule City. We might as well go to the well first and pay our respects to the sages."
When the two foreign merchants came to the vicinity of Gonggen Well, the surrounding areas of the well were also blocked by the Tang army. The only ones who could enter and exit were the craftsmen sent by the Shule Governor's Mansion. They heard that they were going to build an ancestral hall.
Although this was the work of the Shule Governor's Office, it was inseparable from Li Siye. His interview with Longyou made it impossible to supervise the Governor and Sima of Jizhou Prefecture. After all, they were all local autonomous entities.
This made Huangfu Sinong even more convinced of Li Siye's hypocrisy and prestige. It seems that such a person may be able to achieve temporary political achievements in the local area, but once he is in a high position, his greedy nature will be exposed. People who climb up by any means are greedy for money and power.
How can there be room for all the people in the world and the country of the Tang Dynasty?
What qualifications do these officials and generals who are still at the level of satisfying personal desires have to be officials of the Tang Dynasty?
Let’s start the investigation from the leaked Geng Gongjing, why there was no leak last year and no leak the year before, but the leak happened this year during the exam? Once it is found out that Li Siye has committed fraud and forged false auspiciousness, he will definitely be at the bottom of this year’s exam.
We also want him to get out of his position as the garrison envoy of Shule!
He started the investigation as an ordinary business traveler, and he could listen and understand. As long as he asked the people living near the wellhead, he could find out whether it was true or false.
…
The oil seller who was carrying an oil tank stopped at the entrance of the alley. Two businessmen holding camels stopped him and asked politely: "Your Majesty, may I ask if Geng Gong's Well in Shule City is nearby?"
The man who bought the oil became more energetic when he heard this. He put down his burden and gestured to them: "You also heard that water came out of Geng Gong's well and came to worship and drink water. Unfortunately, it is not possible now. The Governor's Mansion is repairing and adding a roof to the ancestral hall. I have drunk this water."
, It’s sweet, but it’s not like the water in our world.”
Although Huangfu Weiming was friendly on the outside, he was sneering in his heart. Listening to the tone of the oil man's words, it was as if he had been trained by someone.
"Does this well always have water?"
"Where is it? This well has been drying for more than seventy years. It was because Ambassador Li Zhen personally stood in front of the well to worship a while ago that the clear spring gushed out.
At this moment, he could no longer maintain the superficial intimacy, and said coldly, taking it for granted: "Isn't this what others taught you to say?"
"You are so interesting to talk about! How do I need others to teach me how to talk?"
The man's silly smile also froze. He hummed and bowed his waist. He raised the pole on his shoulders and stood up straight. He banged his clapper and shook his head like this: "Get out of here! ... We sell oil!"
Huangfu Weiming staggered and threw down his sleeves heavily. This oil seller didn't know the truth. He wanted to find someone who understood the truth.