Huan Rong

In the first year of Taiyuan, [-] A.D., in the first month of January, Qin Ce established the state as Qin with the descendants of the emperor, and established Chang'an as its capital.Take that year as the first year of Taishi, amnesty the world, and sacrifice to the gods of mountains, rivers, seas and rivers.

The grand ceremony was a one-day palace banquet, and the next day, the gates of Chang'an were opened wide, and more than ten riders galloped out of Chang'an, carrying the emperor's edict, to advertise to the officials and people of all states and counties.Two teams of cavalry were also sent to Tuyuhun in the Western Regions to announce the new master of the North to the various tribes in the Western Regions and the King of Tuyuhun.

When the cavalry passed through Liangzhou, they delivered the customs clearance documents, did not stop much, and immediately galloped westward.

Due to its special geographical location, Liangzhou is connected to the countries of the Western Regions. It is currently under the joint control of the Qin family and the Huan family.

However, Qin Ce still sent people to advertise to the local people, saying that the Qin family's entry into Chang'an has become the most important thing in the north.It is really worth pondering to contact all kinds of things here.

After the cavalry left, Huan Si and Yang Guang boarded the top of the city one after another, looked at the billowing smoke and dust, and thought about the reflections of the people in the city, Huan Si's eyes narrowed slightly, and immediately made up his mind. Let me explain this matter.

This is a moment.

In the early days, the two sides cooperated to jointly open up commercial routes in the Western Regions, which can be regarded as a tacit understanding.Now that the Qin family is proclaimed emperor and their capital is Chang'an, their position will definitely change.

Liangzhou is bordered by the Qin family, if the Qin family has malicious intentions behind it and wants to dominate the commercial roads in the Western Regions, the number of soldiers left here is limited, and it may be difficult to support them.If troops were transferred from the south, regardless of whether there was too late, if the Qin family ambushed and intercepted them halfway, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Although Qin Ce first ascended the throne, he still needs to stabilize the country and divide up interests, so it is unlikely to do it in the short term.However, it is better to be prepared and be on guard in advance than to be in a hurry when things come to an end.

Thinking of this, Huan Si's heart tightened, he said goodbye to Yang, and was about to turn around and leave.

"Is Gongzu in a hurry?" Yang Guang asked on the spot seeing his complexion.

When Huan Si came out as an official to Guzang, it happened that Huan Shiqian was leading the army outside.Yang Guang was stationed in the city and helped Huan Si a lot.The two have completely different personalities, but unexpectedly formed a friendship. After a long time, they seldom refer to each other by their official titles, but more by their names or elder brother.

"The Qin family is bound to be unwilling to be content with the old land when they become emperor, and there may be changes in the Western Regions. This time the officials are on a hunting tour, it is justified to ask for more troops from the frontier states."

"Increasing troops?" Yang Guang frowned.

"Although Qin Xuanmin is not here, there are still many Qin soldiers here, and they are powerful." Huan Si looked at Yang Guang and said solemnly, "The officials intend to take Gaochang, suppress evil and lead troops westward. There is no turning back. There are only [-] Guzang defenders left, if something happens..."

There is no need to elaborate on the hidden meaning, Yang Guang can guess a little bit.

Because Mrs. Liu was seriously ill, in order to invite a good doctor, Qin Jing retreated from the city, and Huan Shiqian took the lead in attacking Guzang.

Now that the city is down, it is logical for the Huan family to stay in the city.

The Qin family did not send troops into the city, but only sent three officials to stay in the city.After that, based on the fortifications left by Zhang Liang, a military fort was built outside the main city, which happened to be stuck on the east-west main road.At ordinary times, the city can be defended to ensure the safety of Guzang. Once there is a gap between the two sides, this is a reminder for the defenders in the city.

"It's not because of the villain's heart, the Qin family proclaimed the emperor and sent people to fly to the tribes in the Western Regions, clearly declaring him as the master and inviting the tribes to enter Chang'an. Advertisement to the people of Guzang, its meaning is self-evident."

Huan Si shook his head lightly, thinking of the sound of drums and horns coming from the barracks outside the city when Qin's personal soldiers passed by, inexplicably aroused a lot of irritability.

"The Qin family has been rooted in the north for many years, and now that it is in charge of Chang'an, it cannot be underestimated. Even though we have won Tianshui, Longxi and other places, we cannot rest assured."

How can you allow others to sleep peacefully on the side of the couch.

Forget about the border states and counties. Tianshui, Lueyang and other counties are not far from Chang'an, let alone Fufeng County, which is the gateway of Xianyang, but half of which is occupied by southern soldiers.

Qin Ce first ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the court, perhaps he would not rush to send troops.After a long time, the division of interests is completed, and Chang'an stabilizes, it is hard to say how things will develop.

"Be prepared in advance. If something goes wrong, you won't panic and lose the rules for a while."

Yang Guang nodded, thinking that Huan Si's words were reasonable.He has flaws in character, but he is not without talent.If not, Huan Rong would not let him lead troops to garrison Gu Zang.

No matter how important the Hongnong Yang family is, it is not worth Huan Rong's betting on the trade routes of the Western Regions.

"I'm just glad that Qin Xuanmin is not in Guzang." Huan Si and Qin Jing have never met face to face, but Qin Jing's behavior style can still be roughly inferred from what he learned after taking office.

According to past achievements, Qin Jing's eight thousand cavalry is an out-and-out army of tigers and wolves.If you want to subdue this group of tigers and wolves, you have to win a thousand victories.

The prestige of "King Khan" is widely spread in the grasslands, and everyone in the Western Regions has heard of it, even surpassing Murong Chui back then.

The era of frequent wars is also the era of worshiping heroes the most.

Qin Jing didn't need to use too many means, or even sophisticated schemes. He could deter all the generals under his command just by relying on his own bravery and strength.No matter the Han people or the Hu people, they all followed him wholeheartedly and were willing to charge forward for him.

This kind of army based on personal prestige is very powerful and dangerous.

If one day Qin Jing loses his prestige, or if an accident occurs and he loses control of the army, this is a group of ferocious beasts that have come out of the cage, and they will definitely choose people and devour them, causing a terrible disaster.

"If Qin Xuanmin doesn't return to the Western Regions, we can arrange it calmly. However, he left three hundred servants in the West Sea, blocking the main road leading to the grassland in the north, so we have to take precautions."

Huan Si and Yang Guang walked down the wall together. During the conversation, they analyzed the many problems they were going to face, and their expressions were slightly gloomy.

Contradictions always exist, and Qin Ce's ascension to the throne just advances everything.

It's hard to say whether this situation is good or bad.As far as it is concerned, it is indeed a bit bad, and it will affect the business route that has just been restored.However, in the long run, it may not be such a bad thing.

If Jiankang is not fully prepared, how can Chang'an be perfect.

Winning or losing is divided between [-] and [-], just to see who can come out on top.

On the day when the Chang'an cavalry crossed the border, Huan Si's upper form was sent out of Guzang, and he was sent south by a fast horse. Instead of going to Jiankang, he went straight to the place where the emperor patrolled.

At this time, Huan Rong and his party were preparing to leave, leaving Xuyi by land and heading west to Huainan.

Compared with the land route, the water route saves time and is more convenient.However, Youzhou is near the north, and there are certain risks in taking the waterway.After consideration, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi spoke together to dissuade Huan Rong, it doesn't matter if the schedule is slow, safety comes first.

The two were not in a hurry to leave Youzhou, and even wanted to hang around for a while longer.

During the stay in Xuyi, what I saw and heard, not to mention refreshing the three views, is not much different.

The city is not as good as Jiankang, but the planning is more orderly.

The green tiles, vermilion tiles, carved beams and embroidered pillars in the east city symbolize the status and heritage of the gentry; the south city is where the government and barracks are located, with solemn and solemn buildings, and the dry clouds block out the sun, neat and uniform; Wooden and masonry buildings are mixed, row upon row, high and low, with the unique style of Youzhou, which has a unique scenery.

Xicheng is where the square city is located, and there are people coming and going all day long, and it is very lively.

Xie An and Wang Biaozhi once went out in disguise and walked into the market. All they could see were shops facing the street, businessmen wearing various costumes and speaking accents from various places, and ordinary people buying and selling goods.

Walk into a store at random, there is not much space, and the windows are bright and clean.

There are three rows of shelves against the wall, with a wooden counter in front of them.

The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, holding a pen to record the sold goods. While greeting the customers, the two assistants were busy wrapping the goods and putting them into the rattan frames and bamboo baskets brought by the customers. Their movements were crisp and capable.

This is a spice shop.

The spices from the Western Regions are placed in the most conspicuous place.

Xie An and Wang Biaozhi didn't know the specific price, and the accompanying health servants glanced at it a few times to make sure they read it right, and their faces were suddenly full of surprise.

"Master Lang, the market price here is more than half ten percent lower than that in Jiankang."

It is not uncommon if they are the same, but it can be regarded as a means for businesses to attract customers.

The point is that in the store, all the spices that Jianfu can identify are cheaper than Jiankang.Not to mention the few unrecognizable spices, judging from the empty pockets, the demand is really not small.

"Shopkeeper," the health servant was ordered by Xie An to ask why, "These spices are from the Western Regions? Why are the prices so low?"

Anecdotes raised his head, looked at the person who was asking the question, raised his smile and said, "Looking at your accent, I think he's from Yangzhou?"

Jianfu nodded.

"To tell you the truth, sir, this price is set by the market price, if not, it will be half a percent lower."

"Why?"

"There are more and more Hu merchants entering the city, bringing a huge amount of goods, and they are all eager to sell, snapping up white sugar and other products produced in Youzhou. Naturally, the price will not be too high. However, regardless of whether the price is not set high, They transported the local goods back to the country, and definitely made a lot of money. Moreover, after all, the low-priced ambers are rare, and the colored ambers are shipped here, and the market prices are even higher if they are of good quality."

The servant didn't speak, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi glanced around, pondered for a moment, and a strangeness flashed in their eyes.

The shopkeeper continued: "The small shop has a complete range of spices, does this gentleman want to buy some?"

Jianfu nodded and bought a few common spices.

Seeing that the business was not small, the shopkeeper immediately walked out of the counter and personally recommended the newly arrived spices to him, including the cumin introduced by Huan Rong when he was an assassin. Xie An and others tasted it.

The result did not disappoint him.

Originally a business worth [-] yuan, it immediately doubled to more than [-] yuan.

"Chenghui." The shopkeeper asked the clerk to pack the spices and sent them to the servant, "All gold, silver and copper coins are accepted, and silk is also acceptable."

With the net worth of Xie An and Wang Biaozhi, this little expense is nothing at all.He ordered Jianfu to carry the spices on his back and walked towards the second shop.

Because of the similarity between the two, the man who accompanied him, Qiao Zhuang, travels with each other, and has a stronger sense of travel.Walking down all day, the goods bought in the city are piled up into a hill, and the salutes with the car are doubled.

Walking through the long street dedicated to food shops, everyone is an eye-opener.

It's not that they haven't seen the world.

In fact, judging from the current conditions, the chefs of each family are top-notch, and they can be said to be tireless in eating and cooking.It's just that Xuyi's recipes are different from other wineries. They absorb the strengths of each family, and have secret recipes from the Assassin's Mansion, and constantly improve cooking techniques. There are many dishes that even Xie An and Wang Biaozhi have never seen.

As a result, after walking around Fangshi, many people came up with the similar idea of ​​bringing a local cook back home.

In addition, everyone kept what they saw and heard in the city in their hearts, and they would unconsciously integrate into the governance philosophy when they went to official positions in the future.Combined with local conditions, it has made a great contribution to transforming the status quo and revitalizing the economy.

Of course, no matter how prosperous the business is, the agriculture-oriented consideration will remain unchanged.

After traveling through Fangshi, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi drove to the countryside outside the city, and visited the fields with Huan Rong.

Winter is approaching, and the earth is occasionally green.

Many farmers are busy plowing the ground and opening the fields. Looking from a distance, the rice paddies are connected, and the field steles standing on the side of the road are one after another.

"Your Majesty once issued a decree that all people who have entered the yellow register can be granted land. If the wasteland is opened, the grain tax will be exempted for three years, and the grain will be distributed by the government."

Xun You drove by, explaining for Xie An and others.

"People of Bai nationality are not granted land by the government for the time being, but they can open up wasteland. They are measured by scattered officials in the Lizhong and recorded in the book. They are also exempted from tax for three years. After five to eight years of farming, they can become private land."

"Youzhou has a vast land. After a few years, the population is still less than one-third of that of the previous dynasty. Because of the limited number of adults, without improved farm tools, the number of land reclamation is probably less than half of what it is today."

The land of China has been in war for a hundred years, and the population once dropped sharply. From tens of millions at the peak, it continued to decline. By the time of Jin Dynasty, the household registration of the whole country was checked, and the number obtained was shocking.

In this case, deserted fields and villages can be seen everywhere.

Over the past few years, Youzhou has recruited refugees, rewarded land reclamation, improved tools and implemented benevolent governance, and the results have gradually emerged.But there is still a long way to go to further restore production and increase the population significantly.

When it comes to other states and counties, population is a big problem, not to mention others.

The Qin family is also implementing the strategy of opening up wasteland, and will definitely not let the young and strong continue to go south.Without more population, it is indeed feasible to extend the experience of Youzhou to other states and counties, but there are not small difficulties.

Returning from outside the city, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi sat opposite each other in the guest room, thinking about the emperor's insistence on hunting, and guessing the deep meaning behind it, they couldn't help but feel emotional and fell into deep thought.

No matter what the two think, the scheduled itinerary will not change.

After staying in Xuyi for several days, Huan Rong ordered to leave for Huainan County.

On the day when they left the city, Xuyi's elders and elders accompanied each other, and they waited by the roadside before dawn.When the emperor passed by, he bowed down and saluted.

There was no clamor of people, nor the sound of long live, only the fine wine served in front of you, showing the hearts of everyone.It also made the accompanying people realize how deeply Youzhou's benevolent government is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Crossing the long street, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi were still moved, not to mention the young man, almost all of them were excited.Without Huan Rong's further agitation, one after another gave birth to officials in Bianzhou with great ambitions to make contributions.

After traveling for several days, Shengjia will soon arrive in Huainan County.

A team came from the north, carrying a letter written by Qin Ce, to the border of Youzhou.

Qin Jing originally intended to lead people south alone, avoiding the court's eyes and ears.Knowing that Qin Ce decided to send an envoy to the south, he changed his mind halfway and volunteered to go.

After some consideration, Qin Ce ordered Qin Jing to be the official envoy, and went south to deliver the letter of credence.

This time Qin Jing went south, and the cavalry under his command stayed in Luozhou temporarily, with only [-] cavalry with him, so as to avoid misunderstandings by Jiankang.

Riding his horse on the way, he saw the direction of Huainan from a distance. Qin Jing raised his right arm and ordered the team to pause.

"Zhang Lian."

"The servant is here."

"Send someone to the city first."

"promise!"

Zhang Lian clasped his fists to accept the order, and went down to arrange the manpower.

Qin Jing rode his horse up the mound, looked up at the sky, and saw the graceful figure appearing in the clouds, with faint smile lines appearing at the corners of his mouth.

Jiankang, Taicheng

Mrs. Li walked out of the palace gate and let a pigeon fly.

The pigeon disappeared into the distance, and Mrs. Li just turned back.Meeting the eyes of Princess Nankang, she said softly: "I have newly prepared a fragrance, which can relieve the fatigue of the journey. The weather is good these few days, and it is rare that there is no rain, so I just sent it to the official family."