Shanxi, Datong Prefecture.

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!"
To be continued...