A group of four people from the Dongxing Group finally lined up and entered Jiuquan City. They had not rested in the city for a long time. As soon as they entered the city, Yu Xiaoxiao was extremely excited.
Jiuquan also has its own style. This place has long been the frontline of the Han and Hu conflicts. It is now an area controlled by the Tang Dynasty. However, there are many gaps between the mountains in the north of Jiuquan. There are often nomadic people from the north going south into Jiuquan.
This also allows the city of Jiuquan to take into account the style and aesthetics of both Hu and Han people.
Li Daoyuan could also see a large number of Zuojun Hu people, leading horses and doing business in Jiuquan City.
Today, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Uighurs is good, and there are still quite a lot of Hu people doing business in Jiuquan.
Li Daoyuan checked into a hotel, and Yu Xiaoxiao, who was finally able to freshen up, soaked in a wooden bucket excitedly.
Zhang Duanyang simply freshened up and took his student Zhou Shi to the street to investigate.
Jiuquan City is a square ancient city. The earliest Jiuquan City was built in the Western Han Dynasty.
But walking on the streets, you can no longer see the appearance of the Han Dynasty city.
Zhang Duanyang said: "Jiuquan City was first conquered and built by Huo Qubing in the Han Dynasty. However, it has been torn down and rebuilt many times after many wars. Now there is no part of the city wall that is still from the Han Dynasty."
Zhou Shi also looked at the streets of Jiuquan curiously. He really didn't expect that the Hexi Corridor would be so prosperous.
Zhang Duanyang said: "When I went to Dunhuang in the early years, I would always stop in Jiuquan. Jiuquan was an important big city in the Tang Dynasty. Come on, let's go have Hu Pancake and Mutton Soup."
The two of them saw an old man carrying a load on the side of the street. A stove was hung on one end of the load and a bench was hung on the other end. He had just set up a stall in an open space at the corner of the street.
Zhang Duanyang and Zhou Shi immediately walked up and watched the old man unload the stove bench little by little, then put a large pot on the stove and poured the prepared mutton soup into it.
The aroma of the snow-white mutton soup soon aroused the gluttons on the street. Zhou Shi lamented that he came early, and now the stalls had begun to line up.
The old man wiped the sweat from his head, took out a stack of Hu cakes, put them on the edge of the stove to heat, and then handed them to Zhang Duanyang and Zhou Shi.
Zhou Shi took the cake and said, "Isn't this just a bag?"
Zhang Duanyang nodded and said: "This is the bag, but it is freshly baked and very fragrant. It tastes better if you tear the cake and eat it in the mutton soup."
Sure enough, according to Zhang Duanyang's statement, Zhou Shi tore the biscuits and put them into the mutton soup. The fragrant mutton soup was combined with the biscuits that were full of soup. Zhou Shi was so satisfied that he almost hummed.
"Teacher, I didn't expect that Jiuquan City would be so lively."
"Let you study hard. There are four towns in the Hexi Corridor. Dunhuang means that there is a desert between Shazhou and Jiuquan. But from Jiuquan to Zhangye to Wuwei, there are rich pastures between these three towns, so Shazhou
It is also called outside the Great Wall, but the three towns inside are more closely connected."
"Compared to Shazhou, Jiuquan is a trade node. It is not only a place where the Western Regions gather, but also merchants who go north to do business with the Uighurs will also gather here."
It turns out that's the case, no wonder Jiuquan is so prosperous.
Zhang Duanyang sighed: "But the Silk Road is still there. After the Silk Road declined in the future, Jiuquan will gradually become deserted. Coupled with climate change, land desertification is serious, and the four towns in Hexi have gradually lost their former glory.
"
Zhou Shi also went to Dunhuang with his mentor. The once prosperous city became a pearl in the desert, but it still could not hide the fact that the entire Hexi region was seriously deserted.
After finishing the mutton soup, Zhang Duanyang started chatting with the old man selling the soup while paying.
"Old man, we are travelers outside the customs. I wonder what interesting places there are in this Jiuquan?"
The old man took the money and said with a smile: "What fun is there in Jiuquan City? I have lived here for decades, but I have never lived a stable life for a few years."
Zhang Duanyang asked doubtfully: "I think Jiuquan is much more prosperous than outside the pass."
The old man smiled and said: "That's not the blessing of King Jianning. Only when there is peace outside the pass can Jiuquan prosper. Your Highness has defeated Hui Hui. Only these Hui Hui can sit down and do business."
Unexpectedly, the reputation of King Jianning had spread to Jiuquan, which really surprised Zhang Duanyang and Zhou Shi.
The old man asked again: "How is the situation outside the pass? Can I live in peace?"
Zhang Duanyang nodded and said: "Now that Guazhou and Shazhou outside the Guan are being re-granted, Xizhou is becoming increasingly prosperous under the rule of King Jianning. If my father-in-law's skills are transferred to the outside of the Guan, he will definitely be able to live in peace."
Zhang Duanyang asked doubtfully: "Seeing that my father-in-law's business is so prosperous, why do you still want to go outside the customs?"
Zhang Duanyang couldn't figure it out. The climate in Jiuquan is much better than that in Guazhou, Shazhou, and the population here is prosperous, so it seems to be more stable than outside the customs.
The old man sighed and said: "If we can survive in Jiuquan City, no one will be willing to leave their hometown. To be honest, my stall looks prosperous, but in fact I can't make much money. I work hard every day and can't do it."
It’s just food and clothing.”
"The old woman at home is sick, and the money for soup and medicine is not enough."
Looking at the people queuing up, Zhang Duanyang became even more confused. He asked: "My husband, this shop is so prosperous, can't you make ends meet?"
At this time, two men dressed as government officials came over arrogantly. The old man immediately stopped talking to Zhang Duanyang, counted the money bags, and then handed them to the two government officials.
The two government servants weighed the weight of the money bag and then left with satisfaction.
The old man sighed and said: "This is a tax collector from the government who came to collect horse donations. If I can't pay the full amount, then my small stall will be seized by them. At that time, I will have to spend more money to smoothen the relationship before I can get it back."
.”
"Almost all the money I earned from selling mutton soup Hu cakes was given to the government."
Zhang Duanyang asked in confusion: "What is a horse donation? Why have I never heard of this donation in Tang Dynasty laws?"
Donations are miscellaneous taxes collected by the government.
The Tang Dynasty clearly stipulates the donations that the government can levy in the "Tang Lv Shu Yi". If it is not a listed donation, it is the so-called exorbitant levy and miscellaneous tax.
"The guest officer will know that you are knowledgeable. This horse donation is unique to our Jiuquan."
"What is this donation for?"
The old man said while working: "There used to be a horse farm in Jiuquan, and war horses were needed as tribute every year. However, the horse administration has been exhausted in recent years. The governor's office in Jiuquan really couldn't provide war horses, but the imperial court was pressing hard, so they could only spend money to buy horses."
Buy from the Uighur merchants."
"This horse donation is a miscellaneous tax levied in order to buy horses from Uighur merchants. We have to buy horses from Uighurs when our beautiful horse farm in Jiuquan is abandoned. I don't know what the reason is!"