Xifeng Fort is one of hundreds of earthen forts located in the territory of the Wutuo Khanate.
Although the territory of the Wutuo Khanate was not as large as that of the Tang Empire, it was the most vast country outside the Kunlun Pass. The geographical environment was complex, with endless grasslands, yellow sandy lands, and even more desolate and dry areas.
The Great Gobi.
When living in a sandy area, there are often winds and sand, which has a great impact on people's lives.
For this reason, it is indispensable to build earthen forts. They use rammed earth to build walls to withstand wind and sand. Most earthen forts are like a small county town, and people within a radius of dozens of miles will use them as a symbol.
center.
The smaller earth fort can accommodate thousands of people, and the largest earth fort, with all the wine shops and restaurants inside, can easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Xifeng Fort is not the largest earth fort, but it is located on an important road, with a lot of business travelers coming and going. It is a relatively prosperous place in Wutuo. There are no less than 10,000 residents of the earth fort. A few days ago, many merchants came from Tangren City
, making Xifeng Fort even more lively.
Qin Xiao was on the road for more than one day. When he didn't know the way, he asked around. Xifeng Castle is a very famous place in the White Wolf King's territory. It is not difficult to find it.
The closer he got to Xifeng Fort, the worse the conditions here felt to Qin Xiao. Although Xifeng Fort was not located in the sand, the surrounding area had begun to be invaded by yellow sand, and the Wutuo people seemed to have no interest in controlling the sand.
Earth, over the years, many places have been covered by yellow sand, and winds and sands are often raging. Once the sand blows up, sand and dust will float all over the sky, making people miserable.
If new arrivals from other places do not know how to protect themselves, the sand and gravel will invade their mouths and noses when the wind blows, causing extreme pain.
Fortunately, [Shuquge www.shuquge.vip] Tang Rong is very familiar with the climate here. She bought two coarse cloth scarves on the way early and wrapped them around her mouth and nose, so that she can withstand the wind and sand even if it gets windy.
Qin Xiao originally didn't have much sympathy for the merchants who went to the west, but along the way, he really developed a respect for those caravans who were not afraid of hardships.
Although it was profit that drove them to go west, they went through hardships, allowed goods to circulate, and even strengthened the understanding and exchange of cultures between the two sides, which is really a big contribution.
At dusk, he saw a gray outline in front of him from a distance. Qin Xiao knew that the Xifeng Castle should be there, and said happily: "Sister Rong, the Xifeng Castle is just ahead. We have finally arrived."
The past few days on the way were really difficult. Tang Rong was relieved when she saw Xifeng Castle.
"After we go in, we will find the best inn to stay in." Qin Xiao said, "Then we will take a bath, change into comfortable clothes, and have a good meal. Sister Rong, what do you like to eat?"
Tang Rong knew that Qin Xiao had been working hard these days, so she smiled and said, "Whatever you want to eat, I will eat with you. There are many restaurants in Xifeng Fort, and you can find whatever you want."
As we approached West Wind Castle, we saw many figures standing in front of us, standing on both sides of the road. Soon, we saw people running towards us, waving our hands, and shouting: "Guests from afar, thank you for your hard work, thank you for your hard work!"
"
Qin Xiao was surprised, thinking to himself, are the people here so enthusiastic?
A hunky-backed man was the first to rush up and said with a smile: "Do you want to enter the castle? Is there a place to stay? I can introduce you to a good place."
"I have a good place here, and the price is very cheap." Someone from behind also shouted: "I can clean it for you every day, and if you need anything, I can run errands for you."
One person shouted: "I have an apartment here on the busiest street. Although the price is a bit more expensive, it is very lively with people coming and going every day. How many of you are there? Do you want a warehouse? There are not many places with warehouses inside now."
."
Qin Xiao was a little confused and couldn't help but ask: "Are you from the inn?" He wondered why the people from the inn came outside to solicit business.
One person smiled and said: "The inns in the fort have long been full, and they are all long-term stays. How many people are there among you? Are you a caravan?"
Qin Xiao said: "It's just the two of us."
As soon as these words came out, the group of people suddenly became uninterested. Some people turned around and left, obviously showing no interest in the two of them.
Qin Xiao thought that these guys' expressions were changing really fast, so he stopped one of them and said, "Hey, what do you mean? You don't look down on us?"
"You two, just find a place." The man said, "If you have a lot of people and goods, someone in the fort can make room for you. It's just a residence, and there are no inns."
"Although we are two people, we still need a place to live." Qin Xiao said with a smile: "Brother, don't look down on people. How about you help us find a place to live?"
"There is a place to live, but I'm afraid you can't afford it." The man said, "I have a few small houses in my hand, and I pay one tael of silver a day. Do you want to live in them?"
Tang Rong frowned and said: "The best inn in Xifeng Castle, a room only costs three coins a day, your price is too outrageous."
"Then you can go find cheap ones." The man said nonchalantly: "Tang people from the east and Hu merchants from the west have all come here these days. Not only are there many people, but they also bring a large amount of goods with them. They want to be inside
It’s not easy to find a place to live. If you really don’t have money, you have to sleep on the street.”
Qin Xiao knew in his heart that what this guy said was probably true.
The merchants who originally traded in Tangren City now all come here to settle down. The first thing they need is a place to live. As a result, it is natural that the price of inns will rise.
The inns were full, and the people in the fort vacated their residences to earn money, and the prices were high, simply because they knew there was demand.
If it were in the past, he would not accept Qin Xiao being beaten to death for one tael of silver to live a day.
However, his financial resources are not what they used to be. If the treasures in his hands, not to mention his residence, are exchanged for money, he may not be able to buy Xifeng Castle.
Moreover, he was not familiar with the situation in Westwind Castle and needed a guide.
The most important thing is that after these days of hard work, Tang Rong is exhausted. Qin Xiao just wants to find a place for Tang Rong to have a good rest.
The man was about to leave, but Qin Xiao whistled at the man. When the man turned around, he saw that Qin Xiao had thrown a piece of silver, three or four taels, and the man hurriedly caught it and said with a smile: "Yes.
Just money. I'll take you there and make sure you live comfortably. By the way, I'm Mutugan, you can just call me Agan."
Tang Rong didn't say much.
When they arrived in front of the earthen fort, they saw Wutuo soldiers guarding them and people registering. They got off their horses. Mutugan had already said to Qin Xiao: "You have to register first before entering. It's not troublesome."
The Wutuo soldier in charge of registration did not raise his head and asked: "Where are you coming from?"
"Come from the east."
"Several people?"
"Two people!"
"How long will we stay?"
"Three to five days at most."
"What are you doing here?"
"We want to take a look at the Western Regions." Qin Xiao said, "Have a rest here."
"After entering the fort, don't cause trouble, otherwise you won't be spared lightly." The Wutuo soldiers checked in, saw Qin Xiao wearing a knife on his waist, and pointed at the knife: "You can't bring weapons when you go in. Stay here. When we leave, we will
Back to you."
A Wutuo soldier on the side came up and stretched out his hand to ask Qin Xiao to hand over the Blood Demon Sword.
Qin Xiao frowned and said, "This sword is a heirloom of my family and cannot be left behind. Please be accommodating."
"Don't go in if you have a knife." The Wutuo soldiers waved their hands: "Go away!"
Qin Xiao's face looked a little ugly. If it were an ordinary knife, it would be easy to hand it over, but this Blood Demon Knife was extraordinary.
He took a piece of silver and handed it over. The Wutuo soldier rolled his eyes: "You are going in with a knife. If Burke knows, our heads will be gone."
Qin Xiao frowned, thinking that it seems that this place is really strict, and they are not allowed to bring weapons in. The Wutuo soldier next to him seemed a little impatient, and had already reached over and grasped the handle of the Blood Demon Knife.
Qin Xiao retreated and said sternly: "What to do?"
Even after retreating, the Wutuo soldiers did not let go. With a "choking" sound, the Blood Demon Sword had been half withdrawn, and the blood-red blade was immediately revealed.
Qin Xiao reached out and opened the Wutuo soldier's hand and sheathed the sword.
The two Wutuo soldiers looked at each other with strange expressions. The registered Wutuo soldier had already stood up, his eyes twitched, and he suddenly raised his hand and said: "You guys go in!"
Qin Xiao suddenly thought that the owner of the Blood Demon Sword was the Blood Demon Ancestor Zheng Qianqiu. Zheng Qianqiu was regarded as the God of Fire by the Wutuo people. Could it be that the Wutuo soldier recognized the Blood Demon Sword and immediately changed his attitude?
Mutugan was obviously a little surprised. He didn't expect that the Wutuo soldiers would let Qin Xiao in, so he hurriedly said: "Let's go." Leading the way, Qin Xiao glanced at the Wutuo soldiers and saw that the Wutuo soldiers lowered their heads and did not respond.
Dare to look at himself, he immediately took the horse and followed Mutugan into Xifeng Castle with Tang Rong.
Most of the houses in Xifeng Fort are built of earth and stone, and the roads are all dirt roads. People come and go. You can really see many Hu merchants from the Western Regions here, including many people from the Tang Dynasty.
Mutugan led the two of them to a street. The street was narrow and the ground was uneven. The houses on the side were all built of rammed earth. When they arrived at a mud house, Mutugan said: "This is where you live. What do you need?"
, just tell me."
Qin Xiao saw that there were only two rooms in this earthen house. Apart from the main hall, there was only one room. He pushed the door and went in. It was very empty. He couldn't help but said, "How much does this house cost?" He felt that this was the shabbiest place in Xifeng Castle.
.
"You can live there." Mutugan showed a sly smile: "A place better than this is very expensive, do you want to go and have a look?"
"That's all, let's just stay here." Tang Rong said.
Mutugan saluted and said, "I'll come see you in two days." That meant that when the lease period was up, he would come back to collect the rent, and without any nonsense, he would turn around and leave.
Qin Xiao tied the horse outside. Seeing Qin Xiao's deceived expression, Tang Rong felt funny and said: "It's quiet here and there aren't many people. It's not a bad thing. Let's stay here and find out who Yuwen Chengchao is later."
It’s not like we’ve already entered the fort.”
Qin Xiao nodded, looked back at the street, and found a figure shrinking into the alley, frowning, and whispered: "Sister Rong, we seem to be being targeted!"