Chapter 76 Proclamation Chinese and Foreign Part 7
It is said that snow falls in Hutian in August. It is already the end of August and the beginning of September, and the first snow in Mobei has already fallen early.
Outside the monument commemorating the achievements of the Supreme Khan Jianwen Shenwu, Ye Li Da Chong bowed and bowed with a look of respect on his face.
Half of it was for show, after all, he was beaten by a saint.
The other half is sincere.
The emperor Jianwen, Shenwu, etc. had such great achievements, all the chiefs admired him from the bottom of their hearts and did not dare to show any disrespect.
After finishing the pilgrimage, when we arrived outside the west gate of Heichengzi, we happened to encounter a group of businessmen heading south.
They brought a large group of cattle and sheep, chatting and laughing, and were relaxed and comfortable.
Doing livestock trading on the grassland is actually not that simple.
Livestock travel long distances and need to stop for fattening, which often consumes a lot of fodder. At this time, you need to cooperate with the chiefs of various tribes. They will prepare hay in advance, so the routes are fixed.
Such a cooperation allowed the prairie nobles to share in the benefits of the deal, which undoubtedly deepened the connection between the prairie and the Central Plains.
There are rumors that the Sage once planned to strictly prohibit population exchanges between the grasslands and the Central Plains, but to be honest, it seems that this system was not implemented in the end.
With less population exchanges, economic exchanges will also decrease. The final result is to push people outwards. In history, the Qing Dynasty strictly prohibited the exchanges between Mongolia and the Central Plains people, and stipulated that merchants going north could not carry women's papers, which ultimately led to sodomy among the Han people going to the grasslands.
Frequent……
Before entering the city, we encountered dozens of carriages transporting firewood.
This is really a good business, everyone on the grassland needs it.
The grassland is not without woods, at least in this area of Heichengzi, because the rivers are crisscrossed, the mountains are continuous, and the forests are extremely vast, which is very different from other places.
In fact, from the perspective of the geography of the Mobei Grassland, the Kunshui (Orkhon River) and the Posuo River (Selenge River) originate from the mountains around Heichengzi, with numerous tributaries, forming the Mobei Grassland.
One of the few places in the world with rich water and grass - later known as the Selenge River Grassland. The Huns established themselves here, the Uighurs built their royal courts here, and the Mongols also made it their capital.
From this flat grassland to the north, it gradually transitioned to the rugged mountains, and the forest area increased greatly. The people who lived there were later called "forest people".
Therefore, the location of Heichengzi is very good. It connects to the "people in the forest" to the north and is located on a grassland with relatively abundant water resources. It can support a large number of people, cattle and sheep, and can support a relatively powerful tribe.
Crossing the desert to the south, you can also come into contact with various parts of the Qinan grassland - of course, all these distances are based on the concept of grassland.
In the 13th century, because Ogedai was the capital here, it was even called the center of the world. A considerable part of the population and property that the Mongols plundered from all over the world would always be sent to the Great Khan.
After the construction of the Hall of Harlem Palace (located seventy miles east of Black City), the envoys of King Louis IX of France and Pope Innocent IV visited successively. Here, they saw craftsmen from all over the world working on
The Great Khan of Mongolia built a very luxurious palace and all kinds of strange things, and there were also an astonishing number of people of all ethnic groups living in the place - of course, that would have been the period when Queen Owuli was lost in the sea and supervised the country.
However, although the conditions in Heichengzi are good, it is definitely not enough to become the center of the world. The Mongols moved captives, craftsmen, nobles, and soldiers here, and lived in extravagance. The price was the great famine in Mobei, which required food to be transported from the Central Plains.
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Therefore, everything must be done according to your ability.
In Heichengzi under the rule of Daxia, farming and reclamation began three or four years ago. At that time, it mainly relied on conscripting Daofuzi in Guanbei to implement civilian settlements.
After several consecutive years, a large area of cultivated land was opened up, so large-scale settlements were gradually abolished and people were recruited to cultivate the land.
As of this year (the second year of Tongguang, 917), there are six to seven hundred households in the vicinity of Heichengzi. Most of them are from Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Suizhou and other places, and a small number are from Puzhou, Lanzhou and Shizhou in Hedong.
At the end of this year, with the withdrawal of the last village, more than a thousand households from Henan and Hebei will immigrate here next year.
In a sense, Heichengzi was an enclave of the imperial court on the grassland. After plowing the fields, the new immigrants would also graze a group of livestock to provide supplies to the officials and warriors living in the city.
The number of warriors is three thousand: two thousand mounted infantry and one thousand cavalry. They are drawn from the Luoyang Forbidden Army and guard this place in turn for a period of three years. After three years, they return to Han to reunite with their families. In three years, almost all warriors
The limit that men can accept.
When Ye Li Da Chong entered the city, he saw the defenders with bright armor and strong swords and guns filing out of the city to conduct camping exercises at the foot of Yudujin Mountain.
There are also many grassland people gathered in the city, most of them from nearby tribes. Before the heavy snow falls in winter, they go to Heichengzi to buy some goods and even food.
At the door of a restaurant, Ye Li Da Chong saw two shepherds who had just finished hot pot and were haggling with the store owner, planning to buy a few more bags of fried rice to take back.
Hot pot is very popular on the grasslands. It is actually a copper pot. Thinly sliced meat is simmered in hot water and dipped in seasonings brought from the Central Plains. It is very refreshing - very similar to the shabu-shabu of later generations.
People who eat hot pot here usually buy a few bags of fried rice to take home.
The so-called fried rice is actually a masterpiece of the Khitan people. They cultivated millet in Liaodong. After harvesting, they shelled it, steamed it, and fried it again in an iron pot. The locals called it "粲糍", which is very convenient and filling.
Solid food for the stomach - after later generations of Mongolians learned it, they evolved into Mongolian fried rice and fried noodles.
"Are you going on an expedition next year?" The store owner is from Suizhou. When he heard that the two shepherds were transporting cattle and sheep to Beiting next year and filling the bags with fried rice, he couldn't help but grab two more handfuls and then asked: "
Who are you going to fight with?"
"A general from the imperial court sent by the Supreme Emperor," the herdsman said.
Ye Li Da Chong's heart moved slightly.
The first thing this shepherd mentioned was not the leader of his own clan, nor the Yili Jin of the tribe, but the "Supreme Emperor" and the "Court".
What does this mean?
This shows that in the minds of many grassland warriors who have gone out to fight and have seen the world, there is no longer just the leader, but the figure of the supreme emperor has begun to appear.
If this trend continues to be strengthened, fixed, and publicized, the court can break down the barriers between tribes and occupy a special position in the hearts of the grassland people. Of course, this will take time to settle. The saint has made a good start, and what will follow
It depends on how future generations operate.
In the 14th and 15th years of Jianji, the Yeli Dachong family also took turns sending a thousand soldiers (five hundred every year) to follow the saint to fight in the Western Regions. He carefully recalled the performance of those soldiers after returning and sighed slightly.
In just two years, these one thousand people showed signs of "changing their hearts." If it had been twenty or fifty years, he simply couldn't imagine it.
"What? The Beiwei Army? You want to join the Beiwei Army? What kind of army is that? The Forbidden Army?" After filling the fried rice, the shopkeeper took two more sand fruits, one for each person, and gave them to the shepherd.
"The Beiwei Army is a forbidden army with many rewards." The shepherd who was determined to be selected into the Beiwei Army and sent to the Central Plains for garrison said, "The Forbidden Army is the most capable army in the world."
"That's not true!" the store owner responded and sighed: "I didn't squeeze into Lingzhou Courtyard back then, otherwise I would have been unable to protect myself and would have been eating royal food in the Forbidden Army. The Forbidden Army is good, one person serves as a soldier, and the whole family has no worries. Even if I die, there will be enough.
If you get the pension, just feel free to fight hard."
"It's a pity that I can only work for a few years." The shepherd threw the bag of fried rice on his shoulder, sighed, and pulled his companion away.
Ye Li Da Chong's heart was clogged again.
His family's tribe was required to select thirty warriors who were good at infantry combat, plus fifty people who were good at riding and shooting. The commanding officer of Hexi Province would send someone to inspect them, and those who were unqualified would not be accepted.
He could fully imagine how much their awe for him would diminish when these people returned home after serving as forbidden soldiers for several years.
Moreover, people like them are the kind of fire. If the number of people accumulates enough, it is possible to destroy the relatively simple atmosphere in the tribe, so that more people only know the court and not the leader!
too disgusting!
But on this matter, he didn't have the courage to raise objections. Can you violate the will of the Supreme Emperor Jianwen Shenwu?
Not to mention violating it, if the old man gave him a respectful title, wouldn't you have to go all the way to Heichengzi to listen to the holy teachings?
If you look like a bear yourself, don't blame the people below for turning their hearts towards the imperial court.
This is the general trend, and it seems difficult to reverse it at present. Worry! Worry! Worry!
It was almost noon, and the worried Ye Li Da Chong sat down directly in the restaurant, ordered a hot pot and several plates of meat, picked up a bottle of cheap fruit wine, and started eating and drinking.
And while he was eating his lunch, more than ten people came and went in the store, all coming to buy fried rice.
Some of the shepherds took a few kilograms of wool, some a piece of skin, some honey, and some took hunted game, all of which were exchanged for fried rice.
The wild beast watched silently.
In the past, when herdsmen hunted prey, it would be a rare opportunity to hunt for teeth. Because they usually ate mainly cow and goat milk, plus collected wild fruits, wild vegetables, mushrooms, etc., their lives could be described as miserable.
The hunting organized by the leader in autumn is a rare opportunity for them to eat meat. Sometimes they even fight over the prey, which shows how precious meat is.
But now they don't eat it, and would rather exchange it for fried rice, which can last for two months after carrying it back. Only three of the dozen or so people sat down to eat hot pot, and they came for the various condiments.
The herdsmen gradually learned how to spend their money most cost-effectively. The food grown by the Han immigrants in Heichengzi helped them survive the long winter. Eating meat was satisfying for a while, but in winter, when they were so hungry that their eyes were dazzled, they couldn't help it.
When you want to kill a sheep to satisfy your hunger, you will know the benefits of fried rice.
People buying fried rice are also chatting.
Some people say that they can intercede with the leader and report them to Liaodong to fight against Wei. As long as they survive, they can receive some money and silk as a reward before leaving. Copper coins and silk can be bought directly here.
You can buy a lot of fried rice, spices, tea and even various daily necessities.
As for who to fight for in Liaodong, people who were not clear at first naturally knew it after chatting with people in Heichengzi for a while: fighting for the imperial court, for the supreme emperor - the authority of the imperial court was seeping into every corner of the grassland little by little.
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After finishing the meal, Ye Li Da Chong directly used Jianji Tongbao to pay the bill. At this time, he smiled bitterly. The court really did everything possible. Everyone who used Jianji Tongbao over time would know that this copper coin was produced from
Where and by whom it was cast, and then they knew the imperial court and Daxia...
After walking out of the restaurant, he looked up at the most conspicuous building in the city: a pagoda.
The monks are not "good people" either! On the surface, they are kind-hearted, but secretly they are constantly instilling concepts like Daxia, the imperial court, and saints in people.
Sometimes people are very strange. The more they hear and see, the more they will slowly recognize and accept it.
Cities, merchants, temples, government offices, imperial troops, and even all kinds of commodities all "conquer" the grassland from another level.
This attack is slow but determined, with no reversal in sight.
There are two modes of getting along with the Central Plains and grasslands.
One is to close the door, even build the Great Wall, and ignore the outside world.
The other is not to build the Great Wall, but to directly get involved with you, and get involved so deeply that there is no distinction between you.
Which one is more "harmful" to the grassland? After watching the wild insects for so long, they already know it in their minds.
The worst case scenario for the former is that a certain grassland tribe will be crushed or even wiped out, which is considered a "subjugation of the country", but the grassland will still exist.
The latter belongs to the "dead world", grassland Lu Shen!
Ye Li Da Chong sighed and left this city that made him feel depressed.