Chapter 456 Supplementary Strength and Determination
The various districts of Xiangyang City are strictly divided according to different functions. For example, Dongcheng District is where official residences and the Third Academy of Xiangyang are located, Xicheng District is where some important warehouses and barracks are located, and the western suburbs of Xiangyang City are home to training centers and
There are many production bases of the institute. Therefore, ordinary people cannot enter and exit the east and west gates of Xiangyang City at will. Most people entering and leaving Xiangyang use the south and north gates.
The center of Xiangyang City is a prosperous commercial district, where brothels, restaurants and famous illusion halls are located. Nancheng District and Beicheng District are both places where ordinary people live, but each has its own characteristics.
There are relatively more wealthy people living in Beicheng District. Therefore, there are many shops along the street, and the goods sold are relatively expensive. For example, Moxiangzhai, White Porcelain Museum and Dahan Bank were opened in Beicheng District. Ma Yun
The silk and satin shops, rouge shops, and jewelry shops they opened are also there.
Although the people living in Nancheng District are not poor, their lives are definitely not well-off. The shops there sell mainly daily necessities. However, there are also many large and small markets in Nancheng District.
, farmers from the surrounding villages and merchants traveling from north to south set up stalls casually in the market.
, for a nominal "management fee", you can sell home-grown vegetables, fruits, chickens and ducks, or goods trafficked from other places. The goods sold in these markets can be considered high-quality and low-priced, so they are very popular.
Busy, sometimes much more lively than the center of Xiangyang City.
Those who came to Xiangyang were Huns envoys, not ordinary people. Logically, Liu Xin could have arranged for them to go through the east gate, but Liu Xin chose to let them enter the city through the south gate. Liu Xin's arrangement was certainly not to let them appreciate the south gate.
The lively scene in the city has another purpose.
However, the open-air market along the streets in Nancheng District still attracted the attention of these Huns envoys. Horses were not allowed to ride in Xiangyang City, so these Huns envoys also led their horses obediently, but unknowingly slowed down.
steps.
The living environment on the grasslands is very harsh and materials are extremely scarce. One important reason why they harass the Han border every year is that the daily necessities such as salt, iron, cloth, etc. they need cannot be met through mutual trade. Xiangyang Nan
A dazzling array of products at the urban market
The various commodities dazzled the Hun envoys and made them salivate. If this was a village on the border, they would have robbed them long ago. But this is Xiangyang, and even if they had ten courages, they would not dare to act rashly.
, I could only swallow the saliva again and again.
Suddenly, Huchuquan, Chiwule, and Gutuan all stopped and stared at a market not far away without blinking.
The four sides of the market, the three inner and outer floors, were already crowded. On the high platform in the center of the market, groups of young women and girls lined up neatly, with a wooden sign hanging around their neck.
Various numbers are written in Chinese characters. These young women and girls all have many slender braids on their heads. They are wearing sheepskin jackets, sheepskin boots, and short skirts. They are exactly the attire of Hun women.
Huchuquan roughly estimated that there were nearly 2,000 of these young Xiongnu women. Apparently they were kidnapped during the Han army's counterattack against Monan.
Soon, Huchuquan understood that the Han people gathered these Xiongnu women here, of course, not to show off their war achievements, but to sell them into slavery openly. The numbers on the wooden plaques on the chests of these women were exactly their worth.
.Because Huchuquan had seen Han people pay a certain amount of silver, and then took away one or more women. In fact, the numbers on the wooden sign were not just the net worth of those Hun women, but the fact that they were publicly auctioned
The base price, however, is not much different in meaning.
It is extremely difficult to survive on the grassland. It is almost difficult for women and children to survive without men. Therefore, on the grassland, even if you kill their men and take them as your own, they will not resist, let alone
They say they will avenge their original men, but they will regard the person who possesses them as their new man. It is precisely because of this that there is a custom of bride snatching on the grassland, killing the groom and bride with their own hands or with the help of friends.
It's yours.
After these young Xiongnu women were captured by the Han army, they had enough to eat, warm clothes, and no one bullied them. They lived with peace of mind. Even if they were auctioned in public like now, they didn't feel anything wrong, because
In their eyes, survival is the most important thing.
After Liu Xin came to this era, he also thought about whether to abolish the slave system, but he soon discovered that it was unrealistic. Rich people always pursue pleasure. Without a large group of slaves to serve, all housework would have to be done.
If he does it himself, what's the use of having a lot of money? All he can do is to strengthen the household registration, register all the slaves and slaves, and try to ensure their right to life.
However, due to the rapid economic development in Jing, Yi and other places in recent years, many people have lived a life without worries about food and clothing. Naturally, the phenomenon of selling oneself into slavery has been greatly reduced. Correspondingly, many people have replaced the rich.
People started working as part-time workers without personal dependence. However, noble families and those wealthy people who became rich still preferred slaves who were under their absolute control. In this case, both male and female slaves gradually became
Items that are in short supply.
Although most of these young Hun women have dark skin and smell like sheep, they still attract many people to buy them.
Hu Chuquan's face looked ugly. Seeing this scene, if he didn't know clearly, Liu Xin was demonstrating to him. Otherwise, why didn't the auction happen earlier and later? The auction was only done when they entered the city, and the auction was
The place is also located on their only way.
Liu Xin did not summon them immediately, but asked them to settle down in the post house first, and did not allow them to leave the post house. After all, there were too many people in their group, and they were all barbarians who did not know etiquette. Liu Xin did not want these people to
Affecting the stability of Xiangyang.
Although they were not allowed to leave the inn, they were not neglected in terms of food and wine. Good wine and food were served all at once. Most of the people living on the grassland were rough and bold, and they preferred to drink. However, the wine they drank daily was
Some light milk wine is not as strong as the good wine in the inn.
Chiwule and Gutu'an were both known as warriors and were good at this. The two of them picked up the wine jars and started fighting loudly.
The more Hu Chuquan watched, the more angry he became. He slapped the table and said angrily: "You two only know how to drink, but you don't want to think about business!"
Chiwule and Gutu'an are also tribal leaders, but their tribes are not as powerful as the tribes controlled by Yufuluo, Huchuquan and others. If they are in their own tribes, they are true to their word, but facing Huchuquan, I had no choice but to swallow my anger.
When Gu Tu'an heard Hu Chuquan's anger, he reluctantly put down the wine jar in his hand and muttered: "My lord, you also saw today that although this Liu Xin is not a Han emperor, he is more ruthless than the Han emperor. His subordinates Those two generals look at the entire Huns, who is their opponent?"
People on the grassland respect heroes the most, and the Huns are no exception. Chiwule lost to Wei Yan. He was convinced. He expressed his deep agreement with Gu Tu'an's words and said: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, we still don't want to fight with the big man." It is good to be an enemy. The Chanyu sent me and others as envoys, which must have been the same intention. They all thought of Tu Mulan. If they want to harass the Han border at this time, they should wait until the next spring to take action. If they grab it, they will run away. No matter how strong the Han army is in the vast grassland, Where can we find us again?”
In the past, relying on their superior military strength, few emperors and senior officials of the Han Dynasty were willing to take such trivial matters as Xiongnu raids on the border, so sending an envoy to the Han Dynasty could be said to be a lucrative job, and they could often get generous rewards from the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. Reward. But this time, Hu Chuquan has keenly felt that the situation seems to be a little different from the past.
This time after Tumulan's tribe invaded the Han territory, the Huns suffered far more losses than the Han people. If you include the women and children who died of cold and starvation, the losses were almost a hundred times that of the Han people. It was unbearable. Even so, Liu Xin had to arrange a public auction of young Xiongnu women as slaves for him to watch. Obviously, it was not only to establish his authority, but also to show that the subsequent negotiations would be very difficult. They made a foreshadowing.
Hu Chuquan was good at Chinese studies and knew that Han people were good at strategizing. Although he liked Jingzhou very much, he didn't want to be played by Liu Xin. Seeing Chi Ule and Gu Tu'an, they seemed to have been manipulated by those two. A Han general was shocked and said angrily: "Don't you two fall into the trap of the Han people! There are so many brave men in the Han army, and yet you two fell into it?"
Chiwule was stunned and said: "Your Majesty, do you mean that the two people who escorted us here were deliberately arranged by the Han people?"
Hu Chuquan frowned and said: "Yes, I suspect that these two people are the top masters in the Han army. Now these two people have returned to Liangzhou. When you meet Liu Xin tomorrow, you will propose to challenge their warriors. Let's see Who else among his men can fight with you?"
Gu Tu'an raised his hand and said: "Your Majesty, we have already lost one game. How can we still have the nerve to raise the challenge again? Why don't we make Shan Yu's conditions clear?"
Hu Chuquan sneered and said: "If you don't show your strength and determination, do you think Liu Xin will agree to Shan Yu's conditions? Besides, didn't you see those women in the market today? Think about your tribe!"
Chiwule and Gutu'an shuddered at the same time. This time when they came from the royal court, they passed by several tribal camps. The burnt corpses and frozen women and children made them feel the Han people for the first time. Underneath their cowardly appearance, there are also such powerful methods. If these things happened to their people, the consequences would be unimaginable.
(I have completed all the chapters I owe, what a relief!)