When Chiwule heard this, he quickly picked up the tea bowl in his hand and took a sip. He felt a strong fragrance refreshing his heart and spleen, which was unforgettable. He couldn't help but said: "It really tastes good. This seems to be goat milk."
Liu Xin smiled and said: "Chief Chiwle, you are right. This is indeed goat's milk, and it was just squeezed out of the ewes from the Xiongnu grassland by your Huns girls."
The expressions of Hu Chuquan and others changed slightly. It was Liu Xin who was beating them further. However, they could no longer resist at all.
But Liu Xin continued: "However, you can't drink such delicious goat milk on your grassland."
Chiwule and Gutuan asked in unison: "Why?"
Indeed, since this goat milk is produced by ewes on the grassland, and the goat milk is milked by Hun girls from the grassland, why can't they drink such delicious goat milk?
Hu Chuquan couldn't help but take another sip and said, "This goat's milk is a bit salty, there must be salt added to it."
Chiwule also tasted it again and said: "It turns out that adding some salt to goat milk can make it so sweet and delicious. Then there is nothing we can't do."
In this era, salt was not only a very expensive necessity for the nomads on the grasslands, but also for the Han people who were mainly engaged in farming. Most people were reluctant to use it in large quantities and added it at will. However,
No matter how expensive it is, it is only for ordinary people. Tribal leaders such as Huchuquan, Chiwule, and Gutuan will not care.
"Salt is indeed added, but there is another thing that you don't have on the grassland." Liu Xin laughed, clapped her hands again, and said, "How can you drink this kind of tea without the singing and dancing on the grassland?
Woolen cloth?"
A group of girls in Hun costumes came out from behind the screen in response, singing and dancing in the center of the hall. Huchuquan and the others could see that what these girls sang and danced were pure Hun songs and dances, and they were not modified by just a few Han people.
You can learn how to do it in just a few days by taking off your uniform. Chiwule is even more convinced that these girls were kidnapped by the Han army during the battle across the grassland, because Lanier was also among them.
Although they understood that Liu Xin arranged such songs and dances to further demonstrate to them, these tribal leaders, who had been confined to the post house for seven days and were depressed, suddenly drank goat milk that was more delicious than what they drank in their hometown.
The pure grassland singing and dancing made everyone forget the mission they had come here to shoulder, and gradually became intoxicated.
Liu Xin said in a timely manner: "Huchuquan, you should understand now that fighting against my Han Dynasty will only lead to death. The only way out is to integrate into our Han Dynasty. You go back and tell Yu Fuluo that from now on the Huns will
This grassland that has been nomadic for generations will be completely integrated into the territory of my Han Dynasty. There will no longer be any Xiongnu chanyu and sage kings. The herdsmen of each tribe of the Xiongnu will be the people of my Han Dynasty. All tribes will directly obey the orders of my Han Dynasty and will also be affected by it.
The protection of my elite soldiers!"
Huchuquan was the Righteous King of the Xiongnu. In addition to commanding his own tribe, he also controlled some smaller tribes. Liu Xin's doing this was tantamount to directly depriving him of his power. But Huchuquan didn't care, because the tribe had great power.
It was originally taken from the hands of Xubu Guduhou. Now that Yufuluo is the Shanyu, he can still secure the position of leader. Once Yufuluo loses the position of Shanyu, can he continue to control it?
It’s hard to say who lives in this tribe.
However, if you do what Liu Xin said, the situation will be different. At that time, his backer will no longer be Yuvluo, but Liu Xin, and the entire Han Dynasty. Then who else can shake his tribe? What about the position of leader?
Chiwule and Gutu'an also started thinking. They were originally tribal leaders, but their tribes were relatively weak, so they had to rely on larger tribes in order to survive. This would certainly enable them to withstand major disasters. and fight powerful enemies, but they also have to pay a heavy price.
For example, every time they go out to plunder, their tribesmen are forced to take the lead in attacking. They suffer the most casualties every time, but receive the smallest things. In this way, their tribes cannot always If they develop and grow, they will only continue to be attached to the larger tribes, thus forming a vicious cycle. Many tribal leaders have seen this problem, but they are unable to change the status quo, and the larger tribes will not allow them to do so. Change the status quo.
The risks don't stop there. Leaders of larger tribes tend to have many women and give birth to many sons. Although the infant mortality rate on the grasslands is alarmingly high, the surviving children of chiefs of large tribes will always There are several. When these children grow up, only one can inherit the position of leader of the large tribe. In this case, in order to arrange for their other sons, the larger tribal leaders usually do two things: one One way is to separate some herdsmen from their own tribe to form a smaller tribe, and another way is to directly appoint their own sons to be the leaders of the smaller tribes that are attached to them. Just like Yuvluo appointed Huchuquan as the leader of the tribe. The same as the leader of Bu Guduhou tribe.
If it's the first situation, it doesn't matter to the leaders of smaller tribes such as Chiwule and Gutu'an. But if it's the second situation, they will not only lose control of the tribe, but even their own women. .It is precisely because of this that these smaller tribes will find ways to form alliances through marriage to jointly fight against the larger tribes, making them fearful.
If what Liu Xin said is followed, these small tribes will be directly controlled by the Han court like the larger tribes, and all tribes, regardless of size, will be equal. In the future, whether they gain from grazing or plundering, All will be distributed by their tribes themselves, and they no longer have to pay tribute to the larger tribes or accept rewards from them. This is really attractive to Chiule and Gutu'an.
However, there is another problem. Without looting, they will not be able to obtain enough salt, iron, cloth and slaves. There are also mutual markets between the Han and the Xiongnu, but the salt, iron and cloth in the market are often controlled by the noble families of the Han people. In their hands, the prices they set were often ridiculously high, making it unbearable for the Huns. Therefore, most of the salt, iron, and cloth the Huns needed were obtained through border plundering and smuggling.
On the other hand, if you join the territory of the Han Dynasty, you will naturally no longer be able to harass the border in the future. If you want to obtain slaves, you can only exchange cattle, sheep and horses at the market, or go to the grasslands controlled by the Xianbei people to plunder. And these In recent years, Xianbei's strength has far surpassed that of the Xiongnu, and has even greatly reduced the nomadic space of the Xiongnu. If they plunder the Xianbei people, they may suffer the consequences.
Liu Xin seemed to have guessed what they were thinking, and said with a smile: "When the time comes, the Xiongnu and the Han will be integrated into one, and of course they will be able to freely conduct various fair trades, using your cattle, sheep, horses and furs to exchange for much-needed supplies."
Salt, iron and cloth.”
Gu Tu'an asked impatiently: "How can you ensure fairness? How can you ensure that no one will deliberately lower the price?"
Liu Xin waved his hand and said: "I, the Han Dynasty, have strict laws. These laws not only restrict the grassland tribes like you, but also the merchants of the Han Dynasty. Similarly, these laws will also treat the grassland tribes and merchants from all over the country equally.
Of course, each of your tribes can also form their own caravans and enter the states for free trade. Moreover, for the first twenty tribes that surrender first, Liu will have special preferential treatment, which will be agreed with you every year
A fixed price that guarantees the purchase of your cattle, sheep, and horses and the supply of salt, iron, and cloth."
If it is true as Liu Xin said, they can get enough salt, iron, cloth and silk without looting. Moreover, if they have enough economic acumen, they can choose to submit to Liu Xin before other tribes. In that case
, they can obtain more items at more favorable prices, and then exchange cattle, sheep and horses with other tribes, earning a large profit from the price difference.
Liu Xin saw that these three people were a little excited. She waved her hand and asked the dancing Hun girls to retreat. She pointed at the tea bowls in the hands of the three of them and said, "Into this goat's milk, added
A thing called tea. Tea is a monopoly item sold by the imperial court. No matter how many cattle, sheep and horses are used, it is difficult to buy it in the market. However, for the first six tribes that submit to Liu first, Liu will divide
Give them a certain quota."
"Quota?" Huchuquan hesitated and asked, "So, only our six tribes can buy tea?"
What he meant by these words was that he obviously regarded himself as the leader of one of the six tribes that first surrendered to Liu Xin.
In fact, tea has not become popular in the Han Dynasty. Most of the time, tea is still used as a herbal medicine. Only a very small number of people use tea to make water for drinking, and various condiments are added when drinking.
Therefore, not to mention the peoples on the grasslands, they have never seen tea, they have never even heard of it.
However, Liu Xin knew that the grassland nomads of later generations had the habit of drinking milk tea. Tea once even became an important material for the Han people and the nomads to exchange horses, and was strictly controlled by the court. He did not know how to make milk tea.
, but simply boiled the tea leaves and goat milk together, and added some salt. The result was that it tasted pretty good. The leaders of these grassland tribes just took a sip and completely fell in love with this "deliciousness".
Seeing Hu Chuquan's impatient look, Liu Xin smiled and said lightly: "It's because of you, but the six tribes that are the first to submit to my Han Dynasty and are willing to become my Han people from now on can get the rewards every year.
A certain amount of tea. The tea obtained by these six tribes can be enjoyed by themselves or sold to other tribes. As for how to do it, that is the tribal leader’s own business, and Liu will not interfere. "