Summer State City was an important town in the north of the Tang dynasty. It was responsible for managing several nearby prefectures and was also responsible for connecting Lingzhou in the west with the three surrendered cities in the north. Compared with Lingzhou in the west and the three surrendered cities in the north, Summer State City's status seemed to be lower. However, Summer State was a transportation hub, so its importance was self-evident. Not only did some knowledgeable people in the imperial court value Summer State, but also many discerning businessmen took a fancy to Summer State's location as a transportation hub and started to do business there.
In order to deter the northern territory, the imperial court set up a powerful Strategic Army in the northern part of Summer State and built a new Youzhou. However, there was not much population in Youzhou. Its total population was almost the population of this Strategic Army. There were many nomadic tribes and Horse Gangs in this area, but they were too mobile and did not pay taxes at all. In order to prevent them from rebelling, the imperial court would not force them to pay taxes, so this Strategic Army became a burden to the imperial court. However, it was worth it to deter the frontier.
In most of the frontier areas of the Tang dynasty, the expenditure was greater than the income. The size of the Tang dynasty's territory depended on how much the inland could supplement the frontier. The wealthier the inland was, the more funds it could provide for the frontier. In this way, the Tang dynasty could expand its territory further.
However, with the gradual discovery of resources, some of the borderland areas had been in a situation where the benefits outweighed the expenses. For example, areas where large coal mines and oil mines were discovered, once the resources in these areas were mined, they could generate a lot of economic value. They could provide enough tax for the local government and even have a lot of surplus, making the borderland a profitable area.
The income and expenditure of Summer State City were basically balanced. Previously, because it could receive a lot of taxes from merchants, it benefited more than the imperial court's expenditure. However, due to the Horse Gangs' rebellion, the imperial court not only mobilized more troops to Summer State, but these troops also needed to be dispatched frequently, which greatly consumed the salary. As a result, Summer State became a prefecture whose income did not cover its expenditure. The Strategic Army in the north was a pure expenditure unit.
Fortunately, the economic development of the Tang dynasty was becoming more and more prosperous. Some of the losses here could be made up for elsewhere. The imperial court could absolutely afford it. Summer State was a strategic hub, so it was reasonable to consume some resources. However, as long as the problem of the Horse Gangs was solved, Summer State could turn the losses into profits and become a prefecture that could make money for the imperial court. This was one of the main purposes of Ang Lee's visit.
In broad daylight, there were many people shopping on the streets of Xia State City. There were also many hawkers setting up stalls on both sides of the road, giving people the feeling that it was bustling. There was no trace of unrest at all, so it was difficult for people to feel that there were Horse Gangs around.
There were several busiest street areas, and the area was not small. There were all kinds of shops and vendors along the road. Because the majority of the people were poor, the business of the roadside vendors was better. The business in the shops was a little worse, but overall, it was still good.
There were many blue-eyed and yellow-haired people here. They were barbarian merchants from the western regions. There were also some burly men who came from the northern grasslands. There were also many natives from the northeastern region. They came here for only one purpose, and that was to trade. They brought their local specialties here to sell and buy rare items that they didn't have in their area.
There were also many merchants who came from the capital. They transported many rare items from the capital here. The rare items from the capital were very rare and could often be sold for a good price.
Merchants from all over the world gathered in Summer State City to exchange various goods that they needed. Some merchants hated the Horse Gangs very much, while others did not care at all. For example, the merchants who came from the capital to Summer State City did not care much about the Horse Gangs because their goods were directly transported from the capital to Summer State City by train. After getting off the train, they entered the city. The Horse Gangs did not have the guts to approach the city. They did not dare to rob iron lumps like the train. After all, the railway was the core interest of the Tang dynasty. Whoever dared to destroy it would have committed a great crime and would inevitably suffer a great blow. Only a fool would do that.
As long as the train was safe, and Xia State City was also safe, then there was no possibility of the merchants coming from the capital being robbed. Only the Hu merchants from the Western Region, the merchants from the Northern Region, and the merchants from the Eastern Region had the highest possibility of being robbed. As long as they took the dirt road and passed by Qiwu Mountain, there was a high chance of being robbed. The area within a few hundred miles of Qiwu Mountain was the domain of the Horse Gang, and recently, the Horse Gang's range of activity seemed to have increased. In the Wuding River and other areas, there were occasionally Horse Gang. The smallest Horse Gang only had a dozen people, each of them riding horses with their faces covered. The largest Horse Gang was not that big, only a few hundred people, and could not possibly have more. The population of the Northern Frontier was not large to begin with, and could not afford so many thieves.
The northern border could not afford to have so many bandits. Ang Lee and Li Hanlu were very good-looking. Moreover, at a glance, one could tell that they were not locals. Therefore, it was easy to attract the attention of the people on the street. However, fortunately, merchants from the capital often came here. Those people were the same as Ang Lee. Most of them were fair and clean, but most of them were average. There were few handsome men who could compare with Ang Lee.
The snacks at the roadside stalls were relatively affordable. However, some of them were too simple and did not suit Ang Lee's identity. In addition, some of them were too dirty, which made one lose their appetite just by looking at them.
Ang Lee and Li Hanlu looked at a teahouse that sold a variety of snacks. The environment here was more elegant and clean. There were not many guests. The occupancy rate was about 60%. It was divided into two floors. There was a suspended space in the middle, which made the entire teahouse look more spacious and bright.
The guests who could come to the elegant teahouse were naturally businessmen and dignitaries with better economic conditions. Ordinary people, if they were thirsty, at most, they would go to the roadside to ask for a bowl of water to drink. Most of the time, they would not charge money. If it was hot water with sugar, they would definitely charge money. However, the price was generally very close to the people. At least, it was much lower than the price in the teahouse. It was the best choice for ordinary people.
Ang Lee and Li Hanlu's clothes and faces, as well as the temperament they exuded, made people feel that they were not ordinary people at first glance. Therefore, just as they entered the teahouse, someone immediately ran over to greet them. The guards who entered the teahouse earlier did not greet them for a long time. At first glance, the people in this teahouse were the type of people who took advantage of the situation. This was also very normal.
"Sir, what would you like to eat?"
A young man asked with a smile. His attitude was very friendly.
Since the other party was so polite, Ang Lee could not be too stingy. He said very generously, "What delicious snacks and tea do you have? Just serve them. It's my first time in Summer Province. I don't know what delicious snacks you have here."
Such a generous answer made the teahouse very happy. It was naturally the blessing of their small shop to be able to meet big customers. The more the shopkeeper earned, the more commission they could also get.
"Okay, please wait a moment, sir. It will be ready soon."
The teahouse cried out happily. Then, he saw that the two guards were still sitting. However, their attitude towards the two guards was much worse. They spoke like ordinary people who were asked for directions. It was not bad, but it was not good enough. Fortunately, the guards were rough people and did not care about these formalities. As long as the other party was not hostile, it was a good attitude.
Most of the guests in the teahouse did not come to drink tea, but to chat and pass the time. Chatting and passing the time were their fundamental purposes. As for drinking tea, it was just a gimmick. They could not just let people in to chat! In this way, it was not easy to charge, and it also lacked the unique atmosphere.
"Have you all heard? A big shot from the imperial court has come to Summer Province. He just arrived yesterday. "
"I heard that the South City Gate was blocked for a long time yesterday. I heard that it was to welcome the big shot."
"I don't know what kind of official he is. They actually blocked the city gate to welcome him. Even General Guo did not have such a big show when he came!"
Several businessmen who were drinking tea chatted casually.
A guest at the table next to them turned around and looked at the three people. He said in a slightly proud tone, "You don't know yet, do you? The big shot who came yesterday is Assistant Minister Li of our Tang dynasty. His official position is much higher than General Guo's. The key is that he is a big favorite of His Majesty and a mainstay of the Tang dynasty. General Guo can't compare with him. "
"Oh, it turns out to be the famous Assistant Minister Li! No wonder he can have such a big show. "
"Assistant Minister Li is a mainstay of our Tang dynasty. What is he doing in Summer Province? Summer Province City has a population of more than 10,000. It's not that important. Why does he come to Summer Province?"
"Yes! Why does he come to Summer Province? "
The three businessmen just now said in confusion.
The guest who had been arrogant before said again, "This is a secret. How can ordinary people know it? Heaven's secret can't be revealed!"
After that, he put on a mysterious look.
"Do you know why? Can you tell us? We won't tell anyone. "
"Yes! Tell us quickly. We promise not to tell anyone. "
"What on earth is he here for? We won't make trouble if we know."
Several businessmen asked.
The man who had been arrogant said, "What can be in Summer Province that is worth Assistant Minister Li coming here in person? Can't you think about it? The answer you come up with is the most correct one. "
"Yes! What can be in Summer Province that is worth Assistant Minister Li coming here? "
"It can't be the Horse Gang! Except for the Horse Gang, there is nothing in Summer Province that is worth Assistant Minister Li coming here in person. "
"Horse bandits. That's right, it must be horse bandits. In our Summer Province, only horse bandits are a more serious disaster. Other than horse bandits, there really isn't anything worth Assistant Minister Li coming here personally."
"If he is really here to deal with the Horse Gang, it will be our blessing! In the past few years, we have been robbed by the Horse Gang many times and lost a lot! "
"Yes! Yes! The Horse Gang has robbed me more than once or twice. At least five or six times, they made me lose a lot of money. "
"If they can really destroy the Horse Gang in Summer Province, it will be the best. In the future, we won't have to worry about being robbed by the Horse Gang."
"But the Horse Gang comes and goes without a trace. Can they really be completely wiped out? General Guo has been here for several months and hasn't even seen the shadow of the Horse Gang. Is Assistant Minister Li sure that he can do it? "
"Why not? General Guo can only admit that he is unlucky if he can't find the Horse Gang. But if Assistant Minister Li is angry, maybe he will mobilize more troops from the capital and surround the entire Qiwu Mountain. In this way, no matter how many Horse Gang there are, they will have nowhere to hide."
"That's true! If Assistant Minister Li is really angry, maybe he will really mobilize tens of thousands of troops. Several troops will surround the Horse Gang and the Horse Gang will have no way to escape. "
More merchants joined in the discussion. The biggest reason that everyone could think of was the Horse Gang. In the eyes of these merchants, the most troublesome problem was the Horse Gang. As long as the Horse Gang problem was solved, they could sit back and relax. They would no longer have to worry about their goods being robbed by the Horse Gang.
Listening to these merchants talking about him and the Horse Gang, Ang Lee's expression was very indifferent. There was no change in his expression, so as not to let others see any clues.
"How many people are there in the Horse Gang? Why is it so difficult to eliminate them? What is the reason? Is there any good way to eliminate all of the Horse Gang? "
Ang Lee opened his mouth and asked. This was also a question that he had always wanted to ask. The Horse Gang had existed for so long and had never been eliminated. What was the reason behind this? Others might not know, but how could these locals who had lived in Summer Province for a long time not know?
Hearing Ang Lee's question, many merchants were stunned and paused for a long time.
"No one can say for sure how many people there are in the Horse Gang. Some say there are less than a thousand, some say there are three to five thousand, and some say there are tens of thousands. It is not clear who is telling the truth."
"The Horse Gang comes and goes like a shadow. As long as they find the shadow of the imperial army, they will run faster than a rabbit. They are not willing to fight with the imperial army easily. Usually, when they rob, they will not go out in full force. Naturally, no one knows how many people they have, and it is even more difficult to eliminate them."
"The Horse Gang are not immortals. They come and go without a trace, but how can they be prepared to know the news of our Shangdu? I'm afraid they have spies in Summer Province City!"
"That's right. There must be spies in Summer Province City. They often send messages to the Horse Gang so that they can accurately rob the caravan and avoid the imperial army's pursuit in time."
"Not everyone knows the departure date of the caravan. Only a few people know. It seems that the spies of the Horse Gang are not ordinary people. I'm afraid they have already infiltrated our internal department. "
"Yes! The Horse Gang has already infiltrated our internal department. It is really too difficult to completely eliminate the Horse Gang. Maybe this Assistant Minister Li has a way! We should believe in him! "
A group of merchants gathered together to discuss.
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