Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

"The Governor must be satisfied, definitely!"

Liu Kuzhen cherished his life to the extreme. Hearing what Li Tai said, he nodded in agreement and quickly revealed his identity: "For the Governor, my father is Liu Tuo, the Xian King of Zuo, and my family is the Emperor of Han Dynasty. The Miao descendants of Liu Yuanhai and all the tribes in Xihe must obey our orders..."

Li Tai frowned when he heard this. For a moment, he couldn't figure out whether this guy was begging for life or seeking hatred. He had never heard of Zuo Xian Wang Liu Tuo, but Liu Yuanhai's name was familiar to him. He was the person who started the Five Husties and divided China into chaos for hundreds of years.

But the question is, is this Liu Yuan a bullshit Emperor of Han? Just hearing this title, Li Tai was even stunned for a moment. When he reacted, he raised his leg and kicked this guy to the ground.

Liu Kuzhen rolled around on the ground a few times like a gourd. He was suddenly panicked and confused about the situation. He just thought that his simple identity was not enough to get the other party's attention, so he quickly kowtowed and said: "Captain, please calm down." , please calm down...

Although my father has many children and grandchildren, he only loves me. He has already decided in his heart to adopt me as his heir. In the middle of the year, when he went north, he invited me to visit the King of Beihai in Yunyang Valley and asked the God of Marriage Jia Tianzi Huzhong for me. You can get married after returning home! "

When Li Tai heard this, he looked at Liu Kuzhen with a slightly more formal look. He looked carefully up and down, but he really didn't see anything unusual, but he didn't expect to see the two Ji on the other side. Hu's major forces are deeply involved.

The so-called Emperor Shenjia is Jihu Liu Lisheng who was killed by Gao Huan before, and Yunyang Valley in Shuozhou is his home base.

Although Liu Lisheng had been wiped out by Gao Huan, his remnants still existed, and his grandson even took advantage of the Northern Zhou Dynasty to conquer the Northern Qi Dynasty and once again established a country and proclaimed himself emperor. If this is used as the starting point of the Ji-Hu power regime, then its country will last even longer than the Northern Qi Dynasty.

Li Tai will not look down on these Jihu forces. After all, those who can survive for a long time in the confrontation between Gao Huan and Yu Wentai must have their own unique livelihood skills.

When he heard Liu Kuzhen talking about Liu Lisheng's remnants, he was also quite curious, so he asked: "Aren't the remnants of Liu Lisheng's old tribe not so powerful now? They can actually attract you to leave Shihu and propose marriage."

When Liu Kuzhen heard this question, he immediately became energetic. He hurriedly corrected his kneeling posture and said seriously: "In terms of the power of men and horses, it is not too powerful. I once sighed after visiting Yunyang Valley, The King of the North Sea is not as ambitious as his father and brother. In recent years, many tribes have gone to seek refuge because they respect the reputation of Emperor Shenjia, but the King of the North Sea is unable to accommodate them. Today, there are only less than ten thousand strong men and horses in Yunyang Valley..."

This guy explained all the family background of his future father-in-law without any psychological burden. After listening to this, Li Tai couldn't help but sigh. Even among these Jihu tribes, there is a strong sense of family status.

Although Liu Lisheng's Shenjia regime has long been destroyed, it has still accumulated strong appeal among the Hu tribes in Xihe, and its brand is still bright, which can be regarded as a relatively transcendent existence.

Although Liu Kuzhen's attitude was very sincere and he explained a lot of things about Xihe, it only satisfied Li Tai's curiosity. Apart from these Li Shihu who took the initiative to invade, the possibility of him interacting with the forces of Bifang Jihu was also very slim.

"You thieves have invaded our territory and committed many crimes. It can be said that you have committed serious crimes. Now that you are in my hands, it is God's will to succeed. If you want to escape from the sword, it will not be an easy task."

Xihe Huqing is of little value to Li Tai, but this guy has a commendable attitude and can be said to be a model among the captives. His identity is indeed unusual. Of course, Li Tai wants to extract as much value as possible, so he makes a full He said in a cold voice with a stern look on his face: "While I still have some patience, why don't you think carefully about how you can survive and tell me as soon as possible!"

"This, this...I am not a great chieftain who is famous all over the world. Even if the Governor kills me, it will only add to the success of beheading me, and it will be difficult to strengthen his reputation. The famous ministers of the Governor's dynasty look down on me, Corporal Hu Zhong, but I The elders of the clan cherish me and value me. If I can survive, my relatives will definitely redeem me with heavy goods!”

Liu Kuzhen's eyes were running wildly, and he thought for a while before speaking hurriedly.

Li Tai sneered when he heard this, and even felt a little offended. It is true that they were poor in the Western Wei Dynasty, but they are not coveting Jihu's three melons and two dates. This guy actually wants to spend money to buy his life. It is really arrogant. Do you think you are the Liu family of Diaoyin?

Seeing Li Tai's disapproval, Liu Kuzhen quickly stretched out his hand to pick and choose, gathering the brocades that had been wrapped around him into a pile, and said to Li Tai with a flattering smile on his face: "Such as the wealth in front of you, and If the Governor is willing to spare my life as a sample for the Grand Governor, my people will risk their wealth a hundred times a thousand times!”

"You are trying to deceive me into being ignorant? These brocade fabrics are ingenious in craftsmanship and made of excellent materials. How can you be so rich and well-prepared in your tribe of thieves!"

Li Tai didn't think that Li Shihu's tribe could provide enough wealth to tempt him. He was just poor and had a very sharp eye.

There are hundreds of pieces of brocade and silk wasted in this camp alone, not to mention a hundred times a thousand times. Even if you can produce dozens of times, what if I spare your life?

Anyway, the one who really wants to drive you all away from Li Shihu is my big brother He Liuhun. As long as I drain you dry and eat you dry, I don’t care whether you die in the end!

"There is indeed no such thing in my tribe, but there is one in Jinyang City!"

Liu Kuzhen heard Li Tai's questioning and hurriedly said: "Does the Governor know why the east thief He Liuhun is relentless in attacking our clan and must kill them all? It should be noted that when our clan lived in Xihe, this thief didn't know where he was. We are wandering around, and the city of Jinyang is tall and vast, and guarded by strong soldiers, how can we, the humble Hu people, be able to shake it down easily?"

"Say something quickly!"

Li Tai snorted again, hating this guy's pretense, what other reason do you need to kill Jihu?

"Yes, yes! The high-ranking thief was extravagant and committed all kinds of evil. He robbed many boys and girls and detained them around Jinyang for his service. He also recruited a large number of Hu merchants from far away to collect and buy rare goods and treasures for them. The caravans came and went from there. There is a steady stream of traffic from Jinyang to Monan..."

Liu Kuzhen secretly watched Li Tai's expression, and when he saw his eyebrows raised, he quickly said: "Dingkou of my tribe was often kidnapped by the Jinyang bandit army, but he refused to join the bandits. Occasionally he escaped back to the tribe, and then Inform the thieves of the situation. In order to avenge the capture of Ding, they will sometimes gather troops to attack Guancang workshops around Jinyang, and they will always gain a lot."

When Li Tai heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. He didn't expect such an unexpected gain. At the same time, he couldn't help feeling that evil people have to be punished by evil people. Although Dong Fang often suppressed Xi Fang into losing his temper, he couldn't prevent him from sleeping on the bed. The Jihu on the side is beating in the autumn wind.

No wonder everyone from Gao Huan to Gao Yang worked hard to make fun of Hu. There was a nest of big rats squatting in front of their house. No one could stand it!

Jinyang is not only the seat of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, but also the eastern starting point of the Silk Road in this era. From here, go north to Pingcheng and then west along the Monan line to reach the Western Regions. It is the most prosperous exchange between the East and the West. a trade route.

Although the Western Wei Dynasty took advantage of a favorable location, its productivity could not keep up, so it did not pose a threat to the Eastern Wei Dynasty in this kind of international trade interaction.

This situation probably lasted until the Gaoyang period. This heroic emperor had a sudden confrontation with the surrounding barbarian forces, especially after he turned against the Turks, the new overlord of Mobei, and built a stretch of the Great Wall almost to the top of his own kang. The Silk Road trade route gradually declined, while the interaction between the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Western Regions became smooth and frequent.

Li Tai originally thought that Gao Huan's attack on the Xihe barbarians was only based on regional security considerations, but he did not know that there was such an economic consideration. He also did not expect that the seemingly inconspicuous Lishi Hu could actually be involved in the Silk Road trade. Get a piece of the pie.

Seeing Li Tai listening attentively, obviously very interested in this, Liu Kuzhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued with more energy: "My clan does not just make a living by looting around Jinyang. The old The harvested materials were sold externally, and some friendships were established with the Hu merchants who came from the west. Those who were being chased by the bandit army from the East had no way to escape, but it was those Hu merchants who lured them north to avoid trouble and helped them to defeat them. Many of the rogue bandits and thieves who caused harm to Monan..."

Li Tai felt even more speechless when he heard this. He had known for a long time that the east was strong and the west was weak, but he didn't expect that the gap between them was reflected in all aspects, not to mention the gap between their military and political rule, and even their respective Among the fierce and untamable Jihu tribes in the territory, those in the east are much more nourishing than those in the west.

The Jihu tribes in the west are so poor that even if they are squeezed several times, they will hardly get even a few ounces of oil. The only relatively wealthy Diaoyin Zhuhu tribe earns some hard money through their unique skills of training eagles and playing with birds.

But this Li Shihu not only made a lot of money from robberies around Jinyang, but he actually opened up an international trade security business. Not to mention anything else, the vision and livelihood pattern alone are beyond the reach of the Jihu tribes in the west!

If what Liu Kuzhen said was true, then this time he really was too blind to recognize the true rich man.

Li Tai did not shy away from admitting his mistakes. Dangjie put on a slightly amiable expression, looked at Liu Kuzhen and said: "God has the virtue of a good life. If you can really make up your mind to abandon the darkness, turn to the light, and change your past mistakes, I will I won’t blindly torture you or take your life. Whether you live or die depends on your sincerity. If you don’t save yourself, you can’t save yourself. Do you understand?

"I understand, I understand, I understand completely!"

When it comes to his own life and safety, Liu Kuzhen is shrewd and serious: "I dare not hide it from the Governor. When he moved to avoid disaster at the beginning of this year, my father took more than half of the family's savings with him. Although he also spent a lot of money on the way to avoid disaster, I paid a little more, but I also received a lot of rewards from those Hu merchants in Monan, all of which were guarded and escorted by my father's trusted guards. Even in the previous battle with the Crawling Rangers, they suffered little loss due to their timely withdrawal... "

After all, this guy wanted to show off his face. He didn't say it too straightforwardly, but his meaning was already very clear, that is, he was rich and could ask for ransom with confidence and boldness.

But because the cooperation with this meat ticket was a bit beyond the norm, it was almost like putting himself on the murder case, which made Li Tai feel a bit absurd and unreal.

At this moment, he was a little afraid to believe what he said, but said with some uncertainty: "The disintegration of tens of thousands of pieces is already a serious crime. Your father is still willing to waste a lot of wealth just for your safety." ?”

It's one thing to have money, but it's another thing not to be willing to spend it, especially on such a great person.

Anyway, if it were Li Tai who was his father... Bah, Li Tai felt that even this analogy was a bit unlucky. Anyone who was related to such a guy would be unlucky. Can he really exchange it for money?

"Please rest assured, Grand Governor, my father's love for me is not just for personal reasons. When I was born, various auspicious things happened in the clan. The old sheep had their breasts repeated, and wormwood grew on the graves... The elders and masters of alchemy in the clan all asserted that I This is a sign of great prosperity for the clan. I will never let anything go wrong. As long as the request is not too excessive, he will... Even if it is too much, it doesn't matter!"

Liu Kuzhen said with pride again, grandly introducing his status as Lucky Star Koi in the tribe to Li Tai.

Li Tai didn't know how someone so deceived by lard could believe that something like this could be the hope of the entire tribe, but seeing the sworn expression on this guy's face, he couldn't help but believe it. It can be seen that no matter what, as long as one reaches a The extreme, even the absurd, becomes contagious.

But whether this is true or not, it has nothing to do with Li Tai. He has no interest in playing a role as a kidnapper and bargaining with others on the ransom. The most sensible idea is of course that I want them all!

I didn’t know that your Li Shihu family was well-off before, but now that I know it, if you can still transport your wealth safely out of the country, it really underestimates the poverty of our Western Wei officers and soldiers!

So he put on a serious face and said to this top guy: "Quickly explain the power of your tribe in detail, especially the strength of your father's side. If you don't hide anything, you can be spared. There is no need to save money to pay for the crime. With evil thoughts, we invade our territory and kill our people. How can we still negotiate peace with the thieves?"

When Liu Kuzhen heard this, he was a little dumbfounded. He didn't expect that he would meet an upright general who was upright and not greedy for money. Sweat suddenly fell from his forehead. However, he kowtowed again without turning around and said: "Pardon your life, Commander-in-Chief." Lord Governor, spare your life! My father still has tens of thousands of elite soldiers by his side. It is not easy to win, not to mention the fact that everything is at stake even if one dies. Even if he kills our clan in front of us, it will only be a temporary success for the Lord Governor. Why not worry about the young hero of the Governor? Prominent?

But if you are willing to be open-minded and let me and my tribe go away, I can make an oath with the Grand Governor on behalf of the tribe, and we will be good to each other forever, and there will be no shortage of offerings every year. After many years, the gains will be far greater than the temporary military exploits! "

"You represent the tribe? What qualifications do you have to represent the tribe? Why should I believe that you will not breach the contract?"

After Li Tai heard this, he sneered. He mentioned Liu Kuzhen's subordinate, looked at the bowed guy and smiled and said: "But what you said is not unreasonable. Killing the chicken to get the eggs is indeed not a wise move. So you have to be careful. Think about it, is there any way to make your little life more secure?

If it is just an intelligence confession, you are not the only one who can be interrogated. Think carefully about what you can do that others cannot. I see your passion for survival, so I am willing to be a little lenient and give you more patience. But if you just disappoint me in the end, then what's the use of keeping you? "

"What does the Governor mean? I am too stupid to understand what the Governor means..."

After hearing this, Liu Kuzhen's face shone with hope again, but after a moment he kowtowed to the ground and said with a trembling cry: "Although I don't understand the Governor's intentions, I sincerely hope to get the Governor's guidance." Teaching.

It is indeed a serious crime for my tribe to rashly harass the governor of the territory, but the real crime lies only with a few culprits, while many of the clan members are innocent. I also hope that I can help the Governor to fight against the evil spirits. If I am lucky enough to be able to redeem myself, I beg the Governor to let my innocent people live. From now on, I will always be a slave and obey the orders of the Grand Governor! "

For this guy to give such an answer, it was obvious that he understood what Li Tai meant. Li Tai was also quite satisfied with this attitude, so he added, "Please give me a brief explanation of your tribe's movements."

"Yes, although my father, King Zuoxian, said that there were more than ten thousand people in the army, the number left in Shuofang to defend my father is far less than ten thousand. Half of them are under the command of my brother, and they took advantage of the Tongwan Town troops to turn around. On the occasion of the security, they crossed the state border and headed west. According to Shuofang Hu Bu, who served as the guide, there were many salt stores in the black salt ponds and other places in that area, but there were few guards. If the attack was successful, the salt cargo could be exported and shared with others. Hu merchants will definitely make amazing profits when trading!”

This guy had decided to sell even his own father, so there was no need to continue to hide other information, so he simply handed over another piece of important information.

After Li Tai heard this, he couldn't help but sigh that these thieves really dared to think and do it, and they really looked down on the garrison troops from the northern Shaanxi states. They also sent elite troops to attack Xi'an Prefecture, simply treating the northern Shaanxi prefectures as if they were nothing!

However, it is not surprising that these thieves are rampant. In fact, the Bafu has indeed neglected the northern Shaanxi states for a long time. It has sent troops several times to quell the Jihu disturbances in the territory. The main reason is that these rebellious Hu tribes have threatened the security of Guanzhong. As for targeting There is almost no stability in northern Shaanxi and the large-scale dispatch of troops.

Not to mention Gao Huan led his troops to wipe out Xiazhou. When Rouran invaded the south, they simply set up defenses in Weibei. As long as the invaders did not invade the states in Guanzhong, they would cause trouble everywhere in northern Shaanxi.

Li Shihu, who came from afar, may not be so clear about the past border defense strategies of the Western Wei Dynasty, but Shuofang Hu, as the contact person, obviously understood, and naturally gave him unreserved advice.

These spies and party members are even more hateful than the real enemies. Li Tai originally promised Li Mu to continue to pursue Thieves Hu. After learning about this situation, he secretly decided to completely kill these Shuofang Hus and leave no chickens or dogs behind!

At the same time, he patted Liu Kuzhen on the shoulder to encourage him. You guys who are leading the way are also in a life-and-death competitive relationship with each other.

If you really can help me defeat my opponents and achieve great things, maybe you can really prosper the clan. I will give you a separate biography in the future. The trustworthy Liu Kuzhen will never be ambiguous when it comes to selling out the clan!