Chapter 310 Businessmen of Youyun Sixteen States
Happy days are always short.
This new year has passed by in the blink of an eye.
When the snow melts, some crisp grass heads appear faintly on the grassland.
At this time of year, not many herdsmen came to the market to sell cashmere and wool, and the market suddenly became deserted.
Fortunately, the wool factory purchased a lot of cashmere wool in winter, and could produce another batch before spring plowing, and then sell it to Kyoto or surrounding areas.
When the weather gets hot, this business will not be easy to do.
The people of Yunzhou also cherish this opportunity to make money. Even three- and four-year-old children know how to help their families sort wool.
Without the intrusion of the Tatars, the lives of the townspeople have become increasingly stable and peaceful.
But there is still a group of people who have to travel through mountains and rivers to Fuming Town despite the cold spring weather.
This is a group of Han people who have been through a lot of work. The oldest is nearly fifty years old, and the youngest is still an infant.
"Boss, do we really want to take this batch of goods to Fuming Town? The Tatar side does not allow us to have contact with the south?"
Going from Wuzhou City The road to Yunzhou is more difficult and dangerous than the journey to the Western Regions.
The danger is not natural danger, but man-made disaster!
Since the Tatars took possession of the Sixteen States of Youyun, they have been extremely strict in monitoring these sixteen states.
The Ma family caravan has been operating in Wuzhou City for several generations, and has contributed a lot of good things to the Tatars every year. The caravan even has members of Tatar nobles.
Even so, the Ma family caravan can go to the north, it can go to the east and the west, but it cannot go to the south!
Actually, this time the caravan set out long before the New Year, but in order to deceive others, it deliberately made a large circle to the west, and even spent New Year's Eve on the grassland.
Ma Nantian straightened up and looked to the south. It was still an endless stretch of flat grassland, without a shadow of a city.
“Go! My father’s wish before he died was to go home. The general beat the Tatars so much that their vitality was severely damaged. If we don’t take this opportunity to go back and take a look, there might not be a next time!”
After a short rest, the group set off on the road again.
The mighty team of fifty or sixty, most of them young and strong, had more than 20 camels, more than a dozen horses, and mules for pulling goods.
Two or three of the horses can be used not only to pull goods, but also to allow the old, weak, women and children in the caravan to take turns sitting on them.
Seated now are Ma Nantian's daughter-in-law and her newborn grandson.
Around them were a lot of warm clothes and some food that was resistant to radiation.
Obviously, Ma Nantian had already made plans to go south when he was in Wuzhou City.
The cold wind is blowing and the camel bells are melodious.
The caravan members kept their heads down, driving their animals, walking step by step through this vast land.
The distance is still vast, and it seems that we are far away from our destination.
The fatigue in his body was accumulating, and Ma Nantian didn't know what force was supporting him all the way south.
He only knew that he wanted to see the hometown that his grandfather and father had always missed, and to search for the green mountains and green waters that he had walked through in his childhood memories.
“Let’s take a rest!” Ma Nantian looked back and saw that many people could no longer eat, so he raised his voice and shouted to the people in front and behind the team.
The camel suddenly knelt down, his body pressed to the ground, and there was some foam at the corner of his mouth.
The man on the camel quickly got down and patted the camel's head distressedly: "Thank you, old man, for your hard work. If you keep persisting, I will buy you delicious food when you get to Yunzhou!" Arriving in Yunzhou, the originally dead caravan suddenly became lively.
Someone took out a water bag from his arms and took a sip of water: "I heard that the general is carrying out development and construction in Yunzhou, and the people have made a lot of money."
"Drink this from me. "Ma Nantian untied the wine bag from his waist and handed it to the man, "Yes, that wool product is very popular, and the nobles in Kyoto like it."
Ma Nantian's wine bag is very popular, one after another. Pass it on one by one.
"Otherwise he was a great general! Who would have thought that cashmere and wool, which looked useless, would become so gorgeous after being turned around in his hands. I guess the best embroidery in Dazhou is also Just like that."
"Hey, speaking of the general, do you still remember that after the burning of Chierla, the group of Tatars came back dejected, like bereft dogs? "
"Why don't you remember? That day, my old man had two more bowls of rice."
"Good guy, in order to retaliate against the general, he almost turned the grassland upside down. But the general had already returned. To the edge Close."
"It's really exciting! The old woman in my neighbor's house was lying there, breathing out but not breathing in. Guess what? Gao, get better! "
A smile appeared on Ma Nantian's serious face: "Let's keep persisting until we get to Yunzhou, and use our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to record what we see. Everything comes back to Wu. Yunzhou, it’s better to talk to family and neighbors.”
Someone drank the last drop of wine in the wine bag and laughed: “The two words Yunzhou are more exciting than the strongest wine. Refreshing! ”
"Who!" Ma Nantian's ears twitched, he immediately turned his head and shouted loudly!
“咴咴咴!”
“It’s the Tatars!”
While we were resting, dozens of black figures suddenly appeared on the hills in front. It looks particularly conspicuous in the vast sky and earth.
Everyone in the caravan quickly got on their horses, drew out their sabers and weapons, protected the goods in the middle, and stood in front of Ma Nantian.
The others without horses stood around Ma Nantian with weapons in hand, and did not show any panic or fear.
As they walked along the way, they had already anticipated today's situation.
Ma Nantian still thought that peace was the most important thing, so he asked his brothers to unfurl the flag of the Ma family caravan.
"Who is coming!" Ma Nantian was riding on his horse, staring at the opposite side.
Across the way is a group of black-clad Tatars, one man and one horse. The swords on their waists are still stained with blood. They don’t know which unlucky caravan they encountered!
Ma Nantian's heart seemed to be clenched tightly by a big hand. There were many people on the other side. If they really fought hard, the caravan would definitely suffer heavy casualties.
The opponent's horseman's speed did not slow down, and the sun's rays reflected from his saber made it hard to open his eyes.
Ma Nantian made his last effort and shouted: "We are the Wuzhou Majia caravan! Behind us is Zuo Danghu! Do you dare to attack us?!"
Ma Nantian His voice was a little broken, and the people around him were ready to fight to the death with the Tatars at any time.
The person opposite laughed loudly and said: "Zuo Danghu only does business in the west. Why did your Ma family caravan come to the south? Don't tell me, Ma family merchants who have been walking on the grassland for more than ten years The team will also get lost on the grassland”
After saying that, the other party raised the butcher knife and rushed towards the Ma family caravan!
The guards of the Ma family caravan can still stand up to ordinary thieves. But this time, they faced the Tatar elite!
The other side stabbed back and forth and injured more than half of the caravan guards!
Looking at his injured companion who was lying down and wailing in pain, Ma Nan’s eyes were about to burst!
He was unwilling to give in and had already come this far. He could reach Yunzhou if he persisted for a few more days!
Why is the journey home so difficult?
(End of this chapter)