In the Jinsan Mansion, several outsiders sat around, drinking tea and discussing things at the same time.

Ren said: "I heard that in the next two months, the railway will be repaired to Juyan." If you don't take the Khitan Shangjing Road, you can go to Yizhou instead, and then take the railway to Juyan, but it saves a lot of money and time. Walking like this, there are also fewer Khitan constraints. ”

Liu Yuanwai said: "Although the words are good, I am afraid that Gao Chang is unwilling to do so." After the Song army occupied Juyan, the relationship between Gaochang and the Khitan has been very close, and the Song army has been ignored. The trade route was changed to Yizhou, but it was different, Gaochang was choked by the Song army. ”

Jin San said: "What Liu Yuanwai said makes sense! From the perspective of us merchants, of course, we hope that the shorter the trade route, the better, and the cheaper the fare, the better. It's just that Gao Changguo is different, they first think about their own survival, and then they think about how much money they can make. The business passed through Yizhou, and the traffic between the two places was too dangerous for Gaochang. As long as the Song army increased its troops, Gaochang would be in danger. It is because they oppose the change of trade routes, and they only want to continue to trade on the roads. ”

Ren said: "Can Gao Chang suppress this kind of thing?" Businessmen seek profit, of course, by taking the shortest road possible. ”

Jin San sighed: "Our goods are all assembled in Gaochang and Beiting, what can we do if we don't rely on them?" can only listen to Gao Chang's orders, otherwise, where will the source of goods come from? This matter can only be done temporarily, and it will depend on the creation of all parties in the future. ”

Ren said: "That being said, if Yizhou is there, there will inevitably be merchants who will transport goods there, and then go to Juyan to take the railway. The freight of this road is much cheaper, and the price must be cheap, is there still money to be made on the Beijing Road? ”

Jin San said: "Is there any way?" In the early days, Gaochang must be watching, and it is not easy to go to Yizhou! It depends on whether Du Jieshuai's methods can take Gaochang after the Song army occupies Yizhou. The two countries are separated, and we can't do business, so we always have to find a way to do business. ”

Ren shook his head and said no more. There are many ways for merchants to transport goods, and if Jin San had nothing to do with Gao Chang, he would definitely not have maintained it like this. Most of the merchants of the Western Regions, who relied on Jin San's trading network in the river, could not disobey them.

Liu Yuanwai said: "However, the Song people occupy Yizhou, and they will inevitably build a railway there." When they built the railway, they naturally hoped that merchants would gather. If our trade route doesn't go there, will it disappoint the Song people? With the strength of the Song army now, this is not a good thing. ”

Jin San shook his head: "You guys are thinking too much. When Du Jieshuai first came to Hequ Road, neither the Khitan nor the party expected him to be so strong, and he suffered a lot and was won by the Song army again and again. Next, Du Jieshuai's army was dismantled in pieces, and it was no longer the way it was when it first came. As far as I know, it will take a few more years for the current Song army to have the combat strength at that time. At that time, I knew who would guard the winding road. ”

Ren said: "The Song army on Hequ Road now is not as good as the combat effectiveness when it first came, this matter is good." However, after a year of training, the current combat strength should not be underestimated. The most important thing is that once the railway is built to Juyan, the Song army in the Central Plains can continue to the Western Regions. Whether it is Gaochang or Black Khan, can resist such an army? According to me, as long as the railway is built to Yizhou, Gaochang will definitely not be like this again. ”

Jin San said: "Who knows." Anyway, the places where our goods are assembled in the Western Regions are Gaochang and Beiting, and we can only obey Gaochang's arrangement. When the Song army is strong and Gaochang bows down, it is not too late to go to Yizhou at that time. ”

Ren Yuanwai shook his head: "I'm afraid it's too late by then." How many merchants are there in the Western Regions? When there is an opportunity, there must be other caravans to seize it. If they make it big, will they allow others to get a piece of the pie? ”

Liu Yuanwai said: "The current goods are all Jinyuan's foreign contacts and are transported to Gaochang." Where can other people have a source of supply? ”

Ren Yuanwai shook his head, looking unconvinced. Merchants are highly profitable, as long as there is interest to be made, how can no one traffick? Now there are few merchants from the Western Regions who sell goods into the Central Plains, the trade routes are depressed, and the Jin San is monopolized. As soon as the Song army entered the Western Regions and occupied Yizhou, were you worried that there were no merchants to sell goods there? Gaochang was a big force in the Western Regions, but in the face of the Song Dynasty and the Khitan, it was nothing.

Jin San didn't say much, but just told everyone that the trade route should not be changed, otherwise it would be difficult to get goods from the river. As for the local merchants in Illinois, what else do they have besides the local melons and grapes? Melons and grapes, which are also produced in the Central Plains, are worth anything?

Du Zhongxiao sat under the big tree in the courtyard, reading a book, and took a piece of melon to eat. This Guahe East Road is delicious, I don't know if there is it in the Western Regions, and what is the taste.

Tian Jing came in and arched his hand: "Jieshuai, the descendants of the lieutenant of Khotan that you have been looking for, there is news!" ”

Du Zhongxiao listened, stood up suddenly, and said, "What's the matter, you tell me in detail." Now that the railway has been repaired to Juyan, and it looks like it is about to enter the Western Regions, the people of the Wei Chi family are too important at this time! ”

After speaking, let the guard on the side take the chair and let Tian Jing sit down and talk in detail.

Tian Jing said: "The latest news is that after the Black Khan was destroyed in Khotan, the people of the Wei Chi family became slaves, and it has been decades now. A few days ago, a merchant from the Western Regions said that someone from the Weichi family was sold to the Western Black Khanate, and he entered Gaochang and was enslaved under a caravan. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "In the Western Regions, it is common to plunder people as slaves at every turn. Decades of not dying are also their fate. ”

Tian Jing said: "The Wei Chi family is a rich and noble family in the end, the royal family of more than a thousand years, there are always people in the Western Regions who trap them. It's just that over time, the population has withered, and there are not many people now. In particular, the pedigree can be checked, and it is confirmed that it is after the Wei Chi family, so there are even fewer of them. The one I am talking about now was sold to Gaochang merchants in the previous generation and has multiplied to this day. is in his twenties this year, unmarried, and alone. ”

When Du Zhongxiao heard this, he couldn't help frowning: "How can such a big family be alone?" ”

Tian Jingdao: "It's just that it is confirmed that his elder is a close branch of the Khotanese royal family, and he was sold several times after the country was broken, and finally came to this merchant in Gaochang State." At that time, Khotan destroyed the country for more than ten years, and gave him a marriage match, so that he left offspring. Now that it has been fifty years since Khotan destroyed the country, which fruit is not looking for the marshal, this Wei Chi's descendants, I am afraid that it will be difficult to start a family, and the Wei Chi family will be cut off. ”

For more than a thousand years, it is impossible for the royal family to be cut off. More likely, most of the people at that time were sold into slavery and changed their names. Some escaped from the clutches of the devil, and naturally changed their names and surnames to avoid slaughter. There are very few descendants of Wei Chi who have really been handed down.

After thinking about it, Du Zhongxiao said: "Where is this Wei Chi descendant now?" ”

Tian Jingdao: "It's still in Gaochangguo." There is a person who is a relative of the Hu businessman who came this time, so he knows it. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "This matter should not be publicized." You give the merchant some money and ask him to go back immediately and bring this descendant of the Wei Chi family to Shengzhou. As long as you see someone, you will be grateful! This matter is important, so he should not go out and reveal the rumors. ”

Tian Jing nodded in agreement, and asked in a low voice: "What does the marshal mean, is he going to use this person?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Other places in the Western Regions that are incomparable to each other have many forces and complicated relationships. Our army is stationed, and if we don't want to fight all the time, we have to have a grip. This person is the starting point for us to enter the Western Regions. With him, a lot of things are much easier! ”