Seeing Du Zhongxiao come out, Zhuang Lang Shidao recognized the official uniform and hurriedly got up to salute.

Du Zhongxiao said: "Sit down and talk." I don't know the name of the member, what is the identity of the Zhuang Lang Department? ”

Zhuang Lang Shidao sat down, listened to the question, and hurriedly bowed his hand: "The small Zhuang Lang Shidao is in charge of foreign affairs and trade in the tribe. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Oh, I see." To make a long story short, you said that the Black Mountain Supervisor Si Zhuang Lang Assassin Shi wants to sacrifice the city to the imperial court, I don't know what the conditions are? I just need to say it here, and I don't have to be polite. ”

Zhuang Lang Shidao hesitated for a moment, and arched his hand: "Back to the scriptures, Zhuang Lang is the leader of the headquarters, and he sacrifices the vulture to the sea city, but he is just seeking a way for the tribe to survive." Zhuanglang is in the north of Montenegro, if your country gets Montenegro and Wolf Mountain, and is isolated by the Great Wall of Qin and Han, it will lose Montenegro's support. The White Tatars in the north are our old enemies, and without support, they will inevitably have difficulties in the future. Thorn Shi hopes that after the dedication of the city, the economy can take care of Zhuang Lang's department one or two. If the White Tatars crossed the border to attack, Zhuang Lang would be unable to support them alone, and scare them back with the prestige of Jingluo. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "That's all? Your leaders are too modest. ”

Master Zhuang Lang said: "If Jinglu can reward his official position and give him some grain and rice, it will naturally be better!" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "If you don't dare to say it, then let me say it." Whether it's suitable or not, you go back and discuss. I said it in advance, tell Zhuang Lang that he doesn't have much time, and if he doesn't reply within three or two days, he will start attacking the city. As long as the cannon enters the city of the Vultures, everything that promises you will be done. Military affairs are not child's play, let Zhuang Lang stab Shi think about it clearly and give me an answer as soon as possible. ”

Zhuang Lang Shidao hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Rest assured, the assassin really wants to make a living for the tribe." ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "As long as Zhuang Lang assassinates Shi Xiancheng, I will ensure that your Zhuang Lang Department is worry-free." The official position will be given, and I will play the court, and the specific official position will naturally obey the will of the court. Now is the spring, when you are nomadic at the most difficult time, after the dedication of the city, I will pull some millet from the military rations, tentatively set 300 stones, for your tribe, to tide over the difficulties. The White Tartars did not need to worry, after the imperial court occupied the Black Mountain and the Wolf Mountain, they would build several cities nearby to garrison the guards and horses. To the north of Montenegro, a city will also be built, with Zhuang Lang Thorn Shi as the lord of the city. Whether the soldiers of your tribe will defend the city, or whether the soldiers and horses of the river meandering road will defend the city, and we will discuss it later. The road leading from the Celestial Armies to Vulturesea City now extends beyond Montenegro until a new city is built. ”

When Master Zhuang Lang heard this, his face was cloudy, and he didn't speak for a while.

The road extended to the north of Montenegro, and the city was to be built there, so the Zhuanglang Department was included in the Song Dynasty's rule. It was to prevent the White Tatars, but Zhuang Langbu also lost its autonomy. Whether this is good or bad is not clear for a while.

After thinking about it again and again, Zhuang Langshi said: "Don't hide it, the northern land of Montenegro is barren and poor, and it is close to the desert, if you set up a city garrison, the place will really not be able to supply grain and grass." If the people are levied harshly, it will be difficult for the small people to survive. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The garrison doesn't need to be supplied locally, so you don't have to worry. Now that the railway has reached Dongshengzhou, the grain from the Central Plains will be continuously transported to Hequ, and there will be local supplies. Not only does the military ration not depend on the locality, but the herdsmen's food in the future can also rely on the imperial court. Your horses, your cattle and your sheep can be exchanged for food, and you don't have to be like before, when people and animals were hungry and cold in winter. ”

Hearing these words, Zhuang Lang Shidao was stunned for a while, and he didn't know what to say. He traveled from south to north and saw a lot of things, but the scope was around Montenegro, and what Du Zhongxiao said was something he had never seen or even heard of. I've heard of railways, but I don't have a clear idea of what it means. As soon as this road is passed, there will be no shortage of food in the river meander from now on? That sounds too unrealistic.

The entire Hequ Road, including the newly occupied land, is no more than a large state in the interior, and there are railways to transport grain, and all of them can afford to be raised. Without the backing of convenient transportation, Du Zhongxiao's tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, how dare they occupy so many places. The grain from the interior to the Hequ Road played no less than the role of tens of thousands of troops, and the economic pattern here has completely changed. Where the railway leads, the price of food is cheap, and it is completely different from before.

Zhuang Langshidao These local natives are not aware of the upcoming changes and cannot keep up with the ever-changing situation.

Seeing that Zhuang Lang was silent, Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Give my words to Zhuang Lang and let him choose." It is best if he can sacrifice the city, end the war as soon as possible, and kill and kill fewer people. If we don't sacrifice the city, we don't force it, it's nothing more than opening a cannon to get in. After this area returns to the rule of the imperial court, it is not the same as before, don't think about it like before. For the sake of your tribesmen, it will be a good day after the dedication of the city now. If you still want to split the land and become the king, and you don't accept the king, I'm afraid you won't be able to. Here the court soldiers and horses arrived, no longer restrained, you think twice. ”

Seeing that Du Zhongxiao said it categorically, and there was no room for negotiation, Zhuang Lang had no choice but to give his hand and say: "But listen to the scriptures." ”

Looking at the time, Du Zhongxiao said: "It's already late at night, I have prepared a light meal in the back office to catch the wind for you." Rest well tonight, and return to the Vulture Sea early tomorrow morning. Consult yourselves and reply as soon as possible. is still the same sentence, if you drag on Zhuang Lang's assassination of Shi Xiancheng for one day, you will lose one point. ”

After speaking, he stood up and said to Master Zhuang Lang: "Outside, please go back to the office." ”

Zhuang Langshi didn't dare to say anything, got up and followed Du Zhongxiao, and arrived at the back office.

At this time, it was not very cold, and the wine feast was placed in the courtyard, and a few oil lamps were hung around it, which were turned to the brightest and looked bright.

At this time, they like to drink and feast outside, and then they set up a large curtain around them, and the whole thing is enclosed, like a tent. Du Zhongxiao doesn't like it, either it's in the room, and the outside should be spacious, ventilated and bright.

Master Zhuang Lang looked at all this curiously, and his heart was shocked. Accustomed to living a nomadic life, this kind of scene is something they dare not imagine, and most of the things here are sky-high prices in the nomads.

Sitting down, Du Zhongxiao said to Zhuang Lang Shidao and Thirteen Lang: "You have been on the road for a day, it is really hard, and you are hungry when you want to come." Eat a bowl of noodles to cushion your stomach first, so as not to drink alcohol on an empty stomach, which is not good for your health. ”

After speaking, the soldier brought two large bowls of noodles to the two and placed them in front of them.

Zhuang Langshi looked at the bowl, the wide and white noodles looked very solid. The noodles are soaked in a thick mutton broth, covered with a few pieces of fatty lamb, and sprinkled with green coriander and chopped green onions.

Seeing that Thirteen Lang picked up the chopsticks and ate them, Zhuang Lang said that he was offended, picked up the chopsticks on the side, and ate the noodles. Fortunately, he is in charge of foreign trade in the Zhuang Lang Department, has a wide range of knowledge, and is used to chopsticks. If the rest of the tribe comes, they don't know how to use chopsticks, and they don't make jokes.

The noodles are fragrant and beautiful, delicate and soft in the mouth, coupled with the strong aroma of mutton soup, the freshness of coriander and green onions, Zhuang Langshi Dao eats very happily.

After eating the noodles after a while, Zhuang Lang Shidao put down his chopsticks and bowed his hand to Du Zhongxiao: "Xie Jingluo soup cake." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Is the taste still acceptable?" These Han people eat food, I'm afraid you won't get used to it. ”

Zhuang Langshi said: "Jing Luo is polite, how can you not get used to eating such a good thing?" Only one thing, the meat is a little too much, and more noodles are very good. Here in the meander, maybe I don't know much about it, and I've never seen this kind of pasta before. ”

Thirteen Lang on the side said: "What's so strange about this?" The states south of the Volcano Army can be eaten everywhere. With a few pieces of meat in the mouth, wouldn't it be a fading bird! You are a tribal elder, and you are accustomed to eating meat, so you say this. Ordinary herdsmen, who don't know how many times a year to eat meat, will definitely not say so. ”

Zhuang Langshi said: "The general misunderstood. Although the land is barren and the people are poor, no matter who they are, the meat is always eaten. But such a fine pasta is different, there are very few places where wheat is grown, where is such a delicate pasta? ”

Thirteen Lang was stunned for a moment, and asked Du Zhongxiao, who was sitting on the main seat: "Jingluo, is there very little wheat here?" ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Only in farmland with little irrigation will there be people who grow wheat." Eating pasta in the party, I am afraid that there are only a few big cities. ”

Master Zhuang Lang arched his hand: "I see it slightly." But it's so delicate that you can't see it in Xingqing Mansion. ”

Wheat is not a native crop in China, and the growing season is not the same as China's, so it cannot be grown anywhere. Only where water conservancy is convenient and irrigation can be carried out, it is suitable for large-scale cultivation. The place is not right, and the yield is far inferior to that of millet. In the territory of the party, there are still some places where millet is produced, and wheat is only grown in the irrigated agricultural areas around Xingqing Province. Moreover, the technical level of the party item is not good, and it cannot grind fine powder. There is no comparison that cannot be seen, and when compared with Song Jun's wheat noodles, it looks black and rough.

Master Zhuang Lang said the truth, in this place, such noodles are much more expensive than mutton.

In Du Zhongxiao's impression, wheat can be grown anywhere in the north, but it is nothing more than that winter wheat cannot be planted and spring wheat can be grown. In fact, this is not the case, wheat must cooperate with watering, otherwise the yield will drop sharply, far less than the millet adaptation area. The common food in the north is millet, and most of the noodles, whether they are steamed buns, steamed buns or noodles, can only be seen in the city.

Even millet, the usual staple food in the party's territory, can only be eaten by wealthy families, and it is basically impossible for ordinary herdsmen. Many people eat all kinds of grains in their lives, such as barley and green hemp, wild grass seeds, and the Central Plains is not the time when they crossed the famine, and they are all made of horse feed.

Du Zhongxiao didn't deliberately go on this side, and when he saw that Zhuang Lang was interested, he said: "In the future, if the train is opened, these foods can be transported from the Central Plains, and they are not worth much." It is naturally more expensive than ordinary yellow rice, but it is more expensive than meat. ”

Zhuang Lang nodded and was speechless for a while. I've heard about the train, but I don't know what it is, and I can't imagine it. Listening to the meaning of Du Zhongxiao's words, after it is passed, things from the Central Plains can be transported in a steady stream, and the price is not high. What was that like? Things in the Central Plains, even the most ordinary, cost a lot of money here, and this will not be the case in the future?