Hongcheng finally arrived at Qiannicheng, the capital of Shanshan State, after a lot of hard work. Shanshan, whose real name should be called Loulan, this name actually surprised Su Ren more than Shanshan, because in later generations, the disappearance of the ancient kingdom of Loulan has always been a mystery, some say that it is because the Peacock River in the country is diverted, there is no water source, and the city naturally does not exist, and some say that the yellow sand rolled up by a big storm buried Loulan. The Loulan of the future generations is gone, and the Shanshan country in front of him is still there.

Hongcheng was not a good merchant, and he sold all the things he brought from Chang'an to the Qiang people, and he got a lot of leather and herbs from the Qiang people. One thing he had forgotten was that the Qiang people had been doing business with the people of the Western Regions before they had met them, so the streets of Thousand Mud City were full of leather shops and herb shops. Not only is the product better than what he brought, but the price is cheaper, so this time Hong Cheng estimates that he won't even have pants left.

But Hong Cheng had already set up a stall in one of the largest markets in the city, spending fifty dollars a day as a tax to stick to his business. Hong Cheng didn't know how to do business, compared with those people from the Western Regions, not only did he have a high quality of goods, but he also didn't have a beautiful orchid shaking his body full of meat to help sell, and he didn't even sell a single leather goods for three days.

The kind-hearted shopkeeper Sun gave Hong Cheng an idea, asking him to lower the price of leather a little, although he couldn't make much money, at least he could leave a little, and then use the money to buy some things from the Western Regions and ship them back to Chang'an, maybe he could make money. But Hong Cheng did not agree, and continued to go his own way, continuing to insist on his own way of doing business. Shopkeeper Sun had no choice but to shake his head and ignore it.

Shopkeeper Sun is in the silk business, and the silk transported from Shu County is in demand in the Western Regions, and it took two days to completely dispose of it, and the money earned is enough for his income in the past year, so the idle shopkeeper Sun came to Hongcheng's stall to help.

"Lao Hong, it's been six days, if you can't get these things, you have to smash them, or try the method I said, or you will lose all your money!"

Hong Cheng smiled slightly: "What's the hurry, maybe there will be guests coming to the door in a while." ”

Hong Cheng's guess was surprisingly accurate, and in the afternoon, two people from the Western Regions came. Why? Because you can tell it at a glance by your appearance and clothing. The people of the Western Regions are dressed strangely, some shaved their hair, and some wear only pants. And the color of the hair and eyes turned out to be the same as the gemstones, messy and all kinds of eye colors.

The two people from the Western Regions grabbed the leather on Hongcheng's stall, looked at it, and rubbed it. Shopkeeper Sun hurriedly stepped forward: "Two, this is a good leather goods, and I won't tell you that you can't find such a good thing in the whole city." ”

The tall man from the Western Regions glanced at Shopkeeper Sun, sneered, and said in a broken Chinese dialect: "Han people are the best at deceiving people, and such a skin can be regarded as a good skin?" , which is of no use except to make boots. ”

Shopkeeper Sun still has a professional smile: "It's not bad to make boots, look at this one, but the best cowhide, the boots made are durable, and they won't be bad for a year." ”

"How do you sell it?"

"A fifty penny, that is, a silver coin, how many pieces do you need?"

"This kind of skin costs a silver coin, and the one next door has three skins and two silver coins, and the skins of others are better than yours? Do you Han people do business? ”

Shopkeeper Sun said with a smile: "If the two of you want more, the price is negotiable, come and come, come in and talk to our shopkeeper slowly, I will go to the front to get some wine and food for the two of you." ”

Shopkeeper Sun dragged the two people from the Western Regions to the back of the stall. Hong Cheng was still sitting there, holding a teapot in one hand while watching Shopkeeper Sun busy. The people from the Western Regions looked at Hong Cheng twice: "Are you the shopkeeper here?" You have the final say? ”

Hong Cheng nodded. The people from the Western Regions continued: "Your skin is not good, the price is too expensive, if you can be cheaper, we want these goods!" ”

As soon as Shopkeeper Sun heard that there was a door, he immediately put on a smiling face: "The two of you sit down for a while, and I will go to book a banquet for the two of you immediately!" ”

Watching the shopkeeper Sun busy before and after, he went to Zhang Luo's banquet at this time. Hong Cheng sighed and looked at the two people from the Western Regions in front of him: "Let's say, I specially arranged it here, and no one will come to eavesdrop on it, even if you have a glance, you can find it." ”

The tall man from the Western Regions pulled down the cloth towel on his face, looked left and right, and gave the dwarf a look, and the dwarf got up and went out to stand guard. As soon as the tall man from the Western Regions changed the abruptness of what he had just spoken, a standard Chang'an accent came out of his mouth: "The giant commanded, you will go to Yumen immediately, Su Ren didn't plan to come over at all, he was going to build a city there, and the Huns had agreed." ”

"What? Founding a city? He thinks he can hold the city? ”

The people from the Western Regions shook their heads: "I don't know, but with Su Ren's style of acting, what he has made up his mind will definitely come true, and this time it is estimated that it will not be an exception, the second batch of merchants sent by him will enter Bailong Beach tomorrow, where is the giant going to do it, so you had better leave as soon as possible and take yourself out, so as not to let Su Ren suspect you." ”

Hong Cheng smiled: "Suspicion, people have long suspected me, otherwise they wouldn't have told me such a big thing, and they would have brought us to Shanshan!" ”

"......Shhh No, could it be that the giant misjudged? ”

Hong Cheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "No matter who is wrong, I will be ready to go back tomorrow, you pretend to buy these things, and I will do the rest of the things!" ”

Shopkeeper Sun went and came back quickly, leading the wine in one hand and the food box in the other. Lamb, lamb chops, lamb bones, this is the appetizer for three people. Hong Cheng only barely ate a piece and put it down, but the two people from the Western Regions were like wolves, constantly stuffing food into their mouths. A bite of meat, a bite of wine, a lot of pleasure.

Shopkeeper Sun kept giving Hong Cheng a look and asked how he had just discussed. Hong Cheng nodded slightly at Shopkeeper Sun, and Shopkeeper Sun let out a sigh of relief. After a stick of incense, a large portion of mutton was wiped out by the two Western Regions people, and they burped and picked their teeth: "I'll pick up the goods tomorrow, here are ten taels of gold, if it's not enough to pick up the goods."

"I wonder at what price you bought my family's fur?"

"Like everywhere else, two silver coins and three pieces!"

Shopkeeper Sun was very happy and nodded again and again: "Okay, okay, I'll make a note, you two rest assured, I can guarantee that our leather goods are absolutely the best, and there will be no damage and stains." While talking, the shopkeeper Sun wrote some notes, and the two people from the Western Regions pressed their handprints on the document without looking at it, and this transaction was completely completed.

Hong Cheng's goods were the last of all the brothers who came with him to sell, and they were also the best of all. Holding ten taels of gold in his hand, Shopkeeper Sun let out a sigh of relief: "I didn't expect that there would be such a thing, Shopkeeper Hong is really a good hand at trading, this kind of thing can be done, it is said that Mr. Su is the first merchant god of the Han Dynasty, and in my opinion, Shopkeeper Hong is not bad." ”

Hong Cheng arched his hand at the shopkeeper Sun: "Brother Lao Sun is running back and forth, rest assured that I will definitely thank Brother Sun after I go back this time." ”

Shopkeeper Sun waved his hand: "No, let's come out together, it's nothing!" When you go out, you have to take care of each other. Shopkeeper Sun looked at the bustling market: "Our things are sold out, when will we go back to Yumen?" ”

"Tomorrow morning."

"What? Tomorrow morning! This ......"

A group of guards on horseback walked over, this is the tax collector of Thousand Muds City, these people are generally the king's cronies, and the collection of taxes has been fat since ancient times. The fat guy who walked in front knocked a few times on Hongcheng's stall with a horsewhip: "Business is good?" Today's tax money has doubled, and the stalls of your two families have a total of 300 yuan, and for the sake of you being Han people from afar, 200 yuan is enough, that is, four silver coins! ”

The shopkeeper Sun was just about to refute, but Hong Cheng grabbed him, took out four silver coins from his arms and handed them to the person on the horse: "Thank you, thank you!" ”

The tax collector smiled and put the silver coin into his arms: "It is said that you Han people are rich, and it is really good, I am afraid that there are not many silver coins after these furs are sold, but it is very comfortable to pay taxes, I hope you will come back next time, and then give you cheaper." ”

The street was full of businessmen, and the tax collectors went all the way by, and the bags on the horses' butts were bulging. Different businessmen collected different taxes, the Huns did not have to pay taxes, and they did very little business. The people of the Western Regions pay the least taxes, and this is the big tax collector. And the Qiang people have no one to do business at all, so they don't have to pay taxes, only the Han people who came from Hongcheng have become the most wronged. Not only does he pay the most taxes, but he never owes it on credit, and he robs it openly when he has no money.

After paying the tax, Shopkeeper Sun suddenly lost interest in eating, and looked at the tax collector who was leaving, his fists clenched. Shanshan country is the closest to Yumen, people from the south to the north need to pass through here, whether it is the food and salt needed by the Huns, or the tea and iron tools needed by the Qiang people, or the silk and porcelain needed by the people of the Western Regions, and the war horses and precious stones needed by the Han people, they must stay in Shanshan country when entering the desert and leaving the desert.

The Han people came to Hongcheng in Shanshan Kingdom, they were the largest group, with more than 30 truckloads of goods and a caravan of hundreds of people, which allowed the people of the Western Regions to see the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, and at the same time made the king of Shanshan feel a little shaken. The reason why Shanshan was able to establish his own state among the Xiongnu, Han and Qiang people was that the political wisdom of surviving in the cracks was indispensable.

When the Huns were brave, they took refuge in the Huns, but secretly contacted the Han Chinese. When the Qiang people take the initiative, Shanshan Guo will be matched with a smiling face to stammer with the Qiang people. It is precisely because of this that no one can force Shanshanguo to come, and they are mainly courtesy, whoever makes Shanshan's geographical location good, and controlling Shanshanguo is equivalent to controlling the gateway of Ganliang Road and controlling the huge commercial market of the Western Regions.

Hong Cheng pulled Shopkeeper Sun towards the tavern. It is said that the tavern is just a few adobe rooms, and there is some wine and meat in a mess on a hu bed, and you can eat it with money at the door, which is also a feature of the tavern in the Western Regions, which is similar to the buffet in later generations.

Shopkeeper Sun took a big sip of wine: "These guys who look down on people with dogs' eyes! If it weren't for ......"

Hong Cheng smiled slightly: "Don't worry, they won't be arrogant for long." ”

Shopkeeper Sun was stunned: "Oh, what does Shopkeeper Hong mean?" ”