Late Tang

The first snow of the year has already fallen, and the temperature is getting colder.

Khitanbala Khan also became worried as the weather was getting colder, but he was not worried about the fact that his son-in-law Yelu Hande had just killed Yili Jin Yeluyun Deshi.Although that matter was a big deal to Khitan, it was not a big deal to him, the Khan.Anyway, Khitan's Yi Li Jin is elected every three years, and everyone takes turns to do it.Although Runde's actions were somewhat inconsistent, as long as he was strong enough, this was something that no one could stop.

Besides, from the bottom of his heart, he actually doesn't like Yun Deshi very much.Sanyelu is divided into seven divisions, and the Diela division composed of Shili's divisions has expanded too rapidly, surpassing the Dahe clan and the Yaonian clan.

Let's fight, anyway, Yun Deshi and Ruan De both belong to the Diel tribe, and their struggle can be regarded as a struggle within the tribe, and he doesn't care about it.

Bala Khan is now worried about his business.

As Khitan Khan, you don't have to worry about being elected every three years, and you don't have to worry about someone competing for this position.And Yi Li Jin controlled the military power of the various tribes of Khitan, and he, the Khan, really didn't have much power.And he has no right to control the internal affairs of the tribes.What he can manage is his own tribe, but as a khan, his life is relatively comfortable. Every year, each tribe will hand over a large amount of supplies, money and food to him.

Bala Khan has always been the richest leader of Khitan. Over the years since he succeeded to the throne, he has used almost all his abilities to make money in business.Every year, he buys a large amount of cow and sheep skins and various animal skins from Khitan herdsmen.There are also excavated iron ore and other gold and silver ores, jade ores and so on.Originally, he only bought all kinds of leather goods, as well as cattle and horses, and used them to exchange salt, tea, ironware and other items with the Central Plains businessmen who came.

Last year many merchants came to buy all kinds of ores at high prices, including gold, silver, copper, iron and jade. These ores were mined by Khitan itself, but the smelting technology was too poor, and the cost of smelting by itself was too high, and no good things could be produced.But selling to Central Plains merchants, and then buying salt tea iron wares, silk porcelain jade wares, is much more cost-effective.

Therefore, this year, Bala Khan has already offered a high price. Not only did he arrange many tribesmen and slaves to mine many mines, but he also asked other tribes to mine many mines, and booked the deal in advance.

All kinds of ores mined now have been roughly smelted, and they are piled up in his camp like mountains.

But now, seeing the first snowfall, the weather is getting colder and colder, and he is looking forward to seeing through the autumn water, but those businessmen from the Central Plains have not come yet.

Bala Khan heaved a long sigh. He is worried and anxious now, and he has invested all his capital in this year's business.Even the tribes owed a large amount of money, and the ore and various leather goods ordered by the tribes, and even war horses, cattle and sheep, had all been transported to his account, but the Tang people had not yet arrived.

If the business fell into his hands, it would be troublesome.

Just when the flowers waiting for Bala Khan were about to bloom, the person he sent to the Central Plains finally returned, bringing back a piece of news that made him despair.There have been wars in southern Liaoning, Youzhou, Daibei and Henan this year, causing various turmoil.

There are three routes from the Central Plains to Khitan. One is to leave the army from Youzhou, Duxing, and leave the fortress from Datong. To southern Liaoning, and then to Khitan via northeast Liaoning.

But last year, Youzhou, Liaonan, and Daibei all fought wars, which made countless businessmen dare not go out.

There is another piece of news that although the wars in various places are over now, businessmen from the Central Plains and even many businessmen from Fan countries have gathered in Dengzhou recently.I heard that there are many rare commodities for sale in Dengzhou right now, which attracts everyone to go there.

"What kind of product is so popular? Bala Khan asked, no matter how popular the product is, it is impossible to attract all the merchants.

However, when the binoculars, glass mirrors, wine bottles, wine glasses, lanterns, and more than a dozen items were displayed in front of him, he was still full of surprises.There are such treasures in the world. Although I was a little heartbroken when my son Yeluhende who went to the Central Plains said that these more than a dozen items cost one hundred thousand guan, in the end, he still held a few items and was reluctant to let go.

"Is there really no Central Plains businessman willing to come?" Barakhan sighed.

"Now those merchants are queuing up in Dengzhou to buy glass. The weather is getting colder, so no one is willing to come." Hende said helplessly. "However, don't worry, they don't want to come, we can take the goods to southern Liaoning. Let's exchange their leather goods, cattle, sheep and ore for their tea, silk, porcelain and glass, and then become a distributor of Khitan glass. We will definitely earn more Rich."

Although many people objected to Yun Deshi's practice of farming in the first place, the leaders of various tribes have benefited a lot, and now there are a large number of nobles in Khitan.In addition to the subordinate warriors, cattle, sheep and horses, there are also land slaves, luxurious tents and all kinds of luxury goods in the Central Plains.Wear gold and silver, wear silk robes, drink fine wine from the Central Plains, drink tea from the Central Plains, use porcelain from the Central Plains, and even women from the Natang people.

"It's just that the Diela tribe is still occupying the road leading to southern Liaoning." Although the son-in-law Runde and the Yundeshi family are internal disputes, Bala is not at ease with them.Besides, there are Goguryeo people on the road.Moreover, it is really troublesome to send so many goods to the Central Plains.

Inside Khitan, Bala Khan was worried about his business.After assassinating Yun Deshi, Yelu Runde was happily preparing for the Ceremony of Yili Jin's ascension.The Lianza tribe in Liaozhong retreated from under Jili City, and the envoys sent by Yelu Yanmu were rushing to Beijing on the Bohai Sea...

When the second snowfall was brewing, a huge caravan from the Central Plains suddenly crossed the east of Liaoxi and the west of Liaodong, and arrived at the camp of the Yaonian Bara tribe on the bank of the Khitan Tuhuzhen River.There are more than 3000 people in this caravan. It is better to say that it is a small army than a caravan.There are as many as a thousand guards in the caravan, and they are all ruthless characters at first glance.Along the way, they did not trade with the various tribes they met, but went straight to the tribal camp of Khitanbala Khan.

Along the way, the cavalry of the Khitan tribe reported to Bala Khan early on, and Bala led the tribal warriors to wait twenty miles outside the camp.Seeing a black line coming from the sky, Bala quickly set up the binoculars worth [-] horses and looked from a distance.

With the help of the telescope, Bala clearly saw the caravan still a thousand paces away in the mirror.He searched for familiar faces in the mirror, and sure enough, within a short time, he had found the leaders of more than a dozen caravans that had been trading for these years.Although there are more merchants wrapped in leather robes that he doesn't know, and this year's caravan is really too big, and those caravan guards are also more sturdy than previous years.

But in the end Bala still showed a smiling face. This is not Liaoxi and Liaodong. This is the place where the Khitan lived for generations, surrounded by countless tribes.He didn't believe that there would be any Han people who dared to have other thoughts. What he cared about was the supplies of countless horses and horses carefully guarded by the caravan.

"These Tang merchants finally came, they finally came." At this moment, Bala Khan was so excited that he wanted to cry. If they didn't come again, he would be unhappy. Not enough sleep.

The Tang caravan came close and stopped a mile away. More than a dozen caravans rode to the front of Bala's team, took off their hats calmly, put them on their chests and saluted loudly. He shouted, "Dear Khitan Khan, we have come as promised."

Bala Khan rode forward, looked at the crowd and burst into laughter, "Damn it, I thought you wouldn't come this year."

"Although I and other businessmen value profits, a promise is worth a thousand dollars. We made an appointment last year to come back this year, so naturally we have to abide by the agreement. But this year, there were constant wars in various places. During this time, I was busy going to Dengzhou to negotiate a few deals. It was late. A little bit. The Khitan warriors and the Goguryeo people fought in Liaodong. They took a lot of risks on this trip, and in the end they had to arrange hundreds of caravans and hired the bravest guards before they dared to come." A Tang businessman in brocade robes with gray beard and hair headed by said with a big smile.

"Where are you from? Shopkeeper Cui?"

Shopkeeper Cui has been doing business with Hu people outside the Great Wall for many years. He is the big shopkeeper of the Cui family who specializes in running outside the Great Wall. He has done business with Bala for more than ten years, and the relationship between the two is considered the closest.

Shopkeeper Cui tightened his leather robe, "I crossed the sea from Dengzhou and arrived in southern Liaoning. Then I took a boat all the way north from the Liaohe River, then went ashore and changed the horse team and walked all the way for many days before I arrived. I don't know what Khan planned. How many things have we bought? This time, we are in a hurry. Although we brought a lot of goods, we didn’t dare to trade with other tribes on the road first. We just waited to trade with Da Khan. It’s getting colder and colder. I hope the transaction will go smoothly. Return to the Central Plains before the Liaohe freezes over."

Bala Khan’s khan court occupies the most fertile grassland in Khitan. Now Khitan has begun to settle and cultivate, and Bala’s camp has also begun to build many stone and earthen houses and wooden houses. Although they are not as gorgeous as those in the Central Plains, they are also much more atmospheric and comfortable than tents. They are the residences of nobles from distant clans.The Khan Palace of Bala Khan even has many houses and courtyards, and a circle of walls was built around the Khan Palace.

Shopkeeper Cui looked at these and sighed in his heart. He came to Beyond the Great Wall almost every year, sometimes even two or three times a year.But in the past few years, Khitan has undergone tremendous changes.They have changed from living by water and grass to settled farming.Even in the past when they invaded the south, they only retreated after looting money, food and people, but now, they began to go south step by step, conquering a land, and then divided into tribes to cultivate and pasture in the same place.

The Khitan's expansion was really astonishing. He couldn't help thinking of what Marshal Li had said to him before he set off, that the Khitan must be a trouble in the Central Plains.

Immediately, he felt that the task assigned to him by Marshal Li was extremely heavy, as heavy as Mount Tai! (To be continued.)