Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 1) Pommel Horse Like Floating Clouds (2)

The capital of Kang Kingdom, formerly known as Samarkand, was named Kangju City at that time.The Chengying camp sergeant set off at Maoshi and urged the pack horses to go fast, and arrived in Kangju not long after noon.

When Zhao Xingde first set foot in Kangju, he seemed to think he had returned to Bianliang.Because there is little rain in autumn and summer here, two ice and snow melt waters outside the city are introduced into the city. Clear streams can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, in front of the courtyard and behind the house.There are hundreds of thousands of residents in the city, there are many shops and restaurants, and the bustling people in the market place have the same faces as those in the Central Plains. The bargaining is all in Chinese. The men often wear woolen robes suitable for keeping out the cold, and there are pendants, daggers and other playthings hanging on their belts.Women's heads are wrapped with brocade ropas, which are embroidered with flowers and birds and other decorations, which are more colorful than those in the Central Plains.

The Xia** team is good at field battles and rarely enters the city to camp. Chengying camp lives in the west of Kangju City.This is also the first place to be cultivated by Kanto immigrants. There are many Central Plains-style terraces and pavilions around the post house, and there are many small fields planted with vegetables, fruits and flowers. In late autumn, the edges of the vegetable gardens are densely packed with chrysanthemums, fragrant. Gusts of wind linger, although there are not as many precious varieties as Chang'an, but more unrestrained arrogance, among the pavilions and fields, occasionally tourists are seen admiring chrysanthemums, which makes people feel like they are in the countryside of Chang'an.

Captain Duan Huaixian went to Lucao to fetch documents and military newspapers, and the three marching commanders fought for half a day to see the town in the middle of the river, so they persuaded Zhao De to go with the three of them.Along the way, Jin Changtai praised, "This city run by the Autonomous Chamber of Commerce is indeed more prosperous and lively than ordinary towns."

Zhao Xingde nodded and said with emotion: "The wealth in the entire river probably gathers here."

"That's not necessarily the case." Sima Junfang said with a smile, "In Kangju City, most of the big spenders are the gods of wealth passing by. In this place in the middle of the river, the more country bumpkins, the richer their families." The four of them talked and laughed and came to a tall pavilion In front of it, many businessmen with serious faces and hurrying in and out came in and out.

"This is Couponfang City, let's go in and have a look." Jin Changtai walked in first, and Zhao Xingde was curious about this place, so he followed.

"Unexpectedly, this tax bill can still be bought and sold." Zhao Xingde said with emotion.I saw countless blackboards hanging around the hall of Fangshi. On the blackboards, the prices of gold, silver, copper, iron, salt, sugar, silk, cloth, wheat, millet, tea, etc. were written on the blackboards. The guys behind the counter were busy greeting customers.This place is actually a place dedicated to buying and selling Jiaozi and exchanging tax invoices.

Jin Changtai also took out a Xia Guotong tax stamp from his pocket.Zhao Xingde borrowed it from him, looked at it carefully, and really couldn't see anything strange.There are complex patterns on both sides, the front seal script "Dangqin Ten Guan" and the big seal of the prime minister's mansion, the back official script "Two bolts of silk, two wheat stones, one liang of silver" in the back, and the big seal in the treasury, the small characters are also The treasury collection for cashing this ticket is indicated.The Xia State's tariff on merchants is one out of ten. If you hold such a tax stamp, you can offset the tariffs that should be paid on a hundred goods.Many East-West merchants did not want to bring more goods in vain when they shipped, so they bought tax stamps from the Prime Minister's Mansion in advance.

Sima Junfang and Huang Zongdao also didn't know why, but Jin Changtai smiled and said: "Fortunately, I am here today, so I will let you learn a lot." His family has opened a large business firm, and he will inherit the family business in the future, so I am very grateful to him. These doorways are very clear.

Seeing that the three of them were listening intently, Jin Changtai cleared his throat and said triumphantly: "In addition to the tax deduction, the national treasury increased the circulation of tax stamps based on the accumulated materials. The holder of the invoice can go to a specific treasury to exchange for the materials indicated on the back of the tax invoice. Such a tax invoice is in our country, and it is like a Jiaozi with the best credit, although the price of the endorsed material is higher than The market price, but with the credit endorsement of the national treasury, it is absolutely safe."

Every few years, the treasury will notify merchants to exchange tax invoices.Sometimes the denomination of the pawn money on the front of the tax stamp remains unchanged, but the value of the material on the back is changed. Later, it became five taels of silver, ten stones of wheat, and fifteen bolts of silk in the warehouse.

The national treasury has no special preference in choosing materials. It has always increased the materials in the treasury and issued a new batch of tax stamps, so that the private sector can share the burden of the treasury's reserves, and also allow businessmen across the country to get enough tax stamps that are easy to carry. to trade with each other.Tax invoices are mainly exchanged among merchants, especially in the securities market.The common people of Xia Kingdom still use more gold, silver and copper coins, or small-amount transfers issued by a large and reputable business house like Fuhaihang.

However, if the actual price of a tax stamp endorsed material is much higher than its face value, merchants will go to the treasury to exchange these materials and sell them for profit.If the actual price of a tax stamp endorsed material is much lower than its face value, merchants will refuse to use this tax stamp, and will use this tax stamp to pay taxes as much as possible.Therefore, the ratio of the reserve materials printed on the back of the tax stamp is extremely particular, and it is necessary to allow the price fluctuations between each other to mostly offset each other, and the small-scale fluctuations are not enough for merchants to profit from it.The officials in the treasury worked hard, and every once in a while, they had to invite several academicians who were good at calculating to help with the planning.

In the stock market, apart from the tax stamps stored in the treasury, the main trading objects of the merchants are all kinds of goods, such as jiaozi, cotton, and wheat, whether they are in the warehouse, growing in the ground, or even not yet sown. Yes, it can be traded.In this way, in the stock exchange, the prices of various materials and the exchange rate of other materials are also one of the important basis for the treasury to adjust the ratio of materials in the inventory behind the tax bill.

Jin Changtai talked eloquently. Except for Zhao Xingde who had a little understanding, Sima Junfang and Huang Zongdao were dumbfounded and dumbfounded. They just accompanied Jin Changtai to look at one blackboard after another, and finally did not see anything. So come here.

Coming out of Couponfang City, the four of them bought some local specialty candied meat as dry food, and hurried back to the camp before sunset.

At sunset, Captain Duan Huaixian returned to the official post, and immediately summoned the centurion and marching Sima to participate in the military meeting.

"The General's Mansion has dispatched military affairs, and we happen to be here." Duan Huaixian put a volume of military books on the table and motioned everyone to read it.

General Wang Tongdeng opened the book, and several officers leaned over to read, "Is there a secret eagle nest of the Hassan sect nearby?" Sima Junfang exclaimed in a low voice.Several officers who knew the situation in the river frowned.

"What is the Hassan Sect?" Zhao Xingde asked in confusion.

Sima Junfang glanced at him, and said slowly: "The Hassan sect, even in the eyes of believers who believe in the same god as them, is heresy. But their methods are cruel. They often use assassination as a means to coerce princes and nobles everywhere. "

"I see," Zhao Xingde nodded and said, "This sect can rely on assassins?"

"That's right," Sima Junfang nodded. As a marching Sima, he was responsible for explaining the enemy's situation to the officers, so he explained in detail what he knew. The location. Often choose a secret place on the top of the mountain, and build a garden palace like a fairyland. Use the gold, silver and jewels obtained from the looting of the business travelers in the past to decorate the place magnificently. There are pipes everywhere in the palace to circulate fine wine, honey, and cows. Milk'. In the garden there is a beautiful girl controlled by the Hassan sect. This sect preaches at the foot of the mountain, and often "confuses" the young people, saying that if you die for the leader, you can go to heaven."

Although all the officers had heard about the Hassan Sect’s notoriety for a long time, there were only a few of them who knew about Juli, so they all listened quietly. Sima Junfang continued: “Just when these young people were doubtful, the Hassan Sect was in their drinking water. Put down the 'enchanted' medicine, and carry a batch into the garden of the eagle's nest, and let them enjoy themselves. These young people are extremely comfortable, thinking that this is the paradise that the sect said. They were 'enchanted' again, and after waking up , then returned to the world. So the leader of the Hassan faction summoned them again and asked them if they had really seen heaven. These young people were simple-minded and often replied that they had seen it. So the leader of the Hassan faction said: They were sent to assassinate, saying that as long as they sacrificed for the sect, they could enter heaven after death. In order to return to heaven to enjoy themselves, these young people are desperate when they assassinate, but they want to die early, so they often succeed."