The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 155 Jinyiwei

"It's a disaster, it's a disaster~"

The smoke of war had just cleared, but the people who had been recruited by Xiao Chilu to defend the city had not yet been allowed to return home.

At this moment, all the people were gathered outside the city, forming a large crowd.

The Han people were relaxed and at ease, without much worry, but the Uighurs were pale, terrified and in a panic.

Some people even kept muttering, "Woe is coming."

"Something big is going to happen!"

If the army of Gaochang Kingdom captured the desert, it would definitely be a good thing for the Uighurs.

But now, the Gaochang army suffered a crushing defeat and the Jinzhou army occupied the desert.

For many Uighurs, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Even some Uighurs who wanted to secretly open the city gates for the Gaochang army were terrified at this moment.

Fearing a thorough investigation and liquidation by the Jinzhou Army.

But unfortunately, what you fear will come true.

Just when everyone was in panic, a team of cavalrymen wearing white cotton clothes and with cavalry swords on their waists rushed over quickly.

"Xuxu~"

A centurion dismounted and negotiated with the general who was guarding the civilians.

Afterwards, this cavalry in white quickly rushed into the Uighur people.

"Now, the whole family of the person whose name I'm going to call out, please step out."

The captain was followed by a Han Chinese native to the desert, who shouted loudly to all the people in Uighur.

"Su Mande~"

"Arslan~"

"Omar~"

"Ahmed~"

……

In order to prevent duplicate names, other information about the person is attached after the name, such as home address, occupation, position held in the Governor's Office, etc.

And everyone who heard their name shuddered.

It seemed as if he had already guessed something in his heart.

"No, no, not me."

"I didn't~"

"I was wronged."

These people shouted in fear and kept squeezing into the crowd, trying to hide or escape by creating chaos.

But the Jinzhou soldiers were prepared.

The young captain sneered, "Your crimes haven't even been announced yet, and you already know you're innocent?"

Then, without giving these people a chance to explain, he shouted, "Jinyiwei."

"Get someone!"

"Yes, sir!" one hundred soldiers in white cotton coats responded loudly.

They are the special forces unit that Li Xiao created not long ago, the Jinyiwei.

Currently, it only has a scale of 100 households.

Responsible for gathering information, combating crime, punishing corruption, maintaining internal security of Jinzhou, etc.

The captain in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was named Zhang Shi.

Born in Hexibao, he is the younger brother who grew up with Li Xiao.

He had previously served as a personal guard beside Li Xiao.

For this military expansion, Li Xiao selected elite soldiers from the entire army, established the Jinyiwei, and appointed Zhang Shi as a centurion.

In terms of professionalism, Zhang Shi may be a little lacking, but the most important thing about the position of Jinyiwei Captain is absolute loyalty.

The rest can be trained and learned slowly. In order to help him get started as quickly as possible, Li Xiao even equipped him with some veterans with many years of scout experience to serve as squadron leaders.

This time, capturing the spies among the Uighurs was the first task after the establishment of the Jinyiwei.

Soon, with the identification of several local people in the desert, all the Uighurs on the list, including their families, were captured by the ferocious Jinyiwei soldiers.

Because not long ago, Balshu honestly revealed the list of traitors in the Desert City.

There were twenty-six people in total.

All of them are officials of a certain status or big businessmen.

The original plan was for these people to create chaos in the city during the siege and open the city gates to welcome the army into the city.

But unexpectedly, although Xiao Chilu is young, he is very experienced.

They forced these people to climb to the top of the city walls and even kidnapped their families. Once the city was broken, their entire family would be killed first.

In this way, these people would not dare to act rashly.

However, he was eventually betrayed by his stupid teammate Balsuker.

There were twenty-six people in total, plus their sons, brothers and other family members, a total of more than eighty people, all kneeling on the ground at this moment.

It can be imagined that if Xiao Chilu had not made such a decision at that time, these people would have called on their friends and brought their servants to join the battle.

If we don't get into trouble, I'm afraid it will be really dangerous.

"These people are secretly communicating with the Gaochang rebels, intending to open the city gates, create chaos, and lure the rebels into the city."

"Treason and collaborating with the enemy is an unforgivable crime."

"By order of the Grand Commander, these twenty-six men and all the male members of their families shall be beheaded, and their female relatives shall be exiled to the army as a warning to others."

Zhang Shi rode on his warhorse, stroking the hilt of his sword with one hand, and swept his cold eyes over the numerous Uighur people.

Beside him, there was an interpreter who loudly told his words to the Uighurs.

At this time, the Uighur people realized that these people were actually Wang’s army, no, they were spies of the rebels?

Everyone was silent, silently looking at the group of spies who were struggling, begging for mercy or cursing.

It is unknown what he is thinking.

After all, they are just ordinary Uighurs of the lowest class, going with the flow and following the strong.

They don't even have the qualifications to collude with the rebels.

Li Xiao did not kill all these people, but only dealt with these spies to make an example of them.

"Execution!"

With Zhang Shi's order, twenty-six spies, as well as their sons, brothers, etc., were all shot to death by the Jinyiwei.

This scene made many Uighurs silent.

This is the price of failed speculation. It is safer to be an honest commoner.

However, the Jinyiwei's actions were not over.

After shooting these spies, Zhang Shi looked at the person next to him.

"Uncle Stick, please, I'll support you."

I saw a middle-aged man wearing a cotton round robe, riding on a horse, and looking leisurely and contented, slowly walking up.

It was Li Ergunzi.

He nodded slightly at Zhang Shi and laughed, "You are becoming more and more impressive now, kid."

It can be seen that Captain Zhang Shi is different from other captains in the army.

Generally speaking, you don't have to fight on the battlefield, but you have to do a lot of dirty work.

He is also highly regarded by Li Xiao.

So Li Ergunzi sighed that the Zhang family was about to rise.

However, Li Ergunzi was not envious at all. After all, no matter how powerful he was, it was all thanks to the power of their Li family.

Besides, Li Ergunzi is doing well.

Although he has no military power, he has considerable power in other areas.

"How could that be possible, Uncle Gunzi? He is just taking advantage of the power of the Grand Commander to bully others." Zhang Shi shook his head slightly.

Li Ergunzi chuckled and thought to himself, this kid is not arrogant at all.

Then he walked forward, glanced at the crowd of Uighurs, and soon saw the person he was looking for.

He shouted loudly: "Kamel, my old friend, long time no see."

"And Amir, why are you squatting on the ground? Are you taking a shit?"

"Hamid, come out. We are old friends. Let's catch up."

Following Li Ergunzi's call, a total of eight Uighurs were captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

At this moment, these eight people were pale and trembling.

Especially when they looked at the corpses in the distance, their legs and feet felt weak.

"Li, Li Ergunzi~"

A Uighur man called out his name in a strange accent, with a pale and weak smile on his face.

He thought he was very kind and seemed to be trying to please Li Ergunzi, but he could not change the final outcome.

"Didn't you expect that, my friends, we would meet again so soon?" Li Ergunzi laughed, looking very enthusiastic.

Listening to the translator's words, the Uighurs nodded quickly and said with a wry smile, "Yes, yes~"

“So fast!”

"How's your cotton going?"

Li Ergunzi nodded slightly and looked at the cotton merchant named Amir: "The cotton is very good, but the price is too expensive."

"But it's all gone, so I came to Beshbali to get some more from you guys."

Hearing this, Amir nodded quickly: "No problem, no problem, I still have some, you can have as much as you want."

"As for the price, I'll charge you two hundred coins per pound."

Li Ergunzi scoffed at this, patted Amir's face, and said, "Last time, cotton was selling to me for 400 coins per pound. How come the market changes so quickly?"

"It's a bit fast, the cotton harvest has just come~"

"Bullshit!" Li Ergunzi shouted, his face instantly turned gloomy, and his eyes stared at Amir.

He looked at the businessmen behind him, and each of them was scared like a quail.

But when doing business before, he was very arrogant.

Because Li Ergunzi needed to purchase a large amount of grain and cotton, these people hoarded them and united to raise prices.

He was ripped off for more than one crime.

So what if Li Ergunzi has the governor of Jinzhou behind him?

Driven by interests, when the profit reaches 100%, everyone has already been blinded by greed.

Moreover, the Uighurs are the local tyrants in the desert. They hold a large amount of land and have absolute say in agricultural products such as grain and cotton.

Even Xiao Tuladuo was powerless to do anything about it and could only try his best to seek a balance of interests among all parties.

After all, Xiao Tuladuo is different from Li Xiao. Li Xiao has a large number of Han people as his base.

As a Khitan, Xiao Tuladuo had just arrived in the desert and his foundation was not stable, so he had to make certain compromises with local forces.

If anyone does anything bad to Li Xiao's business, Xiao Tuladuo will definitely not let him go.

However, Xiao Tuladuo was not in a position to interfere too much in this seemingly normal business behavior.

After all, these businessmen all have their own forces behind them.

In fact, it is just the white glove of the Uighur nobles.

But now, the Jinzhou army is approaching, and the people behind them have either died in battle or have just been shot dead by the Jinyiwei.

Just a few businessmen immediately became lambs to be slaughtered.

Li Ergunzi didn't waste any more time talking to them.

He shouted directly: "Come here."

"Kill them all."

"Copy the house!"

"Their families will be demoted to slavery." After he finished speaking, Zhang Shi waved his hand lightly, and the surrounding Jinyiwei immediately stepped forward and pressed the eight Uighur merchants to the ground.

"No, don't do that~"

"Brother Li, we drank together!"

"Please spare me, I won't dare to do it again~"

These Uighur merchants begged for mercy loudly, but the Jinyiwei's butcher knives were already raised high.

The next second, only the sound of "puff puff puff" was heard continuously.

Eight heads were chopped off on the spot.

Blood gushed out, covering the sand.

Soon after, three more Han people were brought over.

When they saw the spy's body in the distance and the eight separated bodies on the ground, the three of them were immediately terrified.

Especially these eight people all know each other and are in the same industry.

All three of them knelt on the ground in fear and looked at Li Ergunzi and said.

"Master Li, um, um, it's really not our fault for what happened in the past."

"We were also forced by those Uighurs."

"If we don't raise prices, we won't be able to survive in this business anymore."

"You don't know, those Uighurs are very domineering in the desert. How to do business and set prices are all subject to their will."

"We have no choice."

"I beg Lord Li to show mercy and spare us this time."

The three men kowtowed to Li Ergun repeatedly, their faces pale, for fear of following the same fate as the eight men.

The reason is that they are also merchants selling grain and cotton.

Previously, under the pressure of the Uighurs, they also joined the grain and cotton monopoly group and sold high-priced grain and cotton to Jinzhou.

Of course, they instinctively support this result.

After all, the more expensive they sell, the more money they make.

But now, the victims from Jinzhou came to their door and killed those Uighurs with force. The three men finally felt afraid.

He was trembling all over, his face was pale, and he kept begging for mercy from Li Ergunzi.

However, Li Ergunzi had a completely different attitude towards them and those Uighur merchants.

He even personally helped the three of them up one by one, and said with a chuckle: "Three shopkeepers, three brothers."

"What are you doing?"

"Such a great gift, wouldn't it be too much for me?"

"Hurry up and get up, hurry up and get up."

"Also, what's the difference between adult and not adult?"

"I'm just a businessman. You can still call me Shopkeeper Li as before."

"Of course, if you think highly of me, you can call me Brother Li or Old Li."

Although they were forcibly helped up by Li Ergun, the three of them were hunched over, not daring to straighten their backs, let alone look up at him.

Although they are all businessmen, the person standing behind them is the Governor of Jinzhou and the imperial merchant.

Different from myself.

Call Brother Li, Lao Li?

Don’t you think your death is not tragic enough?

"You three, we are all old acquaintances."

"I, Li Ergunzi, truly consider you my friends. Don't be so polite."

After hearing this, the three of them still shrank their heads like quails and just nodded continuously.

Seeing that they were obviously frightened, Li Ergunzi knew that he had to give them some reassurance.

So he said, "Actually, I know you are threatened by the Uighurs."

"So, I didn't intend to argue with you. I just wanted to kill these Uighurs to vent my anger. That's enough."

After saying this, Li Ergunzi could clearly feel that the three of them seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief, and he spoke as if he was about to cry.

"Yes, yes, Lord Li, you are absolutely right."

"It's those Uighurs who are forcing us to raise the price, otherwise our families will be ruined."

"We have no choice."

Li Ergunzi extended his hand and consoled the three men, saying, "Indeed, the Uighurs are the worst."

"From now on, you don't have to worry about being bullied by the Uighurs."

"Because, I, Jinzhou, am behind you."

At this point, Li Ergunzi changed the subject: "However, you should not open your respective shops from now on."

"Come and help me with the work."

Hearing this, the three of them were stunned for a moment.

Among them, a grain merchant named Lu Weiming was the most shrewd. He naturally knew that they had no room for refusal at this time.

He must have believed whatever Li Ergunzi said, and nodded quickly, saying, "Yes, yes, we'll close the shop when we get back."

"But what do you need us to do?"

"Just keep doing your old business." Li Ergunzi said calmly.

"Those who sell cotton should continue to sell cotton, and those who sell grain should continue to sell grain."

"It's just that the owner has become my Hexi Trading Company."

In response to the price increases by merchants in the desert, Li Xiao plans to carry out commercial reforms on strategic materials such as grain and cotton.

All of them were taken over by Hexi Trading Company for unified management.

Other private businessmen are not allowed to get involved in these two areas.

In Jinzhou and the desert, all grain and cotton output is only allowed to be purchased and sold by Hexi Trading Company, and free trading is not allowed.

The Hexi Trading Company will naturally set a purchase price range so as not to let the people suffer losses, and will not let itself suffer losses.

In short, there is only one purpose, not to make money, but to stabilize the food prices in the two places and make rational use of resources.

This is to prevent merchants from hoarding goods when war breaks out, causing instability among the people in both places and leading to famine.

In Li Xiao's plan, Hexi Trading Company is equivalent to the state-owned enterprises of later generations, playing the role of an economic pillar.

Not only grain and cotton, but also steel, military industry, salt, financial coinage and other fields must be under the absolute control of Hexi Trading Company.

However, private businessmen are allowed to get involved in industries such as textiles, brewing, and glass, but the prerequisite is that they must have relevant skills.

After all, now, only Hexi Trading Company can do the best.

Under Li Ergun's combination of kindness and force, how could Lu Weiming and the other two businessmen have the right to refuse?
What's more, Li Ergunzi also promised to give the three of them official positions in the future.

Although I gave up money, I gained social status, which is also a good thing.

So, the three of them became the first employees of the newly established "Hexi Grain Store" and "Hexi Cotton Store".

The main task was to use their previous relationships to take over the vacant market after the death of the eight Uighur merchants.

Establish purchasing points for grain and cotton shops as soon as possible.

Soon, Li Ergunzi reported to Li Xiao the plan to establish a grain store and a cotton store.

This was the result of a discussion between him, Lu Weiming and the other two that day.

"Okay, let's do it!"

After listening to this, Li Xiao nodded slightly.

In fact, he was the one who first came up with the idea of the grain and cotton business, and it was Li Ergunzi who perfected it.

As long as we don't deviate from the direction set by Li Xiao, there will naturally be no big problems.

"What do you two think?"

After listening to this, Li Xiao looked at Chen Chong and Han Jiuyuan and asked.

These two people are officials who defected to Li Xiao in Husiwoerduo.

One was once the Minister of Revenue, and the other was the Vice Minister of the Secretariat. Both were close ministers of the emperor and held high positions of power.

But now, they have all become Li Xiao's staff.

"The Grand Commander's idea is unprecedented. Although it may be difficult to implement, it is still a good plan," said Chen Chong.

Han Jiuyuan also nodded: "If we can really control all the food, we can avoid the occurrence of man-made famine."

"It's just that the commercial tax on Hexi Commercial Bank~"

As the former Minister of Revenue, Han Jiuyuan was very sensitive to taxation, and his first concern was commercial tax.

It is conceivable that once the Hexi Trading Company completes its monopoly on industries such as grain, salt, iron, cotton, and military supplies, it will inevitably become a behemoth.

In later generations, it could be called the "Hexi Consortium".

For a business of this size, which is Li Xiao’s private property, should commercial taxes be levied?
However, Han Jiuyuan was interrupted by Li Xiao before he could finish his words.

"Receive as normal."

"The taxes levied on Hexi Merchants are even heavier than those on ordinary small merchants."

Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

He would not give up his martial arts like the Ming Dynasty did.

Once commerce develops, tax revenue will far exceed that of agriculture.

Taxes must be collected.

Therefore, Hexi Trading Company cannot be allowed to be treated specially.

"That's no problem." Han Jiuyuan nodded slightly.

But in his opinion, Hexi Trading Company was, after all, privately owned by Li Xiao.

Important industries such as salt, iron, and grain must be taken over by the government.

However, the structure of the Jinzhou Governor's Office has not yet been fully established, so this idea can only be proposed to Li Xiao later.

After talking about the Hexi Trading Company, the next most important thing is how to deal with the 10,000 Uighur captives.

"I plan to establish a 'Yingtian Division' under the Governor's Office, which will be responsible for the military farming affairs under the jurisdiction of my Governor's Office."

"You two will temporarily serve as the chief and deputy envoys of the Yingtian Division, responsible for the military farming affairs in the desert."

"All fields in the desert will be counted, and unowned land will be taken over by the Governor's Office, where Uighur prisoners of war will be placed to cultivate the land."

The Desert State is not entirely desert.

From the Tianshan Mountains to the north to the edge of the Tunguska Desert, there is an oasis that is over a thousand miles long and has an average width of two hundred miles.

Nourished by the snow water from the Tianshan Mountains, this oasis corridor has fertile soil, abundant water and grass, and a suitable temperature, making it very suitable for farming and grazing. It can produce two crops a year and is known as the granary of the Western Regions.

It has also been developed and cultivated for a long time by the Uighurs and the ancient people of the Western Regions.

In this war, many Uighurs died or became slaves.

Especially those Uighur nobles, almost all of whom were killed by Li Xiao, and the land under their names naturally had to be taken over by the Governor's Office.

This is called legitimacy.

The task that Li Xiao gave to Chen Chong and the others was to sort out and count these arable lands, place the prisoners of war there to cultivate them, and make full use of them.

However, there is a problem.

Li Xiao is the governor of Jinzhou. It seems inappropriate no matter how you look at it to establish military farming in the desert.

"Will Lord Xiao send a new governor of the desert to take up the post?" Han Jiuyuan said with a frown.

If that were the case, there would be no point in them doing this.

It's completely helping others.

But Li Xiao shook his head slightly: "My Jinzhou army has conquered the desert, and Bendu will naturally not hand it over to others."

Even if he came, Li Xiao would find a way to sideline him.

"What's more~"

He frowned slightly and couldn't help but think of some information from Dongdu. Some things must be prepared early.

(End of this chapter)