The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 107 Army and Bandits

The exiled group continued their westward journey, filled with reverence for the ancient family.

Because the border town was also an important node on the Silk Road, the merchants from the Western Regions traveled the same route as them.

We stayed at the same inn and set off at roughly the same time.

None of them had ever seen camels before, such large and strange-looking animals, and they found the camel caravan quite fascinating.

The leader of the Western Region merchants proudly patted his mount, showing it off to everyone:
"Don't be fooled by the fact that they walk a little slower than horses. They can carry three or four hundred pounds and travel eighty miles a day without any problem."

In an emergency, they can really run faster than a normal horse! In our Western Regions, the price of one camel can buy three to five horses!

The elderly, women, and children exclaimed: "Wow! If only we could ride camels to the border town! They're so big, their legs must be incredibly strong!"

The officials and constables: The mules we spent a lot of money to buy in Tongguan City, and that chestnut horse that escaped from the clutches of wolves, are no longer appealing!
They watched with drooling mouths as the camel caravan passed in front of them.

However, it took half a day to walk there.

The camel, which had just been promoted to the number one mount in everyone's hearts, is no longer appealing!

It doesn't smell good at all!

It also brought everyone a strong, nauseating smell!
The amount of feces and urine produced by more than two hundred camels along the road is unimaginable.

In short, they embarked on a flavorful journey.
Seven days later.

Longshan Mountain is located 600 li away from Xijing City.

Merchants from the Western Regions were queuing up to enter the pass.

Longshan, as the first barrier on the Silk Road westward out of the Guanzhong Plain, has had a pass established here since the Han and Tang dynasties.

The pass is surrounded by mountains and forests.

The only way to reach it is through a valley nestled among the peaks.

It has the imposing presence of "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand".

Only after crossing the Longshan Mountains can one officially embark on the Silk Road.

Merchants from the Western Regions felt incredibly lucky today.

The guards at the pass quickly and efficiently checked their entry and exit permits.

Unlike in the past, they don't randomly inspect every item they carry.

They then found various reasons to suggest that they were carrying contraband, and tried every means to get them to pay a fine.

The entire process was completed in less than two hours.

The leader also praised the camel caravan members:
"I guess they changed the garrison commander. The soldiers at this pass are different from those at other passes who are always hungry; they're really good people."

Unfortunately, the caravan leader, who was well-versed in Chinese culture, was unaware of an old saying in the Central Plains: "When things are out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on!"
They had just crossed the first mountain and entered a gourd-shaped valley when they encountered more than two hundred "mountain bandits".

The bandits didn't even bother to hide their uniforms.

Their methods were exceptionally simple and brutal.

At the narrowest point of the valley, dozens of pits were dug out, deep enough to trap a camel's hooves.

These deep pits work just as well as mules and horses.

They also shouted, "This road is blocked! Only by leaving behind gold and silver equivalent to the value of the goods can we open a path!"

Even seasoned merchants from the Western Regions, who had seen their share of ups and downs, began to question their existence.

These are the guards who protect the peace of the Bei Kingdom!

Since establishing diplomatic relations with the State of Bei, merchants from the Western Regions have always been treated with great respect along the Silk Road.

The leader tried to reason with the soldiers and bandits:

"Gentlemen, we are all merchants from the Western Regions who have been cooperating with the Li Family Trading Company for more than ten years. We have already paid the full amount of customs duties upon entering the country."

The leading bandit leader scoffed:
"Bah! So what if it's the Li Family Trading Company? Do you think they can control me? We haven't seen a single copper coin of the customs duties you paid."

His subordinate said impatiently:

"We won't harm you, but if you know what's good for you, leave your goods behind and get out of here! If you stay any longer, you'll have to leave your camels behind too; I've heard that the humps of these animals are quite delicious!"

The caravan's entire fortune was at stake, so how could the leader give up so easily? It would take them more than half a year to travel to Xi'an.

Without the goods, the entire family would be bankrupt.

The other merchants, who couldn't understand Chinese, also sensed something was wrong; the soldiers' faces were anything but friendly.

Many people were even drooling over the boxes they were using to hold their goods.

After receiving the leader's order, the merchants drew their scimitars.

He even shouted at Guan Jun:

"When we reach the next checkpoint, we will expose your shameless behavior to the garrison commander."

"Fight if you want! We came from the desert, and this scimitar has been stained with countless drops of blood!"

"I'd rather die than give up my wealth!"

"."

Language barrier!

Guessing entirely from their expressions!

Someone quickly waved the small flag in their hand.

Then, the two hundred or so bandits quickly retreated.

immediately.

Dozens of large rocks rolled down the valley with a loud rumble.

Camels are larger than cattle and horses, so they quickly became prime targets for being hit.

The pain in their flesh caused the injured camels to whine and cry out.

The leader of the Western Regions merchant caravan shouted loudly:

"Quickly, get on the camels and run back! We need to go back to Xijing City to ask for reinforcements!"

"Oh no! Guan Jun is plotting a rebellion! They've all gone mad!"

The camel, running for its life, was indeed no less fast than the horse.

The entrance to Hulu Valley is narrow.

They were all huddled together.

The ambush troops continued rolling stones.

It didn't take much effort to leave half of the camels carrying the load behind.

The other half narrowly escaped with the person in the vehicle.
After dark, in a cave ten miles away from the pass.

More than five hundred soldiers were happily counting their spoils of war.

Each time a box was opened, it elicited cheers from those around it:

"Damn, these silks are so luxurious! I heard they're worth a lot of money! It's been years since we've smelled the stench of money!"

"This box of blue and white porcelain is beautiful too! Wow! This stack of plates is huge; one plate of camel meat would be enough for ten of us for a meal!"

"Judging from the pattern, it was specially made for the people of the Western Regions. I heard that they don't have tables when they eat. The whole family sits around a blanket, and the food is placed on a large plate and eaten with their hands!"

"Tsk tsk, such a beautiful and practical plate would sell for ten taels of gold if it were transported back to the Western Regions, right? Those Western Regions merchants are already so rich, yet they're still risking their lives for their wealth!"

"Damn it, the imperial court hasn't paid us military salaries for five years! They're just forcing us to fend for ourselves!"

"Abundant food and clothing my foot! This whole year, only one group of Hu merchants came. This one robbery isn't even enough to cover our garrison's annual pay."

"It would be good enough if they could make up for it for a year. I heard that the 100,000 border troops in the capital haven't seen any silver from the imperial court for over ten years! And they still have to fight with the Mongols and Tatars every now and then!"

"Damn the imperial court, damn the Li family of Longxi! If we rob them like this today, we'll never be law-abiding citizens again! Brothers, are you scared?"

"What's there to be afraid of! I heard that Po Jun is about to break through Xijing City! The Li family has no time to bother us."

"."

(End of this chapter)