A lonely city built on the desert, there is no village in front of the village, there is no store in the back, out of the city gate to look around, there is a white desert in all directions, like an island on the sea, even the direction is not clear.

Such a city, if it were a time of peace, could be said to be full of failures, and not a single victory.

If you want to build Xizhou, even the most basic brick and stone materials have to be transported from Shazhou, thousands of miles away, not to mention that you have to beware of the countries of the Western Regions that may attack the city at any time.

Li Su doesn't have any big ambitions, he just wants to be an official in Xizhou and live a safe and stable life, and if he can, he doesn't mind living a little more nourishing.

With this motivation, Li Su studied the map of the Western Regions day and night, and then he found that the geographical location of Xizhou was a bit delicate.

Being located in the desert and being close to neighboring countries with bad intentions are all shortcomings that cannot be concealed, but a city is the same as a person, it is impossible not to have any shining points, and there are always one or two dusty bright spots waiting to be discovered, such as ...... Xizhou happens to be located on the Silk Road.

Li Su discovered this bright spot, and then infinitely developed associations from this bright spot.

The importance of the Silk Road has been highlighted since the Han Dynasty, and this road was important to the Central Plains Dynasty, and even more so to the neighboring countries. For thousands of years, neighboring countries have fought and made peace with the Central Plains, today they are like glue, and tomorrow they will not share the sky, no matter what the state and what the relationship, this Silk Road has not been severed for thousands of years, and it will always be the most important and only channel for merchants from the Central Plains and the Western Regions to come and go.

Xizhou is located on the Silk Road, and this bright spot is not used. It really failed the good will of God, and no one may have paid attention to it before, or there may be no way to do it. But now it's different, the person who controls this city now is Li Su.

A prosperous city requires many conditions, merchants, residents, taxes, industry, agriculture and commerce, and so on. The pearl is getting brighter and brighter, and so is the city, and the officials are honest. The people are rich, the merchants come and go, and the output is very large, and this pearl will naturally become brighter and brighter.

The same is true in Western State. Li Su has never run a city. But he was willing to try it, although he had already made up the idea of pulling his legs when the enemy came, but before the enemy came, he still had to do his best to make Xizhou prosperous, and the taxes and wealth generated were used to invest in the repair of the city wall, training and recruitment, etc., which was a complete set of plans. One ring is one ring, and no one can do without it. Of course, the most important thing to do, the first step to do, is naturally the businessman.

Merchants represent wealth, wealth represents all things, the core of all plans, after all, it is still money like flowing water, money is a good thing, for more than 2,000 years throughout the ages, no matter what dynasty, it is a good thing.

Pulling out the secret recipe of brewing in five steps, the eyes of all the merchants were red, like rabbits discovering carrots.

Appetite is satisfied, Li Su smiled faintly: "Five steps is brewed by me, to put it mildly, only I know this secret recipe in the whole world, five days later, a big winemaking workshop will be built in Xizhou City, and the wine will be appraised and sold, you are all businessmen, how much is this wine, I don't need to say that everyone knows, what is around Xizhou?" In addition to the desert, there are also the countries of the Western Regions, Qiuzi, Yanqi, Gumo, Wusun, Turkic...... Xizhou happens to be next to the border of the Tang Dynasty, close to the thirty-six small countries in the Western Regions, and no more than a thousand miles away from any small country......"

"From Chang'an to sell a car and five steps to the Western Regions, the risk on the road and not to mention, just the transportation, how much manpower and material resources will cost you, now the five steps are not unique to Chang'an, we also have Xizhou, compared to the road is thousands of miles, I can guarantee that the five steps brewed in Xizhou, the taste and strength are not bad with Chang'an, ten catties per altar, the price is only fifty more than each altar in Chang'an, that is to say, this extra fifty Wen, equivalent to helping you save the cost of transportation from Chang'an to Xizhou, Whether the price is fair or not, you know it in your own hearts. ”

There was silence in front of the handsome tent, and the businessmen listened quietly to every word of Li Su, and even every word he burst out of was chewing carefully in their mouths, for fear of missing a word.

After Li Su finished speaking, the merchants' faces suddenly turned red, and their expressions became irrepressibly excited.

From Chang'an to Xizhou, thousands of miles of journey, there are many natural and man-made disasters on the road, in the process of transportation, the loss of goods is very amazing, maybe just a small group of bandits sneak attack, maybe encounter quicksand or sandstorms, and even because of the lack of water and food and the entire caravan died on this Silk Road, in short, the goods to the Western Regions of their respective countries, ten cars can be left five cars is already God blessed, this data is apportioned to the rest of the goods, the price will naturally more than double, now Xizhou City to open a brewing workshop, It is equivalent to directly saving the transportation of the most dangerous and unpredictable road from Chang'an to Xizhou, and each jar of wine is only sold for an extra fifty wen, and even stupid fools know that this transaction is very profitable.

"Li, is what Li Xianzi said true?" Gong Hu was the first to speak, his voice trembling slightly.

Li Su smiled: "I am the Xizhou Commander personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, every word I say can make a sound when it falls on the ground." ”

"The villain lives in Xizhou City from today onwards! Waiting for the brewery to be built! Gong Hu said excitedly.

Gong Hu took the lead, and several other businessmen suddenly reacted, and rushed to Li Su regardless of their manners, and they rushed to Li Su with red faces.

I have to say that Li Su's first move is wonderful, businessmen, from ancient times to the present, are the most realistic and snobbish people, the trend of profit, such as maggots on tarsal bones, like a shadow, a deal, a place, a city, what the businessmen see in their eyes is whether this place is profitable, unprofitable, they will find a way to run away if they tie up the ticket, advantageous, no need to force it, they themselves will be like a group of flies who find cracked eggs...... Indecent, in other words, like a pack of vicious dogs that have found flesh and bones...... Uh-huh.

Li Su has not said a word of nonsense at all since the banquet was held, and put the most direct and attractive interests on the table, telling them very bluntly here. Xizhou City, profitable.

"Don't be in a hurry to be happy, buy wine from a brewery in Xizhou. In addition to the fact that each altar is more expensive than Chang'an, there are other conditions......"

The excited merchants immediately calmed down and looked at him one by one with resentment.

Li Su coughed twice uncomfortably: "Don't look at me like that, this condition is just a convenient thing for you, and it is not difficult at all...... As you know, wine is made from grain. And everyone has seen the land in Xizhou, which is surrounded by desert, and there is no place to grow food at all. Therefore, if you want to buy wine from the workshops in Xizhou, you must organize your own caravans to transport grain from other places, and the Xizhou Thorn Mansion will buy the grain you brought at the market price in Chang'an. There is no shortage of yours. Or deduct it directly from the wine money, you all know the reason, and the conditions are not harsh, right? ”

The merchants began to wrinkle their brows and groan, weighing the gains and losses.

Seeing that the atmosphere was gradually cooling, Li Su threw another heavy blow.

"I will give you another privilege, there are a total of six merchants including Nayan today, and in the future, the breweries in Xizhou will only recognize you six. No other merchant has the right to come to my workshop to buy wine, and the only way to buy it is through you. The brewing workshop in Xizhou only entertains the six of you, and the rest are not entertained, and you can open a shop in Xizhou, and spread the news, other merchants will flock to it, you have nothing to do except bring some grain from outside, just wait to sit on the ground to earn the difference, wine this thing, whether it is the Qiuzi people, the Turks or the Gaochang people, will not refuse, and the northwest men are born rough and arrogant, and the amount of wine is also large, the more others drink, the greater the demand for wine, and the more prosperous your business will be...... This deal, no matter what, can't lose you, what do you think? ”

The merchants' eyes lit up again.

This is the difference between a dealer and a second-level dealer in the previous life, although in this era, we don't understand these, but the truth is always the same, but no one gives a definition of these truths, they are all old foxes who have been going south and north for many years, and there is no profit in a transaction, you will know when you hear it.

It didn't take long for several businessmen to be excited, but their expressions gradually showed hesitation and fear.

Li Su looked at them with some puzzlement, and soon, he knew the source of everyone's hesitation and fear.

The small and delicate dagger gently cut a piece of freshly roasted mutton in front of him, and stuffed it into his mouth without hurrying, and the whole action was very elegant, standard aristocratic style.

Chewing the mutton slowly, Li Su said slowly: "I came to Xizhou not long after I took office, I heard that Xizhou officials have been exploiting and extorting businessmen in the past over the years, and ten truckloads of goods entering the city often have to pay a car or even two cars to satisfy the appetite of officials, and this is the biggest reason why many businessmen dare not stay in Xizhou, everyone, I'm not wrong, right?" ”

Everyone hesitated, lowered their heads and remained silent.

Silence is admitted, Li Su sighed, what a good city, what has been ruined by Cao Yu's group of officials! Kill him a hundred times without being wronged.

Looking at the hesitant and frightened looks of the merchants, Li Su said in a deep voice: "I can't control what Xizhou was like before, but now, I'm here." The new official took office three times, the previous rules are no longer rules, the rules have to change, as for how the rules change......"

Li Su thrust the dagger in his hand into the table, and after a muffled sound, the dagger stood tremblingly on the table, and the sunlight shone on the blade, reflecting the snow-white light of the forest, like a holy light of redemption.

Facing the shocked or excited eyes of the businessmen, Li Su threw down a resounding sentence: "...... How the rules change, from today onwards, I have the final say! ”

Gong Hu sat up straight and said in a trembling voice: "Li Xianzi, Xizhou...... Now you're really up to the shots? ”

Li Su didn't speak, Wang Zhuan, who was standing behind him as a personal guard, said the right thing at the right time for the first time, and even his expression was so wonderful that he coordinated.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, Wang Zhu showed a disdainful sneer, took a step forward, and said: "Ten days ago, Li Xianzi personally ordered that Xizhou go up to Sima and down to the city patrol officials, and kill a total of thirteen criminal officials, haven't you heard of this matter?" ”

There was a deathly silence in front of the tent.

What is the concept of a city that kills thirteen officials? What courage and courage it takes!

When Wang Zhu's words landed, the businessmen all showed shocked and awe-inspiring eyes, and looked at Li Su blankly.

It was only at this moment that the businessmen discovered that the gentle and gentle-tempered young man in front of them was not as gentle as they imagined, hidden under that elegant and gentle appearance. It's a ruthless heart with the smell of blood.

Thirteen officials, how many officials are there in Xizhou City? Thirteen of them were killed at the first order, what a crazy person could do such a thing?

calmly met the shocked gaze of everyone. Li Su's smile was a little bitter.

Well, it seems...... Considered crazy again?

I'm really blind to your dog's eyes, looking at the world, which madman looks as handsome as me? Such a handsome person can't be crazy at all, okay?

"There is no need to mention the past......" Li Su waved his hand lightly, and his fluttering appearance made his image more and more unfathomable: "Speaking of rules just now, Xizhou City has new rules from now on, that is...... No official in Xizhou City will reach out to you to extort a penny from you. Remember, even if someone asks you for just a penny, he's breaking the rules I have set. You can come to me and complain, and whoever dares to commit a crime will die!" ”

"At the same time, Xizhou City from today. No money is charged to all merchants who pass by or stay. In the past, the so-called two taxes and one rule in Xizhou City were all abolished, and merchants did not have to pay a penny to the government after entering the city, and the government welcomed those merchants who were willing to open shops in Xizhou City, and would not collect any money from the shops, and the taxes were exempted for three years, and after three years, they paid taxes according to the rules of ten taxes and one tax. Among them, if there are merchants who sell grain from outside, pig iron. Medicinal herbs, timber, masonry and other goods, no matter how many years have passed, will not charge a penny of tax, and the spirits sold to you by the breweries must be sold at a uniform price, and you cannot be allowed to raise the price ......of the wine, which will discourage countless good drinkers."

grinning at everyone, Li Su said: "Don't be afraid of everyone's jokes, Xizhou is too poor, five steps is the only thing that can make money in the government, you have also seen, the city wall of Xizhou needs to be repaired, the government wants to raise officials, and it also needs to train and recruit soldiers, all of which require money, so for the sale of spirits, the conditions are inevitably harsh, but it should be within the range of your acceptance, after all, the profits of wine are very huge, and I will give you a sufficient profit margin for the external price of spirits. As long as you don't get out of the circle, we can continue to cooperate, even if you want to monopolize the liquor trade in the Western Regions, my Xizhou government will do its best to help you achieve it. ”

The businessmen's expressions became more and more excited.

No matter from which point of view, the conditions proposed by Li Su and the benefits given are very attractive, this transaction can be said to be a sure profit, as for the government to collect some taxes, card some oil and water, this ...... It is the proper meaning of the question, everyone goes south and north, has a lot of knowledge, a deal is done, ten percent of the profits, it is really normal to give three percent to others.

"Forgive the villain for being rude, if what Li Xianzi said is true, Xizhou has really changed the rules, and the villain is willing to open four stores in Xizhou!" Gong Hu was the first to make a statement.

Li Su's gaze at him was full of appreciation, this guy reacted too quickly, and his attitude was very much in line with his own wishes, I don't know if he thought he was the nursery he invited.

Everyone's eyes were on Li Su.

Li Su stood up, looked solemn, and said word by word: "You all heard clearly, I am the Xizhou Commander personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and I am also the son of Jingyang County, and at the same time, His Majesty the Emperor also gave me the title of General Dingyuan, every word I said was smashed on the ground, and I have the final say on the rules of Xizhou!" ”

As soon as the words fell, several other businessmen expressed their positions.

"The villain is willing to open three stores in Xizhou!"

"The villain opens five!"

"The villain will never leave in the West Governor!"

“…………”

Looking at everyone's reactions, Li Su smiled with satisfaction.

Today's banquet is not a meat bun beating a dog, and it has already received the expected effect at this moment.

It's just that Li Su's plan is not just winemaking, the development of a city cannot be absolutely prosperous by relying on one industry alone, and the geographical location of Xizhou is so delicate that it can develop better and become a veritable pearl in the desert.

So, Li Su leisurely dropped his second son on the chessboard.

"Most of your business is between Chang'an and the Western Regions, right?" Li Su asked with a smile.

Everyone nodded yes.

Businessmen pursue profits, where the greatest interests will run, this is the nature of businessmen, in contrast, the most prosperous place in the whole world today is Chang'an, Chang'an's daily cargo throughput is millions, and these businessmen in front of them are naturally not exempt from vulgarity.

"From Chang'an to the Western Regions, you can only take the Silk Road, I'm afraid it's not smooth on the way, right?"

The crowd continued to nod. The bandits on the Silk Road are as famous as the Silk Road, and the biggest cost between Chang'an and the Western Regions is not the price of the goods themselves, but a lot of extra payments, such as hiring some strong martial guards, buying camels and horses, and preparing a budget for the robbers to rob a part of the goods in advance, which must be included in the cost of expenditure, and can hardly be exempted.

Seeing everyone nodding, Li Su squinted and smiled more happily, and his gaze gradually changed, as if the six people standing in front of him were not businessmen, but six white and fat silver cakes with blind dog eyes, cute and stupid, and endearing...... Well, the sun is so scorching that I probably hallucinate.

"Guanzhong said, the road is probably peaceful, out of the Yumen Pass is dangerous, the dangerous place of the Silk Road is between Shazhou and Xizhou on the road of more than 1,000 miles, this more than 1,000 miles of road I don't know how many bandits haunt all year round, looting on the road, you often shuttle back and forth in the desert, must be deeply suffering, right?"

Everyone still nodded, but their expressions gradually became confused, and they didn't know what Li Su meant by talking about this.

Then, Li Su finally threw his hole cards.

"Are you interested in asking the Tang Mansion Cavalry Battalion to be a caravan guard? Charged......"

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PS: Big Chapter...... More than 5000 words...... It's a friend's birthday, and the evening is a little delayed...... (To be continued......)