The Qianguo now forbade Sogdian merchants to enter the Qianguo to do business, and the export trade of the Qianguo suffered a great loss, almost half of the export quota was lost, because the Tocharian region was a transit point on the Silk Road, and the Sogdian merchants who came to the Qianguo were the largest, accounting for almost half of the number, while Persia and Rome were far away from the Qianguo, and the number and scale of caravans were not as large as the Sogdians.

It stands to reason that in order to increase the import quota of the Persians and Romans, the Qianguo should reduce export tariffs, but Zhao Junsheng obviously did not want to do this, and lowering export tariffs would not necessarily increase the scale of purchases by Persian and Roman merchants, after all, the distance of this Silk Road was too far and the caravan's capacity was limited.

Zhao Junsheng issued a decree that not only the export tariff was increased by three times, but also the import tariff was increased by three times.

Why raise export tariffs, of course, is to make up for the loss of export tax revenue due to the trade war with the Hinda, where the loss of the Hinda people will be earned back from the Persian and Roman merchants, but is it not afraid that the Persian and Roman merchants will not buy it? A threefold increase in export tariffs would undoubtedly increase the cost to the Persian and Roman merchants, who were not fools and wrongdoers!

But Zhao Junsheng was really afraid that they wouldn't buy it, because the silk, Shu brocade, porcelain, tea, and even paper in the East were all the unique business of the Qianguo, and now the sea route between the East and the West has not been opened, and the land route can only take the Silk Road, even if Western merchants purchase these goods from Liu Song, they must pass through the territory of the Qianguo, not to mention that the large-scale export of paper can only be supplied by the Qianguo, and Liu Song has no at all.

These goods were most enthusiastically sought after in the Western world, especially silk, Shu brocade, porcelain and tea have become the necessities of the life of the high society in the Western world, paper was mass-produced in the Qianguo, and under the condition of quality assurance, the official documents of Persia and the Roman Empire have all been made of paper in the past twenty years, and without paper, it is simply impossible for them to use sheepskin on a large scale.

Even with a threefold increase in export duties, Persian, Roman and Tianzhu merchants made money.

It can be said that if the Qianguo cut off the trade exports of paper, silk, brocade, porcelain, and tea to Persia and the Roman Empire, the entire Central and West Asian and Roman Empires would have to go back more than 20 years economically and culturally, and once they would return to the pre-liberation period.

At the same time, Zhao Junsheng ordered higher import tariffs, and the exports of goods from Persia, the Roman Empire, Tocharian and Tianzhu to the Qianguo during this period were basically expensive luxury goods, such as jewelry, BMWs, rare animals, birds, wine, medicinal herbs, spices, and fine leather goods, as well as raisins, walnuts, carrots, smelts, and pomegranates.

Raising import tariffs can increase trade taxes, reduce the trade deficit with the Western world, appropriately reduce the impact of Western commodities on the domestic market of dry countries, and leave room for domestic commodities to survive.

Yaztze is still a little unwilling, he is a Persian envoy, of course, to seek the greatest interests for Persia, now the Qianguo unilaterally raises import and export tariffs, which has a great impact on the import and export trade of Persia, on the one hand, Persian goods into the territory of the Qianguo because of the increase in tariffs and makes the selling price too high, I am afraid that the sales will be greatly affected, in the past, a Persian caravan can run three times a year to sell out the goods brought by the Qianguo, now if the Qianguo raises the import tariff, a Persian caravan is afraid that it can only run once a year, Even if you bring more goods, you will not be able to sell them out, the price is too high, and the people of Qianguo are not wronged, these goods are not necessary, and they can be used or not.

On the other hand, because of the increase in export tariffs, Persian merchants had to pay three times more tariffs on goods imported from the Persian countries, and in order to ensure that these goods could be sold quickly in Persia, the merchants could not increase their prices too much, so that the merchants made much less money.

"Your Majesty, if your country does this, it will cost us a lot of Persia!"

Zhao Junsheng said: "I don't agree with what Your Excellency said this, since it is you and I who have joined forces to deal with the people, then you can't just let me contribute both money and effort, right?" Is your country just sitting back and enjoying the benefits? Anyway, you should also have some blood, otherwise how will this cooperation continue? ”

Yaztize did not give up: "Your Majesty, is there no other way?" Must use such means? ”

Zhao Junsheng shook his head: "I don't want to, but there is no other way but this!" However, your Excellency can rest assured that after our country imposes all-round economic sanctions on Sogdian merchants, the national strength of the Bada people will certainly be dealt a heavy blow, and I dare to say that if they cannot hold out for a year, or even half a year, their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced, and even their internal problems will lead to cannibalism. ”

Yaztize thought for a moment and saluted, "Well, just do it according to Your Majesty's will!" ”

Zhao Junsheng said: "I have already issued an order here, and all the yamen of the imperial court will soon take action, and all Sogdian merchants in our country will be expelled in no more than two months, so when is your country ready to send troops?" Your Excellency, don't be sloppy with me, if your country deceives me, and just wants to use the guise of the alliance to let me fight the people alone, but your country is deliberately delaying time, wanting to pick up the bargain, but don't blame me for immediately dealing with your country with the Bada people! ”

Yaztze hurriedly saluted and said: "Your Majesty is too worried, my Sassanid Dynasty is a dynasty with a long history, we Persians are honest people, I am here on behalf of my Majesty, and I will never do such a despicable betrayal!" Since Your Majesty's side has already started to move, I will leave for Persia in two days, and the whole journey will take about two months, and when I bring the news back to Ctesiphon, my Majesty will issue a decree to send troops, and it will take about a month to prepare, which means that after three months, our army will attack the Bada people! ”

"Well, I will give an order to Kuhehan, and we have agreed to send troops together to attack the people from the east and west today, three months later!"

"As you wish, Your Majesty!"

Soon after Yaztize's departure, an official from the Honglu Monastery came to report that the Roman envoy Aritste had asked to see him.

After hearing the report, Zhao Junsheng said, "Lead him in!" ”

Soon, the Roman Empire's envoy Aletist, led by the eunuchs, came to the Zichen Palace.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Qian Empire, the envoy from Constantinople of the Roman Empire, Alitste, would like to express my sincere respect and greetings to you!"

Zhao Junsheng sat on the throne and raised his hand: "Your Excellency the envoy is exempt!" I heard that the capital of the Roman Empire was in Métiolanu (present-day Milan), how do you say that you are from Constantinople? ”

When Arlitistus heard that the emperor did not know the history of the Roman Empire, he had to popularize the history of the Roman Empire with Zhao Junsheng.

"Your Majesty, sixty years ago, His Majesty Emperor Theodosius I handed over the Roman Empire to his two sons on his deathbed, the eldest son Arcadius inherited the east, and the capital was Constantinople; And his young Honorius inherited the west, and the capital was Metioranu, so they each became emperor and formed a team to rule their own territory, and I am an envoy from Constantinople! ”

Zhao Junsheng nodded: "That means you are one empire, two emperors, and two imperial courts?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"It's really strange that an empire can allow the existence of two emperors at the same time, which is absolutely impossible in our East! So, how long has it been since Your Excellency the Envoy came to my job? ”

"It's been more than three months, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Junsheng said: "I remember that in the first half of last year, there seemed to be a Roman envoy who came to Chang'an, and I also met him, did that person also belong to the court of Constantinople?" ”

Alitste shook his head and said, "The Roman envoys that Your Majesty said should be from Ravenna!" ”

Zhao Junsheng was surprised: "Ravenna? This is a town under the jurisdiction of the Emperor of the West, right? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, Ravenna is now the capital of the western part of the Empire!"

Zhao Junsheng was puzzled: "Isn't the western capital in Metalanu?" Why has it become Ravenna again, has something happened in the past sixty years that caused the western court of your country to move the capital to Ravenna? ”

"Your Majesty is right, in 408 A.D., the Visigothic leader Alaric led his barbarian army to invade Italy, and the western emperor Honorius was so frightened that he hid from Metalanu to Ravenna, and the Senate of Rome handed over 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, and many jewels to make peace; In 409 A.D., Alaric again led an army to invade Italy and besiege the city of Rome, and Emperor Honorius fled from Rome to Ravenna. In 410 AD, the Visigothic leader Alaric invaded Italy for the third time and captured the city of Rome, the greatest, most glorious and prosperous city in the Western world was devastated, and Honorius had to set the leader in Ravenna! ”

Zhao Junsheng nodded: "I see!" I wonder which emperor reigned in your country, Constantinople? ”

Arletste replied: "The current emperor of our country is His Majesty Marchian!" ”

Zhao Junsheng asked, "Is His Majesty Marchian the son of His Majesty Theodosius II?" ”

"No, he is the brother-in-law of His Majesty Theodosius II!"

Zhao Junsheng opened his mouth wide in surprise: "Your Excellency, you're not joking, are you?" My brother-in-law is a foreigner, no matter how talented he is, no matter how great his merits are, he can't inherit the unification? ”