Late at night, a secret room in the Shanshan Palace was still brightly lit.

"Your Majesty, the minister was just ordered to receive the subordinates of the minister of the Han State and inquire about them in many ways. It has now been proved that the remnants of the Han Dynasty have indeed changed from a situation of living in a corner to controlling Guanzhong. The current Han state controls about a quarter of the land it controlled when the Han Dynasty was strong. The population under his rule is currently two or three million, and he can mobilize more than 200,000 troops. In addition, in Xiping, east of Dunhuang, there were indeed tens of thousands of people in this Han kingdom. The people in Tuntian are all the Jin troops captured after the victory of the last war between the Han and Jin countries. The commander of these tens of thousands of people is a general named Ma Jie. It is said that the ancestor of this general is known as the god of war in the Han Kingdom. He himself is also very powerful......"

"Hey, even if it's only a quarter of a big man, it's not something we can resist. There are so many people in Xiping, if they all press over, how can they get it? ”

At this time, in the countries of the Western Regions, people from many countries did not have surnames. Therefore, there is no question of what country surname.

In the case of Shanshan specifically, Chinese history books say that they are descendants of the Duke of Donglou of the Zhou Dynasty. According to this view, the royal family of this country should have the surname Ji. It's a pity that the Shanshan people don't admit that they are descendants of the Western Zhou Dynasty: we are high-nosed, deep-eyed, fair-skinned Aryan races. How did he become a descendant of the Western Zhou Dynasty?

The current king of Shanshan is called Daro, and his prime minister is called Tu Yu. The following two generals, one is named Wei Qi and the other is called Mona. To be fair, the knowledge and ability of these people are good among the current countries of the Western Regions. Unfortunately, the prosperity of a country on this land is determined by the direction of the water source and the amount of water. As far as the current line of water occupied by Shanshan is concerned, no matter how hard the country's monarchs and ministers try, the entire Shanshan and the whole country will have a population of 40,000 or 50,000, and they can only mobilize an army of no more than 3,000 people.

Therefore, although in today's exchange, Li Mi and Long Yu both seemed a little arrogant and rude, but the more this is the case, the entire Shanshan has no idea of resisting or even intercepting and killing the Han mission.

"Now that the Han Kingdom has been restored, according to them, they are going to reopen the Western Regions. In this process, how should China respond in order to get the greatest benefits? ”

"Your Majesty, in the opinion of a minister. Although the current Han Kingdom has a little momentum of prosperity. But it's just momentum. Their main energy now is still to face the challenge of the two great powers of Jin and Wu further east. Therefore, it is impossible for the current Han Kingdom to re-establish the Western Regions Protectorate with us. What they are asking for, as far as that Li Honglu is concerned, is just a trade route. ”

"Well, Tu Yu, you have a point, and the widow thinks so too. It's just that this trade route passes through us, and the benefits are limited. ”

"Does the king want to collect taxes?"

"Of course I think so, but can we collect taxes?"

This is also the sadness of small countries: the population is too small, and the market capacity is minimal. With Ji Han's production capacity, a maximum of one week's output can fill the entire Shanshan market. With this capacity, from Guan Yi and below to ordinary businessmen, they will not take Shanshan seriously.

Also because it is a small country, although the land area is not small, most of it is the Gobi Desert. That's the kind of land that is really suitable for farming. Therefore, there are no special products in Shanshan as a whole. In this way, after the future business route is prosperous, if it is not possible to reach a certain tax agreement with Dahan. Shanshan is at most a resting place to earn some catering and hotel fees.

Therefore, what Darrow hopes is to be able to reach an agreement with Ji Han to collect tolls for various goods.

At the same time, in another room.

"Uncle Ling, at today's banquet, why didn't you talk about letting them collect taxes?"

"Hehehe, Zihui. Why do I mention it first? Although my great man has not yet regained his former strength. But it is much more powerful than the countries of the Western Regions. How can there be a reason for a strong country or a big country to take the initiative to let a weak country or a small country collect money? ”

"But when we set off, Da Sima also explained that we must find one or more countries in the Western Regions to establish a commercial and tax alliance. This ensures the safety and stability of the Silk Road. ”

"Hahahaha~~~ It depends on whether Shanshan's monarch has something in his head. If they don't even understand the situation. Why do you want to cooperate with them? Isn't there another country going forward? If the so-called hegemons such as Khotan and Shule are also as stupid as pigs, then it is okay for us to spend some time and effort to support a small country to rise up and become hegemonic. Well, this map shows that if you go west out of Shanshan, you will be a small country such as Jimo and Jingjue. I don't believe it, there is not a single smart person in the fifty-five countries of the Western Regions. ”

In fact, there are smart people. And there's no need to look around at all.

At the banquet the next day, everyone drank a little wine, and the atmosphere was set off. Shanshan Wang Daluo left the main seat and went straight to Li Mi's seat and knelt down.

"Oh, the king's behavior is really tormenting the official. Don't do that, don't do that. ”

"Please be gracious and find a way out for tens of thousands of people in Shanshan for me?"

"Well, isn't your country the dominant side in the Western Regions? My great Han has never had the idea of coveting the people of your territory. This way of life or something, it really confuses the official. ”

"Dahonglu, the revival of the Han Dynasty, and the reopening of the Silk Road. It is a great event in the entire Western Regions. In the foreseeable future, commerce throughout the Western Regions will flourish again. This would have been a great thing. However, my Shanshan country is small and widowed, the land is barren, and there is no special production. If it is just an aisle, then in the long run, the national power of Shanshan will not grow greatly. However, the national strength of some small countries will increase significantly. As a result, I, Shanshan, will face a lot of retaliation, and the lives of tens of thousands of people across the country will not ......be guaranteed."

In the Western Regions, because the Han people, the Xiongnu people, and the Yueshi people have not intervened here for nearly a hundred years. A new equilibrium has been created within it. Now the Great Han is back, and with an extremely strong commercial force, and a much stronger military force that is likely to be invested in the future. The current balance in the Western Regions will be completely broken. Once the balance is broken, the first to suffer losses in interests must be the four overlords of the Western Regions who have gained the greatest benefits in this balance at this stage.

If Ji Han doesn't have enough interests to appease these four overlords, then in the future of the Western Regions Silk Road, these four overlords will be the biggest obstacle and enemy - yes, the Great Han is powerful, but after all, you have damaged our interests, so don't you allow us to die and struggle?

But how can Guan Yi have the time and energy to really send a large army to conquer the Western Regions now?

Besides, if a place cannot be effectively managed by itself. Then it should be entrusted to the competent state or person. Of course, the number of such countries and people cannot be a single person, but it must not be too many. The ready-made four great powers of the Western Regions are good alternatives.

"Hehehe, it turns out that the king is worried about this. The official can only say that the king is too worried. In this case, can you ask the king to send an envoy to spread the word to several other great powers in the Western Regions. I have something to inform them of. For the maintenance of trade routes in the future, I also have some ideas that need everyone's cooperation. ”

……

In August 269, Li Miyu represented the four great powers of the Western Regions of the Ji Han Alliance. In this alliance, Ji Han reached a Silk Road trade agreement with the four great powers of the Western Regions.

The agreement stipulates that from now on, the business between Ji Han and the countries of the Western Regions will be carried out, and the business between the Western Regions and the West of the Western Regions. The four major powers are solely responsible for the security of trade routes within the Western Regions. If there are merchants who are robbed or intercepted in the Western Regions. If the incident occurred within the territory or sphere of influence of a powerful country, that country shall make compensation.

Of course, since the four great powers provided security for the trade routes, it was natural for them to charge a certain fee. Because the value of different types of goods can be described as worlds of difference in different places. Therefore, the protection fee is not charged according to the goods themselves, but according to the number of camels or horses. Specifically, a camel, traveling through the sphere of influence of a powerful country, collects a gold coin. A horse, charge a silver coin.

If a merchant wants to sell the goods in the caravan within the sphere of influence of the four great powers, each country will tax it itself, and the amount of tax rate will be determined by each country.

In addition, the four great powers also made their attitude clear and signed a document: welcome the Han Dynasty to re-establish the capital in the Western Regions at an appropriate time. In terms of the location of the Metropolitan Protectorate, any location other than the capital of the four great powers can be selected and determined by the Han Dynasty.

……

"Subordinate Li Mi and Long Yudun are the first big Sima...... In this way, the interests of the four great powers of the Western Regions can be guaranteed. In order to maintain their national power, the four countries will spare no effort to ensure the safety of trade routes. Many other small countries have their own four major powers to suppress them. We don't have to entangle with such small countries one by one, which can be described as labor-saving and time-saving. In this way, the trade routes in the Western Regions should be generally smooth, and the country should benefit from it...... As of the date of the letter, the lower officials and others were already in Shule. Further west, there is Sasanar. The lower officials and others will not disgrace their mission and proclaim the power of our Han Dynasty in Sasansan, Rome and other places. And to complete the entrustment of the Great Sima as soon as possible! ”