A person who does not leave the yurt cannot be a good herdsman.

- Kazakh proverb

On the one hand, the Ming court organized a large number of ordinary people from the interior to emigrate to the frontier, and on the other hand, it took various measures to stabilize the lives of the people in the frontier.

The tea and horse exchange market is a traditional trade between the Han people and the Tibetan people in history, with tea changing horses or horses for tea as the central content. It was the main form of commercial trade between the Central Plains and the ethnic minority areas in the northwest in ancient times, and it was actually a financial measure implemented by the imperial court in the areas where the nomads in the west did not yet have the conditions for taxation.

The tea and horse trade first appeared in the Tang Dynasty and did not become customized until the Great Song Dynasty. In the early years of the Great Song Dynasty, the mainland used copper coins to buy horses from the border ethnic minorities, but the herdsmen in these areas gradually used the copper coins from selling horses to cast weapons, which threatened the border security of the Great Song Dynasty to some extent.

The tea and horse market is also an important way to restrain the Tibetan people. Because of the greasy diet and the fact that tea can detoxify and remove diseases, relieve oiliness and help digestion, the Tubo people are very dependent on tea, so controlling the supply of tea is equivalent to controlling the life of the Tubo people, so tea has not only become a bulk economic and trade product between the Central Plains Dynasty and the Tubo people in the northwest and southwest regions, but also a material means to maintain friendly relations with the Tubo people.

The tea and horse exchange market played an important role in maintaining the security and stability of the Great Song Dynasty in the southwest region, and was a border policy of great strategic significance for the two Song dynasties. Secondly, the tea and horse trade also met the dynasty's need for war horses, and provided the imperial court with a huge amount of tea income, which solved the needs of military expenses.

The Ming court believed that the tea and horse trade between the Han region in the Central Plains and the border could strengthen the communication and exchanges between the two places, consolidate the border defense, and hold the local indigenous people hostage. As a result, the imperial court set up tea and horse divisions in Qinzhou, Taozhou, Hezhou, and Yazhou, which were responsible for exchanging tea produced in the interior for horses in Xining, Hezhou, Taozhou, Ganzhou and other places, making the market system of tea and horse exchange more perfect.

In 1393, the Ming Dynasty established the gold medal symbol system. Gold Tokens are divided into Gold Medals and Tokens. The gold medal is made of copper. The sigil is made of iron. It gets its name because it is used together.

When the imperial court needed to collect horses and other supplies, it would send officials with gold medal charms to the designated border areas to pick up the goods.

The various ethnic tribes in the frontier also had to show their gold medal symbols when they went to the border to pay their horses to the imperial court.

The two sides surveyed and synthesized half of the gold medal symbols they owned, so that the tribe could be compensated for the tea that was discounted against the price of the horse.

In 1374, the Ming court set up the Hezhou Tea and Horse Division in Hezhou.

Hezhou is a multi-ethnic area, is a connection between the Central Plains agricultural area and the Qinghai-Tibet nomadic area, connecting the Han and ethnic minorities of the hub area, the territory has fertile land, large pastures, also agriculture and animal husbandry, and animal husbandry is developed, horse breeds are excellent. These have provided unique conditions for the development of Hezhou Tea and Horse Market. Although it is the border land of the Ming Dynasty, it is actually no different from the mainland. However, unlike in the mainland, Hezhou Wei produces many horses, which are bred by local ethnic minorities.

The 19 tribes of Zhaocha in history are the Pearl Tribe, the Honghua Tribe, the Lingzang Tribe, the Zhu Tibetan Tribe, the Shama Tribe, the Green Tan Tribe, the Lao Crow Tribe, the Salur Tribe, the Yatang Tribe, the Chuansa Tribe, the Dala Tribe, the Xianghua Tribe, the Gudu Tribe, the Bawe Tribe, the Hongya Tribe, the Duanyan Tribe, the Hui Tribe, the Diegu Tribe, and the Yanghua Tribe. Among them, most of them are the tribes of the Tibetan people.

In 1406, the Ming Dynasty set up the Guide Shouyu Thousand Households Office in Hezhou to manage the tea and horse markets within its jurisdiction.

About 200 miles west from Hezhou City is Jishi Prefecture, where the Salur people live.

Jishi Prefecture gets its name from the Jishi Mountain in the territory.

According to legend, in ancient times, all things were jubilant and growing on the earth. Suddenly, with a deafening loud bang, a piece of heaven at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai fell, scattering the joyous crowds and running beasts.

People were in a panic all day long, and they asked the gods and fairies to make up for heaven and earth and save the people.

Nuwa agreed to the people's request, carried the azure blue stone to the place where the sky dome collapsed, and began to refine the stone to make up for the sky.

After 7749 days, Nuwa mended the heavenly dome.

The large stones left over from the mending heaven were piled up to form a tall and large stone mountain. The stones piled up on the mountain are the same color as the sky, and they change color with sunrise and sunset.

Later, people called this mountain Jishi Mountain.

In fact, the Tibetan name of Jishi Mountain is Anima Qing Mountain, which means the ancestor of the Yellow River. After the Yellow River flows out of Zhaling Lake, the riverbed begins to cut downward, the widest part is about 5 or 60 meters, and the water depth is about 1 meter, and the bottom is clear. When the river reaches the city of Mado, it encounters a line of crimson mountains and goes around. This crimson mountain range is the middle branch of the Kunlun Mountains.

Jishi Mountain stretches from southeastern Qinghai to the southern border of Gansu. At the foot of the mountain is a vast pasture with lush grass and herds of cattle and sheep, rich in precious snow lotus, snow pheasant, snow leopard, lynx, deer antler, musk, cordyceps, fritillary, etc. The grasslands are interlaced with springs and meandering streams, irrigating countless river banks called Meiduotang. The tidal flats are full of flowers and fragrant, like a paradise.

The Saruhr-populated state of Jishi is part of the Ha Chau Wei and is an excellent location for the tea and horse markets. As a result, the Salur people were designated by the imperial court as one of the 19 ethnic groups of horses in Hezhou to recruit tea, and they had to hand over their horses to the imperial court every year in exchange for tea.

Hassan's descendant, Han Ismaili, was the highest official among the Salur people who specialized in the management of the tea and horse markets. At first, Han Ismaili had only one gold medal in his hand and paid about 360 horses to the imperial court every year. He has always been conscientious and timely in his work, which won the admiration of the court and the chief of Salur. Later, Han Ismaili won two gold medals, doubled the number of horses paid, and made even greater contributions to the country.

On one occasion, the imperial court sent another official to collect the horses.

This official was different from the previous ones, with a thick beard on his face and pale yellow eyes. He first said to Han Ismaili, and then introduced himself: "Lord Han, my name is Han Boke. ”

Seeing that his appearance, name, and language were the same as those of the Salurians, Han Ismaili couldn't help but ask curiously, "Seran." Are you also from Salur? ”

Han Burke replied, "I am now a Huihui. The ancestors are the Salurians. ”

Han Ismaili suddenly felt very cordial, as if she had met her long-lost relatives. He continued, "What the hell is going on?" Can you tell us about it? ”

Han Boke stroked his beard and said slowly: "Listening to the legend of the old people, in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, a group of Salur people in Jishi Prefecture was dispatched by the imperial court and moved east to Shanxi, and later changed the surname Han with the leader. Because they were far away from the Salur headquarters and had been living with the surrounding Han Chinese for a long time, they gradually abandoned the use of Salul in favor of Chinese, and became part of the Hui people. In the second year of Yongle (that is, in 1404), they immigrated from the big locust tree in Shanxi to Xibaizhuang in Yucheng, Shandong. When it was passed to the fourth generation, the eldest of the three brothers moved to Hanzhai Village, Yucheng, the second moved to Gejiadian in Guide Mansion, Henan, and the third moved to Hanjia Shiqiao in Hebei. I am a descendant of the eldest of the Han family. ”

Han Ismayi said with emotion: "I only know that in the thirty-third year of Yongle (that is, in 1436), Lord Han Gui, a descendant of Gale Mang, was awarded the official position of deputy thousand households by the Ming Dynasty because of his meritorious service in the war, and was transferred to Liangzhou in Hexi to guard the border. I didn't expect that Shandong, Henan, and Hebei also have our relatives of Salur people! ”

Han Boke sighed and said: "After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the Han people themselves have profound administrative experience and a very complete financial and taxation system, so they do not have to rely on the talents of the Hui people like the Mongols, and they no longer need Arabic and Iranian scripts. Although there is no shortage of officials in the political arena, in terms of their positions, the number of officials, and the social role, they cannot be compared with the prosperity of the Great Yuan period. The political and social status of the Hui people has plummeted, and they have only become the most important business force. ”

Han Ismaili then asked, "What is the difference between the Hui and us Salurs?" ”

Han Burke replied a little shyly, "You Salurians keep your own language and script. The Hui people are a mixture of ethnic groups who used to speak their own language and now speak Chinese. However, the Hui population is still increasing. ”。

Han Ismaili asked, "Why?" ”

Han Boke said: "Because there are many foreigners who come to Daming. In order to deal with foreign dignitaries from all over the world, the imperial court specially set up many schools such as Mongolian, Jurzhi (Jurchen), Xifan (Tibet), Xitian (India), Huihui (Central and West Asia), Baiyi (Dai), Gaochang (Uygur), Burma, and Babai (tribes in Chiang Mai, Thailand).

Among them, there are also many returnees from foreign countries.

Needless to say, the Hui from Arabia, Iran, and the Western Regions are returned.

The Muslims of Nanyang Champa (present-day south-central Vietnam) and the Muslims of Malaya moved to Qiongzhou (present-day Hainan Island) to escape the war and became the Hui of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Yongle period, the king of Sulu (present-day southern Philippines) came to visit Daming, and died of illness in Dezhou, Shandong Province on the way home. His family and attendants stayed in Texas to guard the grave and became the Hui people of Texas Beiying.

In addition, during the Great Yuan period, the Gypsies, the Green-Eyed Hui (Azovs, today's Ossetians), the Beshu Hui, or the Blue-Cap Hui (Jews) were gradually integrated into the Hui and Han Chinese. ”

Han Ismaili said with a smile: "It seems that we Salur people are the people who stick to their traditions the most. ”

"Yes," said Hanbock. However, the Sarta in Dongshan, Hezhou and the security guards in Longwu have not been fused. ”

Han Boke is worthy of being an official on the official side, and he knows the cultural situation in the Hezhou area well.

Because he had to organize the trading of various goods and collect Roman horses to pay to the imperial court every year, Han Ismaili often traveled between the grassland pastoral areas and the towns, but he never went to the place where the security guards lived.

Once, Han Ismaili set out from Jishi with a few retinues and traveled west to Longwu, which has a pleasant climate and is located in the middle reaches of the Longwu River.

During the Han and Tang dynasties, the Longwu region was first a dependency of Xiqiang, Tuyuhun and Tubo, and later experienced the rule of the Tang Wu (Western Xia), Liao and Jin states.

In 1227, Genghis Khan personally led his army across the Yellow River and attacked Jishi Prefecture, including Taozhou (present-day Lintan, Gansu Province) and Hezhou.

At that time, Tibet had a strong presence in these places.

After the Mongols occupied the area, they sent troops to garrison the area, and among the troops left in the area were many Tanmachi, many of whom were Muslims from Khorezm, including the Sartas.

In 1247, after the fourth patriarch of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Saban Kunga Gyaltsen, and the Mongol prince Kuduan met in Liangzhou, the Mongol army and Tibet had frequent exchanges. Since then, the Longwu area has become a transportation artery for the soldiers, and it has also become a trade base connecting the mainland with the Western Regions and Tibet.

After Kublai Khan unified the whole country, with the gradual reduction of wars, the Tanma Red Army was incorporated into the civilian register, stationed in the cantonment, and allowed them to marry wives and have children, and start a family.

They originally lived on both sides of the Longwu River in the form of garrison reclamation, guarding the Longwu Temple City and guarding Tiecheng Mountain. The members of the security battalion lived in the area of Xiazhuang (also known as Salta) and Gazar, and some of them practiced military affairs, and some were engaged in farming, animal husbandry, artisans, and business.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court set up a security station and a security fort in Longwu.

During the Wanli period, the imperial court set up a security camp in Longwu and expanded it into a security city, which was subordinate to Hezhou Wei and commanded the capital, and governed 12 large tribes in Longwu that were mainly Tubo and Turen residents.

Later, the imperial court continued to transfer a large number of Hui and Han soldiers from all over the country to garrison the border, and developed and expanded the security camp. The ethnic composition of the security area has also changed. They were based on the descendants of the Semu people, and the Hui, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Han Chinese coexisted next to each other and married each other.

Due to the same faith (Islam) and the same language (Baoanyu), they gradually formed a separate group. They call themselves security guards. The surrounding natives and Tibetans called them Huihui. The imperial court and officials called them Baoan Hui and Fan Hui.

Longwu has formed four villages with large mixed ethnic groups and small ethnic groups, which are still subordinate to Hezhou Wei. Among them, the security guards mainly lived in Baoan City, Xiazhuang and Gasar on the banks of the Longwu River, which were called Baoan Sanzhuang at the time. There are more than 100 security guards in the security city, and there are about 1,000 security guards in the four tunzi outside the city.

The early clothing of the security guards was very similar to that of the Mongols. This is because they were the first to live next to the Mongols and adopted the Mongol dress habits.

Later, they were influenced by the Tibetans and natives, and their costumes began to change. Men and women wear long shirts and top hats in spring, summer, and autumn, and some men also wear white short coats with high necks and black shoulders. Women wear embroidered shoes, and the colors of the clothes are brighter.

Baoan belongs to the Mongolian language family of the Altaic language family, and has the same relationship with Mongolian and Dahaner languages of the same language family, and is also relatively close to Salta.

After Han Ismaili arrived in Longwu, he first went to visit the head of the security guards, Reis. He said Seran, indicating that his beliefs were the same as those of the security guards, and then gave them gifts such as tea and rock candy.

When Lacey heard Han Ismaili say to him about Seran, and knew that he was from the same sect as himself, he relieved himself and returned to Seran, and then arranged for his subordinates to slaughter sheep and chickens, and served mellow milk tea and golden and attractive oil cakes on the grassland, and invited guests from afar to taste.

Han Ismaili and Lacey drank tea while discussing the purchase of livestock in the Salta and security languages.

On this trip, Han Ismaili and his men drove back 100 horses, and also brought back several wagons of cowhide and wool, and the harvest was very rich.

The thing that made Han Ismaili happiest was that he married a security woman and became his fourth wife.