To say that Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang were originally businessmen, and their worth was not very high, but they were able to govern the three cities in an orderly manner, which really impressed everyone. At the same time, everyone admires Guo Bin's vision of people.

Guo Bin knew in his heart that in history, since these two people were able to make a decisive decision to help Liu Bei, who was born in a mat and weave shoes, it was certainly a political speculation, but his decisiveness and accuracy in seeing people still made Guo Bin very optimistic. Secondly, the two of them were originally from Zhongshan, close to Yanmen and Daijun, and had been in and out of the Xianbei tribes for many years, whether it was business experience or contacts among the Xianbei people, they should not be underestimated. Therefore, Guo Bin made a quick decision and promoted the two of them to be the actual speakers of the three cities outside the Saiwai.

As the gateway to the transportation between the three cities outside the Saiwai and the Central Plains, the concept of making a living through trade must always be adhered to. And his own manpower is already stretched, and most of them do not know business and have no experience in trade. Just in time for Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang to come to visit, Guo Bin took the opportunity to push the two out.

Facts have proved that his original decision was correct, and these two people were not only loyal to him, but also conscientious, and managed the three cities in an orderly manner. Guo Bin thought about it, that is, he sent Xi Zhicai to take over the position of the two of them, and he was afraid that he might not be able to grasp his business ideas so accurately.

The so-called ruler is short, inch is long, in commercial trade, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang are really very understanding.

Of course, Guo Bin is not a fool, he can't come up with a large sum of money to give two strangers who don't know each other, and let them come all the way to build a city, so they won't run away with the money? Moreover, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang are just businessmen, and they have some experience in business and bulk trade, but after all, the pattern is too small, and they are just the eyes of businessmen. It is that they have some guys under their hands who can work hard for them, but after all, these guys are not highly educated, and when they encounter real problems, there are too few people under them who can really use them.

Therefore, after Guo Bin decided to build a city outside the Saiwai, he instructed Xi Zhicai and Guo Yong to let them choose a stable one among the Guo family, and take a few outstanding children from Fulong Villa Academy and Guojiazhuang Clan Studies to Saiwai. This move is to help the two, and at the same time, why not contain the two?

After everyone settled down, Guo Bin gathered everyone together and asked very seriously about the distribution of forces around the three cities. Regarding the robbery of the subordinates who claimed to be Xianbei Dashan Yu Helian on the road, he also asked Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang for their opinions on the way into the city. Although the two of them had never met the current Da Dan Yu, they had heard a lot after all.

Zhang Shiping said: "If you want to talk about the surrounding area, there are really no powerful big tribes. The western trade route we took had always been relatively peaceful, and we had never seen any people from Helian come to disturb us. Besides, that place is basically already in the sphere of influence of the Xianbei Lord Putou, how could Helian's subordinates go there to make trouble? ”

Guo Bin asked, "Could it be someone from other tribes impersonating?" ”

Su Shuang nodded and said, "There is a possibility." However, our trade routes into Beijing all relied on the western route, so we paid great attention to establishing a good relationship with Putou Shan Yu from the beginning of the city's construction. Putou Shan Yu controls the Yanmen area, which is the place where my western front must pass. Moreover, the brother of Putou Shan Yu, whose name is Budugen, admires our Central Plains civilization and often comes to the city to trade. Even now, his second brother, whose name is Fu Luohan, is also in my city. ”

Guo Jia said: "Could it be that when they saw the volume of trade in the city, they were jealous in their hearts, so they wanted to take some from my western trade route?" ”

Zhang Shiping said: "I can't rule out this possibility. It is just that they are very close to the three cities outside our fortress, and often come to the city to exchange for supplies, and their trade volume is so large that it accounts for about 30% of the trade volume in the city. Through this trade for nearly a year, their tribe has also made a fortune, and the tribe has become more and more prosperous. If they don't have our three cities as a buffer, where can they contact the merchants of the Central Plains? Needless to say, the three cities have become the hub connecting the Saiwai and the Central Plains, without our efforts, where would they have such a stable and safe trading area? ”

Guo Jia listened, frowned and thought for a while, and when Zhang Shiping finished speaking, Fang said slowly: "According to this, the materials of the Central Plains are allowed to enter the grassland, in addition to the salt in the hands of the imperial court, the fine wine, tea, silk transported by the merchants, and of course, the soap and clothing of my Fulong Villa. These things, except for salt, are all extremely extravagant consumables, and the Xianbei tribes have traded them, and they can only be consumed among their nobles, but why can this Putou department prosper by relying on these? ”

Speaking of this, Guo Jia's eyes turned sharp, stared at Zhang Shiping and said, "Isn't it that someone in the city dares to sell iron weapons to the Xianbei people without permission?" ”

Hearing this, everyone's faces changed. For hundreds of years, the reason why the Han court was able to face the Xiongnu with an absolutely crushing attitude, and later even the Xianbei people who reunified Mobei were so strong, relied on not only absolute economic strength, but also powerful weapons and equipment.

For hundreds of years, the horse-riding peoples in the north had extremely scarce steel production due to the backwardness of the iron-smelting industry, so the Han soldiers armed with sophisticated ring-headed knives could easily defeat five of them. If Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang really exported iron tools to the Xianbei Ministry privately for a little profit, then the crime would be big, and if nothing else, Guo Bin might not be able to spare them.

Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang have been running around all year round, what world has not been seen? How could they not know that the imperial court strictly forbade the export of iron tools to the outside of the fortress? Although he was born as a businessman, he is still very clear-headed, and he cherishes the hard-won opportunities even more.

At that moment, Zhang Shiping said loudly: "Gongzi is too worried, regarding the entry and exit of ironware, it is the strictest among the items supervised by our trading house, and no one dares to risk the world's condemnation for a little profit." However, the Putou Department is really a family that made a fortune with luxury goods transported from the Central Plains. ”

At this time, even Guo Bin was interested, leaned forward, and said, "Oh? How did they do it? You tell us more specifically. ”

Zhang Shiping cleared his throat and said: "The northern frontier of the Han Dynasty stretches for nearly 10,000 miles, but there is really no one who can communicate with the Xianbei tribe outside the Saiwai in an open and honest way, except for us." Although there are a lot of caravans in and out of Youzhou, most of them are petty fights, just like our two brothers at the beginning. As he spoke, he pointed to Su Shuang, who was sitting on the side. In addition to the small caravans from Youzhou and Bingzhou, the Xianbei people relied on the Qiang people who lived together with the Han people in Liangzhou to obtain materials in the Central Plains. ”

Guo Bin nodded, of course, he knew these things best.

I only heard Zhang Shiping continue: "However, later Xianbei Dashan died in Tanshihuai, and Lian succeeded Shan Yu. Although this Helian did not have his father's eloquence and strategy, and he was greedy for money and lustful, he still wanted to restore the hegemony of Tanshi Huai, and finally forced the western Xianbei to rebel. ”

Su Shuang said: "After the Western Xianbei rebelled, it became a self-contained entity, and it broke off contact with Helian, but it also broke off contact with the Central Plains. The silk, tea, wine and other goods they urgently needed were also cut off. ”

Guo Bin opened his mouth and said, "Oh? Could it be that this Putou exchanged a large number of materials from the Central Plains and then transported them to the Xianbei Department in the west to seek benefits from them? ”

Zhang Shiping praised: "If the main cave is watching the fire, Putou is taking advantage of the advantage of being close to our three cities in the east and Xianbei in the west to come to my trading house to exchange the materials in the ministry on a large scale for silk, tea, wine and other things produced in the Central Plains, and then transport them to the western Xianbei to trade with them. Since then, the Putou tribe has become stronger and stronger, and the life of the herdsmen in the tribe is much better than that of the Xianbei tribes. As a result, more and more Xianbei herdsmen went to defect, and their tribe also achieved great development. ”

Guo Bin nodded secretly and said, "I didn't expect that this Putou is really a character." This hand borrows chickens and lays eggs, and it is a beautiful game! ”

But I heard Su Shuang say: "The lord doesn't know, it is said that this method of trade is from the hands of his third brother Budugen. ”

Guo Bin didn't speak, but he seemed to have heard of the name of this Budugen, and it seems that those who can leave a name in history, whether it is a good person or a bad person, it is not simple!

Xi Zhicai said: "Oh? That's what Shicai said, the one who often comes to the city to trade? ”

Zhang Shiping nodded and said, "This is the person." According to rumors, this person has been fond of Central Plains culture since he was a child, and he not only found someone to teach him to learn Chinese characters, but also bought books and classics from merchants in the Central Plains. This Budugen, who has come several times, speaks Chinese well, and is not like other tribal leaders on the grassland who do not know etiquette, so he is very respected by the merchants of the Central Plains. In addition, he is open-minded, extremely promised, and simply cheerful, so everyone is willing to do business with him. ”

Xi Zhicai nodded and said, "He's a smart person." ”

Zhang Fei interjected: "Is it because of this Putou trade with the western Xianbei that he has a dirty relationship with Helianfang, so he is at odds?" ”

Everyone was taken aback, and they all looked at Zhang Fei below with strange eyes.

I saw him touch the back of his head and said with an embarrassed face: "What's the matter? Is what Lao Zhang said wrong? ”

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "That's right, I think this is also the reason why Putou and Helian are evil." ”

Zhang Shiping nodded, stunned for a moment before coming back to his senses from surprise. He couldn't see it anyway, this Zhang Fei, who could only give people the feeling of a bull, no matter how he looked at it, really had a bit of both civil and military meaning. Then he secretly made up his mind: "There are many talents under the main account, it seems that I am going to redouble my efforts!" ”

At the moment, he said: "General Zhang is right, after the death of Xianbei Dadan Yu Tanshihuai, He Lian and Putou's father competed for the position of Da Dan Yu, and later although He Lian won, the two sides also fought against each other. Hearing about the death of Putou's father, He Lian was vaguely suspicious. Later, when the three cities outside the Saiwai were established, Putou became the tribe that benefited the most among the various tribes outside the Saiwai, plus the new hatred and old hatred, and it was not impossible to envy him. ”