The city is divided into three rings, the outer ring sells goods, and the middle ring sells people. However, people who have been here all year round know that if you want to buy really good things, you have to go to the innermost ring.

Where can you buy sharp knives and swords in the metal-scarce Western Regions? Where is the sweetest wine? Where are the most beautiful and beautiful women? Where can I find the best porcelain and tea in Datang? Where are the sturdy horses?

The answer is the innermost ring of the city of Dima.

The reason why Dima City is famous outside the world can be said to have an inseparable and important relationship with the inner ring. Of course, without a certain identity and status, there is no qualification to enter here at all. This is true for buyers and sellers.

Luckily, Ali's store is in the innermost ring.

Being able to go from the stall on the edge of Dima City to the high-roller with an independent felt bag in the inner ring, Ali's family history has long been regarded as a legend by countless people. But the sadness and hardship of this period are known only to him.

"A lot of people think I'm lucky, but they think success is too simple. The reason why I risked my life to go to Datang is because these things I bought were all for the sake of nobles. Ali told Tang An about the situation in Dima City and his own success story.

Tang An was curious: "The things of the Tang Dynasty are actually so popular in the Western Regions?" ”

Ali smiled: "Why do the Tang people reject the Xia people so much? Perennial incursion into the border is only one aspect, from the bones, the Tang people have a high mentality. This ineradicate sense of superiority is not unreasonable, they have a long history of etiquette and humility. They called the Xia people 'beard', and in their opinion, these people drank blood and were uneducated, which the Xia people knew well. Compared with the Tang people, they are indeed backward and barbaric, in fact, in the final analysis, they are inferior in their bones. ”

For the first time, Tang An listened to a Xia man say what was in his heart, and a different feeling surged in his heart. Indeed, the Tang Dynasty has thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, fertile land, pleasant climate, from a hundred schools of thought to Confucianism, the inheritance and derivation of culture has never stopped. Even a mountain village man knows how to be polite and say hello, and tell future generations to do good deeds and accumulate virtues, which is the embodiment of culture.

On the other hand, the people of Xia have a life with no tomorrow today, which makes them full of a sense of crisis all the time, everything is driven by interests, and living has become their only concept. Any religion is superfluous in their eyes, and the sword in their hands is the source of their faith.

Tang An nodded clearly: "Compared to the Tang people, they should indeed feel inferior. However, the yearning for beautiful things is a common pursuit of people. Their admiration for tea and silk is actually an imitation of Tang culture, and it is also a means to show their identity and taste. ”

Ali was full of "piety" and stroked his chest and said, "Your Excellency, when I said this to the others, none of them could understand it, but you did. If it weren't for the fact that he had become acquainted with you along the way, Ali would have thought that you were an angel sent by the Immortal Heaven. ”

Ali's sycophants are always so pervasive and naturally mellow, which greatly satisfies Lord Tang's self-esteem.

With a shy smile, Tang An waved his hand and said, "I've always been low-key, so don't say anything like this." ”

Ali rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "The excellent qualities of all Datang people have been perfectly reflected in you!" ”

After hearing this, Tang An's face suddenly turned cold, and he pretended to be casual and said, "Ali, I always thought you were a smart person. Smart people must speak and do things in a measured way, and if they find out too much about what they shouldn't know, it may bring unbearable disasters. I say that, can you understand? ”

A simple sentence exposes Ali's motives for doubting Tang An's identity.

From the beginning, Tang An's black hair and black eyes aroused Ali's suspicions, but the eighteen unjust souls who had just died sounded the alarm for him, making him dare not ask more.

Later, Tang An didn't know anything about Xia Chinese, but he was able to speak the most authentic Chinese, which further strengthened his guess. Just now, he bought another man from the Tang Dynasty as a slave, and it seems that the two have known each other for a long time, otherwise how could the slave not have a little resistance?

But thinking about Su Meier, he couldn't help but wonder: Why would a woman from the Xia Kingdom obey a man in the Tang Dynasty?

People are curious, especially for a person who is in control of his own life and death. He knew everything about himself, but he didn't know anything about him. This feeling that his life was tied to the thought of a stranger made Ali very depressed.

But he didn't expect that his words that were hidden enough would still be heard by Tang An!

A faint threat made Ali frightened. A clever kneeling on the ground, kissing the floor on his forehead, said, "Ali understands! This kind of mistake will definitely not be made again, thank you for your tolerance. ”

Ali's sincerity and fear just gave Tang An a reason to play on the topic. His lazy palm lifted upward: "Get up, you should know that I am not a cruel person." But... If you don't go unpunished for doing something wrong, then the rules will turn into farts. ”

Ali stiffened, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Let you be punished!" ”

"You also saw that little slave before, it is an old friend of mine." Rather than being suspected, Tang An should admit it directly and generously. "Businessmen are very profitable, I think, if you are asked to come up with a large sum of money, it will be enough for you to remember this event deeply, right?"

The thirst for food of a thirsty person is as instinctive as the obsession of a poor person with money. Hearing Tang An talk to him about money, Ali's heart dripped, but the situation in front of him made him have no capital to resist at all, so he could only endure the pain and said: "It's all up to the orders of the adults!" ”

Tang An smiled, like a cunning fox.

******************************************

Ali took out a large sum of money, and it was destined that this talkative lesson would be unforgettable for him for the rest of his life.

In less than an hour, the money was exchanged for two carts full of food and cotton clothing. The fewer people who knew about this kind of thing, the better, and except for Ali, who could not hide it at all, not a single person in the caravan knew about it. Ali couldn't have imagined that Tang An was for the livelihood of 3,000 people, smelling the aroma of food wafting from the carriage, and thought that Tang An was going to play the role of a thief who robbed the rich and helped the poor - he really could be a man.

Marchand went out of the city with Ali's little servant, Uchai, and there were two less carriages in the caravan, and everyone in the caravan was kept in the dark, and the young master, who had always been honest, had no intention of explaining where the carriage was going, but followed Tang An like a loyal hound. This gesture made others lose the desire to find out the whereabouts of the carriage.

Entering the most lively third floor, everyone first came to Ali's felt bag for a short rest, and at noon, they ate and drank a lot of wine and meat, and swept away the fatigue of the journey.

Towards the end of the evening, Ali found Tang An again and said, "Honorable lord, I think it is necessary for you to go with your faithful servant to meet two people—two real great men. ”

Tang An yawned and said, "Who are you seeing?" ”

Ali said: "The people who are actually in power in this city. ”