"Strictly speaking, the earliest large-scale transnational commercial activities in Central Asia originated in Youzhou (present-day Tianjin), as a border city, Youzhou City had commercial activities that shocked later scholars, from the "History of the Sui Dynasty" we can learn that during the great cause of the Sui Dynasty, it was only a completely defensive foreign country, and there were only some agricultural and fishing industries inside

However, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, it quickly evolved into a famous tea city at home and abroad, and almost all the tea trade on the Hexi Corridor to the Silk Road was imported from Youzhou, and Youzhou's unique roasted tea technology has also continued for hundreds of years.

A single tea city is not enough to reflect the great competitiveness of Youzhou, and another advantage it has is glass, which is known to have been invented by Xu Yang, a disciple of the pioneer Guigu.

We can imagine that a thousand years ago, people had mastered the technology of high-temperature firing, and what is even more rare is that the Tang people have done more in-depth research on the research and development of glass.

They have been able to distinguish the difference between glass and glass, and at the same time have a more intuitive understanding of diamonds, and their research on chemistry is beyond the imagination of modern people, using molecular organic chemistry, they can gradually make a variety of stronger glass, or glass with color.

For more than 1,000 years, a European prepared a large number of glass products, intending to bring them to the Central Plains for sale at a high price, but when he came to Chang'an (now Xi'an) after a lot of hardships, he would find that the glass goods on the street were more beautiful than his glass. And the price is a hundred times cheaper than his glass. We can imagine how he felt at the time.

Straight to the point. Roasted tea and glass have become the two pillar industries in Youzhou, and depending on the geographical location, these two industries are also building more factories and mines in the nearby area, which was an exceptionally advanced method a thousand years ago.

According to incomplete statistics, the economic activities driven by Youzhou were 6.7 million guan in the third year of Zhenguan, and 16.5 million guan in the fourth year of Zhenguan. It directly increased by 10 million taels, and by the fifth year of Zhenguan, the amount of silver circulating from Youzhou into the Tang Dynasty alone had reached 23 million taels, which was a considerable amount.

In addition to ignoring overseas commodities and trade surpluses, the circulation of these economies injected extremely powerful fresh blood into the development of the Tang Dynasty, and also made the prestige of the Tang Dynasty among foreign tribes reach an unprecedented Cheng dù, it is no exaggeration to say that in the early years of Zhenguan. Youzhou, this small seaside city. It is the engine of Datang's commercial prosperity ......" -- excerpted from "Youzhou Economic Documentary"......

"Coconuts from Southeast Asia, fresh coconut water, coconut meat, as long as ten dollars~"

"Spice nutmeg, musk cardamom, it's cheap~"

"Rent a shop next to Youzhou Hotel, the monthly payment is only fifty taels, you can discuss it in detail~"

"Recruit three seafarers, the ocean-going fleet is about to go to sea again for whale hunting, the opportunity must not be lost, and it is required to be strong and strong, over 25 years old, and those with work experience are preferred......"

On a commercial street, people come and go, shoulder to shoulder, on both sides of the street are all kinds of stalls, many of them have banners or plaques hanging high, such as "Liu's straw sandals", "Deng Da rain gear", "overseas spices" and so on, Tukeli's eyes widened, feeling that everything is very novel, in the grassland, this kind of gathering into a pile of scenes is rare.

Several of his Turkic companions who accompanied him were also amazed, and they kept looking around.

The Turkic brothers who led the way smiled and said in a disdainful tone: "Brothers, this Tang people's land business is good, here, you can buy anything you want, see the gate in front, it's called a supermarket, and the things in it are even more deserved, I heard that this supermarket is in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang people, in one hundred and eight square cities, each of which has one, really, tsk." ”

Hearing the Turkic brothers who led the way say this, several people poked their heads out and looked ahead, and saw two huge stone lions at the door not far in front, an open gate, and people came in and out from time to time.

"I said Xibu, where are we going to sell this wool?" A Turkic man in the same company said anxiously, he had just taken a fancy to a pair of rain gear on the street, and he quickly hid in the tent when it rained in the grassland, and the kind of rain gear that was stretched out made him a little itchy, for fear that the rain gear would be bought by someone after a while.

The Turkic brother who led the way was quite good-tempered, smiled, and said, "This will take a while, just at the front of the commercial street, where the wool is harvested. ”

Several Turkic young men all looked expectant, and the large cloth on their shoulders did not feel heavy.

After walking for a long time, I saw all kinds of strange goods along the way, what frying pans, what stinky tofu, and Tukeli and his party finally walked to the streets of the commercial street.

Far away, Tukeli smelled a unique smell of sheep, and this familiar smell also made him relaxed, as if he had returned to the grassland again.

The Wool Exchange is a huge courtyard, said to be a courtyard, in fact, there should be more than a dozen rooms inside, and the courtyard is also very large, which was originally built separately to facilitate the wool trade.

Xibu, who led the way, pushed open the door as if he had entered his own house, and saw that there were already many people standing inside, all of them wearing Turkic costumes and looking like typical Turkic people. And next to these Turks, there is a very high "wool mountain", and there are a few people who look like Han people holding scales and weighing something.

Tukeli also looked around curiously, and when he saw the figures of those people, he was suddenly stunned, because there was a figure that was too similar to what he remembered.

"Uncle Mokfun!" Tukeli shouted tentatively at the crowd.

Sure enough, hearing this call, an old man with a slightly hunched back turned around and looked at Tukeli, with a hint of confusion in his eyes, but then he seemed to remember something, and asked in a skeptical tone: "Little Tuli?" ”

"Haha, it's me, I'm Tukeli~ Uncle Mokefeng!" Tukeli had turned from excitement to surprise at this time, and ran in front of the old man in a few steps. "It's been a long time, Uncle Mokefeng, Tuli misses you so much!"

The old man named Mo Kefeng also showed a kind smile, and said with some excitement: "I thought I would never see you in my life, but I didn't expect to be able to see you here, hey, I've really grown up, and I'm taller than Uncle Mo Feng, by the way, is your father still in good health?" ”

When Tukeli heard this, he was stunned for a moment, and then said with some frustration: "No...... He's already dead......"

Mo Kefeng's face crossed a trace of pathos and loneliness, patted Tukeli's shoulder, and comforted: "Our Turkic war has been going on for many years, and Qingzhuang has died on the battlefield, you don't have to be too sad, I believe that your father will definitely be taken to heaven by the Tengger God after his death." ”

"Hmm." Tukeli nodded, maybe his father had been dead for too long, and he was not as sad as he was then. As if remembering something, Tukeli raised his head and asked the old man, "By the way, Uncle Mokefeng, why are you here?" ”

The old man explained, "Oh, I have come to sell wool, this is the third time, and this time I have led the way for the Moses and brought them with me to sell wool. ”

Tukeli's mood became happy again, and he exclaimed, "It's wonderful, I'm here to sell wool too." ”

Mo Kefeng nodded with some relief, "I have raised sheep on the grassland all my life, and my uncle now knows that these wools can be sold at such an expensive price. Mo Kefeng's tone was a little heartache and a little ridiculous.

"Really? Are Han Chinese really that stupid? Will you pay a fortune for this wool? Tukeli asked, still a little incredulous.

Mo Kefeng showed a smile, "It's true, I heard that those nobles who are far away in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, are all wearing clothes made of wool, so they especially need wool, and when you sell the wool, the uncle invites you to go to the restaurant for a drink, and talk about how you have lived over the years......" (to be continued......

ps:Chapter 67 The boy here,The last paragraph,The author wrote Princess Qinghe as Princess Lanling,It's a clerical error.,I'm sorry for the inconvenience it caused to everyone.,I'm sorry for the thought.,Now it's been modified.,There will be some delays in the background.,I wish you a happy reading!