The place to eat was found by Shen Fu, an ordinary tavern in the city, judging from his greeting to the boss, he should have come often.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors, Shen Fu began to complain about all kinds of injustices in Anle City, especially for them who had no status and foundation.

As the largest trade distribution center in Northeast China, Anle City's main business is to buy and sell grassland and Northeast specialties into the Central Plains. At the same time, the special products of the Central Plains were sold to several tribal countries in the northeast and the grasslands, including the three peninsulas.

Like the Turks and Khitans, these two places are located on the steppe, so the output is mainly cattle, sheep and horses, and the horses are kept as war horses, and the cattle and sheep are either killed to eat meat and sell leather goods, or they are directly sold to the Tang Dynasty for daily necessities such as grain, salt, tea, silk, gold and silver jewelry, pots and pans, and a small number of ironware.

The steppe land is uncultivateable, and these barbarian tribes do not know how to farm. But it's not good to eat meat every day, it lacks vitamins, and it's too greasy, so tea has also become a necessity of life. Not to mention table salt, which is completely imported.

It is worth mentioning that it is illegal to kill cattle in Datang, so there is no such thing as eating beef on the market. The Khitan land is rich in wild cattle, so the Khitan people also have the habit of raising wild cattle in captivity, but most of their cattle are killed to eat meat and sell leather goods, and they don't even use the cattle to pull carts.

Of course, it is also because the wild nature of the bison is untamable, and it cannot be cultivated and worked, so it can only be killed and eaten.

And here are several countries, in addition to the Turkic and Khitan, and then to the northeast are Murowei and Yan, and later Jilin Heilongjiang, these tribes in the deep mountains and old forests are sparsely populated, and they can't even be called countries, they can only be called tribes. These two tribes have no grasslands and basically do not rely on animal husbandry, but mainly rely on mountain goods and leather goods to survive.

In the words of Goguryeo: These deep mountains and old forests are in the ice and snow for half of the year, sparsely populated, and they are not suitable for farming, have no value, and are not even worth capturing and plundering.

According to Boss Shen, the president and steward of the Anle Chamber of Commerce are all people with five surnames and seven wangs, and even the entire chamber of commerce is controlled by these famous families, and they almost monopolize the trade channels between the Northeast and Datang.

All the big deals are covered by the Chamber of Commerce. Anyone who comes to Anle to do business must report to the Chamber of Commerce, which is equivalent to worshiping the dock, otherwise, they will be resisted and attacked by the entire Anle Chamber of Commerce, and they will not want to survive in Anle.

Ordinary people come to do business, and they can't communicate and trade with those foreigners alone, so they can only get some small orders from the Chamber of Commerce, and even orders for OEM like chicken and dogs. It can be said that the income is very meagre and barely survives. Not only that, but each single income will also be taken away by the Chamber of Commerce in the name of taxes, and Boss Shen went to the Chamber of Commerce just now for this.

Hearing this, Xiao Rui understood, no wonder the Boss Shen in front of him was thin and thin, different from other big-bellied businessmen. Originally, I thought it was because I was tired from running around all year round, but now it seems that I can't make money at all, and I can't get fat if I want to.

In addition to internal injustice, the Chamber of Commerce has a kind of bullying of the weak and afraid of the hard, and the pricing of goods is divided into levels, and the powerful Turkic and Goguryeo have high purchase prices for goods. The Khitan is the second, and the two countries of Muwei and Yan are the lowest, and it is obvious that they are watching people put down dishes.

These foreign nations were also very dissatisfied, but except for the Turks and Goguryeo, these small countries dared to be angry and did not dare to speak.

Xiao Rui asked puzzledly: "Since it is a chamber of commerce, it should be a government-run organization, doesn't the government interfere?" Shouldn't it be a transaction tax that collects a transaction tax on a transaction? Why is it that only the small traders are taxed, and the big ones do not pay the tax? ”

As if he had heard something fantastical, Boss Shen looked at Xiao Gongzi in front of him again. If you don't look stupid, how can you say such ignorant words?

"Xiao Gongzi, isn't it the first time you have stepped out of the house? Don't you know that the imperial court only collects agricultural taxes, poll taxes for entering the city, and market taxes for opening shops on the ground. There is no tax at all on the itinerant business of Anle City, which is similar to bazaar trade, and the so-called transaction tax of Anle City is only formulated by the Chamber of Commerce itself, which is specially designed to plunder us small traders who have no status. ”

Speaking of this, Boss Shen drank a full cup and laughed at himself: "Not to mention this transaction tax, in fact, even the rules of this world are the invisible shackles set by those nobles for the inferior. In the eyes of our Shengdou people, the government and the chamber of commerce are in collusion. And the so-called rules, and even laws, are dedicated to serving the upper nobility. ”

Well???

Xiao Rui was slightly shocked in his heart, and he couldn't see that the person in front of him was very knowledgeable. Isn't he simply complaining about the injustice of the world, isn't he a simple businessman?

Chai Zhewei, who had been listening carefully next to him, couldn't help but retort loudly: "No, how can the government be in cahoots with the Chamber of Commerce?" No, don't talk nonsense. ”

"Da Lang, you are still young, you don't understand many things, what Brother Shen said is reasonable."

"But brother-in-law......" Chai Zhewei still wanted to explain, but was glared at by Xiao Rui, meaning that if there is something to say, listen carefully now and don't speak.

Shen Fu, who was already three points drunk, flashed in his eyes, rubbed the wine glass in his hand, and sneered: "It turns out that Xiao Gongzi is from the government, no wonder, no wonder there is no trace of copper smell on his body." You say that the scholar wants to be a businessman, but he is different from other scholars. ”

Xiao Rui became more and more surprised, and said with a smile: "Since I have been seen through by Brother Shen, I will not pretend to be below, I am indeed a person from the government, I was sent by the Metropolitan Governor to govern Anle County, the guard general is responsible for the security here, and I am responsible for the people's livelihood here, including but not limited to rectifying trade." ”

This time it was Shen Fu's turn to be surprised, "Your Excellency is not yet twenty years old, right?" Can you actually govern a city? It is also an important border town in Anle County. It seems that Your Excellency has an extraordinary background. ”

Xiao Rui didn't argue, but raised his glass and said, "What, knowing my identity, does Brother Shen dare to speak freely?" ”

Looking at Xiao Rui's expression, for some reason, Shen Fu felt that the young man in front of him was different from ordinary officials, and there was a voice in his heart saying, believe him.

Also raising a glass, Shen Fu asked rhetorically: "In front of the county guard, I scolded the government for half a day and didn't arrest me?" ”

Xiao Rui laughed, "I'm Datang, and it's not dark enough to not let people speak." Brother Shen pointed to the disadvantages of the times, and every sentence pointed to the key point, if it weren't for this, how could the court know about the suffering of the people? I, the new county guard, if I hadn't met such a righteous and outspoken brother as Brother Shen, and plunged into the Chamber of Commerce, maybe I would really have colluded with them directly. ”

Shen Fu stared at Xiao Rui for a long time, and asked tentatively: "The imperial court wants to control An Le and get a piece of the process from the Chamber of Commerce?" ”

Xiao Ruixin said, amazing, guess what I will do next, this is a talent.

Raising his glass again, Xiao Rui said seriously: "If I say, I want to establish a new business order in Anle, so that the common people and the nobles will enjoy the same treatment, and the common people no longer have to beg for food with the Chamber of Commerce, and they can survive in an upright business." Brother Shen, would you like to come and help me? ”

Shen Fu's eyes moved slightly, "You want to recruit me?" You and I meet in Pingshui, you are the county guard, you don't even know who I am, dare to use me? ”

Xiao Rui raised his eyebrows, drank the wine in the cup, played with the wine glass, and said calmly: "Your Excellency is not an ordinary copper-smelling businessman, you should have read a book." And your attitude towards the Chamber of Commerce and the aristocracy shows that you are from a poor family. According to your view of the imperial court, hehe, if I guessed correctly, you should be a descendant of a certain road or a subordinate in the eighteenth road of smoke and dust in the late Sui Dynasty and the seventy-second road anti-king. ”

Hiss...... Shen Fu was shocked.