Shao Xi looked at Amira's hot eyes, and did not immediately take out a silver bean and hand it to him, but looked at Amela with a smile like this.

Lao Wu glanced at Shao Xi beside him, he knew that Shao Xi was hanging the child's appetite, so he drank the wine by himself.

Seeing that Shao Xi's hand stopped on the bag for a long time and didn't move, Amira looked up at Shao Xi a little blankly, and saw his smiling eyes.

"Honored guest, am I too greedy and want too much?"

Shao Xi smiled and shook his head, pushing the mutton and Hu Cake in front of him in front of Amera.

"I'm not following you just to drink, not just to buy your five sheep, I'm here to ask you for some news.

"If the news you gave me made me feel valuable enough, then you will get a lot more than you think, eat first, and we'll talk when you're full."

Amera's purpose in soliciting customers in this underground tavern was originally to exchange some food for himself, but now Shao Xi actually took the initiative to invite guests, he was naturally very happy.

After confirming that the food that Shao Xi pushed in front of him was indeed for him, he ate it unceremoniously and devoured it.

Although he himself is a sheep herder, but looking at the way he eats mutton, it seems that he has not eaten it for a long time, Shao Xi can imagine how difficult life is for these people who make a living from it.

The flock in their hands is all their possessions, and without them they would have nothing.

Looking at Amela who didn't look like he was eating, Shao Xi actually poured him a glass of wine.

When Amira saw the wine that was pushed in front of her by Shao Xi, she had a surprised expression on her face.

For him, this can be said to be the ultimate luxury.

Although the people who drank in this underground tavern were not very wealthy, the people who could afford to drink in the Saori Country were relatively wealthy, and a silver bean and a can of wine were indeed expensive in the Saori Country.

After confirming that the glass of wine was indeed allowed for him to drink, Amera picked it up and took a sip before putting it back.

With a grateful face, he said to Shao Xi: "If the guest wants to know anything, just ask me, although I am just a sheep herder, as long as I know, I will definitely tell you." ”

Shao Xi looked at Amera in front of him, he believed that this young man was not just as simple as herding sheep.

At the age of thirteen or fourteen, who made a living by herding sheep and at the same time solicited customers in underground taverns, such a person was usually well-informed, and he might be able to ask something from his mouth.

"Since the Shazhi Kingdom is an independent state, why does it feel like it is a subsidiary of the Loulan Kingdom? As far as I know, it's nothing new for small countries to pay annual tribute to large countries, but why is the Sand Kingdom subject to so many restrictions from the Loulan Kingdom?

"If the Loulan Kingdom has taken a fancy to the land and population of the Shazhi Country, why didn't it directly annex the Shazhi Country, but let the Shazhi Country exist independently and squeeze it like now?"

Amira scratched her head, and seemed to be very confused by Shao Xi's question, but she still said what he thought was the reason.

"I don't know about the things between those noble lords, but I have heard the old people say since I was a child that in the eyes of the people of Loulan, we people of Shazhi are inferior people and do not deserve to be the people of Loulan.

"Many years ago, the Shazhi country was also invaded and slaughtered by the Loulan country, and our ancestors of the Shazhi people resisted and finally kept the land, but they never changed their status as untouchables.

"Although the Loulan Kingdom is no longer coming to seize our land, every grass that grows on our land and every sheep that is fed must be given priority to the Loulan Kingdom.

"If we have any resistance, Loulan will send troops to fight us, so that we can't live in peace, and in order to live, we Shazhi people can only swallow our anger.

"They drink our wine and eat our mutton, but they often come and bully us, and the result of our rebellion is only to lose more lives, and the children of Saori are lucky to grow up."

After listening to it, Shao Xi felt that this plot was so familiar, isn't this what is happening somewhere in the Middle East in the modern world?

A group of demons who claim to be the chosen ones invade other people's homes, trap the people of the original land, and carry out endless oppression and bullying, forcing people to retreat, and even unable to survive normally.

The result of the oppressed people's rebellion is the loss of more innocent lives, which can be described as a human tragedy.

And how similar is what is happening in front of me now?

After generations of bloodshed and sacrifice, the people of Shazhi finally kept the only piece of land, but they could not live peacefully on their own land.

How sad it is to have evil neighbors in the family!

"Didn't your king think of building a powerful army to resist the oppression of the Loulan Kingdom? If your ancestors fought before, why not now? ”

Amira shook her head a little helplessly, a sad look on her face, as if he had been through something too.

"It's not that we Shazhi people haven't tried, but it's useless, for us, the Loulan Kingdom is too powerful.

"They control the largest water source and salt lake in this desert, and the powerful Western Turks provide them with iron tools, while we Shaweavers have nothing but this fertile land.

"We are like a fat sheep that we can only let them slaughter but are powerless to resist, they can cut off our water and salt sources at any time, and we cannot build sophisticated weapons to fight them, let alone their powerful backers.

"Actually, it's not just us in the Sand Weaving Country who have to face this ferocious jackal in the desert, but several other small countries around us are also about the same fate as us."

Shao Xi found it ironic that Loulan was coercing other small countries around it by controlling the water source and the origin of salt.

And as far as he knows, the historical Loulan Kingdom died because of the cutting off of water sources, I don't know if this is a kind of history or a reincarnation in time and space?

The ancient Loulan was rampant for a while, but in the end it perished in its own means of dealing with others.

Although the world Shao Xi has traveled to is very different from the real historical world, it seems to have similarities to some extent.

If the Jingyuan Dynasty wants to continue to expand the influence of the Central Plains to the West and open up the passage to the Western Regions, it is also imperative in the future.

And in addition to kingdoms that are strong enough in the Western Regions like the White Night Kingdom and Wuhai Kingdom, states like the Loulan Kingdom that are stuck in the transportation to the West are also existences that cannot be ignored.

Now, with the support of the Western Turkic forces, they are doing whatever they want in this desert, and they will definitely become a major obstacle to the westward advance of the Jingyuan Dynasty in the future.

Although Shao Xi once persuaded Xiao Changyi, the strength of the dynasty does not depend on overnight, but after a hundred years and thousands of years of operation.

This means taking a long-term view, planning ahead for a hundred or thousands of years from now.

The current Jingyuan Dynasty is indeed not suitable for expansion everywhere, but must first solve the problems around them one by one.

However, in the future, the westward expansion and the establishment of a smooth trade route with the West were necessary means to make the Jingyuan Dynasty finally strong.

And in this process, the existence of the Western Turks will become the biggest opponent of the Jingyuan Dynasty.

The current Loulan State is like a scabies that has not yet attacked, and sooner or later it will become a major hidden danger for the Jingyuan Dynasty to advance westward, so containing and restricting its development is tantamount to indirectly containing and restricting the Western Turks.

So how to deal with it?

Judging from the current situation, these small countries around Loulan are powerless to compete with it, and if they are allowed to develop like this, these small countries will eventually perish sooner or later.

At that time, the Loulan Kingdom will continue to grow and develop in this desert, and for the Jingyuan Dynasty in the Central Plains, the scattered Western Regions is the most ideal state.

Then the only thing that can be done now is to find a way to support these small countries as much as possible, so that they can become the force that contains the Loulan country.

But this is easier said than done.

Not to mention that this place is located in the remote and remote desert of the Western Regions, even if the Central Plains wants to intervene, it will not be able to do it in one step.

After all, there are still many small states such as the White Night Country, the Wuhai Country and many other small states in between, and if you wait until the Central Plains destroys the countries in the Western Regions one by one and gradually advances forward, I am afraid that it will be too late to come here.

Therefore, Shao Xi feels that the first thing to be solved at the moment is the survival of these small countries, and they can't survive anymore, so what can they use to resist Loulan?

Since Loulan has been controlling their water source and salt source for so many years, it is necessary to find a way to secretly help them solve the problem of water source and salt.

Then find a way to help them solve the casting and smelting of iron tools, so that they can eat enough and be armed, and do not expect them to overthrow the Loulan Kingdom, but we must let them become an obstacle to the development and growth of the Loulan Kingdom.

Shao Xi would definitely not be able to do this kind of thing alone, and at this time, he had already begun to think about how to introduce some advanced technology from the Central Plains here.

But everything must be driven by interests, and no one will come to such a place where birds don't to help these small countries.

This requires a small country like the Shaori State to come up with some resources needed by the Central Plains in exchange, otherwise everything is empty talk.

But in such a desolate place, what resources can be exchanged with the Central Plains?

Thinking of this, Shao Xi couldn't help but start to have a headache, the biggest problem now is not from one to ten, nor from ten to hundred, but how to go from zero to one.

Whether it is doing business or exchanging interests, it is difficult to seek profits, and the resources that cannot be obtained in hand are the most headaches.

It seems that this kind of thing can't be done by sitting here alone, but still has to meet with the king of Saori country.

Only after having a solid understanding of the local situation and listening to the opinions of the other party can we make accurate judgments and decisions.

While Shao Xi was thinking about it, Amira had been very quiet all the time, and he seemed to see something from Shao Xi's face.

A person from the Central Plains who came from afar asked him about Sha Zhiguo, and his expression was so solemn at this time, although he didn't know what Shao Xi was thinking in his heart, he already felt Shao Xi's concern for Sha Zhiguo.

"Distinguished guest, no one has ever asked me about these things before, I heard that your Central Plains are extremely strong, can you Central Plains people help us in the Sand Weaving Country?"

Amira's question seems a bit naïve.

Expecting a legendary empire thousands of miles away to save him is something that only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old sheep herding child can ask.

But Shao Xi heard a longing from Ameira's tone, a desire for the gods from heaven to save the world.

Perhaps in their hearts, the gods of today are cold and unforgiving, and they see no hope that they will be free from their untouchability status and live in equality and harmony with everyone else.

They must have prayed to the gods countless times to change the status quo in front of them, but nothing seems to have changed.

In their eyes now, maybe anyone who can help them is a god in their hearts, right?

It seems that Amera, a young man herding sheep, is not ignorant, at least he knows that there is a powerful empire in the far east.

Perhaps this empire will save them from their misery, and the man from this empire is now sitting in front of him.

So Shao Xi didn't think his question was ridiculous, but felt a little sad.

It is only when the eyes are full of despair that people will pin their hopes on the distance.

"I don't know if I can help you, but I want to try, so would you like to help me?"

"Of course I do!"

At this time, Amira's eyes were shining.

Helping Sha Zhiguo, with Shao Xi's own strength, was like a joke, but Shao Xi didn't want to disappoint the young man in front of him.

Maybe there's a lot to do after that, and it's going to be for many years, but it's always going to take someone to start doing it.

Shao Xi took out a few silver beans from the bag containing the silver beans and put them in Amera's hands.

Amira looked at the silver bean in her hand and said in disbelief: "It's too much, it's too much!" ”

"Take it! I have said that I will pay you if your news is useful, and this is what you deserve, and when you have eaten enough, tell me, where does your king live? ”

"Thank you, distinguished guest, I will take you here!"

Amela looked very excited, grabbed the rest of the Hu Biscuit and stuffed it into her arms, then got up and walked out with Shao Xi and the others.

When he reached the courtyard, the bearded man handed Amira a few cakes, which he stuffed into his arms again.

It seems that the reward for bringing guests over this trip is only these few cakes.

Leaving the underground tavern, several people were still huddled in the alley with the sheep, walking forward.

Shao Xi couldn't help but ask Ameira, "Doesn't your king live in the royal palace in the center of the city?" ”

Amela turned her head and looked at Shao Xi with a surprised expression, held it for a long time, and finally couldn't help but laugh and said, "The palace? If the old king of Aziz lived in the royal palace, then the herd I drove would be all cattle! ”

Belch......! What kind of metaphor is this?