Liu Xin thought that Bakulei was going to give him a beautiful woman, and was about to decline, but saw a big bearded man walking over with a baggage. The contrast was too great. Liu Xin glanced suspiciously at Bakulei. , Took the baggage, and started quite heavy. When Liu Xin opened the baggage, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "Cut cake,"
"Cut cakes, no, sir, you are mistaken, this is sugar, it's a special food here, called marin sugar," Amufan glanced to the side and emphasized, "Children like it the most. ,"
Over there, the pair of masters and apprentices, Diao Chan and Lu Qiling, are seriously admiring the singing and dancing in the field with very professional eyes. The child in Amufan’s mouth is naturally referring to Lu Qiling.
Amufan has lived for such a long time, and he has long been mature. He did plan to send two women to Liu Xin, but when he saw Liu Xin with his family, he immediately changed his mind and turned to Liu Xin. To please Liu Xin's "daughter",
Liu Xin gave a "Oh", and then took a closer look at the Marrentang in the bag. It was indeed different from the "notorious" cut cakes of later generations. The cut cakes he had seen were all red, green, and red. These marlins are pure amber color, and the "content" is also very simple, that is, walnuts and syrup. I don't know whether this marran is the primary form of cut cakes, or cut cakes should be like this.
Since what Amufan gave was only a kind of food, Liu Xin was not polite with him. He picked up a piece and tasted it. It was delicious and sweet. He nodded and said, "Old patriarch, I'm making you bother, this Maren The sugar is delicious, so the price is not cheap."
Amufan smiled bitterly and said, "Don't be concealed, the cost of making such a pack of marpralines is worth a tael or two. Walnut kernels are expensive, even the syrup is made with grape juice."
A tael of silver can be worth a thousand. Even in the war-torn areas in the north, you can buy ten shi grains, but it is only worth this small package of snacks. Jia Xu and Dianwei at the same table were shocked, but listen. Liu Xin, who had the story of cutting cakes at a high price in later generations, was not surprised at all, and said with a smile: "Since marlin is so expensive, there are probably not many people willing to eat it, so why bother to make this kind of thing?"
Amufan sighed and said, "Marinose is mainly sold to past merchants. It is easy to preserve. After eating it, it is very hungry. It is most suitable for dry food. Now there is no caravan, ready-made marlin can be sold. Can't drop,"
For this, Liu Xin understands better. Marran sugar contains a lot of fat and sugar, which can provide a lot of calories. It is indeed a better food suitable for traveling in the desert. Seeing Amufan’s depressed face, Liu Xin smiled. Comforted: "Don't worry, you will get better soon,"
With Liu Xin’s promise to restart the trade road, the villagers were obviously getting a lot excited. This lively gathering lasted until late at night. In the past, caravans passed by here. Many villagers had guest rooms in their homes. Follow the customs and live in the homes of hospitable villagers.
The largest house in the village is naturally owned by the patriarch Amufan. Liu Xin and his family were arranged here. Although Amufan has repeatedly patted his chest to ensure that it is absolutely safe to live in the village, no matter where the horse bandits are. Will not come to disturb the village, but Liu Xin did not take it lightly. Outside the yard there are guards and guards, and inside the yard, the twelve female guards take turns guarding them.
The night was very peaceful, probably because I was too excited to have fun last night. When the light gradually rose in the east, many villagers were still sleeping. After all, Amufan was old, and his sleep was definitely not as good as that of young people. However, this I think he slept very sweetly. It’s been a long time since he felt that way.
When Amufan pushed open the door, he saw Liu Xin punching in the yard, and he couldn't help asking in surprise, "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Liu Xin smiled and said, "How fresh the morning air is. If the old patriarch is interested, can he accompany Liu to walk around the village?"
Amufan hurriedly agreed, and walked out of the village with Liu Xin.
Not far from the village, I saw dozens of horses galloping forward, and one person first rolled off the saddle, and said to Liu Xin, "Knowing the lord, the group of horse bandits who attacked tonight has been wiped out by the final general. I will be here to give orders,"
"Horse bandit," Amufan asked in surprise, "Where did the horse bandit come from?"
Liu Xin laughed and said, "The old patriarch slept too hard last night. My sons and daughters have gone through a fierce battle, Wen Long, lead the way, let the old patriarch see how your battles are."
It was Wei Yan who was coming. He did not attend the party last night. Instead, he led a group of men and horses to lay ambush around the village and guarded till midnight. As expected, a large group of horse bandits roared in, and they fought twice. He was slayed to pieces, and Wei Yan could be described as a complete victory.
In fact, last night, Amufan also heard the sound of screaming for killing, but he was too tired, and thought he was dreaming, so he ignored it. Looking at the piles of corpses and hundreds of prisoners in front of him, Amufan only knew. What I have is not a dream,
Although he saw that the horse bandits had been wiped out by the Han army, Amufan was not at all excited, but rather worried. Liu Xin saw all the changes on his face. Liu Xin nodded and asked: "Old patriarch, yes I’m not worried about being retaliated by horse bandits.”
Seeing Liu Xin see through his mind, Amufan lowered his head and said, "My lord, you can leave as soon as possible, but the more than 1,000 men, women and children in our village can't escape. If the horse bandits make a comeback, this …"
Liu Xin laughed and said, "Don't worry, from today on, you are even the subjects of the big man. Liu will never leave you alone. Clerk, you choose three thousand elite soldiers to stay and lay down on the edge of the village. Camp, you must protect the safety of the villagers,"
In fact, even if there was no horse bandit attack last night, Liu Xin planned to set up a barracks near this small village. The location here is very special. If there is no strong wind, it will only take one day from here to Yumen Pass. It can be said that it is the closest node to Liangzhou on the Silk Road. Keeping this place is very important to ensure the safety of the entire trade road.
Amufan is also very happy. If a Han army can be stationed in his village, it will be able to bring security to the Han caravan, and the Han caravan will be more willing to pass through their village and regard their village as an important one. Stay here, take a break, and replenish food and water. In this way, the villagers will have many things to do. After making money, everyone’s life will naturally get better every day.
Liu Xin glanced at Amufan who was slightly excited, but then said: "However, Liu's soldiers are stationed here, I am afraid that they will also cause some trouble to the villagers. I hope the old patriarch can do more convenience at that time."
In addition to the geographical location, this small village has a more important advantage. It is an oasis and a small clear lake. To survive in the desert, nothing is more important than water. With water, the army can You can stay here for a long time, otherwise, for the current logistics capabilities, just water supply is a heavy burden.
Water is very important to the soldiers stationed here, and even more important to the villagers who have lived here for generations. In order to avoid competition for water sources, Liu Xin and Amufan must speak these words first.
Amufan said disapprovingly: "Don't worry, sir, from here more than thirty miles north, there is still a large lake, but it's a little far away."
Liu Xin from later generations is very aware of the importance of the people’s mind. If his soldiers are stationed here and need to constantly compete with the local people for water, it will inevitably trigger various conflicts. When the conflict reaches a certain level, his soldiers will also exist here. I can’t go down anymore, so Liu Xin couldn’t help being very interested when he heard Amufan talk about the existence of such a water source. After the camp is set up, I will bother you to send more guides to guide them, and the water that the soldiers will eat will be drawn from there."
Amufan did not expect Liu Xin to consider such a thorough consideration, and replied: "Don't worry, adults, the people should do it."
On the way back to the village, Wei Yan walked up to Liu Xin and said in a low voice: "Enjoy the lord, the horse bandits that appeared last night are well-trained and well-organized. They are not like ordinary bandits, but like a regular army. ,"
Liu Xin couldn't help thinking of the night when he was camping in the wild, the person that the guide Bakulei recognized was a soldier from Shule Kingdom. Combining these two situations together, could it be said that these horse bandits were simply disguised by the army
Hearing Liu Xin's question in his heart, Jia Xu said in deep thought: "There is a possibility that his subordinates traveled to the Western Regions on the order of the lord, and the Shule King Kergan was one of the people who opposed the reconstruction of the Duhu Mansion. One, he has always had a good relationship with Dawan, and Dawan has always been at odds with me, and he was one of the first countries to break away from the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protectorate."
Liu Xin sneered and said: "Liu wants to make peace in this trip to the Western Regions. However, if you encounter such an innocent opponent, you don't mind using him to stand up, Wenhe, and you will draft an order for me. , Let Han Sheng lead the army out of the customs, and notify the caravans everywhere that they can go to the Western Regions for business."
Jia Xu pointed to hundreds of prisoners again, and said: "The subordinates interrogated those people overnight, and they all insisted that they were the subordinates of Black Tornado, but the subordinates suspected that what they said was not true and did not know what the lord would do. they,"
This is the third time that Liu Xin has heard the name of the black whirlwind. From the respect and fear of the guide, Pull Coulee, Liu Xin can judge that the black whirlwind is definitely a difficult opponent, one in the desert. A frightened bandit, his subordinates will never be so pussies,
However, no matter whether these people are under the black whirlwind, to ensure the safety of the Silk Road, the black whirlwind is the object that must be cleaned up. Liu Xin frowned, suddenly laughed, and said: "Preach out, just say I am a big man. The soldiers defeated the Black Tornado, beheading more than two thousand levels, and captured more than 500 people alive. The bandit leader Hei Tornado was seriously injured, and he is estimated to have died in the desert."