"The people from the Seven Shatu Tribes caused a lot of trouble in Qiyun County before!" Yan Liqiang narrowed his eyes and looked at the newly promoted nobleman from the Wuli Tribe opposite him, with a serious face, "So this time, even if the people from the Seven Shatu Tribes want to re-enter Baishi Pass for refuge, they can never settle down in Pingxi City like before. Besides, Pingxi City now probably has no place to accommodate more Shatu people..."
"What does the governor mean?"
"People can come in, but they can't stay in Pingxi City. I think we should find a place near Yingwei County. You can make a town or a fire gathering area!"
"That's no problem. We entered Baishi Pass this time to seek refuge. As long as we have a place to stay and the tribesmen inside can live, that's fine!" Nigu smiled, and his smile became more and more amiable and kind. "As for building a town, you don't have to worry about it. As long as the tents are set up, the people of the seven tribes of Shatu can live..."
"Yes, you are right!" Yan Liqiang also smiled, "But Qiyun County is small and sparsely populated, and it can't accommodate many Shatu people for a while. At most, it can temporarily accommodate 100,000 people. More than that won't work..."
"One hundred thousand, this is too few. Our tribe has more than one hundred thousand..."
"That's not a small number. If there were more people and there was no food, your people might cause some kind of trouble!"
"We can bring in cattle and sheep..."
"You can raise cattle and sheep anywhere on the Gulang grassland, but there may not be that many pastures in Baishi Pass. Cattle and sheep also need to eat grass. Without grass, they can't survive. So don't bring too many people in at once..."
"As long as the governor can allow the caravan to pass through Baishi Pass freely, the caravan can provide food for those of us who are seeking refuge in the pass. Do you think this is okay..."
"One hundred thousand is the upper limit, no more!" Yan Liqiang shook his head firmly, "and these one hundred thousand people can already allow the families of the nobles in your seven tribes of Shatu to come in and hide in a safe place without having to worry. As for the ordinary people in your tribe, don't they have to stay in Gulang Grassland and fight the Black Jie people? If you all hide in Baishi Pass, wouldn't it mean that you will hand over Gulang Grassland to the Black Jie people? This is not okay. Now that we are facing a powerful enemy, we should work together to resist the Black Jie people. Qiyun County can become your stable rear base, but you can't just abandon Gulang Grassland and let the Black Jie people rush directly to Baishi Pass. Don't you think so..."
After listening to Yan Liqiang's words, Nigu turned around and discussed with the Shatu people sitting next to him in Shatu language for a while, then turned around and said to Yan Liqiang, "Then let's do as the governor said, 100,000 people is 100,000 people, but after our people come in, we also hope that the governor can open up the trade of salt and iron, so that our caravan can purchase a large amount in Qiyun County. Now the Gulang grassland is most in need of these two things..."
"Haha, of course. Aren't we working together to fight the Black Jie? I'll release salt and ironware here, you can buy whatever you want. My manufacturing bureau can also produce a large number of arrows and weapons. As long as you go to buy them, we can talk..." Yan Liqiang also smiled, "But don't fall behind in your wool trade. There is a great shortage of wool in the interior of the country right now. As for the purchase price of wool, I can increase it by 30%..."
Nico smiled, his eyes sparkling, "Thank you very much, Governor..."
"And one more thing?"
"What's up?"
"The maximum number of people you can enter is 100,000. For every person that comes in, I will charge you 500 taels of silver as an entry fee..." Yan Liqiang licked his lips and looked at Nigu and the Shatu people opposite with a greedy look, "This 500 taels of silver entry fee per person cannot be less, and it must be paid in full at one time..."
"What?" Nigu's face suddenly changed. He spoke in Shatu language to the Shatu people next to him. A group of Shatu people sitting at the long table suddenly became noisy. Some people even slapped the table, stood up and shouted loudly, appearing to be very excited...
The chief of the Coyote Tribe looked at Yan Liqiang and asked loudly, "What does the governor mean by this?"
"It's meaningless..." Yan Liqiang scratched his ears with his hands and said calmly, "If you, the people of the seven tribes of Shatu, want to enter the pass for refuge, you have to pay according to the number of people. After all, there is no free lunch in this world. Now that you are here, I have to give you a place to stay, and I have to explain to the people in Qiyun County that you have a conflict with our people, and I have to mediate. Our garrison at Baishi Pass is also responsible for protecting your safety. This is not an easy task, and it costs a lot. I am penniless now. If you don't pay, I can't handle these things..."
"Sir, the entry fee of 500 taels per person is really too high..." Nigu said with a gloomy face, "If we really want to enter the pass with 100,000 people, wouldn't it cost 50 million taels of silver? We, the seven tribes of Shatu, don't have that much money. Sir, you are extorting us..."
"Blackmail? I don't think so!" Yan Liqiang looked at Nigu with a smile that made people want to beat him up. "Besides, I said that 100,000 people is just the upper limit. You don't have to come with 100,000 people. Those who enter Baishi Pass for refuge at this time are the families of the nobles in your tribes. Elder Nigu, do you think 500 taels of silver is too high for your sons, women, grandchildren, etc.? Just use this little money to buy peace of mind and leave a way out for yourself. After entering the pass, you don't have to worry about the threat of the Black Jie people. What's wrong with that..."
"No, 500 taels of silver per person is too high..." Nigu shook his head, "We, the Seven Shatu Tribes, will never accept such blackmail, and this is not something I can decide!"
"Your people are here, right? We can discuss it now. If you don't want to pay the money now, then if the Black Jie people attack, you will lose both your people and your money, will you?"
"If the Black Jie people occupied the Gulang Grassland, do you think they would just stop?"
For the next half hour, Yan Liqiang was like a businessman, bargaining with the Shatu people on the opposite side. The Shatu people were also bargaining with Yan Liqiang, discussing and arguing from time to time.
In the end, the two sides finally negotiated a result that they could "accept" to each other - the number of 100,000 Shatu people entering the pass for refuge remained unchanged, but the fee for each Shatu person to enter the pass was changed to 100 taels of silver. One day later, the seven Shatu tribes paid Yan Liqiang 1 million taels of silver as a deposit, and the remaining money would be paid five days later when the first group of people from the seven Shatu tribes entered the pass. The first group of Shatu people entering the pass was 50,000, and they entered the pass at one time, which was considered as the vanguard. After they entered Baishi Pass and settled in Qiyun County, the people from the seven Shatu tribes would come in later...
After discussing these, they agreed on the time for delivery of one million taels of silver tomorrow, and then both parties left the simple tent for the negotiations in a clean and neat manner.
…
After leaving the shelter and riding two miles on horseback, Lian Wushuang, who had been riding a rhinoceros horse and following Yan Liqiang, finally couldn't help but speak. Lian Wushuang looked at Yan Liqiang with a mocking and slightly contemptuous look, "I originally thought you were a smart man, but I didn't expect you to be so stupid. For the sake of a little bit of profit in front of you, you actually made such a deal with the Shatu people. You are inviting a wolf into the house!"
When there were fewer people around, Lian Wushuang's voice returned to her original female voice. At this time, the two of them were riding rhinoceros horses and running in the front, with a little distance from the people behind them, so they were not afraid of being heard by the people following behind.
"Haha, Miss Lian, are you concerned about me?" Yan Liqiang smiled at Lian Wushuang.
Lian Wushuang still had a hint of sneer on his face, "Who cares about you? I just think you have some conscience in treating the people in the county. I don't want to see the people of Qiyun County suffer again, so I'm reminding you!"
"Thank you for your reminder, Miss Lian. You think those Shatu people are dangerous, but I don't. Now they just need my help, and there is a great opportunity in front of me. I can just cut a piece of meat from those Shatu people. Why should I be soft-hearted? Moreover, the nobles of the seven Shatu tribes have brought their families and children to settle in Qiyun County. They are almost my hostages. With these people in my hands, it will be easier to deal with the seven Shatu tribes in the future. I can also let those Shatu people stand in front of us to deal with the Black Jie people. I can take their money and let them work for us. This is killing two birds with one stone. Although this condition is not good for the people of the seven Shatu tribes, it is already good compared to their fate in the hands of the Black Jie people..."
"I hope you won't regret it in the future!" Lian Wushuang glared at Yan Liqiang and stopped talking. He just squeezed the horse's belly with both feet and rushed to the front in a flash.
Looking at Lian Wushuang's back, Yan Liqiang smiled meaningfully...
…
(End of this chapter)