Chapter 1339 What a coincidence
“Are you going to join your in-laws?”
Tuoba Desert Khan's eyes showed a little bit of envy.
He walked all the way south from the grassland and met many people who said they were going to join their relatives and friends in the Han Dynasty.
There are Han people and there are Hu people.
Especially for tribes close to the border fortress, if anyone has any relatives or friends in the fortress and can be introduced to work in the fortress, that would be an enviable luck.
Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to work.
Grazing in An’an’s land outside the Great Wall, selling livestock and wool to the Great Wall every year, life is much better than before.
If you enter the fortress, you can be protected by the Han State, but from now on you must listen to the Han State.
If you don’t enter the fortress and don’t have the wings of the Han State, you will face all kinds of inexplicable vendettas on the grassland.
In any case, the Han people only recognized wool and not people.
Who cares where the **** wool comes from?
At worst, we can downgrade it to a lower grade and lower the price.
The longer he stayed in Han, the more Tuoba Desert Khan felt that the decision to unite Wei against Han was worth it.
It is better to make friends with the Han Dynasty.
The tribe’s deacons believed that once Southern Xia was unified, they would use troops outside the Great Wall.
But what he saw and heard along the way, from beyond the Great Wall to Chang'an, were the Hu people grazing herds, workers working, and people buying and selling.
Even Chang'an has a large number of barbarians doing business.
I heard that the Han Dynasty regarded the Han people as the same as the barbarians. Now it seems that it is probably true.
Hence, Tuoba Desert Khan was already a little shaken by his worries about the clan’s deacons.
I heard that the Yi people in Nanzhong and the Qiang people in Liangzhou were treated the same as the Hu people in Bingzhou.
Since the Han Dynasty could accommodate so many barbarians, how could it not tolerate the Tuoba clan alone?
Speaking of which, the Tuoba family actually had relatives by marriage in Han.
And they are also close brothers.
Tuoba and Tuofa are brothers.
Thinking of this, Tuoba Desert Khan smiled bitterly in his heart.
“From descendants to descendants, we will be emperor from generation to generation.”
For the sake of the goddess of heaven, the Tuoba tribe, which was not a large grassland tribe in the first place, was divided into two and was even almost exterminated.
Your Excellency has worked hard to manage the tribe for more than twenty years, and this is why the tribe is now prosperous.
Hearing that the Tufa tribe had defected to the Han Kingdom, Hu Qiyi, who was stationed in Bingzhou, included people from the Bald hair tribe.
It’s a pity that the Bald Tribe, who was originally a relative, probably won’t accept the Tuoba Tribe at this time.
Thinking of this, the look of envy on Tuoba Desert Khan’s face became even more obvious:
“Zhang Langjun is really lucky to have in-laws in Dahan.”
Zhang Miao had a look of humility on his face:
“It’s a great prize. It’s a great prize.”
Obviously he is being modest, but why is there a smug look in his eyes? What's going on?
“What about Mr. Tuoba? You came to Chang’an for business?”
"Business?" Tuoba Desert Khan hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, "Yes, I came here just to see if there is any good business here."
If we can reach a deal with the Han State and find a way out for the tribe, it can be considered a business.
Cao Miao looked Tuoba Desert Khan up and down and asked:
"Most of the treasures in the world are gathered in Chang'an, so why can't we do business? But I see that Tuoba Langjun's face is not happy. Could it be that he hasn't found what he likes yet?"
Tuoba Desert Khan shook his head, "I found it after searching, but it's a pity that there is no way to buy it."
"Oh?" When Zhang Miao heard what the other party said, his interest suddenly aroused, "It seems that what Mr. Tuoba is looking for is probably unusual."
Tuoba Desert Khan sighed, "It's just beyond our reach!"
"To be honest, Tuoba Langjun, I first arrived in Chang'an, far away from my hometown, and I was worried about finding a way out."
Zhang Miao said to Tuoba Desert Khan, "We fell in love with Mr. Tuoba at the first sight. If we can't abandon each other, can we go to the restaurant to have a detailed talk? I happened to listen and found out what Mr. Tuoba is interested in. How rare.”
The longer Tuoba Desert Khan stayed in Chang'an, the more contradictory his inner desires were to the decisions of his adults and clan deacons.
It’s just that he is just the eldest prince and does not have much say in the clan.
For the moment, I couldn’t figure out how to convince the adults and deacons, so I felt even more depressed.
It is precisely when you are full of worries and no one listens to you. At this time, someone takes the initiative to listen to what you have to say, and you are naturally willing to do so.
The two of them found a nearby restaurant called "Juepinju".
"Tuoba Langjun has been in Chang'an for a long time, but he has come here to taste the food here?"
After the waiter at the restaurant brought the food and wine, Zhang Miao asked Tuoba Desert Khan to have a taste.
Tuoba Desert Khan nodded:
“The food here is quite famous, I’ve definitely come here to try it.”
Let’s not talk about anything else, just talking about this mutton barbecue, it has the best taste of Hetuoba Desert Khan.
As a noble on the grassland, Tuoba Shachenhan had eaten countless roast muttons.
It is not an exaggeration at all to say that I grew up growing up.
But he really has never seen anyone who can bake such delicious lamb.
I don’t know what kind of seasoning is used in this exquisite dish. Not only can it remove the fishy smell, it even adds a lot of fragrance.
"Wow!" Zhang Miao clapped her hands, "I just said that Tuoba Langjun and I hit it off right away! In fact, I also think this barbecue restaurant is the most delicious."
As he spoke, he pointed around, "Not to mention the West Market, even in the entire Chang'an City, this restaurant is worthy of being ranked first."
Then he lowered his voice and said, "I heard that this place is opened by people from the Xinghan Hui. I don't know where the Xinghan Hui found the secret recipe, so that they can make such delicious food."
Hearing Zhang Miao's words, Tuoba Desert Khan's heart skipped a beat.
Xing Hanhui?
Who is the leader of the Xinghan Society?
Isn’t it Feng Da Sima who is struggling to find a way out but is invisible?
However, this idea flashed through Tuoba Desert Khan's mind, and was immediately rejected by himself.
How can he, who is just the owner of a restaurant, still be able to speak in front of Feng Da Sima?
Thinking of this, Tuoba Desert Khan felt that he was probably in a daze.
These days, he has been wanting to see Feng Da Sima.
I want to talk to Da Sima to see if we can find a better way out for the tribe.
But how could Feng Da Sima be so easy to meet?
Don’t say that you are just a barbarian from the grassland. Even many ministers in the Han Dynasty are not qualified to enter the majestic Sima Mansion.
Let alone this time, I cannot represent the tribe.
Even if I can see Da Sima, I can only hope that Da Sima can provide conditions to impress the master, and then I will have the confidence to persuade the master to change his mind.
Sigh, this idea is simply unbelievable.
However, Tuoba Desert Khan was a little unwilling to leave like this.
I don’t know what I am doing now.
Tuoba Desert Khan smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Seeing Tuoba Desert sweating like this, Zhang Miao couldn't help but feel a little surprised:
“Perhaps Tuoba Langjun thinks what I said is exaggerated?”
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Desert Khan quickly explained and apologized:
"Of course not. I just had other thoughts in my mind, so I was temporarily absent-minded. Don't blame me."
Zhang Miao's eyes showed a look of disbelief, and he explained hurriedly:
“Tuoba Langjun, please don’t think I’m joking, I have a source of information!”
Although Zhang Miao spent a lot of money and booked a private room, he still lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being overheard:
“Tuoba Langjun, do you know who the relative I am seeking refuge with this time is?”
He lost his composure in front of Zhang Miao. When Tuoba Desert Khan heard this question, he quickly shook his head:
“How can I know this?”
Zhang Miao asked somewhat proudly:
“Does Mr. Tuoba know that there is a Zhang family in the residence of the Great Sima of the Han Dynasty, and he is a famous figure in the Han Dynasty?”
Tuoba Desert Khan was startled and blurted out:
Halfway through speaking, he quickly stopped talking, dipped his finger in tea, and wrote two words on the table.
When Zhang Miao saw it, his face changed, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He immediately shook his head in denial:
"No, no! How dare I say that this Zhang is the in-law of another Zhang, another one!" Pretending to be the in-law of a Han empress is a capital offense.
“Another Zhang?”
Tuoba Langjun's face was full of doubts. Apart from Mrs. Zhang You, could there be other people with the surname Zhang in Da Sima's house?
As if he saw Tuoba Desert Khan’s doubts, Zhang Miao said with a little pride:
“Tuoba Langjun, do you know how many wives Da Sima has?”
What don’t you know about this?
Feng Da Sima was not good at beauty, and he did not have any singers or dancers. He only had two wives and two concubines in his house.
I heard that even the three quotas for concubines given by the imperial court were not filled up.
Compared to the powerful people in this world, it is really rare.
Of course, there are also rumors that Feng Da Sima was as lustful as his mother, and he had three thousand wives.
But Tuoba Desert Khan definitely didn’t believe it.
Zhang Miao looked around subconsciously, and then asked quietly:
“Do you know, Mr. Tuoba, what are the surnames of Da Sima’s four wives and concubines?”
Although Da Sima's wives and concubines can be seen in public without any taboos, it would be inappropriate after all if people overheard discussing Da Sima's wives and concubines in private.
“Naturally known, surname…”
Tuoba Desert Khan was halfway through his answer when he suddenly froze.
The left and right ladies are Guan Zhang, Mrs. Mu is surnamed Li, Mrs. Mei...
Huh?
What is Mrs. Mei’s surname?
Zhang Miao seemed to have anticipated Tuoba Desert Khan's reaction, and looked at him with a little complacency in his daze.
When Tuoba Desert Khan saw Zhang Miao looking like this, he had an idea:
“Could it be possible that your surname is Zhang?”
“Wow!”
Zhang Miao slammed the table, poured wine for each of them, then picked up his own wine glass, took a sip, took another bite of vegetables, and then said calmly:
“Everyone in the world thinks that Mrs. Mei is from Nanzhong, but this is a huge fallacy!”
"Um?"
Although it sounds like it has little to do with the purpose of my trip.
But in Tuoba Desert Khan, it would be great to know more about Feng Da Sima.
“Is this true?”
“What did I lie to you for?”
Zhang Miao took another sip of wine, smacked her lips, as if to add some flavor, and then continued:
“Mrs. Mei’s actual surname is Zhang, and she is a descendant of the Zhang family from Nanyang who lived abroad. The in-law I came here to seek refuge with is Mrs. Mei.”
If you were a knowledgeable person, you would probably jump up in shock when you hear this news.
But Tuoba Desert Khan grew up in the desert grassland, so naturally he didn't know about the Zhang family in Nanyang.
However, even so, he traveled between the desert and the Han Dynasty many times, and he also knew the affairs of the Han Dynasty's aristocratic families.
Those who can be called "Nanyang Zhang family" must be from a wealthy family.
Wrong!
Tuoba Desert Khan suddenly realized that this news was not irrelevant to him.
But very important!
“Mrs. Mei’s surname is Zhang? Is she Brother Zhang’s in-law?”
“That’s natural!”
Zhang Miao made a "Zhi" sound for the third time, drank all the wine in the cup, and said proudly:
"My in-law, although she is just a concubine, her status in Da Sima's mansion is very important!"
"She has followed Da Sima since she was a child, and has learned a lot of knowledge from Da Sima's words and deeds."
“Then Nanxiang Academy, oh, it is now the Royal Academy, but she participated in the founding!”
As if he was very worried that others would look down on Mrs. Mei’s origin, Zhang Miao tried his best to explain Mrs. Mei’s identity to Tuoba Desert Khan:
“Mrs. Mei not only helped Da Sima establish Nanxiang College, but she also ran the Women’s College, which was the former Textile College of Nanxiang.”
“Moreover, she is not only a teacher at the Royal Academy, but also the director of the Design Institute, specializing in designing various objects for big men.”
"Not to mention the students of the academy, even the many generals in the army, when they see her, they have to be respectful and call her Mr. Mei, isn't it awesome?"
Tuoba Desert Khan has naturally heard of Mrs. Mei’s name for a long time.
I heard that the looms now popular in Han Dynasty were improved by Mrs. Mei.
Especially the loom in the workshop for weaving wool, women all called it Mei Ji to show their gratitude to Mrs. Mei.
To say that the four ladies on Dasima Mansion, Tuoba Desert Khan is the most important thing, in fact, it is Mrs. Mei.
It is precisely because of Mrs. Mei that wool, which was originally of little use, became a great treasure.
Thinking of this, Tuoba Desert Khan's heart beat violently.
He saw that Zhang Miao's glass was empty, so he quickly picked up the jug and filled it up with a look of envy on his face:
"Awesome, awesome! Mrs. Mei is indeed awesome, and so are the four wives of Da Sima, not to mention Mrs. Guan and Zhang."
“It’s Mrs. Namu. I heard that she is also from the Li family in Shu. How can Mrs. Mei be any different? It turns out that she is from such a noble family. No wonder, no wonder!”
“I didn’t expect that Zhang Langjun came to seek refuge with his in-laws, but this in-laws turned out to be so great!”
If we say, this person is really Mrs. Mei’s in-law.
And Mrs. Mei was so favored by Da Sima.
So, is it possible to meet Da Sima through this way?
Thinking of this, Tuoba Desert Khan's hand holding the wine bottle trembled slightly with excitement.
When Zhang Miao heard this compliment, he felt so happy that he couldn't help laughing proudly.
“However, since Mrs. Mei is so powerful and Zhang Langjun is Mrs. Mei’s in-law, why are you still worried about the way out?”
“Alas!” Upon hearing this question, Zhang Miao, who was originally full of pride, suddenly became a little annoyed.
"Tuoba Langjun doesn't know something. Da Sima is a fair and honest person."
He raised his glass and took a sip, put down the glass, and continued, "Even if you are a relative, if you have no talent, it will be difficult for him to recommend you."
"Even if Mrs. Mei is favored again, she wouldn't dare to open such an opening in front of him easily!"
“Furthermore, the four ladies, Guan, Zhang and Li, are all people with a background, and many of them have in-laws to help them.”
"Mrs. Mei is different. She has been living outside the home since she was a child. She has been working as a maidservant with Da Sima alone. She only got where she is today by her own ability. How can she have anyone to help her?"
“If it weren’t for coincidence, I wouldn’t have known her life experience! Even though I came here to seek refuge, I still wanted to help her.”
"It's just that Mrs. Mei has become accustomed to not having any in-laws over the years. In this hurry, there is no good way out, so I can only wait."
“So I’m thinking about finding a way to establish myself in Chang’an first, so as not to be looked down upon by the people in Da Sima’s house, and then Mrs. Mei can speak in front of Da Sima.”
Tuoba Desert Khan nodded, this is indeed the reason.
He looked at Zhang Miao, his eyes flickering, not knowing what he was thinking.
After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Since Zhang Langjun has such an identity, he can probably get some woolen tea leaves, right? Then why not imitate those caravans and go to the grassland to sell?"
Not to mention the raw materials, this tea needs the connections of Xinghanhui to get it.
If this person can really get this good thing, it is an exaggeration to think about it, but there should be some ways.
Zhang Miao said "tsk":
"Do you think I haven't thought of this way? I can get woolen tea leaves, not to mention too much, but compared to those caravans, it is definitely much easier."
“It’s just that I don’t have a trade route to the grassland!”
After leaving the pass, the grassland is a complete jungle where the jungle is full of predators.
This is still a small matter. After all, the tribes on the grassland most of the time still welcome the caravans from the Senei to exchange things.
But it is not easy to organize escorts, find guides, and when and where to trade.
They were all made possible by other people's hard work. How could it be so easy to tell others?
If you don’t know this and rush into the grassland without preparation, you will lose all your money.
Hearing what the other party said, Tuoba Desert Khan was convinced.
But listen to him say:
“I have no supply of goods and trade routes, and Zhang Langjun has no trade routes and supply of goods. Don’t you think this is a coincidence?”
(End of this chapter)