C217

Oasis City had gradually become prosperous because of the trade between the two countries. However, the small size of the city prevented the town from expanding any further. Since this was the first time that the two countries intended to make peace, neither side trusted each other completely. Therefore, the location of each trading city was carefully chosen. They had to hold onto each other's throats, but they couldn't go too deep into each other's territory. For example, Oasis City was located in the Golden Gate of the Great Xuan City and was a city belonging to the Great Xuan City. However, the city lord of this place was assigned by the Kulman Clan to be in charge of the city, and the management authority was based on the three classes and six rooms of the Great Xuan yamen. At the yamen, the messengers from the Third Class and the Sixth Branch were all arranged in a ratio of one to one, with the soldiers of both the Kurman Tribes and the Great Xuan Empire being mixed in. But the Kurman clan provided the army to maintain order in the towns.

To the northwest of Oasis City was the Golden Gate Pass. It was a vast desert, so the locals had a common saying: "Once you leave the Golden Gate Pass, no one will return while covering your face with yellow sand."

Oasis City was a place for merchants to supply supplies to the Great Xuan. Many merchants were here either to replenish their supplies or to hire bodyguards to trade on the other side of the desert.

Some of them were from the Kurman tribe. Every fall during the past few years, they would send a team of people to their tribe to come and discuss the matter of buying and selling livestock with the merchants here.

Almost all the trading cities were exactly as they had been when they first negotiated with the two countries, but where there was sunlight, there would be darkness. The border trade city had originally been built in troubled areas, and the border traffic had been rampant in the past. In the first two years, both countries were so concerned about the establishment of these cities that both the chosen officials and the stationed soldiers were able to choose the best soldiers.

But both countries knew that these forces would not be able to make them do this kind of work all year round. If they were to place their elites in these places, then their own forces would be greatly weakened.

Later on, the two countries gradually replaced the officials and soldiers of these cities. As for the managers who had been replaced, their identities were extremely complicated. Among them were troops, soldiers, soldiers, etc.

In just one year, many cities and towns have established their own underground order. Among them were government officials and the bandits of the Green Forest. Those people would not make things difficult for the Shangguan family merchants, and they would even give them some help. For some small merchants, they would even more fiercely collect various protection fees. Some of them even colluded with some officials at the yamen. With just a simple tax, they had investigated the properties of the commoners.

Especially the merchants that came and went deep into the desert, these people were even greedier. They will specify where all the merchants who need to come out of seclusion can replenish their supplies. If they did not replenish their supplies at the designated place, they would at least be unable to leave their seclusion. The worst case scenario was that they would 'bump' into a group of straggling horses not long after they came out of seclusion.

However, even though this place was dangerous, it still attracted many merchants who came to seek wealth. After all, in their eyes, wealth came from danger.

After arriving at Oasis City, Luo Lingwei discovered that although this place was bustling, there was a vicious atmosphere emanating from everywhere. People were coming and going on the streets, almost everyone was carrying a saber and sword on their back. Everyone was looking at the expressions of the people around them.

Although the merchants were shouting and selling their wares, their eyes were looking around while their hands were protecting their wares. All of this was very strange. Luo Lingwei and the others were walking on the street, and in order to avoid any trouble, Luo Lingwei and Little Qing and Little White were all dressed up as men.

This was the second day since Luo Lingwei had arrived at Oasis City. Yesterday, the few of them had rested very comfortably in the inn. Initially, Luo Lingwei did not plan to build an inn in this bordering city, but Ye Lianhe did not oppose it. Instead, she built an inn in more than ten bordering cities. After all, what Luo Lingwei saw were the profits and losses in the account books, and what Ye Lianhe valued the most was the information network built through this inn.

However, thanks to the fact that Ye Lianhe had disregarded Luo Lingwei's objections to the establishment of an inn in this bordering city, today, Luo Lingwei had gained a lot from him. Otherwise, in such a strange atmosphere in the town, Luo Lingwei and the others would not be able to sleep well.

"Shop owner, this jade looks pretty good. How much is it?" Luo Lingwei saw a piece of unpolished jade on a stall. If it was meticulously carved, it could be made into a pretty good jade pendant.

"This guest, your eyes are truly sharp." This piece of unpolished jade was something I picked up from an old pit half a year ago. If you like it, fifty silver, this piece of jade is yours. "

Seeing that someone had finally come to buy something from his stall, the shop owner was overjoyed. He hurriedly reported the price.

Luo Lingwei looked at this piece of jade again and discovered that although it was pure white and transparent, it was only of water and not of expensive ice type. Moreover, this piece of jade was only half the size of his palm. It was only a single piece of unpolished jade, yet the shop owner asked for 50 taels of silver. This was somewhat unacceptable to Luo Lingwei.

"Shop owner, this price is a bit too much. It's just a mid-tier water jade, why would you ask for fifty silver taels from me?" As Luo Lingwei spoke, she gestured to clean up.

"Sigh …" Unexpectedly, just as Luo Lingwei finished her sentence, the shop owner sighed and said, "This is not the rule of these old men guarding the city." After entering the city, they would have to pay admission fees. After exiting the city, they would have to pay homecoming fee. After selling things, these local thugs would have to pay another portion of the money. If they didn't sell anything, they would also have to pay a management fee. So if we ordinary citizens want to live here, we have to raise the price of the goods we sell. Otherwise, in less than three days, our entire family would starve to death on the streets. "

"Does the government not care?" Luo Lingwei was a little curious. She didn't know how the yamen was handled, after all, some of them were from the Kulman Clan.

"The government?" The peddler laughed bitterly and said, "This master, it looks like this is your first time here right? The Master in Oasis City only knows how to hunt and patrol all day long. He is not one of us. "Sigh, they don't care about the lives of the commoners at all."

Luo Lingwei shook her head when she heard this. Although the officials she had met had committed many evil deeds, they still had to put some effort into governing the people. The county officials of Oasis City, however, did not care about them.

"Old man Tian, it's time to pay your rent!" Just as Luo Lingwei and the booth owner were chatting, a loud shout suddenly came from behind them.