Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Since the Yongjia Rebellion, the world has been in chaos, and various forces have taken turns on the stage of history. Some are like a flash in the pan, while others rise and fall and are always active on the stage of history.

Among them, the more well-known ones are the Murong clan of Liaodong. They were subjugated and restored several times, occupying several positions among the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms. To this day, Tuyuhun, a descendant of the Miao family, still exists in the Qinghai area. The Northern Wei Dynasty was also founded by Tuoba Gui after the predecessor Dai Kingdom was destroyed by the Former Qin Dynasty. Others, such as the Yuwen family in Liaodong, withdrew from the struggle for hegemony in Xianbei, Liaodong early, but Yuwentai established a hegemony in Kansai.

The various Hu regimes were so chaotic and lively, and the Han people were inevitably going through cycles of ups and downs. The Cui family of Qinghe and the Wang family of Taiyuan in the north were on the verge of extinction several times, but they recovered again.

As one of the Han clans, the Li family of Longxi also had a similar experience, and was equally legendary. The Li family in Longxi was initially just a native of Longxi who was unknown in China, and could perhaps be called the powerful clan of Longyou. However, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was definitely not a famous family. It was not until the Zhanggui period of Qianliang that it improved slightly, but It is only limited to the increase of influence in Longyou.

What gave the Longxi Li family a huge promotion was Li Hao's founding of Xiliang in Dunhuang, Hexi Province, which made the Longxi Li family jump from the right surname of Xizhou to the royal family of Xitu.

But at that time, the whole Hexi Longyou was already in chaos. The regime with Liang as its name alone existed in Northern Liang, Southern Liang and Xiliang at the same time, and these three Liang kingdoms were all founded by Lu Guang, a Di man. Xiliang was not known for its strength among Houliang, and the regime only existed for twenty years before being conquered by Beiliang.

The existence was short and the country was founded in remote Hexi. Therefore, the Li family in Longxi did not gain any universal influence. In the mainstream society in the north at that time, it was still unknown and no such person could be found. state.

The mystery of history is that success or failure is not determined by the rise and fall of a moment. Although the Xiliang Kingdom was destroyed, the Li family of Longxi was able to use this as an opportunity to break away from the restrictions of the western border and officially set foot on the stage of the entire north.

After the fall of the Xiliang Kingdom, Li Bao, who was a survivor, led the remaining people to cross the quicksand westward, and with the assistance of his uncle Tang Qi and others established the post-Xiliang exile regime in the Western Regions. At that time, the Northern Wei Dynasty was growing in power, was about to unify the north, and was advancing towards Longyou and Hexi. Li Bao and others decided to surrender to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and then returned to the court as the royal family of Hexi.

However, in the process of the rise of the Northern Wei Dynasty, it can be said that it destroyed countless countries. The simple identity of the Longxi Li family was not enough to make it stand out. Li Chong's favor became a key factor in the continued growth of the Longxi Li family.

When the Li family in Longxi entered the dynasty, they were not well received by the Han people at that time, so that later generations were still ridiculed as "Camel Li". It tells the story of the Northern Wei Dynasty when the four surnames were selected. The Li family in Longxi rode a camel day and night to Luoyang because he was afraid that he would not be selected. However, in the end he failed to make it in time to choose the four surnames, so he was ridiculed as Tuo Li.

Such a story is nothing more than a manifestation of the ridicule and resistance of the Guandong family towards the Li family of Longxi who was born in Xizhou but came from behind. After all, a similar scene would not be out of line for any family other than the four surnames at that time. So at that time, all the noble families in Guandong would probably have the prefix of "pig, horse, camel and donkey", a litter of beasts seeking fame and reputation.

In short, with the efforts of Li Chong and other people who entered the dynasty, the Li family in Longxi became the most famous family in the world at that time. This was undoubtedly the result of a counterattack and revival for a down-and-out royal family from the Western Land, which made people feel Rejoicing and gratifying.

However, when Li Tai was born, he rose rapidly in the current situation of the Three Kingdoms, and swept all the world in one fell swoop, once again establishing a huge and unified empire, which undoubtedly pushed the revival of the Li family in Longxi to a new level. The peak has even surpassed the scope of revival, but has greatly surpassed the predecessors and created a new glory and peak!

Mu Qiang and Mu Da are the instincts of living beings. When they see powerful people and things, they always hope that they can have some wonderful connection with them. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, whose ancestors were from the Western Land and who once served as the ruler of Hexi, was undoubtedly powerful and naturally won the admiration of the Dunhuang scholars. Moreover, there was no need to force their attachment to each other. They had a deep connection with each other. This admiration naturally became stronger and deeper.

When he heard that these Dunhuang scholars claimed to be survivors of the Liang Dynasty and the residents of the Jianshi Tombs, Li Tai couldn't help but feel emotional. The atmosphere had reached this point, so naturally he couldn't respond without response.

So he walked out of the chariot, and came to the front of the team surrounded by the imperial guards. He raised his hands and shouted to the Dunhuang people on the opposite side: "The descendants are unworthy, they have wasted their past achievements, alienated their loyalties, and after conquering the world, from now on, I feel deeply ashamed and relieved to return to my ancestors’ mausoleum. My ancestors’ old songs are still here, and I am deeply grateful to them for their loyalty to Hexi.”

When the people of Dunhuang heard this response from the Supreme Being, they all cheered even more enthusiastically. Accompanied by the cheerful cheers, state and county officials and village heroes came forward to welcome the holy driver into the city.

Dunhuang is located in the western section of the Hexi Corridor and is also the front station for entering the Western Regions. It has extraordinary status and significance from ancient times to the present. Although Li Tai's western tour had important political and strategic intentions, he also wanted to broaden his horizons and see the different customs and customs in various parts of the Tang Dynasty under his rule.

When Li Tai first entered the city, he felt a strong exotic atmosphere. Whether it is the architectural style or the residents in Dunhuang City, all ethnic groups are blended together. There are a large number of Diqiang and Hu people from the nine states of Zhaowu in the Western Regions living in the city. Even Persians and Byzantines from farther away are not uncommon in the city. It is simply a large exhibition of continental races.

Of course, it is not ruled out that the officials of Guazhou want to let the Supreme open his eyes here, so they have gathered many races to welcome the arrival of the Holy Carriage, but this is enough to show the unique charm of Dunhuang as the center of East-West exchanges on the mainland.

As a city with commerce as its main industry, Dunhuang City is not as well-defined and heavily guarded as inland cities. Even the state capital in the city does not have a tall wall. People can enter and exit freely. Of course, some important areas are still guarded by armored soldiers, but in most cases, people's behavior and activities are still relatively free.

Freedom is not necessarily good, and strict guards are not necessarily bad. The relatively relaxed atmosphere in Dunhuang today can only be said to be a peaceful and prosperous period of communication between the East and the West, without being threatened by too much war or unrest. If the basic personal and property safety cannot be guaranteed by the looting and plundering of the chaotic soldiers and the rampant bandits in the streets, normal people with brains will also hope to strengthen supervision and regulations.

Guazhou is the westernmost part of the actual control of the Tang Dynasty today. As the seat of Guazhou, Dunhuang naturally has a very unique significance. The current governor of Guazhou is Wang Ban, who was demoted to Hexi a few years ago, and the governor of Dunhuang is Tang Yong, an old man of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

Speaking of Tang Yong, he also has a close relationship with the Longxi Li family and the Hexi area. The Longxi Li family was able to establish the Hexi country, especially Li Bao established the Western Liang in the Western Regions, which was inseparable from the support of the in-laws Tang family. Tang Yong was born in the Jinchang Tang family, and he was also a relative with a deep relationship with the Longxi Li family.

Of course, the reason why Li Tai admired Tang Yong more was that he was talented and capable. He had been in charge of Jinyang military affairs for many years and was the right-hand man of several generations of Northern Qi monarchs. Guazhou is located in Hexi, far away from Guanlong, and the situation is relatively complicated. It needs such a smart and capable person to serve here and form a local garrison force.

Li Tai came to Dunhuang this time, and his schedule was also quite busy. On the first day of his arrival, he first hosted a banquet for officials from the prefecture and county and a group of nobles in this village. Families such as Linghu Yanbao, who have lived in this village for generations, have a very profound impact on the maintenance of the village order and local administration. The reason why the Western Wei Dynasty was able to recover Guazhou was because of the support of a group of nobles in the country.

On the second day, Li Tai led the crowd to the mausoleum of Li Hong, the first lord of Xiliang, Jianshi Mausoleum to worship their ancestors. Before, the people of Dunhuang called themselves Jianshi Mausoleum Households, because of this, they regarded themselves as the mausoleum households guarding the mausoleum of the Longxi Li family.

Li Hong had been dead for more than a hundred years, and soon after his death, Xiliang was destroyed by Beiliang. After that, the Dunhuang area changed its masters several times and was in turmoil, so Li Hong's mausoleum was inevitably affected and damaged. However, when Li Tai ascended the throne in Chang'an and conferred the title of the Seven Temples, he also sent envoys to Dunhuang to repair the ancestral mausoleum, so the mausoleum is still well preserved today.

After worshiping the ancestors' mausoleum, Li Tai ordered to visit the former Xiliang officials and subordinates, especially those who died for the country and defended their loyalty, and their descendants were all granted official titles to commend their loyalty. Although this move was to commemorate the ancestors' merits, it was actually to win over the current Hexi Han people.

At the same time, all registered people in the former Xiliang territory were exempted from rent and tax for three years, and those over the age of 60 in the household were permanently exempted from Dingyong, and those over 70 were given 100 pieces of silk and two slaves.

The conditions for cultivation in Hexi region are not as good as those in the inland of Guanzhong. The cultivated land is mainly concentrated in limited areas such as river valleys and oases, and most of the cultivated land is in the hands of Han nobles. After all, neither the Zhaowu Hu nor the passing Persian and other Hu merchants are keen on reclaiming wasteland and doing business. Although farming is not as profitable as business, it is more stable. Therefore, although the order in Hexi region has changed several times, the Han nobles still exist tenaciously and have a strong power over people and land.

The biggest beneficiaries of the exemption of rent and labor service by the court are naturally these Han people who share land. As for other craftsmen and merchants engaged in handicrafts and commerce, the city tax is still inevitable.

In addition, Li Tai also ordered to visit the descendants of the old teachers of Ganliang, and granted them the official title of Longxing Wei and 100 hectares of land to reward these lonely and loyal people. His ancestor Li Bao retreated to Yiwu after the fall of the Western Liang Kingdom and established the Western Liang regime. At that time, he had a Ganliang division under his command. Some of this army followed Li Bao to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and some followed Tang He to stay in Yanqi in the Western Regions. Later, Tang He entered the court, and this army gradually dispersed between Hexi and the Western Regions.

Li Tai wanted to form a new military force in Hexi. The direct dispatch of troops by the court was one source, and the local powerful tribes and various controlled Hu tribes in Hexi were also part of it. The Ganliang old tribes of the Western Liang Dynasty could also be used as a source of soldiers.

Although more than a hundred years have passed, there must not be too many descendants of the Ganliang old tribes, but it does not prevent this from being used as a concept to build an elite force.

With the concept of the Ganliang old tribes to win over, those who can be selected must have a very strong cohesion and sense of honor. Moreover, Li Tai offered such generous rewards to these Longxing Wei because he wanted to train them directly as military landlords. As this team was formed and grew stronger, it could gradually replace the Hexi tyrants and become the new main force of the Hexi armed forces.

Of course, if these big families want to join, Li Tai is not opposed. However, after they join, they must also obey the faith of the old Ganliang people, and can no longer use the power of the past to gain power.

When Li Tai came to Dunhuang, in addition to the establishment and arrangement of military and political affairs, he had another thing to do, that is, to hold a grand expo.

The development of Hexi is inseparable from the promotion of trade, and trade is not only a behavior to promote regional prosperity and gain benefits, but also a very important and effective means of united front. For example, the previous Tuyuhun Khan Kua Lu did not want to join the Tang Dynasty's control system, but under the temptation of huge trade interests, he chose to submit to the Tang Dynasty.

In the future, the Tang Dynasty will continue to expand its influence and control, and strengthening the exchange of personnel and materials with the Western Regions is a necessary path. In order to gain the dominance of trade on the Silk Road, a strong national strength is certainly one aspect, and having abundant commodities is also very important. The world is bustling with people, all for profit. The Tang Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, so it naturally has extraordinary appeal to merchants.

This time Li Tai came to Dunhuang, and took this opportunity to show the wealth of the Tang Dynasty to merchants at home and abroad. His entourage carried a variety of goods. In order to ensure the travel period and to make a splash, he did not stop to display them when passing through Longyou. Now that he has arrived at the western town of the Hexi Corridor, he naturally has to show them to his heart's content. He set up a grand exhibition venue outside Dunhuang and invited Dunhuang people, chieftains and various Hu merchants to come in and watch.

When the masses were immersed in visiting the various commodities on display, Li Tai did not have time to take care of these things. His main energy was still used on the most important thing in this western tour, which was to preside over the arrangement of military strikes against the Western Turks.

In the midst of the bustling atmosphere outside Dunhuang, another group of Hu merchants arrived in Dunhuang. However, this group did not go to the most popular exhibition venue, but quietly entered the military camp on the other side of the city under the escort of the Tang army. The leader of this group was not an ordinary merchant, but the King of Gaochang, Qu Qiangu.