Chapter 40 Naming

  The top of Lao Ya Mountain, the sun rises, and the snow reflects a golden glow.

  Behind the mountain top, in a dense forest, more than 100 people wearing thin clothes were busy as if their lives depended on it. One by one, giant trees were felled and stripped of branches. These were all young people from the mountain stronghold, none older than 20 years old. After being selected by the master of the house, each of them secretly rejoiced in their hearts, but they didn't think that the master would treat them as laborers, making them get up to work before dawn every day and busy themselves until evening before having a chance to rest. They were exhausted to the point where their bones felt like they were going to scatter, but fortunately, their daily food was not bad, with fatty beef and mutton that left their mouths greasy.

  Di Zhe himself chose those subordinates, more than half of whom were former slaves and herders. All the young people in the mountain stronghold were taken under his wing, only allowed to chop wood and fetch water every day, with hardly any rest. The daily chores were arranged tightly, with Wang Yi and Che Feng taking turns to torment them.

  The old bandits in the mountain stronghold almost all belonged to Xiao Zhiyan, whether they came from Duo Yan grassland or were originally mixed in the killing of Hu Kou.

  After being in the bandit's den for so long, Di Zhe also understood the temperament of these people. The old bandits were not something he could control. The old bandits were extremely slick and could switch sides at any time, today they could follow Tiantian Eagle, tomorrow they could follow him, Di Zhe. These people had learned to adapt and protect themselves in countless life-or-death situations, no wonder Xiao Zhisheng said that the bandits couldn't be relied upon to fight a tough battle. Xiao Zhisheng was straightforward and righteous, without any airs, and got along well with everyone when drinking and chatting. He was the only one in the mountain stronghold who had the ability to tame these people.

  It is still winter and the ground is frozen.

  For most of the bandits on Lao Ya Mountain, it was just a change of master, and their daily life was not much different from before. Only Xiao Zhiyan led people in and out every day.

  After setting up the stronghold, Di Zhe handed over all the patrol outposts in the outer periphery of Liang City to him. After all, he had been mixed with this grassland for seven or eight years. Xiao Zhisheng was the only person in the mountain stronghold who could be trusted and relied on by Di Zhe. Che Feng was too tender, Meng Kang was good at fighting, but if you say that his scouting skills were not bad, it's not a bit true.

  Xiao Zhiyan led dozens of people down the mountain every day at dawn, wandering around the border between Heling'er and Liangcheng to observe the terrain, which had been going on for several days.

  Four or five days later, on the eve of the Lantern Festival.

  When the sun sets, Lao Ya's words lead dozens of riders to rush back like a whirlwind. As soon as they enter the mountain stronghold, Di Zhe comes out to greet them. Seeing that his forehead is also covered with a thin layer of sweat on this cold winter day, it can be seen that he has been busy all day.

  "What's going on? I'm entering tomorrow!"

  "It's all mountains! Basically, we've seen almost everything. "Xiao Zhiyan took a deep breath and continued: "I set up five fixed sentry posts and three patrol routes, which should ensure that anyone entering will be discovered in time! Fortunately, the brothers are very familiar with this terrain."

  "So I'm at ease now!" Zhai Zhe looked a bit pensive.

  "Are you worried about the merchant group?" Xiao Zhiyan clicked his tongue and shook his head, saying: "I've never found that you have such guts, entrusting tens of thousands of taels of silver worth of goods to a stranger."

  "Was I really that timid before?" Di Zhe couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "Not small, at least bigger than me!"

  "I'm not afraid of Ning Sheng's tricks, this is also a test for him." Zhai Zhe furrowed his brow again and said: "The business is crucial, if he's not trustworthy, I'd rather take the loss this time!"

  Di Zhe wasn't worried about the merchant group. He still had a letter from E Mu Bu Han in his hand, which was his trump card. However, he didn't want to use the familiar business names of E Mu Bu Han. As a born businessman, he understood those people thoroughly. In this world, there were two kinds of people who were most unreliable: prostitutes and businessmen. Everything could be sold for profit. He had to find someone trustworthy to manage the merchant group.

  Xiao Zhiyan curled up the corners of his mouth and revealed a familiar smile, saying: "Don't worry, go ahead, in the mountain village there's me, nothing will go wrong."

  The second day, Lantern Festival, fifteenth of the first month.

  There is a folk saying that after the 15th day, it's still bitter. This means that after the Lantern Festival, the Spring Festival is considered to be completely over. It's time to go up the mountain to hunt and down to the fields to work hard for the livelihood of the year.

  On the mountain path outside Kuhu Kou, a dozen or so swift horses galloped rapidly along the mountain path.

  Although Di Zhe had great confidence in Ning Sheng, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at this time.

  As they rode through the canyon, the treacherous pass was right before their eyes. Di Zhe reined in his big black horse under the city wall and shouted: "We are fellow travelers of the merchant caravan that entered the pass two days ago! Would you please let us pass, sirs?"

  The officers and men on guard did not dare to take charge, and went to report to Zhang Guang.

  The Lantern Festival was a predetermined day. Ning Sheng hurried to the Guardian Mansion early in the morning to see Zhang Guang, with silver in hand, making it convenient for him to speak and act.

  These days, with the help of Liu Quan, Ning Sheng spent 500 taels of silver to find a remote place to buy a shop, and also settled himself down. In this Kill Hu Kou, he also had a say. Already several households of stay-at-home managers have come to convey the meaning of the East House, after the Lantern Festival will come to Jizi to visit.

  A thousand taels of silver were carried in, and Zhang Guang's mouth was smiling so wide it couldn't be closed. Nowadays, the military pay of the Ming dynasty is getting worse day by day, and the Ministry of War allocates a little money which all goes to the personal soldiers and family members of the general. The other soldiers of various guards are so poor that they can't even afford a copper coin for several months, and they can't even support their wives and children at home. Many people have fled in all directions, and some would rather run to the grasslands to be slaves for the Tumet people.

  This world, Zhang Guang has also seen through it. Ma Tong, the general of Datong, was brave and good at fighting, and died in Beijing last year. It is said that he died unjustly, and some say that he was shot by General Yuan Chonghuan's personal soldiers, but it is unclear whether this is true or not. In the past, when Ma Tong was alive, because he was a Mongolian, he occupied most of the interests in this area outside the pass. After Ma Tong died, the trade route was completely cut off again.

  A thousand miles to be an official, only for the sake of money. The business route is not open, and no one asks about the position of Kill Hu Kou. If the business route is opened, there will be no money to bribe at the lucrative post of Kill Hu Kou, and Zhang Guang worries that he won't last long either.

  "Is your honorable shop's master going through customs today?" Zhang Guang twirled his whiskers, pretending to be hesitant, and said: "If there aren't many people, it can be arranged!"

  Ning Sheng didn't know how many people Zhai Zhe would bring into the pass, thinking that there couldn't be too many, and replied with a bow: "Not many, not many!"

  Two men were chatting leisurely when a soldier came to report: "There is someone outside the pass who requests to enter!"

  "How many people?"

  "A dozen people!"

  Apart from Dàdāngjiā's family, there shouldn't be anyone else. Níng Shèng nodded slightly with a hint of meaning in his eyes.

  "If you're from the Ming dynasty, then let him go."

  The soldier didn't expect today's guard to be so easy-going.

  As he saw the soldiers leaving, Ning Sheng thought of going to welcome Di Zhe and bowed his hands: "In the future, there will be merchant teams entering and exiting the pass, please take care of them, Guardian Lord."

  "As long as they follow the laws of the Ming Dynasty, merchants can come and go freely." Zhang Guang's reply was watertight. With merchant teams coming and going, the gates of Hu Kou could no longer be closed tightly, after all, the imperial court had not issued an order to seal off the border, and those merchant firms were also not ones he could afford to offend, blocking people's paths to wealth, if someone were to seize on this handle and report it to the Governor, it would also bring trouble.

  Ning Sheng stood up and bid farewell, walking out the door towards the city gate. When he got to within 300 steps of the city gate, he saw Di Zhe and others leading their horses in.

  Ning Sheng hastened forward with quick steps and made a bow: "Master," but realizing it was inappropriate, he immediately changed his words to call out: "Master of the house!"

  After seeing Ning Sheng, Zhai Zhe finally felt at ease and asked, "Is everything settled?"

  "It's all set! The store has also been purchased, it just hasn't been named yet."

  "Go, take me to see!"

  A dozen or so people followed Ning Sheng to the front of the newly purchased shop. Although the location was a bit off, it was clean and bright, and the several houses were quite tidy. Di Zhe was very satisfied. He didn't care about the location of the shop, because in the future, wherever his business was located on which street, that would be the most prosperous street, as the roads outside the city gate would be under his control.

  "Please also grant me a name, Master!" Ning Sheng said carefully.

  Di Zhe thought for a moment and sighed, saying: "I hope the great Ming dynasty will be peaceful and prosperous, the people will live in peace and happiness, and business will flourish. Let's call it Ping Kui!"

  " Ping Kui?" Ning Sheng muttered under his breath, feeling a bit awkward but not daring to object, and flattered: "The master has given a good name!"