Mount and Blade Central Asia

This is the letter Li Rufeng wrote to the Black Sheep Sultan Karl Yusuf. Its content is basically copied from the letters written by Timur and the Mamluk Sultan Belgül.

On the one hand, this letter expressed that now that they had the Mamluks as their shield, the Black Sheep People had better not act rashly. On the other hand, it was also a reminder to Sultan Karl Yusuf that the Mamluks and the Timurid Khanate were no longer bordering each other. If he did not want to face the Mamluks directly, it would be better to leave a buffer zone.

After taking Aleppo, Li Rufeng was no longer as afraid of the Black Sheep People as before. Without absolute military advantage, anyone who wanted to attack a city like Aleppo would need to carry out a long siege.

Due to its geographical location, Aleppo could only be attacked from the direction of the Ottoman Empire and with the help of the transport capacity of the Kuvik River to reduce the logistical pressure on the attackers.

Li Rufeng now has people in the city and cavalry outside the city. In the short term, there will be no forces around that can directly threaten him.

So, it's time to take a breath...

"Fill it all up?" Bater helped Satuya pour buckets of hot water into a stone pit that was about half a meter deep and two meters by two meters square.

"Li Rufeng's high-spirited voice and Satuya's surprised laughter echoed far away in the stone corridor.

Bater smiled knowingly. He had heard Li Rufeng complain about the difficulty of taking a bath a long time ago, but he never thought there was anything wrong with the frequency of bathing in the tribe... After all, at that time, there were still many people in Europe who believed that not taking a bath was a clean and hygienic way to fight disease.

But he hadn't seen Li Rufeng so frivolous for a while. It seemed that Li Rufeng had never laughed so wildly since the old shaman left.

Li Rufeng is happy, and so is Bater. I guess the old shaman would also be happy when he saw this scene in Changshengtian?

But soon, accompanied by the sound of rippling water, a voice not suitable for children could be heard in the room. Bartel blushed and walked away...

"What kind of soap is this, sir? It smells so good, like laurel oil!" After making love, Satuya's face was slightly flushed as she used a square piece of soap similar to that of later generations to help Li Rufeng wash his hair.

"I don't know, it was given to me by a local businessman." Feeling the faint fragrance, Li Rufeng felt drowsy, but his mind was in a mess.

Li Rufeng has been thinking about how to revitalize Aleppo's business... To use a popular saying from his previous life, if the overall environment is not good, no matter how hard you work, it will be in vain.

Now, the overall environment in Aleppo is bad, and there is not even a stable regime that vigorously develops business in the surrounding area.

Or maybe a fight with those Crusader bastards in Cyprus?

Chapter 210 Kindness and Majesty

The fact that Shaman Rufeng took Aleppo by himself has now spread throughout the entire Mongol community, making the name of Shaman Rufeng even more legendary. Although many Mongol people have never seen Li Rufeng, they are already familiar with his name.

Reputation is a good thing, especially in this era of information blockade. When Timur was expanding everywhere, he often relied on his reputation to scare away the enemies and make the cities surrender without resistance.

But now, for Li Rufeng, the reputation of being a good fighter is far less useful than the reputation of being kind and generous.

As the city of Aleppo was gradually cleaned up by the indigenous people, it finally regained some of its former prosperity. These civilians who volunteered to serve the lords earned money in just one month that would normally take them half a year to save.

Everyone who sees Li Rufeng will now salute him. At least now they no longer salute out of fear.

They were all on their way to the palace. The Rufeng Shaman had sent people to post a notice in the city last night, asking all merchants in the city to go to the palace for a meeting this morning.

Although he didn't know what the adult had instructed, Marinus immediately put down his work and headed towards the palace early in the morning.

It’s a pity that I met that idiot Tulio on the way. It was a bit unlucky.

Saduddin Fasif had already arrived at the former lord's mansion, accompanied by several close confidants. As the largest merchant in the city and also the first merchant to surrender to Li Rufeng, he felt that he was fully respected.

While others were still waiting outside the door for it to open, he had already entered the palace and had a cup of hot tea in front of him.

Of course, more importantly, the Shaman Rufeng had already informed him in advance what was going to happen today. Although the idiots who were going to be unlucky today were almost all Ottomans, Saduddin fully supported the wise decision of the lord.

And because the other party informed me in advance, I felt respected and gained a sense of security.

"Open the door and let them in." Li Rufeng appeared neatly dressed in the main hall of the palace, which still looked a bit shabby. This was the very center of the entire palace, with an area of ​​about two hundred square meters. The entire hall had a height of about four and a half meters and was supported by sixteen columns with a diameter of twenty centimeters evenly distributed.

In the middle of the hall, there is a circular patio with a diameter of four meters. Above the patio, there is a hollow canopy to provide cover to ensure sunlight. It needs to be covered on rainy days.

Li Rufeng sat on a high-backed chair on the low platform on the north side in the center of the hall. The chair itself still had some signs of burning, but the materials used in its production were solid, and even though the surface was burned, it was still strong. After Satuya carefully cleaned it, Li Rufeng used this chair as his temporary "throne".

Li Rufeng, who was already tall and strong, was sitting on a large high-backed chair with half of his face hidden in the shadows. The two expressionless Mongolian guards behind him further highlighted Li Rufeng's majesty.

As the merchants entered the hall in an orderly manner under the guidance of their personal guards, the noise of the crowd gradually died down.

Even Saduddin Fasif, who had been notified in advance, could not help but start to get nervous. Ibrahim beside him was even worse. Perhaps thinking of the scene when he was hunted by the Mughals, his breathing became more and more rapid, making Saduddin always worry that he would faint in the next second.

Marinus noticed that Tulio, who had been chattering all the time, suddenly fell silent. This made him secretly happy, but the next second he was no longer happy either.

"I heard that one of you cheated me out of my money through deception. I need an explanation."

The author says:

Forget it, drag him away and hang him at the city gate later." Li Rufeng's expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand, and two guards dragged Tulio away from the hall.

Tulio's plea for mercy resounded throughout the palace, but what impressed Li Rufeng was that until the other party's voice disappeared, he did not hear a single sincere word like "I have money, I am willing to compensate you for all your losses."

If Tulio is really hung on the city gate tower and he still remains so stubborn, then Li Rufeng will admire him as a true businessman who would rather die than allow himself to lose money while he is alive.

Of course, Tulio was just a small episode, although this episode seemed to be very effective. Most of the merchants returned to their cautious appearance when they first met the Mongol lord, which made Li Rufeng very satisfied.

He needs the lower classes to praise his kindness and generosity, and he needs those in power and wealth to express their sincere gratitude to him for every act of generosity and kindness, even in fear.

"Alright, let's get down to business today." Li Rufeng clapped his hands, and his guards pulled in a cart of unprocessed wool. "I'm not a businessman, and I don't know how you conducted such large-scale trade before. But as the new lord of Aleppo, I will give you an opportunity, an honor."

The merchants looked at each other, wondering what new tricks the lord was playing, but considering what had happened to Tulio before, they all waited obediently for Li Rufeng's next move.

"This is a cart of wool. I've placed it here so you can see it more clearly." Li Rufeng walked down the steps and stood among the merchants. He reached out and picked up a handful of wool that was not so fine. "You all know that I am a Mongol shaman. In the past, we presented wool as tribute to Sultan Timur."

When they heard the name Timur, the merchants couldn't help but shrink their heads.

"But now that Timur is dead, these wools will be sold as commodities, and you will be the lucky ones who will enjoy the same glory as the Sultan." Li Rufeng continued to address the merchants, "I'm not talking about this time, not today, but every day and every time from now on."

Others might still be immersed in the thought of enjoying the same glory as the Sultan, but Saduddin Fasif had already reacted. He realized that the model Li Rufeng was talking about was the franchise!

Pepper Mali also reacted. He has always been very sensitive, otherwise he would not have gradually risen from a small businessman to where he is today.

"Sir, do you mean that from now on we are the only ones who can buy wool from the Mughals?" Saduddin asked in disbelief.

"From me. Remember that." Li Rufeng nodded at Saduddin Fasif. "Yes, that's right, my friend. It's just you. I'll hold such meetings twice a year based on market conditions, set a reasonable low price, and then put all the wool here, giving you a chance to bid."

The sky was pitch black. He looked up at Li Rufeng, who was sitting high on the stage, looking at everyone with an ambiguous smile on his face. Suddenly he realized that the adult was so young.

It seemed like I had just started learning how to do business when I was his age. The first time I made a profit from spice powder, it was enough to buy gifts for my loved ones.

And that was more than ten years ago... However, this gentleman, at this age, has become the master of Aleppo, with a large army and great ambitions.

Li Rufeng's smile was like the warm spring breeze, which made Huo Jiao Mali put down the entanglement in his heart and no longer worry about the profits. He let out a long sigh, put down the white paper in his hand, and at the same time gave up the opportunity to quote this time.

He believed that as long as he was loyal and helped that adult to do good things, he would be rewarded with benefits in the future.

"Okay, collect it." Li Rufeng waited for ten minutes, watching this group of businessmen like ants on a hot pan, hesitating over his offer, constantly wavering between interests and showing goodwill, and finally saved them from torture.

After Li Rufeng finished speaking, many people hurriedly filled in a price they thought was appropriate and handed the note to their personal guards.

"Very good, Saduddin Fasif, five thousand kilograms? You have a good appetite, and the price you offered is good. You should go to my warehouse first to get the goods." Li Rufeng did not disclose the price offered by Saduddin, he just gave the ranking.

Amid the envious and jealous eyes of the merchants, Saduddin Fasif expressed his gratitude to the new lord profusely.

Afterwards, Li Rufeng announced the quantity of goods one by one according to the price. In the end, the merchants in Aleppo consumed nearly 30 tons of wool in total, which was a huge and astonishing number.

But this was just to clear out the inventory of Li Rufeng's army. The Mongols had not paid taxes to Samarkand for three consecutive years. They were rich in products...

The author says:

Author's words: In this era, Italian merchant groups were engaged in a wool trade war with English merchant groups in the north. Both sides were expanding their raw material markets, developing new technologies, and new management models to reduce textile industry costs in an attempt to break through their opponents' cost defenses.

England was previously an exporter of wool raw materials. Starting in the 14th century, it gradually turned to an importer of wool raw materials and began to export knitted and woolen finished products to seize the high-profit market. Historically, it was the English merchant group that ultimately won, and eventually developed into the enclosure movement of "sheep eating people" in later generations. It can be said that the victory of this trade war eventually led to the beginning of the industrialization of the British Empire and ultimately contributed to the birth of the British Empire.

Chapter 212: Someone comes to surrender!

On June 2, 1408, the stubborn merchant was finally hanged at the city gate. Li Rufeng thought that he might have finally come to his senses, but the Mongol soldiers might have felt that it was troublesome and hanged him because they could not communicate with him at the gathering.

The mining operation requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and the salt marsh called Jebul is only suitable for mining from June to September each year. Moreover, the quality of the salt produced is very low, the color is gray, and the output is average, making it difficult to guarantee profits.

Aleppo is only 120 kilometers west of the Mediterranean Sea, and there is a trade route to Damascus to the south. Salt can be obtained at a lower cost from any direction. Over time, the salt field was abandoned.

But given the current situation in Aleppo, it is very suitable for emergency resumption of production.

On the other side, the first batch of goods sent to Mersin has been loaded and shipped to the port of Alexandretta.

Although Li Rufeng did not send people to occupy there, as a port that depends on Aleppo for survival, the ruler of Alexandria behaved very well.

The port manager, with considerable political wisdom, had remained silent on the events in Aleppo. He had recently sent someone to visit Ais Baker, presenting him with gifts and congratulating him on finally getting Aleppo back on track. He also looked forward to further cooperation in the future...

Of course, he also specifically emphasized that in order to support the development of Aleppo, the Port of Alexandretta will not collect any commercial taxes from Aleppo.

This made Li Rufeng temporarily decide that it was better to mind his own business. After all, if the Mamluks really intended to attack him, whether they controlled the port or not would not affect the overall situation at all.

The Mersin merchant contacted by Saduddin Fasif is already on the way. According to the schedule, he will arrive at the port of Alexandretta in three days and bring the food that Li Rufeng urgently needs as payment. The two parties will settle the payment at the port.

Li Rufeng liked this delivery method very much, but it was obvious that the amount of goods that this Mersin merchant could absorb was too small for a city.

This transaction is just a test, but it is crucial. Currently, there are more than 7,000 people inside and outside the city of Aleppo, and the amount of food consumed every day is a number that Li Rufeng had never imagined before.

Before the scale of agricultural production in Aleppo itself expands, Li Rufeng needs to ensure at least 70% of food consumption.

And all this extra food needs to be compensated through commercial activities, otherwise the money he invested before will soon be destroyed due to the destruction of supply and demand, and become a waste of money.

From a national perspective, Aleppo is a very small region that has almost no self-sufficiency capabilities. Any slight disturbance will cause food prices to rise rapidly.

At the moment, Li Rufeng only has money and swords in his hands, which can temporarily maintain the stability of the market, but it cannot last long.

"Sir, Muzaffar requests to see you." When Li Rufeng began to worry about the development plan of Aleppo and had nothing in his hands, his personal guard brought a piece of news.

The system is rooted in the grassroots and has the most complex functions.

"I don't have any good conditions to offer you for now. How about I just follow your previous treatment?" Li Rufeng blushed a little when he said this, because he had promised in the past that if he brought these civil servants back, he would give them double the salary.

But after learning about the actual treatment of these people, Li Rufeng realized that he could not afford it.

This is unaffordable. It’s not that Li Rufeng can’t pay so much money. He has a full two tons of gold in his hands. Even though he spent a lot of money during this period, he only consumed less than 20 kilograms of gold.

But the people and officials who came out of Muzaffar's post system could be completely regarded as small nobles without any title or status. In Europe, each of them would be a knight lord.

Even the lower-level clerks were qualified middle-class people who rode horses when they went out and ate in restaurants every meal after get off work.

If Li Rufeng doubles their salary, the Mongols behind him will be furious... After all, the interest group represented by Li Rufeng still has its base among the Mongols. He can be rich enough to rival a country, but he cannot spend a lot of money on outsiders and let his own people watch.

"I thank you for your generosity on their behalf!" Muzaffar knelt on one knee again to salute, and this time Li Rufeng couldn't stop him.

Because as far as Muzaffar could remember, they had never received their full salary. From the day he joined the post system, they had been paid half salary. After the old Sultan died, it was even less. Often, it was just enough to get enough to eat...

The author says:

Author's words: It's August, and the book I bought hasn't arrived yet... I encountered a flood in Beijing, and they said the logistics warehouse was flooded, and I couldn't find it for a while. It was really a rollercoaster ride.

Chapter 213 The First Follower

Muzaffar's subordinates soon appeared in various places in Aleppo. The most obvious change was that Li Rufeng found that he had less things to do, and the originally messy environment in the city, which looked like a construction site, became clean.

For this group of people, managing a small town with only a few thousand people is not difficult, especially when the residents in the town are particularly obedient.

"Boss, did that Mongolian shaman really say that? No head tax, no land tax, no head tax for entering the city, and no commodity tax for leaving the city?" An official followed Muzaffar and asked in a low voice: "Then what are we doing here? Just to help maintain order and resolve disputes? Isn't this money a little too easy to make? I don't feel safe taking it..."

"I'll record it." Li Rufeng tapped his chair, thinking as he spoke. "I know you're short-staffed, so I authorize you to recruit temporary staff on your own. Once the census is complete, you can select the best candidates and hire them as full-time employees, with their compensation being one-fifth of yours."

"I don't expect these people to be literate and arithmetic-savvy like you. That's not a requirement for now, but you need to teach them how to work like you." Li Rufeng saw Muzaffar hesitated and gestured for him to wait. "I know there will be many difficulties, but the work ahead will be arduous. The sooner you can bring in a group of capable people, the easier it will be."

“But sir, when we were in the Khanate, written records were a mixture of Persian and Chagatai. Now some of the immigrants from Mardin in Aleppo can read and write.” Muzaffar sighed and briefly explained the situation to the ruler.

"Aleppo was previously ruled by the Mamluks. The native inhabitants, as well as all existing documents, spoke Arabic," Muzaffar continued, waving his fingers. "And the Ottoman immigrants in the city, some spoke Turkic, some spoke Ottoman, but they mostly communicated with each other in Arabic."

"So, sir, what language would you like us to record in?" Muzaffar hesitated and asked further, "Or, sir, what language would you like to make the official language of your territory?"

Li Rufeng sighed. He always felt that although he ruled an independent territory, he was not a real ruler. This was the reason.

It is so divided that for a population of less than 5,000 people, there are five or six languages, and you can't even find one that can be called the majority.

But from Li Rufeng's personal experience, Persian is easier to learn, Chagatai comes second, followed by Ottoman and Arabic.

For Li Rufeng, the difficulty of Ottoman lies in the fact that it is essentially a variant of Turkic. It borrows Turkic grammar and Arabic and Persian characters, but has a deeper extension in the meaning of words and needs to be combined with the previous and next context to be understood.

To give a more obvious example, Ottoman is almost the classical Chinese language in this area. Just knowing the characters is useless...

Arabic is difficult in another sense. It is a completely unfamiliar field for Li Rufeng. According to language classification, Arabic is a Semitic language. Until now, Li Rufeng has only learned the basics.

Determining the official language of Aleppo is not just a matter of language; it also determines the future development direction of Li Rufeng's power group.

Using Persian and Chagatai meant that he would expand eastward to Central Asia in the future, while choosing Ottoman meant expanding northwestward to Anatolia.

As for Arabic, forget it. He had to be stupid to go south across such a large desert area and along the Red Sea Strait to attack Homs, Hama, Damascus, and even Mecca and Medina.

Li Rufeng was quite shocked to suddenly see the real "black technology" in this era.

"Now? My lord?" Muzaffar was a little frightened. After all, the two of them were equal in status at that time, but now, they were in a relationship between a monarch and a vassal.

"Stop talking nonsense. Just sit down. No matter who I am, my identity as a doctor will not change." Li Rufeng ordered, and picked up his commonly used instrument bag from the table.

Muzaffar sat in a chair and looked at Li Rufeng, who was disinfecting his hands with liquor as before. Suddenly, he felt that this land really needed a doctor, Sultan, to heal it.

Then, Li Rufeng was somewhat surprised to see a prompt from the system: "A wanderer is offering his allegiance to you. Do you want to recruit him?"

The author says: