After arranging the affairs in the city, Song Liyun took time to meet with the tribal chiefs in the main hall of the city lord's mansion.

The Mida River Valley is now home to more than ten tribes of varying sizes, with a total population of nearly 50,000.

Because of the special circumstances that prevent herders from clustering together on their pastures, it is very difficult to gather people together.

While 50,000 people cannot compare to the royal court of the Xuyang Grassland, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Inside the city lord's mansion, a group of old men, some burly and some gaunt, sat quietly behind a desk, their expressions varied, waiting for the city lord's wife.

Accompanied by Lao Qian, Fang Zheng, and others, Song Liyun slowly entered the main hall.

The leaders all rose to pay their respects, but their actions were not coordinated.

Song Liyun did not sit in the head seat, but walked directly to the chieftains. Her gaze swept over each of their faces as she spoke: "Chieftains, you have come here today with only one question in mind: whether to stay or leave?"

Her voice was clear and sharp, like a dagger that peeled away everyone's facade.

Right in front of her was an old man with a wrinkled face and sharp eyes.

“Your Excellency, I am the chief of the Muhan tribe. I came here from the Xuyang Grassland two years ago, drawn by your reputation.”

Song Liyun nodded: "Chief Muhan, just say what you have to say!"

"Madam, is it safe for us to stay here?"

Muhan chieftain didn't mince words and directly expressed his concerns.

Two years ago, he led his people to seek refuge in the Mida River Valley, where they lived peacefully for two years.

It's convenient to buy and sell things here. The city lord has allocated grasslands for the tribes to use for free, and there's no "four-tenths" heavy tax from the royal court.

With no taxes, the number of lambs in the pen has increased by 40% in a year, and now the children in the tribe can eat meat and drink milk.

He wanted to continue living like this.

Song Liyun smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Muhan chieftain. As long as Mida City exists, you don't need to go back to Xuyang Grassland."

If Mida City were trampled to the ground by ten thousand horses, that would be a different story.

Grand pronouncements have no effect on these shrewd old men; only sharing life-or-death situations together can move their hearts.

The Muhan chieftain did not receive a specific answer, but he understood that Mida City was determined to fight against the royal court.

The wrinkles on his face hadn't faded, and he sat heavily back down behind his desk.

Since Mida City wants war, then let's fight!

Even if they had stayed on the Xuyang Grassland, they would have been drawn into the war.

Once the large tribe issues its order, not only will their cattle and sheep be confiscated, but all the able-bodied men in the tribe will also be taken away.

After hiding in the Mida River Valley for two years, the children will have grown two years older.

Even if the able-bodied men of the tribe die in battle, the children can survive the winter.

The other dozen or so chieftains began to whisper among themselves, and some even sat down like Chief Muhan.

But there were more people standing.

From the crowd, a voice slowly spoke up: "Madam, what you said is not right!"

Mida City is your Mida City.

If we stay, who will be responsible for the casualties if we encounter the royal court's cavalry?

What would we gain by sending troops? You can't just use us as tools because Mida City exists!

When someone stepped forward, the whispering leaders immediately fell silent and stepped aside, revealing the person.

Song Liyun looked up and saw that the speaker was a burly man in his forties with a face full of tumors and a thick beard. The most striking thing was the earring that was the size of a baby's fist next to his ear.

Seeing Song Liyun looking at him, he was not afraid at all. He sat back on the low cushion, reached out and grabbed the fruit on the table and began to eat it.

Wow, this is a really nice place.

Mida City has many merchants, and even fruits that are only available in the Wu Dynasty are available there.

Song Liyun knew this person; he was the chieftain of the Simon tribe.

I heard from Zhao Tingduo that the Simon tribe used to have close ties with the four tribes of the Xuyang Grassland.

But as soon as things got chaotic on the Xuyang Grassland, he immediately cut off contact and turned to Mida City.

Moreover, the first transaction delivered to Mida City was to sell ten beautiful young women from the Wu Dynasty.

Mida City has rules: there are no gambling dens or brothels here.

If the caravan brought its own female attendants, the city management bureau naturally wouldn't interfere.

But now the Simon tribe is openly selling female slaves, and they are even girls from the Wu Dynasty, which is obviously a violation of the city's rules.

Therefore, when this group of girls entered the city, they were stopped by the city guards.

Feeling insulted, the chieftain of Simon not only whipped the soldiers but also went to the city lord's mansion to demand an explanation from Zhao Tingduo.

He had his reasons for doing so.

Before deciding to seek refuge in Mida, Simon had sent a messenger.

This represents friendly exchanges between the chieftains of Simon and expresses their desire to establish a marriage alliance.

The chieftain of Simon had a fifteen-year-old daughter who was willing to bring a dowry of one hundred horses, one hundred cattle, and fifty slaves to marry Zhao Tingduo as his second wife. From then on, the Simon tribe and Mida City became lifelong friends.

For Mida City, having a powerful tribe as a relative is a great help, and it's normal for a hero like Zhao Tingduo to have several wives.

However, Zhao Tingduo refused the marriage proposal as soon as the messenger mentioned it.

He does not object to the Simon tribe wanting to befriend Mida City.

Marriage alliances with ordinary tribes wouldn't work for Zhao Tingduo.

Mida City has many merchants and tribes. Everyone acts according to contracts and rules, without involving others.

Zhao Tingduo already has a wife, the city lord, and has promised not to marry again, so he will not go against his original intention.

The messenger's reply greatly angered Chief Simon.

He didn't believe that a Di man would stay with only one woman, which was Mida City's contempt for the Simon tribe.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!