From the fake emperor to the concubine

Red Fang ran the fastest.

He'd be delivering leather to one family, carrying corner pieces for another, all the while chanting, "This can be exchanged for cloth, this for salt, this for sugar, this for a pot..."

The old woman was so annoyed by his noise that she scolded him twice, but in the end she just let him be.

Zheng Yi secretly memorized the quality and quantity of each item.

The place he ultimately wanted to go was certainly not this small town on the edge of the northern lands.

It's Hongyun City.

That's where he can truly expand this route. The hides of ferocious beasts from the north, medicinal herbs from the cold regions, strong bones and muscles, and exotic horns and tusks—if these were transported to a place like Hongyun City, their prices would be incredibly high. Then, by bringing back cloth, cotton, needles, ironware, grain, salt, and other durable daily necessities, he can truly revitalize this north-south route.

But Hongyun City is too far away.

So far away was the first time they led a group of tribesmen there, practically risking their lives to test the waters.

So Zheng Yi suppressed that thought and focused only on the nearest target.

The nearest small border town is called Qingshi Town.

Although it's called a town, it's not very big; it's just a place built along an old mountain road and two hunting trails. Small caravans traveling north and south, independent hunters, small shops selling furs and bones, and stalls exchanging salt and medicine mostly stop in that area to rest. It's not a wealthy place, but it's perfect for first-timers to try their luck.

It's not too far away.

The goods won't spoil halfway through the journey.

People shouldn't be too mixed or too complex.

More importantly, even if the price is lowered, you won't be ripped off too badly.

In the end, eleven people were selected for this trip.

Wu Chen led the team.

Three members of the Flame Hound tribe were sent out, representing the Fire Mane tribe.

Six people came from the Black Rock tribe.

Zheng Yi himself is one of them.

Bone Granny originally wanted to go along, but everyone persuaded her not to. She still had to keep an eye on the throat of White Bone Lake, the rubble pit, and the wounded, so she couldn't leave.

Before leaving, she called Zheng Yi aside and stuffed a small leather bag into his arms.

"what?"

"The medicine, and a little powder specifically for testing for cold bones and death aura." The Bone Woman glanced at him. "When you get to town, if someone tries to swap you with evil things, don't be unable to recognize them."

Zheng Yi accepted it: "Okay."

The old woman lowered her voice again: "You're not just going there to exchange things, are you?"

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "I can't hide it from you."

The old woman sneered, "Your eyes say it all. You want to see what's going on in town, and you also want to see the road you'll take to the south in the future."

Zheng Yi did not deny it.

"Let's take this step firmly first."

"Step firmly, then think about your Lucky City?"

Zheng Yi was genuinely surprised this time: "You even know about Hongyun City?"

“I may be old, but I’m not blind,” the old woman said. “There are some big cities in the south that the older generation has heard of.”

She paused, then said, "If you really take the goods from the North to sell in that kind of place, the price will certainly be higher. But that's a matter for later. Bringing these people back safely is more important than anything else."

Zheng Yi nodded: "Understood."

……

It took nearly two days to travel from Heiyanbu to Qingshi Town.

The first day was still snow and windy slopes.

The next day, more traces of human footsteps gradually appeared on the road. The snow was trampled more firmly, and occasionally, tire tracks frozen in the icy mud could be seen, stretching straight ahead. Further on, several old roadside sheds made of black stones and wood even appeared near the mountain pass. Although dilapidated, they showed that people often rested there.

Chiya found everything incredibly new and exciting.

"This is the trade route?"

"Not yet," Zheng Yi said. "You'll know when we get to the town entrance."

Sure enough, when they crossed the last low ridge and Qing Shi Town appeared in front of them, Chi Ya's eyes widened in astonishment.

The town is small, but much more densely populated than the tribe.

Rows of dark gray stone houses huddled together, their roofs weighed down by thick snow and stones. The main street in the middle was blackened by the footsteps of passersby, and both sides were lined with shops and stalls. There were vendors selling leather goods, salt blocks, knives and nails, old cloth, earthenware pots and wooden buckets, and a few shops specializing in animal bone tools and medicine packets.

The sounds on the street were also mixed.

Someone is haggling.

Someone was shouting.

Someone is unfolding a wolf skin for a guest to see.

Several short-legged pack animals, puffing out white steam, slowly squeezed through the street corner.

Chiya almost forgot to breathe: "So many people..."

Yan'ao scoffed, "You call that a lot?"

But as he said this, his eyes were also scanning the shops on both sides.

Obviously, they weren't completely uninterested.

Wu Chen didn't let everyone wander around aimlessly. Instead, he first found a relatively safe fur trading post to stay at. The shopkeeper's surname was Du. He had a round face and small eyes, but he spoke quickly. As soon as he saw the goods they had brought, his eyes lit up.

"From the north?"

Zheng Yi didn't rush to reveal everything, only saying, "Black Rock Tribe and Fire Mane Tribe, this is their first time going down to town to exchange goods."

Manager Du immediately put on a familiar smile.

"Sure, sure. Let's go inside first, see the goods, and then we can talk."

Zheng Yi glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "You can go into the courtyard, but look at half of the goods first. If the price difference is too great, you don't need to look at the other half."

Manager Du's eyelids twitched, but his smile didn't diminish.

"This gentleman knows his stuff."

"Understood."

This one sentence effectively blocked the other party's idea of ​​testing the waters first.

The next half day was dedicated to inspecting the goods and negotiating prices.

Lay out the whole piece of leather first.

Place the tendon rolls back on top.

For materials such as horn, ivory, bone, and cold-region herbs, samples are taken by package or bag.

The more Manager Du looked at the goods, the more casual his expression became. He even called out another old man who was in charge of inspecting the goods. In particular, he touched several winter sheepskins and black-backed wolf skins that were intact and reasonably clean. He said "good" twice.

Yan'ao watched with shining eyes.

He had always known that good leather was worth some money, but he had no idea how much it was worth. Now, seeing how much the elderly people in town valued their possessions, his doubts about whether Zheng Yi was exaggerating finally faded.

Manager Du did indeed intend to bet at first.

But Zheng Yi wasn't in a hurry.

When he talks about prices, he doesn't just inflate them; he breaks down the items into their components.

Which skin is suitable for what?

Which type of reinforcement has the highest integrity?

Which type of angle is truly suitable for grinding medicine?

These cold bones are not ordinary animal bones; if sold to someone who knows how to concoct cold medicines, the value would be far more than this.

In addition, he deliberately did not display all the goods at once, but only let the other party see a portion of the best-selling items first. Manager Du was eager to place the order and was naturally unwilling to let it go easily.

The final price negotiated was significantly higher than Wu Chen had originally expected.

It's not an exorbitant price.

But it's already excellent.

Moreover, Zheng Yi did not exchange all of it for silver.

This is just the first trial run; money is important, but the physical goods are even more important.

So the items that were exchanged almost completely replaced the things that the tribe was most lacking.

Thick coarse cloth, fine linen, and several bolts of durable lining fabric.

Several large bags of cotton wadding and old cotton were taken apart and re-kneaded into cotton balls.

Salt bricks, sauces, dried spices, ground pepper, and several kinds of dried grass seeds that can remove fishy smells and enhance flavor.

Sewing kit, scissors, bone comb, wooden spoon, nails, spatula, leather wax for mending boots, and fine awl for sewing leather.

There were also several sturdy iron pots, a wooden bucket with copper nails, an oil lamp, a flint, soapberry balls, a rough pottery jar, and two small bags of candy for children. Looking at that pile of stuff, Chi Ya almost fainted.

"so much……"

He reached out and carefully touched a piece of cloth, then touched the packet of peppercorns, almost bringing his nose close to it.

"Can this really be put in meat broth?"

The woman selling groceries nearby heard this and laughed out loud: "Yes, not only can it, but it smells good too."

Chiya's eyes lit up immediately.

"Then I'll take two packs... no, three packs!"

Wu Chen grabbed him and pulled him back: "Don't add anything else."

Chiya had no choice but to give up, feeling wronged, but his eyes remained fixed on the spices.

Zheng Yi found it somewhat amusing and simply added a few more small items for the tribe.

A packet of dried ginger slices.

A small jar of pickled vegetables.

There were also two bundles of soft cloth scraps specifically for making undergarments for children and women.

These things are inexpensive, yet very useful.

Especially those bundles of fabric scraps, which were originally leftover materials from the tailoring shop, were bought by Zheng Yi in a bundle. They weren't worth much on their own, but they were just the right amount to use for piecing together linings, mending cuffs, and making inner linings for children's jackets.

When Wu Chen saw it, he silently made a note of it.

Flameh, however, was more interested in the other side.

He was squatting in front of the blacksmith's shop, staring at several thin but sturdy small skinning knives and a row of fine-toothed saws, clearly already tempted. In the past, the tribe mostly made do with bone knives and rough iron sheets, which were slow and damaged the hides when doing delicate work. Now, seeing real craftsman's tools, he naturally couldn't take his eyes off them.

Zheng Yi looked at him for a while and said, "Pick two of the most commonly used ones and try them out when you get back."

Flame Hound looked up: "You're going to go?"

"It'll be included in the public inventory," Zheng Yi said. "If it works well, we'll replace a few more next time."

Yan'ao then became very serious about choosing.

While everyone was busy looking at the goods, Zheng Yi took the opportunity to visit several other places in the town.

A pharmacy.

A general store.

There was also a small shop that specialized in collecting materials from the north.

He didn't immediately reveal "Hongyun City" or ask too many questions directly. Instead, he subtly inquired about which direction goods from the northern route had been going in recent years, which towns were the most reliable for buying cold-region skin and bones, and which caravans had a good reputation.

The results of the inquiry were roughly the same as his original assessment.

Qingshi Town can only be considered the first stop.

As you go further south, the value of the goods increases with each level you go.

If we can consistently source goods from the northern tribes, then organize reliable routes to deliver them to larger border cities, and finally transfer them to Hongyun City, the profits will be substantial. That place is the true endpoint of this route.

But he also knew that it was too early to say anything definitive.

The road is too long.

There are too many risks.

These tribal people, visiting the town for the first time, are already overwhelmed by many things. Presenting Hongyun City now would be too abstract and too far-fetched. It's better to let them experience firsthand the tangible benefits of their first trade trip.

When they finally put on cotton-padded jackets, sprinkle spices in the pots, the children wear well-fitting cloth clothes, and the hunters have more handy knives and needles, they will naturally understand how worthwhile this path is.

That evening, the group repacked the goods they had exchanged in the backyard of the fur depot.

The fabric is rolled up tightly.

Cotton wadding provides moisture protection.

Salt blocks and seasonings are packaged separately.

Another layer of leather rope was tied around the outside of the iron pot and wooden bucket.

Chiya was busy running around, his face flushed from head to toe, whether from the cold or from joy, it was hard to tell. He even secretly pinched two pieces of candy the shopkeeper had given him, intending to save them for the children in the tribe who always wore long robes.

Zheng Yi saw it, but didn't point it out.

As I passed by him, I only said, "Don't sneak away and finish your food on the street."

Chiya's ears turned red, and he immediately covered the candy tightly.

"I won't!"

When a group of people ate around the stove in the inn at night, the atmosphere was different from when they arrived.

The food was actually only two dishes more varied than what they had in the tribe: a pot of mixed meat stew, a bowl of hard flatbread, and a dish of salty sauce. But when Chiya first put a little sauce on the roasted meat, he was completely stunned.

"It smells so good."

Yan'ao didn't say anything, but he silently dipped the second piece of meat in it as well.

Wu Chen ate the quietest, only letting out a slow sigh after finishing his meal and looking at the pile of things he had exchanged in the yard.

"It's really been changed."

Zheng Yi hummed in agreement.

"This is only the first trip."

Wu Chen looked at him: "You obviously have more to think about than just this town."

Zheng Yi smiled and did not deny it.

"Qingshi Town is too close and too small. It's suitable for starting a business, but not for staying for long."

"Where's the back?"

“We have to take it one step at a time.” Zheng Yi poked at the fire. “First, we need to connect the Black Rock Tribe, the Firemane Tribe, and the other nearby tribes that we can reach. Once we have a stable supply of goods, people, and roads, we can move south one more step.”

Wu Chen was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Further south, there is an even larger city."

"Ah."

"A place like Hongyun City?"

Zheng Yi looked up at him, but no longer tried to hide.

"Yes. Eventually, we have to go to that kind of place."

Yan'ao, who was wiping the newly acquired skinning knife, paused upon hearing this.

How far is that?

"It's very far."

Is it worth it?

Zheng Yi looked at the firelight, his voice calm yet resolute.

“It’s worth it. A good piece of leather here can be exchanged for three things in Qing Shi Town; in a larger border town, it might be exchanged for five things; and in a big city where people really know their stuff, what you get back is not just a few bolts of cloth and a few bags of salt, but something that can slowly lift up the entire tribe.”

Chiya was stunned.

"So, does that mean we can each have a cotton-padded coat from now on?"

Zheng Yi said, "Well done, and not just one thing."

Chi Ya was so happy he almost dropped the candy he was holding.

Wu Chen didn't laugh, but his gaze deepened.

Because he understood that behind Zheng Yi's words lay more than just a cotton-padded coat.

There was also food, medicine, iron, roads, and even a way of life that the northern tribes had never seriously considered before.

On the return journey the next day, the group moved more slowly than when they came.

It's not that people are tired, it's that there's too much stuff.

But no one complained that it was heavy.

Especially as they got closer to the tribe and saw the familiar stone wall outside the Black Rock tribe in the distance, even the load on Yan'ao's shoulder seemed a little lighter.

The news spread extremely quickly.

Before they even reached the door, the people of the tribe had already come out to greet them.

The first thing the children saw was cloth.

The first things the women saw were needles and thread, cotton wadding, and a pot.

The first things the old hunters saw were skinning knives, awls, and salt blocks.

The old woman immediately fixed her gaze on the two packets of seasoning and the packet of dried ginger slices. Her lips twitched slightly, as if she was trying to pretend she didn't care, but she couldn't suppress her satisfaction.

When Chi Ya carefully took out the two candies he had been carrying all the way and gave them to the two children who always wore old adult robes, he was happier than they were.

"It's sweet, really sweet." (End of Chapter)