Chinese New Year

Chapter 1402 Practice (Part 2)

On the sandbar in the middle of the river in early summer, the sounds of drums and music filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhi Fa and Kang Wei looked left and right, and were slightly disappointed.

The newly acquainted Liang Kingdom "wealthy merchant" Shen Dian sang effusively about how wonderful Lingzhou was. After taking a tour before dark, their hearts sank. They had tried to encourage themselves, saying it was a rural area and a bit desolate was normal. But after arriving on the island at night, they were even more disappointed; the city was not as good as many places in Liangzhou.

Is this the heartland of the Liang Kingdom? If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed in Dunhuang and continued doing business as before.

However, there were indeed some worthwhile items to buy, such as some very beautiful silk products that they saw after arriving on the island. Unfortunately, the Liang people wouldn't tell them where they were from, only asking if they wanted to buy them.

Of course, he had to buy it. He couldn't even imagine how much profit he could make if he could ship such beautiful silk to the Sassanids.

However, as anyone with experience knows, he most likely doesn't have the ability to reach the Sassanids, because there are many "bandits" waiting along the way. Unless he sells the silk to them, he'll risk losing both his money and his life to continue on his way.

"How is your king?" A clear voice asked from not far away.

The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw a handsome young nobleman being escorted by a group of people—they had seen him once before; he was a prince of Liang and the third son of the emperor.

These are not the main points. The main point is that this prince speaks Sogdian (Sogdian language), which is what he just said.

"Your Majesty, King Zhao, as noble as the sun! Zhifa, a foreigner, has worn down seven pairs of camel hooves to finally bring the sands of Marakanda before you! Thanks to you, our king's body is as strong as a snow mountain. May your glory, like the gold of Marakanda, shine forever!" As he spoke, Zhifa pressed his right hand heavily on his left chest, near his heart, and bowed deeply, his head almost touching his knees.

After he finished speaking, he gestured to Conway with his eyes.

Conway had his attendants bring over a chest, opened it in front of everyone, and then bowed, saying, “Your Highness! The weavers of Bukhara have torn down rainbows to weave cloth, and the cellars of Marakanda are filled with wine as sweet as honey! My master said, ‘Offer the best to the sun of the Spirit Continent!’ Please see if these treasures can illuminate your treasury.”

Shao Xu moved closer, glanced at it briefly, and then smiled, "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Kangwei then stepped forward, holding up a piece of brocade embroidered with fine gold and silver threads, and said, “Your Highness, please look. The gold thread is the lifeblood of Sogdian craftsmen, and the silver thread is the hair of the moon. When worn, even the nobles of Chang'an during the Han Dynasty would ask, ‘Whose garment is this?’”

After saying that, he picked up a leather bag from the back of the box and said, "Your Highness, smell this wine bag again! Pierce the leather, and the aroma blessed by the god of wine will make a hundred camels drunk. Take a sip, and the desert night will turn into a bazaar in spring."

Finally, he picked up a bundle of parchment scrolls and said, “These are the scriptures Your Highness needs. The parchment is smoother than a maiden’s skin, and the words on it were written in gold powder by the god of wisdom. They can untie the knots of fate.”

Shao Xu couldn't help but chuckle.

However, he also knew that this was the way people from the Western Regions spoke, especially when facing important figures.

These two merchants are really stingy; they only give away worthless trinkets.

Bukhara was known as "Jicheng" during the Han Dynasty, and as the name suggests, its wool fabrics were very famous. So much so that Han Dynasty nobles flocked to it, and a single bolt of Ji cloth from the Western Regions could fetch over 100,000 coins. But things are different now. This kind of thing is slowly appearing in the Central Plains as well, although its quality is still somewhat inferior to that of the Ji cloth from the Western Regions.

He was particularly interested in the books written on parchment, so he picked one out, glanced at it briefly, and asked, "Is this a book about your country's customs and products?"

“Your Highness’s wisdom is like snowmelt from a mountaintop,” Conway laughed.

Shao Xu had the scrolls put away, then pointed to the densely packed wine sacs on the ground and said, "How about we drink this tonight? If it tastes good, I'll write to my father and ask him to let your wine reach Luoyang."

Conway was overjoyed and said, "Your Highness is wise! Drinking mead makes the tongue dance and makes sorrows blow away like sand in the wind."

Zhifa replied, “Your Highness, your kindness is like sweet spring water flowing into the desert! I will arrange for the sweetest mead to kiss your throat first. May our camels soon carry the silk of Lingzhou and your good news back to the oasis of Bukhara!”

Shao Xu communicated with the two in Sogdian, leaving the other officers and soldiers completely bewildered and unable to understand what they were saying.

Shen Dian, who had led them there, was also helpless.

Both of them could actually speak basic Chinese, but they were led astray by the King of Zhao...

Of course, everyone present still admired King Zhao.

Being fluent in a foreign language is no easy feat; it requires a great deal of effort. Not to mention that the King of Zhao could also write in the foreign language, which made him even more impressive.

By using this tactic, King Zhao's reputation for "erudition" will soon spread—a fact that everyone will welcome.

The wine was quickly distributed. Except for ten bags sent to Luoyang, the rest were distributed among the soldiers guarding the area, who even received a small portion.

It wasn't much; it was gone as soon as it touched their lips, but everyone said it was delicious, and everyone praised King Zhao. After drinking the wine, everyone's conversation became noticeably more lively.

Zhi Fa and Kang Wei said that their master's ancestors were merchants in Liangzhou, and he was accompanied by more than a thousand households of "retainers" brought from his hometown. He also subdued some scattered small tribes and was considered a prominent figure in Liangzhou.

During the Three Kingdoms period, when Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expeditions, Liu Shan issued an edict: "The kings of Liangzhou each sent more than twenty people, including Yuezhi, Kangju Huhou Zhifu, and Kangzhi, to receive their orders."

The "Zhi Fu" mentioned therein refers to this.

However, after the Shu Han kingdom was defeated and fell, their family, fearing retribution, packed their valuables and fled. But they couldn't bear to give up trading, and for generations they maintained a trade route, but only in Dunhuang, no longer venturing into the heart of the Central Plains.

Having received an invitation from the Prince of Zhongyuan, their family was somewhat tempted, so they sent someone over to inquire about the details.

You might be a little disappointed, because there's really nothing to see in Lingzhou. To put it bluntly, they need to make a living besides doing business, and they don't want to live a life that's too hard—I endured so much hardship crossing the desert, and if I were to suffer again in Lingzhou, wouldn't that be a waste of my time in the desert?

Shao Xu understood their thoughts in a few words, and said, "You two are skilled in commerce and are certainly sensible people. The brocades you saw earlier are piled up like mountains in the warehouse. If you want them, I will give them to you. It's about exchanging goods, as long as you have suitable products. As for food and lodging, I will arrange a piece of land for you and provide you with food and drink. You can bring your own servants and stay as long as you want. You'll be more comfortable if you take care of your own food, clothing, and shelter, won't you?"

Zhi Fa agreed, saying, "Your Highness, your word is the key to unlocking the treasury. If you grant my request, I will immediately send the caravan leader with the contract and deposit to pay my respects. Let our camel bells begin to sing for Your Highness tomorrow."

"Oh? A deposit?" Shao Xu asked curiously.

"Our jade is like solidified moonlight; carved into pendants, it can ward off evil spirits; polished into bracelets, it's cooler than a spring," Conway said. "Sapphires are deeper than the sky. Rubies are like solidified pigeon blood; wearing them on your hand will make even demons retreat. Pearls from the sea are as round as the Dragon King's tears..."

Seeing that Shao Xu's expression didn't change much, Kang Wei changed his tune, saying, "If you don't like these, we have others. A silver plate hammered by a master craftsman, engraved with the scene of a royal hunting feast, where the lions seem to be running when filled with wine."

"Frankincense, light it and the white smoke rises straight to the heavenly temple."

"Pepper, like tiny embers, can make even the most bland soup boil."

"Cinnamon, its aroma can wake up a person who is unconscious."

"Rose dew, just one drop makes the room smell as sweet as a garden."

"If you like musical instruments, we have those too. The moment the strings of the vertical harp are plucked, even the oriole is too shy to sing."

"If you prefer something a little more special, like a dancer who's as supple as a snake and whose eyes can bewitch you, that's fine too."

"If you don't like any of these, we also have the gold coins from the Constantinople Emperor, which were completed eight years ago. They're purer than the sun and can be used anywhere in the world..."

Shao Xu nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Some of these goods were already available in the Central Plains, such as the vertical harp introduced during the Han Dynasty, and pepper, but there were many other goods that were not available in the Central Plains and had a considerable market.

The trade my father described along the Silk Road involved the Central Plains primarily selling silk, along with some porcelain and other handicrafts, while importing mainly local specialties from the Western Regions. Merchants from the Central Plains might offer some gold or silver coins as subsidies, but not much; overall, it was primarily a barter system.

This is a promising opportunity, and the potential profits are enormous!

"We also have fine horses from the Western Regions, which our dynasty needs," Shao Xu added. "Could you write down a list later so I can choose some? You can bring these goods next time."

Zhi and Kang had no objections.

The banquet was a great success, with everyone enjoying themselves. As night deepened, a slightly tipsy Shao Xu returned to the governor's mansion. After washing his face, he laid out paper and pen and began to write a letter to Shao Xun.

He requested his father to order merchants to take silk to Yanchuan County to buy salt, and to store the silk in the Lingzhou County Treasury to trade with Western Region merchants—if the court wanted a share, then let the Imperial Household Department participate.

In addition, he requested that 500 bolts of brocade from Sichuan and Jiangling be transferred to Lingzhou to trade with Hu merchants. Hu merchants not only had exquisite brocade, but also had a great demand for ordinary silk, so a few hundred bolts would have been enough at the beginning.

At the end of the letter, Shao Xu specifically noted that this was a long-term transaction. It might not be very large at first, but once it gained fame, it would bring unimaginable riches to the court and would be crucial to the management of Guanzhong.

After finishing writing, looking at the still-wet handwriting, he secretly mocked himself: Sure enough, he was more comfortable with trading.

At the same time, he was secretly reminded that if he were just a merchant, being proficient in commerce would be enough, but he was not. He could not neglect matters such as pacifying the people, military affairs, and governance; he needed to hone his skills, which was precisely his father's original intention in sending him to Shuozhou.

(End of this chapter)