Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 318 Who is the richest man in the Southern Dynasty?
On the azure sea, waves kept crashing in, then bursting around the boat and disappearing without a trace.

The sky was the same color, cloudless, clear blue.

A large ship, escorted by several speed boats, was slowly cutting through the waves.

Zu Ting stood at the front of the merchant ship, looking at the waves in the distance. The smell of sea water lingered around him for a long time. Zu Ting took the fruit and took a few bites, looking quite relaxed.

There were two clerks standing beside him, one holding a fruit plate and the other holding a glass of wine.

The clerk asked in a low voice: "Grandfather, the prohibition order is still in place, is it really okay to drink?"

Zu Ting laughed, "The ban stipulates that the people under his rule are not allowed to drink alcohol."

"We are now on the sea, not in Qi, so why not?"

The two clerks looked at each other, and one of them pointed to the distance and said, "That's Chengshan Wanghaitai over there, and it's still Qi territory."

Zu Ting waved his hand and said, "Although it is Qi territory, it is not under our jurisdiction yet. It's okay. I'll just finish eating."

The clerk dared not persuade him any further.

Zu Ting ate the fruit and drank some wine, then he wiped his lips and stretched his body.

There are several Qingzhous at present, such as Nanqing, Beiqing, and Chenqing, and Liu Taozi also established a Qingzhou. Zu Ting set out by boat from Taozi Qingzhou and came all the way to Chengshantai in Qi Guangzhou.

This is the second largest port terminal in Gwangju.

Many merchant ships dock here for trade and transit.

Here, you can even see the strange scene of southerners' ships and northerners' ships sailing side by side.

Zu Ting's merchant ship slowly approached, and the number of ships they encountered began to increase. There were a few particularly obvious southerner ships. They did not panic when they encountered them, and even raised flags and swaggered away from both sides.

The ships of the southerners are different from those of the northerners and can be seen through at a glance.

Zu Ting couldn't help but chuckle.

It's really interesting.

In the generally low moral state of Da Qi, officials in the north were busy devouring food and occupying land, while officials in the south were busy doing business.

Trading with the southerners is definitely the biggest profit among all the huge profits.

It wasn't just Cui Jishu. Any official who had served in the south would do business with the southerners.

There are quite a few that have been found, but I don’t know how many have not been found.

Because of the convenient water transportation and the uneven prices in the two places, many things could make ordinary people rich for generations if they could be transported there.

The imperial court issued bans for years, prohibiting officials from privately organizing caravans to go south to trade.

But the ban is ineffective. People will only be caught and punished when necessary. The rest of the time, they will be allowed to do whatever they want.

Previously, the imperial court sent envoys to the Chen Dynasty, and Wei Shou contacted the envoys and arranged several of his retainers on the fleet. He then traded with a foreign Kunlun ship and obtained many rare treasures and piles of beautiful jade. He became a wealthy man in Yecheng all at once. But then he was discovered and almost caught and beaten.

Zu Ting was not surprised. He felt that if he were to be the governor here, he might do the same!

Several boats slowly approached the dock.

In the distance, there was a boatman directing the boat to dock safely.

There were many soldiers standing on both sides of the dock.

In front of the many soldiers stood a young man.

Zu Ting came down from the boat with the clerks and many soldiers. The young man hurried forward to greet them.

"Lou Ziyan pays respect to the grandfather."

This young man was Lou Rui's son.

There is no trace of youthfulness on Lou Ziyan's face. These people from the Pseudo-Qi always do great things at a very young age. They start doing things when they are in their teens. They cannot be treated as children.

Zu Ting glanced at him, snorted muffledly, and walked past him quickly.

Lou Ziyan was a little embarrassed, but hurriedly caught up with Zu Ting.

The dock here was very large, with large ships docked in the distance. Zu Ting even saw some dark-skinned sailors wearing shackles. A group of white-skinned Hu people stood in front of them, shouting loudly.

Zu Ting subconsciously stopped and stared at those people with dark skin.

Lou Ziyan smiled and said, "These are merchants from the Kingdom of Daqin. They are not common."

"Those are the slaves they brought with them. They are quite strong and obedient. If you are interested, you can buy some."

"What's the price?"

"Four thousand coins each."

“So expensive??”

"Yes, they are rare and naturally expensive. These Cannibals are afraid that these slaves will be controlled by others, so they castrate them before selling them."

Zu Ting nodded and walked forward again. There was a small town in the distance, but it had no city walls. Many merchants and sailors gathered here, making this place look particularly prosperous.

Looking at the goods piled up on the road, Zu Ting couldn't help but squint his eyes.

Lou Ziyan invited him to a restaurant.

This restaurant is not an ordinary restaurant. It has certain status requirements. They sat at the highest point, and through the window, they could see the clear sea in the distance.

There was a gleam in Zu Ting's eyes, and he swallowed secretly.

Gwangju is also a great place.

Looks like it needs to be taken down as soon as possible.

"Are there often those Hu merchants here?"

"It's not common, but it exists. Merchants from many places bring all kinds of strange things. My father bought a knife from them before. Strangely enough, the pattern on the knife is something I've never seen before. It's so sharp that ordinary swords will break if they touch it."

The light in Zu Ting's eyes became even brighter.

He forced himself to suppress the desire to send troops to Gwangju and looked at Lou Ziyan calmly.

"Lou Da Wang has always had a good personal relationship with my Da Wang in the past. I want to know why Lou Da Wang changed his mind?"

Lou Ziyan was bewildered, "Why do you say that?"

"Ever since my king took charge of the North, the number of convoys and fleets has decreased. Does King Lou no longer want to interact with my king?"

Lou Ziyan let out a long sigh.

"I came here this time to explain this matter to my grandfather."

"At present, the big families and merchants in Henan are particularly wary and afraid of King Liu."

"Many people no longer dare to trade with King Liu."

"Oh? Why?"

Lou Ziyan pursed his lips and tried to explain in a tactful way, "King Liu is very brave, they are probably timid."

The real reason was the killings committed by Liu Taozi's army along the way.

Kou Liu and his men marched along the way, killing people along the way. They uprooted the powerful, the wealthy families, and the wealthy businessmen, and even caused great panic, resulting in a large number of people fleeing.

Everything comes at a price.

The brutality and lack of rules of Liu Taozi's army may have reminded these merchants of the original Hu people.

They still remember how pitiful the powerful families were in front of those barbarians.

The orthodox dynasty could not collect taxes, but the Hu people collected them as soon as they arrived, relying on their cavalry and scimitars.

The only ones who were so unruly were the Hu people in the past. The Xianbei who later established their own country had already begun to gradually accept the Han people. How come Liu Taozi, who always claimed to be a descendant of the Han Dynasty, did the same things that the Five Barbarians did?
People in the south knew that Liu Taozi would go south sooner or later, and what happened in the north terrified them. They no longer dared to support Liu Taozi or cooperate with him.

Lou Ziyan looked at Zu Ting to make sure he was not angry, and then continued, "Actually, my father can understand."

"My father told them that this happened only because the Xingtai was too poor and in urgent need of supplies."

Lou Ziyan whispered, "They are still a little shaken."

"Grandfather, I know you are from a great family, so I will tell you straight out that these people in the south now need a promise."

"As long as King Liu can give them such a promise, they will definitely serve you with all their strength!"

"We will swear to surrender to King Liu and help him with all our strength. We will ensure that King Liu will never have to worry about food and fodder again. We can even surrender all the counties in the south to King Liu!"

Lou Ziyan's words were very direct and unambiguous.

Zu Ting licked his lips, "What kind of promise do they need?"

"They hope that when the king sends troops to Henan in the future, he will spare these kind people who have supported him."

"Promote their clansmen to serve as officials."

"They are allowed to keep their property and possessions."

“At the same time, we can give them some special treatment.”

Lou Ziyan spoke faster and faster, and said more and more.

It seems that these upright gentlemen in the south were really frightened by Liu Taozi's barbaric methods. They were afraid of experiencing the tragedy of the Five Barbarians again, so they hoped to get Liu Taozi's promise. Of course, although Lou Ziyan did not say it explicitly, if such a promise could not be given, they would certainly oppose it with all their strength.

Zu Ting listened to the other party calmly and did not rush to interrupt.

After Lou Ziyan finished speaking, Zu Ting slowly began to drink.

"Let me not talk about it, just think about it yourself, do you think this is possible?"

Lou Ziyan laughed, "Isn't that what business is all about?"

"Each of us put forward our demands, and then we negotiate and come up with a result that satisfies everyone."

Zu Ting nodded, "That's indeed how business works."

"But what we are talking about now is not business, but world affairs."

"I can't make such a promise, and neither can the king."

"I can't give you even a false promise."

Lou Ziyan was stunned and said hurriedly: "You don't understand. The people who said these words are all big families from all over Henan. Many of the officials have similar ideas. If the king can give a promise, the Southern Kingdom will be pacified without fighting. Then won't the king's ambition be fulfilled soon?"

Zu Ting shook his head and looked at Lou Ziyan with some displeasure in his eyes.

"When I first met the king, I persuaded him to follow the example of Emperor Shenwu and enter Yecheng, and then he could achieve great things."

"But the king did not agree."

"What the king wants is a completely transformed world."

"Now the king governs the ten states in the north. Do you think that the king's governance is as simple as appointing a wise governor?"

"No, the ten states in the north have been completely transformed!"

"The big families that occupied the states were either dead or disabled. They no longer had the ability to occupy resources and influence the local areas. The temples were all razed to the ground, and the monks were forced to return to secular life and were not allowed to become monks again. As for the wealthy and unkind merchants, their properties were also confiscated."

"From the lowest level of clerk to county magistrate, prefect, and governor."

“The ten states in the North are completely different states, brand new and full of vitality.”

"The emperor of the Pseudo-Zhou killed the powerful ministers and demonstrated his ability. Many people think he is a great enemy, but I don't think so."

"It's just because, no matter how much the Pseudo-Zhou emperor did, he couldn't do it as thoroughly as my king. After all, his position was inherited, while my king won his position by himself."

"Therefore, all rules and regulations no longer exist in front of my king, and no powerful family or noble can threaten my king at all."

"With one order from our king, we can plow through all the powerful men in Hebei, leaving not a single one behind."

Zu Ting was just like Lou Ziyan before, his expression became more and more excited and his speech speed became faster and faster.

He said loudly: "What my king needs is a brand new world, not a world obtained through compromise. Therefore, he does not need to compromise with anyone, nor does he need to make promises to anyone!"

Lou Ziyan stood there in a daze.

After a long while, he finally shook his head and asked sadly, "Is there no room for easing the situation?"

Zu Ting immediately put away his arrogance. He looked at Lou Ziyan with a smile and said, "Of course there is."

“Although I can’t make promises to those people, I can make a promise to King Lou.”

"Oh?"

"When the world is pacified, King Lou can continue to be a wealthy man, because of the many merits he has made. Of course, the same goes for you."

Lou Ziyan was silent for a moment, "Rich man?"

"Think about it carefully. I don't think there is anything in the south that can stop my king."

"As for the governors and county soldiers in the south, none of them can be used except Dugu Yongye."

"Don't mention the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty, don't mention my king, even if the southerners march north, I don't think they can stop them."

"People should think more about themselves."

Lou Ziyan fell silent and said nothing.

Zu Ting did not rush them. He drank his own wine and ate a few plates of local delicacies. He really enjoyed the meal.

"But if there were no such people, how would the king ask for food and grass?"

“We have no other options.”

Lou Ziyan said slowly.

"That's what I came here for."

Zu Ting put down the drink in his hand and said seriously: "I hope you can introduce me to a big merchant in the south. The bigger the better!"

Lou Ziyan fell silent and said nothing.

Zu Ting persuaded again: "Of course you will not lose out on the benefits."

"My king has entrusted this matter to me and told me that trade is very important. If I can handle this matter well, I will definitely be rewarded in the future."

Lou Ziyan stood up suddenly, saluted Zu Ting, turned around and left.

Zu Ting stood there in a daze, watching Lou Ziyan leave, marveling at him.

My goodness, I haven’t even finished what I’m saying and the other person just walked away like that?
Doesn’t my king even have this little bit of deterrent power?
We still have to take Gwangju!
Let them know fear!
Zu Ting was filled with indignation. He took a few more sips of wine and started to eat his food in big mouthfuls.

Just when Zu Ting was thinking about how to send troops to Guangzhou after returning, the door was pushed open again. Lou Ziyan, who had just left, actually returned to the house with a few people.

Those men were of burly build, with their faces covered with hats.

Zu Ting was very surprised.

"Is this the assassin who came to kill me?"

Lou Ziyan shook his head and said, "Grandfather, these are the biggest merchants you want."

Zu Ting looked at Lou Ziyan with a complicated look. Are you kidding me?
I just opened my mouth and you called someone in? Are you able to predict the future? Or did you place a spy around me?

Seeing Zu Ting's obviously unbelieving look, Lou Ziyan looked at them and said, "Grandpa has a big deal."

Those people were stunned and stopped hiding their true feelings and took off their hats immediately.

Zu Ting saw it clearly now.

The people standing in front of him were actually monks.

Zu Ting was a little surprised.

Lou Ziyan explained: "It is good to let the ancestor know that the biggest merchants in this southern country are these masters."

"The masters had many merchant ships and cooperated with each other. They often came to Gwangju and other places to trade, and explained the sutras and held grand ceremonies."

“Eighty percent of the merchant ships that come to Gwangju every year belong to these masters.”

"The masters bring all kinds of goods. They can find whatever you want."

Zu Ting blinked and looked at the monks.

The leader bowed to him.

"So you are the ancestor of the North. I have heard of your great name for a long time."

"Hahaha, I'm afraid it's not a bad reputation, right?"

"The biggest merchants in the south are actually monks like you?"

Zu Ting shook his head, "Do you have any food?"

"I wonder what kind of food Grandpa wants?"

"Well"

The leading monk had a compassionate look on his face. He raised his head and said seriously, "Grandfather, please do not worry. As the saying goes, the Buddha's teachings are boundless. Whether it is the North, Qi, or Zhou, we will trade honestly and there will be no deception or concealment."

"We can get whatever you want, but we can't let you get a bad price."

"In fact, we have wanted to communicate with the North for a long time, but we heard that the North is not close to monks, so we dare not go there rashly."

"This warhorse from the north, even if it is sent to the south, will cost hundreds of thousands, and the better ones can cost millions."

"If you are willing to interact with us, I am willing to buy the warhorse at a high price. Of course, if you need food, we can also exchange it and use food to exchange for the warhorse."

"In addition to war horses, there are many other things in the North that we need."

"what do you think?"

Zu Ting grinned, "You want a stud, but I can't give it to you."

"We don't want stallions, we just want the most exquisite, unique, and best-looking war horses."

"We have other uses for these war horses. As long as they have special features, we will not hesitate about the price. We will accept any price you offer."

The southern monk bowed again, his face full of arrogance, and the golden Buddhist beads hanging in his hands sparkled.

(End of this chapter)