Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 88 The Foreign Merchant (Please read 4k words)

The next day.

The members of Taoyuan who were sent to the Guo residence have returned.

They also brought back dozens of gold ingots and a house deed.

Guo Huai relayed the message to the various ethnic groups in Changshan that the matter had been settled.

Taoyuan did not participate in the distribution of the Li family's assets, but Taoyuan controlled all the channels and markets for the Li family's pottery making and selling.

Does Taoyuan lack such an industry?
It is not lacking.

But Zhang Xian insisted on fighting. Among powerful clans, not fighting meant submission, and submission meant being a lamb to the slaughter.

There were still some powerful families in Changshan who dared to test the waters, but that was because Zhang Xian wasn't ruthless enough, and the tragic state of the Li family hadn't completely deterred those opportunists.

So he wanted to fight for it, to show others that Peach Blossom Spring was not something that could be taken for granted!

Perhaps it was Li Min's affair that made the people of Changshan realize they were in the wrong, and the Li family's shops in Zhending County, along with their pottery business, all returned to Taoyuan.

Guo Huai paid a fee for them, and from then on, these shops could be used directly.

Zhang Xian had already decided what to sell.

There are still 500 acres of wasteland at the site of the second cofferdam downstream, so since we've taken up a share of the Zhen Ding pottery market, let's sell pottery.

The area has abundant clay resources, making it easy to source materials locally. Moreover, it would be convenient to switch from selling pottery to selling porcelain.

The same raw materials, once transformed from clay into porcelain, can result in vastly different profit margins.

However, Zhang Xian knows nothing about the porcelain firing process except that the temperature needs to be higher.

The key glaze material is still unclear, and we can only figure it out slowly or find a craftsman who knows how to fire glazed pottery.

Last night's class went overtime by half an hour, and Zhang Xian was clearly a little sleepy this morning.

However, after learning the good news brought back by the group sent to Taoyuan, he was no longer sleepy.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and dewdrops clung to the blades of grass. When Zhang Xian pushed open the door, a cool breeze mixed with the scent of earth rushed towards him. In the distance, wisps of smoke rose from the kitchen, mingling with the thin mist in the mountains to form a bluish-gray hue.

As dusk settled, people washed up and brushed their teeth. Life in Taoyuan was uneventful, just like always.

However, around noon, a procession of two to three hundred people in carriages and horses entered Taoyuan, attracting a large crowd of villagers.

"They must be Hu people. Judging from their appearance, they must be Hu people."

Several farmers pointed to the merchants who were cautiously identifying themselves and said.

"They are indeed Hu people, but why is their hair color so strange, like that of ephedra?"

"Barbarians are naturally different from us."

"."

Upon receiving the notification, Zhang Xian arrived at the entrance of the manor.

He burst into laughter upon seeing the leader.

"Hahaha, I thought it was some foreign merchants who had gone astray, but it turns out to be you, Bu'er."

The man who came was none other than the merchant Bur, whom I had met in Luoyang the month before last. It was from him that I obtained the cotton seeds.

Upon seeing Zhang Xian, Bu Er's tense expression eased slightly. He straightened his clothes and hat and stepped forward to bow.

"Greetings, Steward Xiahou. I have come to purchase Peach Blossom Ice Flower."

"Hahaha"

When Bu Er bowed to Zhang Xian, addressing him as Steward Xiahou, the villagers watching the commotion burst into laughter.

Some of the bolder ones spoke out directly.

"You barbarian! Have you seen this clearly? This is my master in person!"

"Indeed, you barbarians are utterly rude!"

"Alright! You're all so bored, aren't you? How about I find you some more things to do?"

Zhang Xian pretended to scold them, and the group of farmers laughed and ran away.

He smiled irritably before bowing and stepping forward: "To be honest, I am Zhang Zixu, the local magistrate. I concealed my identity when I first arrived in Luoyang last time."

Boer was greatly surprised and quickly bowed, saying, "It's actually Mr. Zixu in person! I was so bad at entertaining you last time, it was truly my fault!"

Zhang Xian's fame has now spread far beyond the Changshan area.

As merchants came and went, the reputation of Changshan's epidemic control expert spread far and wide. Although he did not serve in the imperial court, his fame spread among the people. For merchants like Bu Er, they knew this very well.

"What crime have I committed! Come, come, Brother Bull, let's have a chat, Brother Lan!"

"Eh!"

Xiahou Lan stepped out from beside Zhang Xian.

"Please entertain these merchants; don't neglect them!"

"promise!"

Xiahou Lan cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhang Xian smiled and said to Bu Er, "This is Manager Xiahou, my brother. Come on, it's just in time for lunch at Taoyuan. Bu Er has had a long journey and should take a good rest."

It's no wonder Zhang Xian values ​​Bur highly. In their last conversation, he learned that Bur was a formidable man who had traversed the Silk Road several times. He was originally from Parthia and now resides in Luoyang, though he no longer travels the Western Regions route.

But his caravans were still on the move. The Hu merchants were envious of the Han Dynasty's wealth and riches, and Zhang Xian was also envious of the superior seeds from the various Western Regions countries.

If we could get some crops from Boul that the Han Dynasty doesn't have now, that would be a great thing.

I took Boer to the main dining hall.

The wooden windows of the canteen were half-open, and the late-blooming autumn heat, along with the chirping of cicadas, swept in, stirring the bamboo curtains beside the wine cups at the table. The wind chimes hanging from the eaves tinkled softly, demonstrating Zhang's warm hospitality. During the meal, toasts were exchanged, and Bu Er, who had traveled a long way, was made dizzy with alcohol.

Of course, he himself doesn't drink much; the person drinking with Boer was Huang Zhong, who also knew him.

I left Taoyuan last night, and I returned last night as well.

Huang Zhong completed the task assigned by Zhang Xian without anyone noticing, making him the most efficient person.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhang Xian dismissed everyone and began to discuss serious matters.

"Did Boer come here just to buy wine?"

With a flushed face and a hint of drunkenness, Bull waved his hand and said, "How could that be? I remember that Mr. Xiahou Zixu is fond of novel crops. The reason I took so long to come is because I was looking for seeds that the caravan might have."

"belch--,"

"You know what, I actually found some."

As he spoke, his hand involuntarily reached into his robes and pulled out a small wooden box, which he presented to Zhang Xian with both hands.

"It's a pity I never thought of bringing these before, so the quantity is a bit small. Please forgive me, Mr. Zixu."

Zhang Xian chuckled and reached out to take it: "Bu'er, you're so thoughtful."

He opened the wooden box, which was divided into several compartments, each containing some dried seeds.

[Fertile alfalfa, Kucha grape, Anatolian pomegranate, Sindhu sesame, and fennel]

Zhang Xian closed the wooden box and sighed softly.

I didn't get the one I really wanted from the blind box, and two of the five seeds are already being grown in Dahan.

But it's alright, it adds some food diversity to Taoyuan.

He put the wooden box into his pocket and said with a smile, "How much wine and spirits does Bull plan to buy this time? I specially reserved a lot for you. I stopped the local Zhou family, a powerful family, from buying it."

"Hiccup, Mr. Zixu is kind, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. This caravan is a joint effort of seven Western Region merchants, each with a different share. I wonder how much wine you have left in your estate? If possible, I would like to buy it all!" It's no wonder that Bu Er was so arrogant. News from the Western Regions indicated that Cold Pool Fragrance had become a treasure in various countries, and it was now in a situation where it was priceless and unavailable. Whoever could bring back Cold Pool Fragrance first to sell would make a fortune!
However, it must be said that Bu Er was experienced and knew the nature of nobles and powerful families. Therefore, he did not buy wine alone but joined forces with six other families. In this way, even if some unscrupulous Western Region nobles wanted to make a fortune without any investment, they would not be able to monopolize the wine, thus increasing the cost of selling it.

"Oh—," Zhang Xian narrowed his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"How much can your seven families consume?"

Burto Hong's expression softened slightly, and his eyes became clearer: "A total of one thousand gold coins!"

"This contains all the supplies for the seven caravans!"

Zhang Xian paused, then gasped: "Aren't you afraid I'll devour you if you're so blunt!"

Boer smiled wryly: "If even a person of such great virtue as Mr. Zixu cannot be trusted, then I really can't think of anyone in this world who can be trusted."

He was gambling, gambling that Zhang Xian's reputation was genuine.

Otherwise, even if we don't say it now, the amount of money we have will still be revealed when we buy the wine later. Since we can't hide it anyway, we might as well gamble on this reputation and at the same time save face.

If you lose the bet, you lose both your money and your life; if you win, a trip to the Western Regions can bring you dozens or even hundreds of times more wealth.

"Hahaha, no wonder the restaurant owner in Luoyang was so friendly with you that day. You've become quite shrewd with age!"

"Haha." Bo'er chuckled twice, but his eyes still showed some tension.

Even if someone has a thousand gold coins and millions of dollars, and has a good reputation, it will be a disaster if they become greedy.

"Don't be afraid. Haha, those eyes of yours make you sound so brave, but you're still on edge."

"However, you underestimate Zhang. A mere ten million is nothing."

"Yes, that's right," Boll said with a forced smile.

"Hmm, 100,000 jin... Hiss... Does the estate still have that much wine?"

Zhang Xian frowned and thought for a moment. He had never actually counted how much wine he had stored. Usually, Xiahou Lan would count it and report to him once every half month.

After thinking for a moment, he called out, "Summon my brother Xiahou Wu to come here!"

"promise!"

One of the villagers heard Zhang Xian's words and responded with a comment.

Before long, Xiahou Lan arrived in a hurry.

"Lord."

"And this one."

He came in and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Zhang Xian nodded, and Boer returned the greeting.

How much wine is left in the estate?

"Including today's deliveries, there are still about 120,000 jin left."

Xiahou Lan had a thorough understanding of the resources in the village, and he could answer almost any question Zhang Xian asked.

"Oh, that's alright." Zhang Xian smiled and looked at Boer.

"That's enough for you to divide among yourselves."

"Haha, it's all thanks to Mr. Zixu for keeping his promise. Mr. Zixu lives up to his reputation. I've certainly learned something new today!"

The tension in Bohr's heart dissipated, and he immediately felt relaxed all over.

Zhang Xian chuckled, stood up, and patted him on the shoulder: "You can handle the handover with me, Steward Xiahou, from now on."

"Brother Lan, this man is my friend. Give him a discount, 10,000 coins for 100 jin. Oh, by the way, I still owe him 10,000 coins, remember to settle the debt."

"promise!"

Xiahou Lan cupped his hands to Zhang Xian, almost unable to suppress a smile.

Brother Xian calls this a cheap price?

What about the Zhou family? Are they paying them extra?
However, being non-Han people, they naturally cannot be compared to Han people.

He looked up at Bull: "Head of the household, are you coming with me to fetch some wine now?"

Upon hearing this, the last trace of alcohol on Bu Er's body dissipated, and he immediately stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Then it will all depend on Manager Xiahou's convenience."

"Yes, follow me."

In the afternoon, many men from Taoyuan who were not in the farming season came to help carry the wine.

The quantity of 100,000 catties required many horse-drawn carts.

With the cargo fully loaded, Zhang Xian waved and gave another 500 catties of wine to Boer himself, thus settling the matter of money and goods.

With one thousand gold coins deposited into the treasury, Taoyuan's finances surged once again. Compared to the heavy and bulky copper coins, these gold coins were much more convenient.

Around 3 p.m., to avoid any unforeseen complications, Bu Er waved goodbye to Zhang Xian.

Two or three hundred merchants from the Central Asian region, driving their carts and shouting in a way that the Han Chinese couldn't understand, gradually drove away into the distance. The setting sun cast long shadows of the caravan, and the sound of wheels rolling over the gravel road gradually faded until they disappeared into the twilight, where birds were calling to return home.

"Brother Xian, how come you know people from the Hu people?"

At the entrance of the village, Xiahou Lan had just given each of the men who helped move the goods some wages and came over to ask.

"And another thing," he said, his face falling, "Brother Xian must have used my name outside, otherwise why would that person have called you Steward Xiahou when he came?"

"Ha, this? Haha." Zhang Xian chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't use my real name because I'm afraid of offending people when I'm out in public, that's why."

"So, my brother can offend people at will, is that it?" Xiahou Lan's face darkened even more.

"Hahaha, look! That silly bird is back! Hey, what did it catch? Let me go see. Good job, Lan-di!"

Unable to find a way to argue his way out, he had no choice but to make an awkward transition.

Watching Zhang Xian flee in disarray, Xiahou Lan finally managed a smile.

My own brother Xian is really something.
Zhang Xian didn't care what the falcon brought back; it was probably just snakes, rats, birds, and the like.

He had the wooden box that Bull had given him in his arms, and now he wanted to plant it.

Alfalfa from Ferghana is a good thing.

It is more nutritious than ordinary hay and can be eaten by horses, cattle, pigs and sheep. Its high protein content can also make livestock grow stronger.

Moreover, alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixing plant, just like soybeans, and can be used to improve soil fertility.

If we want to reclaim wasteland in the future, we can plant alfalfa in the first year, and whatever we plant in the following year will thrive.

Taoyuan has no shortage of food, but it is lacking in livestock fodder. Zhang Xian had originally intended to visit Dai County to see if he could find alfalfa, but he never expected that Bu Er would send it to him directly this time.

Moreover, unlike cotton and sugarcane, alfalfa did not require a change of crop. The Han Dynasty had been cultivating alfalfa for many years, having brought it back after Zhang Qian's expedition beyond the Great Wall. Furthermore, alfalfa was often used as feed for merchants traveling between the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty. Therefore, alfalfa spread along the Silk Road.

If I remember correctly, there was a record of this plant in a geography book I occasionally came across when I was reading books. It can also prevent wind and fix sand dunes. Even in modern times, alfalfa still maintains its title as the king of forage.

In short, this is a good thing, you should plant it.

But I never knew alfalfa had seeds!

Although I had some impression of alfalfa, in my imagination it was the shape of a short, leafy plant, and sometimes I would even confuse it with oxalis.

There weren't many alfalfa seeds in the plot, so Zhang Xian harvested some herbs and planted them. Since they would produce seeds, he decided to scatter them outside after they grew in the homestead field.

The farmland is a guarantee; with it, there's no fear of the alfalfa seeds running out.

He planted alfalfa, and also planted several other plants.

(End of this chapter)