Chapter 840: Kill Them Quickly

Luo Zhenjiang was slightly startled: "Red-haired Barbarians?"

They never deal directly with farmers or workshops when buying these goods; everything goes through brokerage firms.

"Brokerage firms?" Xiao Ningchen set down his wine cup, "Could they be the people who match buyers and sellers?"

"Exactly." Luo Zhenjiang nodded, "Whenever the Red-haired Barbarians conduct large‑scale trades, they do it entirely through brokerage firms."

Their prices are generous and the quantities huge, so brokerage firms scramble to handle their business.

Once the cargo is gathered, it's shipped from the inland rivers to Quanzhou, then exported from there.

Xiao Ningxun asked, "Besides silk, porcelain and tea, what else do they buy?"

"They also buy spices." Luo Hongli removed the bones from a piece of fish and placed it in Tuan Tuan's bowl, continuing, "Especially rhubarb and musk; those two are the most in demand."

Once, the dockworkers moved over a hundred boxes onto a ship in a single go.

Just that one ship, the Red-haired Barbarians reportedly paid five thousand taels of silver.

"It doesn't stop there." Luo Zhenjiang took over, "They also frequently commission many bronze wares."

Not brass, but a white copper whose hue resembles silver.

They have ordered many oddly shaped candlesticks and tableware; according to people at the brokerage firms, the Red-haired Barbarians bring these items back, give them a light polish, and then sell them as silverware.

Xiao Ze fell silent, bowing his head in thought.

Xiao Ningyuan's mental abacus had already begun clacking noisily.

He murmured, "With so many items and such frequent bulk purchases, the profit after shipping to Europa must be astounding."

"I guess it should be at least a hundred percent."

Xiao Ningchen choked out, "One hundred percent?"

"It's probably even more," Xiao Ningyuan nodded, "Think about it—long‑distance sea transport inevitably incurs substantial loss."

"If a storm capsizes the ship, not only is the capital lost, but you also have to charter a large cargo vessel capable of long voyages."

"Yet they keep buying in bulk; if the profit weren't a hundred percent, I wouldn't take the deal."

Xiao Ningxun kept nodding, "Brother, you're right."

Tuan Tuan lifted her head from the bowl, cheeks puffed, and asked vaguely, "What's rhubarb? Is it tasty?"

Luo Hongli smiled and wiped her mouth corner, "It's a medicinal herb, very bitter!"

"Oh, then I won't eat it." Tuan Tuan wrinkled her little nose, lowered her head, and kept eating the fish.

"Eat more slowly," Xiao Ze said with a faint smile, "If the dishes here suit your palate, we'll come here for every meal."

"Mm‑mm!"

Luo Zhenyue lifted his wine cup, took a sip, and looked at Xiao Ze, "Seventh Prince asks these, does he intend to trade with the Red‑haired Barbarians?"

Xiao Ze did not conceal anything, speaking earnestly, "All of you have rendered great service to the Imperial Court; I'll speak plainly."

The Red‑haired Barbarians occupy Taiyuan Island, channeling Zhongyuan's goods by sea continuously to their mother country in Europa State, reaping huge profits.

But Taiyuan Island is our Huaxia territory, forcibly seized by them since the previous dynasty.

Luo Zhenyue's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Xiao Ze continued, "Not only did they seize it, they recently submitted a memorial demanding the Imperial Court open the East Japan Sea, hoping to trade with us."

Father Emperor was angered, issued an edict to retake Taiyuan. I came to Jiangzhou this time precisely for that matter.

As soon as the words fell, a "puff" sound was heard.

Luo Hongli choked on a mouthful of wine, coughing repeatedly.

She stared wide‑eyed at Xiao Ze, "Huh? Taiyuan is our territory? I always thought it belonged to the Red‑haired Barbarians!"

Luo Zhenyue frowned, handed over a handkerchief, "You're a young lady; could you be a bit more composed?"

Luo Hongli took the handkerchief, wiped her mouth haphazardly, and exclaimed in surprise, "Don't blame me, Father."

"It's just one big island; I've known since childhood that a band of Red‑haired Barbarians lives there."

"It's not just me; everyone says Taiyuan Island belongs to the Red‑haired Barbarians."

Xiao Ningxun nodded, his voice deepening: "That's why we must reclaim it."

"It was their unreasonable occupation, but year after year, gradually, no one will remember that Taiyuan was originally our land."

"After a few more years, the island's inhabitants may no longer remember they are Huaxia people."

When the words finished, the table fell silent for a moment.

"Your point is sound," Luo Zhenyue said slowly, setting down his wine cup, his gaze heavy as he looked at Xiao Ze, "Since it's our own property taken by others, there's no reason not to take it back."

"I wonder what the Seventh Prince intends to do?"

Xiao Ze thought briefly, then asked, "Do they all speak Zhongyuan language? Doing business here without it would probably be impossible."

"How could they?" Luo Zhenjiang laughed, shaking his head, "The Red‑haired Barbarians babble incoherently; who can understand what they're saying!"

"Those who conduct trade here are all locals from Taiyuan Island; they run errands for the Red‑haired Barbarians and take a cut—they're the intermediaries."

Xiao Ze gave a slight nod, "I see."

Xiao Ningyuan set down his chopsticks, pondering a moment, "With such a variety of goods they purchase, they must be dealing with more than one brokerage firm."

Luo Zhenyue nodded, "That's natural. The Jiangnan Prefecture isn't limited to just Jiangzhou."

"However, within Jiangnan's jurisdiction, every trade has its own guild."

"Those buying silk go to the cloth guild, those buying rhubarb go to the medicine guild, those buying bronze wares go to the metal guild; each has its own rules and its own channels."

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up, "I get it! So the sellers of tea would be called a tea guild?"

Luo Zhenyue was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter, "Exactly! Little girl, you're really clever!"

Proud, Tuan Tuan shook her head, set down her chopsticks, and counted on her fingers, "The chicken sellers are the chicken guild, the egg sellers are the egg guild!"

Everyone: "……"

"This place has the most snacks," she looked up at Luo Hongli, speaking earnestly, "Is it called the snack guild?"

Luo Hongli laughed, covering his mouth, reached out and slipped another piece of fish into her bowl: "Yes, yes, Tuan Tuan is always right, eat quickly, if it gets cold it'll become fishy."

Xiao Ningxun looked toward his elder brother: "You ask so specifically, but did you think of anything?"

Xiao Ningyuan's lips curled slightly, his expression exactly like Xiao Feifei: "Since every trade has a guild, the matter is simple."

He paused: "We'll go door to door to visit, find the heads of those guilds…"

He turned his head toward Luo Hongli: "What are those heads called?"

Luo Hongli replied: "Guild leader."

"Oh, guild leader," Xiao Ningyuan nodded, "We'll negotiate with these guild leaders and buy all the goods for the next six months."

He leaned back against the chair, a sharp glint in his eyes: "First cut off the Red-haired Barbarians' supply, so they hold silver but can't buy anything."

"A merchant's silver can't stop flowing; if it stops, trouble is sure to follow."

"I guess the Red-haired Barbarians on Taiyuan Island are just errand runners; otherwise, why would such a grueling thousand‑mile assignment fall to them?"

"If they hold silver but can't buy goods, the seller will surely press them; then there'll be a spectacle, driving them mad!"