Chapter 952

Let's first gauge his capabilities, then we'll talk," Hu Xiaotian deliberately lowered his voice and said: "Grain!"

Zan Buliu said: "Now, the states surrounding Dakang probably dare not trade grain and fodder with Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Didn't you say the greater the risk, the greater the profit, and merchants prioritize profit? Are you really willing to miss this great opportunity?"

Zan Buliu smiled and said: "Eating habits differ greatly by region. South of the Yongjiang, rice is the staple; north of the Yongjiang, it's mainly wheat-based foods and grains. Go further north, past the Great Wall, into the lands of the Hu and Tujue peoples, and their staple becomes beef and mutton. Even farther north, the Mali people commonly eat a tuber shaped like a horse bell."

Hu Xiaotian, upon hearing Zan Buliu say this, already understood that what Zan Buliu was referring to was definitely the potato. If Zan Buliu hadn't brought this up, Hu Xiaotian would have almost overlooked it; having come to this era, he had indeed never seen anything like potatoes, tomatoes, etc. In an age when maritime transport was still underdeveloped, information between countries was relatively closed off, and trade was naturally limited by geography. Zan Buliu's words were truly a single sentence that awakened him from a dream. In the eyes of the Central Plains states, wheat and rice are the staples the common people rely on for survival, but in fact there are many ways to solve the people's food problem. Although Da Yong secretly restricted grain trade between Dakang and its neighboring states, it did not forbid all of Dakang's foreign trade, and this could be considered an ancient economic sanction.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Mr. Zan, are you confident you can secure grain?"

Zan Buliu said: "I dare not say I have a hundred percent confidence, nor dare I say I can solve Dakang's huge grain shortfall, but I should have some ability to transport some grains that Da Yong has not explicitly forbidden into Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian smiled at Zan Buliu and said: "Mr. Zan, have you considered what would happen if these matters were leaked?"

Zan Buliu said: "That's why I cannot show my face; everyone knows Da Yong's desire to annex Dakang, but if the world were truly unified, it might not be a good thing for us merchants."

Hu Xiaotian lifted the chazan, took a sip, and said without changing expression: "Please tell me the details."

Zan Buliu said: "Actually, whether in Da Yong or Dakang, merchants have little status; the court values not you personally but your wealth, and whenever they encounter trouble they will reach out to you—if you are generous with your purse, that is patriotism and loyalty; otherwise it is seen as harboring ulterior motives." He gave a wry smile and said: "In the eyes of those in power, we merchants are no different from pigs and sheep, fattened for slaughter; they can act against us whenever they wish."

Hu Xiaotian deeply agreed; indeed, the Xu family of Jinling is no different? In Dakang's imperial court's eyes, the Xu clan of Jinling is undoubtedly a big fat sheep, and they have already sharpened their knives.

Zan Buliu said: "Although I am now in Da Yong, I am a Dakang native. My ancestors once served as officials in Dakang; although they had no remarkable achievements and left no name in history, they were truly loyal and patriotic, even sacrificing their lives for Dakang. Speaking of Da Yong, it was once part of Dakang, and its founding ruler, Xue Jiu rang, was actually just a rebel general of Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Mr. Zan, are you intending to help Dakang?"

Zan Buliu said: "Dakang's fate is sealed; although I lack foresight, I can see this clearly. Since Dakang will sooner or later become someone else's fat meat, why not seize the opportunity to take a few more bites? Let's fill our own stomachs before others move in."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh; "no merchant is without deceit," and Zan Buliu is a prime example. He nodded and said: "Mr. Zan, what do you have in mind?"

Zan Buliu said: "I have had business dealings with the Heihu, Tujue, and Mali peoples, and I am confident I can obtain the food you need from them. We can purchase cattle, sheep, and horses from the Heihu and Tujue—slaughtering them yields food—and we can purchase potatoes from the Mali; although they are not as good as rice or wheat, they can at least stave off hunger. Of course I will not show my face, but I have the ability to organize these foreign merchants to operate in Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Even if we could organize these things, how would we get these goods into Dakang? The journey is far, and if we go around Da Yong, it would likely take double the time." Zan Buliu's proposal, while quite attractive, is not realistic upon closer thought. Taking Heihu as an example, Heihu borders Da Yong, and the shortest route for doing business with Heihu is through Da Yong, which would already take at least three months, let alone taking a detour; even if we managed to transport grain to Dakang, Dakang's famine would probably have already broken out.

Zan Buliu said: "For long-term business, buying locally certainly won't solve the urgent need, but Sir Hu, don't forget that there are already many Heihu merchants within Da Yong; if they all knew Dakang was willing to pay heavily for grain, they would flock here."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Do you think the Da Yong emperor would just sit by and ignore this?"

Zan Buliu said: "Sir Hu probably doesn't know, but because of the matter of the Heihu fourth prince, His Majesty has just signed an agreement with the Heihu people, mainly targeting Heihu merchants, promising them the most favorable treatment and not interfering with Heihu people conducting business southward through Da Yong." He paused and said: "Heihu and Dakang were once mortal enemies; after Da Yong's independence, Dakang and Heihu were separated by Da Yong, which could be said to have shielded Dakang from much warfare. Over the past century, there has been scarcely any trade between Heihu and Dakang, and I wish to build this bridge between the two nations."

Hu Xiaotian, upon hearing this, already understood Zan Buliu's true intention: he wants to help Dakang and the Heihu form an economic alliance to jointly counter the growing Da Yong. As a Da Yong citizen, the only possible motive for doing this would be to oppose Da Yong; whether his starting point is truly to help Dakang is uncertain, but one thing Hu Xiaotian can determine is that Zan Buliu is very likely a Heihu spy.

Emperor of the Great Yong

Fourth Prince of the Black Hu

Hu Xiaotian thought: "You're damn black, doing nothing but acting as a middleman pulling strings, taking a thirty percent cut from the middle—ultimately you're just screwing Dakang. The goods the Heihu people send will surely be sold at a high price. But given the current situation, even if Dakang had money it couldn't buy grain; otherwise it wouldn't be considering opening a southern sea route to Luo Song to secure this grain transport route. If we open a southern sea route and enable northern trade with the Heihu, even buying food at high prices would be worthwhile. A person about to starve would be willing to move a mountain of gold for a steamed bun."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Mr. Zan, go ahead with confidence; I will certainly provide you with every possible convenience."

Seeing Zan Buliu off, Hu Xiaotian turned back to his residence when he encountered the already renewed Yang Lingqi. Yang Lingqi wore a green scholar's robe; although his build was somewhat slight, he had clear eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding only a scholar's refined elegance. Upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, Yang Lingqi hastily clasped his hands in salute and bowed deeply.

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "Brother Yang, you don't need to be so polite with me. How are you? Are you still getting used to staying here?"

Yang Lingqi said, "Thanks to Sir Hu's care, I am deeply grateful."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Too polite! I've encountered quite a few things these past two days; otherwise I would have gone to see Brother Yang earlier."

Yang Lingqi said, "What has Sir Hu encountered? I wonder if I may share your worries."

Hu Xiaotian knew he was resourceful and had extraordinary insight into the state of the world, so he asked him to sit at the stone table in the courtyard and whispered: "Last night, a peasant uprising broke out at the Dakang imperial mausoleum; fifty thousand laborers rebelled. The Emperor, furious, sent troops to pursue and kill them, issuing an order to kill on sight, causing panic and great tension."

Yang Lingqi said, "He who wins the people's hearts wins the realm, yet the Emperor's actions only push the common folk further away. It's strange; he shouldn't be like this, having suffered such a great setback before—why hasn't he learned from it?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "He's probably just become senile."

Yang Lingqi said, "What you see and hear as an official in the court differs from what we see."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "You mean I'm blinded by being in the midst of it?"

Yang Lingqi said, "That's not what I mean. After the Emperor's restoration, his actions show he still wants to bring Dakang out of the mire—for example, he continues to employ these old officials in the court and has not rushed to punish those who once betrayed him; moreover, he has taken out much silver and gold from his private treasury to exempt many taxes. Only a short time has passed—how could he suddenly become like this?" Yang Lingqi frowned, puzzled.

Hu Xiaotian said, "He has always been fickle; when he was just restored, he tried to win people's hearts, but now that his throne is secure, his old ways have resurfaced, and he is even exploiting the people more severely."

Yang Lingqi said, "He cannot be said to have done nothing good during his many years on the throne; he has also done some things beneficial to Dakang. What Sir Hu says could be true, but I always feel there is another possibility."

Hu Xiaotian blinked and said, "Please tell me more!"

Yang Lingqi said, "I don't know if Sir Hu has noticed, but the Emperor rarely appears in public now, and many external affairs are handled by Prince Yongyang."

Hu Xiaotian said, "The Emperor's energy is lacking, and he is not interested in state affairs, which is why he has entrusted court affairs to Prince Yongyang for assistance."

Yang Lingqi said, "It's not just that reason, is it? Although I don't know much about Prince Yongyang, since the Emperor can trust her with Dakang's state affairs, this fourteen-year-old girl must have extraordinary talent. Although the Emperor has handed power to her, Prince Yongyang's age and experience are insufficient to convince everyone, and Sir Hu may not have noticed—every time the people have benefited, it was Prince Yongyang who personally issued the orders. In fact, the Emperor could easily do these things himself, yet he still gives Prince Yongyang the chance to win popular support. This shows the Emperor is cultivating Prince Yongyang, establishing her prestige among the officials."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "As for his treatment of Qiqi, it's indeed not bad."

I am currently traveling in Gannan, so updates have been fewer lately; I hope everyone will understand. It is expected to last about ten days. Zhangyu will try to keep updating. Rarely having leisure, I ask everyone to be tolerant! (To be continued)