Chapter 607: 607
Early the next morning, Yan Liqiang brought Qian Su and Lu Wenbin to investigate Yingwei County’s border trading post . Although the construction was funded by Yan Liqiang, this was his first time to visit the place as the Protectorate General .
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The border trading post was a large market that existed as a convenient venue for the Great Han Empire to trade with the surrounding foreign lands .
The Yingwei County border trading post was initially set up to facilitate trading with the minor tribes on Mount Jade Dragon . It was a pawn that Yan Liqiang had planted long ago . Back then, the border trading post wasn’t exactly lively until Yan Liqiang and Wang Jianbei drove all the Shatu people in Pingxi City away . Part of the remaining Shatu people in Pingxi Prefecture were driven to Yingwei County too . If the Shatu people wished to continue doing business in Pingxi Prefecture, then they could only carry their business out in the border trading post .
The border trading post only thrived once the Shatu people joined . The merchants within the prefecture and Gan Province who used to trade with the Shatu people also started gathering at Yingwei County . As the border trading thrived, the amount of tax collected in Yingwei County also slowly improved .
By the time Yan Liqiang and the others arrived at the border trading post, the sun had risen and the market was already in full swing .
Since Yan Liqiang didn’t want to make a huge commotion, they kept a very low profile by traveling in just a group of nearly thirty people . Apart from Yan Liqiang, Qian Su, Lu Wenbin, and Fu Changde, they only had a little more than twenty guards with them . Not only that, but everyone was plainly dressed so that they wouldn’t attract any attention . On the contrary, the wealthy merchants that came to the border trading post were dripping in gold and silver . They brought with them a big entourage of men to carry a big load of goods back .
“Haha, I didn’t expect to see a steam-powered mill here…” Yan Liqiang spotted a newly established steam-powered mill by the entrance to the border trading post as soon as they arrived .
There was a chimney on the roof, and the distinct noise of a running Aquapyro Engine could be heard coming from inside the mill . A line had formed outside the building, and there were even a few elderly women in the line . The strange fragrance of spices wafted out from the mill .
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“This is the fragrance of Caoding Fruit from Mount Jade Dragon!” Fu Dechang was able to identify the spice as soon as he caught a whiff . It was a common seasoning used in the kitchen .
“Caoding Fruits are abundant on Mount Jade Dragon . They are sold at cheap prices here, so many people from nearby cities would choose to buy them here, grind them into powder, and bring them home . It has only been a few months since the old mill was upgraded to a steam-powered mill . The Caoding Fruit sellers and mill owners in this border trading post make good money!”
“Everyone is a customer here . It’s good to see that this border trading post is making life easier for the people in Yingwei County too . The business here will surely thrive over the long term!”
“You are right, Young Lord!” Lu Wenbin chimed in with a smile . “Although the commoners are not buying the goods in big bulk like the traveling merchants, they come frequently . Their little spendings can also accumulate into a big amount over time!”
“Exactly . ”
The group walked into the border trading post as they chatted .
There were eight gates in the border trading post and the roads were all connected to each other, forming a small town . Street vendors and shops lined the streets . Wells and tools to extinguish fires were placed at regular intervals along streets .
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Not long after the group entered the border trading post, they spotted a shop selling Caoding Fruits . A merchant who spoke with a foreign accent was instructing his men to load countless sacks of Caoding Fruits he’d just bought onto a four-wheeled carriage parked by the road .
The border trading post was already bustling with activity at this hour . Diversely dressed merchants and patrons sporting different accents had gathered in this place since dawn to start delivering goods, picking goods, and bargaining . Four-wheeled carriages used to transport goods were seen parked by the roadside everywhere . A group of intimidating-looking law enforcers patrolled the area .
When the constable saw Fu Changde, he was slightly taken aback and seemed to recognize him . Just when he was about to come over to greet him, Fu Changde gave him an eye signal . Upon seeing the young man in Fu Changde’s company who was currently shopping in a store, the constable finally recalled the news he’d received yesterday on the Protectorate General’s visit to Yingwei County .
A few burly guards had secretly formed a protective ring around Fu Changde and the others . The constable hurriedly nodded to Fu Changde, then quickly rejoined his subordinates on the patrol .
After the group walked around in the border trading post for a while, they arrived at the area occupied by the Shatu people .
Most of the ware they sold here were pretty much the ones they sold in Pingxi City . The only difference was the wool, which they had never sold in Pingxi City before .
At those Shatu vendor stalls, tight bundles of wool were stuffed in huge sacks . The Shatu people left the sacks unsealed, allowing the snowy white wool inside to peek out as they hawked their ware .
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The businesses located in front of these Shatu vendor stalls were doing extremely well because of the wool . In fact, this was probably the busiest part of the border trading post . Four-wheeled carriages were parked here as potential wool buyers lined up to look at them and haggle prices with the Shatu people . Those that made successful deals would then take the sacks of wool for weighing and make their payments .
Yan Liqiang came to a Shatu vendor stall with big piles of wool . He reached out to touch the snowy white wool and asked, “How much for a jin of wool?”
The person who manned the vendor stall was a sly-looking old Shatu man sporting a gray beard . The old man sized up Yan Liqiang and his companions, then replied, “Two maces of silver for a jin…”
“That expensive?” Although Yan Liqiang was aware of the price, he pretended to be shocked .
In reality, the main factor that contributed to the skyrocketing of wool price was the price of woolen fabrics produced by The Greatest Mill . Currently, the most ordinary quality of thirty-meter-long woolen fabric weighing 28 kilograms produced by The Greatest Mill was being sold at approximately 850 taels of silver .
Due to the shortage of woolen fabrics, their value was now viewed as even higher than the same amount of silver in the market . Hence, it became a craze as it was a symbol of wealth for the rich . Woolen fabrics that were not of premium quality like the ones produced by The Greatest Mill could also fetch about 500 taels of silver for a roll .
Following the skyrocketing profits of woolen fabrics, the price of wool also soared to an unimaginable level . Despite the high wool prices, the woolen fabrics that were produced from them could easily double or triple the profit . This was the reason why this place was so crowded .
The wool business carried out in this border trading post was Yan Liqiang’s main target in this investigation . He had readied a plan that would surely turn their joy into sorrow .
“My wool here is clean and cheap . Other places are selling at the same price too!” the old Shatu man said as he shook his head .
“Brother, please be careful . You best not buy this old Shatu man’s wool . He purposely mixes sand and water in his wool to cheat the scale . If you want to buy, you better take them out and pick the dry ones!”
A voice suddenly came from the side . Yan Liqiang turned his head to find an experienced-looking young man with brilliant eyes standing beside him as he whispered words of warning to Yan Liqiang .
“What nonsense are you spouting?!” The old Shatu man instantly flew into a rage as he pointed at the young man and glared daggers at him as though he was going to kill him . “Are you trying to make trouble here…?!” As the old man said that, he was about to draw his scimitar .
The young man sneered as he lifted his head and looked at the angry old man coldly . “Things are different now . This is not Pingxi City anymore . Don’t forget how you all were driven here from there . I won’t be moving from here even if you use your weapon . Try laying a finger on me if you dare…”
The old Shatu man panted heavily . He laid his fingers on the handle of his scimitar but failed to find his courage to unsheathe it . In the end, he only threw a glare at the young man and Yan Liqiang, then dismissed them angrily . “Go away! Go away now! I’m not doing business with you all…!”
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