When they arrived at the Tianhu Lake mentioned by Lai Ba, Yun Zheng discovered that the Tubo people were very sincere in their trading. A large open space was fenced off by wooden fences on the edge of the rippling Tianhu Lake, which was specially used as a place for trading teams.
..Yun Zheng even saw majestic Tubo warriors guarding this place. Such treatment was already very high for a businessman.
There was no need to blow the horn this time. The herdsmen had already blown the horns loudly, and the sound was transmitted to the depths of the grassland from station to station.
When Lai Ba introduced Yun Zheng to Naxi as his young master, the leader's butler gave Yun Zheng a great welcome. After hugging him affectionately, he hurriedly reported to his master the news of the visit of the caravan's top brass.
Yun Zheng wiped a little styrax into his nose without leaving a trace. The viscous liquid immediately gave off a refreshing fragrance. His head, which had been swollen by the smell of Naxi just now, immediately woke up. This time
The meeting with the Tubo people is very important, and you need to stay awake enough.
There is a very magical thing about the Tubo people, that is, the herdsmen and farmers at the bottom are very simple, and can even be said to be uncivilized, but their social elites are frighteningly smart. Even if they encounter those reincarnated living Buddhas in later generations,
They are the living Buddhas in the smallest temple. Their profound knowledge and unique insights often amaze Yun Zheng.
The leader was affable when he saw Laiba, but when he saw Yun Zheng, he made a grand display. Two rows of majestic warriors lined up on the Chengren Wall. Their chests and belly were raised with extraordinary momentum. There were knives stuck randomly in their waists.
Part of the knife's handle was deliberately exposed, and the complicated tassels on the handle were fluttering in the wind, making it look majestic. Yun Zheng insisted that those knives were not scary, but what was really scary was the smell of mutton that filled the sky. When there were more people, this terrifying aura would
Leaves people nowhere to hide.
Having to increase the dosage of Styrax, Yun Zheng had to admit that the leader's attack was too powerful.
Entering the big tent of the leader, the situation here is even more terrifying. Seven or eight women in colorful clothes surround the leader and chirp their requests. Sandalwood incense curls up from the incense burner, and butter on the fire pond
As it rolled away, the shiny carpet soaked in grease silently conveyed to Yun Zheng how rich the Eagle Department was.
Agate and tortoiseshell are Buddhist treasures, and when paired with holy silver, they become the most noble jewelry for the Tibetan people on the grassland. Warriors will only put these on their weapons, while women will put them all over their bodies.
yes,
Yun Zheng admitted that the plateau red on their faces was beautiful and sunny, but in front of his own master, was it really appropriate to giggle and put his hands into his arms, looking for things everywhere?
Monkey and Hanniu were holding two red lacquered wooden plates, covered with red silk cloth. These were the gifts that Yunzheng brought to the leader. Tea bricks were only available in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Yunzheng
I took it out early now. The reason is that tea leaves are difficult to transport, and they are loose and bulky. Later, Yun Zheng remembered that he had visited the Yangdonglou Tea House, so he steamed the tea leaves to soften them.
Then use a mold to press it into strips, so that a pound of tea brick is incomparable to the savings of loose tea leaves. As for the nutritious fungi in the Yangdonglou tea bricks, are there any in my own tea bricks?
It was really not something Yun Zheng could consider.
Anyway, the size of the tea leaves has shrunk and it doesn't take up much space. I broke off a piece and tasted it. The taste was really indescribable. A small piece can brew a lot of tea water, so that must be enough.
Tubo is an alpine area, with an altitude of more than three to four thousand meters. Zanba, milk, butter, beef and mutton are the staple foods of Tibetans. In alpine areas, high-calorie fat is needed, but there are no vegetables, so tsampa and
Too much fat is not easy to decompose in the human body due to dryness and heat. Tea can not only decompose fat but also prevent heat and dryness. Therefore, the Tubo people have created the plateau lifestyle habit of drinking butter tea during their long-term life. However, tea is not produced in Tibetan areas.
He was still a little nervous at first, but after hearing about Lai Ba's surgery, Yun Zheng felt sad for his wasteful behavior when he thought of the tea stems he had sorted out and thrown away.
The pure white silk cloth was held in both hands and hung around the neck of the bewildered leader. Of course he had never seen such a thing before. Such high-end and elegant gifts only became popular after Pasiba's missionary work.
"Honorable leader, this is the fairy's ribbon. I wish you will always be blessed by the gods. It also symbolizes pure friendship and is the best gift I can give you."
The leader touched the pure white silk, but stared at a man huddled in the corner, and hurriedly said a few words in Tibetan dialect.
"Master, this Han guest is expressing his boundless respect to you. He said that this white silk is the fairy's ribbon. He wishes you to be blessed by the gods forever." The person sitting in the corner quickly replied.
Although he spoke in Tubo dialect, Yun Zheng discovered at the first moment that this guy was a Han Chinese, and he could tell from his gestures that this guy was a scholar.
Damn it, ever since Zhang Yuan joined the party and Li Yuanhao was given a high position, many scholars who were dissatisfied in the scientific examination room have followed suit. Feeling that they have nowhere to show their revenge, they have actively surrendered to the surrounding barbarians, hoping that their talents will be recognized.
.
A cold light flashed through Yun Zheng's eyes. With a smile on his face, he raised his hands and asked the person in the corner: "I don't know where you studied before, sir, and what kind of writing you have? Can you see my ancestor Hongru in Gaoyuan?
It’s really a pleasant surprise for Wansheng.”
"Oh? It's really strange that you, a businessman, are also scholars. I, Huang Youting, have a beautiful handwriting, but the past is so wasted that I can't bear to look back on it. It's okay not to talk about it. Now you are the swordsman and pen clerk of King Qionghou. You come from the Han Dynasty, so you should know the rules.
There is an acute shortage of materials on the grassland, so you can naturally make whatever profits you deserve, but don't be greedy. The people are simple, but the steel knife around your waist is also sharp, so don't make mistakes."
"It's natural. In business, you get what you pay for. This is an ancient saying. Yun's Trading Company is a good old man. Since you have come to the Eagle Department, you must have heard that small-sized goods may have defective products. So,
Shoddy stuff is unheard of, right?"
"I have seen your goods, and they are passable. The transactions in Han Dynasty are just like this. Although the prices are very different, considering your difficult trafficking process, they are still reasonable. Keep your reputation, and the Eagle Ministry will be financially strong.
Nature can make you rich."
When the Han man named Huang Youting walked out of the dark corner, Yun Zheng clearly heard the cow and dog behind him shouting in surprise, "Huang...".
Yun Zheng slapped the monkey on the head with his backhand. In the flash of lightning, Yun Zheng already knew who the Han man in front of him was. This guy must be Mr. Huang who made a living by telling stories in Yuanshan. At this time
Exposing him will do a lot of harm but nothing good.
"Hahaha, Mr. Huang is an expert from the Han Dynasty. This is really great. I happen to have a new tea that I want to introduce to the leader, so I would like to ask Mr. Huang to explain it to me. I will give you a small gift after that."
Huang Youting's face showed a hint of embarrassment when he first saw the monkey and the stupid cow. He was stunned for a moment, but maintained his superior demeanor and nodded reservedly to express his agreement.
Monkey and Hanniu placed the wooden tray in front of the leader. Yun Zheng lifted up the silk cloth on the top and said to the leader: "Since the tea trade began between Han and Tubo, our merchants have suffered all the tea. The weight of it
It is light and easily damaged. On the long trade route, countless people abandoned their bodies in the wilderness for these tea leaves and became lonely ghosts.
The same was true for the previous transactions with your department. The three pack horses were all filled with tea, but the goods exchanged were less than 30% of the salt. It is embarrassing to say that because of this matter, Wan Sheng has been scolded several times by his father and brother. After many hardships,
Despite all the hardships, the profits were not as good as those in the Han region, but tea was something that the Tibetan people could not live without. If there was no tea in the cargo of a trip, do you think this was still a profitable caravan for the Tibetans?
So Wansheng worked hard to develop a new method of transporting tea, which is to press loose tea leaves into such strips. The result was a surprise. Under the same weight, not only could I carry more tea leaves, but there were also more tea leaves.
It has added some other flavors, the tea soup is red and bright, and after brewing, it can also regulate the intestines and stomach after drinking, so please watch it."
Yun Zheng picked up a tea brick and gave it to Huang Youting with both hands. The moment the two handed over the tea brick, a silver coin in Yun Zheng's sleeve slipped silently into the sleeve of Huang Youting's leather robe.
As expected, Huang Youting had the spleen of the Han people. He had a heavy thing in his sleeves, but his face was calm and calm. He respectfully handed the brick of tea to the leader. After the leader took the brick of tea, he put it to his nose and smelled it.
He looked at Yun Zheng doubtfully, waiting for his further explanation.
Yun Zheng waved behind him, Han Niu took out a lit small stove from the bamboo basket on his back, put it on a wooden plate and placed it on the greasy carpet of the leader's house, and Monkey took out a tea set from the rattan box behind him.
This tea set was customized by Yunzheng. People in the Song Dynasty liked rabbit hair cups, but Yunzheng preferred this kind of thin white porcelain cup. A cluster of orchids was painted on the outside of the porcelain cup. The whole tea set looked elegant and noble.
It looks like top quality goods.
"Sir, please sit down and have a cup of tea." Yun Zheng knelt down straight with his back straight, and invited Huang Youting to take a seat.
Poor Huang Youting has been living in poverty for half his life. How could he have the opportunity to accept such a noble invitation? After whispering in the leader's ear for a long time, Yun Zheng found that the smile on the leader's face was gone, and he waved his hand and dismissed those chattering.
The woman rushed out of the tent and sat upright waiting for Yun Zheng's performance.
Monkey and Hanniu put all kinds of dried fruits and snacks in small porcelain plates of the same style at a very cheap price, including candied fruits, wine dates, soft pear, black ones were plum blossoms, and half green but not yellow ones were baked apricots. Crispy
The ring cake, the famous Chinese and foreign crispy bubble snails, and the mung bean cake are some delicacies that are durable and not easy to spoil.
Huang Youting and the leader's throats were constantly throbbing. If it weren't for Yun Zheng's presence, they would rush over and chew. (To be continued.)