Silver Overlord

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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…!”