Rebirth of Wu Ba Spring and Autumn

Chapter 411
"Then I don't know how much the premium of copper and iron weapons is?"

asked a farmer eagerly.

"The premium for copper and iron weapons is even higher!"

The merchant said with a smile: "Bronze and iron weapons are sold by the catty, 1000 yuan per catty!"

"Hey! That's a high price! In this way, even another ordinary bronze sword or iron sword can be sold for a high price of several thousand dollars!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you sell it by the pound? Can you only forge swords?"

Upon hearing this, the merchant slowly shook his head and said, "No. Swords, daggers, spearheads, axes, etc., all weapons decorated with copper and iron can be sold to us at a high price of 1000 yuan per catty."

"If there are animal skins, such as deer skin, fox skin, bear skin, tiger skin, etc., the price is even higher!"

Hearing this, the farmers present immediately became excited.

In order to verify the truth of the merchant's words, many villagers immediately rushed back to their homes and took out leather goods that had been treasured for many years, or copper and iron weapons, grain and rice.

Merchants also bought what they brought out one by one according to the agreed price.

This made the farmers and hunters who had meager incomes and could barely support their families earn a lot of money, and each laughed from ear to ear.

After the caravan left, the people in the village gathered together with great interest and talked a lot.

"Judging from the accent of the businessman just now, it seems to be from the Wu country in the east."

"You say, there is some conspiracy in Wu's merchants paying such a high price for our weapons, grain, rice, and leather goods?"

"Hey, what the hell is he doing? Wu Guoren is just a fool with a lot of money!"

"According to his tone, he will come over next month to buy a large amount of leather goods, weapons, copper, iron, grain and rice, as much as he has!"

"Folks! What are you waiting for? It's time for me to make a fortune!"

"The busy farming season is just over, why don't you take care of your fields?"

"Hmph, how can farming earn money by hunting in the mountains?"

"I'm also going to mine in the mountains to find copper and iron and come back to forge weapons!"

"Remember to build more stoves..."

Under Qing Ji's instruction, Wu's caravans traveled across most of Chu, and they paid two or three times as high a price to buy a large amount of leather goods, grain, rice, and copper and iron weapons from the local Li Shu of Chu.

The Lishu of the Chu State who didn't know the truth, didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in the gourds of the merchants of the Wu State.

However, knowing that there is money to be made, and that they can make a lot of money, they also changed careers one after another regardless.

Farmers who used to work in the fields all day have turned to hunters and went hunting in the mountains.

Or go to some little-known mines to mine resources such as copper and iron.

Every household built a fire stove, forging weapons without a teacher.

The requirements of merchants in the Wu state do not require high-quality weapons, as long as they look decent.

……

Yingdu.

On a bustling street, bustling with people.

At this time, the carriage in which Zixi, Zuo disciple of the state of Chu, was passing through this bustling market.

Zixi opened the curtain of the carriage, looked outside, and saw groups of people gathered together, carrying poles on their shoulders, and bamboo baskets containing various copper and iron weapons and leather goods.

There are also many Li Shus pushing wheelbarrows full of grain and rice, and they come here to trade in step by step.

"what happened?"

Zixi asked the attendant on the side suspiciously.

The entourage went over there to inquire, then turned back, bowed and said: "My lord, there are people who are buying a large amount of leather goods, grain and rice, as well as copper and iron weapons and various rare birds and animals."

"It is said that they are merchants from Wu Guolai, and the prices they offer are two or three times higher than the market price!"

"what?"

Zixi frowned, feeling a bad premonition in his heart.

All right, why did merchants from the state of Wu suddenly come to the state of Chu to buy so many "daily necessities" at a high price?
It stands to reason that the state of Wu does not lack such things. Where can the merchants of the state of Wu sell so much grain, rice, leather goods, and copper and iron weapons from the state of Chu?

Just when Zixi was puzzled, a follower came over and said, "My lord, please see Dr. Baoxu."

"Let him come over."

"promise!"

Shen Baoxu and Zixi have been officials in the same dynasty for many years, they are like-minded, and they are confidantes.

So the two often talk about state affairs together, almost everything.

Not long after, Shen Baoxu was invited into Zixi's spacious carriage.

The two sat opposite each other, before Shen Baoxu had time to catch his breath, he said anxiously: "Young Master Shen, it's a disaster, a disaster!"

"Where did the calamity come from?"

Zixi asked puzzled.

According to Zixi's understanding of Shen Baoxu, the latter is a prudent person, who usually looks like pointing and scolding Fang You, why has he become so restless now?

After Shen Baoxu calmed down, he sighed and said, "Young Master Shen, you must have seen the scene on the street just now."

"Wu's caravans have entered Chu one after another, not only in Yingdu, but also in all parts of our Chu country, there are traces of Wu people's caravans."

"Wherever they went, they yelled loudly, buying grain, rice, leather goods, and various copper and iron weapons at high prices, without bargaining at all!"

"There's something strange about it. With the disposition of Wu's merchants, how can they do such a loss-making business?"

Hearing this, Zixi frowned, and asked tentatively: "Doctor Shen, what do you mean, Qingji is standing behind the merchants of Wu Kingdom?"

"Not bad!"

Shen Baoxu said with a stern face: "There are many kinds of merchants. They are all engaged in different industries. Now they have entered Chu one after another. They don't hesitate to buy things that are everywhere in Wu. How can there be no deep meaning?"

"I'm really worried that the Wu people have malicious intentions, so that the old Duke Huan of Qi bought a deer to make Chu happen again!"

"not good!"

Zixi immediately came to his senses and said anxiously, "This must be Wu Wang Qingji's idea."

"Quick! Turn around! Go to the palace!"

……

After calming down, Shen Baoxu and Zixi became more and more wrong.

As the saying goes, there is no business without fraud, and no business without fraud.

Is there any merchant in the world who does not pursue profit?
And if this kind of thing is really caused by Qingji behind the scenes, Chu State must be the one who will be unlucky in the end!
Not long after, Shen Baoxu and Zixi entered the Chu Palace together to meet the Chu King Xiong Zhen.

At this time, Xiong Zhen was already an adult in his weak crown (twenty years old).

At this age, Xiong Zhen can already govern himself and become a real monarch, holding great power and governing the country.

In fact, Xiong Zhen's mother, Meng Ying, Mrs. Chu Guotai, did indeed return power to Xiong Zhen, but she retired to the harem and no longer interfered in political affairs.

However, Chu King Xiong Zhen did not really grow up.

At least the power in Xiong Zhen's hands is not that great, a large part of it is controlled by clan ministers like Nang Wa and Zi Xi, who have been refusing to return Xiong Zhen, the king of Chu, for a long time!
(End of this chapter)