I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 420: Sending a Team to Explore Black River for Beizhu
Liao horses, sable furs and northern pearls?

In Su Yao's impression, this place should be rich in ginseng, sable fur, deer antlers and other things.

This is also the reason why Su Yao took the trouble to bring Zhen Jiang and his party here to open up trade routes.

However, unexpectedly, according to the locals, there is no trace of ginseng and deer antlers at all, and instead these three things are found. How difficult is that?
After asking, Su Yao finally understood.

At that time, ginseng was not as famous as it is in later generations. The so-called life-saving holy product was only used in a small range among the royal family and other upper classes. It was not until Zhang Zhongjing wrote "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" and the prescription for large-scale cultivation of ginseng that ginseng became famous and gradually spread.

At this moment, people in Liaodong did not realize the value of this thing at all.

This is a track worth developing.

But now, Su Yao's attention was attracted by another specialty.

Northern pearls, as the saying goes, are valuable because they are rare. Although Su Yao is not an expert on pearls, when he heard about northern pearls, he immediately thought of the world-famous eastern pearls in the Qing Dynasty.

That was no longer just huge profits; it was something used exclusively by the emperor, which showed how precious it was.

If you can accomplish this, then it will be an absolute flagship product.

"First, tell me about the Northern Pearl, where it is produced, and why it is difficult to obtain?"

Facing Su Yao's barrage of questions, Tian Shao replied:

"The Huifugun Beizhu production area is located in the Black River (Heilongjiang River) deep in the northeast, in the territory of the Buyeo people and Goguryeo."

"In the first year of Emperor Shun's Yonghe reign, the King of Buyeo went to the capital Luoyang to pay tribute and presented this local treasure. Your Majesty saw that it was large and shiny, and felt that it was not inferior to the Hepu Pearl, so he named it the same as the pearl of the north and south."

"From now on, Liaodong Pearl and Hepu Pearl are the two most precious pearls in the world."

"But compared to the pearl mining industry in Hepu, where officials and citizens are working together, the pearl producing areas in Liaodong are too far away."

"In the early years of peace, the court sent people to build a pass in the Black River to collect pearls, but the Goguryeo, Buyeo, and Wokou people ignored the king's orders and continued to attack here, so the pass was eventually abandoned."

"Later, in addition to occasional tributes, they also sent people to exchange goods. As a result, the trade in northern pearls flourished for several decades."

As he spoke, a hint of nostalgia appeared on Tian Shao's face.

Seeing his curiosity, he couldn't help but sneer and said:

"To be honest with you, my lord, my humble grandfather was the county magistrate of Houcheng County in the northeast of our county. Thanks to the prosperous trade here, our Tian family was able to take root in Liaodong County."

"Back then, this business was really easy to do."

Tian Shao sighed:
"Not only are ordinary grains and farm tools popular, but a piece of ordinary silk can be exchanged for a few furs or a string of beads."

"Not to mention the precious silk and lacquerware from the Central Plains. Where have these barbarians ever seen such exquisite things?"

"But in recent years, the Central Plains has been in turmoil, and the roads are difficult to travel. Not only has the business travel stopped, but I don't know what happened to the Buyeo and Goguryeo people in the north. The frequency of caravans has decreased year by year, and in recent years, they have completely disappeared."

"Even if we encounter people, they are no longer the merchants who come to do business as in the past, but desperate criminals who burn, kill, rob and commit all kinds of evil."

"Our path to the North Pearl is completely cut off."

——"I wonder what happened?"

Su Yao was surprised:
"They are all neighbors, why didn't you send someone to find out?"

"This mansion master doesn't know."

Tian Shao was embarrassed when he heard this:
"The Black River is a long way away, and the forces of Buyeo and Goguryeo are intertwined there."

"Even the Buyeo people launched a large-scale rebellion more than ten years ago, with more than 20,000 people besieging Xuantu."

"Fortunately, the then Xuantu governor Gongsun Yu made good arrangements and commanded the enemy, defeating them and beheading more than a thousand of them. He forced Futai, the king of Buyeo, to surrender and come to the capital to pay tribute again."

"However, after this battle, hatred between the two sides was formed, and the Buyeo people's sporadic raids on the border continued from time to time."

"If we send people there, it's like throwing meat buns at a dog. They will never come back." "How can they be so arrogant?"

Su Yao snorted coldly and asked:

"Then you haven't taken care of them all these years? Just indulge them to be so presumptuous?"

However, the answer Su Yao got was quite ridiculous.

The hatred between the Buyeo people and the Xianbei people was even deeper than their hatred with the Han people.

After the rise of the Xianbei, the two groups fought to the death on the vast land of Northeast China.

The Han people were also happy to see this situation.

Border areas are full of conflicts.

Compared with blindly starting a war and forcing the two sides to shake hands and make peace, the accidental deaths of hundreds of unlucky border residents every year seem very insignificant.

Therefore, the strategy of the previous governor was to stay indoors and tighten the fence.

Whether they were the Buyeo people or the Xianbei people, as long as these people did not gather large-scale troops to invade and besiege the city, he would not care about such small-scale harassment.

"Haha, what an ostrich tactic."

"Who would be willing to barter with you if they can live a good life by relying on the things they robbed?"

Su Yao was so angry that he laughed.

"Well, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Tian Shao believed that the sporadic looting each year was probably only enough to supplement the lives of the border tribes, and was far from comparable to the prosperous border trade of the past.

But there is no point in saying all this.

Now that the trade route is cut off, if the lord wants to make a big splash, he obviously has to find another way out.

However, he didn't expect that Su Yao's next sentence almost choked him to death.

"Northern Pearl Trade must be restarted!"

"Tian Shao, since your family is in this business, you will be in charge of this mission this time. Go to Buyeo and Goguryeo."

"Master, this... this is inappropriate, right?" Tian Shao blinked twice, feeling a deep sense of pain that he had dug a hole for himself.

"What's wrong?" Su Yao raised his eyebrows, looking intimidating without even getting angry.

Tian Shaoze swallowed his saliva and explained:
"Buyeo and Goguryeo are important border areas with complicated situations, numerous tribes and constant conflicts."

"Although I have known a little about the Northern Pearl Trade, it has been many years since then and the situation is no longer as good as before. If I go there rashly, I may not be able to cope with the many variables."

"Besides, the Black River area is far away and difficult to travel. Not only are there many dangers along the way, but it is also sparsely populated and no Han people have ever set foot there."

"If I lose my life on this journey, I'm afraid I won't get any news for a long time, which will delay the Lord's important business."

As soon as Tian Shao finished speaking, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement, saying that this trip was extremely risky and should not be done rashly.

"Big deal? This is a big deal!"

Su Yao clenched his fist and said:
"Northern pearls are so precious that they are rarely seen in the world."

"How can such a precious treasure be left lying in the deep mountains?"

"But don't worry, I won't let you die in vain."

(End of this chapter)