The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure

Chapter 1863: Chapter 1851: Arrival

As expected by Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin, not only the next morning, but all the way to the Wang Capital, no one dared to send dancers or maids to their doorstep.

The saying goes, wealth is sought in danger. To show importance, many heads of merchant caravans personally accompanied the team.

Along the way, Chicheng County was fine. Although the county was a bit small, it had flourished in recent years. Eating, drinking, and entertainment were somewhat inferior to Jiangnan and the Capital City, but it was already top-notch in the Northwest border area.

They could endure hardships; otherwise, they would not have followed the caravan all the way north, through the desert. As they advanced towards the Grasslands Royal Capital, the population gradually increased.

The barren outskirts of the grasslands were home to small tribes or clans, mostly living together in groups.

The closer to the Wang Capital, the more fertile the land was. Naturally, these prosperous areas were occupied by those Princes and Nobles’ families.

Their tents were grander and more luxurious. When choosing a place to stay temporarily, the family members, along with the serving maidens and servants, were all around, resembling a village or town.

Because they had to live by water and grass and had no fixed abode, they stayed here for a few months, then moved a hundred miles away.

So many daily necessities were in short supply.

In the Great Chu Country, there were still peddlers who carried these goods and went to the remotest places to earn some hard money.

But across the vast grasslands, the risk and income were disproportionate, so no one ventured into it.

Each year, only a few times around festival times, herders from hundreds of miles around gathered, and merchants brought their goods during this period.

Everyone took this opportunity to purchase several months’ worth of supplies at once, otherwise, they wouldn’t know where to buy next time.

Even at these markets, daily necessities were extremely scarce, and not only that, the prices were exorbitant.

The merchants were not worried, as someone would buy them eventually even if others didn’t.

The herders had never seen such a caravan before, with luxury goods of all kinds they had never seen before, down to needles and threads, along with various spices and tea bricks—that were all essential in daily life—leaving them dazzled.

In terms of quality and all else, they far surpassed their previous experience.

Moreover, with high-ranking Officials Masters from their own country on the side agreeing, they could hardly restrain themselves, wishing to buy everything they needed at once.

Even those with poor families would certainly buy daily necessities, regardless of anything else.

Wealthy families, who previously could only pick up leftover goods from Princes and Nobles in Wang Capital, now saw these luxury goods brought by Great Chu merchants, things they had never seen before, and hearing the sales pitches left them unable to resist.

Especially the noble women, upon seeing the various silks, radiant and colorful, with intricate jewelry pieces, and other cosmetics, were even more drawn to them.

These goods were screened by Wang Yongzhu and Lee Changnan, categorized into high, medium, and low tiers.

Naturally, the most expensive ones were sold to the wealthy nobles, and these grassland nobles, with their abundant wealth, didn’t see money as money.

If they found something they liked, they would pay any price for it. If they were short on Silver, they would bring a platter of gold or gemstones to make up for it.

Those low-tier goods and daily necessities were also in great demand. Besides the Princes and Nobles, ordinary herders, and even maidens couldn’t resist contributing their accumulated Silver Coin.

The caravan owners felt like mice falling into a granary these past two days, incredibly happy.

Many originally planned to relieve their stress by hiring women for pleasure after traveling through desolate areas, upon reaching these populated tribal areas.

But firstly, the renown of Wang Yongzhu’s one night had made them hesitant, and secondly, with business booming, they barely had time at night to count Silver and inventory goods, they became less interested in women.

They were all focused on earning money first.

Smart vendors were no longer just selling goods out and collecting Silver Coin but had started privately purchasing good things from the herders.

Or they outright bartered, knowing that these items could be acquired at lower prices on the grasslands but would sell for a hefty profit once they returned to Great Chu.

This time, they had the backing of a delegation, and with local grassland people accompanying them, security was not a significant concern. Unless the two countries turned hostile, which would mean total annihilation, they could always safely return home.

But such an opportunity only presented itself once. Regardless of whether they could qualify for it next time, even if they did, without a delegation and army backing them, without officials from the grasslands present, who knew how many people would be envious of their thriving business?

In the boundless grasslands, they might be ambushed and robbed one day, disappearing into some corner of the vast grasslands.

So even if there weren’t future opportunities to enter the grasslands, this time, they needed to earn a substantial sum.

With this in mind, many goods were sold along the way, while numerous grassland furs and similar items were secretly purchased and loaded onto wagons.

The merchants were savvy, and those little moves weren’t hidden from Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin.

They were optimistic about it and even encouraged it.

After all, one must realize that qualifying for this selection wasn’t a casual pick; qualifications needed to be reviewed, a bond paid, along with export duties.

These incomes all went into the national treasury.

The goods purchased from the grasslands would be taxed when they were brought back into the country, and the more goods purchased, the higher the tax would be.

Moreover, Wang Yongzhu and Lee Changnan had already instructed their caravans and Jinhoo, having initiated this trend.

As for the attitude on the grassland side, now that the two countries had signed a document, and Qi Le still needed Song Chongjin, surely, they wouldn’t want to turn hostile over this.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu had received intelligence several times that many nobles and bandits on the grasslands had targeted them; only with Batu’s presence were they deterred from taking action.

However, now Batu barely managed to keep them at bay, but they hadn’t given up, with many spies still trailing them, waiting for the right opportunity.

One must understand that this journey was to see the King of the Grasslands and Queen Ah Lan. If something happened, and the King and Queen tracked it, they wouldn’t escape accountability.

Fortunately, they only sent scouts to follow, waiting for them to return to Great Chu; that was the most dangerous time.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu were naturally aware of this, but the most important thing now was, without a doubt, meeting Qi Le.

They finally arrived at the Grasslands Royal Capital, which appeared like a pearl on the grasslands from a distance.

The Wang Capital leaned against a high mountain, with a vast lake at its foot, the capital built beside the lake; the city walls weren’t very tall but were made of white stone.

The buildings within the city weren’t particularly luxurious but were mostly constructed from white stone, and even the roads within the city were paved with white stone slabs.

The Wang Capital wasn’t large. It housed the King of the Grasslands, his harem, family, and those Princes and Nobles whom the King and Queen Ah Lan trusted.

The closer one was to the Royal Palace, the higher their rank and the more trusted they were.

Outside the Wang Capital, there were many houses built from stone or luxurious tents, where other nobles resided.

These tents were colorful, like petals protecting the white capital in the center.

Though it didn’t have the historical depth of the Capital City, establishing such a city on the grasslands was significant.

Wang Yongzhu only needed a glance to guess that this must have been Qi Le’s design and handiwork.