Chapter 2199 Farewell
Even though Governor Duan didn't think about this problem at first, he thought about it when he was imagining the future after a day and a night.
This cat's eye is indeed difficult to sell, unless...
Bai Shan said, "Unless you don't want to sell it, but want to pay tribute to His Majesty or His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. However, there is no shortage of such gems in the palace. As far as I know, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince loves horses, not gems."
It was impossible for Governor Duan to present tribute to the emperor because the emperor did not like such flattering acts. If he really presented it to the emperor, not only would it lead to impeachment by the censor, it might also cause the emperor's disgust.
So it could only be given to the prince, and he was considered the prince's man, so giving gifts to the prince could strengthen the relationship between the two parties.
But gifts should always touch people's hearts, and the prince doesn't like that.
Governor Duan felt sad to give someone something that he was not very interested in and was also very valuable.
He couldn't bear to part with it, so he might as well exchange it for money.
Such a large cat's eye stone is enough to cover the expenses of the Liangzhou Army for two years.
Given his qualifications, he would probably have to stay in Liangzhou for several more years. Every year, he would submit so many memorials to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to support the army that his hair would almost fall out.
Governor Duan glanced at Bai Shan and asked, "How much are you willing to pay for it, Mr. Bai?"
Bai Shan then said, "A box of frankincense and five hundred taels of silver."
"No, it's too little," Governor Duan thought for a moment and said, "Su Hexiang, there are still one thousand taels of silver."
Bai Shan: "... Governor Duan, we don't have that much silver."
"Don't you still have gold? Just change it into gold."
Bai Shan paused and said, "Master Duan, if you want to sell a cat's eye like this, let's not talk about the price. Do you think you can sell it in the next one or two years?"
Governor Duan felt a pang in his heart.
Bai Shan continued, "It can't be converted into cash. It's just a piece of stone. It only becomes a gem when it's converted into silver. You've been to the capital, so you should know that although this cat's eye is a priceless treasure, how many people would actually pay for it? How many people would actually pay a thousand gold coins for it?"
Governor Duan's heart was stabbed again. After a long while, he took a step back and said, "Then eight hundred taels."
Bai Shan thought for a moment and said, "How about I give you two more boxes of benzoin from my store?"
He said, "Gemstones are hard to sell, but spices are easy to find, especially those from the Western Regions. They're popular not only in the capital, but also in Xiazhou. They can be sent directly to the various states in Longxi. There are some old nobles there, and the masters and sons of their families all use incense when they go out. Don't say that Lord Duan only has this little, even if he had several times more, he would sell it."
Governor Duan fell into deep thought and felt that Bai Shan was right, so he hesitated for a moment and nodded.
Bai Shan smiled and said, "If Lord Duan is not familiar with Longxi, I can introduce a few people to you. I can also write a letter by hand. Then you can send someone with my letter to find them. They will introduce you to the young masters in Longxi."
Governor Duan asked, "Who is it?"
Bai Shan said, "My family is in Longzhou. Although I left home early, I still have contact with some of my uncles and brothers. When the time comes, you can send someone with my letter to Longzhou to find the Bai family."
He smiled again and said, "It would be even cheaper if you go to the capital. My fourth brother-in-law, Mr. Zhou's fourth brother, often travels between the capital and the grasslands. You can send someone to Xiazhou to wait for him. Once you meet him, he can take you back to the capital."
"He knows all of my classmates at the Imperial College, Chongwenguan, and Mr. Zhou's colleagues. I can't be too close to them, but I can still introduce a few to him."
Governor Duan's eyes flashed, and he smiled and said, "The capital is full of hidden talents. It would be even better if these spices could be sent to the capital."
So Bai Shan gave him a letter and ran to find Manbao to ask her to write two pieces of paper to Zhou Silang as well, put them together and give them to Governor Duan.
Governor Duan was very satisfied and agreed to the exchange terms.
Bai Erlang took out the frankincense in a daze, and then took the extremely precious cat's eye stone from Governor Duan.
He couldn't help but take it out and look at it again and again, even holding it up to the sunlight. Watching it change color in the sunlight, he was still a little stunned. "It's exchanged just like that? How could Lord Duan agree to that?"
Bai Shan glanced at him and said, "You owe us money."
He pointed at the people in the circle and said, "Sir, Yin Huo, Liu Huan, Li Ru, and you still owe me and Man Bao some silver. Remember to pay it back later."
Bai Erlang was already confused by his actions and asked, "How much do I owe?"
Bai Shan said: "Don't worry, it's not much, just over three hundred taels in total."
Bai Erlang immediately said, "I have gold. I will exchange it for gold."
"Unfortunately, we still have gold, but you don't. Since you are short of silver, I have to exchange your gold for silk and brocade."
Bai Erlang asked, "What do I need the cloth for?"
"Exchange them for money," he said. "Once we get to the Western Regions, these silks will be valuable."
Manbao lowered his voice and said, "Idiot, we are making money for you."
Bai Erlang glanced at Yin Huo and the others, and said awkwardly, "Why should I ask for your capital for nothing?"
Yin Huo smiled and said, "What's the big deal? We have no use for this gold and silver anyway. If we lend it to you, we won't have to worry about transporting it back and forth."
Liu Huan had a small brain and didn't think much, so he nodded repeatedly.
Zhou Liru, however, had been influenced by his second sister since he was a child and knew the ins and outs of it. If Bai Erlang had no capital, then the money he should have earned would naturally be earned by them.
But she didn't say anything, only said: "When we return to the capital, you have to treat us to a meal."
Bai Erlang waved his hand and said, "I'll invite you to have dinner at Zhuangyuanlou."
Everyone was happy when they heard this and immediately ordered their favorite dishes.
They had been eating coarse food for several days. Even though Governor Duan and the herdsmen next door bought a sheep to roast, the fat content was very ordinary and could not compare to the exquisite food in the capital. Therefore, each of them ordered several dishes and tried all the dishes they knew from Zhuangyuanlou.
Bai Erlang touched the cat's eye stone in his hand and waved his hand with a swagger, saying, "Please, everyone!"
Mr. Zhuang watched them making a fuss from the side, smiled and shook his head.
When they had finished making a fuss, he called Bai Shan and Man Bao over and said, "Since you have all changed your things, let's set off tomorrow."
Bai Shan got what his friends wanted, agreed with a smile, and went to find General Nie to inform them.
Manbao asked Zhou Liru to go to the medical tent and handed a booklet to the military doctor. "Here are some prescriptions with descriptions of the symptoms. You can try to treat them later."
He added, "You've already learned how to sew. When you go back, you can buy some pig's feet and try it out."
See you at 10pm
(End of this chapter)
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