After discussion, Guo Si and Liu Jing agreed that the price of the Juyan women would be equivalent to seventy catties of grain, while the price of salt would remain at one catty.
Although the price of seventy jin was much higher than the previous thirty jin, it was still a very good deal for Guo Si and Liu Jing.
To put it simply, thirty pounds is blatant robbery, while seventy pounds is just a little extra because you're pitiful.
After all, in the Han Dynasty, except during years of famine, a young woman could not be bought without a thousand catties of grain. Furthermore, the buying and selling of Han people was no longer permitted within the Han Dynasty.
The Juyan people who had been watching from the sidelines saw that the price had stabilized and stopped rising, and they knew that this was the highest price. So they stopped waiting and began to trade with the two caravans.
Just as Liu Jing had said, the high price of seventy catties was very attractive to Juyan. The Juyan people who were barely able to survive no longer hesitated and pulled out the woman who had been hidden for a long time.
After all, seventy catties of grain, if eaten sparingly, would be enough for a family of three to eat for two months. If their daughter died, they could have another child. But if she starved to death, then they would truly have nothing left.
In just half a day, Guo Si acquired about 800 women, while Liu Jing and Dong Yue acquired nearly 1,000.
Soon, news of the price increase reached the ears of Juyan King Tuoqi and a group of noble officials.
"These lowly people, they actually hid so well, how hateful..."
Previously, they had searched the ground almost to the bone but hadn't been able to catch any more women. Now, with the price increase, so many suddenly appeared. More than two thousand women—how much food and supplies could that be exchanged for? Thinking of this, Tuo Qi couldn't help but feel indignant.
Ta Xing, who was standing nearby, quickly spoke up to persuade him: "Your Majesty, please calm down! There are not many women left near Juyan City, and we can't arrest many more. Besides, if we force them too much, it will inevitably cause unrest!"
"Hmm, you're right! We can't push them any further!"
Tuo Qi nodded in agreement. Since his guards and soldiers were all on the grasslands, it was best not to provoke them for the time being.
Thinking of the murderous looks the people of Juyan gave him every time he left the palace, Tuo Qi was now genuinely afraid.
Just as Tuo Qi and Ta Xing were talking, a palace guard suddenly rushed in.
"Your Majesty, our army has returned victorious from the grasslands!!"
"Oh? Where did they go? How many Xiongnu women did they bring back?"
Upon hearing this, Tuo Qi's previous gloom vanished instantly, and his eyes lit up as he looked at the guard.
The guard hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, our army has reached a point fifteen li north of the city, and has brought back approximately four thousand Xiongnu women, along with two thousand horses and countless cattle and sheep!"
"Great, haha~, this is a huge haul!!"
Upon hearing the numbers reported by his guards, Tuo Qi couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Ta Xing, standing to the side, was also beaming with joy. He had sent out quite a few people this time, and his gains were sure to be substantial.
Soon, Tuoqi's soldiers arrived in Juyan City with the Xiongnu women they had plundered.
Besides the four thousand women robbed by Tuo Qi's soldiers, the guards of those officials and nobles also had a great haul, bringing back more than two thousand women.
After entering the city, they did not linger but went straight to the two caravans in the central square of Juyan City.
Guo Si, Liu Jing, and Dong Yue's caravan also happily accepted all the Xiongnu women.
As the Juyan soldiers and noble guards hauled cartloads of grain and various goods back to the palace and the homes of noble officials, the faces of the Juyan people around them also revealed a hint of greed.
"Haha, not bad, not bad!"
Inside the palace, looking at the mountains of grain and various exquisite goods in front of him, Tuo Qi was in a great mood!
Then Tuo Qi looked at Ta Xing and said, "By the way! Go ask them if they want those cattle, sheep and horses?"
Ta Xing nodded and then said, "I have already inquired. Two sheep can be exchanged for one shi of grain at five times the price they previously paid in the trade, and one ox can be exchanged for three shi of grain!"
"Oh, why are there only cattle and sheep? What about the horses? How much do they cost?" Tuo Qi asked Ta Xing curiously.
Ta Xing's face fell. "Those horses are too skinny!! They don't want them!"
"What can we do? We can't afford to keep that many horses. We can't just kill them, can we...!"
Tuo Qi was stunned for a moment. Horses are very expensive to maintain. The cost of raising one horse is enough to arm five elite guards. He had been able to raise two thousand cavalrymen before, which was already his limit.
Now that there are two thousand more horses, should we kill them and eat them? That would be too extravagant. But we can't afford to raise them ourselves. Thinking about this, Tuo Qi couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Ta Xing thought for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I think it would be better to leave these two thousand horses behind, and then recruit two thousand able-bodied men to join our soldiers in going to the grasslands to seize women..."
"Hmm, that makes sense! If two thousand soldiers can seize four thousand women, then four thousand soldiers can seize more than eight thousand."
In this way, we'll only earn more and more!!
Upon hearing this, Tuo Qi's eyes lit up, and he became increasingly excited as he spoke.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Seeing Tuo Qi's excited expression, Ta Xing quickly flattered him as well.
Soon, news spread from the Juyan Palace that cavalrymen were being recruited, and the pay was generous.
Upon receiving the confirmed news, the noble officials could no longer resist and began recruiting a large number of guards, preparing to go to the grasslands with the King of Juyan for another big heist.
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