In Liangzhou, the tribesmen who rented houses were complaining bitterly. From the outside, the houses looked neat and tidy, but inside, there was not even a straw, let alone bedding.
Moreover, when the wind blew at night, the whole room would shake. Lying inside and looking at the swaying roof, they were terrified.
They finally made it through the night, and the next day they found Li Jue, hoping he could reinforce the structure.
Li Jue looked at them with a cold laugh, then held out his hand, "Sure, but you'll have to pay more!"
"More money?"
Those people looked miserable. They had already paid the rent, and now they had to pay for reinforcements. What kind of situation was this?
"What? You think hiring people and using materials costs money? If you don't want to spend money, then stay inside quietly, or I'll catch you coming out tonight!"
Seeing the reluctance of the crowd, Li Jue glared and then issued a vicious threat.
"Okay, okay! I'll pay more, isn't that enough?"
One of the Qiang people agreed, almost bursting into tears. They hadn't even done anything yet, but they had already spent several million coins and were constantly facing danger to their lives.
"We agree to increase the price, General, please hurry, otherwise we're really afraid we won't be able to wait until the market opens!"
Seeing that someone was taking the lead, everyone else agreed and said they were willing to pay more.
"Hmph, it would have been better if you had done this earlier!"
Li Jue sneered, then ordered the soldiers and craftsmen who were already on standby to begin reinforcing the houses.
Then Li Jue glanced at them and said, "By the way, it's cold at night, do you want to buy some bedding?"
"No need for that, we can handle it!"
Everyone shook their heads; the prices in Dahan were too high, and they couldn't afford them.
Just like Duan Jiong, Zhang Huan and Lu Zhi also received Liu Hong's secret letter and began their respective paths to wealth.
Compared to Duan Jiong of Liangzhou, both Zhang Huan of Bingzhou and Lu Zhi of Youzhou, although they also set up checkpoints to collect taxes, at least the houses they built did not pose any safety hazards.
In Yuyang County, Yang Biao personally supervised the construction of the houses, and both their appearance and quality were far superior to the tents on the grassland.
Furthermore, Yang Biao personally received the Wuhuan, Goguryeo, and Buyeo people, subtly suggesting that the Han Dynasty might have long-term trade relations.
A leader who had come to pay his respects to the Southern Wuhuan looked at Yang Biao with surprise and delight, "Magistrate Yang, is what you're saying true? Will the Han Dynasty really continue to trade with us year after year?"
Yang Biao raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Wuhuan chieftain. "That's for sure. Trade is beneficial to both of us. The Emperor is so wise that he can see the advantages."
"Yes, yes! It's all the fault of the Xiongnu, Xianbei and those northern barbarians, who offended the might of the Han Dynasty and closed the border markets, causing us to be implicated as well."
At this point, the leader of the Southern Wuhuan revealed a hint of resentment in his words.
Yang Biao smiled, then looked at the man and said, "Hehe~ Alright, now that you Southern Wuhuan tribes have submitted to the Han Dynasty, you are considered one of our own. Although the Han Dynasty is not wealthy this year, the Emperor has instructed that you can purchase and exchange official grain and salt at five times the price of previous years."
"real?"
The leader of the Southern Wuhuan stared wide-eyed at Yang Biao, seemingly unable to believe his ears.
"Of course! Do you think the emperor would deceive you?"
Seeing the appearance of the Southern Wuhuan leader, Yang Biao's expression changed, revealing a hint of displeasure.
"No, no, no, how dare I question the Emperor?" The man quickly shook his head.
"The Emperor is benevolent and cares for us. On behalf of all the people of our tribe, I thank the Emperor for his kindness!"
After speaking, the leader of the Southern Wuhuan knelt on the ground, his face showing a devout expression, and bowed towards Luoyang from afar.
It wasn't that the leader of the Southern Wuhuan lacked backbone; it was simply that the Han Dynasty had given them far too much. They could exchange the same cattle, sheep, and horses for twice as many as others.
If this happens a few more times, wouldn't that mean they will only get stronger and stronger, and it wouldn't be impossible for them to swallow up the Northern Barbarians and destroy the Xianbei in the future? How could he not be excited and grateful?
Seeing this person's performance, Yang Biao nodded in satisfaction. Regardless of how much truth was in his words, what he wanted was this attitude of being able to distinguish between primary and secondary matters.
Subsequently, under Yang Biao's arrangement, those Southern Wuhuan people who swore allegiance to the Han emperor, as well as some Fuyu people, received corresponding preferential treatment.
The tenfold price is just a reference price set for those powerful families. If they have the ability to sell at fifteen times, no one will care. However, the official bottom line price is still five times.
As for who is qualified to conduct trade with the Han government, that's entirely up to these officials.
Although Yang Biao did not receive a message from the emperor, he vaguely guessed Liu Hong's intentions.
Moreover, he considered things further. In his view, the area where the Southern Wuhuan and Fuyu people lived was a good place, and it might be incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty in the future. If he could win them over now and give them some benefits, it would be easier for the Han army to carry out its mission in the future.
That's why he traded with them at the lowest possible price, which would also slightly improve their strength and allow them to fight against the powerful enemy in the north. No matter how you look at it, this trade was very worthwhile.
"Bang bang bang!!"
As a gong sounded, the markets in the three states opened almost simultaneously. All the powerful families and merchants of the Han Dynasty, carrying grain, salt, silk, and liquor, flocked into the market to find their places to display their goods.
People from their respective tribes also wandered through the market, inquiring about prices and making purchases.
In Liangzhou, a powerful man from a medium-sized tribe of the Xianling Qiang arrived at the stall of a wealthy and powerful family. His eyes lit up as he looked at the golden millet and the white salt.
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