Chapter 487 Agent Dealer: Maodun (Two-in-one ticket request and subscription)
Using the condition of protecting the safety of the other party's caravan in exchange for the other party's weapons supply is actually very cost-effective for a nomadic tribe that cannot smelt metals by itself.
Maodun likes to enjoy, but if you want to enjoy, you must have enough strength to protect your property. However, in the primitive and barbaric grassland, if you don't take the initiative to fight others, others will covet your wealth and take the initiative to come and fight you.
In fact, this is not only on the grassland. Even in the original Han tribe, when Luo Chong just fired pottery, it attracted the covetousness of the neighboring Xieding tribe, and then took the initiative to kill.
Maodun's idea is the same, but all this, when the starting line of the entire grassland is almost the same, whoever can pull the metal weapons outside at this time will be a big step ahead of others, but Niuwei is not a fool, he also has his own ideas.
"Chief Maodun, we haven't seen much of the ironware of the Han tribe, and we don't know much about it. We can't make it for the time being, but our Xin tribe also has its own alloy weapons. I wonder if you will like it." Niu Wei said, and then pulled out a double-edged dagger with a lot of impurities from his waist.
The bronze dagger is light gold in color and is about the same size as the fine steel dagger in Maodun's hand. However, since the bronze of the Xin tribe is made of heavy metals such as copper, lead, silver, and tin, this bronze dagger is much heavier than the steel knife in the same volume.
Maodun took the bronze sword and played with it in his hand. It felt good in his hand, but he didn't know how to use it as a weapon. Then he saw him holding the dagger and cutting the mutton in the basin. Under all this, Maodun immediately felt the difference between it and the steel knife. Although this bronze sword is very sharp, you have to push and pull it repeatedly to cut off a piece of meat. It looks like sawing wood. The steel knife is different. Just put a little pressure on the meat and you can cut off a large piece immediately.
Judging from the weight and sharpness, the steel knife completely beat the bronze sword, which made Maodun feel disappointed. Then he picked up the steel knife beside him and put it on the bronze sword in front of Niuwei. The two blades intersected. With a sharp friction sound, the steel knife actually cut off the blade of the bronze sword and rolled it into a yellow-orange copper circle.
This scene made Niuwei, who was watching from the side, want to find a place to cover his face. It was too embarrassing. Although he knew that the alloy that the Xin tribe had just made was different from the iron of the Han tribe, he didn't expect it to be so bad.
If these two weapons were cut together on the battlefield, do we still need to guess the result? It will definitely be a sword destroyed and a person killed.
However, when Maodun was expected to be disappointed and cancel the metal transaction, he didn't expect him to ask another question.
"This yellow knife is much worse than the iron knife, and it is also very heavy. I don't think it is suitable for making weapons. I wonder if you can make something else with this material?"
"What?" Niuwei asked curiously.
"That's right, how do you say that thing? Well, I can't remember it, anyway, it's two semicircular circles, like a crescent moon, which can be stepped into by two feet." Maodun was talking about stirrups, but he forgot how to say stirrups in Chinese, so he could only gesture to Niuwei while talking.
However, Niuwei was a little puzzled. He didn't understand why Maodun asked to use this precious material to make something that people could step on and play with. Isn't this a waste of copper materials? It's not easy for them to mine and refine copper in the Xin tribe.
But this can't be blamed on him. It's really that Niuwei has never seen the function of stirrups, and even hasn't heard of them. It's interesting to say that although Niuwei was the first to bring back the news about the Han tribe, and he also got a lot of goods from the Han tribe, those things were all bought from those Han tribal customers at a high price, even the news about the Han tribe's four-wheeled ox cart was no exception. However, Niuwei had never seen a Han tribe caravan, even a small member, so it was even more impossible for him to know what a stirrup was.
But the nomadic tribes on the grasslands were different. All the tribes that had contact with the Han tribe caravans had basically seen the stirrups of the Han tribe. The grassland people loved horses, and they had their own understanding of the habits of horses and riding skills. They also liked to dress up their horses. So when they first saw the Han tribe caravans, they were very curious about the saddles they put on the horses' backs and the stirrups they stepped on.
This curiosity was not a big deal. After seeing it, they couldn't help but study it, and then suddenly discovered the benefits of this set of horse harnesses. But for them, with their own technical level, they simply didn't have the ability to make it. The most important thing was that the Han tribe didn't sell that thing, which made them very depressed.
The grassland people were born nomadic. Before they were born, their fathers would make a bow and arrow for them. When the children grew up a little, they could ride sheep and play with small bows, because that was their toy. When they grew up a little, they started riding horses. It was not wrong to say that they were a nation on horseback. Everyone's riding skills were superb.
But even in such a situation, the heavy cavalry that the Han tribe had formed not long ago was able to win the conflict with the Snow Wolf Tribe. The key reason was still because of the harnesses and weapons and equipment.
The appearance of the high-bridge saddle and stirrups allowed the Han tribe, who had never ridden a horse, to quickly master the riding skills. Although they were still a little worse than the grassland people, they were not weaker in comprehensive aspects. In terms of weapons, although the Han tribe's horse archery was rubbish, they all had solid armor and even masks, which made them immune to the opponent's horse archery attacks to a certain extent. When fighting face to face, the Han tribe's lances and long swords were far more powerful than bows and arrows, especially the way to use these things, there was no need to do fancy horse movements, as long as you hold the weapon and push it forward.
It is no exaggeration to say that as long as there are enough horses, weapons, and armor, the cavalry of the Han tribe can be quickly replicated in an organized manner, because in this tactical mode, as a cavalry, you only need to learn to ride on the horse and not fall off.
But riding a horse is also a very tiring thing. In the absence of stirrups, if a person wants to sit steadily on the horse's back, he must keep clamping the horse's belly with his legs. It is okay to clamp for a while, but it is very physically demanding to keep this action.
But with the stirrup, the riders' feet were freed. Not only that, with the feeling of being on the ground, the riders could exert force on the horse's back more easily, use some heavy weapons, and even draw a bow with a higher poundage.
If stirrups and saddles allowed the farmers of the Han tribe to quickly master riding skills, then stirrups and saddles were like adding wings to a tiger for the nomadic people on the grassland. Who wouldn't want such a magical weapon?
In the past, I couldn't make it myself, but now it's different. Although the swords of the Xin tribe are inferior to the steel swords of the Han tribe, there is no difference in making stirrups with copper materials. It's just an auxiliary equipment, not a weapon. It doesn't matter which one is better or worse.
Although Niu Wei was quite surprised, looking at what Maodun gestured, it was just two circles. It was really not difficult to make, and it didn't take much material. It was about the same as a pair of scissors from the Han tribe. Thinking of this, he immediately agreed without hesitation.
"This thing is fine. How much do you need? I can bring it to you next time, but our conditions need to be changed."
"What conditions?" Maodun suddenly became alert.
Niuwei really had his own ideas. He wanted to go to the Han tribe next, so he naturally could not turn a blind eye to the previous warnings from the Han tribe. For example, the Han tribe did not allow them to go deep into the grassland to trade, let alone sell salt on the grassland. Even if they sold, they could not sell it cheaper than the Han tribe.
But there are policies from above, and countermeasures from below. If you don't let me sell, no problem, then I won't sell it, I will find someone else to help me sell it, right? This will not violate the agreement you said, and I can continue to sell things, why not? But Niuwei is not stupid, and of course he will not say it out loud. If Maodun knew that he asked them to take the bullet for him, who knows what the result would be.
"It's like this, your grassland is too big. In the past, when we came to the grassland to sell salt, we had to walk a long distance, and then go to each tribe to trade. It was okay to meet a leader like Maodun, but if we met those bad tribes, we would inevitably be robbed once, and many people might die.
Just now, Chief Maodun said that he is willing to protect the safety of our caravan, but I think this is not realistic, unless you send a team to escort us all the time, which is basically impossible, because you also have to live and graze.
So what I am thinking is, can we only trade with Chief Maodun in the future? We will sell all the salt we bring to you, and you can exchange it with cattle and horses, and then you can take the salt and sell it to other tribes.
As for who we sell it to and how much we exchange it for, we don’t care, we just want our share.
I don’t know what Chief Maodun thinks, if possible, we can also give you the circle you mentioned in the future. "
As this conversation went on, Maodun's eyes became brighter and brighter. The condition that Niuwei mentioned was basically giving him a 'regional distribution agent' for free. This was a right only distributors had. In modern times, the regional distribution of a product would definitely be sold at a sky-high price. Now this person would actually give it away for free, especially a necessity like salt.
Of course, Maodun was not a businessman, and he had not yet thought of any price difference to be made. Even if he sold it to others at the price that the Xin tribe sold it to him, he would not make a penny, and he would have to pay for transportation. However, he could hold the supply of white salt on the grassland in his own hands, and other tribes would come to him to be his younger brothers in the future. If you were not obedient, would you still want to eat salt?
Thinking of this, Maodun became excited all of a sudden, but after looking at Niuwei opposite him, he became suspicious again.
"Why are you doing this? "He was very puzzled. Isn't this just handing over power? And what is power? Isn't power interest? Would the Xin tribe be so kind?
"Haha, didn't I just say that, first of all, if we trade by ourselves, it will take a long time, and secondly, it is not very safe. If we are robbed, we will have to pay a high price.
But if we let you sell it, it will be different. You are grassland people, and it is easier to communicate with other tribes than us, and you are not likely to be robbed. If we sell all the salt directly to your tribe, we can directly exchange it for all the cattle and horses to transport it back. It is not only safe and stable, but also saves time. In the past, we could transport the salt to you three times in the time we sold it once. Why don't we do it? "
Mao Dun nodded upon hearing
this, and put aside the doubt in his heart. What Niu Wei said is easy to understand. In modern terms, it means that the manufacturer gave up the distribution channel and directly found the general agent to do wholesale. This seems a bit unreasonable in the eyes of modern people. Giving up the channel is equivalent to giving up the maximization of benefits. It is definitely more profitable to control the retail channel than wholesale.
But in Niu Wei's case, it is indeed as he said. Although they gave up the entire prairie and only kept Mao Dun, it is indeed convenient and safe, and it can also save transportation costs. The transportation resources originally used for retail are used for shipments. In the future, In the same amount of time, they can transport more goods to the grassland.
As for who you sell to and at what price, it has nothing to do with me. I just need to get the wholesale payment.
Of course, all of the above are excuses. The most important thing is that the Xin tribe has given up the distribution channels of the entire grassland. Then the competition for distribution channels will have nothing to do with them in the future. The grassland is so small. How to compete with the Han tribe, how to fight with the Han tribe, that is your business. It has nothing to do with my Xin tribe. From now on, the Xin tribe will retreat directly behind the scenes to be a trader.
No matter how bloody the retailers are, as long as my distributors can still demand goods, I will There is no risk.
After a little hesitation, Maodun quickly agreed. It was a bargain for free, so why not take it? As for how to sell the salt after getting it, Maodun didn't worry at all, because just like Niuwei said, it is indeed much easier for them as grassland people to communicate with each other than Niuwei as an outsider. When the time comes, just send a few people to notify them, and naturally someone will drive cattle and horses to exchange for white salt.
So, in Maodun's woolen tent, an agreement that determined the future fate of the Xin tribe and the Maodun tribe was born in a low-key manner.
The Xin tribe successfully retreated behind the scenes, pushing Maodun to the front to bear the anger of the Han tribe. As for the final result, it has little impact on the Xin tribe. Even if Maodun is crippled by the Han tribe, Niuwei can just change to another nomadic tribe for cooperation. The grassland is not short of "meat shields" and "scapegoats" like Maodun.
Your Han tribe doesn't let me sell salt, okay, now Maodun sells it, you can go to him if you have any problems, it has nothing to do with me.
Thinking of this, Niuwei couldn't help but laugh in his heart, and his mood improved, so his appetite improved, so in the following time, Niuwei and Maodun entered a happy meal time, and soon, the "precious" chili powder on the plate was gone.
******
At the same time in the Han tribe, Luo Chong naturally had no idea that the newly appointed elder Shang of the Xin tribe had played tricks on him and found a scapegoat to cause trouble for him. He was very busy now, busy preparing for the war with the cannibals.
The scouts who went out had not returned yet, but the situation in Fuma Pass had changed after a few days of busy work. Cartloads of thick wooden boards arrived here and were made into huge wooden city gates by the skillful carpenters of the Han tribe, and then installed on the two door openings of the city wall. However, unlike ordinary city gates, there were two doors at the outer city gate of the city wall, one opened from the inside and the other opened from the top.
This gate that opened from the top was actually hung on the city wall. Under the thick door panels, there was a row of thick spikes. When the gate fell, it could be inserted into the groove below tightly to completely seal the door.
The wooden door was operated by pulleys and winches. It was very fast when it was lowered. It would fall down immediately when the mechanism door was opened . , it was very difficult to raise it, and it took several big men to turn the winch together to pull it up. The only purpose of this strange lifting door was to quickly lower the door after the enemy was tricked into entering the city, and then cover the lid of the jar.
Not only that, in addition to this newly installed wooden door, two carts of strange things were transported to the top of the city. Luo Chong specifically explained that this was a new weapon to deal with the giant ape, but this new weapon was too large and had to be transported to the top of the city before being assembled.
And the thing Luo Chong was talking about was naturally the bed crossbow that was trial-made in winter.
It was still a concept machine without a bow before, because the compound bow was too time-consuming to make. In order to equip this batch of bed crossbows as soon as possible, Luo Chong directly asked people to make several slightly larger single longbows and assemble them with the crossbow frame of the bed crossbow.
Although the power and elasticity may not be as good as the compound bow, it doesn't matter so much now. Even if it can't hit the intended target, it can always be used to scare the enemy.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
