My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 74 White Gold [Fifth update, please continue reading!]

To be honest, Zang Ba didn't want to take any risks, but this opportunity to buy horses was really rare, and he had deeply felt the power of cavalry in the previous battle against the Yellow Turbans.

Even a few hundred cavalrymen can be more effective than thousands of infantrymen at crucial moments; this is a tactical force that can make the final decision.

Zang Ba was certain that if he missed this opportunity, he might never be able to buy a warhorse again.

"Here's what we'll do. I'm willing to deliver 30,000 shi of grain to your family, but it must be in cash, and quickly."

Zang Ba ultimately felt it was worth the gamble. The Mi family had been in business for generations, and their foundation was integrity. If they were to deceive him, the consequences would be far beyond what they could bear.

Those powerful clans and gentry who had been on good terms with the Mi family for generations would first have to develop a rift with the Mi family, and the powerful merchants and gentry from various places who usually cooperated with them would also increase their guarantees for doing business with the Mi family as a result.

Not to mention the series of other unpleasant things that follow once the reputation is ruined.

Moreover, Zang Ba had considered that although selling 30,000 shi of grain was risky, the risk was not as great as he had imagined.

Once he gets the money, he can naturally go and buy grain from other people.

The Mi family offered a high price, so even if he temporarily raised the price to buy the grain, he would still make a profit, perhaps even a considerable one.

As the Mi family said, although 20,000 to 30,000 shi of grain is a lot, as long as you go further, the price is higher, and the delivery period is longer, you can eventually gather enough.

The Mi family simply lacked time; indeed, they were the only family in the area capable of producing 30,000 shi of grain in one go.

Meanwhile, one of the conditions set by the Mi family was that Zang Ba must buy back the grain, at a lower price, according to the market price, so that he could make a profit from the difference. However, it was also stipulated that he could not refuse to buy back the grain.

This was the very addition that Liu Feng insisted on, but in Zang Ba's eyes, it only made the Mi family's situation seem more real and believable.

If the Mi family really had designs on Kaiyang's grain, and if they had some ulterior motive, then why would they ask him to buy it back?

Grain prices have indeed risen considerably in the past two years, but no matter how much they have risen, they are still far from doubling.

The price difference for the Mi family was less about buying grain and more about the interest on borrowing grain.

If Zang Ba refuses to buy back the grain, wouldn't the Mi family be stuck with their principal?

It was precisely because Zang Ba understood this point that he was able to make up his mind to take a risk and complete this transaction.

Seeing that Zang Ba had agreed, Mi Lu quickly replied, "As long as the Commandant agrees to our conditions, all the payment can be delivered to Kaiyang within a month."

Zang Ba shook his head: "A month is too long, half a month at most."

As the weather grew hotter, the men and guards who had bought the horses were already prepared. They were all his trusted warriors, and they could set off immediately once the money and goods arrived.

So far, Zang Ba has only managed to gather two million in wealth, a third of which is in silk currency, meaning silk, hemp cloth, and other fabric tokens. It's possible that once these items reach Youzhou, they will not only fail to appreciate in value but will also be ripped off by the other side.

"Half a month is too tight. You know, it's not safe on the road now. There are bandits everywhere."

Mi Lu pleaded, "Captain, could you please be lenient and grant me some more time?"

Zang Ba wasn't angry, and explained kindly, "Elder Lu, it's not that I'm heartless, it's just that I'm also very pressed for time. If we miss the departure time, I might as well not sell this grain."

Zang Ba's words sound arrogant; a price of one and a half times the selling price is not even worth selling.

But Liu Feng knew that the other party was sincere. Zang Ba was not one to take risks easily, nor was he the kind of person who would be blinded by a few million dollars.

Liu Feng stopped Mi Lu, who was trying to buy more time, and got up to place the black box next to him in front of Zang Ba and open it.

"Captain, these two items are snow salt and rock sugar, made using a unique secret technique of my Mi family."

Liu Feng pointed to the wooden box and said, "Young Mi Feng, may I ask to be the captain and try it?"

After saying this, Liu Feng picked up some snow salt and rock sugar, and put them into his mouth one after the other.

Zang Ba and his son Zang Ai were deeply moved.

The crystals in the wooden box were crystal clear, pure white, and indescribably pure and bright.

Just its appearance alone is quite tempting. If what Liu Feng said is true, then this thing is priceless.

After Liu Feng tasted it, Zang Ba was inclined to try it himself.

However, Zang Ai snatched it out first and tried it on behalf of his father. At this moment, Zang Ba was no longer moved by Zang Ai's filial piety; he simply stared intently at Zang Ai, waiting for his answer.

Zang Ai's answer did not disappoint him.

“Father, just as Mr. Mi Feng said, these two things are indeed snow salt and rock sugar.”

Zang Ba was overjoyed. This time, he tried it himself and sure enough, his mouth was filled with a salty and savory taste followed by a sweet taste.

How much of these two items are there?

Zang Ba's mind raced, and he immediately decided, "Can the Mi family use this item to settle accounts?"

As mentioned before, the current market price is one tael of white sugar to one tael of gold. The price of snow salt is slightly cheaper, but it is still about one or two tenths of the price of white sugar.

Zang Ba's purchase of horses involved sending money all the way to Liaodong.

The journey would take over a thousand miles, and the wealth was too conspicuous and too tempting.

Even with ample guards, Zang Ba wasn't entirely confident.

But if you use rock sugar or salt instead, it will be a completely different story.

These two items are high-end hard currencies that are comparable to gold everywhere, and they are also easy to liquidate and have a stable market.

The goods are inconspicuous during transport, but once they reach Liaodong, the price skyrockets, making it an incredibly profitable business.

"Two stones of rock sugar, twenty-five stones of snow salt."

According to the Han dynasty system, one shi (石) weighed 120 jin (斤), and rock sugar was priced the same as gold, or even higher.

One stone of rock sugar is equivalent to one stone of gold, which is 120 catties of gold.

A pound of gold is worth ten thousand coins, while a stone of rock sugar is worth one million two hundred thousand coins.

The profit margin for snow salt is much lower than that for gold, but the profit from one stone of snow salt should still be over 100,000 coins. Moreover, snow salt is easier to produce than rock sugar, has a larger output, and a larger market.

After all, people can live without sugar, but they can't live without salt.

Therefore, the total profit of snow salt should be higher than that of rock sugar.

Two shi of rock sugar is worth 2.4 million coins, and 25 shi of snow salt is worth 2.5 million coins.

Adding these two together, it comes to nearly five million coins, which is equivalent to half of the funds needed to purchase grain.

This doesn't look like rock sugar or snow salt; it looks like white gold.

Zang Ba inquired about the prices of rock sugar and snow salt.

In this respect, both Liu Feng and Mi Lu quoted the market price.

Zang Ba fell silent and began to calculate.

It was discovered that if rock sugar and snow salt were used instead, the convoy could be reduced by at least three-quarters, and smaller, more agile vehicles could be selected, making the convoy more discreet and concealed.

"Okay, I agree."

Zang Ba made a decision: "Consider this batch of goods as a deposit. If you send over three shi of rock sugar and thirty shi of snow salt, then you can transport the grain away."

"Haha."

Liu Feng suddenly burst into laughter for no apparent reason, causing Zang Ba's face to darken immediately.

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(End of this chapter)