Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 329, Section 328: The Nan Family Inn
November.

It was freezing cold, making travel difficult for vehicles and horses.

But undercurrents were swirling in Xianyang.

In the inn, the innkeeper was greeted by a large group of merchants early in the morning. At that moment, he was busy removing all the door panels so that the merchants could move their luggage.

On one hand, he asked his nephew to lead the horse to the livestock shed to carefully tend to it and feed it well. On the other hand, he enthusiastically accepted the full bag of Qin Banliang (a unit of weight) and urged the handyman to boil more hot water...

Just as everyone was busy running around like headless chickens, another group of people came and asked:
"May I ask if you still have a place to stay?"

Ouch!

The curator's face showed no joy, only regret and sighs:

"No, the inn is full. Gentlemen, why don't you look for another place in town?"

He was about to enthusiastically recommend a few restaurants with no major conflicts, intending to invite those people to drink with him another day, when he saw them shake their heads again:
"We have traveled a long way and are exhausted. All the inns in the remote city are full."

There were empty rooms in the post station, but those were not places for people like them who had no official rank to enjoy.

"I wonder if there is a place that can be vacated to provide shelter from the wind and rain? Price doesn't matter, we will pay the rent."

As the young man spoke, there were still people in the carriage behind him who hadn't disembarked. Although the group was small, the people were all capable and efficient...

The curator hesitated and turned back—

His inn was just an ordinary one in Xianyang City, so how come it's full of such wealthy families now?

His hesitation was noticed by others, who didn't hide it from him, only giving a wry smile.

The elders of the clan, whose word was law, had all set out, rushing through the night, all for this sudden news—

The Queen is about to hold an auction.

They were in Wancheng, which wasn't too far from Guanzhong, and they had vaguely heard about some kind of auction before.

At that time, there were many conflicting rumors about the Queen in the palace, some true and some false, and since no one had found out anything, they didn't pay much attention to it.

But with the young man from the Bai family of Guanzhong being so easily appointed as a propaganda envoy—

Although the Bai family enjoyed a prestigious reputation in the area, none of its members held official positions. Instead, they all rose to prominence as local magnates and merchants.

Now, how could any of you not understand?
Although it was called an auction, it was actually the Queen's way of trying to curb her power and influence, while also spending a fortune to acquire valuable assets.

I've heard that the Bai family is pawning and selling off their wealth in Guanzhong, just to amass cartloads of gold ingots to transport to Xianyang...

They also said that there were treasures in this auction that they would acquire at any cost.

This made everyone think deeply.

Although they were of lowly status, their wealth was so great that they could command divine favor, and they saw no shortage of fine things.

What is necessary to obtain?

It was just that Bai was urging the queen to do something.

Even knowing that there was bait ahead, these fish still took the bait.

It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone in the clan to become an official or receive a noble title!
So the news spread as fast as they could, and they arrived just as quickly.

With many caravans lingering in Xianyang, the Nan family of Wancheng now has fewer people, and it took them some time to inventory their private wealth.

Therefore, they lagged behind the prominent families in Yongcheng, Liyang and other places.

Now that we've arrived in Xianyang, we don't even have a place to stay.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have been so stingy with my money; I should have bought property here.

The young man was sincere and, despite his wealth, did not act arrogantly, which made the owner hesitate.

After much deliberation, they gathered their family together and set aside an extra room.

The young man smiled and thanked him, then went to the carriage first to help the head of the family, who had caught a cold on the way, down from the carriage, and also apologized for his grievances.

Although the elderly patriarch was frail, he was in good spirits, and at this moment he only patted his arm gently:

"What's there to feel aggrieved about? I am content to have such a descendant in my clan."

Throughout this journey, we relied entirely on this young successor for food, drink, and mediation.

Upon entering Xianyang City and verifying the talisman, he spent some money to gather information and sent people to search for lodgings, but to no avail.

Having finally found this place, we quickly settled in without hesitation.

Decisive yet meticulous in his actions, how could the patriarch not be pleased with such young men in the clan?
As the servants busily carried the luggage, he looked at the simple dwelling, but his expression showed no displeasure. Instead, he said to the young man:

"Li Lang, you will accompany me to this auction."

Nan Li's actions are probably no less impressive than those of Bai Qiusha from Guanzhong. Now that the king is unable to secure an official position, who knows if he can be used by the queen?

The vast sums of money the clan has prepared are now up to them to see if they can lift Li Lang up.

The young man's eyes lit up—he came from the Nan clan of Wancheng, and the most prosperous city under Wancheng's jurisdiction was Liyi.

By choosing the character "郦" as his name, he naturally embodied the expectations of his clan.

At this moment, I bow deeply:
"promise."

……

In Xianyang, many families like the Nan family of Wancheng also came.

Those from prosperous cities like Yongcheng, Handan, and Linqiong flocked to the city.

After settling the master of the house, the young Li Lang then went to find a tavern in the city to inquire about the situation.

Unexpectedly, a carriage lined the road ahead, and then merchants dressed in coarse clothes got off their carriages.

The two carriages belonged to different families, but a man and a woman stepped out.

The two seemed to know each other. One straightened his clothes and stood tall, while the woman casually touched her hair and adjusted a gold hairpin in her dark hair.

Nan Li frowned.

Clothing and adornment are common among merchants, so why would someone dare to wear gold in Xianyang?

Looking around, it seemed no one had questioned it...

Could it be that the atmosphere in Xianyang is so open that even merchants dare to wear gold ornaments?

and many more!

Nanli quickly realized: No, this is not about merchants wearing gold, but rather that these two people in front of her are likely Ba and Wu, who have been summoned by the Queen for the first time and already have large coal transactions under their control!
Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate any longer and hurriedly headed towards the luxurious building ahead.

But upon entering the hall, he was asked by the shop's handyman:
"May I ask if this young man has an invitation?"

"Merchants from the border region and merchants from the Sichuan region are holding a tea party here. Only those with invitations can enter the inner room. Without an invitation, one can only listen from the outside."

The Nan family was not yet known enough to be compared with the merchants from Sichuan and the merchants from the border regions.

It was normal not to receive an invitation, and Nan Li wasn't discouraged. She simply generously gave the person a reward:
"Please take me to a good spot."

The handyman beamed with joy.

He weighed the half-ounce coin in his hand, and after a series of twists and turns, he sat down behind a pillar in a corridor.

Nan Li sat down without hesitation.

And indeed, this place was a hidden paradise.

Although it may seem like a secluded corner, you can see the lively scene of people gathering in the hall ahead, drinking tea and chatting, simply by turning your body to the side.

Yongcheng, once the capital of the Qin state, was home to countless powerful and wealthy individuals, and is a key focus of auctions during the Qin Dynasty period.

As expected, the Ren family, grain merchants in the city, also brought a large number of people. However, merchants like them, especially wealthy grain merchants like the Ren family, despite their prestigious reputations, were actually controlled by the nobles of Yongcheng.

Their arrival may seem like a single family effort, but in reality, it involves countless powerful and wealthy individuals.

At this moment, the young man from the Ren family frowned and said in a slightly sharp tone:
"With such a solemn invitation, I assumed the merchants from Pakistan and Ukraine were hosting a grand banquet. I never expected it to be in this noisy tavern. Even more..."

He glanced around at his surroundings:
Even the places themselves are not closed off.

The most spacious hall was where they gathered and took their seats, while those who were scattered around were surrounded by numerous small families, with no seclusion or tranquility befitting nobles.

Madam Ba smiled slightly, exchanged a glance with the Wu merchant, and thought to herself:

Their job was to promote the Queen, and they would discuss things behind closed doors. How could news travel as fast and loudly as it does now!
The auction is just around the corner!

The gold hairpin on her head was the one the Queen had bestowed upon her. Nowadays, in the eyes of wealthy families, even the gold ingots that the head of the clan had saved up in a year could be used to make three or five such hairpins.

However, a fleeting look of envy and jealousy crossed the faces of the crowd as they glanced at the two of them through their hair:

Even with immense wealth and luxury, one can still feel frustrated and unfulfilled.

If it weren't for these two gold hairpins, how could so many people have gathered here?

Now, when questioned, they speak more politely:

"My lord, please forgive me. The Queen sent word of the auction early this morning, and I assumed that your families had already made preparations. But I never expected that everyone would flock to Xianyang City so suddenly, just before the opening ceremony..."

"Nowadays, let alone spacious manors and residences, even a tavern like this one, my business partner and I have spent ten times more money than before to arrange this place."

The implication is that it's not my fault anyway!
Bai's husband sneered:
"Even though the four manors and residences are already full, the Ba merchants and Wu merchants are said to be very favored by the Queen. Surely they don't have any residences to settle in Xianyang City?"

He straightened his sleeves, slowly drank the cup of turbid wine in front of him, then frowned, irritated by its cheap and sour taste. He then slammed the cup down, his expression showing further displeasure.
“Our Bai family has always been learned, so naturally we would not be picky about other people’s humble dwellings.”

The merchant remained silent, but Madam Ba smiled, a hint of shame in her expression.

"I and the merchants from Ba also naturally acquired residences in Xianyang, but..."

She casually adjusted the gold hairpin again:

"Although the Queen trusts us, we are merchants by birth and dare not overstep our bounds, for fear that our reckless actions would cause trouble for the Queen."

Therefore, he dared not spend money, and only set up a small house in Xianyang City to accommodate three or five servants to carry out his orders.

"If we were to entertain you all, there would be no room to even step into this humble abode."

She spoke politely, but her smile was both gentle and sharp. The gold hairpin in her hair was inconspicuous yet had a remarkable presence.

Everyone's eyes swept over it, and then they all fell silent.

Nan Li listened from behind the pillar in the corridor, and then put down his teacup.

He thought to himself: No matter how wealthy or powerful a merchant is, their actual behavior is no different from that of other members of the clan.

But Pakistani and Ukrainian merchants had always kept a low profile—for merchants like them, being high-profile would be a death sentence.

Now that the other side is so fearless and confident, is it because the Queen trusts them, or have they seen an incredible opportunity?

In these two clans, there has never been any known official or noble person.

If one were to spend a fortune to buy horse bones, wouldn't the Ba and Wu merchant families be the most suitable?
He was lost in thought.

But the young master Ren, who had initially been finding fault, was now sitting there calmly, his expression no longer showing the irritation he had shown at the beginning.

Seeing the other person's calm demeanor, Nan Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood:
Wonderful!

It's likely that the Ren family had a tacit understanding with the merchants from Ba and Wu beforehand!

Find a younger man and pretend to be picky, so that others can't say anything more.

This only served to boost the morale of Ba and Wu, making everyone even more eager for this special favor that belonged exclusively to the Qin royal family.

In that case, wouldn't everyone be even more enthusiastic at this auction?

but……

As Nan Li thought of this, his expression grew even more solemn.

No matter how much he thought about it, it was all just his own speculation. Was the Queen actually trying to test everyone's sincerity to amass wealth, or perhaps...?

Is the real treasure truly there?

With this in mind, he made up his mind.

After everyone explained the auction process and its many benefits in detail, he paid for his tea and hurriedly returned to the simple inn.

The head of the household had taken his medicine and was taking a nap with his eyes closed, but because the house was too simple, he still woke the other person up when he pushed the door open.

The elderly man wasn't angry; he simply asked, "Did you find out anything?"

Nan Li hesitated for a moment.

"It's alright, whatever your opinion, speak frankly. There are so many people in our clan, and we can't put all the decisions on a young man like you."

Nan Li shook his head:
“Li is not afraid of taking responsibility, but he is afraid of making mistakes that would render the clan’s efforts futile.”

But despite saying that, he quickly straightened his expression and said, "Patriarch, the money brought by the clan is probably not enough."

This statement was truly unexpected by the family.

The elderly patriarch was startled; his deeply wrinkled eyelids fluttered open, and his eyes gleamed.

"What do you mean by this?"

Nan Li said, "Didn't the clan initially speculate that this was to show sincerity to the Queen, and therefore they exerted as much effort as they could?"

“Our Nan family is not considered a top-tier powerful clan, so it is reasonable that we give a little less money.”

"But now so many powerful clans have reached a tacit understanding..."

He then shared his speculation about the cooperation between the Ren family of Yongcheng and the merchants from Ba and Wu. Sure enough, the head of the family also fell into deep thought.

The Ren family was the leading grain merchant in the land, and for many years it had been controlled by powerful nobles from the former capital of Qin.

Many people in the old capital are now dissatisfied with the King of Qin.

However, the other party was willing to cooperate closely with the merchants from Pakistan and Ukraine who were in front of the Queen.

Unless... they see a greater benefit.

So much so that they were willing to risk everything to replace the increasingly exploitative and harsh powerful with the Qin royal family—or perhaps this queen.
So, what are the greater benefits?

A basketful of nice words and promises can't compare to something tangible and real.
not good!

The head of the family deeply regretted it!

This auction likely contains a truly priceless treasure!
"Quickly!" he commanded, "Bring the box from under my pillow—"

Inside were several documents and vouchers: "First, take the list of land parcels for appraisal, then send me a letter instructing the clan to transport the treasure here overnight—"

No.

The head of the household suddenly shook his head: "If we act so hastily, and something unexpected happens on the way, the losses will be unbearable."

"Bring a visiting card and a list of land ownership, go to the residences of the Ba and Wu merchants and request an audience!"

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【逆旅】: 逆 means to welcome, 旅 means traveler.

　Here it comes! I will continue to work hard and must not slack off like this again!

　　(End of this chapter)