Chapter 57: The Kunmi of Wusun and King Danmu of Qiang (Additional Chapter)

Chapter 57: Kunna, King of Wusun, and Danmu, King of Qiang (Special Chapter)

Trade City, Auction Hall

In the still-unfinished auction hall, the seething crowd could for now only stand. Only the powerful magnates in the front rows and representatives of the Alliance member states were provided with chairs.

The noisy hall was filled with a cacophony of different languages.

There were attendants gathering intelligence, acquaintances exchanging greetings, and buyers and sellers haggling over deals.

"King of Wusun, I never expected you to come in person."

A voice filled with surprise rang out.

"King of Qiang, instead of staying in your deep mountain forests, what brings you all the way down here?"

The King of Wusun looked toward the source of the voice and realized it was the chieftain of the Western Qiang tribes.

The Western Qiang territory bordered that of Wusun, and their lands were filled with towering mountains and dense forests. They rarely ventured out, had minimal contact with surrounding tribes, and had not even attended the last Alliance assembly. Yet now, here they were, venturing out into the world—a sight that left the King of Wusun utterly astonished.

"None of your damn business!"

Danmu, the King of the Western Qiang, retorted sharply, the fur coat on his body shaking as he moved.

"Hmph!"

Kunna, the King of Wusun, chuckled softly and said no more.

"Abba! They say Great Qin has so many delicious things, but why doesn't Ragudo see any?"

Beside the King of Qiang stood a tall, long-legged girl with slightly darker skin, dressed in fur attire and wearing a wildcat-fur hat. She tugged resentfully at the King of Qiang's arm, acting like a spoiled child.

"Ragudo, don't be impatient. This is the Trade City; there aren't many people selling food here, and what they have isn't even that good. Abba will take you into the city to eat delicious food later."

The King of Qiang patted Ragudo's head with doting affection.

"Thank you, Abba! Heehee!"

Having received her answer, Ragudo smiled brightly and began daydreaming about those delicious treats. Ever since a trading caravan visited the Qiang tribe and she tasted the food they prepared, Ragudo had never forgotten it.

When she heard this time that Abba was going to Great Qin—a place rumored to have even more wondrous cuisine—Ragudo immediately pestered the King of Qiang to take her along. With no other choice, the King of Qiang had to bring her with him.

"Grand Tutor, this auction hall is truly marvelous! It holds so many profound implications. Yi is filled with admiration!"

Meng Yi and Yang Zimo sat in a temporary side room overlooking the great hall, chatting as they awaited the start of the auction.

"Lord Meng flatters me. To firmly bind these grassland tribes to Great Qin's war chariot, one must control their lifeblood. Only in this way can the common people of the grassland tribes gradually accept and recognize Great Qin, and be imperceptibly assimilated by it!"

"It is a pity that there are still too many clever people in this world; only the smaller tribes have joined," Meng Yi said with a look of regret.

"Even if only a single tribe joins, the Alliance is a success. As for those who refuse to join, once Great Qin frees up its hands, we will deal with them one by one."

"Haha!"

The two exchanged a glance, their mutual understanding unspoken.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Inside the auction hall, the sound of a bell suddenly rang out. A graceful and beautiful woman slowly walked up to the high platform in the center of the hall.

"So beautiful!"

"Look at that figure, that face!"

"What a blessing it would be to take her home as a wife!"

"Just look and be done with it. Don't you know who built this Trade City?"

The appearance of the woman hosting the auction instantly electrified the entire venue, every eye following her every movement.

"So fair!"

"Shameless hussy!"

All sorts of comments rose and fell. Fortunately, the woman had undergone rigorous training. Facing the discussions from the crowd below, she smiled slightly and walked up to the high platform.

"This humble one, Caiwei, welcomes you all on behalf of Trade City. Please quiet down! Caiwei will host this auction, and the first round is about to begin now."

Hearing Caiwei's voice, the crowd gradually quieted down. They could not forget that the Grand Tutor and Lord Meng were watching from the side room, not to mention the guards maintaining order all around.

An attendant stepped forward bearing the first lot. The tray was piled high with a large heap of white granular substance.

"Please look, everyone. The first lot: Salt!"

Boom!

The entire hall instantly fell as quiet as a fallen leaf!

Salt was a strategic resource, historically a tightly controlled and scarce commodity among all nations and tribes. Many grassland tribes had no capability to produce salt. Only Great Qin possessed the capacity for large-scale salt production, but the imperial court maintained extremely strict controls over it.

Those on the grasslands wishing to obtain salt had to pay exorbitant prices for smuggled goods. The imperial court would never sell salt openly, as that would be equivalent to aiding the enemy.

Yet now, Great Qin was actually willing to sell salt! The price would undoubtedly be high, but this was official state-sponsored selling. The quantities must be massive, and they would no longer need to sneak around paying exorbitant prices for tiny fractions of salt as they did in the past.

However, how could salt possibly be this dazzlingly white?

Perhaps sensing the doubts of the crowd, the host Caiwei stepped forward to explain:

"This salt is refined salt produced by the Grand Tutor using special methods. Anyone who doubts this is welcome to try a sample!"

As soon as her words fell, the crowd saw women in uniform carrying small trays bearing tiny portions of refined salt for everyone to taste.

"Ptui!"

"It truly is salt! And such supreme refined salt!"

"Will Great Qin really sell us such refined salt?"

The crowd below broke into excited discussions, none happier than the chieftains of the various tribes. With salt, the tribesmen would have the strength to work; with salt, the tribal warriors would have the strength to fight.

"I'll take it all!"

Kunna, the King of Wusun, jumped up and roared first.

"Kunna, don't be so greedy! This chieftain wants it all as well! I'll pay double!"

Danmu, the King of Qiang, also stood up and bellowed.

"I'll pay triple!"

"I'll bid four times!"

Seeing that the two men were about to come to blows, Caiwei had no idea what to do. As a mere commoner, she dared not cause a commotion. Even with the imperial court as her backing, ingrained mindset still made her hesitant to act. She could only look helplessly toward the side room.

"Grand Tutor, it seems you must step in! Haha!"

Meng Yi took a sip of wine and chuckled.

"This Marquis will go and return shortly."

Yang Zimo walked to the stage in a few strides and motioned for everyone to calm down.

The crowd had seen Yang Zimo earlier. After offering greetings, they ceased their wrangling and awaited his decision.

"King of Wusun, King of Qiang, the two of you need not argue. Great Qin will continue to sell refined salt, so there is no need to worry."

"Hmph!"

"Ptui!"

The two men reluctantly let go of each other and stomped back to their seats in a huff.

"As this Marquis stated previously, Alliance member states may trade for certain strategic resources with Great Qin, so do not worry. It is not just salt; armor, weapons, and other items will also be put up for sale."

"Furthermore, the items in this auction are restricted for purchase exclusively to tribes and nations belonging to the Alliance. Individuals without permits are strictly forbidden from purchasing, distributing, or reselling in large quantities! Once discovered, the offender shall be put to death, and their entire family sent to the labor mines!"

Yang Zimo reiterated the rules and precautions of the auction.

Down below, the King of Qiang stared at the stage with an expression as if he had swallowed something bitter. The Western Qiang hadn't joined the Alliance—what should he do? Waiting online for answers!

"Today's salt is divided into two grades: superior refined salt and medium-grade coarse salt. Everyone may take samples from the attendants' trays to taste."

"The auction begins now!"

"Two tens of thousands of shi of medium-grade coarse salt, with the first batch being one thousand shi. The starting bid is one hundred and eighty thousand Qin coins!"

"At the same time, this Marquis reminds everyone to consume rationally and refrain from blind following!"