roccoschili Chapter 5399 Agreed Transaction
Chapter 5399 Agreed Transaction
Chapter 5399 Agreed Transaction
On New Year's Eve, the Western concession was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
Under the guidance and supervision of civil and military officials in the concession, Chinese people from all over the country moved their customs here. Even though they were far from their homeland and did not even have their family genealogy with them, they still set out a sumptuous meal and wine in the hall to worship their ancestors.
No matter how different the customs are between the North and the South, this point is common: "reverence for Heaven and ancestors" is the origin of Chinese culture. No matter where you go, you should never forget to respect your ancestors.
As evening approached, every household and shop lowered their shutters and closed their doors to customers, with owners, shopkeepers, and employees gathering in the back room to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner.
Merchants from all over the country who came to trade were dumbfounded...
"It's only Chinese New Year, and they're not even doing business?"
"The Tang people are arrogant! They refuse to receive us who have come from afar?"
"The Empire should never allow the Tang people to establish a concession here. Even if we fight to the last man, we must drive out these demons who worship their ancestors!"
"That's right. Even if we're going to offer sacrifices, we should offer sacrifices to the gods. What are ancestors anyway?"
"Speaking of which, why can every Tang person remember who their ancestors were? Shouldn't that be a tradition only nobles have? Surely not every Tang person is a noble?"
The Arabs who entered the concession to trade marveled at the sight, finding it both fascinating and incomprehensible.
Whether it was the Arabs, the Romans and Franks further west, or the Slavs in the north, the class system was already deeply rooted. For a lowly person who had been enslaved for generations, struggling to survive was the meaning of life. Every war would cause a large number of people to either die or migrate. How could they possibly remember their ancestors?
Only the wealthy and powerful could afford this.
But nobles are a tiny minority, and it's a miracle if most people can remember three generations back.
There were at least eight or ten thousand Chinese people gathered in the concession; surely they couldn't all be nobles?
A Tang army captain patrolling the streets proudly raised his chin and explained, "Chinese history is long and rich, with dynasties rising and falling, and imperial power fading away. Over thousands of years, which family hasn't had an ancestor who was a king or prime minister? We Tang people have hundreds of surnames, and if you trace any one of them back, you'll always find a prominent figure. While you barbarians who have barely learned to read are still eating raw meat and drinking blood, our ancestors were already establishing their achievements!"
This statement is somewhat excessive, but the Tang people did indeed consider themselves superior due to their long-standing civilization and looked down on these barbarians who rose from the deserts, swamps, and deep mountains.
Our Chinese history books are vast and numerous, while your history is just a few sentences, not even enough to fill a single account book...
The Arabs were furious, but had no words to refute them.
After all, going back three generations, our ancestors were probably still wearing furs, eating raw meat, and living a life of hunting and fishing...
The custom of the Tang people was to "seal the granaries and accumulate blessings" on the day of the New Year. No one wanted to do business with the barbarians. These barbarians wandered around the streets for a while, venting their dissatisfaction incessantly. In the end, they could only be driven away by the Tang soldiers and temporarily stay in the official inns, waiting for the shops to open for business after the New Year before doing business.
In the back hall of the official residence, a group of officials and military officers were laughing and chatting. A variety of dishes were served on the table, and jars of fine wine were placed to the side, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Xin Mao took his seat and said with a smile, "Today is a festive day, and we should all drink to our hearts' content. However, we are stationed overseas and maintaining the affairs of the concession, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes. Therefore, there will be plenty of food today, but please drink less wine to avoid causing any problems."
Xi Junmai also said, "Three cups per person, just a sip. The more festive the occasion, the more we must be careful to prevent fires and theft. Although our concession is heavily guarded, the surrounding area is full of barbaric barbarians. We must not give them any opportunity to take advantage of us."
"Rest assured, officers, we understand!"
"Come on, even though we can't have our fill, let's get the atmosphere going! Let's all raise a toast to our two officers!"
"May you both be promoted and ennobled in the new year!"
"it is good!"
More than ten people raised their glasses together, laughed heartily, and drank it all in one gulp.
After a few rounds of drinks, they put down their glasses and enjoyed the delicious food.
A captain pushed open the door and came to Xi Junmai's side: "General, that guy named Elan from last time is here again."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Xi Junmai looked at Xin Maojiang and smiled, "It seems we also have business to do!"
Xin Mao put down his chopsticks and stood up, saying, "Let's go see this scoundrel!"
……
Inside the lobby, Elan was enjoying his tea.
Although one could usually buy some tea from Arab merchants, the inferior tea was not much different from tree leaves, and sometimes it was even damp and moldy old tea, which not only tasted terrible but could even make one's stomach upset.
The quality of the tea served to guests in Tang Dynasty government offices was vastly different...
When Xi Junmai and Xin Mao arrived together and exchanged greetings, Elan pointed to the teacup and said, "I want a hundred catties of this tea!"
Xi and Xin exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously.
Although Eran appears confident today, undoubtedly having received authorization from the chief regarding the four thousand pounds of gold, it is clear that this Amorite is unaware of the price of truly top-quality tea.
The two took their seats, and Xin Mao said, "This tea is something I brought from the Tang Dynasty. If you like it, I'll give you a pound before I leave, so you don't need to buy any."
Elan's eyes widened, clearly displeased: "Are you looking down on me? I have money!"
Xin Mao: "..."
Xi Junmai couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's not that I look down on you, it's just that this tea is a bit expensive. Let me put it this way, if this quality of tea were transported from the Tang Dynasty to here, the price would definitely not be less than twenty taels of gold per catty... One Roman pound can only buy half a catty."
"Hiss... You're not kidding me, are you?"
Elan found it unbelievable.
Tea leaves are now almost as valuable as gold?
Xi Junmai explained, "Tea of this quality is produced in limited quantities. Even in the Tang Dynasty, it wasn't something everyone could afford. Transporting it here from the Tang Dynasty required preservation and moisture protection, so it had to be packed in nearly airtight porcelain jars, with ice blocks laid all over the outside. The ice blocks would melt, so they had to be kept being added. This alone was extremely expensive."
Elan swallowed hard. He thought the Arab nobles in Damascus were already living in extreme luxury, but compared to the Tang people, they were nothing...
He said, "Then give me a pound!"
Then, he decisively changed the subject: "The chief has agreed to our deal and wants to finalize it as soon as possible. What do you two think?"
"Of course I agree. It is the Tang Dynasty's duty, representing the highest level of civilization in the world, to help the Amori brothers resist tyranny and restore their homeland!"
Xi Junmai even asked with concern, "The transaction is simple, but how will you transport the weapons back after it's completed? It would be troublesome if you ran into the Abbasid Caliphate army."
The Arabs were not stupid. Although they were forced to open concessions to the Tang Dynasty and allow Tang people to participate in trade in Mesopotamia, they always guarded against the Tang Dynasty's contact with these indigenous tribes, especially in terms of funding their military equipment. Therefore, they stationed heavy troops and took strict precautions outside the concessions.
A thousand scimitars and two hundred suits of plate armor are no small number, and it would be extremely difficult to evade the search and investigation of the Arabs.
Elan's expression was resolute: "When the transaction takes place, the chief will personally lead the young and strong men of the tribe to meet us. This is an opportunity that the tribe has waited for for hundreds of years, and we absolutely cannot miss it! Even if it means sacrificing our generation, we must transport this batch of weapons back to the tribe and bury them there, so that when the next generation grows up, we can fight the enemy again!"
Whether it was the Romans, the Persians, or the Arabs of today, the reason why they were able to repeatedly invade Mesopotamia and defeat the indigenous tribes of this land so badly, leaving them with countless casualties, was not only because of their large numbers, but also because of their advanced weapons.
While indigenous tribes were still in the Bronze Age, their enemies had already begun to equip themselves with iron weapons. While indigenous tribes were still wearing animal skins and hemp clothing, their enemies were already wearing iron armor and leather armor... The crushing power of technology could not be compensated by any number of lives.
Now, the Tang people, thousands of miles away, have arrived. With their more advanced weaponry, they have routed the Arabs, forcing them to sign a humiliating treaty that ceded their sovereignty. This has given many indigenous tribes hope for resisting tyranny and restoring their homeland.
But who knows how long the Tang people will stay here?
If the Tang people were to withdraw in the future, how would these indigenous tribes travel across the ocean to the Tang Dynasty, which is tens of thousands of miles away, to purchase military equipment and weapons?
So now is their biggest and last hope.
We must obtain the Tang army's weapons and equipment at all costs!
Xin Mao laughed and said, "There's no need for such a dramatic gesture... The Great Tang respects every race. His Majesty the Emperor's reign title is 'Renhe'. Do you know what that means? It means to be benevolent and to value harmony! Under the heavens, all beings are equal! So, in addition to trade, we are happy to provide some assistance to our friends who are close to the Great Tang."
Elan perked up: "For example?"
Xin Mao said, "For example, I can order ships loaded with weapons to dock at any point on the Fries River, or even use small boats to transport the weapons along tributaries under cover of darkness to the locations designated by your department."
The Arabs were indeed not keen to guard against the possibility of the Tang Dynasty trading with indigenous tribes, but what could they do even if they were caught in the act? At present, the Arab battlefield was in the western Mediterranean, and they were using all their national strength to try to capture Constantinople, so they would absolutely not have another military conflict with the Tang Dynasty in Mesopotamia.
They could only tighten the noose around the necks of the indigenous tribes, but they were powerless against the Tang Dynasty.
Elan was overjoyed.
They immediately agreed on the time and place for the transaction, and then, carrying the tea that Xin Mao had given them, they hurriedly left under the cover of night.
In the front hall, Xin Mao clicked his tongue, looking distressed: "There's not much tea left."
Xi Junmai stood up and walked to the map hanging on the wall to check the location Elan had specified. He said nonchalantly, "Just have your father-in-law deliver it to you again!"
Xin Mao thought about Xu Jingzong's character and shook his head with a sigh.
If you ask your father-in-law for a pound of tea, you have to give him a hundred pounds of tea in return.
forget it……
(End of this chapter)