Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2152 - 1561: Tenggeri’s Blessing! One Iron Pot Worth Thirty Horses!_3

Even if the official Mongolian warhorses selected for tribute trade flow into the Inner Border, they can be sold for 20-30 taels immediately, but the court’s prescribed tribute price remains unchanged. 25 horses for one iron pot, take it or leave it, the tribes are eager to trade!As for the manufacturing cost of a large iron pot within the Inner Border, it’s capped at 5 taels of silver. 25 Mongolian horses can fetch at least 500 taels. This enormous 100-fold profit, even if the major share goes to the border army and officials, the life-threatening risk is still enticing for civilian households and merchants to take the risk!

This extremely profitable ironware trade is the key reason Jin merchants could rise in later years. Once the court’s control over the border wanes, the merchants’ profit-seeking desires become completely unrestrainable. At that point, they are not just selling iron pots, but various high-quality military supplies transported outside the border, far superior to those crafted by court craftsmen...

"Phew! Praise Longevity Heaven! It must be that the Lord Leader is satisfied with Pearl’s appearance, hence such a generous return gift... By the way! Brother, this Lord does not seem to be Mongolian, he is the Jurchen Chief allied with the Southern Ten Thousand Households. Not only do they have exquisite iron armor, but also more ironware and salt. I sneaked a few glances, these large iron pots, there might be ten! Those bags on horseback, might be filled with salt too..."

"!! Ten large iron pots? One valued at twenty or thirty horses, that means, several hundred large livestock?...A sack of salt valued at forty heads, thirty sacks makes over a thousand sheep?..."

Thinking of such astonishing wealth, Chief Ao Hala’s eyes gleam with greed, looking south at the Armored People. But soon, seeing those reflective iron armors and weapons, along with those fierce faces, his greed quickly dissipates. This is a truly formidable Great Tribe elite, for a small tribe like River-side Tribe, not being slaughtered or raided by them is already thanks to Longevity Heaven’s favor and the Ancestors’ protection, let alone considering attacking them?

And for now, since they have accepted the women and given return gifts, showing rare goodwill, one can slightly lower their guard and invite them into the village to talk. If they are left outside and provoke the "Lord" of the Great Tribe, that would be courting death...

"Not Mongolians? Jurchen? New allies of the Southern Ten Thousand Households’ Jurchen Great Tribe?...Hmm, this makes sense. No wonder they have so few horses yet such refined equipment... Likely the Haixi Tribe from the mid-lower reaches of the Great River, endorsed by some Han Great Chief for the Jurchen Guard Station?"

"Such Haixi Tribes I’ve seen also on the river, seeming to have several powerful Great Tribes. If they turn to the Ten Thousand Households, the Ten Thousand Households will surely reward them richly!... But after all, they’re Jurchen Tribes, having no foundation with the Southern Ten Thousand Households, can only head north to requisition horses and strong men, and they are much more amicable than the Lord Masters under the Ten Thousand Households, even giving large iron pots..."

Chief Ao Hala’s eyes glimmer, looking at the clearly Jurchen Warrior-like features, supplemented in his mind with "the origin of the others." Of course, these are not the critical parts, what’s crucial is the iron-armored Warriors, their bows and knives, the horses they ride, and the formidable Ten Thousand Households backing behind them!

"Phew! This newly emerged Great Tribe elite, probably unfamiliar with the area, unable to figure out our depths, hence not being so brutal... Perhaps, their arrival is not a bad thing for our River-side Tribe?..."

After contemplating for a while, Chief Ao Hala finally made up his mind. He bit his teeth firmly and ordered his brother Bule.

"Bule! You’ve just made some acquaintance... Go again! Invite the Armored People across to come into the village to rest! Prepare horse milk, slaughter two sheep for generous hospitality... Also find someone who speaks Jurchen Language, properly inquire about their intentions!"

"Ah? You want me to invite them into the village? Then... What about you, brother? Are you bringing all the strong men back into the village?..."

"No, I’m not going back! Wolves and tigers in one cave are too dangerous! I’ll stay outside the village with the young cavalry, set up tents to rest... Tell them I’ve vacated the village accommodations for the esteemed Lord Leader! Also let the widows and female slaves of the tribe entertain these Armored Warriors well..."

"Brother! That’s all negotiable... But what if they requisition population, horses, and livestock, how should I answer them?..."

Chief Ao Hala squinted his eyes, contemplating like a wolf before speaking again.

"Start the talks, lower your posture a bit, properly entertain them for two days, see how big their appetite is... When they push harder... I’ll step out and apologize!"

"Longevity Heaven bless! Not fearing their big appetite, but fearing a small one, only eyeing us alone... This is a Bal Tiger crossing the river, I must ponder well on where to lead them and what wild wolves and rabbits to feed them!..."

"?!..."

Bule’s eyes widen instantly, seemingly realizing something. After a few breaths, he pulled a new horse from confidants, nimbly mounted, and once again headed toward the Armored People in the south. This time, he brought along a Pastoral Slave of Jurchen Tribe origin, squeezing out more smiles on his face.

"Honorable Lord! Please bring your people and horses to rest in our village... There’s sheep milk wine and lamb meat inside the village, plus comfortable wooden tents!..."

After a brief conversation, the halted Kingdom horse-buying team finally moved again. Soon, under the circumstances of River-side Tribe’s non-resistance, the clashing iron armor entered Huli Ping Village, straight into the core garrison barracks. This sturdy military camp left by the Ming Dynasty didn’t play any role, practically falling into the Kingdom team’s hands. Because the decision of this river-side grassland’s ownership was never inside the village, but outside it, typical of nomadic survival and life...