Just when Du He was selling tea in front of the king and nobles of Dashi with his eloquent words.
The caravan led by Fang Jun also came to the Kingdom of Champa.
"Master Fang, according to the map, this is the capital of the country. Many ships traveling from north to south like to dock here to replenish fresh water and food."
The person escorting Fang Jun this time was Xue Rengui. After the ship approached the dock, he followed Fang Jun.
Except for the ten soldiers who were brought off the ship, everyone else stayed on the ship.
Several people entered the capital.
In Fang Jun's opinion, the Champa Kingdom is not even comparable to places like Chang'an and Luoyang.
Even compared with some remote prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River, it is far behind.
"Let's go and ask if there are high-yielding crops and various spices that the governor mentioned here!"
The main purpose of Xue Rengui and Fang Jun's visit this time was to look for the high-yielding crops and spices that Yang Fan mentioned.
You must know that high-yielding crops are the foundation of agriculture, and spices are scarce in the Tang Dynasty, and can sometimes be used as currency.
Of course you can't let go of such a valuable thing.
You know, Champa is very famous for its pepper, cinnamon and other spices.
In Chang'an City, noble families store pepper just like they store copper coins.
If you have dozens of kilograms of pepper in your house, it is like having dozens of gold ingots in your house.
In Chang'an City, a relatively ordinary small courtyard can be purchased for only a few hundred guan.
You can imagine the price of pepper, a proper luxury store of value.
Generally speaking, ordinary people cannot afford it.
Its value is so high that it definitely exceeds the imagination of future generations.
This is why Yang Fan specially sent Xue Rengui to escort Fang Jun and his party here.
Even in the warm Jiangnan, the weather has turned cooler in November, but Champa Kingdom is still shrouded in heat waves.
Xue Rengui and his party had just arrived at a market and saw several shops selling grain.
There are also many spice shops.
"Commander Xue, there are a lot of spices and grains in Champa, I don't know the price."
Nanyang multi-spice, but Fang Jun has no idea what kind of multi-spice it is.
Now he saw several shops selling spices, which gave him an illusion.
In particular, many retail spices are placed directly on the ground, which is almost like garbage. Could it be that spices are everywhere in Champa Kingdom?
"Haha, Mr. Fang, the Governor said that Champa is not only rich in spices, but also has high-yielding crops. That is the main purpose of our coming here."
"However, the Governor is really good at predicting things. Judging from the scene, there are a lot of spices and grains, so the price should not be expensive!"
Xue Rengui's most important purpose this time is not spices.
After all, it's Fang Jun's business to make deals.
"Let's first ask how to sell ginger spices and wait a while to find those crops. What does Commander Xue think?"
Xue Rengui nodded, followed Fang Jun with a few soldiers and turned around and entered the largest shop next to him.
As soon as he entered the shop, a shopkeeper came to Fang Jun and started croaking without knowing what he was saying.
"Mr. Fang, what is this shopkeeper asking us for?"
We were accompanied by a guide and translator, who naturally knew Champa dialect and started translating immediately.
"This is pepper and star anise, how do you sell it?"
Looking at the spices in the shop, Fang Jun found the best-selling spices in Datang and started to ask about the price.
Pepper and fennel are absolutely the best in stewed beef and mutton. Adding a little bit in it will have a very good effect on removing the fishy smell. They are the most popular in Datang.
However, because the price is very expensive, it is something only nobles can afford.
According to price calculation, a pound of pepper costs about ten dollars.
The price of fennel is not low either, costing seven to eight pounds per kilogram.
"Master Fang, he said that pepper costs two hundred cents per pound, and fennel only costs 100 cents..."
"However, he wants to barter!"
Maybe he recognized Fang Jun as a businessman from the Tang Dynasty, and the shopkeeper was also a smart man.
Propose bartering directly.
After all, things from the Tang Dynasty are considered luxuries here and are extremely scarce.
There were so many spices in his shop that they couldn't be sold for much money.
If he paid with money, he wouldn't make much.
If you can exchange it with something, it will be different.
The goods from Datang, no matter what they are, are 30 to 40% higher than the market price, which can definitely make him a fortune.
The shopkeeper had tasted the benefits before, so naturally he didn't want to miss this opportunity.
And of course Fang Jun was happy.
The goods he pulled out this time were mainly barter.
According to Yang Fan's words, the Champa Kingdom was very poor, and scarce items would be valuable only if they were exchanged for them.
Since the other party spoke first, Fang Jun naturally agreed.
"Okay, tea, silk, porcelain and colored glaze are all available..."
"Liuli? What products does Liuli make? Can you take a look?"
The shopkeeper looked at the translator curiously.
Be it tea or silk, although he couldn't afford it before, he had traded it.
But Liuli was a high-end thing, and he had never traded it before.
After all, it is too precious.
The most important thing is that he also wants to see what products are made of colored glaze?
"This is it!"
Fang Jun waved his hand to the guard on the side and took out a two-foot glass mirror from the bag.
He had already made preparations before coming, and naturally brought some of various commodities.
"The glazed mirror is so beautiful!"
When he saw the glass mirror he took out, the shopkeeper couldn't help but exclaimed.
This glass is also a bit too big.
The shopkeeper once heard that there were colored glazes in the palace, but they were only as big as a palm.
This glass mirror was more than two feet long, which shocked the shopkeeper.
What's more, a beam of sunlight happened to shine into the shop.
Under the reflection of the sun, the glass mirror emits a shining light, which makes the shopkeeper's eyes shine even more.
If those guards weren't so tall, the shopkeeper would have wanted to snatch them away.
After swallowing, the shopkeeper asked cautiously: "Dear guest, can you let me take a look?"
Looking at the other party's reaction and the surprised expression, I knew that the glass mirror was definitely a priceless thing here, and the other party wanted to get it.
Since the other person wants to see it, let him see it!
Although this thing was not valuable in Datang, it was different here.
So after the shopkeeper took it over, Fang Jun said in an awesome voice: "This glass mirror is made of natural colored glaze. It takes craftsmen ninety-nine and eighty-one days to make it. It belongs to the emperor and nobles of the Tang Dynasty and can only use it."
s things!"
Fang Jun's serious introduction made the glass mirror blow up to the sky. He almost didn't realize that it was used by a fairy!
Xue Rengui on the side almost dropped his eyes after hearing Fang Jun's words.
Aren’t glass mirrors ordinary and not ordinary?
Glass mirrors were sold for several hundred pieces in Chang'an at first.
But now this thing is much cheaper.
There was no way, after Yang Fan sold the craftsmanship, the price naturally dropped.
Although I have not personally experienced it, I heard that the manufacturing process of glass mirrors is not difficult.
Nine-nine and eighty-one days...
Only Fang Jun can do it!
It reminds me of the time when Yang Fan used glass to trick the nobles of the Tang Dynasty.
Now Fang Jun is bringing glass products to deceive these overseas nobles.
Sure enough, he is as shameless as the Grand Governor... Ahem, he must be wise!
Xue Rengui was really numb.
Of course the shopkeeper didn't know what Xue Rengui was thinking.
Looking at the characters in the glass mirror, the shopkeeper kept exclaiming: "It's so clear. This is a rare treasure. I wonder how much spices the distinguished guest needs to exchange for one piece?"
In Xue Rengui's eyes, this glass mirror is not very valuable.
But in the eyes of the shopkeeper, it is a great treasure.
It would be unreasonable not to take such a treasure.
"Ahem, this glazed mirror is also a rare item in our Tang Dynasty. Non-princes, nobles, and relatives of the emperor are not qualified to use it."
"But in order to open up trade between the Tang Dynasty and the Champa Kingdom, we specially brought hundreds of these glazed mirrors."
"As long as the shopkeeper gives you a suitable price, we will exchange it with you, and we won't have to go to your king to trade."
"If you have these glazed mirrors, the shopkeeper will become a guest of your country's nobles."
Fang Jun continued to use his deception skills and blew up the glass mirror.
Xue Rengui on the side lowered his head to hold back his smile, for fear that he would laugh and reveal his secret.
But the shopkeeper was convinced and couldn't help but sigh.
The Tang Dynasty was indeed a celestial kingdom, and hundreds of such divine objects could be produced at once.
It seems that I am really going to make a fortune.
After the shopkeeper was overjoyed, he squinted his eyes and began to discuss the price with Fang Jun.
"Distinguished guest of the Tang Dynasty, do you think this will work? I will exchange 500 kilograms of pepper for a mirror."
"But the glazed mirrors are too precious. My family may not be able to afford them. I can work with other spice shops to replace all your mirrors. What do you think?"
"500 pounds of pepper for a mirror..."
hiss!
Fang Jun and Xue Rengui looked at each other and took a breath of cold air.
500 kilograms of pepper is equivalent to tens of thousands of guan in Chang'an City.
Just replace this mirror?
No wonder Yang Fan said that the most profitable method here is to use foreign objects.
It seems that the other party is very happy and even invites people to exchange it.
Of course, the two of them were happy to see the result, at least they saved a lot of trouble.
Fang Jun's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was desperately trying to recall the details of the transaction that Yang Fan had mentioned when chatting with him.
"Well, it's only five hundred catties? That's not enough to cost!"
After speaking, Fang Jun frowned, with an unhappy look on his face.
The shopkeeper took a look and quickly increased the price: "What about six hundred kilograms? But if you want to change the pepper at once, you don't have that much. Do you think it would be okay to use other spices at a discount?"
The two bargained, and finally Fang Jun said helplessly: "Okay, let's exchange one side according to the price of 650 kilograms of pepper. Hurry up and find someone to discuss and see how much you can exchange!"
"Okay, deal done, treat me to my guests, wait a moment!"
After saying that, the shopkeeper hurriedly left, as if he was afraid that Fang Jun would regret it.
That's like taking a huge advantage.
Fang Jun also felt very happy. He went from 500 pounds to 650 pounds.
The spices exchanged for this mirror alone were equivalent to 20,000 guan when brought back to Chang'an City, which was a huge advantage.
In this way, both parties got a satisfactory price.
Merchants in the market heard that people from the Tang Dynasty were exchanging precious items for spices, and they all came to exchange for other goods.
After all, in the eyes of these people, the items brought by the Tang Dynasty were too good, and they were very generous in doing so.
Porcelain, silk and other things also continued to decrease, and a lot of gold and silver were also obtained.
In this way, Xue Rengui and the others didn't even have to come to their door, the merchants would just deliver them to their door.
And many grain merchants came.
When Xue Rengui found out that there was indeed enough water to grow three seasons a year, the two of them directly exchanged all the remaining things for grain.
When I arrived, I only loaded half of the freighter's cargo, but when I returned, I packed it full of money, spices and grain.
Xue Rengui and Fang Jun were extremely excited.
While Xue Rengui and Fang Jun were exchanging goods for things, Du He and Su Dingfang, who were far away in the Big Food Country, almost woke up laughing in their sleep.
After all, the prices of gold and silver here are so low that they don't seem to be considered money at all.
They can exchange a piece of silk, porcelain or tea leaves for hundreds of gold ingots.
If Yang Fan hadn't specifically stated that he needed gold, they really doubted that the gold would depreciate in value after being brought back to Datang.
Of course, even so.
The gold and silver that the King of Eaters collected in a short period of time could not completely exchange for the things on the ship.
They had no choice but to exchange money for Yang Fan to buy a large area where the black water (oil) was exposed.
I heard that Du He and Su Dingfang actually used such valuable things to buy these places where there is no grass.
With a wave of his hand, King Da Shi offered hundreds of thousands of hectares of black water in exchange.
Low-cost slaves can even be provided to help collect the black water.
The "brainless" behavior of Du He and his wife soon spread throughout the food country.
Some tribes and lords brought money and slaves to exchange...
"General, it's hard for us to manage so many slaves. In my opinion, we'd better transport the money back first."
"As for these slaves and the land with black water, we don't want it anymore?"
Seeing that half of the boat was filled with gold and silver, and the boat had begun to sink, Du He couldn't help but advise.
In his opinion, with so much gold and silver, he has already earned a lot of money.
Those slaves and black water have no effect at all.
"No, the Grand Governor said that these dark things can be burned and will become important strategic materials in the future."
"Although Su doesn't understand, I believe that the Governor will not talk nonsense."
"What's more, although there are many of these slaves, they will not resist. We can manage them well as long as we keep half of them. How can we not refuse what is basically a free gift?"
"You bring the money back first, I'll keep it here, and you go ask the Governor how to bring this black water back to the Tang Dynasty..."
Although Su Dingding also had some headaches, he unswervingly supported Yang Fan's decision.
Since Yang Fan said that these black waters have a great effect, of course he will implement them unswervingly.
"Okay, General Su, be careful. I think these slaves are very restless."
"I'll send the money back first and see what Brother Yishan says. I'll come back as soon as possible..."
Du He also knew that if some people were not left behind, the land and people exchanged would be of no use at all, so keeping Su Dingfang was the best choice.
It seems that the only way is to go back as soon as possible and report the situation to Yang Fan...
As for other aristocratic families and merchants who went overseas this time, the same situation also happened in various overseas countries.
Yang Fan would never have thought of it.
With the opening of maritime trade, the influence of Tang culture has far exceeded its original history.
It can be said that this overseas trade opened a new era of navigation.