Exploring people's privacy is the easiest to attract envy, not to mention this era of ignorance and conservatism, in this era, each tribe on the grassland is basically an independent small kingdom, and its management method seems to be very simple, but even between different tribes of the same clan in name, it will not inquire about the purchase channels and prices like Lao Luo.

Lao Luo's problem was at most a commercial exploration in later generations, but in this era it is likely to be the basis for the survival of a tribe.

Li Zheng and Li Xuan, who were watching from the sidelines, didn't dare to show any more expressions, but they sweated in their hearts.

They were born in the Hilfan Tang camp, which made a living from the iron tools produced by artisans, and in recent decades, except for those paid to the royal family of Hilvan as taxes, the rest had to be sold. Inevitably, both men have been exposed to business and certainly know what to shy away from.

Contrary to what they thought, Besbai, who was questioned, only hesitated for a moment, and the expression on his face returned to calm. He didn't even need to think much about it to understand that the other party was not a grassland merchant he could provoke, but a strong man who had wiped out forty or fifty thousand grassland warriors at one time.

Such a strong person, if he doesn't ask the roots, he agrees to trade what he needs to himself, but he needs to be vigilant and vigilant. There is no such proverb as "there is no free lunch in the world" in the grassland, but there is a similar and probably the same concept - the prey picked up for nothing cannot be eaten.

"Mighty general, don't you know that the merchants of the grassland are more greedy than the herds of jackals!" Besbai didn't show any more sad expressions - it would be self-defeating to pretend in front of such a powerful and powerful man, and he knew better than anyone else that he had been a tribal leader for fifteen or sixteen years, "An inferior iron pot that will break if we are not careful, the Song merchants want four sheep for us, and the Qarluq people want us ten sheepskins...... The blankets of the Southern Highlanders (Persians) and the brocades of the Song people were the most expensive items, and such a large piece required at least two hundred sheep in exchange......"

Besbai didn't hide it at all, pouring beans from a bamboo tube and generally telling them the price of things they needed in their daily lives, and from time to time they made gestures with their hands, because they were not very proficient in Chinese, and when they couldn't express clearly, they mixed Turkic or Arabic to tell, and occasionally Li Zheng helped translate, which made the latter stunned and didn't understand what his mind was thinking.

Lao Luo knows very well that this Besbai is a real understanding person, he didn't show him anything, but he looked like he knew everything and said everything, and he would not have any objection to him if he changed any strong person, although he was humble but there was no flattery in his posture, but this was where Besbai was clever.

It is necessary to know that for any resolute and wise strong person, the flattering sycophancy can only become an embellishment around him at most and can be discarded at any time, while a smart and knowledgeable person can become a right-hand man.

Lao Luo is a guy who is accustomed to a cold face, his face is impassive, but in his heart he has made an assessment of this Besbai and what he said.

This person should be a rare person of insight in the current Hosa tribe, and it can also be seen from the words and words that he is generous and shrewd, and he can also become a party leader or an executive of a large company in later generations, but there is no record in the history books of such a person, and it is difficult to say that the rise of the Kazakhs in Central Asia after a few hundred years is not the foreshadowing of some leaders at this time.

As for what Besbai said, it gave Lao Luo a general understanding of the temperament of the merchants at this time. A broken iron pot costs four sheep or ten sheepskins, weapons and the like are more expensive, and an iron knife requires five cows or rare wild animal skins to trade...... Even if the cost and cost of trafficking by merchants are excluded, is there a profit of dozens of times?

In later generations, the merchants of some large countries always raised the price of goods sold to small countries in order to seek high profits, and there was still an era of different legal constraints, and now there is no need to let more, and ordinary daily necessities are sold at a price without conscience, which shows that there is no difference between the times when merchants are greedy for wealth.

"Besbai, I have a general understanding of what you said. Don't know how you want to trade? Lao Luo did not make any comments on what Besbai said, but asked the other party directly what he thought.

Talking less nonsense to smart people, this is Lao Luo's habit. He saw the other party clearly, why didn't the other party observe him?

Although we talk a few words and get to know each other, we still lack actual understanding of each other.

"Honorable general, there are too many good things in your ranks, and all we can need and afford is iron pots, iron drills, wheels, and cloth...... Of course, it would be better if you could sell us some armor and weapons. "Besbai didn't dare to say that the floating car and the four-wheeled side car floating in the air, that thing is not ordinary at first glance, even if Lao Luo sells it to him, his people can't use it, even so, if you want armor and weapons, you have to say it hard.

After finishing the first half, he looked up at Lao Luo, and found that this cold-faced general was really cold, and he couldn't see any joy and anger on his face, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, no wonder the Qarluq people and the Huangjia people lost so badly, just with the expression of the tall figure in front of him who was harsh compared to the snow-capped mountains, he could scare three or five people to death. Did the people on the Bishkek side eat grass and stuff their hearts, or were their heads blown up by the cold wind of winter, and they dared to provoke such a guy?

"That's all? You haven't said what to trade with? Lao Luo asked noncommittally, and after finishing speaking, he felt that this was too indifferent, and then added, "Don't be busy, don't be a headman, I'm not a businessman, I don't ask for any high returns, and I don't lack those dispensable things, you have to take out the things I can use." ”

For Lao Luo, some of the things used in the team at the moment, such as iron pots, are very rough, not valuable things, and when the East settles down, it is very simple to make as much as you want, as for the armor and weapons, because of the expansion, the equipment of the warriors is a little insufficient, so the equipment originally rationed is impossible to sell, but he still has a lot of loot at hand that is not used, these things take up space, and there is not much use value, and it is not impossible to deal with some clear inventory.

Besbai was in a bit of a quandary.

As mentioned earlier, he had met the forward scouts led by Alker and Min Wenhou before, and at that time Besbai had seen some of the forward equipment of the scout camp, those tough and light hanging pots, shovels, sleeping bags, folding tents, saddlebags and even backpacks all opened his eyes and made him salivate some good things that he had never seen before, so he thought about coming over to trade, and even some wanted to get it at any cost. It's not difficult to say this kind of request, but what is there that the other party can use? He really didn't have any ideas. However, Lao Luo, the general, did not have much kindness in his tone, and he heard it.

Thinking of this, Besbai asked tentatively, "I don't know what the general needs?" ”

"Besbaitou people, the Hosa people have lived at the foot of the snow-capped mountains for a long time, they must know some unique plants and trees in this land, I want grass seeds, and some things that can be dispensed, such as snow lotus, wolfberry, codonopsis, etc., I don't know where you have?" Lao Luo needs a lot of things here, but it is estimated that the Hosa people can not provide much, they are nomads, and it should be no problem to find some alfalfa seeds and Chinese medicinal materials.

The snow lotus and codonopsis he said are mainly for the nourishment of some frail old people and children, which are considered necessities nowadays, and they have also sent people to the snow-capped mountains to look for them, but where can they find so many suitable ones for a while?

"Good! Thank you for your kindness, you said, we all have it! Besbai was pleasantly surprised when he heard what Lao Luo said, his tribe was nomadic all year round, because there were shamans and witch doctors in the clan, and of course Lao Luo had collected all these things.

"That's good!" To solve the problem of medicine, Lao Luo also felt good, but he still emphasized, "Besbai people, I can provide some hanging pots and tools here, the number is not very large, as for the war knife and bow and arrow, you can only provide some loot some time ago, no problem, right?" ”

"Do your will, merciful general!" It was enough to be able to exchange the necessary pots and tools, and as for the weapons, Besbai did not expect to be able to replenish them at will, and of course it was impossible for people to sell their own weapons at will, but when he heard that the loot was provided, he was very satisfied—such a fierce team could collect some tattered loot?

"There is just one request, temporarily, that the items exchanged for you will not be too much, and they can only be kept for use within your clan, and must not be exiled." Lao Luo casually warned, turned his head to Li Zheng and said, "Li Zheng, you can discuss how to exchange it, and I won't participate." ”

As for whether Besbai would take his warning to heart, Lao Luo didn't care, in the near future, the surrounding area of the Tianshan Mountains would be within his control, and a small tribe of thousands of people would not have the courage to offend him, even if it was instigated by their so-called fellow tribesmen.

The price of betrayal is not something anyone can afford.

And there is no need for a tribe that intends to approach to push out, he is now short of manpower, and a tribe like this that takes the initiative to approach can be completely retracted, and it is also a good start to start with a trading partner, of course, provided that the whip is prepared.

"I understand, honorable general!" Besbai is indeed a transparent person, Lao Luo's words are lenient and severe, and his words are deliberately simple and clear, and he no longer understands that he is not a competent tribal leader who has been a leader for fifteen or six years.

At the last stop before arriving in the East, the first friendly person to contact was the Hosa people that Lao Luo had not predicted, which surprised him a little, but also a little joyful, after all, no one likes to be the enemy of the world.

Ignoring bandit clans that don't pose much of a threat is a pretty good start, isn't it?

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P.S.: Thanks to "kgb136" and "single Labrador" for their tips.