Li Zheng is completely unaccustomed to drinking the tea soup in this era.

The whole thing is a bowl of soup, and various seasonings are added, which is not at all the appearance of later generations.

Picking it up and making a show, Li Zheng calmed down and waited to get up.

However, after a stick of incense, I heard familiar footsteps from far and near. Li Zheng raised his head, and Zhou Fei happened to walk in.

"Brother Li." Zhou Fei bowed his hand and said apologetically: "The clan elders have important matters to discuss, and they can't receive them in person, so I hope you will forgive me." However, the clan elder ordered it, and the Fu family fully agreed to Brother Li's request for grain purchase. ”

Li Zheng smiled when he heard this, got up and waved his hand after returning the salute, and said: "The Fu family has a great business, and the clan elders have every opportunity, and besides, buying grain is just a trivial matter, where can the clan elders be used." ”

Seeing the sincerity of what Li Zheng said, Zhou Fei laughed and said, "Then please ask Brother Li to stay less, and I will go and prepare here." ”

Li Zheng nodded and said, "Steward Zhou has bothered 30,000 stones, which is not a small amount, and there is no manpower available in a certain hand, so I have to trouble the Fu family to help send someone to escort it." Of course, the reward will be paid. ”

"It should be." Zhou Fat Head of the Fat Chin.

Li Zheng stood up when he heard this, and said, "In this case, I will leave Wubao first and go to Lingzhou City to see if Zhangshan's affairs are done." Come back when it's dark. ”

"When it's dark? Well, that's fine, the 30,000 stone target is too big, and the night walk can avoid attracting covetousness. Zhou Fei instantly understood.

Although this Lingzhou is the chassis of the Fu family, if the interests are too great, it is inevitable that some people will be tempted. If he didn't hide his eyes and ears and was followed up, after the people escorted by the Fu family left, Li Zheng's grassland would be defenseless now.

Saying this, Zhou Fei led Li Zheng out of the side hall and went to the outside of Wubao.

Inadvertently, Li Zheng asked: "I heard that the southern counties are still fighting, what is the specific situation?" I don't know if it will affect this here? ”

When Zhou Fei heard this, the smile on his chubby face disappeared, but he sighed slightly, and said: "It won't affect Lingzhou in a short time, but now that Han is powerful, the imperial court is unable to levy it, and the southern counties are in dire straits." ”

Li Zheng showed a worried look at the right time, and said: "I heard that the head of the Fu family, Nanrong Gong, is the Taishou of Hanyang, I don't know."

Zhou Fei shook his head and said softly: "The head of the family was transferred to Hanyang Taishou at the beginning of the year, and he has been holding on to Han Sui, and the clan has long wanted to recall the head of the family, but according to the character of the head of the family, it is really difficult to talk about these things. ”

Li Zheng's face was full of understanding, and he saw that the gate of Wubao was in front of him, so he arched his hand and said: "Trouble Manager Zhou, the gate has arrived, please stay." ”

Zhou Fei stood there, looking at Li Zheng's back gradually moving away, and after a long time, he shook his head and turned around to prepare food.

When he arrived in Lingzhou City, Li Zheng found Zhang Shan in the corner of the puppet.

Zhang Shan was bargaining with people at this time.

There are two main ways to buy and sell human beings. One was to buy slaves from shops that specialized in buying and selling human beings. The quality of the slaves in the shop is good, and they are all young or beautiful women. This method is mainly prevalent in border areas such as Liangzhou.

Most of the slaves came from the prisoners of war produced by the Hu tribes attacking each other. Generally speaking, such prisoners of war will not be bought and sold, but mostly to supplement the population of their own tribe and increase their strength. However, there are exceptions, some tribes have lost too much in the war and need materials and money to supplement the losses, so they will selectively select some slaves and transport them to the puppets to be wholesaled to human traffickers.

Another way is to sell your body. Many yeoman farmers who went bankrupt due to various reasons such as the war could no longer survive, so they voluntarily sold themselves, and even dragged their families to pack up and sell them together. You don't need money to buy this kind of house slave, as long as you promise to eat and drink, many people are willing to go with you.

Of course, the quality of this type of people is uneven, some are old and some are young, and only a few are young and strong.

They squatted in groups on the side of the street, sticking a hay in the back of their necks, which was called 'sticking and selling heads'.

When Zhang Shan saw Li Zheng coming, he first pressed the conversation with the shop manager, and turned around to greet him.

"How's it going?"

Li Zheng asked with a smile.

"My lord." Zhang Shan scratched his head and said, "The price of this shop is too expensive, and it's ripping." ”

"How much?" Li Zheng swept his eyes around and asked.

"They cost a hundred dollars a person, which is worth a stone of fine food." Zhang Shan complained for a while, but said: "But these slaves in the shop are all strong warriors."

Li Zheng bowed slightly, thought for a while, and said, "How many people are there?" ”

"One hundred and fifty." Zhang Shan replied honestly.

"Well, if there are 150 people, you need 15,000 yuan," Li Zheng pondered, and said: "Tell the steward, buy it all for 13,000 yuan, if it doesn't work, just do it." ”

After speaking, Li Zheng turned around and walked to the corner of the street.

"This young master, buy me!"

Seeing that Li Zheng noticed this, the people who were snuggled up to each other in the corner of the wall and huddled together all looked at each other. The clever one immediately shouted loudly, hoping to attract Li Zheng's attention.

Seeing that someone was taking the lead, the others followed suit.

In an instant, the area was noisy, and some children didn't know what was going on, crying and screaming, and it was very chaotic.

Looking at these eagerly looking forward faces, looking at their rickety bodies, sallow faces and dry lips, Li Zheng's heart was pierced fiercely.

"My heart is still soft" just watched silently, Li Zheng suddenly felt that he was getting closer and closer to this world, and that sense of estrangement was gradually disappearing.

Taking a deep breath, Li Zheng's fist hidden in his sleeve shook fiercely, and he was silent for a moment before he said loudly: "There is a need for manpower in a certain grassland, but there are conditions." ”

The body seller looked at Li Zheng and gradually quieted down.

"Craftsmanship is preferred." After a pause, Li Zheng continued: "All kinds of craftsmen can be used, and it is not taboo to drag the family with them. ”

"I, I can strike iron!"

"Does being able to graze count?"

"What about farming?"

"I have the strength to do anything!"

After listening to Li Zheng's words, many people became excited.

Li Zheng stretched out his hands and pressed them, and when the noise became quieter, he said: "If you feel eligible, stand on the left and get ready." ”

At this time, Zhang Shan's side also did it.

After the money and goods were cleared, Zhang Shan walked out of the shop with the one hundred and fifty people.

In this era, especially for the Hu people, as prisoners of war as slaves, it is normal to be sold and given away, so this group of slaves looks honest. From now on, their lives are in the hands of their new masters. Their lives, food and clothing in the future, will depend on the new owner.

Of course, only God knows what they think in their hearts.

"My lord."

Zhang Shan looked at the group of homeless people who were in ragged clothes and couldn't hide their bodies, and said suspiciously: "These people"

Li Zheng smiled: "There is a shortage of people in the grassland, the more the merrier." ”

As he spoke, the betrayers were ready, and they gathered together with family or friends.

The total number of people has exceeded two hundred, but Li Zheng didn't say anything when he saw it. First, there are not too many people selling their bodies here, in fact, there are only so many people in total, Li Zheng said so many conditions before, which is just to show an attitude.

Second, population is a resource, the largest and most important resource. As long as there are people, everything will be available, and isn't there a shortage of manpower in the pastures now?

Again, Li Zheng's heart is still soft. In other words, men and women, young and old, are actually useful.

Let Zhang Shan organize more than 200 men, women, and children who were already on the verge of life and death, and then took these more than 370 people to the city in an orderly manner.

Of course, so many people gathered together still attracted the attention of Lingzhou officials. But fortunately, the new steward of the Fu family also recognized Li Zheng and helped to say a word, so he left Lingzhou City lightly.

This group of people, whether they were young and strong slaves bought from shops or those who voluntarily sold their families with their families, were in fact hungry and difficult to move.

Li Zheng knew that they were weak, and it was not too late now, so he walked very slowly.

By the time the team reached Fort Fu's, it was finally dark.

At this time, Zhou Fei had already prepared the grain.

"Brother Li!"

Zhou Fei greeted him, looked at the ragged team behind Li Zheng, and said with a smile: "Thirty thousand stone grain has been prepared, but Wubao can only take out a hundred carriages to transport it." ”

Li Zheng listened, thought about it, frowned, and said: "In this way, you can transport a thousand stones at most, and it will take thirty times to transport it."

"No way." Zhou Fei spread his hands helplessly: "There are not many carriages used for transportation in the dock fort, and the dock fort itself still needs to be used, so"

Li Zheng nodded: "I understand." It looks like it will take several days to get it done. ”

Saying that, Li Zheng said again: "Steward Zhou, there is still a little matter to ask for here, and the batch of house slaves I just bought are hungry, and I can't keep up, so I want to ask Steward Zhou to lend some cooking tools, make some gruel first, fill their stomachs, and make it easier to hurry." ”

There are more than 50 miles to the pasture, and if these weak house slaves do not eat something, and they travel at night, they will inevitably have losses.

Zhou Fei smiled when he heard this: "This is a trivial matter. ”

Then he ordered his attendants to go to the fort.

When the tools were complete, Li Zheng asked people to bury the pot immediately, and started to cook on the side outside the gate of this dock fort.

The accompanying slaves looked at the long carriage and listened to the conversation between Li Zheng and Zhou Fei, and their minds were settled for a moment. Everyone looked at Li Zheng's eyes and was no longer apprehensive, and a trace of hope emerged - so much food, that is a reassuring pill!

When they saw that the young master was still cooking and eating, they were all happy and excited, and they couldn't help themselves. So they all stood up and were very grateful.

Li Zheng waved his hand and smiled to make them get up, looking unconcerned. However, he knew in his heart that at least in the first time, he accepted their hearts and gained initial loyalty.