Chapter 23 The Persian Merchant

  For Liu Ze, who has been fond of traveling since childhood, the beautiful scenery of the Three Gorges is not to be missed. The natural landscape 2,000 years ago is completely different from the modern Three Gorges, which is disturbed by human activities. Whether it's the majestic and steep Qutang Gorge, or the deep and winding Wu Gorge, or the treacherous Xiling Gorge, they are all masterpieces of nature's craftsmanship. The grandeur of Kui Gate, the elegance of Goddess Peak, and the danger of Cuiping Rock make people marvel at the wonders of nature. Unfortunately, Jian Yong and others almost closed their eyes when passing through the Three Gorges, wasting a free travel opportunity.

  Bai Lao Da admired Liu Ze so much that he was willing to prostrate himself in admiration. The twenty boats passed through the Xiangjiang River without a single hair out of place, and for someone who had been navigating the turbulent waters of the Xiangjiang River for decades, this was an unprecedented achievement. Holding the navigation chart as if it were an imperial edict, he wanted to return it to Liu Ze but couldn't bear to part with it, hesitating between advancing and retreating.

  Liu Ze smiled and said, "Old Bai, I'll give you this map. I hope it will bring benefits to the people of Yi State and turn a treacherous terrain into a thoroughfare." Old Bai was so grateful that he almost knelt down before Liu Ze. What he held in his hands was not just a map, but a life-saving charm for countless boatmen on the Yangtze River.

  After unloading the goods, Old White insisted on only taking half of the ship's gold and said: "Liu Gongzi is indeed a divine person. With this navigation chart, the Xiangjiang River can be safely crossed from now on. Even if it were worth thousands of dollars, it wouldn't compare to this map." After the handover was completed, both parties bid each other farewell with clasped hands and mutual expressions of goodwill.

  Zhang Fei stared in amazement and said, "Big brother, what kind of silk did you give him that could save half the cost of the boat, which is 500,000 coins?!"

  "That is their fate, even more precious than life itself."

  Zhang Fei was very curious. "Big brother, where did you find this thing again?"

  Liu Ze smiled but didn't answer, saying: "This, for now, is a secret, I'll tell you later."

  Guan Yu praised: "Young Master, you are a genius, even the gods can't match." Liu Ze disliked him calling him master all the time, as if he had really become a slave owner. So Guan Yu changed his address to Young Master, and called Zhang Fei Jian Yong as Zhang Ye Jian Ye. Zhang Fei responded with a smile.

  After resting for a day in Jiangling City, Liu Ze hired 50 or 60 large carts loaded with Shu brocade and headed towards the capital city of Luoyang. From Jiangling to the north, passing through Xiangyang and Nanyang, it was all flat official roads, and the journey was smooth and uneventful. After more than 20 days of travel, they saw the tall and majestic city walls of Luoyang. Counting on their fingers, from leaving Luoyang in April to returning at the end of June, it had been over two months.

  Liu Ze did not rush into the city, but instead found a vacant civilian residence in Nanguan, south of the city, and rented it at a high price. He unloaded all the Shu brocades from the carts and stored them inside the residence, ordering Guan Yu to lead his men to guard them, while he himself went to Luoyang with Zhang Fei in a light carriage.

  Liu Ze's journey was full of astonishing events, Jian Yong and Guan Yu had long been accustomed to it, but Zhang Fei insisted on getting to the bottom of things.

  "Big brother, what are you up to again? The Shu brocade has all been pulled back. Why don't you just pull it all the way into Luoyang and sell it all at once? Take advantage of the fact that Shu brocade is in short supply in the capital right now and make a big profit?"

  "We can't just sell iron tools and farm equipment like that, you think Shu brocade is also a street vendor's goods, just find a place to shout and it will be sold out? Shu brocade is expensive, only high-ranking officials and wealthy people can afford it. Those who can afford it don't go to miscellaneous stores, we need to rent a good storefront in the city first."

  Liu Ze knew that good goods must be well-packaged. The specialty store of a famous brand was decorated luxuriously, and the shopping environment made people feel comfortable. If Louis Vuitton's handbags were placed on a street stall, they would be mistaken for counterfeit goods. In the Han Dynasty, Shu brocade was naturally a high-end luxury product that only high-ranking officials could afford, and only high-end stores could showcase the quality of top-grade Shu brocade.

  Not long after entering the city, he found a shop for sale on Zhuque Street, which was the most prosperous street. The shop had a front and back yard, with three rooms inside and out, spacious and bright. What's more, this shop was doing fabric business. Liu Ze took a liking to this place at first sight, and after inquiring in detail, he found out that the owner of the shop was from Yangzhou Qu'a, whose father had passed away and wanted to return home for mourning, so he sold the shop at a low price. After some bargaining, they agreed on a price of 300,000 yuan, including the shop, yard, furniture, fabrics, and other items. Normally, such a shop would be worth at least 500,000 to 600,000 yuan, but Liu Ze got it for a steal, and he couldn't help feeling delighted.

  Then, Liu Ze renovated the store, replacing the old high counters with open display cabinets on both sides, allowing customers to come into close contact with the goods as soon as they entered. The rotating sample display made it easy for people to see at a glance. The scarlet carpet and the bronze utensils in the decorative grid, although somewhat incongruous, added a touch of high-end atmosphere.

  Liu Ze was very satisfied with his renovation, it's just like a brand specialty store. The only regret is that it lacks some of the dreamy and illusory lighting effects. Many people who buy things are often confused by those dazzling lights, only to find out when they get home in daylight that the brand name isn't all that special after all. But what electricity did the Han Dynasty have? At night, lighting was just dim oil lamps. If you lit a few oil lamps during the day, not only would it have no effect, but people would also suspect that you had gone crazy.

  As for the signboard, Liu Ze replaced it with a gold-plated one, but he didn't change the original name of the store. Firstly, the name "Fuyuan Silk Store" was still quite well-known, and Liu Ze couldn't think of a better name to replace it for the time being. Secondly, the original owner had been operating the silk business here for many years, so there were naturally many old customers, and keeping the old name would allow him to retain these old customers.

  The shop was arranged properly, and Liu Ze sent someone to pull over dozens of Shu brocades. The partners were divided into two groups, one group went to the store, and the other group led by Guan Hai still guarded the warehouse.

  Zhang Fei was confused again. He didn't have the patience of Jian Yong, and whenever he encountered something unclear, he would try every means to figure it out.

  "Big brother, this house is spacious enough, storing a few thousand bolts of satin won't be a problem, why bother dividing and storing them in two places, it's too much trouble."

  Liu Ze smiled and said: "A commoner is innocent, but if he has jade in his bosom, he will be guilty."

  "What crime is he accused of?" Zhang Fei was perplexed.

  Jian Yong smiled and explained to him: "This phrase comes from 'Zuo Zhuan'. Yu Shu had a jade, Yu Gong asked for it, but he didn't offer it. Later, he regretted saying: 'A common man is not guilty, but hiding the jade is a crime. What use do I have for this? It's just to invite trouble.' So he offered it. Brother Liu means that Shu brocade is precious and must be guarded against covetous people."

  Zhang Fei snorted in disbelief: "Under the Emperor's feet, could there still be thieves?"

  "A few thieves, I'm not afraid of them. It's just that in this capital city, there are many high-ranking officials and eunuchs who rely on their power to bully and extort others. If I were to pile up a million bolts of Shu brocade here, it's hard to guarantee that no one would get any ideas. Better to be cautious." Liu Ze was all too familiar with the tactics of those in power.

  Zhang Fei spat out his tongue and said: "Still, big brother thought it through thoroughly, if it were me I wouldn't have thought of that many."

  Shu brocade has been out of stock in Luoyang for a long time, and it's already valuable but hard to find. So when the news that "Fuyuan Silk Store" is selling high-quality Shu brocade spreads, people flock to buy it, even though the price is 10% higher than the market price. Before noon, all fifty pieces of Shu brocade in five different colors prepared by Liu Ze are sold out.

  The next day, Liu Ze only transported fifty horses and raised the price again by half, from seven taels and five maces to seven taels and eleven maces, but sales were still hot and sold out instantly.

  On the third day, Liu Ze still sold 50 pieces of goods at a price of eight taels and one mace.

  Zhang Fei was puzzled and said, "Big brother, I'm even more confused. Obviously we can sell more, so why do we only sell fifty horses every day? If we really sell them like this, when will we be able to finish selling the over ten thousand horses?"

  Liu Ze said with confidence: "Don't worry, within one or two days, everything will be sold out at a high price."

  The next morning, Liu Ze was practicing sword in the backyard. He had never interrupted this habit of practicing martial arts every morning, even on trips, except for special circumstances. At this time, Jian Yun hurried over and said: "Brother Liu, there is a merchant outside the door who wants to see you and buy Shu brocade."

  Liu Ze stopped his sword and said: "The shop will only open for business at dawn, let him come back then."

  "This merchant is a bit strange, and isn't one of our Central Plains people. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and as soon as he opens his mouth, he wants all of our Shu brocade." Obviously a big client, Jian Yun can't make the decision on his own.

  Liu Ze said to Zhang Fei: "The person who should come has arrived, let's go."

  The visitor who came to the door was a merchant from Persia, Lukaz. Merchants from Persia almost monopolized the business on this section of the Silk Road from Luoyang in the east to Rome in the west. There were many Persian merchants in Luoyang who specialized in silk trade, especially high-quality Shu brocade. This year, the road to Shu was blocked and Shu brocade could not be transported over. These Persian merchants were anxious and as soon as they heard that Fuyuan Silk Store had high-quality Shu brocade for sale, Lukaz rushed to Fuyuan Silk Store and immediately asked to buy all of Liu Ze's Shu brocade.

  Liu Zeke smiled and said, "I've long heard that Mr. Lukas is a renowned merchant who has traveled extensively throughout the East and West, and is one of the top wealthy businessmen in Persia. Today, you have graciously visited our humble shop, bringing great honor to us."

  "There, there, just eat your mixed rice." Lukas had been in the Central Plains for a long time, and his Chinese was a bit stiff, but it was still quite standard.

  "What instructions does Mr. Lukas have for our humble shop?"

  "I heard that Mr. Liu has just received a new batch of high-quality Shu brocade, I wonder if it's possible for me to take a look?"

  "Mr. Lukasz, what are you talking about? Our shop is open for business and welcomes customers from all directions. Please come this way."