mesbooks Chapter 55 Shennong City Opens
Chapter 55 Shennong City Opens
The blogger also analyzed the reasons why the Tang Dynasty did this, mainly due to Li Shimin's arrogance. He felt that even if he gave all of these to Tibet, they wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
Moreover, it could also culturally infiltrate Tibet, showcasing the majesty of the Celestial Empire.
However, Li Shimin forgot that these small foreign countries like Tibet were completely ungrateful. Doing so was tantamount to raising a tiger to cause future trouble, which greatly promoted the development of Tibet's society, economy, culture, military and other fields.
After the nation's strength increased, it was naturally unwilling to remain confined to a corner. Li Shimin did not consider that he would die one day, nor did his court officials and generals. Later emperors and ministers could not compare with the founders of their generation.
When Chen Yue first arrived and heard that Princess Wencheng was about to enter Tibet, he had already gone through this question in his mind. At that time, he didn't think much about it, and he didn't have any idea of changing history.
But now, the Tang Dynasty in this world has been completely changed by him, so it seems that it wouldn't hurt to make a big difference if he changed things a bit more in the matter of Princess Wencheng.
The thought had barely formed when a line of small print appeared before Chen Yue's eyes.
The "Tragedy of the Tang Dynasty" quest has been triggered, with a completion rate of 17%.
Chen Yue was greatly surprised.
"Seriously? This counts?"
On second thought, it was precisely because of this marriage alliance that the power of Tibet increased greatly, which led to the devastating consequences for the Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Gaozong thirty years later, with the entire Western Regions falling into Tibetan hands. Wasn't this a tragedy for the Tang Dynasty?
However, Li Chengqian's question came as a surprise, and Chen Yue was not prepared at all. Therefore, he could not answer him now and used the same excuse as before.
"Your Highness, I'll tell you about Princess Wencheng's dowry next time I come."
Li Chengqian didn't think anything of it and nodded slightly.
Chen Yue will be coming again in about twenty days, which is more than enough time.
Li Chengqian then mentioned a few more things, and Chen Yue answered those he could based on the information he had found, and evaded the questions he couldn't answer.
Before we knew it, it was already the hour of You (5-7 PM).
"Alright, that concludes our conversation for today, Your Highness. I must return to the Shennong Temple to prepare for tomorrow's Shennong Assembly. I'll take my leave now."
"I'll see you off, sir."
Standing beneath the Yipin Tower, Li Chengqian and Du He watched Chen Yue and Zhao Qimei disappear from sight.
By the time they returned to Shennong Temple, it was completely dark. Halfway there, Chen Yue told Seventh Sister to go home first. He lay on the bed, and everything that had happened since the first day he came to the Tang Dynasty flashed through his mind like a slideshow.
Overall, the gains were still enormous.
As the moon sets and the sun rises, the night passes quietly. The Shennong Festival will be held today, the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Early in the morning, villagers from the nearby mountains flocked to the scene, each carrying what Chen Yue wanted to exchange. Among them were Zhao Qimei's father, Zhao Lin, and people from other villages.
The four items Chen Yue mentioned last time were ginseng, lingzhi, polygonatum, and beeswax. Any villagers who could find them in Zhongnan Mountain during this period could participate in the Shennong Association.
Chen Yue will select the best quality goods from their produce and exchange them for refined salt and other items. Every mountain dweller is eagerly anticipating this and hopes to be selected.
There are still many merchants from Chang'an waiting at the foot of the mountain. As long as they exchange for the divine items of Shennong Envoy, they can sell them for a high price.
For ordinary people, reselling smuggled salt is a crime, but since the goods belong to Shennong, there is no need to worry about this issue. Many people in these villages have made a fortune and completely changed their fate by trading with Shennong.
Zhao Qimei arrived before dawn, having just finished serving Chen Yue breakfast.
"Young master, everyone has arrived and is waiting outside the temple. There are 76 people in total."
They were all mountain dwellers from Zhongnan Mountain, and they all brought things that Chen Yue needed.
"Let them in."
Chen Yue sat in the courtyard, recalling the details of these mountain products in his mind.
Needless to say, wild ginseng has always been highly valued, both in the Tang Dynasty and in modern times. Wild ginseng, especially the older varieties, is a rare and highly sought-after commodity.
Besides the age, the variety of Ganoderma lucidum is also very important. The rarer it is, the higher its value. For example, wild red Ganoderma lucidum and purple Ganoderma lucidum can not only be used as medicine, but also have high collection value.
As for Polygonatum, it was worthless in the Tang Dynasty, and ordinary Polygonatum has little value in modern times. However, if it is of particularly good quality, then it is worth a lot.
Amber is a highly sought-after commodity in the world of collectibles. The key factors are its size and purity. If it is both large and pure, a single gram can be worth thousands of yuan.
One unique advantage of living in the Tang Dynasty was that you didn't have to worry about anyone cheating in this area, unlike in later modern times where merchants would stop at nothing to make money. They could even fake eggs, let alone these kinds of things.
As Zhao Qimei walked outside the temple and announced the start of Shennong City, all 76 people carrying their belongings entered the courtyard.
Without saying a word, they all knelt down and kowtowed to Chen Yue, only standing up after receiving his permission.
Chen Yue glanced at them and then spoke.
"You are all mountain people from the vicinity of Zhongnan Mountain. Some of you may not know this is your first time participating in Shennong City. I don't need to repeat the rules. Now, divide into three rows and take out your belongings and put them on the ground."
The old man had explained the exchange rules for Shennong City to him very clearly before he came. It wasn't complicated; it was just like a regular shopping trip.
The villagers laid out their belongings, and Chen Yue examined each one, asking questions as he went. Finally, he selected the best quality items and exchanged them for other goods.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately followed Chen Yue's instructions, forming three rows and taking out their belongings, looking at Chen Yue with expectant eyes.
Most of the villagers brought ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms, while only three people brought amber, so Chen Yue looked at those three first.
Amber, also known as beeswax, is a beautiful organic gemstone. Due to its bright and beautiful color, it was quite popular among some high-ranking officials and nobles in Chang'an. However, it was hard to find and depended entirely on luck.
Chen Yue immediately spotted an old man dressed in coarse clothes with a fist-sized, golden amber in front of him.
He quickened his pace, squatted down, and examined the contents closely. Inside were three insects, some of which were even somewhat transparent in the sunlight. They were flawless, shaped like a triangle, and estimated to weigh over 500 grams.
"Top-grade chicken fat yellow sauce! A real gem!"
Chen Yue was overjoyed. This one thing alone would be worth at least hundreds of thousands in the modern market. The old man told him that the exchange of amber was a matter of chance. Although Chen Yue said he could exchange for this item, he did not expect that someone would actually bring such a high-quality item.
"I want this. Name your price."
Chen Yue looked at the old man, whose face was full of surprise, and the people around him cast envious glances.
"Your Excellency Shennong, whatever you say is fine."
"Where did you find this?"
Chen Yue was also pondering what to use in exchange, so he casually asked a question.
The old man dared not hide the truth and quickly said, "My grandson found it a few days ago while playing by the river."
"I'm so lucky."
These words were spoken to the old man, and also to himself. Chen Yue stopped talking nonsense and directly took out a bag of salt and a bag of sugar, handing them to the other man.