inspire-indiana Chapter 960 The Jurchens Want to Submit to the Great Wu and Become a Subordinate State
Chapter 960 The Jurchens Want to Submit to the Great Wu and Become a Subordinate State
They have the cheapest and sturdiest coarse cotton cloth, in simple colors, but thick enough to provide warm clothing for every member of the tribe.
There are also dyed cotton and linen fabrics that are priced slightly higher, available in all colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.
The clothing of the Jurchen people has always been mainly gray, black, and brown; I've never seen such a vibrant array of colors before!
Bai Lu explained, "These fabrics are all produced in the Bai family's own weaving workshop. The output is huge, so the price is very cheap. It's enough for every member of your clan to have new clothes."
It's actually the cheapest fabric in the system's store.
But even this cheapest fabric was enough for the Jurchen tribes.
At the very back of this area were cotton quilts and cotton-padded clothes piled up like clouds.
Wanyan Zonghan stepped forward and reached out to grab a cotton quilt.
The soft, fluffy texture made his rough hands handle it with care.
Winters outside the Great Wall are bitterly cold, and they can only rely on animal hides for warmth, which are thick, heavy, and not very effective.
Not every household has a lot of animal hides.
Every winter, elderly people and children die from the severe cold...
He couldn't imagine how warm it would be to fall asleep under such a soft blanket.
“We want all of these…” Wanyan Zonghan’s voice trembled slightly.
These seemingly ordinary daily necessities represented longer lifespans, healthier bodies, and more dignified lives for the Jurchen people who struggled to survive.
Bai Lu's gaze was as calm as still water.
Conquest begins when one civilization can export goods to another civilization at extremely low cost, goods that are enough to completely transform their way of life...
If the Jurchen tribes want to go to war with the Great Wu in the future, they should think carefully about how much their tribe will lose.
Can they adapt to their own tribe?
Wanyan Xiyin remained silent throughout.
He thought more deeply than Wanyan Zonghan.
Everything that Bailu provides has been carefully selected.
Food and salt solved the fundamental problem of survival.
Fabrics and quilts improved the quality of life.
Those specially made farm tools gave them greater capabilities in production and self-defense.
It's like a net, firmly trapping the Wanyan clan within it.
They enjoyed it all, and now they can never go back.
They will become dependent on the Shang Anguo Marquis's Trading Company and on the Great Wu.
After a full day of inventory and handover, the Wanyan tribe's massive caravan and chariots, laden with supplies they had never seen before, set off on their journey home, completely satisfied.
Meanwhile, the warehouses of the Marquis of Anguo Trading Company were filled with thousands of fine horses and mountains of precious medicinal herbs and furs.
Shangguan Fusheng looked at the astonishing profits in the ledger, but his face remained expressionless.
“You win,” he said simply, looking at Bai Lu.
“It wasn’t me who won,” Bai Lu said softly, watching the Jurchen figures disappear into the distance. “It was the Great Wu that won.”
She knew that when these goods appeared in the tents of the Jurchen tribes, when people from other tribes saw the Wanyan tribesmen wearing brand-new cotton clothes, using snow-white salt, and even brushing their teeth with small brushes... many things would change.
The ancient policy of prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce had its merits. When merchants wielded sufficient power, they could even influence the interests and diplomatic relations between two countries.
The massive caravan of the Wanyan tribe, laden with goods from the Great Wu, slowly made its way back into the tribal settlements deep in the grasslands.
When the sacks and wooden boxes bearing the ancient characters "Marquis of Anguo" were opened one by one, the entire Wanyan tribe was plunged into a near-frenzied joy!
"Oh my god, what is this?!"
"..."
Aguda was an ordinary herdsman of the Wanyan tribe, so ordinary that his name was inconspicuous among his thousands of tribesmen.
He, his wife Naren, and their two children—eight-year-old son Hadan and six-year-old daughter Saren—live in a dilapidated yurt with several patches on it.
For him, life consisted of the daily routine of herding and hunting, and the endless fear of winter.
The cold is a more terrifying enemy than the fiercest wolf on the grassland; it is silent yet can easily take away the most vulnerable lives.
Last winter, a cold that caught by their daughter, Saren, nearly depleted the family's savings and brought Naren all her tears.
But this year, everything will be completely different.
Following Wanyan Xiyin's instructions, the tribe distributed the supplies obtained from the south fairly according to the population and contributions of each household.
Aguda received a large bag of snow-white, crystalline salt, a small bag of sweet-smelling brown sugar, two cotton quilts he had never seen before, as soft as clouds in the sky, and enough dark blue coarse cotton cloth to make a new set of clothes for the whole family...
When Naren took the quilt from the steward, her body trembled slightly.
Pressing her cheek against the fluffy, soft blanket, the warm, dry touch... brought tears to her eyes instantly.
She repeatedly stroked the quilt with her rough, cracked fingers. The delicate texture and soft touch made her unable to believe that this was something from the mortal world!
In previous years, the family of four could only squeeze together, using several thick, stiff animal hides that smelled of fish and mutton for warmth.
The animal hides were cold and hard; even turning over in bed at night would produce a rustling sound, and the cold wind would seep in through the ubiquitous cracks of the yurt.
The children often shivered in their sleep from the cold.
"Is this... a gift from the Eternal Heaven?" Naren asked her husband, her voice trembling as she held the quilt.
Aguda's eyes also reddened.
He nodded vigorously and hugged the other blanket tightly to his chest.
That night, Aguda's yurt was warm and cozy.
Daughter Sarin and son Hadan were wrapped in brand-new cotton quilts, which protected them from the biting cold wind outside.
The two children's faces were rosy from sleeping, their breathing was even and peaceful, and there was even a sweet smile on their lips.
Naren sat under the lamplight, watching her sleeping children, a long-lost, heartfelt smile appearing on her face.
She and Aguda shared another blanket, feeling an unprecedented lightness and warmth. They slept soundly through the night, the most peaceful night they had ever slept in their memory.
Change begins with the most basic things: food and clothing.
The next morning, Naren used the newly received thick-bottomed iron pot to cook a pot of mutton soup.
This iron pot is hundreds or thousands of times better than the earthenware pots they used to use. It heats evenly and is not easy to crack.
Following the instructions of the Han Chinese caravan manager, she first stir-fried the mutton in hot oil, then added hot water.
As the aroma of the broth filled the air, she carefully pinched a small pinch of salt and sprinkled it into the pot.
As Naren poured the broth into the wooden bowl, an unprecedented, pure and delicious aroma filled the entire yurt.
Hadan and Saren stood around the pot, sniffing hard, their mouths practically watering.
"Mom, the meat soup smells so good today! It's not bitter at all!" Hadan exclaimed in delight after taking a big gulp.
Aguda also took a bite, and the rich, salty and savory flavor exploded on her tongue, instantly awakening all her taste buds.
He almost burst into tears.
As the head of the family, he had never been able to provide his family with such delicious food before...
They no longer had to endure the salt and saline soil, which came at high prices from small-time traders and had a strong, bitter taste.
Naren even went so far as to dip her finger in a little bit of brown sugar and dab it on the tip of each child's tongue.
After eating and drinking her fill, Naren took out the dark blue cotton cloth.
Using her newly acquired sharp iron scissors, she clumsily but earnestly tailored new clothes for her family, following the style of Han Chinese women's clothing she remembered.
The men changed into sturdy and durable cotton clothes. Although the style was simple, they were not only more comfortable and breathable than the clothes they had previously made of animal hides and coarse hemp, but also more convenient for horseback riding and working.
The women, on the other hand, completely unleashed their nature, which had been suppressed for so long by their impoverished lives.
They were overjoyed as they selected the colorful fabrics.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple... these vibrant colors, which had never appeared in their lives before, are now right before their eyes, within reach.
Soon, the once drab and monotonous village was transformed into a vibrant and dynamic landscape.
Young girls, dressed in bright new clothes, chased and frolicked on the lush green grass, their silvery laughter carrying far and wide.
They even imitated the Han people, tying their long hair with leftover colorful strips of cloth, which fluttered like butterfly wings as they ran in the sunlight...
Upon seeing this, Wanyan Xiyin's expression remained complicated for a long time.
He eventually decided to order all his people to learn to use a peculiar little tool called a "toothbrush".
Initially, this order caused considerable discussion and resistance within the tribe.
Many rugged men scoffed at this.
A skilled wrestler named Batu even held up a lamb leg bone in front of everyone and loudly mocked, "The teeth of us Jurchen men are for gnawing on bones, not for those weak scholars of Dawu to play with using a small brush!"
His words caused a burst of laughter.
Wanyan Xiyin was neither angry nor did he force him.
He simply had the young people who had started using toothbrushes stand on high places during tribal gatherings, grinning in the sunlight to show off their increasingly white teeth.
Then he pointed to several elderly people in the tribe whose cheeks were swollen and in great pain due to dental problems.
"The Eternal Heaven gave us healthy teeth, not so that we would suffer from them." Wanyan Xiyin's voice was calm. "The Great Wu people told us that the grime in our teeth would gnaw at our roots like worms."
"Do you want to spend some time now to refresh your mouth, or do you want to end up like them, unable to even chew meat when you're old?"
These words are more effective than any command.
Not long after, when Batu was tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep due to toothache, he finally put aside his so-called warrior's dignity... found the tribe's doctor, and traded a fine fox pelt for a set of toothbrush and toothpaste.
From then on, a peculiar scene appeared every morning along the riverbank next to the tribe.
Rows of Jurchen people, regardless of age or gender, stood there, imitating the Han people, bowing their heads and brushing their teeth diligently.
This hygiene habit, which seemed so ordinary to the people of the Central Plains, was becoming a new trend among the Jurchen tribes at an incredible speed.
Also.
The specially made farm tools provided by Bailu—thickened and heavier iron plows and picks—were several times stronger and sharper than their original crudely made tools.
The men used them to cultivate new land and store more fodder for the winter, greatly improving efficiency.
Women now have access to sharper iron shears and sturdier iron pots, making it easier to handle hunting and household chores.
At night, the yurt is no longer pitch black.
Wealthier families, such as centurions and skilled hunters in the tribe, used their surplus furs to trade for candles and lamp oil from the traveling stalls of the "Anguohou Trading Company".
Under the soft light, children could play in the yurts, women could mend clothes, and wise men like Wanyan Xiyin finally had the opportunity to pick up the precious books that had come with them in the trade at night.
Wanyan Xiyin's tent became the brightest place in the tribe at night.
He lit a candle that emitted a faint fragrance, and by the steady, bright light, he greedily read books about the history, geography, agriculture, and institutions of Dawu.
The prosperous, wealthy world depicted in the book, with its well-organized social system and brilliant civilization, filled him with both immense longing and profound awe.
He watched as his people, dressed in warm cotton clothes, eating pure white salt, and using magical toothbrushes, witnessed a dramatic change in the tribe's standard of living in just over a month.
He was overwhelmed with mixed feelings...
Bai Lu's move was really ruthless.
Once you've experienced this convenience and speed, you can never go back.
Just like once you've tasted sweet honey, you can no longer tolerate bitter fruit.
I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light...
No one wanted to wear those cold, rough animal hides anymore, no one wanted to endure the bitter, blackened salt soil, and no one wanted to watch their child freeze to death in the cold winter night.
It tightly bound the entire Wanyan tribe together with the place to the south called Anguohou Trading Company.
In order to maintain and obtain a better life, they had to exchange the best horses and furs in the tribe, and they had to abide by all the agreements with that Marquis Anguo—to restrain the tribesmen and guard the border!
No one can violate the Great Wu.
Pingzhou was once massacred by the Turks, and this time... Pingzhou's borders must not be violated again.
With the White Dew season approaching, the Jurchen tribes dared not act rashly.
Wanyan Xiyin thought, "Actually, this is fine too."
They don't want to start a war either.
If the land weren't so barren that people couldn't survive, there wouldn't be any friction on the border.
Now they can get so many good things without much effort, making life so convenient and fast.
Why must we go to war?
Rather than that, becoming a vassal state of Da Wu is not bad either.
At this moment, Wanyan Zonghan arrived.
He then asked, "I want the Jurchen tribes to become a vassal state of the Great Wu. What are your thoughts?"
"???"
I was just thinking, are you really going to let the Jurchens become a vassal state of the Great Wu?