Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 516 Bargaining
"This is too old. If we report it, we'll definitely get a call back." Tong Deng nodded, then, like picking a watermelon, he found an old head with a wrinkled face and white hair and beard. "It's pure waste. Brother Ding, you should find a place to throw it away."

"Yeah." Ding Xiu nodded calmly. "Anything else?"

"This one, this one, and this one. These three look too small, like children." Tong Deng pointed at three heads in succession. "Maybe they can't be reported."

Before Ding Xiu could say anything, Cui Laoliu was already anxious. Every time Tong Deng pointed at a head, Cui Laoliu felt like there was a hole in his purse, and silver would leak out of those holes. This was even more painful than being stabbed. "Brother Tong, this can't be right! These heads were cut from the heads of soldiers. They died with knives in their hands. How can there be no revenge?"

"When they examine a person's virility, they only look at their appearance, head shape, and sun spots. They don't care where your head was cut from," Tong Deng said, holding up a head and pointing at the lips. "Look, there's not even a single hair around your mouth, like an old man. To the examiner, you look like a child."

"What if you shave your head? You'll still be considered a child!" Cui Laoliu asked anxiously.

"My dear civil servant, we're not afraid of your seriousness!" Tong Deng put down the head he was holding and picked up a new one, still pointing to the lips. "This is how you shave. Look, the pores are there, and it feels rough to the touch. The head just now had no hair. If it weren't for that pig's tail hanging out the back, you could say it was a woman's head."

"Fuck!" Cui Laoliu couldn't help but curse.

"That's the rule from above. Complaining is pointless." Tong Deng chuckled and put the head back in its place. "Although I won't accept it, you can still report it and try. Who knows, the court might even recognize it. Just don't get your hopes up. Reporting it up through every level will have to go through at least three civil officials. Sometimes it might even have to go through five different government offices: the Military and Public Security Bureau, the Provincial Inspector, the Provincial Governor, the Military and Strategic Planning Commission, and the Ministry of Examination. If someone reports that you're taking credit for murdering innocent people, the Emperor might even send commissioners from the Military and Public Security Bureau to investigate. If even one of them disagrees, you'll be punished."

"Alas!" Cui Laoliu sighed, feeling extremely depressed. He had originally expected nine heads to be shared among the six of them, with Ding Baiying's "decapitation" counted separately. But who knew that four of the ten heads would be missing, so each person would only get one. Cui Laoliu suddenly wanted to kick Li Xian out. After all, this guy hadn't killed anyone from beginning to end, so he was practically accompanying everyone on a walk.

But Cui Laoliu couldn't do that, nor did he dare to mention it. Ding Xiu, the man in charge, was Li Xian's savior, and Li Xian considered him his elder brother. Though Cui Laoliu was a savage, he still respected and even feared Captain Ding, the man who had brought them prosperity.

The only thing that comforted Cui Laoliu was that the head of the "enemy general" that was destined for Ding Baiying was also among those that were "difficult to report." Not reporting this head was not a loss for Cui Laoliu.

Cui Laoliu secretly glanced at Ding Baiying and found that this scary woman who knew martial arts did have a bad expression, but she didn't seem to want to speak.

Finally, Ding Xiu pointed at Sengge's head and spoke. "This head belongs to the bandit chief of the tribe. You can't even report it?"

"Thief chief?" Tong Deng understood immediately. "The stove guard!"

"Yes. It should be the young boy who guards the stove." Ding Xiu nodded.

"Do you have a name?" Tong Deng asked again.

"Yes, this man is called Sengge, from the Lejia clan of the Hada tribe." Ding Xiu pointed back at Li Xian. "We also brought back his sword, armor, and the tribe's flag as proof." Along the way, Li Xian had been responsible for carrying the valuable spoils.

"Hmm," Tong Deng nodded slightly, a fleeting glint of something strange in his eyes. But Tong Deng didn't immediately express his thoughts. Instead, he offered a suggestion: "This naive brat is very likely to be reprimanded by the higher-ups as a 'young child.' By then, your sword, armor, and banners will be useless. If Brother Ding truly wants to keep this head for his merits and upgrades, it'd be best to transplant it."

"What is grafting and transfer?" Ding Xiu asked.

"It's just a matter of replacing the head with an adult's, like this one," Tong Deng casually picked out a typical adult Jurchen head. It was one of the two innocent Yehe tribe members who died. "As long as the name of 'Hadabu Lejia clan Sengge' and the story of how he was killed are transferred to this head, we can report the destruction of the nest and the slaying of the general. Of course, Brother Ding can also sell me these armor and the story. I'll pay you this price," Tong Deng held up two fingers.

"Two hundred taels?" Ding Xiu paused. Li Xian and Yan Nian were stunned, while Cui Laoliu's face was filled with undisguised greed.

"Yes, two hundred taels. This isn't just any ordinary tribesman, after all. He's the youngest son of the stove guardian, the tribe's next chieftain. He's also a rare commodity for promotion and meritorious service, so many people want him. Someone else might offer a low price of sixty or a hundred taels, but I've always been a steady, honest business, striving for a well-received reputation. Just give me a nod, Brother Ding, and I'll send someone to get the cash." Tong Deng, pleased with the crowd's response, quietly added another bargaining chip. "And I only want the armor, flag, and the story. You don't have to pay for the grafted head, Brother Ding; I'll find it myself." With that, Tong Deng replaced the Yehe tribesman's head he had just picked up.

Tong Deng's words were mostly truthful, and his initial bid was indeed higher than that of other head dealers. But Tong Deng didn't finish his story about the head. He wouldn't tell them that even the commander-in-chief, Hou Shilu, could use the head of a bandit chieftain, complete with tokens of honor. While it wasn't certain that a single head like this would secure a promotion, if handled correctly, perhaps the phrase "destroy the nest and slay the general" could earn him a reputation with the emperor. If the emperor took a serious look at it and remembered it, the benefits he would reap would be far more valuable than mere money.

Tong Deng waited quietly. He was sure that Ding Xiu and his men were almost all moved. Only the young man without a beard didn't react at all. He still had that frown on his face, looking disgusted. But that didn't matter. If Ding Xiu cared about this young man's opinion, he wouldn't be sitting here now.
But to Tong Deng's surprise, Ding Xiu did not nod or shake his head directly, but actually turned around and looked at Ding Baiying.

"Master Ding, this set of armor is worth four heads. Will you sell it?" Ding Xiu forced a smile that hinted at goodwill. But his warm welcome was destined to be met with Ding Baiying's cold shoulder.

"I didn't come to Liaodong for money. Not to mention two hundred taels of silver, I wouldn't sell it even for two hundred taels of gold!" Ding Baiying's tone was as hard as a rock.

Tong Deng's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Ding Baiying doubtfully. "Did you kill this bandit chief?"

"Yes." Ding Baiying gave Tong Deng a cold look, her face full of contempt.

Tong Deng didn't care; disdain wouldn't cost him anything. He blinked, then looked back at Ding Xiu. "Killing a man and beheading a general is always the work of the entire team. How the heads are divided, who gets the credit, and how the money is collected are always decided by the person in charge. Brother Ding, why don't you ask these three brothers for their opinions?"

"The division of the credits was decided on the way." Ding Xiu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the greed that was rising in his heart. "Since Master Ding killed the bandit chieftain, it's only right that he gets it. If she doesn't want to sell it, then forget it."

"Brother Ding, you're so righteous!" Tong Deng was anxious, but he remained calm and composed. "But I just said that if we report this head, it will probably be taken back by the civil officials. Master Ding, what head are you going to sacrifice for this military achievement?"

Ding Baiying's stubbornness surprised Tong Deng: "Sengge is Sengge, and others are others. I will never do such a dirty thing as misidentifying someone else! I don't need other people's heads. I will report this one to the court. If the court doesn't recognize it, then forget it!"

"That's two hundred taels!" Cui Laoliu exclaimed. "If it's really beaten back, it will sink to the bottom! Why is Master Ding so stingy with the money?" Even though he couldn't get a share of the money, Cui Laoliu still felt distressed.

"Hmph!" Ding Baiying snorted, saying, "There's no greater disaster than being unsatisfied, and no greater fault than wanting more. Being content is always enough." "What a noble character!" Tong Deng rolled his eyes inwardly, but still expressed admiration. "But this kind of character is neither suitable for Liaodong nor resonate with the barbarians."

"A gentleman should reflect on himself and not concern himself with others!" Ding Baiying's disgust for Tong Deng had reached its peak.

"Well said," Tong Deng waved his hand towards the door and ordered Ding Baiying to leave: "So please ask Master Ding to leave here. Otherwise, you will use words like 'contentment is enough' to restrict others. If you do that, won't you be guilty of the saying 'introspection has nothing to do with it'?" Tong Deng felt that if this person stayed here any longer, he might ruin other businesses.

"Just go!" Ding Baiying turned around angrily.

"Wait!" Ding Xiu shouted.

"What are you doing?" Ding Baiying stopped.

"Take your things away." Ding Xiu lifted Sengge's head and threw it to Ding Baiying. Then he looked at Li Xian and said, "Give her the suit of armor and the flag of the Lejia clan."

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Ding Baiying left, and only nine heads were left on the table.

Tong Deng was, after all, a seasoned businessman. While he felt a pity for the loss of a high-value target, he quickly shook it off and returned to business as usual. "Except for this old man and two young men, there are three heads that are hard to come by. I can buy the remaining six for fifty-five taels. I wonder how many you're willing to part with, Mr. Ding?"

"I'd like to ask a question first," Ding Xiu handed the three "useless" heads to Cui Liu. "Why is Brother Tong willing to pay a premium above the reward for these heads?"

"Haha, of course it's because someone bought it." Tong Deng laughed, "That's how the court system works. If you're not a military candidate and don't have military merit, you can't pass the military and political examinations. If you can't pass the military and political examinations, even if you're a hereditary garrison commander, you can only hold an empty title and receive an increasingly dwindling salary. If two or three generations of people are mediocre and don't get the real job of leading troops and managing affairs, then you can only live off your wealth. These people are all wealthy people. For them, merit is more important than money. They buy merit, and we get money. This is killing two birds with one stone."

In Liaodong, the trade in human heads had developed into a credit business. If one really needed military merit but did not come from a particularly wealthy family, one could even borrow money to purchase a head.

"So," Ding Xiu nodded and smiled, his eyes constantly darting between the heads. "Are these things still in high demand?"

"Brother Ding, do you think it's too little?" Tong Deng smiled slightly.

"The purpose of life is to enjoy life while it lasts. I'm not like that woman who's afraid of misfortune." Ding Xiu changed Ding Baiying's words.

"Is Master Xiao Ding really a woman?" Tong Deng raised his eyebrows.

"The female escort from the south happened to be assigned to me. Don't worry about her." Ding Xiu waved his hand.

"No wonder." Tong Deng nodded. He didn't have much contact with escorts, but he knew that those who could make it in the underworld were all capable people, regardless of gender. "Brother Ding, don't blame me for being nosy. A woman like this who's all about morality will eventually cause trouble. If possible, it's best to get rid of her as soon as possible."

"He's just an escort, how big of a disaster can he cause?" Ding Xiu shrugged. "Let's get down to business."

"How much do you want, Brother Ding? Just tell me the number." Tong Deng asked directly.

"Eighty taels." Ding Xiushi opened his mouth.

"Haha!" Tong Deng laughed, "I can't even get this much if I resell it."

"So, Brother Tong, what do you think is a reasonable price?" Ding Xiu asked. "Since it's in short supply, a 10% premium is definitely too little. Brother Tong, I've already thrown away three heads."

"How about this," Tong Deng suggested: "Sell them all to me, I can get 60 taels each."

"If I sell everything, will I go to see Marshal Hou empty-handed?" Ding Xiu shook his head.

"Don't worry, even if I buy your first merit, I will still report it to the Weining Camp. As long as I don't take it to someone else, the head will still be recorded on Marshal Hou's account. Brother Ding just needs to tell Marshal Hou and pay the share of the profits to the General's Mansion." Tong Deng said.

"Can it be done this way?" Ding Xiu was also enlightened.

"That's how it works." Tong Deng shrugged. "Otherwise, how could I dare to stop you on the street?"

Ding Xiu thought for a moment and suggested, "How about this? I'll sell you four heads for sixty taels each. I'll take the remaining two to the general's mansion for a promotion."

"Sure," Tong Deng agreed without hesitation. "Two hundred and forty taels, four heads. I'll have someone pick up the money later. Before that, I'd like to discuss one more business deal." As he spoke, Tong Deng turned his gaze to the three captives behind Ding Xiu.

(End of this chapter)