Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 170, Page 169: Cinnabar Vein
When Wang Xueyuan stepped into the tavern, she saw three people at a table standing respectfully to one side, bowing deeply.

He was sweltering, but he never lost his composure.

Moreover, since the distinction between superior and inferior status is now clear, he waved his hand unhurriedly, and then his servants quickly drew well water for him to wash.

After tidying up as if no one else was around, he leisurely sat down. He then smiled and said, "Why don't you all sit down comfortably?"

He then extended his hand: "Sit down."

"My lord is joking."

The middle-aged man with slightly dark skin carefully lifted the lower part of his hempen robe and knelt respectfully below.

Wang Xueyuan carefully examined the three people:
The other person was dressed in a black linen robe, with no jade pendant or gold or silver ornaments at his waist, and his head was simply covered with a coarse linen headscarf...

Then I knew that this must be the merchant surnamed Wu.

The middle-aged man standing to the side, though thin, wore a silver hairpin and must be the head of the Nanle Pavilion.

As for that beautiful woman...

The other person was wearing a fine gray-brown linen garment, with a well-tailored cut.

She wore two simple wooden hairpins and one copper hairpin in her hair.

Now, after giving a slight bow, she also sat quietly to the side. Although her expression was neither humble nor arrogant, Wang Xueyuan knew—

This person is also a businessman.

This is because the current Qin law stipulates:
Merchants are not allowed to wear silk.

Wearing gold or silver hairpins is not allowed.

Bright colors are not allowed; black, gray, and brown are the main colors.

Those who are truly impoverished cannot bear to wear fine linen garments that are comparable in price to silk.

The pavilion chief hurriedly poured him some wine and forced a smile, saying:
"It is my fault. I heard that you inquired about me several times, but unfortunately I was always at home working in the fields at the time, and I missed the opportunity to come again. I was just thinking of making time to ask you to come tomorrow, but I never expected..."

Unexpectedly, the supervising censor came directly to us.

Thinking of this, the pavilion chief became somewhat uneasy.

However, the Qin law still stipulates that farming is the primary task.

As the head of the village, he should set an example.

However, aside from ancient legal principles, human likes and dislikes do not conform to these rules. And the other party has such a background…

At this moment, he could only proceed with extreme caution.

Wang Xueyuan didn't mean to get angry.

Along the way, everywhere you looked, there were farmers working in the fields, and even when they were scorched by the sun, they refused to let go of the stone sickle in their hands.

With such a busy schedule, it's no wonder that the three village chiefs couldn't be seen several times; they must be too busy with their fields at home.

He waved his hand: "It's alright, I saw it when I came. Winter wheat can be planted in late August. Is that right?"

The pavilion chief quickly replied:

"Exactly! We're busy turning the soil now, and we can sow the seeds in another half month."

Wang Xueyuan nodded: "The amount of wheat flour used in Xianyang City will increase significantly next year. You can discuss with the local elders about planting less millet and more wheat."

He was fortunate enough to taste all sorts of delicacies from the Qin ruler, including wheat cakes, steamed buns, dumplings, and egg pancakes, at Zhangtai Palace.

Although wheat flour is slightly coarse, it is more filling and tastier than millet.

Just by looking at the daily dietary preferences of the King at Zhangtai Palace, one can tell that next year, he will definitely eat even less millet.

The village head was surprised to receive such news and quickly wrote it down.

After all, if the noble lady of Xianyang Palace likes it, then the taxes for the following year can be used for it, and the price will be slightly higher.

In this way, they would have one or two coins' worth of grain left. The black-haired merchant and the beautiful woman exchanged a glance.

The next moment, the beautiful woman poured another cup of rice wine for Wang Xueyuan.

"My lord, I am from Ba County. I am here to negotiate a few business deals on behalf of my husband."

"There is one thing I don't understand: our clan's cinnabar mines have become increasingly stable and never break their promises, so why has there been no purchase in Xianyang City for the past half month?"

Wang Xueyuan paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass.

He looked at the beautiful woman again—

No wonder the Ba family was willing to let her travel around and negotiate business deals for the clan; their astuteness was particularly remarkable.

Cinnabar, also known as vermilion.

Nowadays, it can be used not only as a material for alchemy and medicine, but also as a pigment, and most importantly, it can be used to refine mercury.

In addition to the large-scale purchases made for the Lishan Underground Palace, the Xianyang Palace has also seen a steady stream of purchases.

But all of this changed after the King returned from his westward journey.

Not only have we not heard any news of seeking out alchemists again, but even the cinnabar seems to be no longer needed.

Although it had only been half a month, the merchant family's sensitivity allowed them to detect that something had changed.

At this moment, Mrs. Ba was filled with confusion.

If there was any major change in Xianyang, it was nothing more than the fact that the King brought back a noblewoman of unknown origin during his western tour, and he trusted her very much.

Take another look at Wang Xueyuan—it is said that the censor's demotion was also related to that nobleman.

Their cinnabar business was hampered, perhaps because this important person didn't favor them.

But why wouldn't I love you?
Nowadays, businessmen face numerous constraints when traveling, so she is extremely cautious in her daily life and doesn't even dare to wear silk.

Beneath this hempen robe, she still wore red, pink, white, and green silk garments, alternating between them. Today, she wore one dyed vermilion, its crimson color as vibrant as the evening glow.

Such a vibrant and enduring color could only be achieved with cinnabar. How could anyone resist such beauty?
She couldn't help but worry.

After all, all the changes in the merchant family nowadays stem from the slightest movement at the top.

Wang Xueyuan was taken aback when she heard this.

Then he looked at the light blue silk robe he was wearing and smiled strangely:

"It's not that the Ba clan did anything wrong. It's just that the king learned from a wise man that mercury refined from cinnabar not only cannot form a golden elixir, but is also highly poisonous. Even clothes stained with it will be quite harmful if worn over time..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Ba's face instantly turned pale.

The Ba clan was able to rise up entirely thanks to the cinnabar mines they operated.

If these harmful rumors were to spread, the family business would surely plummet.

But if you want to keep it a secret, how can you do so?
Ordinary people can't afford such things; they only use them occasionally in medicine.

They had no right to interfere with news from the nobility, and the nobility were the professional buyers.

After all, colors that can be dyed permanently are very rare nowadays, and the Qin state revered the virtue of water and loved black.

It is said that the king also had a particular fondness for black and red, and his influence extended to his subordinates, which is why their business remained stable.

And this kind of business behavior that relies heavily on the favor of the wealthy and powerful will naturally be affected at this time.

However, Wang Xueyuan still needed to use their services, so she quickly reassured him:
"You don't need to worry about the cinnabar. The Lishan underground palace needs to prepare a large amount of cinnabar every year and every month, and it's not that the palace is completely free of cinnabar for dyeing clothes."

"It's just that people don't like to use this red color in the summer because it's so close to the skin. When autumn and winter come and clothes are layered, the influence will naturally subside."

Mrs. Ba took a deep breath and bowed to express her gratitude.

　Here I am! Still asking for monthly votes!

　　I'm so sleepy after taking loratadine, I can barely keep my eyes open. I'll correct any typos tomorrow.
　　(End of this chapter)