novelAbuy Chapter 234 Slave Auction
Chapter 234 Slave Auction
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Before the sound of the gong had even faded, the crowd outside the south gate surged toward both sides of the high platform like a tide. Some people lost their footing and fell into the moat.
"Fellow villagers, don't worry!"
"There are plenty of slaves available; we're sure we can buy them all!"
Upon seeing this, Tang Sanchui, who was standing on the high platform, immediately shouted, but the situation remained chaotic. His face darkened, and he ordered the security guards to drive them away with their muskets.
"If you keep pushing, you'll be disqualified!"
At the same time, it was only through the repeated shouts of those loudspeakers that he managed to barely create a three-foot-wide passage.
After a full quarter of an hour of driving them away and threats, the situation finally stabilized. Tang Sanchui, seeing this, shouted in a strong voice: "Fellow villagers, it's the same old rule—if you don't have enough money, go to the yamen in advance to get a note. But once you've inspected the goods and left, there are no returns or exchanges. Once you buy it, it's yours. Whether you fight to the death or not is your own business, and the government won't interfere."
The audience erupted in laughter, and someone shouted, "Third Master, hurry up and arrange the auction! The fields are waiting for people to weed, and the cattle and sheep are waiting for people to graze them!"
Tang Sanchui is usually quite high-profile, and the people jokingly call him Third Master, but he can't admit it himself, because if someone reports him to the Ministry of War, it will affect his future.
So when Tang Sanchui heard this, he just chuckled, waved to the soldiers below the stage, and then said:
"There are too many prisoners this time. If you want to choose those for farming or grazing, go to the military camp and choose them yourself. The price is still the same as before, twenty taels each."
"Westerners sell black slaves for one hundred taels of silver, but our Emperor is of unparalleled benevolence and is willing to lose money himself to benefit the people."
Although Tang Sanchui wasn't as good at fighting as his brother, he was very adept at navigating social situations and often publicly promoted Liu Mu's various good policies.
Before long, several puppet army soldiers escorted the first group of native women onto the high platform. There were about thirty of them, ranging in age from eighteen or nineteen to their early thirties.
Their coarse linen clothes had long been burned to tatters by the wildfire, revealing large patches of honey-brown skin. Their hair was scorched and messy, and they all hung their heads with empty eyes and a hint of panic.
As soon as these women stepped onto the stage, the crowd below fell silent for a moment, followed by a buzz of discussion.
One of them, a 23-year-old man with a right-hand amputation, presumably discharged from the army due to injury, immediately showed a hint of disgust when asked about getting married.
"This skin tone is way too dark."
As soon as the man finished speaking, an older man next to him slapped him on the back of the head.
"Daqiang, you don't understand since you haven't gotten married yet. These women are all pretty, and once they're cleaned up, they all look the same."
"Listen to your uncle later, choose two stronger ones. Not only will they help your Dou family continue its lineage, but they can also take care of the hundred acres of land the government gave you!"
Seeing the lively discussion below the stage, Tang Sanchui cleared his throat, grabbed the youngest native girl, pinched her chin, and turned her face towards the audience.
The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old. Although her face was dirty, her features were regular. Her dark brown eyes were wide open, and her whole body was trembling like a leaf.
"Gentlemen, take a good look. This batch consists of the wives of tribal chiefs. They are pampered and have delicate hands and feet, unlike the roughnecks who toil in the mountains. After a little training, they will be able to serve tea and water, sew and wash clothes, and do everything else. The starting price is thirty-eight taels of silver. Which gentleman would like to make a purchase?"
"Ten taels and five mace!"
Upon hearing that they were all young ladies from wealthy families, someone in the back row of the crowd raised their hand. It was a middle-aged man dressed in a short blue cloth robe, clearly from Fujian, and a businessman from a relatively well-off family. Since the Han Dynasty forbids keeping servants and maids, they naturally come to the border to buy them.
It is precisely these families, whose wealth is one or two thousand taels, that are not targeted by the imperial court and live the most comfortable lives.
"I'll pay twelve taels!"
"Thirteen taels of silver!"
Bidding cries rose and fell, and soon the price reached fifty taels. Just as Tang San was about to bring down the hammer, more than twenty young men dressed in silk and satin suddenly squeezed in from the crowd. They were the Korean noblemen who had followed him all the way from the Tang residence.
The leader was named Li Zaixi, with a fair complexion and narrow eyes. He held a folding fan in his hand and raised his hand slowly.
"Fifty-one taels."
The crowd erupted in uproar. Fifteen taels of silver could buy two oxen in Luzon, so spending fifty taels on a thin, dark-skinned native girl was far too extravagant.
Tang Sanchui's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Li Zaixi: "Young Master Li has a good eye."
Li Zaixi closed the folding fan and said with a smile, "Third Master, you're too kind. I'm not buying it for myself, but to pick out a maid for Young Master Jin. Young Master Jin didn't bring a maid this time, and he's short of someone to serve tea."
Upon hearing this, several members of North Korean aristocratic families looked at Kim Jin-eun, winking and laughing.
In fact, they did not have maids in Korea either. From the time Korea was incorporated into the Han Dynasty, although it was a military state, it was still forbidden to keep servants and slaves.
Now that such a good opportunity has come up, I naturally have to take action!
And so, the first deal was settled.
The puppet army soldiers pushed the native girl off the platform. Lee Jae-hee's entourage took her, tied a rope around her neck, and led her aside like an animal.
The puppet army soldiers pushed the native girl off the platform. Lee Jae-hee's entourage took her, tied a rope around her neck, and led her aside like an animal.
The bidding went much more smoothly after that, and these top-class native women were sold out in less than half an hour, with prices ranging from fifty to eighty taels.
Most of the buyers were local landowners who had reclaimed the land, early maritime merchants who had submitted to the government, and the families of garrison officers. There were also a few from official families.
These people specifically chose those who were young and had decent looks, and used them as maids or concubines.
Following that, Tang Sanchui placed over thirty more orders, all of them for strong women or women who weren't particularly attractive. The prices were slightly lower than the first batch, but the quantity made up for it.
Many military households in the garrison who wanted to get married also got their wish. Daqiang even bought three wives in one go, all using the reward money issued by the imperial court.
Since Daqiang was wounded and had his limbs amputated while fighting the enemy, the Ministry of War had two options: one was to take up a post in the Ministry of War, or to be given 100 acres of land and 100 taels of silver. Daqiang undoubtedly chose the latter.
They could certainly choose the better ones, but more often than not, they wanted someone who could both have children and farm, because that was more cost-effective than buying strong slaves.
It was already getting dark, and the silver boxes beside the platform had piled up into a small, white mountain.
Some of the people in the audience grinned as they bought the goods they wanted, while others left disappointed because they didn't have enough money. Several shrewd landlords had already started asking each other if there would be any new goods the next day.
Of this silver, 80% will be handed over to the imperial court, and the remaining 20% will be used for Luzon's economic expenses.
Just then, as the last group of natives were brought up the platform, a commotion suddenly broke out below. This group consisted of only three people, but they were incredibly beautiful, possessing the looks of three Western actresses by later standards.