"If you are not happy, just issue a ban, and Qiao Sheng and I will immediately demolish all the slave trading markets in Bianzhou." Cheng Feng said.
He and Mo Qiaosheng accompanied their master on a secret journey.
At this moment, anger was rising from the two of them.
Such scenes reminded them of the dark days in their lives.
"No, this is not a fundamental solution." Cheng Qianye said softly, "Any business will exist as long as there is a large demand. Even if I forcibly ban the trading market in Bianzhou, it will not change the situation that exists throughout the world."
"Just wait patiently. As long as I am alive, one day, I will completely eradicate this kind of trade from this land."
They were all the same life, but the slaves were being bullied and abused like animals. They were tied there like goods, and were at the mercy of others.
Cheng Qianye never liked seeing this kind of scene, and whenever she encountered it, she would try to avoid it.
But today, she has the courage to face everything.
She lifted her feet, stepped through the mud, and walked into the dirty market.
"My Lord, please don't go in." Mo Qiaosheng held her back and shook his head. "This kind of place is too dirty. It pollutes your eyes."
"Qiaosheng, don't worry. I just want to get in touch with and understand all of this. If I don't even dare to look at it, how can I ban it?"
She used a little force, squeezed Mo Qiaosheng's hand, smiled at him, turned and walked towards the population market.
The market is divided into three large circles, inside and outside, by a series of simple shacks connected together.
The outermost circle was like a fence for keeping cattle and horses, densely packed with slaves whose main purpose was to serve as labor.
Bianzhou had recently reclaimed countless wastelands, and there was a serious shortage of manpower to cultivate the farmland.
Those slightly wealthy civilians, or non-commissioned officers who had obtained titles and been allocated land in the army, became the main purchasing power in this market.
Their purpose in buying slaves was to increase the labor force in their families to cultivate the large areas of farmland.
For them, buying a slave not only required spending a large sum of the family's savings, but also put the family under the pressure of feeding an additional adult every day.
Even though slaves may have poor food, they are still important assets of the family and cannot be allowed to starve to death.
They crowded in front of the fences, selecting carefully.
They looked at the body shape, the muscles, and even opened the slave's mouth to look at his teeth, in order to buy a strong and healthy laborer to take home.
If they found one they liked, they would bargain with the slave traders standing by, paying a penny for the item.
To them, it was no different from buying a plowing animal.
If they could not buy strong slaves or the price of slaves was too high, they would rather go to the cattle and horse market to buy a cow or a mule.
When we walked to the second circle, there were obviously fewer people. In each shack, there were only one or two slaves tied up.
These slaves had some skills that ordinary slaves did not have, such as being able to read, cook, play a musical instrument, or having experience in serving nobles in wealthy families.
Most of these slaves had a wooden sign in front of them, with information such as their age, background, skills and specialties written on them.
The slave trader stood by, shouting loudly and enthusiastically selling his "goods" to every customer who passed by.
Sometimes, they would even order their slaves to perform a talent show to attract the guests' attention.
There were also fewer customers choosing slaves in this circle.
Compared with the buyers in the outer circle, they were generally well-dressed. Most of them were the compradors and housekeepers of wealthy families, who came out to purchase suitable personnel for their masters.
The innermost circle is a huge tent with thick curtains blocking the view inside.
Occasionally, one or two guests in gorgeous clothes would come in and out, lifting a corner of the curtain, bringing out the lewd sounds from inside the big tent, a mixture of laughter and crying.
Cheng Qianye had no interest in the so-called "high-end goods" that were used to satisfy the upper class.
She walked inward along the road of the second outer circle.
Mo Qiaosheng followed behind Cheng Qianye. He looked at the figures lying exhausted in the shack with dull eyes.
The slaves here were once the limit of what he could do.
After trying my best to learn some skills, I was able to be valued a little by my master, be assigned to an independent shed, and have enough food to fill my stomach.
They don’t have to be used like cattle and horses like the slaves in the outer circle.
There is no need to be like the slaves in the inner circle, serving others with their beauty and becoming playthings of noble masters.
Mo Qiaosheng looked at the not-so-strong back of Cheng Qianye who was walking in front of him.
I almost forgot that if I hadn't met my lord, the best life I could have achieved by risking my life would have been just like the people in front of me.
Cheng Qianye just stopped and turned slightly.
Mo Qiaosheng looked at the face glowing in the sunlight and slowly tightened his hands.
How fortunate I am that God has blessed me with the Lord.
At this moment, Cheng Qianye tilted his head, looking somewhere with a slightly surprised expression.
She muttered to herself a word that neither Mo Qiaosheng nor Cheng Feng could understand: "Ah, like a diamond."
In a dilapidated shack on the side of the road, a filthy man was tied to a wooden stake with a hemp rope.
He lowered his head, his body covered with scars, his upper body leaning against a wooden stake, looking like he would die at any moment.
In order to be able to sell at a better price, slaves in this circle are usually tidied up to look barely tidy.
There were few who looked as miserable as him, with bruises and whip marks all over his body, almost torn to pieces, and it was obvious that he had been repeatedly beaten and tortured by his master.
Cheng Qianye walked straight up to him and looked at the man with a hint of surprise.
In her eyes, this filthy slave was shining with a rare and dazzling light.
The drowsy slave trader who was guarding the shack perked up when he saw Cheng Qianye.
Although the guest's clothes were not complicated, a closer look revealed that the materials used were of extraordinary quality. Moreover, the attendants around him were all energetic and well-behaved, and they were obviously well-trained guards.
This is a rare "big customer" who comes to this circle.
The slave trader thought of this and cheered up, boasting about his "goods": "The customer has a good eye. He immediately took a liking to our best goods."
He found a wet cloth, grabbed the slave's hair, and wiped his face roughly.
Even after the blood was wiped off, the face was still blue and purple. One eye socket was swollen and only the other eye could barely open a crack. The corners of the mouth were bruised and black, and it was impossible to recognize the original appearance.
Even if the slave trader was an eloquent person, he couldn't bring himself to continue boasting after seeing such a face.
He smiled awkwardly: "This, this guy is really handsome, but he is a little disobedient. I got angry and beat him up, so he is like this. Take him home and take care of him. He will be fine in a few days."
"But you don't know, sir. This man has an extraordinary background. He was originally from a noble family in the State of Wei. He was sold as a slave after the country was destroyed and his family was ruined. He can read! He can draw! He can also play musical instruments! In short, he knows everything that aristocrats can do."
The slave trader rubbed his hands, approached Cheng Qianye, and said with a flattering smile: "Think about it, it's worth buying a slave like this. No matter what it is used for, just being able to trample such a noble young man under your feet and torture him at will is exciting, isn't it?"
He threw a worn-out bamboo flute at the slave's feet and said, "Quick, stop looking so dead and play a piece of your best stuff for the noble man to hear."
The slave turned his head slightly and ignored it.
The slave trader was furious. He grabbed his hair and forced him to raise his head. He gritted his teeth and whispered in his ear: "It is because of your condition that I have lowered your price again and again. I have almost lost all my money, but you still cannot be sold. If you cannot be sold this time, I will not sell you anymore. I will send you directly to the inner tent, strip you of your clothes and use you as a public toilet. Let's see if you are still stubborn."
The slave pursed his lips, finally reached out his hand, picked up the bamboo flute on the ground, and blew out a clear sound with his lips.
As soon as that sound came out, the entire noisy shopping mall seemed to quiet down.
Then, a desolate and tragic flute sound flowed out, like the cool moon shining on the river, like the wind stirring the pine waves, spreading clear and melodious in this muddy land.
Guests walking nearby couldn't help but stop and listen.
The slave trader was very proud. "Look, sir, I was right. This stuff is really worth the money. I only sell it for..."
Before he could finish his words, the sound of the flute stopped abruptly. The man playing the flute suddenly let go of the flute, turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The slave trader was furious and was about to hit someone with his fist.
Cheng Qianye stopped him, "I want him."
The slave trader turned his anger into laughter: "Well, you see, he's fine, he's just a little stubborn, and I just whipped him, so he spit out some blood. It's good to be a little stubborn, it will be more fun to train him when you buy him back, right? Haha, haha."
"How much? Just tell me."
"Well, don't look at him like this now. I spent a lot of money when I bought him."
"Is it enough?" Mo Qiaosheng flipped his hand and took out a gold ingot.
"Enough, enough, enough." The slave trader was overjoyed. Although he had spent a lot of money when he bought this slave, the slave had been tortured to the point of being half-dead. He didn't expect to get his money back.
He was overjoyed for a moment, and fearing that Cheng Qianye would go back on his word, he quickly ran to get the documents for reselling the slaves.
He then untied the hemp rope tied to the wooden stake and handed it respectfully to Cheng Qianye, then bowed and nodded all the way as he escorted them out of the market.
Cheng Qianye stopped talking and silently returned along the same path.
Cheng Feng led the slave, and the group followed Cheng Qianye to where the carriage was.
Before Cheng Qianye boarded the carriage, he looked back and saw the slave with a pale face walking slowly behind Cheng Feng.
Cheng Qianye looked at him for a while, then suddenly frowned: "See what happened to his feet?"
Mo Qiaosheng lifted up the slave's feet and saw that there was an iron spike on the sole of each of his feet. The road was muddy and no one noticed that he had walked this distance silently and bleeding.
The slave trader saw this from afar and waved his hands hastily, saying, "This is none of my business, none of my business. It's your fault for not checking carefully. Now that the money and goods have been paid, there will be no refunds or exchanges."
After saying this, he ran away quickly.
Cheng Qianye closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to suppress the anger in his heart.
After she opened her eyes, she looked at Mo Qiaosheng.
Mo Qiaosheng nodded, put the sword in his hand, and walked towards the place where the slave trader disappeared without saying a word.
"Take him in the car." Cheng Qianye sighed.
Cheng Feng bent down, picked up the blood-stained slave, and placed him in the warm and clean carriage.
The author has something to say: Yesterday, the internet at home suddenly went down, and the silly author forgot that the laptop could also be connected to the hotspot, and was so anxious. Fortunately, the little cuties reminded me, otherwise I would not be able to post it. Thank you very much.