After Xiahou Mao finished writing the note and left a personal token, Liu Qi nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing his angry face, Liu Qi said with a smile: "Sir, there is no need to be like this. From now on, you will resell all the medicinal materials, jewelry, and Du Kang wine in Jingzhou to the Central Plains. You will not suffer any loss."
"Really?" Xiahou Mao was pleasantly surprised and couldn't believe it: "Are all your words true?"
Liu Qi sighed helplessly: "The richest people in the world are all in the Central Plains and Jizhou. Unfortunately, I can't make this money. I can only make some difference from you!"
Xiahou Mao was so excited that he kept rubbing his hands. Then he remembered that Liu Qi loved money like his life, so he asked carefully, "I wonder how much the general wants to earn?"
"Not much. I'll only add 30% to the cost, and I guarantee it will be much lower than the price in Jingzhou—"
Liu Qi made a face full of regret and pain, bared his teeth and took a breath: "As for how much it can be sold for, it all depends on your ability."
"Okay, it's a deal!" Xiahou Mao was overjoyed, his face flushed, and he shouted excitedly, "I want as many as you can get!"
During this trip to Xiangyang, although Xiahou Mao saw many novel things, he was unable to operate them in the Central Plains, such as pearls, corals, ivory from Nanyue, sandalwood from Sindhu, and even the Du Kang wine from Xiangyang, he could not take it out, let alone make money from it.
I had wanted to gain some pride this time and gain Cao Cao's trust, so I found a way to open up trade routes and send people to purchase and transport the goods. But I never expected that Liu Qi would actually agree to supply the goods. Isn't this a pie in the sky
Although it was a time of war and the people were starving, and at one point nine out of ten houses in the Central Plains were empty, Xiahou Mi knew that this had no effect on the aristocratic families.
Those who are hungry and cold are the common people, while the wealthy families still have plenty of money and food, some of which are even rotting and moldy. These goods have nothing to do with ordinary people, so making money is not a problem for them.
Liu Qi smiled and said, "What I want is not money, but rare goods from the north, such as animal skins, medicinal materials, pig iron, horses, etc..."
"This..." Xiahou Mao was stunned. "Other things are easy to deal with, but I'm afraid this horse is not possible. This is a military weapon. The Prime Minister has strictly ordered that it cannot be sold privately. The lightest punishment is confiscation of property, and the worst is beheading."
Liu Qi waved his hand and said, "I don't really want the horse, it's just that it has the highest value and is convenient for trading! Nothing is difficult in the world as long as there is a will. It depends on whether you can seize the opportunity and operate behind the scenes."
Xiahou Mao was tempted, but he also knew that the matter was of great importance and even treasonous, so he did not dare to agree easily. He clasped his fists and said, "I will do my best."
Liu Qi sighed, "The two armies are now at war, and the battle will not last for just one day. Although you and I serve different masters, wealth and goods are not divided between enemies and ourselves, and we should not implicate the people. After returning this time, I plan to give up Ye County and turn this place into a market so that I can trade with merchants from the Central Plains. At that time, I will rely more on your mediation."
"Leave it to me!" Xiahou Mao was naturally happy to see such a good thing happen, and he vowed: "The Prime Minister likes wine and is obsessed with Jiangnan fruits. I don't think he will refuse if we just do business."
The plan was finalized. Liu Qi planned to hold a banquet to calm the nerves. Xiahou Mao was in a hurry to return to Hefei, and did not want to be seen by the people from Jiangdong. He swept away the dejection he had just felt when redeeming himself, thanked the emperor profusely, and left in a hurry.
Liu Qi flicked the document with his fingers and said with a smug smile: "I can't make money from the north, so why don't I become a general agent?"
For a talent like Xiahou Mao, even if he was unwilling to give up a single man, they would not be willing to kill him.
Xiahou Mao returned to Qibao Mountain overnight. Under the arrangement of Xu Shu, he risked his life to sneak into the camp and rescued more than 200 Cao soldiers who did not want to serve in the army anymore. He then pretended to set fire to the camp, robbed the horses, and fled down the mountain.
It was already dawn when they came down the mountain. They hid in a valley to rest. Xiahou Mao told everyone that he suffered such a great defeat the first time he led troops, and he felt guilty, so he took the risk to save people.
After this incident, he no longer wanted to stay in the army. He asked those who were unwilling to follow him to escape and those who were willing to follow him to do business to help escort the goods in the future so that they would not have to live in such a precarious situation.
The Cao army was overjoyed when they heard this. Some of them were forcibly recruited, and some were forced to do so due to life's difficulties. They had long been tired of fighting just to make a living, and now that Xiahou Mi had saved them and provided them with jobs, they all expressed their willingness to be loyal and repay his kindness.
In this chaotic era, becoming a trusted follower of a noble family is no easier than becoming an official through selection as a filial and honest person, not to mention that Xiahou Mi's status is only second to Cao Pi's.
Xiahou Mao took these two hundred people as his confidants. When he passed through Chaohu Lake, he saw many deserters along the way, all of whom were in a miserable state. He then realized that Cao's army was defeated again and the remaining troops had retreated back to Hefei.
Everyone secretly felt lucky. Whether these people escaped or returned to the army, they would not have an easy life for the next year. But they could follow Xiahou Mi and enjoy a good life.
Xiahou Mao arrived in Hefei to meet Cao Cao. At that time, the city was full of soldiers who had fled back from defeat. No one would ask him how he got back to the city. As long as he could come back alive, he would be lucky.
Cao's navy was killed in pieces by Zhou Yu in Chaohu Lake, and Cao Cao was chased for a long distance. If Cao Ren's troops had not arrived in time, they would have almost lost Hefei.
Cao Cao was lying in bed, still feeling shaky and restless. Seeing Xiahou Mi coming, he heaved a sigh of relief: "It's good that Zilin is back, it's good that he's back!"
Xiahou Mao said, "The war is going badly now, and we have lost a lot of food and weapons. I can't help with military affairs, but I hope to share the Prime Minister's worries. When I return to Xuchang, I will empty the wallets of those noble families to use as military funds."
Cao Cao shook his head and said, "Zilin, don't be reckless. Many officials are already dissatisfied with the previous fundraising. If you force donations again, there will be chaos."
"I'm not trying to take advantage of others!" Xiahou Mao told Liu Qi's money-making plan, clasped his fists and said loudly: "Although I know that business is the insect of the country and is looked down upon by others, for the sake of the prime minister's cause, I am willing to bear the infamy and swear not to give up!"
Cao Cao smiled with relief and warned: "It is rare that Zilin has such filial piety. Merchants are very cunning, just like soldiers. You must be more cautious to avoid being tricked."
Xiahou Mao smiled confidently, patted his chest and said: "Although I know nothing about marching and fighting, the Prime Minister knows how flexible my brain is when it comes to doing business and making money. The person who can plot against me has not been born yet!"
Cao Cao most admired confident and heroic men. Although Xiahou Mao seemed to be idle, money and food were indeed the most important thing in the army. It was rare for him to have such a responsibility. He earned one million yuan in just a few months, which showed his ability.
He sighed: "In ancient times, there was Tao Zhugong, and now there is Xiahou Mao! Just go ahead and do it. When I pacify the world, I will clear your name. You will be Xiao He of the Cao family!"
Xiahou Mao was overjoyed and clasped his fists and said, "My son-in-law has set a small goal: to make 100 million first!"
Cao Cao added, "You are trading with Jingzhou. I have another secret arrangement for you: you can place a trusted spy into the caravan and inquire about Jingzhou's news. If you get important information, it will be a great achievement for you."
This time Liu Qi increased his troops in Jiangling and prepared to attack Yizhou, but Xuchang was unaware of it, which meant that something unexpected happened to the spies in Jingzhou and they had to be redeployed.
"Yes, sir!" Xiahou Mao felt excited and proud.
In addition to making money, he also has another secret identity, which was appointed by the Prime Minister himself.