『92 BC, Crossing the Hidaka Sea』[080] Delivery to the Xiongnu
Chapter 4: Kakeru's Trading Partner, the Xiongnu
Section 1: Kakeru Returns to Fuyo
[080] Episode 4: Delivery to the Xiongnu
"The Xiongnu unit that received the cargo says they are heading to a place called Yilan along the Sungari River. They strongly requested that we somehow come to the banks of this large river, but if we do that, we will have to travel in a column over land. I asked the boatman who helped us look at the area, as he is from along the Sungari, and he said that since we would be traveling over six hundred li through some ups and downs, it would take five or six days even if we added a donkey to lighten the load. One li around here is about three hundred long strides."
"The villages along the road to Yilan have long been known for being home to many Sushen, and both of the Fuyo men said it is a place they do not want to go near. They said they don't know if they would let us pass in silence. However, the Xiongnu don't seem to mind. They said they would go in two days without changing horses. So, we decided to have them come near Lake Khanka instead."
"I was a little concerned," Kakeru asked.
"Can you find six donkeys right away?"
"I thought so too. But according to Dorji, the Qiang guide who helped us, they raise many donkeys north of Lake Khanka, and six would be no problem at all. The boatman said the same thing. Apparently, the relationship between the people called the Qiang and donkeys goes back to ancient times. They know everything about donkeys. Dorji has already arranged for the six donkeys."
"I see. Dorji, huh..."
"With this handover, we can avoid meeting the rough Sushen. Besides, it's far from Harbin, north of the Fuyo capital, where I hear there have been signs of Xianbei raiders lately. The distance from the meeting place at Lake Khanka to the handover point on the banks of the Muling River is over two hundred li by water and land. It is by no means easy. However, the land we travel by boat is swampy, and the Xiongnu, who ride horses, say they want to avoid it. They can't use wagons either. 'If you could take on the delivery of the cargo there, it would be a real help,' the Xiongnu counterpart told me honestly. The Xiongnu look scary, but I feel they don't lie."
"What about the Xiongnu coming to the Fuyo inlet to find and carry out whatever they need? Wouldn't that save time and effort? Why don't they do that?"
"It seems they are hesitant to go deep into the Fuyo territory to the seaside where the inlet is, at least for now. The Fuyo people are not all nomadic. Many have settled homes, they have a king, and they have placed their capital in the middle of the country. I don't think you've been there yet, but the Fuyo capital is a walled city surrounding a small hill by the river where the king lives. There are guards at every gate, and a market is held in front of the gates every day. It is a bustling town unlike anything I've seen in Hidaka. If the Xiongnu were to come to the Fuyo inlet, they would have to pass by horse very close to that capital. I can understand why they would be wary of that. However, the Xiongnu envoy says that depending on how the Han act, he doesn't know what will happen in the future."
"I see, so that's how it is... I understand well."
As far as Kakeru could see, the only difference from the transactions at the meeting place so far was crossing Lake Khanka north by boat and spending the night, and traveling half a day by land to the Muling River.
――I wonder how to interpret that...
Hayate said he asked the Xiongnu counterpart, "How do you cross the Sungari River?" Since it is a large river, he was worried about whether the rice would be okay and if it would get wet.
The Xiongnu supply unit has a station in Jiamusi on the riverbank, so they prepare boats to hand over the cargo, and since it is summer, the cavalry swims across the river with their horses. After that, they use wagons, go around the north of Jiamusi, pass through the Qiqihar plains where the Fuyo people live, and head to Lake Dalai on the Mongolian plateau.
"The counterpart laughed and said, 'From the station on the banks of the Sungari to the Xiongnu lands, it takes ten days during this time of year when the days are long. As long as the wagons move well...' He promised that if we came to the handover point by the appointed day, he would provide half again as much gold as the handover at the Fuyo inlet, and as proof, he cut a lock of his own hair on the spot and handed it to me. Moreover, he said he wants to continue doing this."
――So the value of transporting it from the Fuyo inlet to the north of Lake Khanka is half the value of the rice coming across the western sea, for now...
Kakeru and the others had discussed beforehand that whether or not they could repeat the trade with the Xiongnu was the crucial point. Hayate had also looked into this.
"According to what I heard from Joseph, the Xiongnu used to have goods transported north from places like Hebei and Hexi in the Han territory. It seems this included silk, weapons, as well as alcohol and rice. Originally, it seems it was tribute from the Han to the Xiongnu. This means that for a long time, the Xiongnu stood above the Han. However, now that the relationship between the Xiongnu and the Han has soured, trade in these two areas has become difficult. The current Han king has stopped paying tribute. Now, they have strengthened the defenses at the passes and are suppressing the flow of goods to the north. Because of this, the Xiongnu have started to focus on bringing goods in from here in Fuyo. Considering everything, I think we can believe the Xiongnu's story that if we transport it successfully this time, they want to continue trading."
Hayate sounded confident.
Kurt, a former cavalryman who was asked by Joseph to lend a hand to Kakeru and the others, told Hayate in detail, "If it were me, this is what I would do after the handover."
"The Xiongnu supply unit that loaded the received rice onto wagons will likely join forces with the escort cavalry to dash across the grasslands stretching north of Fuyo toward Khalkh Gol, which is ruled by the Xiongnu's Left Wise King. There is a way to go up the river by boat, but that is not the Xiongnu way. They will travel across the three-thousand-li plain that rises gently, with only rivers to block them along the way. They have stations here and there to change horses and wheels, and they likely have guards stationed at river crossing points. There are also swamps, lakes, and rocky mountains, but they can be avoided depending on the route taken. During the day, the supply unit will have the cavalry lead the way, moving at an astonishing speed while changing horses. There is a large Khingan mountain range running north to south, but they can pull the wagons over the northern side where there are no particularly steep mountains. If they reach the western foothills and head toward the Argun River, the unobstructed grasslands continue. There are Xianbei in the northern and eastern foothills of the Khingan Mountains who might get in the way. But I was in a Xianbei cavalry unit, so I know well that they would almost never mess with a Xiongnu hundred-man unit. The Xianbei captains know well that there is no profit in fighting the Xiongnu."
After relaying Kurt's story exactly as it was, Hayate continued.
"After finishing the trade with us, the Xiongnu will likely transport the cargo using their accustomed methods. It is certain that they have already established stations with many horses in various parts of Fuyo. I think we can consider them prepared for repeated trade."
Kakeru remained silent for a while, counting the days required for the trade and considering the pros and cons of continuing.
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