Stories About Merchants Or Cunning Merchant - 29 Baraz talks about the clan of merchants

The night quietly and imperceptibly descended from the east, the summer heat was replaced by the coolness of the evening, the water flowing in the canals, pleased belated travelers with cheerful talk. In the principality, somewhere in the center of the continent, in the evening life from the streets migrated into small and not very courtyards. It was August … of the year.

In the east, everything is not just like that, any word, deed, event or encounter to something. In the courtyard of a large house gathered at the gathering of the head of one powerful clan. These were experienced old-aged elders. They have seen quite a bit of their lives and knew how real life works – who, where and how much.

At that time, the world began to change little by little, new relations based on completely different principles than the old ones began to penetrate the old relationships. The external world was changing, the old value systems were collapsing, regional powers were already on the verge of change, and the world of the small principality on the outskirts of civilization was still living according to the old set of laws of Yass.

The Elders, sitting comfortably on a sofa under a spreading plum tree, drank fragrant green tea. It was a big house, with a well-kept garden. He belonged to one of the clan leaders. Thanks to its thick walls and reliable servants in the house, one could calmly discuss various issues without fear of outsiders’ long ears.

The elders of the clan thought how, in changing conditions, to keep the family, the clan, so that it could withstand the threats of the new world. After all, if the clan does not unite, do not make it more flexible, then it will not be able to adapt to the upcoming changes. So the elders thought. They leisurely discussed this problem, weighing every word. In the east, nothing stands fuss.

The youngsters, meanwhile, frolicked alongside in the clearing. Their parents made kebabs and sometimes screamed at another kid running too close to the barbecue fire. The spirit of carefree fun reigned, but only for the uninitiated.

The old people could not come to a common opinion on how to unite the clan, to make it more united, friendly, so that no one from the clan would feel deprived.

Who should lead the new wave? A courtier who knows a lot about the movement of heavenly bodies and palace intrigues, or the youngest young gentleman with good connections, or maybe the Third, is a famous merchant who has traveled around many countries and knows the customs and traditions of different cultures. At the meeting there were representatives of the regional branches of the clan, who had their own opinion on this matter, but were tactfully silent.

In the midst of discussion, a strange-looking man entered from a beautiful carved gate. Surprisingly, he was missed without further ado. His bathrobe was not new, worn in places, his face expressed fatigue, his boots were worn.

Himself hunched, glance at the floor. But the butler who stood guard over the master’s house politely welcomed the newcomer. When approaching the sofa, the new guest stopped slouching and, to the surprise of those present, was transformed. He became taller, his face was lighter and nobler, his gait became confident and his look was imperious.

With a casual movement of his shoulders, he threw off his dusty robe into the deft hands of a servant who appeared out of the ground. Then those who were sitting inadvertently saw the magnificent underside of the robe, she was hit by expensive Chinese silk, but bad luck – a corner of the lining lagged behind the edge of the robe. Some of those sitting behind her noticed the dark glitter of the thinnest Damascus chain mail.

Who was this strange man? Few in the city could recognize in him the influential and mysterious figure of the chief elder of the clan of magicians.

All at once fell silent. He washed his hands and, smiling sweetly, sat down at the table. They greeted him, as is usual in the east. After greetings, the elder casually asked, they say, what was such a lively conversation about? After an awkward pause, the young gentleman, submissively informed that they are discussing the prospects of the clan, questions of optimizing the organizational structure …

The elder clapped his hands twice, a servant appeared – time to eat. From the house hurried swirls of servants, at the table silence prevailed. Soon the servants were gone, and on the tablecloth there was a dish with still steaming pieces of meat burning the fingers and sparking slices of lamb fat attracting the eyes.

Crumbly rice was tinted with Persian saffron. Garlic heads, completely abandoned in the pot, absorbed the taste of meat and spices. The hill of amber, almost transparent carrot straw mixed with even more transparent rings of remarkable local onions, a placer of Big AN golden raisins and Kashgar chickpeas, Afghan pomegranate grains, generously sprinkled on a dish before serving, did not leave anyone indifferent. The special flavor of the dish was given by a set of spices: barberry, pods of red and black peas, Indian zira, and much more, which mere mortals have never seen in the pilaf. All gathered ate this amazing treat in an unusual silence. Then came green tea and sweets.

Only when the evening meal was completed, the Elder looked around at all the elders again with a cold and intent look. He said that the organizational question regarding the clan requires a very balanced decision. Everyone thought that the best candidate for the post of head of the clan was himself, but they were tactfully silent … The agony and torment of ambition were short-lived. The astronomer nominated Beck’s candidacy, all the others only agreed. The young Master did not refrain from the flattery, which is so familiar and common in everyday life. The elder took these manifestations of loyalty for granted, gave his tacit consent with a barely perceptible head movement.

The principality, having a unique position, was supposedly created for the conduct of transit regional trade. It was conducted mainly with Persia, the Qing Empire, Afghanistan, India, Tibet. The most promising direction in trade was the Volga region and Siberia. In the year, the average cargo turnover was a caravan of 3,000 camels, for comparison, no more than 600 camels went to Persia. One camel could carry about 288 kg of goods, the usual transfer of a caravan took from one to several months, depending on the region of destination. The cost of transporting goods in a caravan depended on many factors such as, for example, payment for security, kickback to the robbers for receiving tamga, that is, guarantees of safe passage through the territory controlled by the group, and services of the caravan guide.

He knew all trade routes, wells, reliable caravanserais and key figures on the way from point A to point B. With this method of trading, many commercial risks were reduced several times, because if a small caravan followed, then the likelihood of its robbery increased. It turned out that every such caravan was looked after by someone from an influential clan, and therefore the attacks were fraught with robbers …

Nomads periodically robbed passing caravans. But this happened only when the local rulers refused to hold fairs, where the farmers exchanged their goods at the nomads.

The road to Kashgar was more difficult, instead of camels we had to use horses, but the profit from the goods was four times more. Cloth, corals, gold and silver thread, sugar and glass goods were brought to Kashgar. Green jasmine tea, Chinese silk, and porcelain were brought from Kashgar to a young principality. As well as silver Chinese lans, they were very much appreciated in Tibet and were an excellent commodity for the exchange of goat wool. Later, in Kashgar, fine warm shawls were woven from this wool. They could sell very profitable.

After some time, the order of the princely court was issued that the shops selling goods from Kashgar should be subject to a triple tax. In this scenario, trading was not profitable, the income barely covered the costs. There was nothing to do, it was necessary to invent new moves. Traders trapped as best they could, they made the purchase of saxaul at wholesale prices and sold it at retail to a local fort, a river flotilla, made furs and leather from hides, sewed boots and fur coats. That is, shifted to the new rails of the trading business.

What just does not happen in the east … As one acquaintance merchant said, it happens when seniors do not want young people to have their own alternative sources of financing. The clan does not need independent people, they must be dependent.

Now all the oldest developed a new concept for the development of the clan, the essence of which was to stop dealing with internal disassembly, to unite the efforts of all members of the clan and the top in the same direction of creation. What is meaningless hauling ropes in front of new times, which are already taking leaps and bounds, you need to unite the clan to withstand the impact of the approaching element. Nevertheless, educated people, it is necessary to put friendship, blood ties, trust and forgiveness at the forefront in relations in a clan.

But alas … the factional struggle took up …

A few years later, a small caravan with exhausted travelers left in the direction of the sunset … The leader of the robbers who saw them, told his desperate heads, do not stop them from going their own ways … he recognized in one of the travelers that magician from the influential clan.

A sudden gust of wind opened the window, and the curtain began to develop in an insane dance. He touched a pile of dusty books on the windowsill at the moment when the merchant was trying to cope with the opened doors.

A book fell on his leg. He wanted to read it for a long time on the advice of a wise mentor, but somehow it did not work out. The merchant raised it from the floor and it opened up on some page. In the light of the full moon one could read. He was intrigued by the title of the chapter: “good intentions lead to hell.”

The book collected life situations that fit this definition. In one of the short parables it was told about a kind person who undertook to help the mentally ill. As a result, he himself almost lost his mind. This parable seemed very familiar to him. Now, in his memory, moments from the past were already flowing in a different light. Incomprehensible details, now clearly indicated that the native heads of the family envied his power and in every way abused his good attitude and love for them. The merchant spent the rest of the night in thought …

One day, crossing the desert, they stumbled upon a fallen camel and a pile of bales near it. Apparently it was a small caravan that sought to leave this area as quickly as possible. This explains why the travelers left the cargo. The expedition guide became interested in bales; suddenly a strange-looking gown caught his attention. From under the gray rags looked through the steel …

In another unknown warm country, on the coast of the ocean, a tall and handsome old man stood, he looked at the principality with a smile, he did it all! The clan has updated, changed, though fewer people, but you can always recruit new ones.

Two centuries later, the clan, along with the Elder, that he is two centuries old ?! Flourished, founding a new trading fleet, trading houses were from the Empire of Tan, to the Empire of Bosses.

The correct concept of development, gave a chance for the revival of the phoenix!