Chapter 499: News from Zanpu

Wang Yiqing did not stop or turn around. As if he hadn’t heard anything, he continued on his way. The other merchants, however, stopped and turned back, looking at the Tubo officer in confusion. The Tubo officer nodded and waved, saying, “It’s nothing. You may go!”
Zhou Bi broke into a cold sweat, feeling fortunate that Wang Yiqing had improved. If he had stopped or turned around, all ten of them would have died. At that moment, death seemed so close, passing right by them.
Inside Bushi City, there were low houses made of a mixture of mud and stones. Due to the passage of time, they appeared quite dilapidated. There were few trees on the streets. Zhou Bi had been stationed here for two months last year and was quite familiar with Bushi City. In his memory, it was a bustling city with crowded streets and many pedestrians. But now, the city was eerily quiet, with hardly any people in sight. This made Zhou Bi reflect—Tubo people lacked the breadth of mind of the Han people. They only knew how to destroy a city in the most barbaric ways. From this small detail, it was clear that Tubo’s occupation would not last long.
The group arrived at Bushi City’s largest market. The bustling scene filled with thousands of people was gone; the market was deserted, with only a dozen vendors selling flatbreads. Fortunately, they encountered a few large merchants who came to purchase Tang goods. These merchants had a keen sense for business. They knew that the Tubo would soon block trade routes, preventing Tang goods from entering and causing prices to soar. So they were willing to stock up.
After bargaining, they agreed on a price of 2,500 silver coins, which barely covered the tax losses and allowed them to earn a little money for their journey.
After selling their goods, the ten of them went to an inn nearby to stay. According to their plan, they needed to stay in Bushi City for three days before traveling to various parts of Wangting Country under the pretext of purchasing high-quality furs, in order to investigate the Tubo troops’ presence there. Then they would head west along the Amu Darya River to Gumo Country.
Soon, they were settled in. The ten of them split into five groups to investigate different parts of Bushi City, mainly to assess its defenses. Of course, they couldn’t conduct investigations like scouts in the wild—they had to use various disguises.
“Wang Yiqing!”
Zhou Bi called out to Wang Yiqing, who was about to leave, but he didn’t respond and continued walking. Annoyed, Zhou Bi rushed after him, patted his shoulder, and pulled him back inside.
“Inside the house, you don’t need to pretend to be deaf and mute.”

Wang Yiqing shook his head again and pointed to his ears to show he couldn’t hear. Zhou Bi, helpless, wrote on the table with clean water: “Don’t go outside. Stay with me.” Wang Yiqing smiled and nodded. At that moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. The two were startled and quickly erased the words on the table. A person entered—it was the innkeeper. “Agano, there’s something I need to tell you!” Agano was Zhou Bi’s name in Tocharian. He immediately smiled and said, “Please go ahead, innkeeper.” “I saw many of your companions leave just now. I want to warn you—it’s very dangerous outside.” “Why?” “Because Ahuan City is building a palace and needs a lot of labor. I see you’re all quite young and strong. If the Tibetans see you, they’ll surely capture you to build the palace. Be careful!” Zhou Bi was stunned. Building a palace? What was going on? He quickly asked, “Can the innkeeper tell me why they’re building a palace? Could it be that the Tibetans want to bring back the exiled royal family?” “Dream on!” the innkeeper said disdainfully. “The Tibetans will just kill them, not build palaces for them. It’s for their own king. Their Tibetan chieftain is coming to Tocharia for an inspection. The Tibetans are preparing to welcome their own king!” As an experienced scout with rigorous training, Zhou Bi always gave top priority to information about enemy leaders. This news immediately caught his attention, so he pressed further, “Innkeeper, is this information true? I mean, is the Tibetan chieftain really coming to Tocharia?” “I guess so! A few days ago, Tibetans came to check the inns. From their complaints, it seems the chieftain is coming, keeping them extremely busy.” “Then when will their chieftain arrive?” Realizing he might be asking too many details and arousing suspicion, Zhou Bi smiled and explained, “I have no choice. If the Tibetan chieftain comes, it will greatly affect us merchants. Chances are high we won’t be able to pass through. So it’s important for us to know exactly when he’s coming.” The innkeeper shook his head. “I’m just an innkeeper; how would I know such things? But…” He glanced at them, hesitating. Zhou Bi sensed there was more to say and smiled, “But what?” “I mean, if you’re willing to pay a bit, maybe we can find out.”

As soon as he heard about the need to pay, Zhou Bi’s commercially sensitive forehead furrowed. He said, “We know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. We can pay, but I’m afraid it would be unwise to spend money on false information.”

“That depends on how much you’re willing to pay. Ten silver coins can get you some casual rumors, though their accuracy can’t be guaranteed. If you’re willing to pay two hundred silver coins, I guarantee you the most accurate information, but you’ll have to pay me a 10% commission.”

Zhou Bi pondered for a moment before saying, “Two hundred silver coins is acceptable. But you need to tell me who the source is and how you’ll ensure the information is true.”

“No problem. Wait a moment; I’ll go find someone. I’ll be back soon—guaranteed to satisfy you!”

The shopkeeper hurried out.

After the Tibetans invaded Bactria, the mass flight of royal families and officials left the governance of various Bactrian states in disarray. Due to language barriers, the Tibetans found it difficult to manage these regions, so they had to rely on officials willing to cooperate or respected elders to assist in governance.

Most of these Bactrians acted out of self-interest. To maximize their gains, they resorted to any means necessary. For example, while the Tibetans imposed a tax rate of one in five on agriculture, the Bactrians reduced it to one in four, keeping one part for themselves as payment or expenses. But taxation was just one aspect—any power they held would inevitably be used to make money. Another method was exploiting “information.” With the Tibetans’ occupation, the locals were terrified, so many, especially the wealthy, wanted to know the Tibetans’ plans. Bactrian officials who had access to this information would use it to profit, charging clear prices without deception.

Where there were sources of information, there were intermediaries. Owners and staff of inns and hotels had their own networks, which was almost an open secret. The Tibetans were aware of this but could do little about it except try to keep things confidential. Yet even secrecy wasn’t effective—unless the Bactrians were excluded, information would still leak.

Take the construction of palaces, for example. It was obvious to anyone that it was meant to welcome the Tibetan king. Security, hospitality, and other arrangements all required the cooperation of local officials, making such secrets impossible to control. The only thing the Tibetans could do was ensure the king’s safety.

After nearly half an hour, the shopkeeper hurried back. As soon as he entered, he said, “Follow me; I’ll take you to a place.”
Worried that Wang Yiqing might be exposed, Zhou Bi left him in the inn and followed the shopkeeper. They rode horses there. Along the way, the shopkeeper told him that the highest position currently held by the Tocharians was that of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. This official was in Ahuancheng at the moment, but his wife was from the Wang court. Her brother lived in Bushi City, dealing in information, and from him, one could obtain many valuable pieces of information—though at a high price.
Soon, they arrived in the east of the city, in front of a large household. In Bushi City, the houses of the poor were made of rammed earth, unsound and unsafe, but this mansion was built with huge stones, clearly belonging to wealthy people.
The shopkeeper went forward and knocked on the door. A crack opened, and after whispering a few words, he waved at Zhou Bi and said, “Agano, come in quickly! We’ve been waiting for you.”
Zhou Bi dismounted and led his horse into the house. Although the house was of good quality, it was empty, with not a trace of greenery. The horse was taken away by a servant, and they were led inside to a small courtyard. On the steps of the courtyard stood a man in his thirties, very thin, with a traditional curled beard. He wore a white silk robe of fine quality—something only the elite in Tocharia could afford.
The shopkeeper stepped forward and bowed respectfully, “Respected Bobola, I’ve brought the guest.”
The man was arrogant toward the shopkeeper but warm toward Zhou Bi. Buying information from him cost at least two hundred silver coins. Although Tocharia produced plenty of silver, Anxi silver coins had a very high value—one Anxi silver coin could exchange for a pound of coarse silver. Thus, two hundred silver coins could buy many things in Tocharia: six hundred loads of grain, ten wives, or half a mansion.
Someone who could afford two hundred silver coins to buy information was certainly no ordinary person—just as customers who entered top luxury stores in later times would surely receive the best service.
“I’m so glad to see you, my friend!”
The man stepped forward and hugged Zhou Bi warmly, then introduced himself, “I’m Bobola. My sister is Alan’s wife, his main wife. Whatever information you want, I can get it for you.”

The Alan mentioned by Bobola is the current highest-ranking Tocharian, serving as the deputy minister in charge of government affairs. In reality, he handles all the miscellaneous tasks. Having become a high-ranking official with power, he naturally wants his relatives to share in the benefits and is also obligated to help them amass wealth. Thus, his brother-in-law Bobola acts as the business manager for his wealth-gathering operations within the royal court.

There’s no possibility of deception either. Zhou Bi might not know, but the locals do—Bobola is indeed Alan’s brother-in-law, so there’s no way it can be fake. To ensure the sustainability of their wealth-gathering efforts, they also need to maintain credibility and generally won’t spread false information.

It was only today that Zhou Bi learned about such a source of intelligence. If his information was accurate, why risk scouting the Tibetan troops? Couldn’t he just pay to get it?

Moreover, a new idea struck Zhou Bi: could he buy over that government official named Alan to become an undercover agent for the Tang army? It should be possible. These people worked for the Tibetans only for money, with no loyalty to speak of. Their greatest fear was being dealt with by the Tang army in the future, so they would likely do anything to secure immunity.

But now wasn’t the right time. He should first complete a few deals. Once he had leverage over them, Zhou Bi put forward his request, smiling and saying, “The shopkeeper must have told you that we merchants are very interested in the situation of the Tibetan king. I need detailed information about his visit to Tocharia—including the route, timing, and when he’ll return. I want the most thorough information possible.”

This kind of information was unusual. Bobola pondered for a moment before asking, “Are you really a merchant?”

Zhou Bi then took out his tax plaque and handed it to him. Bobola took a look. Although it didn’t prove anything, it at least gave him some evidence. He then raised five fingers and said, “It will cost five hundred silver coins.”

Zhou Bi was shocked and quickly asked, “Weren’t it two hundred silver coins?”

“No! It’s different.”

Bobola explained, “If you want to reduce the cost a bit, two hundred silver coins would suffice, or to know when the Tibetan king will arrive, that’s also two hundred silver coins. But the information you want is extremely confidential—requiring even their route and exact timing. That’s not simple. And Alan might not agree either. Five hundred silver coins is the minimum.”

“Can’t it be less? What about four hundred?”

“No! Either do it or not. I can’t do anything about it if you don’t.”

Zhou Bi showed a troubled expression. After thinking for a long time, he reluctantly said, “Alright! I’ll give you the silver coins tonight. When can you give me news?”
“Five days. I’ll give you news in five days. And you don’t need to rush to give me the money. Our rule is to exchange money for goods.”
……
Five days later, early in the morning, Zhou Bi went to Bobola’s house again. This time, it was Bobola who opened the door for him, smiling and saying, “I only got back in the middle of the night yesterday. I was about to go to the inn to look for you when you showed up.”
He glanced behind him and asked, “Did you bring the money?”
Zhou Bi pointed to a large bag on the horse and said with a smile, “I brought it.”
“Come on! Let’s talk inside.”
Bobola invited Zhou Bi into the inner room and took out a roll of parchment from a small box, saying, “All the news you want is on there. It’s very detailed. I’ll give you the news, and you give me the money.”
Generally, such initial transactions are handled through intermediaries to ensure the interests of both parties. But trading information is different—it can’t go through intermediaries. It relies mostly on trust. If you don’t trust them, you don’t have to buy. But if you do buy, you have to trust them. And the person selling the information also has their reputation. If it’s not good, it’s not good—they won’t deliberately sell false information to block their own path to making money.
Zhou Bi placed the heavy bag of silver coins on the table, and Bobola handed him the box. “Take a look! This was written in person by Alan. Due to the journey, the timing might not be exactly accurate, but it won’t be much off.”
After a pause, Bobola added, “Also, Alan asked me to give you a message—he wants to see you.”