Chapter 15 - Chapter Fourteen: The Red Lion

Pang Xi spread maps out across his desk in his study and stroked his chin as he contemplated the various trade routes to the south. He organized the trade caravan to the southern provinces every quarter but was always careful to vary the route to avoid bandits. He carried rare spices and perfumes from India, precious herbs and medicinal ingredients, secret shipments of opium, fine wines, and even common soybeans and rice. As he traveled southwards, he would pick up silks, pottery, honey, and even books. He moved with his own private military force for security, usually with heavily loaded wagons pulled by oxen. Sometimes he commissioned boats to carry shipments along the coast or up the riverways, but he found water travel to be riskier than land. He traced his finger along an imaginary line between the towns and cities he would like to visit and made some quick notes on the scroll beside him.