Chapter 517: A Secret Visit

Since he had nothing to do, Peter followed the example of an oriental emperor who went on a private visit. He brought a few guards with him and went around Zaporizhia himself.

Zaporizhia Market is the center of all commodity transactions. Several nearby streets are also occupied by workshops. Blankets, jewelry, food, and ironware are all traded here.

Peter approached a stall. The goods here were all jewelry, textiles, etc. The merchant saw that a customer was coming and hurriedly introduced the goods.

"How much is this?" Peter asked, holding a blanket.

"Master, you have a good eye. This blanket is made of bear skin from Moscow and is worth 30 lei."

60 lei, it doesn't sound expensive, Peter paid happily. The merchant took the opportunity to sell him something else.

"Sir, please look, this is a hat and coat made of mink, and this is a necklace made of amber produced in Livonia. Go back and wear it for your wife, it must be beautiful."

The merchant used his own words to exaggerate his products. Peter was moved and spent 20 lei to buy a mink coat. The rest was bought by the butler.

As the most informed place in Zaporizhia, the tavern is also an important place for Peter. As soon as he opened the door, the cheerful atmosphere inside almost pushed him out. All kinds of people do things in the tavern besides drinking, most of which are gambling.

The winner is determined by rolling the dice to compare the size. Sometimes, when the throat is smoking, a glass of wine or other drinks is needed to quench thirst. Of course, all kinds of dark things happen here.

Peter ordered a Moldovan wine, a roast lamb, and a beef stew. He sat on the second floor near the fence. The guards around him chose low-proof beer to protect the emperor.

The cattle and sheep from Ukraine have different flavors after being cooked with local unique methods. Peter also ate such food for the first time and couldn't stop for a moment.

Just then, a man came over from the side, "This sir." Peter stopped what he was doing and looked at the other person. It turned out to be a waiter in the tavern.

"What do you want?" Peter asked.

"Our boss wants to invite you to have a chat. I wonder if you can do me a favor?"

This was the first time he saw it. The guards around him wanted to rush over and beat him, but were stopped by Peter. "Can you tell me who your boss is?"

"You'll know when you get there."

Peter followed the man to the room behind the tavern, where there were more gambling facilities, and it was completely a casino. There were constant cheers, shocks, and wails here, and overnight wealth or bankruptcy were all staged here.

Across here is a gorgeously decorated room with precious furs as carpets, bear heads and deer heads as ornaments, and a man in luxurious clothes sitting on the sofa in the middle.

"Boss" The waiter bowed forward and left.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you just now. Please sit down."

The other party apologized, and Peter also sat down and crossed his legs and said: "I don't know why you invited me here. It can't be as simple as saying hello, right?"

The other party smiled: "You are right, I am Ivan Paskevich. I invited you here today because I hope you can cooperate with me."

"Cooperation, why me?"

Ivan nodded, "The emperor came to Zaporizhia a few days ago. My people did not get any information about the emperor after asking around, but they all said that there is a person who can move freely in the military camp, and that person is you."

"I hope you can reveal some information about the emperor. If you can say a few good words in front of the emperor, I will definitely thank you."

Peter understood that he was someone who wanted to get something through the emperor's favor. "What do you want, money, honor, or an official position?"

The other party shook his head: "I already have all these things. I used to be a Cossack. Later, the empire occupied this place and started to do some business, but the damn Poles repeatedly destroyed my caravans, and recently there was news of exploration to the east. If I can get the emperor's authorization, that would be enough."

It turned out to be the right to explore the southern steppes. Peter thought about it and said, "This must be approved by the emperor. Individuals can also explore, but all costs must be borne by themselves."

"The cost does not need to be borne by the government, and I will also hand over 50,000 lei to your majesty every year."

Peter was stunned. You know, the profit from going to the eastern steppes is not to this extent, so he asked the other party how to do it.

Ivan clapped his hands, and saw a cage being pushed out. The cloth on it was lifted, and a naked body appeared in front of Peter. It was a young girl. She was afraid in her expression and wore large handcuffs. It seemed that she had just been caught.

"Are you going to make a profit from this?" Peter asked.

"That's right. These Poles and Lithuanians have repeatedly attacked my caravans. How can I take revenge if I don't teach them a lesson? Not only these, but also Jews."

Peter realized at this time that the other party was engaged in the slave trade. It looked like they must have done a lot, so Poland attacked his caravan.

"Is that so? There is indeed a shortage of people there. It would be okay if we could use them instead."

"I knew you would definitely stand on this side. As long as you can bring a license for slave trafficking, the gift for you will not be less."

It seems that in the eastern region, people learn about the ways of the world faster than in the west. In the Roman Empire, slave trade requires a license approved by the emperor, and 10% of the profits must be handed over to the emperor every year. Even so, slave trade is still a very profitable industry.

Take the import of black slaves from Abyssinia as an example. About 10,000 black slaves are sold to Rome every year, but one-fifth of them die because they cannot recover after castration, and some sink to the bottom of the sea, so only more than 5,000 can reach Constantinople. The price of a black slave is about 100 lei, and the strong ones can be higher.

"It seems that you can really grasp the business opportunity and know that slaves are the most profitable, so you are ready to apply for a license."

"To be honest, I have applied before, but they are all temporary and useless when the time is up, so I still ask for your help."

I saw the other party gave me some gifts, including jewelry from Bohemia, furs from Moscow, and various precious things. It seems that they have been observing very carefully these days, and they are determined to win this business.

"In that case, I have to go back and ask the emperor for instructions. You just wait for my news. If it's over, don't forget what you said."

"Don't worry, sir. As long as it's successful, I will present the gift with both hands."

Peter nodded and asked someone to take the things away. As soon as he left, the wailing of the Polish female slaves was heard behind him.