City States of Shang – Along the Wei

Ah, most esteemed administrator! You have been brought to this location, the banks of the Wei River, so that you might establish the town of Baoji. The local waters will provide fish to supplement the wheat crop. However, it is the rocks that hold the most value, as their deposits of copper can be fashioned into bronze, and the bronze into elaborate ceremonial vessels dearly needed at our capital of Hsiang. Because of this, expect the King to make annual requests for bronzeware. To help alleviate the costs of these industries, taxes should be levied upon the populace. Locate an appropriate site for an Administrative City and hire some tax collectors. But look also beyond the capital, for there is profit aplenty to be had. You can barter off excess quantities of hemp and wheat, and jade can be imported and then fashioned into beautiful carvings by skilled craftsmen.

Start Feb 1585

$8000 on Normal

Requirements:

  • 4 Trading Partners
  • Yearly Profit of 1200

This mission has more emphasis on trade and introduces some new industry. You still don’t have bridges or ferries to cross the river, but you do get to build an Administrative City and collect taxes.

The immigrants come from the Northeast this time. So will your traders, so you might want to keep that in mind as you lay out the city.

Four trading partners means it will take a bit longer to complete than the previous mission. Sometimes opening trade is like a courtship. You have to give them a gift, they may like it or not. You might have to give them another gift. It can take some time.

I decided on a disconnected layout. You can see the ore-bearing rocks are in the north, seemed like a good idea to sell the Bronzeware right at the entrance. Since you only have common houses again, and you aren’t going to be consuming any of the Bronzeware in the houses, there is no need to move it around. I wanted the Mill close to the shoreline since fishing is part of the food supply.

Here is how I did it.

The housing block is a square this time. Six houses on three sides of the inside roads, the north side has 4 tiles left open for the Administrative City building. The Inspectors, Ancestral Shrine, Herbalist, Water Carrier, Music and Tax Office were placed around the outside loop.

Again, the Market Square led directly to the Mill. The vendors will travel quite a way to the Mill, but in this case, the goods you need for the houses (Ceramics, Hemp and Food) are also trade goods, so it is nice to keep them all close together.

I laid out the block to get some workers and set about 3 fishing quays right away. This game begins in February and your food crop is Wheat. Wheat is planted in March and harvested in July. You are unlikely to get a full harvest the first year unless you are really quick about it.

Once the food situation was underway and the houses had Ancestral Shrine and Herbalist to keep them happy until they got food, I moved up north and found a nice Feng Shui place for a Bronze Smelter. Added an Inspector for it and a clay pit. Bronzeware needs Bronze and Clay. This is another reason I planned a disconnected city. You will want to make Ceramics for the houses or at least to trade, and the clay delivery carts can waste a lot of time delivering to both Kilns and Bronzeware Makers if they are far apart.

I don’t fill up the whole block when I lay out the roads. I add a row of houses as I need more workers. When you think you have enough steady supply of at least one food, set the Food shop on Bland and start to feed them. Add a Hemp farm when you have enough workers. Hemp is planted in April and harvested in September. You can set a warehouse just outside the Market Square for 16 units of Hemp and 16 of Ceramics in anticipation of making pots. Let the cart guys stand outside if you don’t have enough workers for warehouse storage. You will want some goods in a warehouse later for Homage.

Now, to concentrate on the Empire Map and getting these four trade partners. Someone is going to want to buy that Bronzeware, surely. Hsiang bought Ceramics and Hemp in the last mission, wonder what Banpo would want to buy? I sent them some fish to find out. They were delighted and I found out they will buy Wheat and Carved Jade, too. If I only had some Jade to carve…

Hsiang has an early request for Bronzeware. If you meet that on time, they will be glad to trade with you. If not, it might take a gift or two. They will buy Ceramics, Hemp, Wood and the ever-elusive Carved Jade. I put their trading post down by the Mill and close to where the Hemp was planted and set up some clay pits and Kilns near the shoreline.

I sent a Spy out to find out what Bo needs. Rice, Carved Jade and … bronzeware. Spies are expensive, this one cost me $500, but the information was worth it. Retire your Spy after they gather information. If they get caught in the city, it could change their feelings toward you. And this mission is all about being friendly and getting trade partners.

Expand your Bronzeware industry and start selling to Bo.

With the Hsiang trading post near the Mill, you can buy Millet from them to have 3 foods. Your wheat and fish plus Millet equal 3 foods, or Appetizing to evolve the houses to Elegant Dwelling.

Nomads Camp and Qufu are discovered. Send off some small gifts to them, or send a Spy to find out what they will trade. You don’t have to actually trade with 4 cities, just have agreements to trade to meet the goals. Definitely work on Qufu as they will buy Bronzeware.

I added another Wheat and Hemp farm to the map. Also, one woodcutter and an accepting warehouse for 8 wood will keep the Tax Collector supplied. Extra wood can also be sold to Hsiang, right next to the Ceramics. You may have some more requests for Bronzeware and fish, so try to keep a bit in reserve.

You will get a gift of Jade late in the game and you can use that to make the Carved Jade several of the trading partners want. It is a good moneymaker.

Since this mission has a yearly profit requirement, try to be disciplined about decorating with gardens and giving festivals. Your folks will not revolt if you skip a year now and then, but if you are having unrest, you might not want to skip the festivals too often. And don’t forget the gods.

  • Finished Jan 1582
  • 5 trading Partners
  • $4196 yearly profit

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