Hearing a question from the patriarch of the White House Tribe, You Fu smiled and said.
"Most of the public revenue of our Han Tribe comes from two main sources. One is taxes—the agricultural produce that every household turns over to the tribe, mainly grain, as well as farm products such as cotton, hemp, oil, and paint.
"The other is the operating income from government-run factories. For example, our Han Tribe has a government monopoly on salt and iron. If our people want salt, they can only buy salt produced in the tribe-owned saltworks. As for iron, our Han Tribe currently has only one large government-run Steel Mill, which supplies all the tribe's demand for iron. If our people want to make ironware, they can only buy it from the government. These revenues are the main income of the Government Office that represents the tribe. The salaries paid to teachers, workers, soldiers, and officials all come from this income."
The patriarchs widened their eyes as they listened. It took them a long time to sort out the connections. Such an advanced system of administration was something they could never have imagined. Yet the Han Tribe had not only thought of it, but implemented it so well. That alone was enough to earn their admiration and envy.
After gaining a general understanding of the Han Tribe's structure, the patriarchs returned to the crucial question.
"Fu, then how can we obtain your Han Tribe's money? If we had Han Tribe money and came to buy things from you, would you sell them to our tribe?"
This was the White House Tribe's greatest concern. No matter how good the Han Tribe was, it would all be meaningless if they refused to sell them those advanced goods.
"Of course we can sell them to