Chapter 37: Entering the Path of Right and Wrong (4)

  The geographical location of Yuyang is very good, which also led to the prosperity of Yuyang City. To the east is Goguryeo, to the north is Khitan, and to the northwest is Tuyuhun. Trade with the three kingdoms, even as far away as Silla, Baekje, and Japan, has made the economy here prosperous. The standard of living of ordinary people is also significantly higher than in other places. Seeing the common people setting up stalls on the street, haggling over prices, Xiao Shouren felt that although this place is not far from the battlefield, it seems to have been affected very little.

  Xiao Shouren had already thought it through, other things could be dispensed with, but now this female assassin was injured and probably couldn't move, so he had to buy a horse carriage for her to sit in. He himself wouldn't be able to sit inside the carriage with her, so he also needed to buy a good horse and hire a coachman to drive it.

  He asked the shopkeeper if there were any horses for sale, and the shopkeeper hemmed and hawed for a long time. Finally, Xiao Shouren understood what he was getting at - it seemed that all he wanted was an opening fee. After paying half a tael of silver as the opening fee, the shopkeeper suddenly became much more brisk and articulate, and his previous stuttering and tongue-tiedness disappeared completely.

  "See that scoundrel at the gate? Go ask him, he can help you buy a horse." The innkeeper pointed to a man with a goatee beard at the entrance of the inn.

  Xiao Shouren finally understood what it means to be a businessman! This is what a real businessman looks like!

  A sentence took away half a tael of silver from Xiao Shouren, the currency of the Sui Dynasty was mostly calculated in guan, but also used cloth and gold and silver, all due to war reasons. One tael of gold is equivalent to four taels of white silver, not ten taels as people would think, and one tael of white silver can be worth 2,500 to 3,000 copper coins. One tael of white silver can support a ordinary family for two months, the shopkeeper took away a month's expenses from a family with just one sentence.

  Xiao Shouren stopped responding after listening to the shopkeeper's words and went straight to the Han man at the door to ask about buying a horse. If he continued to talk to this cunning shopkeeper, Xiao Shouren would probably have to pay more money.

  "That fellow over there, I'm thinking of buying a horse and a carriage to replace the ones that were lost, do you think you could provide some assistance?" asked Xiao Shouren as he walked up beside the man with the whiskers.

  "Of course, no problem! You want to buy a horse, right? Follow me." As soon as the bearded man heard that Xiao Shouren wanted to buy a horse, he immediately smiled and didn't care whether Xiao Shouren was willing or not. He grabbed Xiao Shouren's hand and pulled him outside.

  Xiao Shouren felt quite uncomfortable in his heart, a big man being pulled by another big man with a large beard on the street, what kind of situation is this? If it's someone he doesn't know, that's fine, but if it's someone he knows, they'll think he has a strong possessiveness, and now he's even taken over Li Yu's title of Jade Flute Master, and also taken over his Dragon Yang's favor.

  Xiao Shouren had already figured it out when he was caught by the big beard, this big beard is not an ordinary horse seller, this is a master.

  As soon as Xiao Shouren touched the man's wrist, he felt it. The big bearded man's palm and tiger mouth, as well as the underside of his fingers, were all calloused. If it were an ordinary person, they would only have callouses on their palms and the joints between their fingers when doing farm work. But this big bearded man had callouses everywhere, which explained a lot. The callouses on his tiger mouth and palm were likely due to years of holding and wielding a knife, while those on the underside of his fingers were clearly from drawing a bow and shooting arrows. Xiao Shouren became vigilant.

  This big bearded man was of average build, but when walking on the street, he was not ordinary. When walking, his feet had a large stride and an air of momentum, so kind-hearted people dared not to provoke him. As soon as he walked onto the street, the crowd would automatically make way for him. So, following the big bearded man, Xiao Shouren had a smooth journey, turning seven or eight times before being led into a small alley. After entering through a small gate in the alley, Xiao Shouren found that it was indeed a different world. This small alley actually had a large courtyard, and it seemed that he had entered through the back door earlier.

  After entering the courtyard, the big beard did not stay, but instead took Xiao Shouren forward, passing through two small courtyards before arriving at a very spacious villa.

  Before entering, Xiao Shouren asked, "A strong smell of horse urine!" Covering his nose, he followed Da Hu Zi and walked in. One look and he was shocked.

  It can't be called a guest house at all, because the guest houses are generally inhabited by people, and they are all guests. However, what Xiao Shouren saw was not human, but three rows of stables, which were all horses, with various hair types, including curly-haired, straight-haired, mixed-haired, white, yellow, and black, tall and short, different heights. At this time, the horses in the stable were lazily kicking their hooves and rubbing their bodies from time to time, probably because they had eaten and drunk enough.

  It's clear that this is a major transit point for horses, and there are at least fifty horses in this courtyard alone. But who knows how many smaller courtyards like this one are hidden within the larger compound? And how many such large compounds exist within the city of Youcheng?

  "Friends, choose one from the past, but remember, the horses in the eastern stable are not to be chosen, they are left for our own use." said the big beard.

  Xiao Shouren didn't notice what the big bearded man was saying at this time, he was already stunned by seeing so many horses. In his previous life, besides working, he liked to go out for adventures and ride horses on the racing track. Although he wasn't very knowledgeable about horses, he had some basic understanding of them. At a glance, he found that the horses in the eastern stable were the best group of horses in this small villa.

  Xiao Shouren involuntarily walked towards the eastern row of stables, selecting the best horse from that row as he went.

  "Friend, I've already told you, we're not selling this row of horses." The big-bearded man saw Xiao Shouren come in and immediately ran straight to the east horse stable, and quickly followed up to explain.

  "Huh? Why not sell? I'm here to buy a horse for Ma Daitou, who's going on a long journey. Of course, we need the best horse. Just by looking at these stables, it's clear that these horses are the best in this courtyard. Their eyes are bright and spirited, their legs may not be the thickest, but they give off a strong and healthy impression, with explosive power and good endurance for long-distance travel. Their coats are smooth, no curly or mixed hairs, purebred horses, and I even saw one with red sweat dripping from its body in the middle, that should be the legendary Akhal-Teke horse from Dayuan country!" asked Xiao Shouren.

  "I didn't expect my friend to be an expert in this field, no mistake, what you said earlier was all correct, but the one with blood and sweat is not the Akhal-Teke horse, but a crossbreed of the Ili horse from the Wusun Kingdom and the Akhal-Teke horse. Although its bloodline is not pure, there isn't a single mixed hair on its body. This Ili horse has a tall and sturdy build, with a compact structure, small head, agile, big eyes, high neck, strong limbs, whether it's used to form light cavalry or heavy cavalry, it can handle it well. Combined with the advantages of the Akhal-Teke horse, this offspring is even better. Our boss calls it the Ili-Akhal-Teke horse." Big Beard introduced.

  "Well, then I'll take that Ilkhan blood horse. How much?" asked Xiao Shouren.

  "This one, that one, all say they won't sell, what's wrong with you?" The big bearded man's eyes flickered, occasionally glancing at the small door of the other courtyard to see if anyone was coming in.

  "Brother, just name a price, I can tell from your eyes that if the price is reasonable, you'll sell it to me. There are so many horses here, after buying one from you, you can just grab another one to make up for it. The yard is so big, I think there should be more than one person in charge of selling horses? Even if someone finds out that the horse is gone, who would know it was you who sold it? Besides, brother, what are you getting out of selling horses? You're just doing it for others and to fill your own belly. Now, if you sell me this Ilkhan blood horse, you can turn in a regular horse's price to your boss, but I'll give you a high price, and you can live comfortably for many years."

  Can't help but admit that Xiao Shouren is very good at guessing the mind of Da Hu Zi, just a servant, it's impossible to think about what big picture, what master's interests and so on, if all things are done like this, it can only explain one thing, that is, the servant's heart is firmly rooted in his heart, deeply rooted in his bones, and the blood flowing through his veins is all the blood of a servant.

  Obviously, Big Beard is not a man of great integrity or high ideological awareness. He's just an ordinary commoner who watches his master indulge in lavish food and drink every day, while he himself toils away selling horses for only a little travel expense. Meanwhile, that fat-headed and big-eared master spends all day eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, yet can earn a chest full of gold. Who wouldn't feel resentful? Didn't Chen Sheng, the ancestor of the poor, say it long ago: "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born with noble blood?" Are these gold, silver, copper, and iron coins also born with their own masters when they're minted?

  "Good, good, you're a real talker, I admit it, you've convinced me. One price, one thousand two hundred, in gold!" The big-bearded man opened his mouth and asked for the sky.

  "Haha, brother, you're joking. In the past, there was Yan Zhao Wang who spent a thousand gold coins to buy a horse's bone, but up until now, I've never heard of anyone actually willing to spend a thousand gold coins on a horse's bone. These are just exaggerated claims. Today, I am not Yan Zhao Wang, nor am I Guo Huai, and this horse is not the legendary steed that can run a thousand miles in one day. Whether it's worth a thousand gold coins or not is beside the point; the key is that this horse doesn't even belong to you! If I really wanted to spend a thousand gold coins on a horse, I'd rather go negotiate with your master directly. Maybe next time I come to buy a horse, your master will give me a discount!"

  As for haggling over prices, Xiao Shouren was quite skilled at it. Now, Xiao Shouren had made up his mind about one thing: this big-bearded man didn't dare make things bigger than they needed to be. He himself didn't care; if worst came to worst, he could just not buy the horse. But if he were to blow things out of proportion, this big-bearded man would find it hard to get away scot-free. A servant who betrayed his master and secretly schemed against him was the most despicable kind of person.

  This weather is ridiculously hot, how can anyone sleep in this heat? It's truly a tragedy. By the way, please click, collect and vote for me, and leave a message too! Oh, and if you want to discuss the plot with me, feel free to add my QQ number as a friend.