Chapter 153 Further Discussion

Ji County.

Zhuge Ke, dressed in regular clothes, walked slowly back to the envoy's temporary residence.

When Zheng Pu first negotiated the war horse trade three days ago, after Zheng Pu pulled Guan Xing away, he also asked his retinue to say, "Ge Jun is now aware of the majestic appearance of the war horse and the price. Whether to trade, you can go back to Hebei County to think about it first."

I."

He blocked his intention to negotiate the price first.

Therefore, he just went to find Zhuge Qiao.

It's not that I intend to ask Zhuge Qiao to intercede, or to ask Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to give me a small price.

It is official business to come here to buy war horses.

No matter how unwise he is, he will not try to rely on the fact that blood is thicker than water to make noise and make Langya Zhuge's laughing stock.

He was expressing his long-awaited farewell to his compatriots.

Naturally, it is unavoidable to use Zhuge Qiao's close friendship with Zheng Pu to make subtle asides, in order to accurately understand Zheng Pu's personality, etc., to see if it is possible to find opportunities for changes in the price of war horses.

However, after he had a general understanding, he felt a little sad.

"Zheng Jun's family is knowledgeable and resourceful. People at that time said that he was similar to the great Han Yihou of the past. He was upright, decisive and capable. He liked to make jokes in private, but he was serious and never neglected when he was in office. Now he is discussing with his brother.

In state affairs, we must be strict and not shy."

Zhuge Qiao asserted this.

It also made Zhuge Ke realize that Zheng Pu could not change his mind unless the Prime Minister of Han Dynasty told him so!

However, Zhuge Ke, who became famous in Jiangdong at a young age and was loved by Sun Quan, was never a slow-witted person.

I couldn't help but have doubts.

Since Mr. Zheng is known for his resourcefulness, would he put his words above the price of his war horse and not mean what he said?

With this idea in mind, after he returned to his former residence, he was delighted to visit Longyou for the first time and wanted to know the people, local customs and customs, so he sent out all his followers to find out the news.

Even the news returned from the inquiry vaguely confirmed what Zheng Pu said.

For example, the Han Dynasty had banned alcohol for a long time, and even the grain tenants in the fields in Longyou were rationed according to the military system.

For example, the nephews and officials of the Yizhou wealthy family who live in Longyou rarely travel by horse-drawn carriages. There are also the strict military personnel in Tianshui County who travel very frequently.

In other words, the Han Dynasty today does not have abundant food and war horses.

Moreover, the sergeants of all the troops in Longyou were well prepared and prepared to march to Liangzhou with high morale.

Under such circumstances, the big man should not sell his war horse.

After all, war horses are strategic materials and are not enough for the Han army's own use. If they were sold to Soochow at a low price, how could the soldiers have no complaints?

This is the reason why Prime Minister Zhuge Liang ordered Zheng Pu to take charge of the war horse trade.

Zheng Pu has been leading the army for many years. He knows the thoughts of the officers and soldiers very well, and he has achieved great reputation for his repeated military exploits.

Let him claim that this is a temporary expedient for the reasons of "maintaining the common alliance between the two countries against Wei and exchanging war horses for abundant grain", so that there will be no complaints among the Han army.

The original intention of selling war horses was to provide fodder for the sergeants!

well.

It may be difficult to negotiate the price again.

Zhuge Ke sighed sadly.

However, no matter how difficult it is, we have to discuss it again.

First, if Jiangdong wants to build cavalry, the only option is to purchase war horses from the Han Dynasty.

Another reason is that before he went on his mission, the courtiers in Jiangdong had made a decision. Knowing that the Han Dynasty was in short supply of grain and fodder, they roughly set the price of each war horse at three thousand dendrobium of fodder.

At most, it cannot exceed 3,500 dendrobium.

Such expectations were so far apart from reality that he was unable to return and report back.

He was conceited and had learned a lot, and he was appointed as the prince's assistant by Sun Quan. He was not allowed to go on his first mission for both public and private purposes, so he returned in vain.

Furthermore, the current atmosphere of the Wu Kingdom is no longer the same as in the past when Sun Ce looked down upon the six counties east of the Yangtze River~~

When Sun Ce crossed the Yangtze River and headed south, he had few generals and few soldiers, so he hired talents regardless of their background.

Countless thieves, thieves, and other low-ranking people, as long as they have talent and are willing to serve, they will be granted authority by Sun Ce and be given high status and honor.

However, it is a pity that Sun Ce died early.

Sun Quan, who came to the throne at a young age, in order to stabilize the situation and seek long-term peace and stability, has adopted a tolerant approach to the wealthy families since he took charge of Jiangdong. With the passing of the older generations of patriarchs one after another, it has evolved into a wealthy family leading the trend.

Admiring fame, being extravagant, obsessed with glitz, etc.

Zhuge Ke, who was living in Jiangdong, was not exempt from vulgarity.

He is known for his talent and quick wit. If he returns without success and his reputation is damaged, he may be ruined by his contemporaries.

Alas, let’s try again!

Even if the Han court is allowed to make a slight concession, it can be regarded as a small gain from this mission, which can be used by Your Majesty and other ministers for detailed review.

After some thought, Zhuge Ke went to look for Zheng Pu again.

Well, now Zheng Pu is also in Ji County.

The war horse has been displayed to Wu Shi, and the price has not yet been negotiated, so he does not need to stay at Xiaolongshan Horse Ranch.

Quite coincidentally, as soon as he left the house, he saw Zheng Pu riding his horse and approaching slowly.

"General Ge Jun wants to go out and do evil?"

Zheng Pu jumped off his horse vigorously, handed the reins of the horse to his attendants, and stepped forward to ask questions.

Hearing this, Zhuge Ke smiled sternly, "I am going to find Zheng Jun'er!"

"That's just right."

Nodding lightly, Zheng Pu also smiled and waved his hand to ask the servant behind him to lead a horse, "I have some free time now, so I wanted to invite Jun Ge to go to Luo Men Ju to go on a trip with me. I don't know if Jun Ge is free. no?"

Luomenju is located in the west of Ji County.

It was the ancient battlefield where the Han Dynasty came to save the country, and Geng Yan and others broke through Luomen and forced Wei Xiao's young son Wei Chun to surrender, ending the separatist regime of Longyou.

Zheng Pu's maternal brother Lu Huang moved to Longyou and settled in Luomenju.

I came here today to invite Zhuge Ke to a private banquet.

It's just that the motives are a little impure.

For example, because Zhuge Ke would definitely become an important minister of Sun Wu in the future, he wanted to make friends with him in order to find accomplices in the future Northern Expedition against Wei. He also wanted to take the opportunity to learn about Sun Wu's current situation and continue to discuss the sale of war horses.

He has not yet shown Zhuge Ke the excellent Longyou war horse!

"Zheng Jun invites you, how dare I disobey you?"

In response to the joke, Zhuge Ke did not refuse, turned sideways and gave instructions to his followers for a few words, then took the reins of the horse and jumped up, riding side by side with Zheng Pu.

When they were in the city, the speed of the two horses was still slow.

When they reached a place with few people outside the city, Zheng Pu kept urging the war horse to speed up.

And every time he accelerated, he would turn his head to see if Zhuge Ke could keep up, as if he was intent on comparing his riding skills.

As a messenger with a competitive nature, how could Zhuge Ke be willing to show weakness?

He also frequently urged his horses to follow him closely.

It was quite a gallop.

When the Lu family's residence came into view outside the family gathering, Zheng Pufang slowed down, dismounted and led the war horse on foot.

"Jun Ge's riding skills are superb, and can be compared with the elite cavalry in the army."

Zheng Pu took the water bag from the retinue behind him and praised it with a smile when he handed it to Zhuge Ke.

After finishing his words, without waiting for his reply, he raised his hat to the war horse and asked, "What do you think of this horse, Mr. Ge?"

"Very good!"

Zhuge Ke, who rarely rode a horse, stretched out his hand to caress the horse and replied with a happy smile, "This horse is quite fast and steady when galloping. It is indeed a good horse!"

"Hahaha~~~~~"

Zheng Pu laughed and nodded repeatedly, "If Mr. Ge is happy, I can feel at ease."

Um?

Can I feel at ease if I feel happy?

Could it be

Hearing this, Zhuge Ke raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in surprise, "How can Jun Zheng explain what he said?"

"With Ge Jun's wisdom, how can he not understand this?"
To be continued...