The Sword Tasting Conference at Zhujian Villa has always been very popular among Jianghu people. This time Huo Tianya sent out more invitations than before. In addition to the various martial arts sects in Jianghu, there are also many Jianghu unofficials.
Among the invited.
Zhujian Villa has a great reputation, and its owner Huo Tianya is famous for being a hot-blooded person who can carry people in a sedan chair. All the friends in the world are willing to give him this face.
In addition, there were many disturbances in the world a few years ago. The Wuyue Wudang Beggar Clan took turns to cause trouble, making the whole world uneasy. Now when they hear that any sect wants to do some work, everyone will avoid it.
Fortunately, the Sword Making Villa has never been involved in disputes between Jianghu and Jianghu. For many people, this Sword Tasting Conference is a rare event that they can safely attend.
The Jianghu people who were frightened by Wudang Wuyue had been holding back for more than half a year, and finally they could come out and take a breath.
Zhujian Villa is located in the northwest. In addition to Jianghu guests from various sects in the Central Plains, there are also many swordsmen from the Gobi Desert and even some foreigners who came here to attend the sword tasting conference.
After leaving Xijing and walking along the official road, the scenery on both sides slowly changed. Occasionally, business groups could be seen coming and going. The sky was high and the sky was high. The carriages stopped and stopped. The two little heads clinging to the window made a sound from time to time.
Two exclamations.
"Qiqi, look over there, what a big horse!" Shangluo said, pointing to some foreigners driving by.
Princess Yongle looked in the direction pointed by Shangluo. The horses brought by the foreigners were indeed very tall and much stronger than those seen in the Central Plains.
"That should be a foreign caravan coming for trade."
As a princess of the royal family, Yongle naturally has more knowledge than Shangluo. She explained: "It is said that such tall horses can only be raised in high and cold places. Foreigners will raise them and transport them to the pass to exchange for them."
Tea, silk and other goods from the Central Plains."
"So this is ah."
Shangluo nodded, then turned around and looked at Lu Hanjiang, who was wrapped in a big cotton coat in the carriage, and asked, "Xiao Lu, have you ever ridden a big horse like that?"
Lu Hanjiang turned over lazily and yawned sleepily. The first month had just passed. They left the capital all the way to the northwest. They ate and played all the way. In addition to the fatigue of traveling and traveling, they didn't know where these two girls came from.
Such a good spirit.
The eyes of the two girls were like gleams on their backs. Lu Hanjiang could only pull himself together and said: "The tea-horse trade has been around for a long time. Although the imperial court only occasionally opened the trade to each other, there were indeed quite a lot of horses exchanged. I must be riding one."
Passed."
This is not a boast. Most of the tall horses obtained through the tea-horse trade are war horses. Naturally, the imperial guards and imperial guards were the first to benefit from such good things.
After listening to Lu Hanjiang's words, Shangluo seemed to be attracted by something again. She stuck her head out of the car window again and asked abruptly: "Xiao Lu, how much does this horse cost?"
Lu Hanjiang replied dully: "A good horse can at least be exchanged for a hundred pounds of tea."
Shangluo was thoughtful, and then asked: "Xiao Lu, buying and selling this kind of horse can only be done with the help of the imperial court?"
Lu Hanjiang stretched out and said slowly: "Officially, this is naturally the case, but businessmen value profits, and those foreigners are not honest, and occasionally smuggle some to others. There are also many horse-loving heroes in the world.
Not so much, maybe someone has bought it."
As he said this, Lu Hanjiang was suddenly startled. He sat up with his cotton-padded clothes in his arms. Most of the sleepiness in his eyes was gone. He looked at Shangluo in surprise and asked, "Wait a minute, why are you asking this? You are not planning to engage in military horse smuggling."
Bar?"
"No, Xiao Lu, what do you think of me?"
Shangluo said angrily, and then pointed at the foreign business group that stopped outside: "I saw that that person had been negotiating the price with the other party for a long time. I was quite curious, so I asked."
Lu Hanjiang also looked out through the car window. It turned out that there was another group of people in front of the foreign business group. They were dressed in white, with long swords at their waists, and special sword patterns on their cuffs and collars.
He is a disciple of Zhujian Villa.
Lu Hanjiang signaled the coachman to stop, and they stayed far away, listening to what was going on over there.
The leading disciple of the Sword Making Villa was very young, and looked a bit younger than Lu Hanjiang. Behind him were four or five disciples of the same age, and there was a middle-aged man standing next to him. Judging from his behavior, it seemed that his status was not as good as that of the young man.
The two parties were arguing over the price of the white horse. The young man was red-faced and the foreigner was holding a tea brick in his hand and looking left and right, muttering in his mouth, seemingly dissatisfied.
With Lu Hanjiang's martial arts, he could hear their conversation clearly just by holding his breath and concentrating his inner strength to strengthen his six senses. Unfortunately, the two girls could not. Yongle did not know martial arts at all, and Shangluo did not have enough inner strength.
The two girls looked at Lu Hanjiang eagerly, but he had no choice but to say, "If you want to see the excitement, come closer. Remember our identities that we have arranged in advance, so as not to reveal our secrets."
As soon as Lu Hanjiang nodded, the two girls got out of the car and passed happily. However, facing so many foreigners, Yongle was still a little worried, so he pulled him along.
Lu Hanjiang wrapped himself up in a thick robe like a big rice dumpling, keeping his scarf and gloves on, and then slowly followed Yongle.
When the carriage of three people stopped, the two parties didn't pay attention yet, they were just arguing over the price of the horse.
The young man frowned and said: "With the reputation of my Sword Making Villa guaranteed, you have nothing to worry about. If you are still doubtful, I can make a written note. Whatever you owe today, I will double it up in the future."
yes."
After the young master finished speaking, the foreigners on the other side communicated in dialect, and then an interpreter came forward, speaking with an obscure Central Plains accent, and said awkwardly: "Young master, please forgive me, my master is doing a one-shot deal.
One hundred and twenty kilograms of tea is one hundred and twenty kilograms, no less."
"You! Why are you so unkind!" The young man was a little angry.
At this time, the steward came forward and said: "This foreign friend, our Zhujian Villa has also done business with other members of your tribe. At that time, the price of a horse was eighty pounds of tea. What you are doing today is not
It’s authentic.”
The translator explained: "The quality of the horse is different, and the price is also different. This guest, we originally wanted to sell this white horse to a nobleman in the capital, and we set a price of 150 kilograms of tea. Now because of the
My master was entrusted by someone to do business with you, and for the friend's sake, we reduced the price by thirty kilograms."
"this......"
The steward was a little speechless. In fact, he knew deep down in his heart that the white horse was the best. The price of 120 kilograms of tea was actually very fair. Thanks to the favor he had with Zhujian Villa, the price was even a little cheap.
.
Unfortunately, the reality is that they are short of money now, and it would be better if they could save some.
Thinking about the status their Sword Making Villa once had in the world, but now they have to lower themselves to engage in a verbal spat over so many kilograms of tea. Sensing the faint contempt in the other party's eyes, the manager was both angry and helpless.
At this time, the steward caught a glimpse of the three people walking in the distance. He didn't think it was a big deal, but he looked at the girl who was walking in the front and looked like she was just watching the excitement. She actually had the dog-beating stick of the leader of the Beggar Clan hanging on her waist.
.
Now, the things that the manager had been having trouble with at first were straightened out.
"One hundred and twenty pounds, just one hundred and twenty pounds, we bought it!"