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?"
First he asked a rhetorical question, and Zheng Pufang said clearly, "This war horse will be Ge Jun's mount from now on!"
"Ah~~~~"
Although he had some understanding, Zhuge Ke was still speechless and surprised.
The horse he is riding today is no less impressive than the war horse raised at the Xiaolongshan Horse Ranch, which costs 5,000 hu of grain!
The two of them had no friendship, but Zheng Pu bluntly said that he would give it to him. How could he not be surprised?
"Jun Zheng is so generous, I am heartbroken!"
After praising loudly, Zhuge Ke quickly bowed his hands in salute, but declined, "A gentleman will not win love from others, or he will not be rewarded without merit. Please forgive me, Mr. Zheng, for not being able to accept such a generous gift."
"Haha, Mr. Ge can certainly tolerate it."
Zheng Pu waved his hand and said with a gurgling smile, "This horse was given to me by the leader of the Qiang people when I was in Didao, Longxi. I have my own mount and I have a close friendship with Brother Bosong, so I decided to give it to him. However, Bosong
Brother said, let me give it to Mr. Ge. If Mr. Ge cannot accept it, wouldn’t it mean that he has missed Brother Bosong’s deep love?"
"Ah, Nai Bosong asked Mr. Zheng to give it to me as a gift?"
Zhuge Ke was surprised again.
"Of course."
Nodding, Zheng Pu calmed down and said with some emotion, "Jun Ge didn't know something. After Brother Bosong came to Shu, he missed Jun Ge a lot as his respected father, and he often felt ashamed that he could not serve as a filial pawn. Now let me use a good horse.
I am passing this gift on to you in gratitude to Mr. Ge, Mr. Gu, Mr. Laoti and Mr. Ge."
Well.
Zhuge Ke was silent.
When he was young, Fang's face was full of melancholy and he sighed, "Oh, Bo Song's temperament is still the same as before."
He no longer refused, but handed over his hand to Zheng Pu as a gift, "In that case, I will accept it. Thank you very much for the gift of the horse from Mr. Zheng! If Mr. Zheng comes to Jiangdong in the future, I will go out hundreds of miles to play the harp and the sheng."
Welcome and repay today's kindness!"
"What Mr. Ge said is too much! It's too much!"
Waving his hands repeatedly, Zheng Pu burst into laughter.
Immediately, while walking side by side, they asked about the scenery of Jiangdong in detail.
Walk and talk, laugh and talk.
When he was young, he walked to the Lu family's residence and Zheng Pu led Zhuge Ke out to a banquet where a trickle of water flowed around the mountain.
This banquet was hosted by someone who was well versed in the family's hospitality style.
They were seated at the main and secondary tables. On the tables were meat soup, fish dumplings, salted vegetables, millet rice, and miso soup. The maidservants were gathered around, warming the wine and waiting to be poured out. The servants were roasting lamb not far away.
The only thing missing is the music of silk and bamboo to make people sing and dance wildly.
However, after sitting at the table, Zhuge Ke's mind was not on whether he had fun or not.
Instead, he looked at the busy maids in surprise.
The servants of the Lu family all have their hair braided in the left lapel, their skin is dark and shiny, and they actually wear ornaments on their wrists and ankles. And occasionally, you can hear their whispered words, which makes people feel like birdsong.
Dressed up like this, it is natural that they are not Han people.
Could it be that the Han Dynasty is still taking the barbarians from various counties in the south and turning them into servants?
Zhuge Ke was confused and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zheng, where are these servants from?"
"This is a native of Yongchang County."
After raising the wine cup and inviting the cup to be filled, Zheng Pufang said with a smile, "We in Han Dynasty are a small country with few people and limited labor. Now that Longyou has been recaptured, both Hanzhong and Wudu County have no solid civilian base, so that the sergeants of Longyou's ministries
All food and crops are transported from Shu. The road to Shu is difficult and the transportation is very painful, which can be said to be half the result with twice the effort. Therefore, I, a big man, used Shu Brocade tea and other items to trade with the native chiefs of various tribes in Yongchang County in exchange for some slaves to serve as laborers.
."
After saying this, he closed his eyes and shook his head and sighed.
"Alas, it's a pity that Yongchang County is remote and has a large territory. Many native tribes are hard to find. The slaves returned in exchange are very few, and it is difficult to make up for the labor shortage of the court."
Labor shortage?
So they wantonly sought out native barbarian tribesmen in exchange for maidservants?
Subtly, there was a glimmer of light in Zhuge Ke's eyes.
Likewise, it reminds me of the Battle of Hanzhong in the past, when Wei Wu and Cao Cao saw that they could not win, so when they retreated, they moved all the people of Hanzhong and Wudu counties away.
Since a big man can exchange Shu Brocade tea leaves and other items for his maidservants, I wonder if the same goes for war horses?
In the Jiaozhou area of Wu State, there are more native barbarian tribes. Many of them are disobedient to the king and often raise troops to cause trouble.
"Why should Mr. Zheng be worried?"
In an instant, his mind was filled with thoughts, and Zhuge Ke smiled happily, "Those who persevere, things will come true. Although I am not talented, I dare to say that your country will be able to find countermeasures to alleviate the worries of a small population and insufficient labor."
After saying this, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, saying with the bottom of the cup, "I have received a horse as a gift from Mr. Zheng. I have nothing to repay, so I will use this wine to express my feelings!"
"You don't have to be like this, Mr. Ge."
Zheng Pu smiled gurglingly, waved his hands modestly, and said, "The horse you donated is just an ordinary horse's ears, so it's not worth mentioning. If Mr. Ge cares about it, I'm afraid I will feel uneasy!"
"Hahaha~~~~"
Zhuge Ke laughed and praised, "Zheng Jun is really a gentleman!"
There was a lot of drinking and drinking, talking and laughing.
After there was a faint hint of drunkenness on the two people's faces, Zhuge Ke mentioned the war horse transaction again.
"Zheng Jun, can the price of war horses be a little more generous? To be honest, our country's grain reserves are not abundant and it is unbearable. And before I came to your country, the emperor of our country told me that the price of war horses can be 2,500 yuan per horse.
Hu'er. Now that Mr. Zheng paid twice as much, I really can't return the favor."
After saying this, without waiting for Zheng Pu to reply, he added quickly, "I know that your country is also in short supply of war horses, and it is already rare for you to be willing to sell them to our country. However, our two countries' alliance will benefit each other.
Please also ask Zheng Jun to think about it. If our troops leave Huainan in the future and there are cavalry on the battlefield, can Wei An not send more troops to defend it and slow down the war in your country?"
Um.
Zheng Pu made a slight nasal sound, but did not answer immediately.
Instead, he closed his eyes and pondered for a while, then opened his eyes and said, "I don't agree with what Mr. Ge said. However, your country's estimated price is really too low. Even if I want to make some concessions, I can't make the trip."
Immediately, Zhuge Ke's eyes lit up when he heard this, "I wonder how much Zheng Jun will give me for mercy?"
"Each horse can be exchanged for 4,500 hu of grain."
Zheng Pu nodded and returned with a smile, and continued to warn, "The price set like this is my bottom line as a big man. Ge Jun doesn't have to argue anymore. However, since Ge Jun claims that your country's grain reserves are not abundant, why not exchange some first?"
Are you going to ride back on draft animals? Or are you going to replace a small number of war horses and go back to train the cavalry?"
What use does my country of Wu need that riding draft animal?
Furthermore, more than two hundred cavalry can only serve as scouts in the army!
After hearing this, Zhuge Ke couldn't help but curse.
