The old man had no choice but to lead the way dully.
Due to the active horse policy implemented in the Han Dynasty, the number of horses maintained by both officials and private citizens was extremely large.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, "there were horses in the streets and alleys, and there were groups of horses in the streets, and those who were riding horses were not allowed to gather together."
Anyone who rides a mare will be looked down upon by others and may not even be able to mix with others.
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, with the surrender of the Southern Xiongnu, a large number of strong grassland horses were brought.
The nobles of the Southern Huns were happy to use those horses to exchange for gold, silver, jewelry, silk, cloth and other items from the Central Plains.
In the Luoyang horse market, there are several very powerful people, and behind them are the Southern Xiongnu tribe.
With the influx of a large number of Southern Xiongnu horses, the price of horses also plummeted.
The price of an ordinary male horse is between 5,300 and 5,500 yuan, which is only twice the price of a cow.
Yu Xian walked slowly behind the old man while getting words from him.
According to what he meant, it seems that more and more Huns have begun to appear in Luoyang City recently.
Some are here to sell horses, but most of them are large groups of young and strong people coming and going empty.
The old man couldn't help but grumbled a few words, "This big man is going to be in trouble."
Yu Xian nodded silently after hearing this.
At the beginning of the great catastrophe at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu had been extremely active.
Not only did they have a hand in robbing the emperor, but they also alternated between enemies and friends with Yuan Shao, showing a wavering political stance.
Fortunately, both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are rare tyrannical figures.
For many years to come, the Southern Xiongnu could only cease their activities and quietly accumulate strength.
By the late stage of the Eight Kings Rebellion, the Southern Xiongnu tribe had moved south in large numbers and penetrated into the northern lands.
After the Eight Kings Rebellion killed and injured a large number of young people, the population of the Southern Xiongnu also expanded to nearly one-third of the Han people.
The bloody history that followed made it difficult for Yu Xian to face it head-on.
Yu Xian broke the silence and asked, "Isn't this friend of yours also a figure on the stage of the Xiongnu Chanyu?"
The old man shook his head after hearing this, "How could it be possible? At first, some people did this, but later those barbarians learned the lesson, and they sent their children to Luoyang for generations. When those children grew up, the horse market business in Luoyang
, let them take away most of it. Now we Han people can only do mule and horse business with ordinary wealthy households."
Yu Xian asked curiously, "The horse market is in Luoyang, how can we still be bullied by the Huns?"
The old man sighed after hearing this, "On the shore of Sui Tu, could it be that the king's ministers are all the subjects of the Holy Emperor? They are doing business obediently, how can we stop them? Besides, there are only these Xiongnu who live on the grassland all year round.
Only people can capture some rare and exotic species. The horses raised by us Han people in horse pens are really much worse. Whether it is the palace or various government offices, they all like the healthy horses they sell."
At this time, I happened to pass by a horse farm, where the horses were enclosed by short fences, and some people gathered around to comment and talk about the price.
Yu Xian looked at the seller and saw that he was wearing silk clothes and had a jade hairpin on his head. Apart from his unusual appearance, it was impossible to tell that he was a Huns.
The old man followed Yu Xian's gaze and said casually, "These are people from the Fire Cavalry Department. Once I saw two hundred people from the Fire Cavalry Department entering the city, all of them red flame horses, tut tut."
Yu Xian's heart felt slightly heavy.
He had seen Zhang Liao's Black Smoke Horse before and was very afraid of the power of these exotic horses.
If there are a large number of powerful cavalry, the damage they can cause is absolutely fatal.
Yu Xian thought about it and asked casually, "By the way, is there any Wuyanju in this horse market?"
The old man smiled and said, "As long as you pay the minimum price, those Huns can try to get it for you."
Yu Xian nodded.
If there was a chance, he would like to get a good horse to travel with him.
After a while, we arrived at the place where the old friend was.
Yu Xian looked at the facade and found that it was not that big.
The entrance was also fenced with some horses like the other places, but although the horses looked strong, they were not as smart as the Huns horses.
"Forage horses," the old man said, and then led Yu Xian inside.
The two of them entered the room, and the old man took the initiative and said to a somewhat wealthy middle-aged businessman, "Use your room upstairs."
The middle-aged businessman responded readily, "No problem, just go ahead and talk."
After saying that, he even winked at Yu Xian.
Yu Xian felt like an innocent boy kidnapped by a pimp.
Arriving upstairs, as soon as the door was closed, a faint trace of mana flashed through.
Yu Xian was a little surprised.
The old man explained, "Don't be afraid, young man. It's just for sound insulation."
Of course, Yu Xian had nothing to worry about. He had even gone through bad places like the palace, so he naturally didn't worry about any ambush that a pornographic writer could set for him.
Yu Xian said straight to the point, "Since you are a novelist, you must have heard some street talk in the past two days."
The old man smiled proudly after hearing this, "Do you know why the shop owner here is willing to lend me this place?"
Yu Xian was a little puzzled, wondering why the old man had brought the topic here.
He asked doubtfully, "Why?"
The old man said proudly, "Although I am not a popular novelist, I am very good at asking for gossip and gossip about my neighbors."
The old man added, "Many people like to see these things."
"So?" Yu Xian asked.
"So we novelists have a unique way to develop a pair of ears. As long as it's happening in the surrounding area, I can't hide anything. The owner of this store always had trouble doing business, so I eavesdropped for him.
It was only through other people's quotations and supply of goods in the secret room that he gradually started to improve."
Having said this, the old man crossed his legs with a reserved expression.
These words also indirectly responded to Yu Xian's question just now.
With such a pair of ears, knowing a little bit about street talk means nothing.
Yu Xian would have to negotiate the price with the old man later, and of course he didn't want him to be too proud.
Yu Xian pointed to the thin booklet in his sleeve and asked with a half-smile, "So, do you use this skill to listen to corners?"
"Uh." The old man looked a little confused.
He said straightforwardly, "Since you are looking for the little old man, let's just talk about it. Who are you and what do you want the little old man to do? If the little old man can help, the little old man will naturally not
I will shirk it. If the little old man is not that incompetent, he also hopes that our business will not be done. Of course, helping requires money."
Yu Xian nodded when he heard this, and said to him seriously, "To be honest, I am the wanted Imperial Preceptor. Now the wind in the city has changed, and the fate of the new dynasty seems to lie with the Prime Minister. Can you help me find a way to solve this problem?