ATPnovel Chapter 21 Selling the Horse
Chapter 21 Selling the Horse
Tian Yu was deeply shocked. He had joined the army at a young age and had been treated as a minor official who only wrote and drew pictures.
No one had ever valued him so highly, let alone compared him to an army of 100,000.
The young man's ambition and sense of being recognized and appreciated surged into his heart, and he knelt down and bowed deeply to Liu Bei!
His voice was clear and firm as he declared, "Though I am unworthy, I am willing to serve my lord with the utmost loyalty, until death do us part!"
Liu Bei quickly stepped forward and helped the two of them up with both hands.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Please rise, both of you!"
"With your two assistance, it's like adding wings to a tiger; what is there to worry about in achieving our great cause!"
"From now on, let us be of one heart and one mind, jointly guard western Liaoning, protect the people, and achieve great things together!"
As the sun set, its afterglow bathed the three of them, as if draping them in a layer of light.
At this moment, Liu Bei was in a great mood, more cheerful than ever before. It seemed that the feeling of recruiting talents in his dream had returned!
Liu Bei's mind also began to stir; there were many talented people in Youzhou!
Not to mention Taishi Ci, Liu Zheng, Guan Ning, and others who later sought refuge in Liaodong.
There are quite a few even in Youzhou itself.
For example, Cheng Pu was from Tuyin County, Youbeiping Commandery. He initially served as a prefectural and county official. He was handsome, resourceful, and good at responding to situations.
Han Dang was from Lingzhi County, Liaoxi Commandery. His early career had no clear record of official positions. He was appreciated by Sun Jian for his skill in archery and horsemanship and his extraordinary strength, and was directly recruited into the staff based on his martial prowess.
These two are nearby and seem like they could be recruited.
According to Liu Bei's dream, these two men had not yet risen to prominence and would only be recruited after the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out and Sun Jian entered Youzhou to quell the rebellion.
The more Liu Bei thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He was eager to write a letter to recruit the two men, but they didn't even have a place to stay.
Liu Bei glanced at Xu Rong and Tian Yu, then said frankly, "Haha, don't be afraid of Yuan Zhao and Guo Rang laughing at us, we don't even have a place to stay right now, we'll probably have to sleep on the streets tonight!"
Tian Yu shook his head and smiled, "Our lord is a hidden dragon in the abyss; how fortunate we are to have been able to weather these difficult times together!"
"Hahaha!"
The three of them looked at each other and smiled, their relationship becoming much closer!
Then, Tian Yu smiled and said, "My lord, we must eventually build a residence, which can not only settle our subordinates but also serve as a place for governing."
"In the future, with many people coming and going, our lord will need a stable place to receive guests!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei nodded slowly.
Although he now receives a salary from the prefectural government, it is meager and limited. The rations and basic military equipment provided to Hou Chong's personal guards are funded by public funds.
However, miscellaneous expenses such as the residence, horse care, and rewards for personal guards must be raised by oneself.
Of the sixty-two Xianbei warhorses he had previously received, ten were given to Xipingbao, thirty were given to Gongsun Zan, and twenty-two remained. These were his most valuable possessions at the moment.
"There is no other way at the moment but to sell a few warhorses to raise money to buy a house."
Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "The Xianbei warhorses are fine horses from the grasslands, hardy and drought-resistant, suitable for riding in the border regions. The Yang family has been engaged in trade for generations, so they will surely find them useful."
"You shall come with me with ten horses to the Yang residence. Xu Rong shall stay behind to look after the guards and the remaining warhorses."
Liu Bei left behind twelve horses, which was just enough for the twelve of them for daily use.
Any more than that, and it's useless to raise them, and it's just a waste of money and food!
The remaining ten horses should be enough for them to live on for a while.
Tian Yu bowed in agreement, then carefully instructed, "My lord, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, the price of warhorses in the border regions has remained high, especially the fine Xianbei horses, which are extremely scarce."
"As far as I know, in Youzhou today, an ordinary border warhorse is worth about five to eight thousand coins, while a fine Xianbei horse can sell for more than ten thousand coins, and the best ones can even reach tens of thousands of coins."
"The horses we've acquired this time are all strong and healthy, and we're sure to get a good price for them."
He was meticulous and made the price clear to Liu Bei beforehand to avoid being pressured to lower the price.
The two immediately led ten Xianbei warhorses toward the Yang family residence.
When Yang Kui heard that Liu Bei had come to visit, he personally went out to greet him. When he saw that Liu Bei was leading ten magnificent grassland warhorses behind him, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Smiling, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Xuande, what brings you here today?"
"You've brought so many fine horses; could it be that you're about to bestow some good fortune upon me, brother?"
Liu Bei returned the greeting with a smile and said sincerely, "Clan Chief is too kind. I have come today to ask you for a favor, which can be considered as doing business with you."
He turned to the side and pointed Yang Kui toward the warhorses. "These are all fine Xianbei horses captured in the Battle of Xiping Fort. They are all strong, hardy, and good at running, making them suitable for escorting caravans and patrolling farms."
"I need to purchase a house to settle my subordinates and handle affairs. I have no spare money at the moment, so I want to sell these ten warhorses to the clan chief."
Yang Kui stepped forward, inspecting each warhorse one by one, stroking their manes, nodding occasionally, his eyes full of affection.
The Yang family operated a salt and iron trade route, traveling between the border regions and the interior. Bandits and cavalrymen frequently appeared, and they were in dire need of fine horses to protect their caravans.
Furthermore, Liu Bei is now a trusted confidant of the prefect, and his prestige is growing daily. Befriending him would be entirely beneficial.
"Brother Xuande, you jest. There's no need for any requests. It's only natural for us to help each other."
Yang Kui stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "These fine Xianbei horses are rare finds; my Yang family will take them."
"How about this, I'll offer ten gold coins per horse, a total of one hundred gold coins?"
A glint of light flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. A hundred gold pieces?
Tian Yu was also shocked. Good heavens, he was worried that the other party would lower the price, but the other party raised it tenfold.
One gold coin is worth ten thousand coins; one hundred gold coins would be worth one million coins!
Yang's family sought to become a candidate for the civil service examination, and they only spent one million coins.
Why are you being so generous now?
Now it's not like the fourth year of Guanghe; as Tian Yu said, the price of a horse is only around ten thousand coins.
In the fourth year of the Guanghe era, Emperor Ling established the Jiling Cheng (驸黍丞) to collect horses. However, powerful families monopolized the market, and the price of horses was driven up to 2 million coins per horse, which is equivalent to 200 gold coins—an outrageously high price.
Liu Bei was unaware of their scheme and was unwilling to take advantage of it; there's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Chieftain! I am deeply grateful!"
"However, the price of a horse is now only ten thousand coins, how dare I sell it for ten gold pieces!"
Yang Kui waved his hand, his tone warm: "It's just a little money, nothing to worry about."
"Brother Xuande has worked hard for the people of Liaoxi, so it is only right that he be provided with a residence. As the host, the Yang family should contribute more money."
Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Clan leader, are you trying to put me in an unjust position?"
Yang Kui frowned slightly, thinking that Liu Bei was just pretending to decline, because no one can resist the temptation of money.
If so, then it's not enough!
Liu Bei noticed Yang Kui's change in mood, but although he didn't know why, he didn't want to offend him too much.
"We appreciate the chieftain's kindness, but as previously stated, we cannot accept such treatment!"
"What will the Prefect think of me? What will the people think of me?"
"At that time, how will I be any different from those cruel officials who plunder the people's wealth!"
Seeing that Liu Bei's words were sincere and his expression serious, unlike someone who was faking it, Yang Kui could only sigh!
"So, how much does Brother Xuande want to sell it for?"