"What did the queen guess?"
Lu Shizhi didn't know that Lu Pheasant had given Liu Jing a crystal bracelet as a gift to the Xiongnu clan, so he just asked out of curiosity,
"The border merchant you mentioned sounds like he has extraordinary powers, and he can move freely between our dynasty and the Xiongnu without any hindrance.
Even Chanyu's Yan family, can they just meet him? "
Zhang Cang finally swallowed the mutton chops, took another sip of koumiss, and then nodded heavily.
"What you said is quite right.
The pepper on our table, the sable on our body, and the felt rug in the room,
The brocade quilts covered in the tents of the kings of the Xiongnu, the rouge on the cheeks of the Yan family, and the bronze mirrors for daily use were all sold by the merchants on the border.
These border merchants usually come into contact with buyers who are either rich or expensive.
Whether it was the princes and nobles of the Han Dynasty or the Xiongnu leaders on the grasslands, they were able to deal with seemingly incompatible groups with ease and ease.
Hey, having said all that, come and try this horse milk wine. It tastes very different from the wine in the Central Plains. "
Lu Shizhi was originally frightened by the faint fishy smell in the wine, but he couldn't help Zhang Cang strongly recommending it and tasted it.
Sure enough, the wine smelled a little fishy, but in the mouth it was sweet and spicy, mixed with a thick aftertaste, and the taste was endless.
Unexpectedly, he drank it hard, and when he opened his mouth to comment, the strong wine choked his throat, and he coughed violently, until his elegant face turned red.
The noise he made was so great that not only Zhang Cang was shocked, but also everyone else at the table stopped and looked at him. Zhang Ao, who was sitting at the table, called the palace servants to bring warm water and a handkerchief with concern, and asked for more Don't call a medical officer.
“No…no, it’s okay.
Your Majesty knows, this is an old problem of mine. "
Lu Shizhi finally stopped coughing, and apologized to Zhang Ao while stroking his chest.
"Please, Marquis Jiancheng, please don't call me your king. I really can't afford it."
Zhang Ao said respectfully, raised his voice a little more, and said to the Zhao Guo official who did not know what was going on.
"Marquis Jiancheng was imprisoned in the Chu camp for two full years earlier. He was so brave that even his father was full of praise for him.
It was only after he suffered a little that he fell back to his old illness. "
Everyone understood and praised Lu Shizhi's hero. He finally breathed well and said with a smile,
"How can you be called a hero? It's just a bear.
If he was really brave, how could he be defeated by this Kumulus today? "
He is handsome, handsome, kind, and has no airs, making it easy for people to take off their guard.
Even the little palace attendants who came over snickered and hurriedly handed over the handkerchiefs.
***
The banquet became lively again. After the palace people wiped him clean, they all retreated to the back of the banquet.
Lu Shizhi drank several more sips and asked Zhang Cang:
"Isn't this wine also from the grassland?"
"No, this is one of the daily meals of people in Zhao. Every household in the northern part of Zhao will brew it."
Lu Shizhi's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked hurriedly,
"Does that mean that basically every household here has a horse?"
"Why, you seem to be a smart person, but haven't you read "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals"?"
Zhang Cang smacked his lips, looking in disbelief.
"I have never studied under Xunzi, nor have I written the history of the First Emperor, so I don't know many things. Isn't it normal?
I hope you will give me some advice. "
Faced with an arrogant genius like Zhang Cang who was gifted and accomplished at a young age, I followed his instructions in a good-tempered manner, and the effect was indeed remarkable.
"Let me tell you, Zhao's horses are famous far and wide."
Seeing that the other party sincerely asked for advice, Zhang Cangguo was very happy. He simply turned around and started talking to Lu Shizhi.
"The "Chang Gong" chapter of "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" clearly records that at the beginning, the king presented Zhao Xiangzi with a good horse.
Later, Zhao State annexed Dai State and set up a riding town in the old land of Dai State to specialize in horse breeding.
Later, King Wuling of Zhao used Hu clothing to ride and shoot. He not only changed to Hu clothing, but also recruited Hu people, filled the army, and purchased Hu horses in large quantities.
Therefore, if the horses in Zhao Di can be traced back to their origins, they all have the bloodline of Hu Ju. "
It is a pity that during the Warring States Period, the standard for measuring the strength of a country's combat power often required comparing the number of "armored" infantry and the number of chariots measured by "riding". As the saying goes, a country is strong if it has tens of thousands of chariots.
Therefore, despite the advantages of horse breeds, Zhao's main army is still infantry and chariots.
The descendants of those Hu horses were mostly used to carry people on the road, but they did not retain a complete and independent cavalry unit.
"What a pity-" Thinking of this, Lu Shizhi couldn't help but sigh.
"——It's really a pity. It's only when the horse is needed that it's too late."
Zhang Cang is also a very smart person, so he naturally understands what the frail relative in front of him feels sorry for.
While the two were sighing, they suddenly heard the noisy sound of plucking strings. Two more groups of beautiful young women in long sleeves and high buns quietly came to the hall. They performed enchanting poses to the sound of harp and harp music. posture.
"You haven't seen Zhao Di's tiptoe dance, have you?
Today is a feast for the eyes. "
Zhang Cang put down his ear cup and began to appreciate it intently.
***
"Is this the legendary Handan dance step?"
Lu Shizhi had a lot of questions today, but seeing that Zhang Cang ignored him, he had no choice but to concentrate on enjoying the dance.
The women of Zhao are good at playing the piano and dancing, and have outstanding looks. One of their most famous skills is the famous tiptoe dance.
Tiptoe refers to the action of standing on tiptoes and touching the ground lightly, while gait refers to a kind of shoes with soft soles and no heels.
Until today, looking at the lithe dancers dancing on tiptoes in front of him, Lu Shizhi truly understood the origin of this name.
I saw them standing on tiptoes, dancing their long sleeves, and accompanied by the sound of music, they raised their sleeves, raised their sleeves, lifted their sleeves, and closed their sleeves. They were soft and stretched, yet powerful and simple.
"One dance can be both enchanting and heroic. No wonder it can dazzle the princes."
Lu Shizhi came close to Zhang Cang's ear and made a few comments. His eyes involuntarily glanced at Lu Yuan who was sitting on the seat.
Although she was still smiling, her expression was a little dull, with a trace of envy that could not be concealed, and an unnoticeable feeling of discouragement and loneliness.
"This Queen Zhao is not easy to do." He sighed again in his heart.
Zhang Cang and Lu Shizhi were concentrating on watching the dance, but a group of senior officials from Zhao were observing them closely.
The people of Zhao are tough, brave and aggressive, and the men are generally strong and powerful. In comparison, although they are tall, they are on the thin side. Among the civil and military officials who are full of knight-errants, they look particularly delicate.
Lu Shizhi was nothing more than that. Although he was the brother of the queen, he seemed weak and had no profound opinions.
Although the ministers of Zhao State are not so shallow as to judge people by their appearance, deep down in their hearts, they can't help but feel a little contempt for this relative who has no great achievements.
The legendary fortune teller Zhang Cang is even more intriguing.
In a few months, it will be the first time that the Han Empire will launch a plan on a county-wide scale.
Whether it is the governors of the counties directly under the central government or the prime ministers of the vassal states, they are all ready to prepare as if they are facing a formidable enemy.
During these days, Zhang Cang followed Zhao Cheng around every day, preparing for Zhao's strategic affairs, and was so busy that he never touched the ground.
