With a warm smile on his face, Duan Yichang boarded the carriage. After watching the carriage go towards the guest house, he reached out to lower the curtain of the carriage and slowly withdrew his smile.
He felt a little depressed and helpless. Duan Yichang never asked for help. He didn't ask for help in the past, he didn't ask for help now, and he won't ask for help in the future!
However, before coming to the Song Dynasty, someone asked him to ask King Qi of the Song Dynasty to read the lyrics. What did he think? Of course you can’t ask for it!
He tried a little trick, and King Qi took the bait, followed his intention step by step, and finally offered to read the lyrics.
Duan Yi let out a long breath, but this matter is not over yet. Reading the words is a trivial matter, and it will be easy to give in with a little trickery.
But there is another thing that cannot be asked for, but it is several times more difficult than reading the lyrics. It seems that we still need to find a way to let King Qi take the initiative to do it.
Duan Yichang thought of this, his eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes were dazed for a while, and then he suddenly snorted coldly, King Qi had made it so difficult for him, how could he just let it go?
If King Qi hadn't written about Sauvignon Blanc, how could anyone ask him to ask for lyrics? Do you want one more thing? This is too difficult for him, it’s all because of this abominable King Qi!
But no matter what, he, Duan Yichang, will not ask for help!
Zhao Tong watched Duan Yichang leave with a smile, and his eyes fell back to the tea table. The pink Xue Tao note lay there quietly, abandoned by its owner.
Zhao Tong picked up Xue Tao's paper and read the song "Yulin Ling" again. The writing was really good, and the slight tinge of makeup was normal, because it was written by a woman!
I wonder if this woman is Duan Yichang’s friend or a confidante...
Zhao Tong sat on a chair and took a sip of tea, then closed his eyes and rested for a while. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, Lei San suddenly came in from outside and whispered: "Your Majesty, Dai Zong sent someone to deliver a message."
Zhao Tong opened his eyes suddenly and said, "Take him to the study."
After a while, Zhao Tong was sitting in the study, with a man kneeling on the ground in front of him, and Lei San handed over a wax pill.
Zhao Tong took the wax pill and asked the man, "What's your name?"
The man didn't dare to raise his head and replied: "Your Majesty, the younger one's name is Wang Manyin."
Zhao Tong said: "Where do you come from?"
Wang Manyin said: "Your Majesty, the younger one was originally a prison chief in Jiangzhou. He went to Liangshan with Dean Dai a while ago, and this time he came from the bandit's den."
Zhao Tong nodded, opened the wax pill, took out the letter and read it.
The letter was very long, but Zhao Tong looked at it, and his eyes suddenly paused. Dai Zong reported in the letter the current ranking of Liangshan. The first place was Chao Gai, the second place was Song Jiang, and the third place was... Lin Chong?
Zhao Tong thought for a while and continued reading with an expressionless face. After reading everything, he handed the letter to Lei San to destroy, and then said to Wang Manyin: "Send my message to Dai Zong, don't do evil, leave no trace, Liangshan is in trouble, It’s a great achievement!”
Wang Manyin hurriedly kowtowed: "I remember it, little one."
Zhao Tong glanced at him and then said: "Dai Zong is working for me. Since you can go with Dai Zong, you must be loyal. When the time comes... you will also be remembered."
Wang Manyin was immediately overjoyed. He had never imagined that he would have such an encounter in his life. Although he, the prison chief, was better than a jailer like Li Kui, in the final analysis, he was the lowest level person in the government, not even an official.
He and Dai Zong have known each other for a long time. This time he went to Liangshan, but he was actually forced to go. If he didn't go, he would definitely be punished. After all, with his relationship with Dai Zong, it would be difficult not to be implicated.
But who knew that this time it would be a turn of events. I didn't expect that Dean Dai would have such a strong backing. As long as he acted carefully in the future and kept his life on Liangshan Mountain, his rise to prominence was just around the corner.
After asking Lei San to go to the accountant to pay the money and reward Wang Manyin, and then taking him away, Zhao Tong sat on the chair and thought for a while...
The next day, Duan Yichang came again, but it was the appointment he had made before leaving the previous day, to go horse racing in the suburbs while the spring flowers were blooming.
Originally, Zhao Tong had no interest in the Dali delegation and did not even want to entertain them. However, yesterday he suddenly remembered something that was extremely important, so he agreed to Duan Yi Chang's invitation to go on a horse racing outing.
Since it was an outing, there were more than two of us, but we brought many people with us and a lot of things, so we wanted to have a picnic and have fun in the countryside.
Duan Yichang came to the palace. Horses and carriages were parked outside the palace gate. He came in and saw Zhao Tongli and said: "Your Majesty, Chang Yi has prepared a fine Dali horse for the prince, and he also asked the prince to take a look."
"What's a good horse in Dali?" Zhao Tong looked at Duan Yichang's sincere expression and said, "What's a good idea?"
Duan Yichang smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, my Dali horse is a horse that can run well, is strong and naive, and is naturally good."
Dali sells at least five to six thousand horses to the Song Dynasty every year. Although the number sounds small, it is a huge income for Dali. However, these horses are not used as war horses, even if they are used in the army. Some of them are also used as draft horses for transporting grain and baggage.
Dali has always wanted to sell horses to the Song army to be used as war horses, but the Song Dynasty was not stupid. The Dali horses did have enough endurance, but the height and speed of the horses were not up to the standards of war horses, so they always ignored this problem.
Zhao Tong looked at Duan Yichang and said with a half-smile, "It's true that he has poor running endurance, but this divine horse..."
Duan Yichang was not annoyed and said: "Your Majesty, I don't know. In the past two years, we in Dali have bred a new horse breed called Caiyun Horse, which is as good as the Western Xia Horse."
Zhao Tong had never heard of this name before, and asked with some confusion: "Not inferior to Fan Ma and Xixia Horse?"
Duan Yichang smiled and said: "Your Majesty, you will know just by looking at it. You might as well compare it with the horse in the house. This horse is a gift from Yi Chang to the Prince."
"Then I am somewhat interested." Zhao Tong nodded, wanting to see what this Caiyunju looked like. If it was true as Duan Yichang said, he would have to think about it carefully.
Three horse farms have been opened in Longyou. Although horses are raised, the number and scale are far from meeting the demand. You must know that Xixia produces 70,8000 good horses every year. Qingtang horses, large horses, etc. There are Wan horses and Mongolian horses, both of which are war horse breeds.
However, the current three horse farms in Longyou can only produce one or two thousand foals per year. Although they cannot be compared with those in Xixia due to limited financial resources, they are far from what Zhao Tan wants. It is feasible to raise horses in Longyou. , but he really doesn’t have that much money. After all, he has other things to arrange in Longyou, which require a large amount of money.
If Dali can really breed a breed that is close to the wild horse and the summer horse, then we might as well take advantage of Dali.
Zhao Tong said: "Since Prince Duan is so sure, you might as well let me take a look at this Caiyun Colt."
When the two of them left the house, Zhao Tong saw two carriages parked outside, accompanied by more than a dozen Dali people brought by Duan Yichang.
The cart is pulled by ordinary Dali horses, but there are two horses at the front, one green and one red. They are tall. Although they are not as good as the Qingtang horses, they are not far behind. Except for the height, other characteristics are the same as the Dali horses. Almost like a horse.
Zhao Tong narrowed his eyes slightly. This should be a new breed of Dali horse and an unknown type of horse. Although it looks tall, its speed and agility are unknown.
Duan Yichang saw Zhao Tong's doubts and said with a smile: "My lord, this Caiyun horse is now our national treasure in Dali. Its speed and strength are not inferior to those of the Xiama, and its endurance is better."
Zhao Tong nodded.
Duan Yichang added: "Especially the green horse that the prince saw is the best of the Caiyun horses currently being bred. It is called Qingfeng. It can travel a thousand times a day and eight hundred meters a night. But it is really A BMW."
Duan Yichang's heart was bleeding at this moment. He was the one who bred the Caiyun Colt. He had this idea since he was a child. There were many horses in Dali, which could give him countless opportunities to try. Over the years, he finally succeeded.
Although there is still some distance compared with the real Fan and Xia horses, they can indeed be used as war horses, unlike in the past where they could only pull carts with shafts and carry goods on camels.
There are currently only a small number of Caiyun Colts due to the difficulty of breeding them, but this is only a matter of time. Over time, he is confident that he will be able to grow the Caiyun Colt as a new horse breed.
The Qingfeng in front of him is the best among all Caiyun horses. This was originally his mount, but now he has to give it away!
Duan Yichang's heart was bleeding. He was not willing to give this horse to the Emperor of Song Dynasty, but now he wanted to give it to the King of Qi!
Duan Yichang never asked for help in his life. For that matter, he came up with a plan to take advantage of the horse racing outing to give the Qingfeng horse to King Qi.
Such a good horse is comparable to a BMW. King Qi can't accept it in vain, right?
Don't you, the Song Dynasty, always say that your country is a great state in the heavens and has great magnanimity? You, King Qi, should be polite when you accept the horse, and ask me what I want?
Then I will bring that matter up. This is not what I, Duan Yichang, begged you for, but you took the initiative to ask me for it!
Zhao Tong looked at the Qingfeng horse in front of him. Judging from the appearance and color of the horse, it was indeed impressive. However, it was a new breed and he had never ridden it before. He did not understand the temperament and characteristics of this Caiyun horse, so it was difficult to comment on it.
But when he saw Duan Yichang's expression of real pain, and then looked at the ordinary Dali horses behind him, he suddenly shook his head and said, "Prince Duan, I don't understand horses."
What don’t you know about horses? When Duan Yichang heard this, his heart suddenly trembled. Isn't he just a secret admirer of his family, playing the harp to others? It seems unreasonable that the prince of the Song Dynasty does not understand horses, especially if you, the King of Qi, are in charge of the army, how can you not understand horses?
Duan Yichang smiled and said: "Your Majesty is too humble. Your Majesty is so talented and scholarly, so how can you not understand horses?"
He was thinking again at this moment, even if you don't understand horses, Qingfeng is extraordinary at first sight. You can't even see this, can you? In short, you’re embarrassed to accept it for nothing, right? As long as you accept it and speak politely, I will propose something. After it is done, I will never come to your palace again.
Zhao Tong looked at him and said: "I really don't understand horses. All horses look the same. They can run on four legs, so they are pretty much the same."
After Duan Yichang heard this, no matter how gloomy his temper was, he couldn't help but feel angry. He said, "Maybe it's because the prince doesn't have a BMW like Qingfeng in his house, so he thinks so?"
Zhao Tong looked at him and touched his chin: "I don't know much about this, but there are a lot of horses in my house. Maybe it's like Prince Duan said, they are all ordinary horses, right?"
Duan Yichang bowed slightly and said with a smile: "Your Majesty is too modest."
Zhao Tong glanced at the Qingfeng horse again: "Why does this king still look the same? Why don't I have someone lead one out and Prince Duan can watch it?"
Duan Yichang looked at Zhao Tong with a confused look on his face, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. It's not the same if you only look at four legs. No horse can grow a fifth leg.
He said: "Your Majesty, then Chang Yi is showing off his embarrassment?"
Zhao Tong nodded, then turned around and said, "Lei San, bring any horse out to Prince Duan to see if all the horses in the house are ordinary. Why do I, the king, all look the same?"
Lei San blinked and said, "It's the prince, so I'll just take a horse." After saying that, he turned around and left.
Duan Yichang stretched out his hand to stroke Qingfeng Ma's head, and said a little shyly: "My lord, after a while you will know that this Qingfeng Ma is definitely a rare BMW!"
Zhao Tong's face was blank when he heard this, and his eyes only stared at Qingfeng Ma's legs.
Duan Yichang thought to himself, could this King Qi be a scholar who only knows how to write poems and lyrics? Listening to his words yesterday, it seems that he doesn't know martial arts, and he doesn't know much about horses at the moment. Fortunately, people in the country still praise him to the heavens. It's really ridiculous that such a person can manage troops.
After a while, Lei San led the horse out, but it was a white horse. The white horse's coat was as bright as oil, and there was a diamond-shaped bright red mark on its forehead that looked like blood, but it was a little red from the snowflakes, which looked very eye-catching.
Zhao Tong was stunned, pointed at Lei San and said: "How come there is such an ugly horse in the house? Why does this white horse still have red hair on its forehead? How come this king has never seen it before?"
Although the white horse didn't know what Zhao Tong was talking about, seeing him gesticulating, it didn't seem like he was praising himself, so he couldn't help but "chuck" twice, scratched his horse's hooves, and wanted to go over and rub against Zhao Tong.
Lei San tugged on the reins, unwilling to let him get close to him. The horse actually recognized Lei San, but it didn't move.
Duan Yichang was just secretly paying attention to Zhao Tong's expression. When he heard that a horse was being led over there, Zhao Tong asked why he was so ugly, so he couldn't help but turn his head to take a closer look.
At this sight, his whole body trembled, and his eyes almost popped out. What is this?
He knows horses very well. He can breed good horses like Caiyunju and knows all the famous horses in the world. But looking at the horse in front of him, except for a little diamond-shaped red on the forehead, there is no hair on the whole body. , the white is as bright as snow, this posture, this frame, this body and leg proportions, isn’t this the Zhaoye Jade Lion!
No, no, that little bit of red on the forehead is not a jade lion that illuminates the night, it is... a lamp that travels a thousand miles alone!
This is a BMW similar to a sweaty horse!
The BMW among famous horses! A BMW that cannot be compared to ordinary famous horses or even eight-horse horses!
Duan Yichang stayed there, with only his mouth breathing heavily, and even his eyes did not move, just staring at the white horse.
Zhao Tong said: "Prince Duan, look at this king's horse. Not only is it ordinary, it is also extremely ugly. Normally, I don't even want to take another look at it."
Duan Yichang didn't speak, his heart was trembling, and he felt a gloomy air condensing in his chest that couldn't go up or come down. It was so uncomfortable that he died.
At this moment, he knew that he had completely lost his grace, but he couldn't help it. He was really shocked.
Zhao Tong saw him in a daze, and then said: "There are many horses like this in the king's horse gallery, but this one is ugly. I haven't paid much attention to it before. Prince Duan, tell the truth, how is this ugly horse?"
Duan Yichang almost vomited blood when he heard this, King Qi! Is this the ordinary horse you're talking about? A very ugly horse? Is this the case in your manor house? But even in the whole of Dali, it is difficult to find a horse that can compete with a lamp traveling alone for thousands of miles!
When Duan Yichang thought of this, his face turned pale. He took a step back and leaned on the Qingfeng horse, breathing rapidly.
(End of chapter)
