The Sword Tasting Conference at Zhujian Villa has always been very popular among Jianghu people. This time Huo Tianya sent out more invitations than before. In addition to the various martial arts sects in Jianghu, there are also many Jianghu unofficials. Among the invited.
Zhujian Villa has a great reputation, and its owner Huo Tianya is famous in the world for his warm heart and a person who can carry people in a sedan chair. All the friends in the world are willing to give him this face.
In addition, there was a lot of trouble in the world a few years ago. The Wuyue Wudang Beggar Clan took turns to cause trouble, making the whole world uneasy. Now when they heard that any sect wanted to do some work, everyone would avoid it.
Fortunately, the Sword Making Villa has never been involved in disputes between Jianghu and Jianghu. For many people, this Sword Tasting Conference is a rare event that they can watch with confidence.
The Jianghu people who were frightened by Wudang Five Mountains could finally come out and take a breath after holding it in for more than half a year.
Zhujian Villa is located in the northwest. In addition to Jianghu guests from various sects in the Central Plains, there are also many swordsmen from the Gobi Desert and even some foreigners who came here to attend the sword tasting conference.
After leaving Xijing and walking along the official road, the scenery on both sides slowly changed. Occasionally, business groups could be seen coming and going. The sky was high and the sky was high. The carriages stopped and stopped. The two little heads clinging to the window made a sound from time to time. Two exclamations.
"Qiqi, look over there, what a big horse!" Shangluo said, pointing to some foreigners driving by.
Princess Yongle looked in the direction pointed by Shangluo. The horses brought by the foreigners were indeed very tall and much stronger than those seen in the Central Plains.
"That should be a foreign caravan coming to trade."
As a princess of the royal family, Yongle naturally has more knowledge than Shangluo. She explained: "It is said that such tall horses can only be raised in high and cold places. Foreigners will raise them and transport them to the pass in exchange for Tea, silk and other goods from the Central Plains.”
"So this is ah."
Shangluo nodded, then turned to look at Lu Hanjiang, who was wrapped in a big cotton coat in the carriage, and asked, "Xiao Lu, have you ever ridden a big horse like that?"
Lu Hanjiang turned over lazily and yawned sleepily. The first lunar month had just passed. They left the capital all the way to the northwest, eating and playing together. In addition to the fatigue of traveling and traveling, he didn't know where these two girls came from. Such a good spirit.
The eyes of the two girls were like gleams on their backs. Lu Hanjiang could only pull himself together and said: "The tea-horse trade has been around for a long time. Although the imperial court only occasionally opened the trade to each other, there were indeed a lot of horses exchanged. I must be riding one." Passed."
This is not a boast. Most of the tall horses obtained from the tea-horse trade are war horses. Naturally, the Imperial Army and the Royal Guards are the first to benefit from such good things.
After listening to Lu Hanjiang's words, Shangluo seemed to be attracted by something again. She stuck her head out of the car window again and asked abruptly: "Xiao Lu, how much does this horse cost?"
Lu Hanjiang replied dully: "A good horse can at least be exchanged for a hundred pounds of tea."
Shangluo was thoughtful, and then asked: "Xiao Lu, the sale of this kind of horse can only be done with the help of the imperial court?"
Lu Hanjiang stretched out and said slowly: "Officially, this is naturally the case, but businessmen value profits, and those foreigners are not honest, and occasionally smuggle some to others. There are also many horse-loving heroes in the world. No, maybe someone has bought it."
As he said this, Lu Hanjiang was suddenly startled. He sat up with his cotton-padded clothes in his arms. Most of the sleepiness was gone from his eyes. He looked at Shangluo in surprise and asked, "Wait a minute, why are you asking this? You are not planning to engage in military horse smuggling." Bar?"
"No, Xiao Lu, what do you think of me?"
Shangluo said angrily, and then pointed to the foreign business group that stopped outside: "I saw that that person had been negotiating the price with the other party for a long time. I was quite curious, so I asked."
Lu Hanjiang also looked out through the car window. It turned out that there was another group of people in front of the foreign business group. They were dressed in white, with long swords at their waists, and special sword patterns on their cuffs and collars.
He is a disciple of Zhujian Villa.
Lu Hanjiang signaled the driver to stop, and they just stayed there, listening to what was going on over there.
The leading disciple of the Sword Making Villa was very young and looked a bit younger than Lu Hanjiang. He was followed by four or five disciples of the same age. There was a middle-aged man standing next to him. Judging from his behavior, it seemed that his status was not as good as that of the young man.
The two parties were arguing over the price of the white horse, and the young man was blushing. The foreigner was holding a tea brick in his hand and looking left and right, muttering in his mouth, as if he was not satisfied.
With Lu Hanjiang's martial arts, he could hear their conversation clearly just by holding his breath and concentrating his internal strength to strengthen his six senses. Unfortunately, the two girls could not. Yongle did not know martial arts at all, while Shangluo did not have enough internal strength.
The two girls looked at Lu Hanjiang eagerly, and he had no choice but to say, "If you want to see the excitement, come closer. Remember our identities that we have arranged in advance, so as not to reveal our secrets."
When Lu Hanjiang nodded, the two girls got out of the car and passed happily. However, facing so many foreigners, Yongle was still a little worried, so he pulled him along.
Lu Hanjiang wrapped himself up in a thick robe like a big rice dumpling, keeping his scarf and gloves intact, and then slowly followed Yongle.
When the carriage of three people stopped, the two parties didn't pay attention yet, they were just arguing over the price of the horse.
The young man frowned and said: "With the reputation of my Sword Forging Villa guaranteed, what do you have to worry about? If you are still doubtful, I can make a written note. Whatever you owe today, I can double it up in the future." yes."
After the young master finished speaking, the foreigners on the other side communicated in dialect, and then a translator came forward, speaking with an obscure Central Plains accent, and said awkwardly: "Young master, please forgive me, my master is doing a one-time deal. One hundred and twenty jins of tea is one hundred and twenty jins, no less.”
"You! Why are you so unkind!" The young man was a little angry.
At this time, the steward came forward and said: "This foreign friend, our Zhujian Villa has also done business with other members of your tribe. At that time, the price of a horse was eighty pounds of tea. What you are doing today is not Authentic."
The translator explained: "Horses vary in quality and price. This guest, we originally wanted to sell this white horse to a nobleman in the capital. We set a price of 150 kilograms of tea. Now because of the My master was entrusted by someone to do business with you, and for the sake of that friend, we reduced the price by thirty kilograms."
"this......"
The steward was a little speechless. In fact, he had long known in his heart that the white horse was good. The price of 120 kilograms of tea was actually very fair. Thanks to the favor he had with Zhujian Villa, the price was even a little cheap. .
Unfortunately, the reality is that they are short of money now, and it would be better if they could save some.
Thinking about the status their Sword Making Villa once had in the world, but now they have to drag themselves down to have a verbal spat over so many kilograms of tea. Sensing the faint contempt in the other party's eyes, the manager was both angry and helpless.
At this time, the steward caught a glimpse of the three people walking in the distance. He didn't think it was a big deal, but he looked at the girl who was walking in the front and looked like she was just watching the fun. She actually had the dog-beating stick of the leader of the Beggar Clan hanging on her waist. .
Now, the things that the manager had been having trouble with at first were straightened out.
"One hundred and twenty pounds, one hundred and twenty pounds, we bought it!"
