"Lord, the horse dealer who came here hasn't left yet?"
"Before leaving, he said it was getting dark and it was difficult to identify the horses. He asked me to identify them again tomorrow."
Leaning on his wooden staff, Jia Zhou sat down silently on the stone platform outside the governor's house. Under the cover of night, as the torch light swayed, his body became slightly rickety.
Xu Mu also sat down, took off his robe, and put it on Jia Zhou.
"The three kings of Shuzhou, knowing that my lord has newly occupied the two counties of Linjiang, will definitely send people to investigate. On the contrary, merchants and traders are cautious about their interests and will not pass through Bailu County for at least a month."
Xu Mu nodded.
For the sudden arrival of horse dealers like Liu Wu, he was overjoyed and had to be wary.
"Furthermore." Jia Zhou smiled and turned around, "A qualified horse dealer, no matter where he goes to sell horses, will always first inquire about the reality of the business. For example, my lord already has nearly six thousand people under his command. A war horse."
"He only came with three hundred horses. He didn't go to the stables to compare them or set out a price. It's just a drunkard who doesn't care about wine."
"Wen Long, he is a spy." Xu Mu sighed.
"My lord, just understand. These are troubled times, and there is only one chance to enter Shu. I am very worried about the change. If the three kings of Shuzhou put aside their past grievances and join forces to resist foreign enemies, my lord will be in trouble."
"After all, everyone in the world knows that the Lord is not a mediocre person, but a wolf that has passed away."
Jia Zhou stood up, took off his outer robe again, and carefully put it on Xu Mu.
"The night is cold and cold. My lord, please rest early. The groom is not like an ordinary sentry. He has been thinking about it all night. Tomorrow morning, it will be time to trick the lord."
The wooden stick hit the stone road, making a "dong-dong" sound. When Xu Mu raised his head again, his Jia Wenlong had disappeared into the night mist.
…
As Jia Zhou said, the morning fog has not yet fallen, and there are still morning birds flying overhead. Liu Wu's figure was already waiting in front of the governor's mansion.
As soon as he walked out, Xu Mu paused slightly.
"If you don't wait a while and go to identify the horses and make a deal, Brother Liu can go back earlier."
Liu Wu stood calmly.
"My boss is not in a hurry."
"I'm afraid of delaying Brother Liu's business."
"No delay." Liu Wu closed his eyes slightly, "I heard from people that Xiaodong's family has done a lot of great things along the way. They helped the marquis kill the traitorous prime minister, and forty thousand people rejected Beidi. Not long ago, they killed the national traitor Chen Changqing. The 200,000-strong army was burnt to the point of losing its armor."
"What does Brother Liu want to say?"
Xu Mu was not in a hurry and asked Si Hu next to him to bring two chairs.
Liu Wu did not sit down and raised his head bitterly.
"I know that my little boss has already doubted my identity."
Xu Mu nodded, "If you turn around now and remember the past, I will give you thirty thousand taels of three hundred southwest horses."
"This is the way of old horse dealers." Liu Wu smiled bitterly.
"Indeed, if you don't want to go back, you and I will be here to say everything that needs to be said." Xu Mu's tone remained unchanged.
"But you should know that once you say something, you can't take it back. If Brother Liu can go to Bailu County to look for me, he must have his own meaning in his heart."
"Do you know who I am?"
"I don't know." Xu Mu shook his head. No matter who it was, he vaguely felt that if he wanted to successfully enter Shu, Liu Wu in front of him would be his God-given help.
"There are eleven counties in central Shu, four counties are owned by the king of western Shu, five counties are occupied by the king of central Shu, and the last king of southern Shu only occupies two counties." Liu Wu sighed.
Of the thirteen counties in Shu state, two are outside Shu and were occupied by Xu Mu. The remaining eleven counties are all in the middle of Shu.
"The two counties occupied by the king of southern Shu are close to the barbarian mountains and forests, and the land is barren, and they are often encountered by barbarian tribes descending from the mountains to plunder. The combined number of households in the two counties and nine towns is less than 70,000."
"Fortunately, there are three horse farms, which can raise seven to eight hundred good foals every year."
"I have always heard that the king of southern Shu sold horses to raise the army and led the people to burn charcoal to obtain food." Xu Mu answered calmly.
"I just don't know why the King of Shunan doesn't surrender to the other two kings now that he's in this situation."
"If you vote, you will only be regarded as a border citizen from a distant county, levying excessive taxes and having no place to die." Liu Wu choked up, "It is said that Shuzhou is a paradise for heaven, with thousands of miles of fertile land and rich people. But these are all things near the middle of Shu .”
Xu Mu listened quietly. He only felt that Liu Wu in front of him seemed to be full of indignation.
"In the middle of Shu and in the west of Shu, the land in the south of Shu is called the barbarian land. They often invade the border with large armies and capture good horses and women. They also incite barbarians in the mountains and forests to intercept and kill people coming and going from the countryside."
Xu Mu finally understood why the number of households in southern Shu was so small. If you think about it carefully, the Shunan King is really frustrated.
"Brother Liu, what do you mean, Shuzhong and Shuxi are alliances of interests?"
"No, there was a fight last month. All in all, the situation in Shuzhou is very...complex."
Xu Mu frowned. Jia Zhou had said that if the three kings of Shu State put aside their grudges and joined forces to kill him, a foreign enemy who entered Shu, it would be even more difficult.
"I wonder what Brother Liu means?"
"I am the King of Southern Shu." Liu Wu exhaled, as if he didn't intend to hide it anymore, "I just want to ask, is my little boss going to Shu?"
Xu Mu smiled bitterly. He had probably guessed it, but he was still shocked when Liu Wu said it.
"Go in."
Unable to enter Shu, relying only on the two counties of Linjiang, even recruiting troops would be a problem, let alone accumulating grain and casting weapons in the future.
Liu Wu suddenly fell silent.
Xu Mu also sat slightly upright, waiting for Liu Wu's next sentence.
"If you enter Shu, how many counties will I be divided into?" Liu Wu said calmly.
"There is no distinction between counties."
Liu Wu frowned, squeezed the hand of the gauze, and then let it go. After sighing, he turned around.
"Brother Liu, there are thirty states in this world. If one day my Xu family's army succeeds in the battle, I will give you a state and make you the only king of Shu state. Why not!"
This is a sesame flatbread, a very fragrant sesame flatbread. Liu Wu's steps trembled and he slowly stopped.
"I, Xu Mu, was just a brewer at the time, and I started at a young age. In less than half a year, I entered Changyang to kill the traitorous prime minister, went to the grassland to attack Beidi, and with a weak 40,000-strong coalition, I burned down the 200,000-strong army of Dingnan Marquis. Shipsman."
"Xu Mu just wants to ask if I have a chance to fight for this world."
"Of course." Liu Wu gritted his teeth and turned around.
If not, he wouldn't come here. Of course, if Chen Changqing wins the Battle of Fushan, he will still come.
There is no way, the situation in southern Shu is already in danger. With the collapse of the dynasty, the barbarians who came out of the mountains and the other two Shu kings who were waiting for opportunities became more and more fierce.
The 20,000 troops in southern Shu alone would not be able to support them unless they defended themselves against danger.
Choosing the master is the last way out for Shunan.
"The gift of the horse will never be forgotten in this life. If you don't want to, please don't turn against me, Brother Liu." Xu Mu sighed and turned back.
"Yu Wen, please let me know quickly. People in southern Shu will receive an additional 10% tax reduction in the future, whether they are selling horses or buying grain. Don't make it difficult for them -"
"Southern King Dou Tong, I respectfully welcome my lord to Shu." Liu Wu suddenly knelt on the ground, his voice filled with excitement. He took out a file from his bag and held it high above his head.
