Chapter 897 A Dream of Youth 429
The evening clouds hung low on the horizon, and a light drizzle fell on the carport. The jade pendant hanging in one corner jingled, and the tassels below were wet.
Qingxu placed the hand warmer into Xie Ning's arms, feeling very distressed as she looked at Xie Ning's slightly pale face.
This trip to the Nanzhao Kingdom was not as smooth as expected. Although the purpose was to discuss warhorses with the Nanzhao Kingdom, in addition to the King of Nanzhao, they also had to deal with other powerful families in Nanzhao.
In particular, the King of Nanzhao and his prime minister had many conflicts, which prevented them from reaching an agreement on the matter for a long time.
Xie Ning and the others did not want to get involved in the internal strife of the Nanzhao Kingdom. She only wanted to settle the warhorse matter as soon as possible and then return to the Great Zhou to arrange other matters.
But things can change. The King of Nanzhao is now old and can no longer compete with the prime minister who is in his prime. Therefore, Xie Ning specially took the King of Nanzhao's pulse, hoping to do his best to prolong his life.
After all, the old king really wanted to be on good terms with the Great Zhou, and had even agreed to Xie Ning's request to trade a thousand horses.
However, the King of Nanzhao was severely depleted of health. Xie Ning felt he could extend his life by a few more years, but the other party might not have the means to recuperate.
The internal strife is too intense.
Xie Ning recalled Yu Tong's previous attempt to unite with the Nanzhao Kingdom against the Great Zhou. No wonder the King of Nanzhao immediately wrote a letter to Yan Xi, indicating that their Nanzhao Kingdom had no intention of invading the Great Zhou and that the two sides were still on friendly terms.
After all, they are fighting fiercely among themselves. If they were to provoke a tiger at this time, wouldn't that be courting death?
Because the other party couldn't make a decision, Xie Ning and his group were also stalled. The princes of Nanzhao, including the prime minister's faction, all tried to win over Xie Ning, hoping to get the support of the Great Zhou.
Xie Ning really didn't want to get involved, but the King of Nanzhao was already terminally ill in less than a month and was clearly on his deathbed. Xie Ning had no choice but to choose a crown prince who would be most beneficial to the Great Zhou and who had nothing to do with the prime minister.
The other adjutants were puzzled, because the prime minister of Nanzhao had promised them very good terms, including not only warhorses but also some medicinal herbs they needed, which could be traded at low prices.
One of the reasons Xie Ning did not choose the Prime Minister's faction was that her investigation revealed that the Prime Minister was dishonest, extravagant, and incompetent; she did not want to cooperate with such a person.
If the other party backs out, no one will compensate for the losses I suffer. After all, given the geographical environment here, it would be difficult for the Great Zhou to attack.
Wasn't the previous dynasty dragged down by the Nanzhao Kingdom to some extent?
Secondly, if the Prime Minister's faction and the King of Nanzhao are of one mind, it will not be conducive to the development of the Great Zhou. They will be in internal strife and unable to take care of themselves, which will ensure the stability of the southwestern border of the Great Zhou.
Their journey was delayed for so long because they changed the king of Nanzhao.
Xie Ning visited Yuechuan and saw the horses they raised. He liked them very much, which is why he was willing to be delayed for so long.
Although the enemy's warhorses were not as tall as those of the Northern Jin and Wumeng, they were extremely fast, capable of running hundreds of kilometers a day, and had excellent endurance.
Previously, the relationship between the Great Zhou and the Nanzhao Kingdom was very ordinary. It should be said that the Great Zhou unilaterally did not have any dealings with the Nanzhao Kingdom, and therefore did not pay tribute.
Xie Ning only decided to come to Nanzhao after seeing such a fine horse in the records of the previous dynasty and reading Xu Hongying's letter.
Once the agreement was reached, Guangxi Road would then be responsible for the specific details of the transaction.
Xie Ning didn't just want a thousand horses; she directly asked for five thousand. She also spread the word that merchants from the mainland should come and buy horses through multiple channels.
The transaction is not a one-off event; Xie Ning set a minimum of five thousand horses per year.
Besides horses, Xie Ning was also very interested in the medicinal herbs from the Nanzhao Kingdom.
Because of the complex and varied geographical environment within the Nanzhao Kingdom, with its undulating mountains, dense forests, crisscrossing rivers, abundant sunshine, and moderate rainfall, the conditions for the growth and reproduction of various medicinal animals and plants were extremely favorable.
It has abundant medicinal resources.
In addition, Xie Ning also exchanged medical knowledge with the people of Nanzhao at the medicine fair, successfully attracting several large medicine merchants. So, besides the trade of medicinal materials between countries, Xie Ning also facilitated connections among ordinary people.
Like the Kingdom of Wumeng, the trade in medicinal herbs included not only money and cloth, but also finished medicines. It was no wonder that Xie Ning brought a large box of medicine all the way to Nanzhao.
Besides the medicinal herbs from the Nanzhao Kingdom, Du Xin also did an excellent job in the medicinal herb mining business in Lingnan.
She went deep into the people of Lingnan and gained a profound understanding of the poison of miasma. Based on this understanding, she created several effective detoxification pills, which became very popular in the Lingnan region.
Then, they vigorously organized people from all over the country to go into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, which not only broadened the income channels of the local people, but also increased the sources of medicinal materials for pharmacies.
Needless to say, Xu Hongying was a formidable figure in Linnan. Any bandits who heard of her would flee overnight, because she didn't just fight; she would loot the bandits and then conscript them into the army.
And he was only the lowest-ranking sergeant.
It's better to be a bandit than to live this way!
Some surrendered voluntarily, after all, not all bandits became outlaws voluntarily; many were forced into it. But that doesn’t mean their evil deeds can be forgiven.
Therefore, Xu Hongying took them under her wing.
Rather than killing them randomly or sending them to the quarry, it would be better to keep these thugs with me, train them well, and send them to the battlefield where they could be of greater use.
Since Xu Hongying had led his army to almost all of Lingnan and had accumulated enough merit, Yan Xi submitted a memorial impeaching Xu Hongying for crossing the border to fight bandits, promoted Xu Hongying's official position, and planned to bring him back to the capital after a while.
It's time to change the leadership of the Imperial Guard.
Regarding the Lu family's affairs, Yan Xi has already taken control of half of the cavalry's actual military power, but in reality, it's not more than that, because she still has people within the Lu family.
It was Xie Ning who recommended it to her.
That kid is indeed capable, but he is also suppressed within the Lu family.
Yan Xi only needs to raise her hand slightly for the opponent to climb up at an extremely fast speed, gradually eroding the Lu family's power without being noticed.
After all, that person also had the surname Lu.
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