northwest.
There is a new market on the grassland about seven or eight miles away from the border.
This market has been around for several years and opens irregularly every month.
Initially, the market was very small, not even qualified to be called a market.
It was just a place where a few brave merchants bartered with the grassland herders.
No one knows when it started, but more and more merchants and herders came here, and thus a market was formed.
The Northwest Army also maintained a tacit attitude towards the market, and occasionally people in military uniforms could be seen strolling around the market.
There are a lot of people at the market!
People from the Great Zhou, herdsmen, foreigners, and people of all identities gathered here. At the largest scale, there were thousands of people.
Merchants from the Great Zhou Dynasty surrounded the herdsmen, bargaining and buying their cattle and sheep furs.
The herdsmen sold the furs of their cattle and sheep and strolled around the market with their horses.
You can always see them in front of every stall.
They bargained with merchants in their unfluent Da Zhou dialect.
The merchants of the Great Zhou Dynasty also bargained with them in their unfamiliar foreign language. Often, both sides were talking at cross purposes, yet they managed to get the deal done this way.
When the herdsmen passed by the food store, they all swallowed their saliva at the same time.
Damn, it smells so good.
They are all meat, but the ones cooked by the people of Da Zhou are more delicious and full of ingredients.
There was no time to buy an iron pot, salt or tea. The most important thing was to sit down and fill my rumbling stomach.
"Boss, two bowls of braised pork noodles, with more chili."
"Boss, a bowl of spicy soup."
The Zhou dialect with various accents rang out in the recipes.
Ma Xiaoliu started to operate the stove skillfully.
"Here they are! Two bowls of braised pork noodles for you, add more chili. And one bowl of spicy soup for you..."
Ma Xiaoliu, a dignified eunuch, suddenly transformed himself and took on the job of a restaurant owner and waiter, doing a pretty good job.
A tall man came to the food store and sat on a bench. The bench suddenly creaked pitifully, as if accusing the man of his rude behavior.
The big man spoke in the Da Zhou dialect, which he was quite fluent in. "Five pounds of braised beef, two pounds of sorghum wine, two stir-fried meat dishes, and a bowl of noodle soup."
"Sir, I'm sorry, but we have a ban on alcohol now. We don't have sorghum wine here. We only have sweet potato wine, which tastes worse. If you want it, I'll give you a discount."
The big man frowned, "Why is it still under the prohibition law?"
"So you know about the prohibition! Would you like some sweet potato wine?"
"Let's start with two pounds."
"Okay! Two pounds of sweet potato wine."
Ma Xiaoliu served the wine and went back to the stove to get busy.
Deng Cunli sat in the tent, listening to the noise outside.
When he heard about two kilograms of sweet potato wine, he came out with the wine jug.
"Is this the wine you ordered? Please enjoy two pounds of sweet potato wine."
The big man hummed, took a sip of wine, and frowned with a hint of disgust, "When will you lift the alcohol ban?"
"It seems that the guest is very familiar with the situation in Da Zhou."
The big man grinned, "I run here at least once a year, how could I not be familiar with it?"
"Sir, your business is booming! Where are you from?"
The big man pointed to the west and said, "It's a long way away. It will take more than a month to walk there."
"We should be in that direction, not far from Xiliang. Is there anything new along the way? Xiaoliu, give this guest two more snacks."
"Okay!"
When the side dishes came, the big man grinned, looking very satisfied.
The braised dishes of the Great Zhou Dynasty are unique.
Deng Cunli naturally accompanied the big man to drink and chat, and learn about the situation outside.
The caravan delayed its return journey, and he was a little worried because he had not received any news from Xiliang.
We can only focus on these foreigners, maybe they have heard something.
"If you want to talk about new things, there is indeed one."
"Oh, what's new? Can you tell me about it?"
The big man bit into the fried peanuts, which were fragrant and crispy, perfect for drinking.
"When I set out, I heard that there was a new Imperial Master in Xiliang City. He was giving lectures, and followers flocked to him. The scene was said to be quite astonishing."
Deng Cunli's breath was choked.
He calmed down and asked, "When did Xiliang have a new imperial preceptor?"
"It won't be long."
"I don't know what the Xiliang Imperial Master's Dharma name is."
The big man dug into his memory. "I think he called out, 'Wishless' or something like that. I didn't really pay attention. I just knew there was a new Imperial Preceptor in Xiliang Royal City."
Deng Cunli felt relieved when he heard the hopeless name.
Done!
Wuwang, a monk with six impure senses, finally became the imperial preceptor of Xiliang. Their efforts over the years were not in vain.
Deng Cunli was in a good mood, and asked Ma Xiaoliu to bring two kilograms of sweet potato wine, so that he could drink and chat with the big man.
The two of them drank to their heart's content. The big man danced with joy and almost overturned the small table in excitement.
Deng Cunli left only after the big man got drunk.
He quietly instructed Ma Xiaoliu, "Send someone to inform the Duke of Lu that the matter is settled."
Ma Xiaoliu was very excited. "No Hope Bald Donkey has become the Imperial Master. What should we do next?"
"Of course, he used his status as the Imperial Master to influence the decision of the King of Xiliang." He even interfered with the succession of the throne of Xiliang.
As a national teacher, there are so many things you can do.
This is why everyone was so determined to get the Imperial Master, and they even sent Yang Ji and Chen Zhuangshi over specifically.
I did not disappoint my wife's expectations.
…
When the Duke of Lu learned that the matter had been accomplished, he excitedly slammed his fist on the table.
He instructed his eldest son, Pei Meng, "You will personally lead the troops and go to the road to meet the two scholars. Madam Zhao has mentioned their names. You must ensure that they return alive at all costs."
Pei Meng said, "These two scholars are quite capable. I didn't expect them to actually accomplish this."
"If they didn't have some ability, Madam Zhao wouldn't have sent them to Xiliang. You must quickly mobilize the troops and set off. The news from Xiliang hasn't arrived yet, and I suspect something unexpected happened along the way."
"As you command, son!"
Pao Meng walked out of the tent and began to count the soldiers.
Gu Ting volunteered, and he also wanted to go on this mission.
Pei Meng frowned, clearly disapproving, "Xiao Man is about to give birth, how can you leave so easily at this time?"
Gu Ting said loudly, "Xiao Man is still two months away from giving birth, so she will definitely be in time. General, you cannot exclude me from the mission just because I have a family. If I want to live a peaceful life, I can stay in the capital. There is no need to come to the northwest to fight for my life. Since I have come to the northwest, please treat me equally."
Pei Meng frowned, obviously dissatisfied with Gu Ting.
Gu Ting's eyes were firm, and he strongly demanded that he must not be left behind on this mission.
Pei Meng snorted coldly, "Hurry up and get ready. We'll set off in two hours!"
"yes!"
Gu Ting turned around and ran away with an excited look on his face.
…
In Jinzhou City, Pei Man, with her big belly, was checking the goods.
The wool blanket has a rich peony pattern and is exquisitely dyed, making it look like a cluster of flowers, high-end and classy.
“Blankets like these are very popular whether they are sold to foreigners or to the capital and Jiangnan.”
Pei Man said, "There are still too few patterns. The rich peony pattern has been used for many years. Nowadays, people in the capital are pursuing novelty. People in Jiangnan are no exception. We need to come up with some new patterns. We can't always use rich peonies, fairy children celebrating birthdays, etc.
There are so many weaving workshops in Jinzhou City. We make blankets, and they make blankets too. We make rich peonies, and they make rich peonies too. Don’t you feel any pressure at all? You can’t just rely on the support of Sihai Trading Company and stop making progress.
The workshop manager felt a little embarrassed. He promised verbally that he would think of more new designs.
The servant came to Pei Man and said, "Young Madam, someone has arrived from the military camp."
Pei Man's heart skipped a beat, and she told the manager not to slack off before leaving the workshop.
Seeing the people from the military camp, Pei Man asked, "Is the general on a mission and can't come back?"
"Young Madam's guess is correct. The General has to go on a mission and his return date is uncertain. But the General said he will definitely be back before the baby is born."
Pei Man frowned, "What kind of mission is it that will take one or two months?"
"I don't know."
Pei Man sighed, "Forget it, go down and claim your reward."
"Thank you, Madam!"
The servant asked Pei Man, "Young Madam, would you like to ask the Marquis? He will definitely know what the general's mission is."
Pei Man shook her head. "Since he refuses to tell me, it's obvious that this mission is confidential. How can I ask him so easily? Let's wait. If he hasn't returned by the time the child is born, I will naturally go and ask him."
…
At the same time, the great heroes Yang Ji and Chen Zhuangshi were eating sand in the Gobi Desert.
The two of them retired after completing their mission and prepared to return to the Great Zhou.
Unexpectedly, they encountered horse thieves on the way. In order to escape, the group hid deep in the grassland, but ended up getting lost.
They had been walking in the Gobi Desert for more than half a month and had not yet found a way out.
"If we can't get out of this damn place, we're probably going to die here." Yang Ji said calmly.
Chen Zhuangshi laughed heartily. "Brother Yang, the experiences of you and me could be written into a legendary novel and become a bestseller. For this, we should make it clear."
After saying that, Chen Zhuangshi carefully took a sip of water.
Yang Ji shook his head. "If we can't leave, everything is just a daydream. Even if we do leave, Madam Zhao won't allow us to write about our experiences and publish them. The time is not right yet."
"Such a major event is being covered up. It's truly infuriating. The two of us have made great contributions and deserve our names to be recorded in history."
"There will be a day, but not now."
Chen Zhuangshi approached Yang Ji and asked quietly, "Do you think the eldest prince has a chance to ascend to that position?"
"It's unspeakable!" Yang Ji shook his head.
Chen Zhuangshi rolled his eyes. "Brother Yang, what's there to be afraid of in this vast desert? I don't believe anyone is eavesdropping here. Brother Yang, you should know that this trip you and I have taken is equivalent to boarding Madam Zhao's pirate ship. If the eldest prince can't take that position, Brother Yang, have you ever thought about what will happen to you and me? Will your ambitions ever be realized?"
"What do you want to say, Brother Chen?"
Chen Zhuangshi plunged his knife into the sand. "If we can escape and return to the capital safely, Madam Zhao will definitely make arrangements for the two of us. Brother Yang, don't you have any ideas?"
"You talk about your ideas, but my idea is to study hard and take the imperial examinations!" Yang Ji remained calm.
Chen Zhuangshi glared at him, "That's it?"
"Could it be that Brother Chen has other plans?"
"I am just a scholar. Even if I have any plans, they are just empty talk. I can't compare to Brother Yang, the top scholar."
Yang Ji patted Chen Zhuangshi's shoulder and said, "Brother Chen, there's no need to feel inferior."
puff!
Chen Zhuangshi almost choked to death.
"Brother Yang, which eye did you see that I was feeling inferior? If someone like me can be called inferior, then Brother Yang has raised the standard of inferiority by at least 80%. Brother Yang is being disrespectful!"
Yang Ji said seriously, "Being kind doesn't get you food or drink. So why should I be kind to Brother Chen?"
"Brother Yang, you have become a bad person. A very bad person. It must be the passionate Xiliang woman who bewitched you."
Yang Ji rolled his eyes to the sky. Every time he had a serious conversation with Chen Zhuangshi, the topic would always turn to women.
It makes people speechless.
"Gentlemen, we are about to set off."
The guards were urging him on.
Chen Zhuangshi looked at the sun above his head and said, "If I can't get out within ten days, I will either die of thirst or starvation."
Yang Ji patted Chen Zhuangshi's shoulder and said, "We can definitely get out. We didn't make it back on time, and the Marquis of Lu must have guessed that something must have happened. Maybe our rescuers are already on the way and are looking for us."
"I hope so! This place is too vast, and we are as small as ants. I don't know if we will be so lucky."
"Brother Chen, don't be discouraged."
"Brother Yang, there's no need to comfort me. I'm just expressing my feelings and recording my current state of mind. This is to prepare for my future fame and publication."
"Brother Chen really thinks long-term."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
