Chapter Thirty-Nine: Intercepting the Spoils
After Huba and Huqi arrived in the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, they first went to find the big merchants with whom they had traded before, but were told that the horse business this year was different from the past. All the horses had to be handed over to several noble families to sell on their behalf, under the guise of "maintaining market prices," and these old-established merchants were no exception.
Huba had no choice but to spend a sum of money to have someone introduce him to the Prince of Chenliu, hoping to sell the horse on his behalf. But to his utter surprise, a steward in the Prince of Chenliu's mansion offered him an astonishing price... ten taels of silver per horse.
You see, Huba only selects the best horses for the southward journey—warhorses that can run freely and calmly even when faced with wild beasts. Only warhorses that have grown up with wild animals can fight against the orcs. But ten taels of silver can't even buy an ordinary draft horse. Is this simply taking advantage of Huba's youth and ignorance?
Huba angrily left the Chenliu Prince's Mansion and led over a hundred horses directly to the mule and horse market west of Lindu City, intending to sell them off in small quantities. He refused to believe that, although they were grassland people, their ancestors had been recognized as subjects of the Great Xia Dynasty by the Great Xia Emperor for generations. In broad daylight, he would see who dared to steal his horses; was there no law?
For several days, no one came to steal Huba's horses, nor did anyone cause him any trouble, but... he didn't sell a single horse. Whenever someone came to buy a horse, several people would immediately approach, whisper a few words to the buyer, and the buyer would turn and leave. Even when Huba offered a very low price, no one dared to turn back and trade with him.
Seeing those wicked servants watching him and smirking, Huba drew his sword and was about to fight. But the men of the grasslands would never tolerate such humiliation. It was his sister Huqi who held him back. If they couldn't sell the horse, they would at most lose some money, but if they killed someone, they would have to pay with their lives.
For a whole month, Huba transformed from a cheerful, sunny boy into a quiet, withdrawn child. His tribe was waiting for him to sell the horses and buy salt and iron to take back home! But now he couldn't even afford the fodder; the cost of each of the three thousand horses was substantial, and he had already spent all his savings. Returning to the tribe, he would face the questioning of the tribal chief, and he feared he would lose his position as chieftain. In just a few months, Huba's young heart had matured prematurely.
In a few days, the large army composed of nobles from the Great Xia Dynasty will march north to the wilderness. These days, very few people have come to buy horses. Yesterday, the steward from the Prince of Chenliu's mansion came again, still offering ten taels of silver per horse. Looking at his smug expression, Huba refused without hesitation. He would rather these horses die on the way home than sell them to these cunning nobles.
"What's the price of these horses?"
"Hey, what's the price of these horses? Whose horses are they? Are they all deaf?" A loud, gruff voice startled Huba out of his daze.
"...This is my horse, thirty taels a horse...if you really want to buy it..."
"What a joke... In this world... Why wouldn't we buy from this stinky, run-down place like Malaysia? Can you make that decision? Are you even fifteen years old yet?... Haha." The tall young man mocked Huba.
Huba was about to say something, but when he saw those annoying flies coming over again, he didn't bother to say anything. Based on his experience, once those wicked servants arrived, these people would definitely be kicked out.
"Excuse me, everyone, our master has reserved these horses. Perhaps you'd like to look elsewhere?" a servant-looking man said politely to Qin Yumu. After all, Qin Yumu's clothes and demeanor clearly indicated she wasn't from a wealthy family. A servant might lack other skills, but his ability to judge people was essential.
Qin Yumu and his two companions went for a stroll in the Mule and Horse Market. They spotted Huba's herd of warhorses from afar and thought they had found a bargain. However, a dung beetle suddenly appeared in front of them, which was disgusting and made them feel unlucky.
Wu Shengze immediately stepped forward to explain to Qin Mo that these horses had already been sold here, but they had been seized by the people of the Chenliu Prince's Mansion. They couldn't decide whether to force the warhorse to be taken, since it involved the Prince. No matter how angry they were, they couldn't make the decision. Even Qin Yumu and Qin Yuanze had difficulty deciding on this matter, so Qin Mo was just making do.
Qin Mo glanced at the servants of the Prince of Chenliu, then turned to Huba and asked, "Did you sell these horses to someone else?"
“No, I, Huba, swear in the name of the chieftain of the Tatar tribe that these horses belong to me and not to anyone else.”
"Oh! Then I'll buy it. You get to the Fengtai camp and someone will give you the money."
"Young master, our master has already made a reservation for these horses. We hope you will not cause any trouble." The servant of the Chenliu Wang family had become agitated. In a few days, these grassland barbarians would be driven to desperation, but now they were about to be intercepted. It would be strange if the head steward didn't deal with the people who were keeping watch here.
"Has your master made a decision? Is there a contract?" Qin Mo asked the servants.
"This... my master is of such high status that he will naturally keep his word and there is no need for a contract... young master, you should go to another house..."
Qin Mo ignored them completely and asked Huba directly, "Did you accept their deposit?"
"No, even if all the horses die on their way home, I will never sell them to them." Huba's stubborn words were powerful and resolute, full of the spirit of a grassland man.
"This is the deposit. Send your horse to the military camp of Prince Heng's mansion in Fengtai, and someone will settle the payment for you." Qin Mo casually tossed a gold leaf to Huba, completing the transaction.
"This... esteemed sir, I have a total of three thousand horses... how many do you want?" Huba asked Qin Mo timidly, holding the heavy gold leaf. The nervousness in his eyes ultimately revealed his age and naivety.
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