Chapter 87 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Three days later, He Fei carefully prepared a lot of luggage for her and accompanied the emperor to the border.
Surprisingly, the emperor traveled light and set off on horseback.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaojia secretly groaned in her heart. This was simply going to kill her!
After running for three hours, she was exhausted.
Fortunately, the Wudeshi Envoy had already arranged the meal, otherwise she would really have to go back home.
At noon, the aroma of food filled the air. After Zhang Xiaojia wolfed down the food, she pulled the emperor's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Brother, let's rest for an hour! Let me take a nap and get enough energy before we set off again."
Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned slightly, looked at her pampered appearance, and shook his head helplessly: "You are so pampered." However, there was a hint of pampering and indulgence in his words.
After Zhang Xiaojia's persistent coquettish behavior and soft and hard persuasion, the emperor finally sighed helplessly and nodded in agreement to take a rest.
Zhang Xiaojia felt relieved and immediately sat down on a stone by the roadside, rubbing his sore legs and feet, secretly glad that he had finally gained some time to catch his breath.
However, the rest time was always short. After an hour, the emperor mercilessly urged everyone to continue on their journey.
Zhang Xiaojia had no choice but to grit his teeth, drag his tired body back on the horse, and continue forward with the team.
After another three hours of bumpy ride, Zhang Xiaojia felt like all the bones in his body were about to fall apart.
After finally making it to dinner time, she was fully expecting that she could finally have a good sleep at the inn and recover her strength.
However, her hopes were soon shattered - the emperor simply ate something, then got into the carriage and ordered to continue on his journey.
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes widened, and he wailed in his heart: "This is going to kill me!"
The originally planned six-day trip was shortened to three days at the emperor's insistence.
When they arrived at the border, Zhang Xiaojia was so tired that she could hardly stand, but she still forced herself to stay strong and followed the emperor closely.
She wore a mask and a black dress, wrapped herself tightly, and tried her best to "see nothing indecent, hear nothing indecent, and say nothing indecent."
Despite this, she would glance at the emperor from time to time, and couldn't help but mutter in her heart: "Is her brother made of iron or steel? How come he doesn't feel tired at all?"
In the dead of night, Zhang Xiaojia leaned against the wall of the post station, gazing at the starry sky, and prayed silently in his heart: "I hope this errand will end soon. If it continues like this, my old bones will really fall apart..."
The emperor came out and heard Zhang Xiaojia's prayer. He said angrily, "When you were little, I asked you to practice martial arts, but you just slacked off. You are not good at literature or martial arts, but you are good at eating, drinking and having fun."
Zhang Xiaojia was about to cry: "Brother, I am a woman, I don't have any ambitions. If it weren't for your safety, I wouldn't be here! He Fei and I just want to live under your protection for the rest of our lives, eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks. You clearly promised me that you would give me wealth and glory without me having to work."
The Emperor: "Hey~ You should go to bed early. The Wudesi Envoy is on guard tonight."
When Zhang Xiaojia heard that it was the Wudesi Envoy who was on guard, he immediately went back to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, before daybreak, Zhang Xiaojia was awakened by the noise outside. She rubbed her eyes and heard the emperor outside telling everyone to prepare to leave.
She quickly got up, put on her clothes, and when she walked out of the room, she saw the emperor already riding on his horse, with a stern expression and sharp eyes.
"Jiaer, why are you still standing there? Get on your horse!" the emperor said coldly.
"Brother, where are we going?"
"There's a border trade market opening on the front line. I want to go and see it myself."
"Brother, wait for me, I'm going somewhere and will be back soon."
Zhang Xiaojia came out carrying a large backpack. She followed the emperor, feeling very curious.
She had never seen a trade market on the border, let alone the emperor going on a secret tour to check it out in person.
She lowered her voice, leaned closer to the emperor and asked, "Brother, if we walk in so openly, will we be recognized?"
The emperor glanced at her calmly, the corner of his mouth raised slightly: "Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. You just need to talk less and watch more later."
She shut her mouth obediently and followed the emperor into the bustling trading market.
The market was bustling with people, shouting and haggling, making it seem particularly lively. Zhang Xiaojia stared wide-eyed and looked around, noticing the dazzling array of goods here: tea, salt, porcelain, and even some rare items she had never seen before.
Zhang Xiaojia couldn't help but walk forward. Standing in front of a stall, she rubbed her eyes furiously, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The stall owner, a man from the Western Regions, with dark skin and deep eyes, enthusiastically tried to sell his wares to passersby. The stall was filled with all sorts of bizarre things: bright red peppers, oddly shaped sweet potatoes, and seeds she had never seen before.
"Old swan!" Zhang Xiaojia exclaimed inwardly, "We, the people of Great Zhou, now have another high-yield grain!" She was so excited that she almost jumped up, but when she remembered that the emperor was still behind her, she quickly restrained her emotions and pointed at the pot of chili peppers with a calm expression, asking, "How much is this?"
The man from the Western Regions took a look at her. She was dressed in black and wearing a mask. Although he couldn't tell her identity, she was obviously not rich. He hesitated for a moment and held up five fingers: "Fifty taels."
Zhang Xiaojia's heart tightened. Fifty taels was no small sum, but she knew the value of the peppers. She gritted her teeth and didn't bargain. She pointed at the sweet potato and asked, "What about this?"
Seeing that she didn't bargain, the Westerner warmed up a bit and said with a smile, "These are sweet potatoes. You can eat them raw or cooked. They're sweet and delicious. Here are fifty pounds. I'll give them all to you for only twenty taels."
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes lit up, and she thought to herself, "Sweet potatoes are a high-yield crop. If they can be promoted, the people of Da Zhou will no longer have to suffer from hunger!" She suppressed her inner excitement and asked casually, "How many sweet potatoes are there where you live?"
Seeing that she was interested in buying in large quantities, the Westerner immediately became excited and said, "We still have three hundred kilograms! If you want them all, I'll give you one hundred taels!"
Zhang Xiaojia was delighted and was about to speak when she suddenly felt someone approaching from behind. She turned around and saw the emperor standing behind her, looking at her calmly. Although he didn't say anything, his eyes were clearly signaling her to let go and do it.
Zhang Xiaojia had a clue in mind and immediately pointed at a guard and said, "You, follow him. Two hundred taels. I want all his seeds and sweet potatoes!"
When the man from the Western Regions heard this, his eyes widened, he couldn't believe his ears: "Two hundred taels? All of it?"
Zhang Xiaojia nodded, his tone firm: "Yes, all. You lead the way, he will go to pick up the goods now."
The man from the Western Regions nodded excitedly, quickly packed up his stall, and left in a hurry with his guards.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at their backs, her heart full of anticipation.
She knew that once these sweet potatoes and seeds were popularized, the people of the Great Zhou would no longer have to worry about food.
The emperor stood behind her and said calmly, "Jia'er, what are these?"
Zhang Xiaojia whispered, "Brother, I'll tell you when I get home."
After a while, the guards returned with the Western Regions people, and the carriage was piled high with sweet potatoes and seeds. Zhang Xiaojia carefully checked them, confirmed that they were all correct, and paid for them readily.
The man from the Western Regions took the silver, grinning from ear to ear, and thanked her repeatedly: "Thank you so much, young lady! Thank you so much, young lady! If I have anything good in the future, I will definitely save it for you first!"
When the emperor saw the Yuan Dynasty people selling war horses, his heart was boiling with anger.
Seeing the frontier generals buying them, I was excited because they had so few war horses in the Great Zhou!
Since the opening of border trade, the number of war horses in the Great Zhou has increased by 30,000.
War horses are the lifeblood of the army, especially in open areas like the border, where the advantages of cavalry are irreplaceable.
However, the Zhou Dynasty has always been short of warhorse resources, and many cavalrymen can only use ordinary horses to make up the numbers, which greatly reduces their combat effectiveness.
He walked a few steps closer calmly and listened carefully to the conversation between the generals and the Yuan Dynasty people.
"How much is this horse?" A general patted the neck of a black warhorse, his eyes full of admiration.
The Yuan Dynasty man held up five fingers and said in a stiff Central Plains dialect: "Five hundred taels, one horse."
The general frowned, apparently thinking the price was a bit high, but looking at the horse's majestic figure, he was reluctant to let it go. He hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll take this one!"
Zhang Xiaojia was also tempted when she saw it, and she wanted to buy it too.
She walked over and saw that there were still six war horses left. She said, "Give me all the remaining horses. How much do you want?"
The Yuan Dynasty people said stiffly: "28 million taels"
Zhang Xiaojia pulled out a mirror. The wooden frame was intricately carved with patterns, interwoven with vines and flowers, bringing it to life. The mirror's surface was as smooth as a lake, reflecting a clear yet soft image, as if bathed in a gentle, warm glow. The wood's texture was delicate and soft, warm to the touch, as if every inch was imbued with the craftsman's painstaking efforts and the accumulation of time.
She said, “Want to buy it?”
The Yuan Dynasty man held the mirror with envy in his eyes and asked bluntly, "How much silver is this glass?"
Zhang Xiaojia stretched out a finger and wanted to say one hundred taels.
"One thousand taels, that's too expensive, 800 taels."
"Deal, I have four mirrors here."
Zhang Xiaojia took out four mirrors, of different styles and designs, but each one was extremely exquisite.
The two of them made a deal, and Zhang Xiaojia got 400 taels.
When the emperor saw this, his eyes widened. This money was really easy to make.
As long as they don't sell iron to the Yuan Dynasty people, they can buy cloth, tea, salt and glass.
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