The Ximen mansion is located in the east of the city. The old man Ximen passed away and the family held a funeral. If it had been in the past, there would have been a flood of visitors.
However, during these extraordinary times, there were only a few guests who came to pay homage.
Although Qin Xiao has helped many families reverse their cases, the situation is so turbulent that no one can be sure that this overturn will be the final verdict. After all, it was the Xiahou family that was convicted before. Whether Qin Shaoqing of Dali Temple can really decide the final verdict?
, that is still unknown.
At this time, it is less involved than other families, and it also guarantees the safety of your own family.
After all, he was imprisoned before because of his involvement with three major aristocratic families in Hangzhou.
Except for a few families who have a close relationship with the Ximen family and send people to pay homage and leave quickly, there are very few people who actually stay with the Ximen family to help.
The Ximen family can also understand the current situation of other families. Although the old man passed away, they did not make a big deal about it. They just took care of it briefly to avoid causing trouble.
So when Qin Xiao came to Ximen Mansion, the whole mansion was deserted.
Ximen Hao was surprised to learn that Mr. Qin came to pay homage in person. He led his family to greet him in a hurry. However, he saw that Qin Xiao had already taken a piece of white cloth from the servant and put it on his head. As he was coming in, Ximen Hao led his family to the door.
He knelt on the ground in front of him and said gratefully: "Your Majesty, you are here. If you miss me from afar, you should be damned!"
Qin Xiao stepped forward to help him up and said: "Mr. Ximen, I just learned that your father-in-law has passed away, so I asked Mr. Hua to lead the way. No matter what, I have to give the old man a ride." No nonsense, he went to pay homage according to the rules.
After paying homage, Ximen Hao hurriedly welcomed Qin Xiao to the side hall, where he quickly served tea.
"You have so many things to do, but you still take the time to come. I'm really grateful." Ximen Hao looked touched.
Qin Xiao sighed: "Speaking of which, the government is also responsible for the old lady's death. If the old lady had not contracted the disease in prison, it would not have been like this. I am an official of the imperial court. The government made a mistake, and I came to pay my respects.
, and it’s natural.”
"This has nothing to do with you, sir." Ximen Hao said hurriedly: "If you hadn't seen everything clearly, the grievances of the Ximen family would not have been washed away. Your kindness to the Ximen family has never been forgotten."
Hua Kuan on the side finally said: "My dear, how are you doing at the horse market in the north?"
Ximen Hao was startled. He didn't know why Hua Kuan suddenly mentioned the horse market, but he still said: "The changes that happened here in Hangzhou are not known to the north. I sent people there yesterday, and everything is as usual."
"Earlier in the government office, I talked about the horse market with Mr. Shaoqing." Hua Kuan said: "Your Excellency is very interested in the horse market, but I only know a little bit about it. The expert in the horse market is none other than your brother Ximen...
.!”
Qin Xiao raised his hand and shook his head and said: "We won't talk about this today. Mr. Ximen is still arranging the funeral. After the incident, we will find time to have a good chat."
"It's okay, it's okay." Ximen Hao said hurriedly: "Your Excellency wants to know about the situation in the horse market, and I should know everything." He raised his hand to invite Qin Xiao for tea, and then asked: "Does your Excellency need horses? I have what I have on hand.
There are also dozens of fine horses, which were transported from the north more than two months ago and are currently being kept in the horse farm at the foot of Nanping Mountain. Less than fifty miles west of Hangzhou City is Nanping Mountain, where my father bought horses when he was still alive.
We have acquired a piece of land and built a racecourse. The horses that were traded will be temporarily kept there. After this incident, the mansion was confiscated, but the Shence Army did not have time to search the racecourse. If your Excellency needs it, I will send someone there immediately.
Send those horses over here...!" Before Qin Xiao could speak, he shouted loudly: "Here comes...!"
Qin Xiao hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Mr. Ximen misunderstood."
Ximen Hao was stunned, and then Qin Xiao smiled and said: "Actually, I am just curious. I heard that the Tusun tribes prohibited the flow of steppe horses into the Tang Dynasty, but the cavalry in Suzhou Camp and Hangzhou Camp seemed to have steppe horses to match, so I was curious about where those steppe horses came from.
Where did it come from?”
Ximen Hao said: "That's it. My lord, there is actually no iron wall in this world. The so-called oath can be torn up at any time once it hurts the interests of some people. The silk tea porcelain and many medicinal materials of our Tang Dynasty are all from Tusun people.
The coveted goods. In our eyes, these goods are everywhere and commonplace, but when they come to the northern grasslands, they regard them as treasures. And those prairie horses that we regard as treasures are ordinary in their eyes, just ordinary.
They thought it was a good deal to use their horses in exchange for our silk tea medicinal materials."
"I heard that a group of fine prairie horses are worth a lot of money in the Tang Dynasty?"
"That's natural." Ximen Hao said: "Sir, a piece of silk in the south of the Yangtze River is only worth a lot of money, but on the grassland, it will make at least five times the profit. If you take money to the grassland, a good grassland horse will be worth at least
We need to spend twenty taels of silver to buy it, but in exchange for silk, four bolts of silk can be exchanged for one bolt. After calculation, our cost is only about four taels of silver. Including shipping costs, it cannot exceed six taels.
silver."
Hua Kuan smiled and said: "The government can buy authentic grassland horses from horses, and they can get at least fifty taels of silver each."
"If you sell it to others, there's no need to negotiate if you don't have eighty taels of silver." Ximen Hao said, "So if you trade the silk to the grassland for horses, then transport the horses back and sell them, you'll get ten times the profit inside and outside." He paused.
, smiled slightly: "But there is naturally some loss in the process. When selling horses in the north, you still need the protection of the Guan army at the border, and you still have to pay some protection fees. Moreover, running the horse business requires a written ultimatum from the government. There is no written ultimatum.
They are not qualified to trade at the border, and the border army will not provide them with protection."
"Documentary?"
"Yes." Ximen Hao said: "The number of ultimatums is limited and they are very precious. They need to be stamped by the Yamen of Taichang Temple and the Ministry of War, and they are changed every three years." Ximen Hao explained: "The ultimatums of the Ximen family are only available in one year.
It has to expire, and after it expires, it needs to be re-issued." Having said this, he looked sad and said with a wry smile: "The Ximen family received the document more than ten years ago. In the past ten years, thanks to the care of Her Royal Highness, the document has been kept.
In hand, but... I heard that the military officer has been replaced, and if you want to continue operating the horse market after the expiration of the ultimatum, you may not be qualified."
Qin Xiao thought that She Yue had always taken good care of the Jiangnan family. Previously, the Ministry of War was within She Yue's strength. It would not be difficult for the Jiangnan family to obtain documents from the Ministry of War. However, now that the Ministry of War has fallen into the hands of the Xiahou family, the Ximen family's documents
Once the ultimatum expires, it is almost impossible to extend it.
The fight between the high-ranking officials in the DPRK will indeed affect the livelihood of countless people. "But to be honest, the horse trade in the north has become increasingly difficult in recent years." Ximen Hao sighed: "I remember the earliest one.
At that time, hundreds of high-quality war horses could be shipped back at one time, but that was a thing of the past. Today's business is getting more and more difficult. Being able to transport fifty horses at a time is already a big business. Last year,
When we came down, we only brought back less than 600 horses, which is a far cry from before."
"Is it because of the Duer Guards?"
"This is naturally one of the reasons, but it is not the main reason." Ximen Hao said: "In the early years, the main trade was between the horse traders of our Tang Dynasty and the Tusun people. Apart from us, there were no other traders for their horses.
But now the Molili people have also jumped out... Sir, the Molili people are the Bohai people. The Bohai Kingdom has been aggressively militarizing in recent years, annexing many tribes in the Northeast, and has extended its hands to the grassland. The Tusun people
Many tribes in the eastern Black Forest have been conquered by the Moli people. They have controlled the Black Forest and can go west to the grasslands at any time. Therefore, the Tusun tribe in the eastern grassland is afraid of the Moli people.
In recent years, a large number of horse dealers have also begun to be sent out to trade with the Tusun people privately."
Qin Xiao frowned. He didn't know much about Bohai Country, and he didn't care too much about the Molili people, but he didn't want the Molili people to become troublesome now.
"The Moli people surrendered to the Tang Dynasty as early as the time of Emperor Wuzong and became a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty." Hua Kuan obviously saw that Qin Xiao didn't know much about the situation in the Bohai Kingdom, so he explained: "Because they have the status of a vassal state.
, so the Tang Dynasty allowed the Moli people to trade with the Tang Dynasty, and the merchants of the Moli people were spread all over the Tang Dynasty. There were many Moli people of this generation in Jiangnan. They even directly purchased silk tea in the Jiangnan area. Once a dispute arose, they would
Complain to the government, saying that we bullied foreign merchants, and said that the great Tang Dynasty humiliated foreign countries, which is inconsistent with the name of a great country." He sneered and said: "Meli people are shameless and eloquent.
They are difficult to deal with, and we try to have as little contact with them as possible."
Ximen Hao also sneered: "The government is worried that being too harsh on them will damage the relationship between the two countries, so they sometimes turn a blind eye to what they do. These Moli merchants bought big leather silk tea and shipped it back.
Bohai, and then use these goods to trade with the Tusun people, in the final analysis, you are taking advantage of both sides." After a pause, he continued: "Our country of etiquette in the Tang Dynasty has been at peace with the Tusun people in the north in recent years.
, but the Molili people are naturally bullying the weak and afraid of the strong. They acted like rogues in the Tang Dynasty, and they also acted like rogues on the grasslands. Doing business is a matter of your own free will, but the Molili people came to Tusun's tribe, condescended to them, and forced them to trade.
It's fine if the transaction goes smoothly, but if you refuse to trade with them, they will send troops to harass you from time to time, no doubt like bandits."
"The Tusun people just let them run rampant in the grassland?"
"There are hundreds of tribes in Tusun, large and small." Ximen Hao explained: "Most of the tribes are not strong. The Moli people have a very powerful cavalry, which comes and goes like the wind, and is best at harassing. In addition, they use merchants to
Activities everywhere, collecting intelligence, and knowing the situation of many Tusun tribes on the grassland. They bully the weak and fear the strong. They will not provoke the strong tribes, but the weak tribes have become their targets. The various Tusun tribes have always been at odds with each other.
Sometimes when I see other tribes being attacked and killed by the Moli people, I not only don’t help, but actually take pleasure in their misfortune.”
Qin Xiao nodded slightly, but frowned: "What is the purpose of Bohai State purchasing a large number of grassland war horses?"