In the city of Liangzhou, although it is a cold winter, this year is different from previous years, and it is particularly lively.

Some time ago, Li Kuan asked Xue Li and Wang Fugui to take a bunch of ceramic utensils and iron pot salt to the grassland to buy wool.

The price of sending wool to the tribe is completely different from sending wool to Liangzhou City, and the herdsmen who are a little more daring choose to send it to Liangzhou City by themselves.

Anyway, there is nothing to do in the winter, so it is better to take this opportunity to send wool to Liangzhou by yourself.

It was under such circumstances that Ma Zhou and Chu Suiliang reached Liangzhou City.

Whether it was Ma Zhou or Chu Suiliang, it was a little unexpected and a little reluctant for Li Kuan to ask them to come to Liangzhou, but the officials directly issued an order, and they had no way not to come.

Liangzhou is far away from Chang'an, and two people who are sympathetic to each other simply come together, and there is a person talking on the road.

Chu Suiliang is okay, the size of the Chu family is also a family, and he is going to Liangzhou, and there are dozens of entourages and guards around him; But Ma Zhou was miserable, he was alone in Changhe Mansion for a few years as a guest secretary, although he was taken by Li Shimin this year and officially entered the court as an official, but in addition to a cook and a doorman, there is not even a maid at home.

"Brother Chu, this Liangzhou city is lonely in the northwest, I thought it would be very desolate and deserted, but I didn't expect that the streets were full of people, which was really surprising."

"King Bin, along the way, it is not the first time we have entered the northwest, such as Shanzhou, although it is closer to Chang'an than Liangzhou, but it is a small city with few people, and business is not prosperous. Today's Liangzhou City will have its current appearance, but I have some expectations for the errand given by His Royal Highness the King of Chu. ”

Ma Zhou is five years younger than Chu Suiliang, so Chu Suiliang is called Ma Zhou, and Ma Zhou calls him brother.

"The relationship of trust between the grassland herdsmen and the Han people has always been very weak, but when I first entered the city, I did find that many of them were not Han people, and the methods of His Royal Highness the King of Chu really made people look forward to it."

"To be able to write poems like raising a glass to invite Mingyue and shadowing into three people, I never thought that His Royal Highness the King of Chu would be a gentleman, and all kinds of rumors in the past, I think it was more of a mischief work in the early days of His Royal Highness the King of Chu."

Ma Zhou and Chu Suiliang gave the reins of their mounts to the little guy, and the two walked side by side on the streets of Liangzhou City.

When they left Chang'an, both of them were a little emotional; Leaving Beijing at this juncture, it is destined that there is no way to spend the New Year in Chang'an, and I don't know that the Year of the Ox and the Horse Moon will come back again.

However, the journey of more than ten days along the way was enough for them to think things through.

These two are both masters who can worship the prime minister, whether it is vision, talent, or open-mindedness, they are not comparable to ordinary people.

This time, he was dispatched to the Chu Palace's Mansion as a chief official and chief officer, isn't it another opportunity?

If you can make some achievements in the desolate northwest, or even expand the territory, it will not be a better opportunity.

"Hey, King Bin, do you think these herdsmen look like wool on their horses?"

Since entering the city, Chu Suiliang has found several groups of herdsmen with a bunch of things on their backs, although they look very similar to wool, but he knows that wool is useless, so he is a little unsure.

Ma Zhou stared at a herdsman passing by, "It's indeed wool." ”

Hearing Ma Zhou say the same, Chu Suiliang simply stepped forward to stop a herdsman, "This strong man, may I ask if the wool on your horseback is used to sell in Liangzhou City?" ”

The herdsman was suddenly stopped by Chu Suiliang, startled, pressed his hand on his waist, and almost drew his knife out; But after a reaction, I realized that this is not a grassland.

"Yes...... It's for sale. Mountbatten told me that as long as the wool was transported to the northwest trade next to the yamen of Liangzhou City, it could be exchanged for things like salt and iron pots. ”

"Mountbatten?" Chu Suiliang frowned.

"yes, have you heard of him? There are few people in Liangzhou City who don't know him, he is doing things for the prince of the Tang Dynasty. ”

Chu Suiliang and Ma Zhou glanced at each other: Do things for the prince? Could it be that these wools have something to do with His Royal Highness the King of Chu?

"My name is Chu Suiliang, and it is the first time I have come to Liangzhou, so I happen to be free, let's go to the Northwest Trade with you to have a look."

Chu Suiliang was not in a hurry to meet Li Kuan, but became interested in the northwest trade in the herdsmen's mouth.

"I ...... My name is Askar, and if you don't bother with it, you can come with me, but I don't know how to get there. ”

It is estimated that it is the first time that a Tang person has taken the initiative to talk to him, and he still looks friendly, and Askar shows a simple smile.

"It's a trivial matter, I'll know how to get out if I ask."

Liangzhou City is not big, where is the northwest trade, naturally it is difficult for Chu Suiliang.

In fact, during the conversation between Chu Suiliang and Ascar, the clever guy next to him had already asked the passer-by next to him how to go about the Northwest Trade.

"The appearance of the two Lang Jun in the dust should not be the locals of Liangzhou, right?" Seeing that Chu Suiliang and the others seemed to be very kind, Aska also let down his guard and began to talk.

For these small tribe herdsmen in Xue Yantuo, if they can get in touch with the Tang people in Liangzhou City, it should be a good way to improve their status.

Especially if you can have something to do with the magnates of Liangzhou City, basically the chiefs of the tribe will not dare to bully you at will.

Don't think that the grassland people are so united, within the tribe, all kinds of oppression do not have to be worse in the Central Plains, or even more ruthless.

"Strong men have good eyes, the two of us came all the way from Chang'an, and it was the first time for us to come to Liangzhou City."

Chu Suiliang also wanted to learn about the situation in Liangzhou City from the side, so he chatted with Aska more frankly.

From Askar's mouth, he also confirmed his guess, that is, these wools were purchased by His Royal Highness the King of Chu, although Askar didn't know why the prince would buy a large amount of wool.

Because the wool is in the grassland, although some herders will use it to make mattresses, but because they don't know how to wash off the grease on the wool, the quality of these mattresses is particularly poor, and there is a very bad smell.

So, except for the very poor herders, no one else likes it.

It can be said that wool on the grassland is basically something that can't even be compared to sheep dung, which can also be used as fertilizer for the grassland.

"Brother Chu, when I look at the actions of the prince this year, they are often unexpected, but they are surprising. I'm kind of looking forward to what surprises will happen to these wools. ”

The group came to the Northwest Trade Gate, and Ma Zhou glanced at Chu Suiliang expectantly.