On Chinese New Year's Eve, Zhang Yuqing set up several tables of banquets in the Dusi Mansion, and each table was full.

It's snowing outside, and it's bustling inside.

Even Miss Du, who had never dared to see people, had a smile on her face, and she was a little more shy.

Zhang Yuqing couldn't help but sigh in her heart, when she and Lu Wei came to Baochuan, there were only a few people who could be completely trusted, who would have thought that the team had grown so much!

The situation in the world is getting more and more chaotic, and she can already fully foresee that when the news of Mr. Lin's defection to them spreads, more and more people will come to them.

After drinking a few rounds of wine, Mr. Lin was a little upset, pulled Lu Wei, and said that if he wanted to recruit troops and buy horses, he would do it at the beginning of spring, and he must have his own private soldiers to prepare for the troubled times.

"Many, how long will it be messy?" Fang Mo blushed and asked with his tongue open.

Mr. Lin held up a finger, "Five years at most." He added another finger, "Three years at the least." ”

Fang Mo smiled like a fool, "You are a two." ”

Lu Wei pushed away the dog's head that Fang Mo came over, and said, "It's easy to recruit troops, but I'm afraid it's a little difficult to buy a horse." ”

Great Xia is both plains and mountainous areas, there are no large grasslands for grazing, it is not easy to raise horses, and the Hu people control the fine horse breeds and strictly restrict the horse trade in Great Xia.

It is not easy to buy a horse, and raising a horse is even more expensive. How much money does it burn? If it weren't for Zhang Yuqing's business to provide money and food, Lu Wei would have gone to the street to ask for food.

Lu Wei didn't dare to say that he was the richest of the many generals now, but it wasn't bad, even so, it was already a lot of effort for him to match each of the first-class soldiers with a horse and train them to be elite cavalry.

Du Jingyi smiled and said: "If you want to buy it, I'll go to Guanwai in the spring and try the way." ”

"It's hard work!" Lu Wei gave up.

Although everyone drank wine, they all knew in their hearts that no matter how expensive the horse was, they had to buy and raise it. In these years, cavalry has an overwhelming advantage over infantry, and it is absolutely impossible to do without.

Compared with the generals in Great Xia, they were on the border, and they had to resist the invasion of the Hu people externally, and beware of the rebellion of the princes, warlords and the people internally, and the pressure was greater.

Liu Quan said: "This year is very cold, the wind and snow are heavier than in previous years, and the Hu people are probably not having a good time, I am afraid that many livestock and people will freeze to death this winter!" ”

The Hu people suffered a disaster and were hungry for a winter, so they naturally wanted to snatch back the losses from the Great Xia side in the spring, and I am afraid that the Hu people would make a big move in the spring.

Thinking of this, the atmosphere at the wine table fell silent.

It has not been easy for them to get all the way to where they are today, but the future will be even more difficult.

Zhang Yuqing raised his glass and said with a smile: "Everyone, whether it is buying horses or recruiting soldiers, it is a matter after the beginning of spring. ”

"Yes, there is wine today and drunk today! Madame said it so well! Colle clapped vigorously, raised his glass and drank.

Lu Wei snorted coldly in his heart, one by one, he will sell well with my daughter-in-law!

The people of Baochuan have never had such a comfortable and enjoyable Spring Festival, after Zhang Yuqing came, all the taxes of the predecessor were canceled, and a lot of preferential policies were also set up, such as children are sick, medical expenses are free, and the elderly under the age of 16 and over 60 are not taxed.

In the past, Baochuan was deserted during the New Year, and the snow stopped on the day of the Lantern Festival, and many people spontaneously held the traditional lantern festival many years ago.

Lu Wei accompanied Zhang Yuqing to see a circle of lanterns.

They are all made by the people themselves, although they are not as complicated and luxurious as the lanterns in the capital, but they are not interesting.

There are still many people who put a fairy on the lantern, or use paper paste, or use silk cloth to tie it, all say that this is the unicorn Niangniang, bringing auspiciousness to Baochuan.

"I don't look like you!" Lu Wei pointed to a paper figure and said.

The paper figure was very rough, with two thick black eyebrows, and two lumps of rouge on his face.

Zhang Yuqing smiled slightly, but didn't take it to heart.

After the first lunar month, the frozen river begins to thaw, the wind is no longer as bitter as in winter, and everything will soon usher in a thriving spring.

Du Jingyi quietly left Baochuan City before the end of the New Year, and returned to Baochuan a month later, saying that he had contacted a wealthy Hu businessman through his former Hu friend and would come to talk to them about the horse trade.

A few days later, Du Jingyi sent someone to communicate with Zhang Yuqing, saying that Hu Renhao was here, but he refused to talk to him, the big shopkeeper, and wanted to talk to the owner in person.

"Let's talk!" Zhang Yuqing put down the pen and got up to change clothes and go out.

The person who came was embarrassed and said: "The man heard that the owner was a woman, and he was very dissatisfied, and said that there is nothing to talk about with a woman, let us change to a man!" ”

"Who do they want to change?" Zhang Yuqing smiled, "Change Lord Lu? ”

The person who came nodded, "They may think that Lord Lu is the boss behind the scenes, and we just found a woman to lie to them." ”

Zhang Yuqing lowered her eyes and turned her mind a few times, "Do they really have horses in their hands?" How many horses are there? Isn't it a good horse? ”

The person who came said: "The shopkeeper has personally seen that there are tens of thousands of horses in a horse farm alone, all of them are fat and strong, and they have several such horse farms. ”

"I'll go see him!" Zhang Yuqing said decisively.

Even if they brag, there is only the horse farm that Du Jingyi has seen, and she has to buy all the horses in that horse farm first. She has salt works and iron mines, and money is not a problem.

When Du Jingyi led the three Hu people to the teahouse, the tea in front of Zhang Yuqing had been changed three times.

She was sitting in front of the window on the second floor, and heard someone downstairs shouting in half-baked Daxia dialect, "Our young master doesn't talk to women!" ”

"Tell you adults to come and talk to our young master!"

Du Jingyi's smiling voice sounded, "The three of you are here to do business, as long as the business is done, why bother talking to whom?" It's all here, let's go! ”

Immediately after, the sound of going upstairs came, and after the door opened, a cold wind blew in.

Zhang Yuqing played with the teacup in his hand and turned his head to look at the door.

The leader of the three bearded men was a young man with blue eyes and curly hair that hung down to his shoulders.

The moment he saw Zhang Yuqing, the young master Hu Ren who was in the lead was stunned.

He thought that it was an elderly woman waiting upstairs, but he didn't expect it to be a soft young woman, who didn't look as old as him, with a red cloak inlaid with a circle of white rabbit fur, lined with a beautiful face that became more and more delicate, and a green silk was supple and scattered behind, sliding like satin as she turned her head, and holding a white porcelain teacup in her hand as white and delicate as jade.

Zhang Yuqing put down the teacup and made a sound that was neither light nor heavy, she got up and tightened the cloak on her body, and glanced at the three Hu people casually, as if she didn't take the three of them in her eyes.

"The owner." Du Jingyi bowed her hand and said hello.

Zhang Yuqing said lightly: "I hate others being late, since you don't have the sincerity to do business, forget it, say goodbye!" ”

The three Hu people plus one Du Jingyi watched her without looking back, and went straight out of the door without glancing at them.

It wasn't until Zhang Yuqing went downstairs that his delicate side face disappeared at the corner of the stairs that the leading young master Hu Ren came back to his senses.

Du Jingyi forced a smile and said, "I have long urged you to hurry up, you have long disliked that our boss is a woman, and you have delayed such a long time...... Our boss has such a big business, doesn't he have a temper? ”

When the boss made such a fuss, he didn't say anything to him first.

"That business is not done?" Behind the young bearded young man, a bearded man with a thick face shouted, "Your boss doesn't want to buy a horse?" ”

Du Jingyi smiled and said, "Of course I bought it, but the grassland is so big, and you are not the only one who has horses at home, right?" ”

It is true that not only their family has horses, but only Zhang Yuqing has refined salt and refined iron in his hands.

If you want to put a score in front of them, it may not be easy.

"It's not right that we're late." The young man Hu Ren spoke, "You talk to the boss again, and we'll meet and talk." ”

Seeing that Du Jingyi looked embarrassed, she added, "I'm sorry for you!" ”

Zhang Yuqing went out, got into the carriage and left.

Wang Chunniang asked worriedly: "Really don't talk about it?" Don't buy a horse anymore? ”

"Doing business, what you like me is what you want, it's not a business to be on the pole." Zhang Yuqing yawned, "There are more things lacking on the grassland, and they want supplies more than silver." Let's wait a minute, buying a horse is a big deal, but they can't hold it back. ”

When Lu Wei returned to the Dusi Mansion, it was already dusk, and the red sunset rendered the courtyard with a layer of warm colors.

Zhang Yuqing was holding a small hoe and digging a vacant lot next to the wall.

"What is this for?" Lu Wei took the hoe, "Is it loosening?" ”

Zhang Yuqing pointed to a small cloth bag on the windowsill and said, "Lin Heniang went back to her hometown and brought some seeds of Lingxiao flowers, I want to try them." ”

Lingxiao flower is a climbing plant, when the time comes, climb a whole wall, full of flowers, must be very beautiful.

"Then try." Lu Wei answered.

Zhang Yuqing sat on the stone bench next to him and said, "There are Hu people who come to sell horses today, but I didn't talk to them. ”

Lu Wei waved his hoe and said calmly: "If you don't talk about it, you won't talk about it, they must be unable to do it, you just decide." ”

Zhang Yuqing curled the corners of her lips.

Lu Wei loosened the soil and turned his head to look at Zhang Yuqing, his eyes were so soft that even the air was filled with a sweet smell.

At this moment, Du Jingyi hurriedly entered the backyard and shouted, "Madam! ”

Unexpectedly, Lu Wei was also there, Du Jingyi's feet slipped, with a hint of surprise, and bowed, "I've seen Lord Lu!" ”

"What's the matter?" Zhang Yuqing got up and asked.

Du Jingyi said: "They refuse to leave, and they are willing to talk to you." ”

Zhang Yuqing chuckled, "The day after tomorrow!" Dry them for two days first, smooth out their sharpness, and let Liu Quan monitor them and figure out their details! ”