The carriage wheels rattled over the packed earth as they left the north gate of Ruyang. In here there were no pristine mansions of the nobles, smooth cobblestoned roads. Both sides of the mud road were huts made out of straw and mud strewn about.
The three scholars inside the carriage felt the unevenness of the road. Yuan Yao sighed, "Boda, how I yearn for the days where carriage riding is a smooth sailing affair even in the bumpiest of the roads."
"Xiao Zhiyu, surely the manor afforded to you will also have some artisan houses attached to it. If we can put our minds to it I believe we can achieve it within a decade."
Hearing this Yuan Yao sighed deeply again. Even a princeling wouldn't be able to have the luxury even a peasant took it granted in the future.
The faint scent of hay, horses, and its dung wafted in the air. "It seems we reached our destination, Lord Zhiyu." Luyan Cheng remarked.
"It seems so," Sima Lang opened the door of the carriage as it came to halt. He got down and looked around.
The area was fenced with wooden stakes, and the large gate was right in front of them. Two burly guards stood on each side ready with their spear pointing outward.
The gate flinged open a moment later. A tall tanned warrior who wore a dark grey robe walked from it. He bowed slightly, and his left hand rested on his curved blade as he spoke.
"This one is Tie Hu," the man said in a low husky voice. "Lord Shang awaits inside. Please follow me."
"We thank you for receiving us on such short notice." Sima Lang returned the greetings.
Tie Hu merely grunted and turned, leading them through the gate. The inside was as expected, it was filled with stables and large warehouses.
They were brought to the main tent. Heavy woolen rugs from the western tribes covered the floor. Inside of the tent several paintings were hung. These depicted many Han landscapes, presumably places where the caravan had visited and traded in. There was also a tapestry right behind Shang Fa depicting a heroic slaying of Hou.
"Lord Yuan Yao," Shang Fa said, rising to his feet with surprising fluidity for a man of his size. His voice was deep, carrying the unmistakable cadence of Liangzhou. "Lord Yuan Yao, only son of Lord Yuan Shu, Yuan Gonglu. The scion who couldn't cultivate. He graces his presence to this lowly traveling merchant. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Yuan Yao slowly turned his gaze to the man. "Mr. Shang, pray tell, why do the central plains man come to the doors of steppe merchant? What goods would he seek from such a man?"
Shang Fa lightly scoffed. "There are thousands every month who seek the finest steeds of western region. It's a herculean task just to transport a few of these." He paused for a short while. "Lord Yuan Yao, I noticed that you were intensely staring at the founding story of our great ancestor. Would you like to hear the full story?"
Yuan Yao slightly nodded and the man began. "In the long lost past even my great grandfather isn't able recall, our great ancestor was born. The western regions are not like the soft river carved central plains even now. In those days the dangers faced by the Qiang people were all on another level. The sparsely populated western regions couldn't hope to resist with the might of numbers like the central plains. Be it a raid from northern barbarians, western charioteers, or countless horrors inhabited the dark mountain ravines. All needed a strong hero, and in times of need you'll rarely find these heroes. Without the protection of the heroes it became quite clear to all of us that being weak is a sin, and we Qiang would do anything to get rid of this sin.
So our great ancestors scaled the steepest of mountain peaks, scoured the darkest of ravines, raided the barbarians and charioteers alike to give us the arts to defend ourselves. With it they slayed many legendary beasts that blighted our lands. What you see in this painting is one such incident. Thousands of such heroic tales happened throughout the land. What would you think happened to us without such might?" Shang Fa asked.
"Your ancestors needed to be strong because the situation called for it." Luyan Cheng quickly retorted. "A muscle's might is not the only might that matters anymore. Do not forget that our lord is the son of the Yuan clan, and the land you stand on are Yuan lands. Our lord may not be able to conquer the western regions but, here, his words would be carried out with utmost care."
Shang Fa wasn't fully convinced, despite this he relented. Even a dragon gives face to the local snake.
"I only have ten steppe warhorses with me." He gulped, "I had a situation while transporting my horses from Nanyang to here due to local yellow turban bandits. I can write you a document that would allow you to go there and take them."
Luyan Cheng lightly smiled. "Now, we come to the main point. What price do you think is reasonable for your horses?"
"My horses are the best of the best Liang can offer. These steeds fetch anywhere between 10,000 to 15,000 coins."
Luyan Cheng opened a neatly folded piece of paper. "Mr. Shang, that price would be reasonable if you had all the horses with you. As you have said, yellow scarves infest the road between here and Nanyang. Even if my lord could mobilise enough men to make sure these brigands are of no threat, he would need to pay them, and feed them. As such, I believe 3,000 coins are enough."
Shang Fa hesitated, seeing that Sima Lang spoke. "Mr. Shang, Xiao Zhiyu can guarantee you that within six months all the bandits plaguing the roads between Nanyang and Ruyang will be dealt with and you can become the exclusive horse merchant for the next five years, if you can sell us at least a thousand horses every year. If you accept this you'll have a steady buyer in the central plains, and your profit for next five years is guaranteed. Let's put the yearly deadline at the Lunar new year "
Shang Fa finally let out a smile. Soon after he bellowed to Tie Hu, "Bring forth the strong liquor of Liangzhou. We shall celebrate this."