Chapter 7: The Fright at the Horse Market

The old beggar reappeared silently, emerging at a critical moment

Su Tiancheng suddenly let out a cold laugh

Old beggar, you probably do not understand, young master, that today at the horse market, you nearly encountered a life-threatening situation. The Mongolian horses and the Hequ horses are rare and their prices are completely different. However, everyone knows that Mongolian horses are warhorses, only found in the military, and are extremely scarce in this region. You actually dared to openly sell Mongolian horses; you have quite the audacity. This horse market is not simple; there are countless desperate individuals who have been keeping an eye on you. If you do not engage in a transaction, they would not dare to act recklessly. I do not know which wealthy family you belong to, but if you decide to trade, although they may not dare to take your life, they will certainly attempt to seize your horses.

The old man shook his head, clearly somewhat dissatisfied

Su Tiancheng was already busy calculating. Five warhorses could be traded for five hundred taels of silver, which was quite good and could be considered a substantial sum of money. It should be noted that during the Chongzhen era, a county magistrate's annual salary was only about sixty taels of silver

Young Master, Xiangling County is a small place where the horses traded are mostly from the Southwest. Occasionally, one might see Mongolian horses and Qu horses, and there has even been a rare instance of supply horses. Everyone knows that Mongolian horses and Qu horses are warhorses, which ordinary people do not possess. As for supply horses that come from outside, they are even more precious, typically being imperial horses

So, you are convinced that I am selling warhorses

The person facing Su Tiancheng revealed a cold smile on their face

The Southwest horse stands approximately 3 feet 5 inches tall, is agile and gentle, and serves as the primary means of transportation among the people. The Mongolian horse stands about 3 feet 9 inches tall, is hardy and unafraid of the cold, remaining calm and steadfast on the battlefield, displaying unparalleled bravery. The Hequ horse stands around 4 feet 2 inches tall, possesses strong pulling power, can be used for both pulling and riding, is durable and hardworking, and adapts well to cold climates. As for the riding horse, it stands about 4 feet 4 inches tall, has an elegant physique, moves with elasticity, is gentle, docile, and friendly, endures hardships, is fast, and has strong endurance. On the battlefield, it exhibits great courage, and even when startled while attacking an opponent, it will never retreat.

Young master, the old beggar truly did not expect that you were here to trade warhorses. You are indeed quite bold; such horses cannot be openly traded.

What do you mean? If you want to buy a horse, we can have a proper conversation. If you do not wish to buy a horse, then we shall meet again in the future

Upon reaching this point, Su Tiancheng halted his steps. Unfortunately, it was somewhat too late, as two individuals had already approached from behind, and the person in front had also turned around. Although there were many people in the horse market, those coming in this direction were indeed few.

This brave man, my master wishes to acquire your steed. The price is negotiable. May I ask you to step aside for a moment to discuss this

You, how bold you are, daring to touch my people. Alright, just wait, just wait... and *illustrated* book

Young man, do you realize your crime? How dare you come to the horse market to sell warhorses? What audacity you have

When Su Tiancheng sat in the inn room with the old beggar, the beggar's attire was completely different. He wore a long blue robe, his gray-white hair was neatly tied up, and there were no visible stains on his face. His more than two-inch-long goatee surprisingly exuded a hint of dignity

The old man continued to speak, eating vegetables and drinking wine as he talked, without encouraging Su Tiancheng to eat some as well

Hmph, what is this? Do you think I am afraid? What have I not seen in this world?

The old beggar turned and left, without pausing. Su Tiancheng did not even think twice and directly followed the old beggar out.

The old man referred to the steed as the Arabian horse

The old beggar knows that you are a scholar, unconcerned with these matters. Coming to the horse market for trade, you are completely unaware of the basic situation. The old beggar truly admires you; the young calf is not afraid of the tiger.

What kind of place is the horse market? Here, it is a mix of good and bad, and one might encounter formidable characters at any moment. A man who has been in the horse market for a long time is certainly very astute; upon sensing something amiss, he speaks harshly and turns to leave. The two individuals on the ground struggle to get up, unsteadily following behind him, and soon disappear.

Su Tiancheng felt a bit embarrassed, even though he was still wearing a bamboo hat

Young man, the horses traded in the horse market are generally from the Southwest, and other breeds are rarely seen. You probably do not know what kind of horse you are leading; this is a Mongolian horse, which is only ridden by soldiers

The elderly man remained silent, and all the food and drinks were served. He began to eat and drink by himself.

Alas, the old beggar has not eaten enough. The flavor of the sesame cake is still quite good, but there is no meat to eat and no wine to drink. This stomach is still protesting. Uh, what is this situation?

The person opposite Su Tiancheng had a rather unpleasant expression, as it seemed that a good situation was about to be realized, yet a beggar had come to cause trouble. He made a gesture towards the two people behind Su Tiancheng, indicating for them to drive the old beggar away.

The surroundings appeared somewhat dark, likely because Su Tiancheng's words had stunned the person across from him

Two short, sharp cries were heard. The two individuals approaching the old beggar, for reasons unknown, all fell to the ground, mouths agape, yet unable to utter a word.

The man fell silent, and the two individuals behind him slowly approached, seemingly preparing to forcefully rob him. Su Tiancheng heightened his vigilance; in the unfamiliar environment of the horse market, shouting would not be very effective and might provoke the other party into taking lethal action. However, Su Tiancheng was not one to sit idly by. If it came to a desperate situation, he could always charge out on his horse.

The trading price of an ordinary Southwest horse ranges from 30 to 50 taels of silver. The trading price of Mongolian horses and Hequ horses is generally around 100 taels of silver. As for imperial horses, even the old beggar rarely encounters them. Two years ago, the old beggar saw a horse depicted in a book of imperial horses, and its price exceeded 100 taels of gold

Su Tiancheng stared at the old beggar, dumbfounded. Why did they all recognize the warhorse? Could it really have a mark on it

After a pot of wine was consumed, the old man slowly began to speak

Su Tiancheng's purpose in coming to the horse market is to trade horses; he has never forgotten this matter.

Cold sweat broke out on Su Tiancheng's forehead; how could someone like him, a person from another world, possibly know about such situations

Su Tiancheng nodded slightly, not thinking too much about it, as this was in the horse market, where there should not be any other matters.

The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment. Su Tiancheng would absolutely not retreat without reason. Although he was still gradually adapting to various situations in the Ming Dynasty, he had specifically come to the horse market to conduct transactions. With so many people present in the market, if he showed cowardice at this moment, how would he manage to get by in the future

The old beggar sees that you are considering a transaction, and it is likely that you have more than just this one Mongolian horse. A drop of kindness deserves a fountain of gratitude. The old beggar will assist you in making arrangements for a transaction at the hour of the rabbit: one Mongolian horse for ten taels of gold, right here. If you trust the old beggar, come here; if not, go to the horse market yourself. However, do not lead the Mongolian horse there.

Su Tiancheng was taken aback for a moment. How did the other party know that this horse was a warhorse? Could it be that warhorses have some special markings? When he was at the inn, he specifically examined five warhorses to see if there were any brands or other signs on them. After a careful inspection, he found nothing that matched the descriptions in the books.

After leading the horse for a few minutes, they arrived at a slightly darker place

May I ask, sir, how can one distinguish between these horses

The young master, the old beggar thought you knew nothing, but it turns out you are just pretending to be confused here

What he did not expect was that just after he led the warhorse into the trading area, someone immediately approached, and they were eager to do so, without waiting for Su Tiancheng to speak.

The old man looked at Su Tiancheng with some curiosity

Old man, I assure you that I am not pretending; I truly do not understand fine horses. What you have said has enlightened me profoundly.

Su Tiancheng remained silent, watching the elderly man eat and drink, his heart filled with numerous doubts

It was probably that Su Tiancheng could not articulate it, and the man across from him smiled

Young man, it seems you know nothing at all. You, a mere boy, dare to come to the horse market to trade. I see you must be tired of living. Either you leave this warhorse behind, and I will pretend nothing has happened, or come dawn, I will take you to the authorities, and you can wait to eat prison food.

Su Tiancheng was once again taken aback; in this regard, he had indeed not conducted any research. Although he was well-versed in history, he had never considered studying warhorses. Not to mention warhorses, he was not even familiar with ordinary horses.

He sensed that something was amiss; in horse trading, there is no such thing as a deal without discussing the price. When things happen unexpectedly, there must be something suspicious.

Young man, I have been observing you for quite some time. Do you know what kind of horse you are trading?

The young master trusts the old beggar, let us find a place to talk