Chapter 188

The celebration was halfway through, and the princess brought by Kucha personally took the stage to perform a dance.

Emperor Ning De watched with great satisfaction, and Kucha on the spot declared that he would present the princess to His Majesty, to cement a hundred generations of goodwill.

The two Western Regions states, two marriage alliances, left Da Wang thoroughly puzzled—this didn't stop his father from happily accepting the beauty.

Da Wang thought Wei Shen was right; this princess might have been swapped, she didn't look ugly at all, and she danced well—clearly his father Emperor's type.

Emperor Ning De on the spot ennobled the Kucha princess as Zhaoyi.

Da Wang curled his lips: Zhaoyi, just below the lady. If she gains more favor later and gets a title, her rank would surpass that of a prince.

"Is knowing how to dance really that useful? If I'd known, I'd have learned it as a child." As soon as he said that, Zhaoyi, and the rank his mother had when entering the palace back then were the same.

Bai Li Heng, having heard enough, could no longer bear it and decided to splash water to wake him up: "Third brother, do you usually look in the mirror? Who wants to watch a little fat dance? Even if your dance skills are number one in the world, it's all wasted."

Da Wang: "……Second brother is really annoying! I've already lost weight!"

Bai Li Heng: "Oh, then change it—who wants to watch a little shorty dance."

Da Wang angrily took a deep breath: "I've already started growing taller, okay? My mother heard height isn't short, we share the same father, you just wait—I'll definitely surpass you someday!"

Bai Li Heng: "Then let's wait for that 'someday' to come."

Da Wang: ……

He decided to go ask Bai Ge that very night whether, in this highly developed future era, there are any secrets to growing taller—Da Wang couldn't wait any longer!

After the first part of the celebration ended and people were free to move about, Da Wang received several orders for precious horses.

As he came and went through the Honglu Temple, everyone's eyes lit up—many saw his little red horse and black wind horse, white gold horse, and took the opportunity to inquire about prices.

"The black wind horse is from overseas continents…… Ah? Why does Youzhou have it? Our Youzhou fishing boats encountered them at sea, then brought overseas merchants to dock in Youzhou for freshwater supplies; later, that country's cargo ships frequently came and went through Youzhou's ferry crossing, so we have many overseas goods there, and the Youzhou ferry crossing has a lighthouse, very easy to find."

"The red horse I ride? That's one I bought from merchants, according to the horse trader, it came from a desert even deeper than Dayuan's—I don't know if it's true or false. These are all being bred now, just a bit pricey…… Of course, only if the appearance is the same can they sell at a price! Shoulder height is about the same as Father Emperor's horse."

"Where's it expensive? Uncle Wang didn't buy a precious horse from the Greater Yuezhi? Is it cheap?"

"I'm not making money, elder brother can just not buy mine—it'd save me trouble!"

"……How could it die? My horse is of excellent breed and in great health—if it gets sick for no reason, you can come find me for after-sales help; follow the feeding guide and it will absolutely stay strong and healthy, never get sick—rest assured!"

After one celebration ended, Da Wang gained quite a lot, securing orders for twelve horses—this is over a hundred thousand taels of silver.

Look at those princes and marquises—each richer than the last. Precious horses are rare, hard to come by, but now with mass production and a channel, these people are all quite enthusiastic.

His second elder brother alone bought two—one black wind, one chestnut red.

Yu Wang also gritted his teeth and spent two hundred thousand taels on a chestnut red horse; gritting his teeth isn't because he can't come up with two hundred thousand taels, but because he feels this money let the third son earn it at a loss.

But since others bought them, he's spoken his piece!

Yu Wang: "Black wind horses sell for eighty thousand taels? How come I heard Youzhou's Prince's personal guards all ride these horses? How much would that cost? Has Youzhou become this rich?"

Da Wang laughed: "Big brother came late, so he probably doesn't know—on this journey, I've faced quite a few assassination attempts. These lucky survivors among the personal guards escaped alive thanks to the over a hundred black wind horses in their unit. I don't know which idiot would…… insist on assassinating me, this peaceful farming poor county prince—poor me, I even thought something had changed in the capital, wanting to wipe out all the feudal princes in one sweep? Now I still haven't figured it out…… Well, off topic—those black wind horses are bred through cooperation between Youzhou's ranch and a generations-old horse-trading magnate: I provide the land, he provides the horses, and this horse hasn't been paid for yet—first borrowed for a ride. With feudal princes and foreign envoys gathering in Chang'an, though Youzhou is poor, I can't appear too shabby either—otherwise it'd embarrass Father Emperor."

Yu Wang chuckled: "Oh, I see." In his heart he cursed this guy for being oily-mouthed and smooth-talked, not a word of truth.

Da Wang basically didn't care what he thought—whether he believed it or not, it wouldn't delay the eldest brother's desire to see him dead.

This time meeting again, the eldest brother's hostility toward him could no longer be concealed, nor did he seem to want to conceal it anymore—probably?

Da Wang, to himself, held a stack of banknotes, smiling contentedly—Bai Ge was right, the horses I sell are luxury goods, just like their high-end cars, only sellable in a place like Chang'an. Upper society wants exactly this kind of horse that can symbolize status—ride it out and turn heads.

Now, buying a little red horse at his level would also cost one hundred thousand taels—double it, what's dark about it? The darkness is in the dreams, dreams are fine.

But the black wind horse—he sources it cheap, sells it for eighty thousand taels, and makes a huge profit.

After the daytime celebration dispersed, Chang'an City continued without curfew at night, and there will be a lively sleepless night.

Da Wang strolled around the street, took a look at the lights on Chang'an Avenue, then returned—he was a bit nostalgic for the lights on Zhuque Avenue.

That night, waving a stack of banknotes, he found Zhu Ti, gave her a purchase order, and asked her to arrange caravans according to the list to deliver the horses to these people's fiefdoms—first deliver those with stock, the black wind horses from the ranch.

The chestnut red horses need Da Wang to save up ingots and buy in batches—he's really too poor, and unwilling to use outside silver to top up.

"How's Youzhou been these two days? Anything going on?"

"Border everything's normal. A light rain fell, drought conditions have eased a bit; in about half a month it'll be autumn harvest, looks fine. Two days ago another batch of refugees drifted into Youzhou—about a hundred or more—already arranged to go to the refugee village. Also, the mine has delivered a batch of silver—125,000 taels."

Da Wang heard this and laughed: "All good things—looks like by autumn harvest, my main quest will be completed?"

Zhu Ti: "Zhuque Avenue at night is still quite lively—I guess the city folk's pressure isn't that great."

Da Wang then thought of the Imperial Academy: "Recently, have there been any students coming from Beijiang to study at the academy?" Da Wang asked eagerly.

Zhu Ti gave him a reality check: "No. On the contrary, old friends and students of Lord Xie from the south have come by a few—they currently have no intention of joining the academy."

"Understood…… Keep promoting, sell that textbook we printed in Jiangnan!" This academy task really gives Da Wang a headache. Come to think of it—only aristocratic clans in the Jin Dynasty can read and write; who would run to a place like Youzhou, which looks unsafe, to study?

Jin Dynasty scholars' pilgrimage for study: first is the Chen Commandery where the Chengyang Academy is located, second is Fan Yang where the Lu clan resides—count on one hand, and Youzhou doesn't even make the list.

Da Wang wasn't discouraged, immediately full of primordial qi, declaring: "Once I return, I'll prepare a bit, open my own elementary school, start from zero, teach myself, send students to the academy—can't attract aristocrats, hum!"

The second day of the celebration was the day Da Wang had agreed to go outside the city to chop arms with someone—he really had people stare at the Xianbei, all the way until noon, when the other side still hadn't come out—obviously the Eastern Xianbei were playing dead, not preparing to go.

"Ji Ti pressed down on that second prince, right? They already know your identity—foolish not to grow up and truly compete with you outside Chang'an City? This place at least counts as your home base. Watch—they'll leave the capital quietly."

Da Wang was extremely disappointed: "……So be it. If we meet on the battlefield someday, I'll laugh him to death!"