Liucheng is an important border town of Wei and is quite well guarded.

Not only are there 3,000 soldiers and horses stationed in the city, but there are also checkpoints on the small road more than a mile away from Liucheng.

Moreover, there is no official road built on the road outside Liucheng, but a narrow and difficult path, because the north of Liucheng is the grassland Hu people, if a wide official road is built, the Hu cavalry can drive straight into Liucheng.

And this narrow path can effectively limit the speed of the cavalry's march and provide time for Liucheng to arrange defenses.

As for the checkpoints outside the city, they play the role of checking for passers-by, so as not to have a small group of enemies raid Liucheng.

The level is fairly simple, with two stacks of sandbags piled up on either side of the road, and the width in the middle is only enough for a horse-drawn cart to pass through. A grass hut was also built in the rear, which was used to shelter the soldiers at the checkpoint.

It was the end of January in 232 A.D., the coldest time of the year, and there were seven or eight soldiers in the hut around the fire.

"Someone's coming! It's Hu Ren, go over! ”

A soldier heard the movement on the road and hurriedly called for his companion to walk to the battlement with his weapon.

A Wei army commander stepped forward, stretched out his hand to make a gesture to stop advancing, and shouted at Deputy General Zhang at the front of the team in Xianbei words: "Stop first and accept inspection!" ”

"Stop first!" Zhang Zhong also said a humble word to the people behind him, and then turned over and dismounted.

Seeing Luo Xian and his entourage leading dozens of horses, Shi Chang couldn't help but have a gleam in his eyes, now that the Wei State has lost its horse source, there are not many grassland pastures in the country for war horses to survive, and most of the horses he has cultivated are inferior horses.

In these years of fighting with the Han Dynasty, the horses have become fewer and fewer, and the good horses that can be used for cavalry battles are one less than one dead.

These dozens of war horses, although not much, are all tall horses, and it seems that their endurance and speed are good.

If these horses can be bought, those generals will definitely compete for them, and the rewards will definitely be indispensable when the time comes.

Shi Chang waved his hand for the soldiers to search, and then asked Deputy General Zhang, "Where are you going with so many horses?" ”

Vice General Zhang replied in Xianbei dialect: "We are going to Liaodong to sell war horse furs, please make it convenient for the general!" ”

Shi Chang frowned when he heard this: "Go to Liaodong?" It's not close to Liaodong, why do you want to sell it in Liaodong? We, the Wei State, also buy military horses, so why don't we sell these horses! ”

Liaodong is far away from Liucheng Road, and it is a little strange to go to Liaodong to sell, which makes people feel a little suspicious. When Shi Chang said this, he not only expressed his doubts, but also made a request to buy a horse.

Vice General Zhang shook his head again and again: "No, no, no, my horse and fur were sold to his friend in Liaodong on the order of the patriarch." When the man came to our tribe and became acquainted with our chief, the two became brothers, and they went to sell them to him. ”

Hearing this, Shi Chang asked, "Who is your patriarch's friend?" Actually want to buy a horse? Mo is not some general in Liaodong? ”

The price of horses is not cheap, buy dozens of horses at a time, except for those big families, there is only the military.

Shi Chang had already made up his mind in his heart that if these horses were sold to the Liaodong military, then they would have to use force to snatch the horses.

Vice General Zhang replied: "The main thing is to sell furs, and our patriarch's friend likes handsome horses, so he picked these war horses and sold them to him cheaply." ”

Shi Chang's eyes lit up: "So these war horses are incidental?" In this case, I, Wei Guo, am willing to buy it at a high price, so you can sell it to us. ”

Vice Admiral Zhang acted as a question: "Isn't this okay? I can't explain it to the patriarch. ”

Shi Chang waved his hand and said, "What's not to explain?" Wouldn't I just give you more money? It's a big deal, you can also leave a few war horses for your patriarch's friends, these your patriarchs can also explain it, and the price is only profitable. ”

Vice General Zhang hesitated: "Then what price do you buy it at?" ”

"Anyway, I won't treat you badly, come on, come on, go to the city first, and I'll let others talk to you." As he spoke, he took Vice General Zhang and his entourage to Liucheng.

He is just a chief, he doesn't have the money to buy horses at all, he is only responsible for the reception and solicitation work, and the matter of buying horses has to rely on the county order to be responsible.

The chief took Deputy General Zhang and his entourage to a post station in the city, and said to them: "You can rest here first, and I will inform the county order, in short, I will not treat you badly in terms of price." ”

After saying that, he went to the county office to inform the county order.

"Come, Master Hou, please use it!"

Among the county officials, the county magistrate was entertaining a distinguished guest, who was about forty years old and looked like a tiger's back, and it was Cao Zhang, the first fierce general of the Wei State.

Cao Zhang drank a glass of wine and said: "This general came this time to inspect the situation of the military horses in Liucheng, since the Shu State controlled the grassland, my Great Wei has lost the source of horses. His Majesty asked the border cities to befriend the aliens and get more war horses, but the situation in various places is not ideal, and the total number of war horses this year is only 3,000, and most of them are inferior horses.

Your Liucheng is an important border town, and there are a lot of Hu people, so you must have accumulated a lot of war horses this year, right? After eating, you will take me to see it, and today I will bring my horses back so that I can train the cavalry as soon as possible. ”

The county magistrate couldn't help but be embarrassed when he heard this: "Master Hou, this ......"

Cao Zhang's eyes widened: "What?" Don't say you can't get a horse! Liucheng is a big city, and there are many people coming and going, so you have to take out your five hundred horses, right? ”

The county order is difficult: "General, now that the Hu people are listening to the Shu Kingdom, they refuse to come over to sell horses at all, I have no choice at all, and now I have prepared less than 300 war horses." ”

"Less than three hundred?" Cao Zhang was furious when he heard this: "What are you doing with this county order?" There are many Hu people coming and going in Liucheng, as long as you win over well, in a year, let alone five hundred, it is not difficult to do three thousand, you have prepared a war horse of less than three hundred? You are the county order, I think you have done it! ”

"Master Hou, I really have no choice, I've really tried my best......

The county magistrate was complaining about his suffering, and the chief ran in in a hurry: "The county magistrate ......"

"I have something important to report to Master Hou, what are you doing here? Get out. ”

"My lord, a group of Hu people have come, bringing dozens of horses, all of them are tall horses, you go and talk to them and buy the horses."

The county commander said angrily: "What to talk about, you go out first, I have something to tell the Hou Ye." ”

Cao Zhang shouted: "What else to say? I was here for the war horse, but now that there are horses, why not talk about it? I don't think you really want to do this county order. If you don't go, I'll go! Take me to meet the Hu people. ”