“It’s like this: when This Marquis was young, I always wanted to lead a cavalry unit and sweep across the land, just like General of Agile Cavalry Huo.”
“Now, even though I’ve entered the palace, the lingering desire in This Marquis’s heart hasn’t faded. Therefore, This Marquis intends to build a super-large horse farm.”
As Zhang Shihao’s voice fell, the hall instantly became silent. Huang Xu and Feng Fang were shocked, staring blankly at Zhang Shihao.
What did they just hear?
Zhang Shihao wants to build a super-large horse farm? Does this mean the Zhen Family has to pay for it?
He’s really making an exorbitant demand, isn’t he?
Only, this demand isn’t just big; it’s extraordinarily huge.
It’s a gaping maw.
One must know that in Great Han, one of the most expensive luxury goods was horses.
Horses had different uses, and their prices varied accordingly.
Broadly, the types of horses used were:
Horses used by common people for pulling carts, post horses used by the imperial court for delivering messages, and warhorses used by the army for combat. Their prices were certainly not the same.
However, even the lowest quality horses, the old, worn-out nags used by common people for pulling carts, cost 4,000 large coins.
A typical post horse also required around 10,000 coins.
Warhorses, furthermore, reached exorbitant prices.
A good warhorse could even sell for a hundred gold pieces.
In the Han dynasty, “one gold” was equal to “ten thousand coins.”
A hundred gold pieces, that’s one million coins.
One million coins was absolutely an astronomical figure for most common people.
But this was merely the price of one good horse.
Now, what did Zhang Shihao say?
He wants to build a super-large horse farm?
How many horses would that require?
In an instant, Zhen family merchant Zhen Song’s legs went weak, his body swayed abruptly, and his face turned pale. However, he still managed to hold his breath, force out a smile, and ask in a trembling voice:
“Then… This humble one wonders, how many horses does Marquis intend to raise?”
Facing Zhen Song’s question, Zhang Shihao smiled and waved his hand, saying:
“Of course, the more the better. If I can raise several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, that would be even better.”
“Hiss…”
Zhang Shihao’s words fell like a bolt from the blue, striking Zhen family merchant Zhen Song’s forehead. Huang Xu and Feng Fang, standing nearby, were even more stunned.
How many?
Several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands?
“This… This… Marquis, you probably don’t know the conditions required to raise good horses. Good horses need to live in an open area with ample water and grass. To raise a horse farm with thousands or tens of thousands of warhorses as Marquis described, one would have to go to the grasslands…”
“And, furthermore, to raise one good horse, it would probably consume the equivalent of raising over 20 people. This…”
“Marquis, how about this: I will report back to the patriarch immediately, and the Zhen Family will use all its resources to select a hundred excellent horses for Marquis.”
Zhen family merchant Zhen Song’s face turned liver-colored. He seemed afraid that Zhang Shihao didn’t understand the strict conditions for raising horses, so he quickly explained. After explaining, he even made a promise of a hundred good horses, his heart bleeding.
At this moment, Zhen family merchant Zhen Song’s scalp tingled. He had originally thought Zhang Shihao would be easy to deal with, but he never expected him to be so greedy.
Even if the entire Zhen Family was thrown in, they couldn’t build such an enormous horse farm.
“Haha, a hundred good horses, that’s almost a hundred million coins, isn’t it? The Zhen Family is quite willing to spend money.”
Zhang Shihao laughed. Zhen Song’s body trembled, and he forced a smile onto his pale, sweating face, quickly saying:
“It’s not much money. The Zhen Family also has horse businesses in Bing Province, Liang Province, and You Province, so the prices aren’t as expensive as in the interior.”
“Alright, This Marquis naturally knows that establishing such a horse farm is extremely costly. However, since you’re working for This Marquis, I naturally won’t let the Zhen Family suffer a loss.”
“Xu Di, open the box and pour the wine for Commandant Feng and Zhen Song.”
Zhang Shihao waved his hand, no longer joking with Zhen Song, and said to Huang Xu, who was beside him.
Upon hearing Zhang Shihao’s words, Zhen family merchant Zhen Song’s face showed no happiness at all. Instead, his expression became uncertain and flickering.
He didn’t believe Zhang Shihao could have any method to cover the expenses of such a massive horse farm.
Ultimately, it would surely fall on the Zhen Family.
In fact, Zhen Song even considered abandoning the Luoyang shops for a moment.
However, he thought that even if the Zhen Family abandoned their shops in Luoyang, Zhang Shihao was deeply favored by Liu Hong, and as long as the Zhen Family was within Great Han, they couldn’t escape.
At this moment, Zhen Song still felt like crying without tears, his whole body weak, secretly lamenting that disaster had befallen the Zhen Family.
At this time, Huang Xu, whose face was full of uncertainty and confusion, also looked at Zhang Shihao with a puzzled expression. However, he still followed Zhang Shihao’s instructions, opened the box, and took out the wine jars inside.
Huang Xu was indeed surprised and puzzled. Did Zhang Shihao really intend to use his power to extort and force the Zhen Family to build him a horse farm?
“Pop~”
As Huang Xu was pondering, he unconsciously pulled out the stopper from a wine jar.
“Mmm~”
As the stopper was removed, a rich aroma of wine wafted out, and Huang Xu was momentarily stunned.
“What a rich wine aroma.”
Secretly praising it as good wine, Huang Xu took the wine jar and went to Feng Fang and Zhen Song’s tables, pouring wine for the two of them.
“This… what a fragrant wine aroma… Eh, it’s colorless!”
The wine poured into the goblet, clear and transparent like water.
Yet, a rich aroma of wine wafted out, an aroma that seemed to awaken one’s cravings.
Huang Xu, Feng Fang, and Zhen Song’s eyes all lit up.
“Haha, this is Erguotou. It’s very potent. Take a small sip, and you’ll feel your throat burning. Drink five liang, and your whole body will be hot, like being reborn from fire. The hope for This Marquis to build that super-large horse farm lies in this wine. Why don’t you all try it?”
Seeing the three of them all attracted by the Erguotou, Zhang Shihao, from his seat of honor, smiled faintly and said.
This jar of Erguotou was not something Zhang Shihao had already brewed.
Rather, it was a sample accompanying the Erguotou recipe rewarded by the system.
“This…”
In the hall, listening to Zhang Shihao say that the hope for building that super-large horse farm lay in this wine, Feng Fang, Huang Xu, and Zhen Song were immediately startled.
Doubt appeared in Zhen Song’s eyes.
Could it be that Zhang Shihao’s desire to build a horse farm truly wasn’t for the Zhen Family to foot the bill?
The three of them didn’t hesitate. They all picked up their goblets and took a small sip. The truth was, the aroma of this Erguotou was far richer than the wine they usually drank.
“Hiss hiss…”
The white wine entered their mouths with a fiery burn.
But the next moment, an exceptionally rich and mellow taste filled their mouths.
As the wine flowed down, their throats felt like they were on fire.
After entering their stomachs, the wine seemed to transform into intense flames surging throughout their bodies.
“Cough, cough…”
In an instant, Zhen Song, who had never drunk strong liquor, coughed violently, his face flushed red.
Feng Fang and Huang Xu were also choked by the strong liquor, but they were not as discomfited as Zhen Song.
For the two with strong physical constitutions, they only felt a wave of unprecedented exhilaration after a ball of fire spread throughout their bodies.
“Hiss…”
“What strong, mellow wine! Brother Shihao, this is good wine!”
Huang Xu, possessing the physique of Yang Zaixing, was the first to praise it.
“It is indeed good wine, very refreshing to drink. But, if not for hardened soldiers, I wonder if many people could drink it?”
At this moment, Feng Fang also spoke.
Hearing this, Zhang Shihao, from his seat of honor, smiled and said:
“Whether only hardened soldiers can drink it, let’s not discuss that for now. This Erguotou, This Marquis specifically designed it for foreign tribes.”
“The northern climate is cold, especially in winter, when frost covers everything. Countless people freeze to death in their beds.”
“What do you say, if this Erguotou is heated, and a cup is drunk, not only will it refresh the mind, but it can also ward off severe cold, and it nourishes yin and stomach. A warmth will make the internal organs feel comfortable. Will the northern tribes scramble for this Erguotou?”
“If the entire northern Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Qiang tribes frantically purchase this Erguotou, can This Marquis accumulate immense wealth? Even make them exchange countless warhorses for Erguotou?”
In the hall, Zhang Shihao smiled as he spoke of his plan to the three.
Huang Xu, Feng Fang, and Zhen Song immediately widened their eyes.
This wine is prepared for the northern tribes?
The entire northern Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Qiang tribes will frantically purchase this wine?
After a moment of shock, Zhen Song recovered and immediately disregarded everything else, raising his goblet again and beginning to sip it little by little.
Even though he still felt the pungent, uncomfortable sensation, Zhen Song felt strong currents of warmth in his abdomen and a heady sensation. His entire being was invigorated, and his voice, filled with surprise, rang out:
“This… Marquis is truly a heaven-sent talent! This humble one has stayed in You Province and understands the Xianbei and Wuhuan People best. They love strong liquor, they just love that burning sensation. If this Erguotou appears in You Province, Bing Province, and Liang Province, it will absolutely be snatched up, especially in winter. With this wine, let alone warhorses, they would buy it even if it meant losing all their possessions, because winter on the grasslands is too terrifying!”
Zhen Song’s excited, ecstatic voice echoed through the hall, his entire being invigorated. Having grown up in the Zhen Family, he had been influenced since childhood, and as a merchant, he acutely sensed that this was likely a path to immense wealth.
Hearing the Zhen family merchant speak in such a way, Feng Fang and Huang Xu were even more profoundly shaken.
Could this small cup of wine have such a powerful effect?
From his seat of honor, Zhang Shihao looked at the ecstatic Zhen Song and the shaken Feng Fang and Huang Xu, and continued:
“Of course, while this wine is aimed at foreign tribes, This Marquis didn’t say that this Erguotou can only be drunk by hardened soldiers. This wine can be drunk by everyone. If you feel uncomfortable drinking it, it’s because you’re not used to it, just like when you first drank wine and found it unpalatable because you hadn’t drunk it before. But once you get used to it, you’ll feel great having a cup now and then. Similarly, this Erguotou is far more potent than the wine you drink. If you get used to it, every time you drink it, you’ll feel a warm current flowing through your abdomen. Think about it, how refreshing would that be?”
“Therefore, even if this Erguotou is sold in the Thirteen Provinces of Great Han, it will deeply attract many people and even monopolize the entire market.”
“However, when selling in Great Han, This Marquis does not intend to sell it to ordinary common people. Brewing wine requires grain, and the common people of Great Han are suffering immensely, with countless common people having become displaced. How can we snatch more grain from the common people?”
“So, This Marquis plans to sell it exclusively to Powerful Families and wealthy merchants. These people have mountains of grain piled up in their homes, and they would rather let it rot than give it to the common people. Since that’s the case, why not fulfill This Marquis’s ambition? Sell it at a high price to the Powerful Families, seize grain from their hands, then brew wine, and then sell it to foreign tribes to provide This Marquis with good horses, cowhides, oxen, and so on. Use the wealth of foreign tribes to strengthen This Marquis’s power. What do you all think?”
Zhang Shihao’s voice echoed through the hall, even imbued with a hint of excited ambition.
All this time, whenever he left Luoyang, Zhang Shihao felt a pang of emotion seeing the countless displaced people.
Power, beautiful women—these are, of course, what Zhang Shihao desires to pursue, and what most people want.
Zhang Shihao does not deny it.
However, since he has come to this dynasty, he should do something for this era, for this Great Han, and for the common people.
Powerful Families and foreign tribes are cancerous tumors and huge threats.
Brewing Erguotou requires a large amount of grain, which will be extracted from the Powerful Families.
Then, countless good horses and wealth will be acquired from foreign tribes, weakening them and strengthening himself.
Furthermore, with the immense wealth obtained from the Powerful Families and foreign tribes, Zhang Shihao can also give back to the countless displaced people.
Building a colossal horse farm will lay the groundwork for establishing a powerful force in the future.
Recruiting displaced people and building his own strength. No matter what the future holds, Zhang Shihao will have a force to protect himself, right?
This was Zhang Shihao’s ambition, and also his next plan.
In the hall, Feng Fang, Huang Xu, and Zhen Song were all utterly shocked and dumbfounded by Zhang Shihao’s words.
Erguotou is not only useful to foreign tribes but also popular in Great Han?
Using the grain of Powerful Families to brew Erguotou, then selling it to foreign tribes to obtain good horses, cowhides, oxen, and so on, and using the wealth of foreign tribes to strengthen Zhang Shihao’s power?