Water Margin people

In Jizhou, a caravan was slowly lining up to enter the city.

"Ma Daochang, this Jizhou defender is the group who planned to take the opportunity to attack Cangzhou last time, right?"

Shi Xiu smiled and asked Ma Ling, who knew the land of Yanyun very well.

"That's right, Yelu Dezhong, brother of Lord Liao!"

Ma Ling nodded.

"Where did you come from?"

Seeing that Shi Xiu and others were wearing southern styles, the city guard immediately stopped them.

"We came to Yanyun from Jiankang Prefecture in Jiangnan to sell sheep and horses!"

This was not the first time that Shi Xiu pretended to be a caravan. He spoke naturally with a southern accent.

"Jiankang Mansion?"

The city guard obviously didn't know this place.

"South Bank of the Yangtze River!"

The lieutenant on the side said quickly.

"So you are from Song Dynasty?"

The city guard finally reacted and looked at Shi Xiu with an unkind expression.

"Is there any problem? The laws of the Liao Kingdom do not prohibit southerners from doing business!"

Shi Xiu said.

"Of course you can do business, but southerners have to pay taxes when they enter the city!"

The city guard rubbed his fingers and smiled.

"Turns out I want money!"

Shi Xiu sneered in his heart, but did not refuse forcefully. Instead, he handed over an ingot of five taels of silver.

"If you are sensible, go to the city!"

The city guard smiled, accepted the money, and waved to let him go.

"Song people in the south are full of oil and water!"

When Shi Xiu led his people into the city, the city guard rubbed his chin and began to think. Everyone knew that the Song Dynasty was wealthy, and the merchants were even more extremely wealthy.

"Brother, I see that those people are very smart, they seem to be newcomers, and they are generous with their actions. Why don't we squeeze more! If we can get a few hundred strings, we can live a leisurely life!"

The soldiers on the side immediately started to cheer up. The rise of Liangshan had defeated the Liao army several times. They had not gone south to clear grass valleys for a long time, and the Song caravans had always been rich.

"Yes! Brother, those few wages are not enough for drinking!"

The rest of the people also made noises. In the past, they relied on guarding the city gate and received a lot of respect from the southern caravans, and their life was very comfortable.

But since Liangshan killed [-] Liao troops in Cangzhou two years ago, and last year he killed the brothers who went south to hunt for grass in the valley, under this tense relationship, there are very few strange caravans, and those who dare to come are all related. Yes, they dare not ask for money.

"This is not easy!"

The city guard was also moved, and he didn't want to let go of a rare encounter with a fat sheep, but he was a city guard and there were some things that were difficult to handle in the city.

"Brother, let's find someone to partner with!"

A man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks came close to the city guard and whispered.

"Who are you looking for?"

The city guard asked quickly.

"Kick the sheep Zhang Bao, he is the best at doing this kind of thing!"

The man with the sharp mouth and monkey cheeks said.

"Zhang Bao? It's extremely! It's extremely! It's right to find him!" The city guard was overjoyed and kicked and killed Zhang Bao, a well-known local rogue in Jizhou. His reputation has long been rotten, and he leads a group of dilapidated soldiers all day long to oppress goodness in the city.

Shi Xiu didn't know that he got into trouble as soon as he entered the city. Originally, Shi Xiu's temper was relatively impulsive, and he would never compromise when blackmailing him.

But this time he was investigating information, thinking that doing less would be better than doing more, and imitated Sun Lei in spending money to avoid disasters. But he didn't expect that this show of weakness would become a fat sheep in the eyes of some people.

Shi Xiu found an inn to stay, pretended to ask the waiter where the sheep and horse trading place was in the city, and then ordered a table of wine and food and started eating by himself.

"Jizhou is far behind Liangshan Town!"

Shi Qian looked at the streets outside the restaurant and shook his head and said, Jizhou is a big city, but the streets are much more depressed compared to Liangshan Town.

"Now that the Jurchen army is pressing down on the country, the Liao Kingdom's demise is imminent. It's hard to avoid depression!"

Ma Ling took a sip of wine and shook his head. He said that the five capitals of the Liao Kingdom had lost three. Most of the land was lost, and there were many people who fled. In order to make up for the lack of soldiers, they even recruited exiled Han and Bohai people in Liaodong to form a resentful army. .

The next day, Shi Xiu pretended to buy horses, cattle and sheep, and went to the Jizhou livestock trading market with a few followers, while Ma Ling went to investigate the news alone.

Shi Xiu arrived at the livestock trading market and started asking about prices, choosing sheep and horses, and finally bargaining.

"150 yuan for a horse? Are you crazy? This is not my first day selling sheep and horses. Normally, horses only cost more than 20 yuan!"

As soon as Shi Xiu inquired about the price, he immediately pointed at the horse buyer and cursed, he also bought a horse last time, how can a horse of 150 yuan be so exaggerated.

"Brother, your price was the year before last! Last year, the price of a horse had already increased to 150 guan. This year's price is [-] guan! If you don't believe it, you can ask elsewhere."

The seller didn't care, and said directly.

"Do you know how much 150 guan is? A horse?"

Shi Xiu asked with a gloomy face. In the past, if he had 150 strings in Jiankang Mansion, he could buy a shop on the street and a small courtyard.

"You southerners don't understand. Today is different from the past. Horses are now under strict control. Now there are 150 horses. In two months, it may be [-] horses!"

the seller said with a smile.

Shi Xiu then thought of the Jin-Liao War. The Liao Kingdom lost a large amount of territory, which was the land of horses. Now the Liao Kingdom is probably nervous about its war horses, which is why it has increased so much.

"Your price is too outrageous. I don't have that much money at all. I just want to buy a few horses and take them home. Two hundred dollars a horse. How can I sell them!"

Shi Xiu waved his hand and said bluntly, the price is too outrageous, there is no need to buy it anymore.

"There's nothing I can do about it! Cattle and sheep are quite cheap. Do you want to take a look?"

The seller spoke again and said that now the prices in Yanyun land have skyrocketed, all industries are in depression, and the southern caravans are afraid to come, but these are not things he can change.

"The price of cattle and sheep is quite right. I'll go back and discuss it!"

Shi Xiu nodded.

After taking the people away from the livestock market, Shi Qian wandered to the vicinity of the Jizhou City military camp.

"The military camp is well guarded!"

Shi Xiu did not dare to get close, but walked around in a circle from a distance, listening to the shouts of training in the military camp.

As soon as I turned into a street, I heard drumming in the distance and a person was approaching.

Shi Xiu and others were lined up on the street. They saw two small cells in the front. One was carrying many gifts and bonuses, the other was holding some jokes and picks. Behind him was an executioner under a green umbrella.

The man who lived a good life was dressed in indigo-like embroidery, his eyebrows were set into his temples, his phoenix eyes were pointing upward, his face was light yellow, and he had a few thin mustaches.

"This appearance is a character!"

Shi Xiu whispered, the man coming towards him had a dignified appearance and seemed to have some abilities.

"It seems to be the executioner!"

The soldier beside Shi Xiu whispered that the executioner's sword was easy to recognize.

"It's none of our business!"

Shi Xiu shook his head and said, they were here to find out information. The war could break out at any time, and he didn't have time to build relationships with the government. (End of chapter)