Inside the room, Song Lianhe finished treating the Hu Shang’s wounds. The man stood up, bowed with his fists clasped, and said, "My apologies for my earlier behavior."
Song Lianhe shook her head. Her slender finger pointed to Fu Wu, who had been waiting at the side. "He is the one you should be apologizing to."
Fu Wu was startled and waved his hands frantically. "No, no..."
The Hu Shang was also a bold man. Without a second thought, he imdiately clasped his fists toward Fu Wu and said, "That was my fault just now. I hope this young brother can forgive !"
"Sir, you... you..."
Fu Wu stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Song Lianhe patted his shoulder and gestured to the Hu Shang. "Alright, that’s enough. We can consider this a classic case of ’no fight, no friendship.’ May I ask for your esteed na, brother?"
"I am Kui Lang, and I’m in the horse trade. May I ask for your noble surna, Miss?"
"Song."
"Miss Song, I have offended you greatly. As a man, how could I raise a hand against a woman? I am truly ashad. Yet, you let bygones be bygones and saved . Such magnanimity surpasses that of countless n."
Song Lianhe smiled. "Brother Kui Lang, we are both straightforward people, and we seem to get along well. Why don’t we sit and have so tea?"
"Then it would be rude to refuse."
After they sat down and exchanged a few words, Song Lianhe steered the conversation to his stolen horses.
Kui Lang said dejectedly, "Those two hundred horses were originally bound for Yu State..."
"Yu State?" Song Lianhe was taken aback. "That’s Prince Yongdong’s territory. I hear he’s currently at war with the Court."
Kui Lang nodded and explained, "We are rchants, and rchants chase profit. It may sound callous, but the truth is, your country’s war has nothing to do with my Wu Qi Country."
Song Lianhe expressed her understanding. "Where there is a buyer, there is a seller. The fault lies not with horse traders like you, Brother Kui Lang, nor with the two hundred warhorses. The fault lies with the tis, and with people."
Kui Lang was utterly astonished. "Miss Song, let this tea be wine. I toast to you!"
After they drank, Song Lianhe asked again, "I heard all these horses were stolen?"
"Sigh! Near the border of Sui Ning, there’s a desert called the Genosa River. A band of bandits has taken root there, preying specifically on foreign rchants like us. We’ve suffered imnsely, but reporting it to the authorities is useless. That stretch of desert lies between Da Cheng, Wu Qi, and the Nanchen Kingdom. It’s a eting point of the Three Kingdoms, so who would dare to easily dispatch troops to suppress them? What’s more, the Genosa River has a notorious reputation as a living hell. The climate is harsh, sandstorms and quicksand are common, and outsiders don’t dare to venture in rashly. So, no one bothers with it. Over ti, these bandits have only grown more brazen!"
"If it’s so dangerous, why must you enter Da Cheng through the Genosa River?"
"Transporting livestock and other living things is different from moving regular cargo. The longer we spend on the road, the greater our potential losses! For example, there’s the cost of feed and water for the journey, the wages for the grooms, and general attrition. The worst-case scenario is an epidemic. If one breaks out on the way, the entire herd is a total loss. That’s why, even knowing the Genosa River is dangerous, many rchants choose to risk the crossing."
This reminded Song Lianhe of the Shatta Trail on the ancient Silk Road.
"Brother Kui Lang, what are your plans now?"
"I had originally hoped Prince Yongdong would lend a hand, but he just turned his back on ! He’s even demanding the return of his initial deposit, completely ignoring my losses!" The re ntion of this made Kui Lang’s blood boil. "Back then, he repeatedly begged and even offered a higher price. We’d worked together many tis, he was a regular custor, which is why I decided to take the risk and personally escort this shipnt for him!"
He sighed and blad himself. "It was my own greed for this big deal. I was willing to bet my entire fortune, scouring all of Wu Qi Country to find the finest warhorses for him! But when trouble struck, he showed absolutely no concern for whether I lived or died..."
After listening, Song Lianhe gave a frank assessnt. "You’re not wrong, Brother Kui Lang. Your own greed created this situation. You of all people should know what kind of man Prince Yongdong is. With Da Cheng about to launch a campaign against Yu State, didn’t you find it suspicious that he would seek you out at this critical juncture to buy so many warhorses?"
Kui Lang looked at her. "Miss, are you saying..."
Song Lianhe said slowly, "Even if those horses had been delivered as promised, you might not have ever received the rest of the Silver Coin, Brother Kui Lang."
Kui Lang was stunned. "How could he dare... Isn’t he afraid that no one will ever do business with him again?"
"...And what if sothing were to happen to you as well, Brother Kui Lang?"
Kui Lang sucked in a sharp breath.
For a long mont, he was silent again.
"So, although the horses are gone, you were able to escape with your life, Brother Kui Lang. That in itself is sothing to be thankful for."
Kui Lang heaved a heavy sigh. "You’re right, Miss Song."
Just as Kui Lang was about to resign himself to his fate, Song Lianhe suddenly spoke again. "You said before that the horses were taken by the bandits of the Genosa River? Can you tell more about that in detail? How can I find them?"
Kui Lang was confused. "Miss Song, why are you looking for them?"
Song Lianhe smiled. "When you lose sothing, you naturally have to go and snatch it back!"
"But... but how could you possibly snatch them back? Those n are vicious, desperate outlaws!"
"What a coincidence. I’m a villain myself. My reputation in Ling’an is in tatters!"
Staring at the jade-like beauty before him, Kui Lang simply could not associate her with the word "villain."
"Sigh, please don’t joke, Miss Song."
Song Lianhe’s expression imdiately turned serious. "I’m not joking. However, I want to make a deal with you, Brother Kui Lang. If I can really get those two hundred warhorses back, you must sell them all to at a discount."
Seeing her speak with such confidence, Kui Lang couldn’t help but recall the hidden weapons that had been aid at him from different directions just monts before...
’Thinking back on it with a clear head, he realized that if he had made any bigger movents, they would have certainly been aiming to kill him!’
’And looking at her bearing, she was clearly no simple young lady from an ordinary family! Maybe she really did have that kind of ability!’
At this, Kui Lang slamd his hand on the table. "If you can truly get those horses back, Miss Song, I’ll sell them to you for half price!"
Song Lianhe imdiately called Fu Wu over. "I trust you don’t mind putting this in writing as proof right now, Brother Kui Lang."
Kui Lang hadn’t expected her to be so ticulous. He quickly said, "Of course not!"
So, Fu Wu brought a brush and ink. Song Lianhe wrote out the contract and showed it to him. After they both confird there were no issues, they signed and affixed their seals.
After that, Kui Lang took his leave.
Holding the signed contract, Song Lianhe was overjoyed. "I never would have thought... what an unexpected gain."
Da Xi, however, was pessimistic. "Not even us locals would dare to venture into the Genosa River, let alone provoke those desperadoes. What are you going to use to get those warhorses back?"
"Heh heh, don’t you worry about that. I have my ways!"
Song Lianhe was full of confidence.
At the sa ti, news had also reached Zhou Junlin.
"...She’s going to find those two hundred warhorses?"
"Yes. While with that Hu Shang, she ntioned Ling’an City."
Gu Ha frowned at once. "Don’t tell she thinks that by presenting these warhorses to the Prince, she’ll win his favor? Hmph, what a fool’s dream!"
Zhou Junlin paused, then lifted his gaze to him. "Are you saying... she’s doing this for ?"
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