67. Why do we have to sell the horse?

The following day at noon, Taoyuan Town.

It took them six hours—twelve in total—to travel from the capital to Taoyuan Town. Whether by fortune or misfortune, they happened to arrive on the market day, which occurred once every six days. Vendors of every kind lined the streets, hawking their wares, and the throngs of people made the already narrow streets even more crowded. Some drove horse-drawn or ox-drawn carts to the market, adding to the bustle and excitement.

Hui Yue'er glanced at Zhao Chengxian beside her and said, “Watch your step. If luck isn’t on your side, you might just step in horse or cow dung. You’re on your own!” She had given her warning; if Zhao Chengxian were to step in it, he could hardly blame her.

Zhao Chengxian had never attended a market like this. The capital was lively and glamorous every day, and though he enjoyed traveling and seeing the scenery, he would never have come to such a small place as Taoyuan Town. Not wanting to lose face in front of Hui Yue'er, he smiled and retorted, “Me, fall for it? You should be the one careful—a girl stepping in cow dung is much more embarrassing…” But before he could finish, he felt something soft underfoot. Looking down, he realized he had become the victim after all. Hastily, he grabbed some discarded vegetable leaves from a vendor’s stall to wipe his boot, looking at it with utter disdain. Had he been at home, he would have thrown it away immediately; now, he at least needed to find a cobbler’s shop before he could get rid of it. He was mortified, and the vegetable vendor watched him with an expression of amusement. Embarrassed, Zhao Chengxian stood up—only to realize he couldn’t find Hui Yue'er. Instinctively, he began searching everywhere, leading his horse and calling out loudly, “Little Crescent, Little Crescent, Little Crescent…” He knew nothing could have happened to her, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder from behind. Turning, Zhao Chengxian saw a pair of boots—Hui Yue'er was holding them out to him, a wide smile on her face. She forced the boots into his hands, saying, “Hurry and change! They reek!” She had spotted a stall selling boots nearby and bought a pair for him. Without waiting for him to change, she strode off ahead, leaving Zhao Chengxian to rush after her, barely having time to put on the new boots. Who would have thought the usually dignified Prince Jun would find himself in such a sorry state? Fortunately, none of his subordinates witnessed the debacle—or he would have been mortified beyond measure.

Together, they arrived at a horse dealer’s stall, where Hui Yue'er began pitching their horses to prospective buyers. Zhao Chengxian quickly pulled her aside and asked in a low voice, “Why are you selling the horses? These are sweat-blooded steeds, tributes from foreign lands! You’d just sell them like this? It’s easy to let go of what isn’t yours, isn’t it?” He was reluctant; sweat-blooded horses were not something just anyone could own.

Hui Yue'er looked at him disdainfully. “Where we’re going, we have to pass through a bamboo sea. Do you think these horses can climb mountains? Or do you plan to carry them on your back? If that’s what you want, I’m fine with it!” She tried to reason with him, “I know it’s hard to part with two such fine horses, but if we insist on taking them up the mountain, we won’t even make it there by nightfall. The choice is yours!” Zhao Chengxian had no further argument. Hui Yue'er patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Soon, Hui Yue'er and Zhao Chengxian found buyers for the sweat-blooded steeds and sold them at a very good price. Seeing the silver in Zhao Chengxian’s hand, Hui Yue'er said, “See? I never lose money in business. Now let’s go have a big meal and restore our strength—we still have to climb the mountain this afternoon!” She made it sound as if they had come just to sell horses.

Zhao Chengxian smiled wryly. “Even if we hadn’t sold the horses, I could still afford a feast.” As a prince, he was now being spoken to as though he were a horse trader. In these times, being a merchant was nothing to be proud of.

Hui Yue'er pulled him along with a laugh. “All right, big spender, I’m starving—let’s go!” After a day of travel without food, hunger was only natural. They had a hearty lunch before setting out again.

Ladies and gentlemen, young and old, those in between—shower me with your gold medals, red envelopes, and gifts! Spare nothing; let the wild storm be even fiercer!