At the Qingping Park yamen, Park Chief Yan Chang lounged in a wooden rocking chair, cradling his beloved teapot. Humming a tune, he took a leisurely sip from the spout.
A junior officer knocked and entered, his face brimming with excitement. “Park Chief, great fortune has come your way!”
Yan Chang glared at him. “Great fortune, my *ss! In this godforsaken place, what, did we stumble upon gold?”
The officer knew that Yan Chang had recently been reprimanded by the Supervisor of the Lingwu Bureau and was in a foul mood. He quickly clarified, “Gold has practically walked to our doorstep! Look—this is a gift of introduction.” He placed a paper-wrapped package on the table and untied the string.
The packaging was plain, and Yan Chang was initially uninterested, but then the officer carefully revealed an ebony lacquered wooden box with gold carvings. The craftsmanship alone suggested the value of its contents. As soon as the lid cracked open slightly, a rich tea aroma filled the air. Yan Chang took a deep breath, intoxicated. “Top-grade Songluo tea… Just this one box is worth a hundred taels of silver.”
Songluo tea had a lush green hue, a rich, mellow flavor, and a unique olive fragrance. It was a favorite among nobility and high-ranking officials. In its place of origin, Huizhou, or even in the capital, the finest quality fetched ten taels per jin at most. But in the remote Pingliang Prefecture, bordering the frontier, tea was nearly as valuable as currency.
Nomadic tribes in the north relied heavily on tea to maintain their health due to their meat-heavy diet. Since the grasslands produced no tea, they had to buy it from the Great Ming dynasty. This made tea, alongside salt, a near-equivalent to money in border regions. The court had repeatedly banned private trade in tea and salt, but the staggering profits meant that smuggling persisted throughout history.
This small box of premium Songluo tea might not seem like much, but if sold to northern tribal aristocrats—who were both tea enthusiasts and status-conscious—it could fetch up to a hundred taels, or even be exchanged for northern pearls, turning it into a windfall.
Yan Chang’s heart raced. He immediately asked, “Who sent this tea?”
The officer replied, “A young nobleman, waiting outside the yamen. He wishes to discuss a business deal with you.”
Yan Chang sprang from his chair, straightened his tilted hat, and said, “Quick, invite him in! We’ll meet in the main hall.”
Once seated in the hall, Yan Chang observed the young man—around sixteen or seventeen, handsome, dressed in fine clothing, and accompanied by several strong-bodied attendants. Clearly, he was either from a wealthy merchant family or an aristocratic household. Yan Chang warmly served tea and asked, “May I ask the gentleman’s name? What business would you like to discuss?”
The young man smiled. “My surname is Su, third son of my family. Park Chief, you may call me Su Sanlang. My family deals in tea, and we plan to open new trade routes. We’re short on horses and have come to purchase some.”
Yan Chang’s expression darkened. “Young Master Su, I fear you’ve come to the wrong place. This is Qingping Park, under the jurisdiction of the Lingwu Bureau’s Horse Administration. The horses here belong to the state—we can’t sell them privately.”
Su Yan smiled. “If no one had advised me, I wouldn’t have dared to come to a government horse farm seeking a deal. I’m young and impatient, so I won’t beat around the bush—I want five hundred horses.”
Five hundred?! That was an enormous number! Yan Chang was stunned. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I need five hundred horses, offering thirty taels of silver per horse. But I must inspect them first. Rest assured, since they’re for transporting goods, I don’t need the finest specimens.”
Yan Chang was tempted by the sheer quantity, but hesitated at the price. “Even a low-grade horse sells for fifty taels at the border markets…”
Su Sanlang calmly swirled his tea with the lid and said, “Exactly. At fifty taels each, why wouldn’t I just buy from the nomadic tribes at the border?”
Because those horses belonged to the tribes, while the ones here belonged to the government. Yan Chang understood the implication—selling official horses for personal profit was a risk-free way to make money. Even earning just one tael per horse was pure profit, so why haggle?
But selling such a large quantity at once… if he got caught…
Seeing his hesitation, Su Yan smiled, placed his tea cup down, and cupped his hands. “I must be asking for too much. No worries, I’ll visit Wanan Park instead.”
He made a show of standing up. Panicked, Yan Chang called out, “Wait!”
Fifteen thousand taels of silver were about to slip away. Letting this opportunity fall into a rival’s hands was unthinkable. If he pulled this off, he’d be set for life.
Yan Chang gritted his teeth and made a decision. “Deal!”
Su Yan grinned. “That’s more like it! Park Chief, I appreciate doing business with straightforward people. I value long-term partnerships.”
Yan Chang said, “Young Master Su, five hundred horses is a large order. I’ll need two days to prepare.”
Su Sanlang shook his head. “I’m on a tight schedule. I can’t wait two days. How about this—I’ll send twenty of my men to assist you in selecting the horses. That’ll save time.”
Yan Chang noted the young man’s sharp business acumen. Having his men oversee the selection was clearly a safeguard against being cheated with sick or weak horses. This showed both caution and substantial wealth.
Yan Chang stole a glance at his four armed guards—each was tall, strong, and exuded an aura of discipline. Though not particularly striking in appearance, they were clearly trained fighters. Only the wealthiest households could afford such well-trained escorts, and he had brought twenty with him. This was no ordinary merchant.
Thinking about the sickly and underfed horses in the farm, he knew he’d have to carefully pick the best ones to avoid suspicion.
The horse farm often suffered from officials skimming off the best horses for their own gain. Just a few days ago, his superior, Supervisor Wang, had taken several fine horses, leaving Yan Chang frustrated. Fortunately, he had secretly hidden some decent ones away—now they’d finally come in handy.
Su Yan finished instructing the attendants and then turned to Yan Chang, saying, “This is my first time visiting the temple park. I wonder what the scenery is like—would you mind if I took a stroll around?”
“Of course, you’re most welcome. I’d be honored to accompany you,” Yan Chang replied modestly. “Truthfully, it’s just a few grasslands where the military keeps horses and raises some cattle and sheep for use. There’s not much to see, really.”
Su Yan chuckled. “Well, it’s something new for me regardless.”
The two exchanged polite courtesies as they left the hall and mounted their horses to head toward the pastures.
Yan Chang noticed that this young master Su had sent most of his attendants to accompany the minor officials in selecting horses, leaving only one by his side. This remaining servant was clearly the most handsome of the group—easily standing out even among mediocrity. Yan Chang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: These days, even a servant’s worth seems tied to their appearance. No wonder I’ve been stuck as a lowly stable overseer after all these years—clearly, I lack the looks to get ahead!
They soon arrived at the grasslands. Su Yan observed the vast, flat expanse, rich with lush grass and water—an ideal place for grazing. Yet, the horses scattered across the field were sparse in number.
As they approached, he saw that most of the horses were in poor condition—skinny, with patchy coats, visible ribs, and numerous wounds. Nearly all looked unfit for service, with not a single robust specimen in sight. Su Yan frowned deeply and asked in a stern voice, “Surely, Park Chief, you don’t intend to sell me horses like these?”
Yan Chang was visibly flustered. “Of course not! Of course not! There are still some good ones left inside. These are just the ones we keep outside… to, uh, deal with inspections from above.”
Feigning surprise, Su Yan exclaimed, “Inspections from above? Are you saying the authorities require the horses to be sickly and thin? What peculiar new standard of inspection is this?”
Yan Chang flushed with embarrassment but forced a response. “It’s just that… if the higher-ups see healthy horses, they might confiscate them.”
Su Yan suspected there was more to the story but decided not to press further for fear of arousing suspicion. Instead, he changed the topic, pointing toward a dilapidated structure in the distance resembling a fortress. “What’s that over there?”
Yan Chang answered, “That’s the stable garrison fortress. The grazing soldiers’ quarters and stables are inside. If you wish to visit, Young Master, I’d advise bringing all your guards with you.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“The grazing soldiers are… unruly. I’m afraid they might offend you.”
Yan Chang cast a furtive glance at the young master, hesitating to elaborate. How could I explain this directly? Half of the soldiers in there are death-row criminals sent here as punishment. They’re savage by nature and, having gone years without seeing women, are practically burning with frustration. If they catch sight of a young master with such delicate features and red lips, they might pounce like wolves on a lamb if you lack enough men to intimidate them!
Su Yan, recalling what he’d overheard earlier about the garrison, knew the soldiers here were a mix of convicts and deserters. The temple, desperate for manpower, had pleaded with the imperial court for reinforcements, leading to the deployment of criminals.
He also remembered what Wang Chen had confessed back at the bandit stronghold on Eagle’s Peak: His elder brother, Wang Wu, had once been a grazing soldier. He’d fled after the warhorses he’d painstakingly raised were poisoned, fearing punishment, and had no choice but to join the bandits.
“He didn’t want to desert,” Wang Chen had said. “But life as a grazing soldier was no better than being a stable hand. They say many of the official horses here are stolen or sold off, and the grasslands have been seized by local powers. Those in charge are corrupt to the core. The official horses are neglected, left sick and emaciated, while border troops secretly raise their own horses to sell back to the government. My brother’s best horse was poisoned one night. He feared for his life and had no choice but to flee.”
Wang Chen’s words lingered in Su Yan’s mind, and he frowned. He resolved to investigate this fortress. Why would so many grazing soldiers risk desertion, knowing the first punishment in any military camp was execution?
After strolling for a while longer, a minor official rode up to them and reported, “Zhang Qianhu of Ningxia Guard has arrived to demand warhorses for the garrison.”
Hearing this, Su Yan deliberately asked, “…Wouldn’t our transaction affect the supply of warhorses for the garrison?”
“Not at all!” Yan Chang hastily assured, pounding his chest. “Integrity is most important in business. Since I’ve promised you this deal, I’ll ensure it goes through. As for the garrison, I’ll… figure something out.” His gaze drifted toward the pitifully thin horses on the field.
“I’ll go handle this. Young Master Su…”
“Don’t mind me. I’ll continue looking around. Go ahead.”
Before leaving with the official, Yan Chang added, “Do avoid entering the fortress.” With that, he rode off hurriedly.
As soon as Yan Chang was out of sight, Su Yan turned to his attendant, Jinghong Zhui, and grinned. “Places with warnings like ‘Do Not Enter’ always seem to attract intruders. It’s human nature—reverse psychology at its finest.”
Jinghong Zhui asked, “And if we intrude?”
“Then we either uncover a big secret or cause a huge mess. One way or another, it won’t be a waste of effort.”
“Does that mean the Lord plans to enter the fortress?”
Su Yan laughed. “Didn’t the Park Chief say to bring guards? But it’s just you here, tsk.”
Jinghong Zhui smirked. “I’m worth at least twenty of them.”
Su Yan was about to make another quip when he caught sight of a figure leading a horse in the distance. Something about the person’s silhouette seemed familiar. Narrowing his eyes, he stared, growing more suspicious. Suddenly, he called out, “Hey—you there, with the mighty and imposing stride!”
The man turned instinctively, and Jinghong Zhui immediately recognized his features. “That’s Wang Five… or maybe Wang Six?”
Su Yan trusted Jinghong Zhui’s sharp eyes and grew puzzled. “Weren’t these two brothers captured after breaking out of prison and fleeing Yanan? How could they end up here?”
The man appeared stunned for a split second before leaping onto his horse and galloping toward the depths of the grasslands.
“Running at the sight of us—definitely guilty of something!” Su Yan decided instantly, cracking his whip. “After him! Let’s catch him first and figure out the rest later.”
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