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Nanyang County has three upper counties with a population of over 10,000, namely Ye County of Bowang County and Biyang County.

Bowang County has iron and silver mines, Ye County is rich in silk, but Biyang County has a horse farm that makes all the northern counties jealous.

The Liang Dynasty was always short of war horses. The total number of Daliang troops was as high as 600,000. Among them, 200,000 troops were stationed in the capital, all equipped with armor and weapons, 150,000 were infantry, and only 50,000 were cavalry with horses.

In fact, even if there were 50,000 cavalry, there would only be one man and one horse. There are very few elites with one person and two horses.

Daliang wanted to raise more cavalry, but war horses were in short supply and the price was high. A horse eats grass and beans for a year, which consumes a lot of money. It can be said that the money required to support one cavalryman is enough to support ten ordinary soldiers.

This is true even in the capital, not to mention the troops stationed in various places. For example, the Nanyang Army only had 500 horses in the entire camp.

Therefore, everyone in the princess's personal guard camp has a war horse, and the soldiers around him have two horses, which is really enviable.

These excellent war horses are all raised at the horse farms in Biyang County.

"Princess Princess, ahead is Biyang County."

Chen Jinyu took a look, with uncontrollable joy and excitement in her voice: "There are many people outside the city gate waiting to welcome the princess!"

After driving for two consecutive days, we were tired and exhausted. Once we entered Biyang County, we were able to settle down and rest.

Jiang Shaohua has been a lot more lively recently and looked out: "The official roads in Biyang County are much wider than elsewhere, and the city gates are also particularly wide."

"This was specially repaired for the convenience of transporting war horses." Chen Jinyu took over the conversation with a smile and looked far away: "By the way, is the one standing at the front the Magistrate of Biyang County? I heard my grandfather say that Biyang County The county magistrate is different from other places.”

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly: "Yes, most of the other county magistrates were sent by the imperial court. Although your father went through the back door, he was also from a serious imperial examination background. Only Magistrate Ma of Biyang County can't read a few characters and is from a merchant background. "

How did Magistrate Ma become the magistrate?

There is a story in it.

When the King of Nanyang came to the vassal territory, he enacted lenient policies, focused on mulberry farming, and levied a meager commercial tax on merchants to encourage merchants to go out of Nanyang and open up trade routes.

The Ma family is a merchant in Biyang County, specializing in selling cattle and sheep. The head of the family, Ma Hong, is quite enterprising and thinks this is a good opportunity given to the Ma family by God.

Ma Hong took more than 20 men in his family and hired a hundred escorts, all the way north from Nanyang County, all the way out to the outside of the pass and into the vast grassland.

Encountered several bandit disasters along the way, some people died of sudden illness on the road, and some died unexpectedly. When he came back more than a year later, there were only six nephews and descendants left that Ma Hong had brought out. Half of the escorting bodyguards were also killed, which can be described as heavy casualties.

Ma Hong spent all his family resources and paid a large sum of money to the escort agency.

After putting in so much effort, Ma Hong's reward was to bring back 300 excellent foals, including 200 mares and 100 unbeaten stallions that could be bred.

You must know that high-quality stallions that can be used for breeding are rare in the Liang Dynasty. A high-quality stallion can be sold for a thousand taels of silver. The key is that there is a price but no market.

Ma Hong brought back so many kinds of horses that it was enough to build a horse farm.

The King of Nanyang was overjoyed and immediately wrote to the court to ask for credit for Ma Hong. The person who sat on the dragon throne back then was the late emperor who loved his younger brother and agreed to the invitation of King Nanyang without saying a word.

As a result, the cattle and sheep dealer suddenly changed his identity and became the Magistrate of Ma County in Biyang County.

Three years later, the first batch of carefully bred and bred foals were raised at the racecourse and sent to the Nanyang Prince's Palace.

King Dayue of Nanyang personally said to Magistrate Ma: "You raise horses with all your heart, and the magistrate of Biyang County will not be replaced. It will always be you."

Magistrate Ma was grateful and worked hard for the next twenty years, raising one good horse after another. The position of Biyang County Magistrate is naturally as stable as a mountain.

This story is a legend. Chen Jinyu also heard her grandfather say this several times, turned around and said with a smile: "Today I have a chance to meet Magistrate Ma." Jiang Shaohua smiled happily.

……

The well-known Magistrate Ma, who is sixty-nine years old this year, has a wrinkled face and a stooped body. He is supported by his children and grandchildren and salutes tremblingly: "I have met the princess, Ma Hong."

Jiang Shaohua was particularly kind to those who were capable and capable. He stepped forward personally and extended his hand to help him: "Magistrate Ma, please get up quickly."

Magistrate Ma was flattered and thanked him repeatedly.

When he saw Chen Zhuo and other officials, Magistrate Ma bowed deeply and saluted.

Not to mention anything else, it is enough to praise County Magistrate Ma for personally going out of the city to greet him when he was unable to walk due to his age.

Chen Zhuo smiled and helped Magistrate Ma up: "Magistrate Ma, please get up quickly. You and I haven't seen each other for more than a year."

Magistrate Ma sighed: "The last time I saw Chen Changshi, I went to the palace to attend the funeral... In the blink of an eye, it has been more than a year."

Mentioning the late prince, Chen Zhuo felt sad, cheered up and said with a smile: "Today the princess personally came to Biyang County to inspect. Magistrate Ma, don't hide it and show off all the good horses in the racecourse."

Ma County makes people mature, so how could they not know that this was Chen Changshi's kind suggestion.

The prince has gone, and the old behavior has to be changed. He had to quickly adjust to the princess's speaking and acting style.

As for the temperament of the princess... the rumors that have been circulating in the past three or four months can actually reveal a lot.

Magistrate Ma has been able to serve as magistrate for more than 20 years, not only by raising horses, but also by his comprehensiveness, which is not comparable to that of young Magistrate Cui.

After entering the city, Magistrate Ma personally arranged a residence for the princess regardless of his old age.

The Ma family is a large local family. On weekdays, Magistrate Ma lives in his own big house instead of the county government office. This time, in order to welcome the princess, everyone in the family went into the backyard of the county government office. The Ma family's mansion was kept spotless inside and outside.

When Yinzhu and Tubai entered the dormitory and took a look, they immediately smiled.

"Princess, Magistrate Ma is really careful. Even the beds, tables and chairs in the bedroom are new."

No bedding or pillows were left, which is another level of meticulousness and consideration.

When the princess travels, she naturally brings her usual pillows and bedding.

Jiang Shaohua chuckled: "Magistrate Ma is a meticulous person."

Yin Zhu Tu Bai was busy making the bed and burning incense.

Chen Jinyu lives next door. After settling in, he came over for a walk: "Princess, Magistrate Ma is going to hold a reception banquet tonight, and it won't get dark until dark in two hours. Should we go out for a walk?"

Jiang Shaohua also became interested and asked Yinzhu to find some old clothes to change into.

Chen Jinyu took a look at it, reached out and pulled out the golden hairpin on Jiang Shaohua's head, braided a black and smooth braid for her, and then nodded with satisfaction: "This is much better."

Jiang Shaohua took a look at himself in the mirror, and when he saw the green and tender girl's face in the mirror, he couldn't help but smile.

Since you are traveling in disguise, you should not bring too many people with you. Yinzhu Tubai wanted to follow, bringing with him Song Yuan, Qin Hu, Meng Sanbao and more than a dozen personal soldiers, a group of about twenty people.