A Favour

　　"May I ask if Young Master Zhong is in the carriage?"

　　"I'm the coach right here," I wanted to answer but hesitated due to the look on his face.

　　Tang Ye galloped over to me: "Big Bro, what happened?"

　　I smacked my thigh: "You're him!"

　　Tang Ye: "?"

　　"This is Young Master Zhong," I declared, pointing to Tang Ye: "Be it poison water or poison gas, give us what you got."

　　Tang Ye: "…"

　　The rider smiled: "We actually already knew you what you look like. Please do not hide from us, Young Master Zhong."

　　Eh? The imperial court's offices need to take tips from you! You already put out a wanted poster for me when I haven't even done anything, yet? Wait, why are you asking me a question you already know the answer to? That was embarra.s.sing! It's all your fault for giving me the callous look, Tang Ye!

　　"What happened, Young Master?" queried Emperor Yuansheng, alarmed. He switched his tone when conversing with me to get into role in the presence of outsiders: "Did you not want to play coach for some fun? Why are we stopping? Who are they?"

　　"I do not know myself," I answered. "I am Young Master Zhong, Zhong Ming. What do you want?"

　　The rider respectfully put his palm and fist together before him: "We heard he was heading to Huzhou, and you were his vanguard. Would that be correct?"

　　"He? Vanguard? Is that what the leader told them? It's not a shabby idea, I suppose," I thought. I went with the tide and replied, "Correct. What do you want? Who are you, by the way?"

　　He smiled cordially: "This humble one is a mere henchman here to deliver a gift from his master."

　　"Your master? A gift?"

　　"Hand them over!" commanded the rider.

　　The thirty equestrians behind the team leader dismounted and pulled their horses over to us. Next, they jogged back behind their leader and stood primly. The black horses brimmed with vigour. They were as good as the horses we selected for the escort. Their fur was sparkling clean, cleaner than our steeds.

　　Our escort couldn't make sense of the situation. I ran my gaze over the steeds and the group. Voice soft, I expounded, "Jiangnan's best equestrian group, Horse Divine a.s.sociation. They were the last group we saw ride into the town the previous night. They are the only group capable of raising horses superior to the imperial court's horses."

　　Glancing back and forth between the equestrians and horses, I disinterestedly inquired, "What is the meaning behind this?"

　　The leader performed a hold-fist salute and proudly appealed, "Our master heard you were after horses. He humbly believed we have an acceptable degree of knowledge and experience with horses, so he boldly asked this humble one to recommend you our horses. Please kindly accept our gift, Young Master Zhong."

　　"I do need horses, indeed," I commented with a nod. "Pa.s.s on my thank you to your master, Ma Zhangbian."

　　The leader reacted jubilantly, while I remained indifferent and added, "I only need half of these horses, though. There's no point in me taking extra horses."

　　"Um, we…"

　　I switched to using Voice Transmission: "Tell Ma Lianlong I accept the gift, but if he thinks n.o.body remembers what he's done in the past and can sweep it under the rug, then that's wishful thinking."

　　Horse Divine a.s.sociation once colluded with Beijiang's horse business and smuggled Beijiang's horses in to sell so that they could grow their business. Little did they know they weren't trading with a horse business but horse thieves disguising themselves as legitimate businessmen. After the smuggling and the true ident.i.ties of the thieves was exposed, I put Horse Divine a.s.sociation out of commission and spared Ma Zhangbian. Ever since then, he started doing business ethically and legally. However, during the two years I spent as a recluse, I heard he wanted to pursue crooked designs again. If I didn't put him in his place when he sent me gifts, how would I press charges against him down the road?