Journey to the West: Starting from the Imperial Horse Stable

Wang Chen followed Zhao Deshun along the streets of Xuanzhuji. The surrounding noise seemed no different from usual, but today, the feeling was somewhat different.

Zhao Deshun turned his head, glanced at Wang Chen's thoughtful expression, and suddenly smiled, saying, "Brother Wang, don't you feel that this Xuanzhu Market is somewhat different from what you've seen before?"

Wang Chen nodded and said frankly, "To be honest, I used to think this place was just a place for rogue immortals and low-ranking immortal officials like us to buy and sell odds and ends. Most of the people coming and going were colleagues who had just obtained their immortal rank and were short of money. But today, it seems that this Suspended Pearl Market is indeed different from what I imagined."

Zhao Deshun said, "On the surface, anyone with a Celestial Register can come to do business at this Suspended Pearl Market, but in reality, it is prepared for low-ranking Celestial Officials below the Star Official level."

"A celestial official?" Wang Chen asked, feigning confusion.

"Yes, celestial official," Zhao Deshun explained. "Before your ascension, the minor world you inhabited also had an imperial court and government offices, with ranks and levels, right?"

"Yes," Wang Chen replied. Coming from a holy land, he was naturally familiar with these things.

"The Heavenly Court is pretty much the same, only its name sounds more impressive." Zhao Deshun's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation or a sense of profound understanding that was hard to decipher.

"Those of us who possess celestial registers but work in the Imperial Horse Administration or various departments are considered celestial clerks, the lowest level of officials. Above celestial clerks are celestial officials. Celestial officials are also ranked, with the lowest rank being called Gongcao, which is roughly... equivalent to a seventh-rank official in the mortal court. Our officials in the Carriage and Cavalry Department are Gongcao level, while our Bi Ma Wen in the Imperial Horse Administration is below the rank of Bi Ma Wen."

He paused, then continued, "Above the rank of Gongcao are the celestial officials, who in the army are heavenly generals. They all have ranks and salaries, and their supernatural powers are even greater. Above the celestial officials are the star officials and heavenly kings, who are truly great figures who can control a section of the stars and guard a region."

"This Suspended Pearl Market is mainly a place for celestial officials below the Star Official level, as well as us celestial clerks, to exchange goods and services. The higher the rank, the rarer the items that can be traded here, and the fewer the restrictions."

As Zhao Deshun spoke, he sighed softly: "Don't you find it rather boring? Back in the mortal realm, everyone was a dignified and immortal being. Who would have thought that after ascending to this true Heavenly Court, they would start scheming for petty gains like spirit stones?"

"But there's nothing we can do, Brother Wang. The Heavenly Court is vast, with the largest number of celestial officials and clerks at the bottom, but resources are limited. Who doesn't want to climb up? Who doesn't want a smoother path? The environment is like this; it has long since worn down those empty and pretentious ideals."

He pointed to several spacious shops in the distance, with faint traces of immortal energy enchantments, and gave examples: "You see those shops? Most of them are either run by celestial officials of a certain rank, or they hire people to manage them. Large-scale businesses like supplying fodder to our Imperial Stables require celestial officials of a certain rank to be qualified to do."

"The Imperial Horse Stables consumes a considerable amount of hay and fodder every year, making us a stable and major customer for them. The profits from this are naturally substantial. On the other hand, we lowly clerks, even if we have some connections to sell something, it's nothing more than scraps, earning only a meager living through hard work."

No sooner had Zhao Deshun finished speaking than a small commotion a short distance ahead caught their attention. Several men dressed in celestial soldier uniforms were gathered around a stall, their voices somewhat urgent:

"Really all gone? Not a single bottle left? I've been to several stalls, and they all said they're sold out!"

"Fellow Daoist, I'm so sorry, the last few bottles were just sold out. Would you like to look elsewhere?" The stall owner said with a smile, bowing repeatedly.

"Elsewhere? There are only a few places selling wound medicine in Xuanzhu Market, and I've asked them all! The price has gone up to twenty-eight spirit stones a bottle, and I still can't get any!" The soldier walked away, looking sullen and cursing.

Zhao Deshun and Wang Chen happened to be passing by and witnessed the whole scene. Zhao Deshun's expression immediately became somewhat subtle. He had just been saying that celestial officials couldn't do big business, but in the blink of an eye, he saw that the usually inconspicuous wound medicine had been snapped up and the price had skyrocketed.

He coughed lightly and explained to Wang Chen, "Well, this... is a special case. It might happen once every few thousand years. Those selling wound medicine really hit the jackpot this time, benefiting from Li Tianwang's expedition. Once war breaks out, these healing pills will naturally be in high demand. However, such opportunities are rare and cannot be taken as a regular occurrence."

He seemed eager to quickly move past this somewhat embarrassing scene, quickened his pace, and led Wang Chen straight to several shops deep in the market that specialized in selling medicinal herbs and spiritual plants.

However, what happened next made Zhao Deshun's mood even heavier.

After visiting three familiar fodder merchants, the shopkeepers were all polite, but when it came to the price of cloud grass, their answers were surprisingly consistent:

"Manager Zhao, it's not that I'm unwilling to offer a discount, it's just that this is the market rate!"

"King Li is ordered to lead the expedition, and all departments of the Heavenly Court are stepping up their preparations for war. The demand for Cloud Grass, which is used to feed the Heavenly Horses, has skyrocketed. The price given by the higher authorities is changing three times a day, and we have to buy it at a high price."

"This price is truly the lowest we can offer. Any lower and we'd really lose money. In this day and age, whoever has the goods is king. If you go ask around elsewhere, you'll probably find prices that are 50% higher than ours. I'm only offering this price because of our close relationship with the Imperial Horse Administration."

One company does it this way, two companies do it this way, and three companies do it this way too.

Zhao Deshun's smile gradually faded, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

The spirit stone quota is limited; if we buy at the current price, the supply of fodder this month definitely won't last until the end. But if we don't buy, what if the fighting on the front lines drags on…

"Brother Wang, look at this..." Zhao Deshun's voice was a little dry, "They've got their hands on us because we're in dire need right now."

Wang Chen, who had been silently observing from the side, finally spoke up: "Deshun, I'll say it again, what if we don't buy now?"

"Not buying?" Zhao Deshun shook his head almost instinctively. "No, the risk is too great. If Li Tianwang's army wins quickly and returns in triumph, then naturally there's no problem. But what if the war drags on for ten days or half a month? By then, we won't have enough time to procure fodder and send it to the front lines! Neither of us can bear the blame for delaying military operations!"

He paused, a worried look on his face: "Besides, this is the first important task I've undertaken since taking over as head of the fodder depot. If I mess it up, how will I maintain my position in the Imperial Horse Administration? And what will Supervisor Sun think of me?"

Wang Chen pondered for a moment, then calmly analyzed, "Deshun, I understand your concerns. But think about it, what would happen if we gritted our teeth and bought enough fodder at a high price right now?"

"How is it?" Zhao Deshun was taken aback.

"The spirit stone quota for the hay barn is fixed," Wang Chen said slowly.

"Having bought this batch at a high price, we won't have any more spirit stones to buy fodder for the rest of the month. If the horses run out of food, the mission will be a failure, and we'll be accused of squandering the quota and poor planning. When Supervisor Sun sent us to make the purchases today, did he explicitly say that we were allowed to exceed the quota, or promise to provide additional spirit stones later?"

Zhao Deshun's expression changed. After thinking carefully, he hesitated and said, "This... the Supervisor only urged us to prepare enough fodder, and didn't mention anything about adding spirit stones..."

"That's it." Wang Chen's gaze narrowed slightly. "If we really buy back the fodder at a high price and temporarily deal with the immediate situation, when the spirit stones run out at the end of the month and the fodder supply runs out, Supervisor Sun can simply shrug and say that the quota was met long ago, and that it was our poor purchasing and waste of public funds that led to the inability to continue. At that time, we will have no way to defend ourselves."

"We both heard what Brother Zhou Quan said yesterday. Is Supervisor Sun the kind of official who would consider his subordinates' feelings and take responsibility?"

Zhao Deshun recalled Zhou Quan's evaluation of Supervisor Sun's character last night, and then thought of Feng An stealing credit and Lao Qian suffering losses. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He had been so focused on the pressure at hand that he hadn't thought about this aspect in depth.

"Then... then in Brother Wang's opinion, what should we do?" Zhao Deshun's tone had become somewhat dependent.

"We'll remain unchanged amidst all changes," Wang Chen said. "We won't buy the high-priced fodder right now. We'll observe for a few days. If Li Tianwang truly achieves a swift and decisive victory, then everything will be fine, the demand for fodder will decrease sharply, and the price will inevitably drop."

"If the war shows signs of dragging on and the price of fodder remains high, then we can formally report this situation to Supervisor Sun, and send a copy to the Carriage and Cavalry Department for record-keeping. We should state that the market price is abnormally high and the quota is insufficient, and request the superior to provide guidance on whether to allocate additional funds or find another solution."

"In this way, the responsibility and risk of poor procurement are partially transferred from you and me to the superiors who should have made the decision. Even if something goes wrong in the end, we will have evidence to prove it and documents to follow, and our punishment will be much lighter."

Zhao Deshun nodded repeatedly, finding Wang Chen's analysis clear, logical, and to the point. However, the thought of the meager supplies in the warehouse, enough for only seven or eight days' use, brought back his anxiety. He rubbed his hands, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the fodder merchants, muttering to himself:

"That's true... but I still feel uneasy. What if something goes wrong in the next few days? Maybe we should go back to those other places and try to persuade them; perhaps their owners will be lenient out of consideration for us as colleagues?"

Looking at Zhao Deshun's persistent yet anxious expression, Wang Chen knew that if he didn't make him completely fail, he probably wouldn't feel comfortable adopting the "wait and see" strategy.

So he nodded and said, "If you're really worried and want to try, that's fine with me. However, if the result is the same..."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "I have another idea, perhaps we could give it a try."