I was a charlatan in India

When you gaze at the Shen River, the Shen River also gazes at you.

Several ascetic factories were his territory, containing countless linga, and even the insects and ants on the ground could not escape his eyes.

So Anshu was discovered long ago.

Moreover, after Mina's threats came to an end, Shenhe's attention was mostly focused on retaining the workers, so how could they not know about Anshu's arrival?

However, there's nothing to stop them from doing so.

Strictly speaking, he actually had a good impression of the two brothers, Anshu and Yandi.

The two people's attitude towards the gods occasionally reminded Shenhe that he wasn't as high and mighty as he thought.

He had a vague feeling that this was important, but he couldn't figure out why.

Divinity is a very clever hunter; it can make you forget why you were running away without you even realizing it.

At this moment, some commotion in the city attracted Shenhe's attention.

Dana has started to run away.

Within the realm of humankind, his arrangements can be described as quite meticulous.

Dana prepared a lot of smoke bombs.

He submitted a request to the border crossing to prepare the goods and instructed his servants to expedite the process.

Yovasudiv discussed the arrangements for operating the Holy Embryo that evening and even booked a fine banquet.

He even arranged for people to hand over the goods to the merchants who helped him distribute them.

Although he was certain that Vasudiv was plotting against him, Dana did not know who was working with him.

Therefore, he carefully arranged every checkpoint that needed to be addressed.

He even included his own servants in his schemes.

Starting in the early hours of the morning, people began carrying their valuables and leaving the city in batches.

They had only just learned that the master was going to run away.

Even last night, they were assigned other tasks, such as recruiting workers and preparing goods.

The quantity of valuables was astonishing; in terms of volume alone, it even exceeded the total wealth of Dana.

Of course, only the thin layer on top was the cargo; the rest was counterweight made of stone and rough wood, covered with thick cloth.

Dana registered these items under different names in the names of the families he was working with, and even differentiated them in terms of the style of the boxes.

He didn't want the money; he considered it a distraction and let it go.

Dana kept only the most precious and portable portions, which were then held by a few trusted confidants and himself.

His expectations were so low that even his trusted confidants betrayed him, leaving him to live a meager life with the last of his share.

He maximized almost every possible opportunity to operate within his own limited scope.

This is about escaping for one's life, not simply moving away.

He himself... arrived at a horse market with six unsuspecting servants.

During Ashoka's reign, horses were not common freight animals.

It is an imported species and needs to be sourced from the Khyber Pass in the northwest because it is very precious.

Owning horses is undoubtedly a perfect symbol of wealth and status.

Generally, only legitimate Brahmins or Kshatriyas are qualified to purchase them.

The issue isn't whether or not someone has money; normally, they're not even qualified to enter the horse market.

However, Dana is a bit special.

He made the appointment as Vasudiv's son-in-law, ostensibly to preside over the full moon festival.

As one of the families in charge of this festival, it is perfectly reasonable for Saraswati to rent horses for the festival.

In recent years, horses have indeed been used to clear the way during the fire-lighting ceremony of the Full Moon Festival.

Originally, this task belonged to the white ox in the traditional ceremonies, but now horses have taken a part of it, which is also to highlight the subtle changes in the status of royal power in religion.

This is Ashoka's order.

"Religion is just a tool; whichever direction I take, you have to follow."

That's essentially what it means.

"The full moon festival is approaching soon. I've come to check on the horses for the Saraswati family. Please inform them of my presence."

Dana, all smiles, urged the guard to make the announcement while stuffing the money pouch into his hand.

Horse markets are different from ordinary businesses; they are not something that people of the Vaishya class can operate. So even though they are guarding the gate, wealthy merchants still have to bow and scrape before them.

However, with money to pave the way, everything is negotiable.

After the guard went inside, Dana took out another money bag of the same size and handed it to the other guard.

"Hey, Brother Dana, what are you doing? You can't accept something for nothing. That's not right, not right."

The guard made excuses while secretly putting the money pouch into his sleeve.

Dana was quickly allowed to enter.

The Malaysian businessman yawned reluctantly, showing considerable indifference towards Dana.

However, when Dana presented the monetary gift with a smile, his attitude clearly took a sharp turn.

"The full moon festival is coming soon, and you're still working hard for your master's family. The head of the Vasudiv family doesn't even care about you."

He patted Dana on the shoulder, looking very familiar with him.

Dana casually replied, "Well, that's what it's all about when we split up the family. We're busy serving the master and just trying to get some protection."

This resonated with the Malaysian businessman, who nodded slightly.

Dana steered the conversation back to the main topic at the right moment: "Speaking of which, given my weight, is there really any horse that can carry me?"

The businessman looked Da Na up and down.

Judging by his appearance, he must weigh around 260 or 270 pounds, and with the saddle, he might even be over 300.

An adult packhorse can typically carry a load of about 200 to 240 pounds in a short period of time, so carrying a danah is quite strenuous.

Even if it could carry it, it probably wouldn't run very fast.

However, the horses used in the Full Moon Festival are only used for the section of the road where the fire is passed; for a considerable amount of time in between, they are led along.

After all, Marco was much more precious than a person, so how could he possibly ride him around forever?

They only mount up and form ranks when they are close to the crowd, and then train and adapt beforehand.

If that's the case, they should be able to barely hold on.

This fat guy knows how to handle things.

Knowing that riding a horse at the festival is no child's play, they came in advance to test and break in the horse, so as not to embarrass themselves in front of the dignitaries.

But eating like this... tsk tsk, it really does fit the image of these nouveau riche.

He didn't think about it any other way, but just secretly laughed at Dana, while still giving a choice that was very appropriate for the Full Moon Festival.

"You could try heavy draft horses. These guys may not have great stamina or speed, but they have amazing explosive power."

"As long as you're willing to cooperate, carrying you for a while isn't a problem at all."

Actually, Dana wanted a packhorse more. Although it didn't look as handsome and tall as a heavy draft horse, it had excellent endurance and was suitable for long journeys.

He wasn't completely ignorant about horses; he was just pretending.

However, pack horses are clearly not suitable for the Full Moon Festival.

Moreover, he simply couldn't bring a large amount of fodder on this trip, and it was impossible to rely on horses for a long-distance raid.

The horse's main purpose is to clear obstacles, so a heavy draft horse will suffice.

So he nodded: "Okay, as long as you can keep things stable! We'll need your help during this initial adjustment period."

You know how easy it is to spend money.

"This way, please."

Deep inside the stable, a pungent, fishy smell filled the air, occasionally punctuated by the impatient pawing of hooves.

The further in you go, the dimmer the light becomes, but the horses grow increasingly imposing.

This design stems from the petty concerns of the horse's place of origin.

Before selling them, the wild horses are briefly confined to harsh conditions to put them in a bad mood, so they will be even more agitated when they are taken out.

Those who choose tall, imposing horses often have a strong desire to conquer, which can actually increase sales.

Of course, Indian horse traders simply follow suit without understanding the underlying principles.

They didn't keep the wild horses in harsh conditions all the time; when they were being raised, they were pampered and spoiled.

However, because horses are so precious in India, they are well cared for even when kept in dark environments.

Over time, most horses became indifferent to this environmental dissatisfaction, which instead led to a different kind of domestication.

Um...most of them.

There are always some strong-willed people who cannot accept this kind of humiliation.

For example, they are about to see this one.

The two stopped in front of the deepest stone trough.

"This is it."

The businessman patted the barrier.

Inside the pen, a robust, dark chestnut draft horse was chewing hay with its head down.

Hearing the noise, it slowly raised its huge head, and a hint of impatience could be seen in its large brown eyes.

The horse had a short, thick neck covered with a smooth, satin-like mane, and its shoulders and hips were muscularly defined, like a sculpture of a giant stone.

Its hooves are as big as a large bowl, and when it sees people coming, it will strike the edge of the stone trough heavily, making a dull "knock knock" sound.

"A true Northwestern breed, three years old, is at the age when it is at its strongest."

The Malaysian businessman's words were tinged with pride.

"This guy once pulled the gilded statue carriage during the royal celebrations; he's very steady, it's just his temperament..."

But his tone was clearly weak.

That statement is somewhat of an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the matter.

It's true that they pulled the idol cart.

But if it hadn't kicked the high priest to death and made a mess of the celebration, it wouldn't have been banished here.

In terms of physique, he is undoubtedly a top-tier individual in this era.