"The trap is peaceful until it is broken through. When people are full of greed, it is impossible to make the right decision. You see the benefits of Ceylon, but you do not see the huge risks hidden there.

Ceylon Island is so close to India, and it is a full six-and-a-half-day voyage from Singapore. I initially thought that you would seize one or two islands as a foothold along the way.

But in order not to alert the enemy, you actually let Li Xiu and Li Hu chase the typhoon for a sneak attack regardless of the risk. The sneak attack was successful, but what happens now? Tens of thousands of people are trapped on Ceylon Island, unable to advance or retreat.

And you have to do your best to continuously send reinforcements and material resources to the island. The price we have to pay is far more than Wu Sangui."

Sun Chengzong took a sip of tea and finally closed his mouth that was spewing venom.

"It is useless to say this now. India is the biggest obstacle to our westward expansion. The gasoline engine has developed to this point, and our demand for oil products has increased many times more than before.

Apart from anything else, you know how much high-power airships will contribute to the economy of Ming Dynasty. But why it cannot be implemented is not because we have no oil in Ming Dynasty.

There are also warships, which now have to carry heavy and dirty coal. Jinzhou has experimented with oil-burning machines, and the range is much longer than that of coal-burning steam engines. How much impact does this have on Ming Dynasty shipping? What are the benefits of shipping to the economy?

You don't know it, right?

Where is the oil? There is it in the Middle East. As long as India is defeated, the next step can be to occupy the Middle East and exploit oil. As long as there is oil, Ming Dynasty's economy will reach a new level. Whoever controls the energy will occupy the world.

.For the sake of the lives of future generations, we...!"

"Wait a minute!" Sun Chengzong stretched out his hand to stop Li Xiao, who was impassioned and about to start his speech.

"...!" Li Xiao was unhappy at being interrupted.

"How do you know there is oil in the Middle East? The last time Huzi said he was going to the Middle East to build a canal, he took hundreds of people with him and killed them. If your second son hadn't picked up the oil in time, you wouldn't even have found the bones."

"I...!" Li Xiao was so choked that he couldn't speak. The old guy didn't want to quarrel with others, but he thought that if he quarreled with others, he would smack them to death.

How to explain to the old guy? Those Muhammads in the Middle East in later generations made a fortune from oil?

"I knew it!" Li Xiao sat down on the chair angrily.

"Brother Xiao, this is not a matter of anger. I don't know if there is oil in the Middle East, but our Ming Dynasty needs stability. If a country wants to stay in this world for a long time, it is necessary to attack. But fighting every day is not a good thing.

Got it!

You know the word militarism, right?

This year, Jiangnan's tax revenue has recovered, and the national treasury is fuller than before. This is true. But you can just count on your fingers, build the Yangtze River Bridge, and build roads and bridges across the country.

Build branch railways throughout the North, and you are planning to build a new battleship, the Imperial. It has a displacement of 15,000 tons. I have never heard of a ship as big as a mountain floating on the sea.

This does not include the construction of schools across the country, as well as your various research institutes. Brother Xiao, nothing can be supported by money. Our Ming Dynasty is prosperous, but there must be fire underneath. For the operation of this empire

The firewood is silver, silver, silver!

Without money, how can I support such a big empire? Look, this is the reimbursement package sent from various places. Either stop the construction project, comrades build schools, or stop your Western Expedition. Anyway, there is only so much money, and this place

If there are more flowers, there will be less flowers.

Otherwise, you can take charge of this business."

Sun Chengzong directly placed a large pile of foldables in front of Li Xiao, which was more than a foot thick. Let's not say how long it took to batch it. Just read it once, and Li Xiao would not sleep tonight.

"Forget it, what's the point of the Western Expedition like this? I just sent Man Ye to the Ili Valley. The three main divisions originally planned, plus a cavalry division, were now sent to Man Ye and Cao Wenzhao. The military expenditure should be much smaller.

.

As for the current war in Ceylon, I just want to use the second division. Since you have calculated so much, the money originally used for four divisions has now only become three divisions. The budget should be saved a little.

Just give me the budget you should give me. As for how to adjust it, that's my business."

"Uh...!" This time, it was Sun Chengzong's turn to be speechless.

He originally thought that Li Xiao's military deployment in the South China Sea would require a lot of manpower, material resources and troops. At least two or three main divisions would be mobilized, but he did not expect that when Li Xiao went to attack India, he only brought a newly redressed Second Division.

.

How long has it been since the Second Division fought a major battle? Since the invasion of Nanming, the Second Division has been stationed in Fujian to suppress the clan forces there. Later, Guangdong and Guangxi also became the territory of the Second Division. In recent years, the bandits have been suppressed, and the fierce battles in the northwest have followed

Yuan Chonghuan only sent some regimental and battalion company commanders as observers to watch the battle.

Can the Gurkha soldiers, who are unable to defeat the Japanese soldiers with the Second Division, be defeated?

"Brother Xiao, I didn't say what I just said. If you really want to send troops, I have to support you even if you want to sell iron. At any rate, take Master Ao with you. The Second Division has not fought for a long time, so I don't know how powerful it is.

This time you go to India to fight, you can't do it without the strong soldiers of Ao Ye's First Division. Wu Sangui's men can hold off the Japanese soldiers, which shows that they are not weaklings and are not allowed to be bullied by you."

"No way! I also want to take Mr. Ao with me, but the First Division is now a heavily armed group. Counting the artillery, supporting logistics, and the garrison division responsible for the outer perimeter, there are a hundred thousand in total.

How much transportation capacity does it take to transport such a heavy equipment group thousands of miles to the South China Sea?

How much time will this take! What we lack most now is time. Wu Sangui will not give Huzi much time, one and a half months, which is the limit that Huzi can support with 50,000 people.

Now we have to race against time every day. I have sent a telegram to Yuan Chonghuan, asking him to prepare for war. All ships in the South China Sea have been temporarily mobilized.

I want to concentrate all my energy to do a big thing in a short time."

"What are you going to do?" Sun Chengzong suddenly became alarmed. Li Xiao was taking a risk and gambling by doing this.

"Brother Xiao, you are now involved in the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty. You can't gamble, at least you can't gamble in person. If you ask Yuan Chonghuan and your second and third son to do something, you absolutely can't put yourself in danger.

You can't afford to gamble, and Ming Dynasty cannot afford to gamble. The Ming Empire has just turned from decline to prosperity, and we have apparently climbed to the top of the world. At this time, we cannot do without you as our leader."

"You are mature and prudent, and you are more suitable to lead this empire than me."
Chapter completed!