On the tenth day of December, it was snowing heavily in Tokyo, and the furnace in Wendoku Hall was burning brightly.

Zhang Shuye walked in.

He reported on the situation of the Northwest Tea Horse Company.

"Zhe Yanzhi bought 5,000 horses in Hehuang this year, and I heard that a deal of 10,000 war horses is under negotiation."

Zhang Shuye excitedly handed over Zhe Yanzhi's memorial.

Zhao Ning read carefully.

As expected at the beginning of this year, the strategy of handing over money to Xixia was launched in the northwest with the end of the Song-Xia War.

The Huizhou Forex Market has now become the core base for the circulation of banknotes during the Song and Xia Dynasties.

Naturally, the Song Dynasty benefited most from the trade between the two sides under the new financial system.

However, Xixia also benefited.

Especially the upper-class Xixia aristocrats represented by Li Qianshun not only absorbed large amounts of banknotes, but also declared banknotes to the country as the only legal currency.

Xixia itself also followed the Song Dynasty and established a bank. Through policies, it forced Xixia people to go to Xixia Bank to exchange copper coins, gold and silver for banknotes.

In this way, Xixia received a large amount of Song Dynasty banknotes after selling salt in the Huizhou market, and forcibly exchanged them into the hands of Xixia people through Xixia Bank.

Li Qianshun and other big nobles hoarded copper coins, gold and silver.

Weiming Anhui, who was punished for the defeat, believed that Li Qianshun and Brother Richard were blinded by money.

When Xixia joined the Song Dynasty's currency payment system, Xixia received copper coins, gold and silver, but the Song Dynasty privately bought war horses at high prices on the Song-Xia border.

Weiming Anhui is right, this is strengthening the Song Dynasty.

But he may be wrong about one thing. Now it is not only Li Qianshun who agrees to join the Song Dynasty's banknote payment system, but the entire aristocratic class of Xixia.

They all gained huge benefits in a short period of time within this new financial framework set up by Zhao Ning.

Everyone is short-sighted, let alone a group of poor people who are threatened by all directions?

The nobles of Xixia were immersed in the short-term happiness brought by handing over money. Many nobles were busy buying luxury goods for themselves from the Uighurs and the Song Dynasty, and even built pavilions in their own territories.

Therefore, in fact, the rapid circulation of banknotes in Xixia was not the decision of Li Qianshun alone, but the result of the joint promotion of the entire Xixia aristocratic group for their own interests.

However, the Song Dynasty had fully launched a plan to smuggle war horses among the people.

What Zheyanzhi said is that there is still a big order on the way, which refers to the trade with Xixia.

The Xixia war horses were abundant in reserves. When Hu Quan began to promote banknotes in the northwest, and Xixia established banknotes as legal tender, Zhe Yanzhi almost began to negotiate big deals with Xixia horse dealers.

Use one sentence to describe Orihiko's behavior: He printed a bunch of money in the morning and went to buy war horses at night.

"Where's Zhang Bangchang?" Zhao Ning asked.

"The total number of war horses purchased from Dali Kingdom is 20,000, most of which are used for post stations and logistics."

Zhao Ning walked to the map. He looked in the northwest direction and asked, "Have the people sent out to contact Yelu Dashi not replied yet?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

Zhang Shuye said: "It's so vast outside the Great Wall that it's not easy to find."

Zhao Ning sighed and did not force anything.

If we can contact Yelu Dashi and let Yelu Dashi stay instead of moving westward, it will undoubtedly set up another nail for the Jin Kingdom north of Yinshan Mountain.

But obviously this operation is very difficult.

Now that the Battle of Taiyuan has begun, no matter what the reason for the war between the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, the short-lived peace between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty will inevitably be destroyed.

The pressure on the northern line will increase dramatically at this time.

Regarding the next pattern of the northern route, Zhao Ning has already made the next strategic arrangement.

Regardless of whether Taiyuan is recovered or not, this strategic arrangement can alleviate the military pressure on the northern front.

Zhao Ning added: "Where do you think the horses in the northwest would be more suitable?"

Zhang Shuye said: "I think we can allocate more cavalry to Hebei, especially Li Gang's side. The Jin army went south from there several times. If a large number of cavalry can be built in the Cangzhou area, they can fight head-on with the Jin people in the wide plain area."

."

Zhao Ning disagreed, and the reason was very simple.

It is definitely necessary to establish a large-scale cavalry regiment in Hebei area.

In the future, the main battlefield of the Song and Jin Dynasties will definitely be there, and it is related to the recovery of the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. Deploying a large number of cavalry regiments there can also prepare for the later recovery of the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun.

It's just that the time hasn't come yet.

Zhao Ning said: "If we want to recover the sixteen states of Yanyun, we must prepare at least 50,000 cavalry, each equipped with three horses. In this way, at least 150,000 horses must be invested in the Hebei area, plus logistics and post stations.

Two hundred and fifty thousand horses must be prepared."

Zhang Shuye said: "What your Majesty said is absolutely true. If you want to guarantee it, you really have to invest so much."

"According to Zhang Jun's calculations, Shaanxi needs at least 30,000 cavalry corps, each equipped with three horses, for a total of 90,000 horses. This does not include Hedong."

After doing the calculation again, Zhang Shuye's face was a little shocked, and he said: "It is indeed true."

"At last calculation, it is estimated that the total number of horses required has reached 400,000. Am I wrong?"

Zhang Shuye said in a serious tone: "Your Majesty is right."

The Jin Kingdom could only pull out this number of horses. For the Song Dynasty, which was short of horses, how could it be possible to have so many horses quickly?

Zhao Ning shook his head and said: "So, the battle situation cannot be arranged like this, otherwise every front will be short of horses. In the end, all parties will quarrel over the allocation of war horses. Wouldn't it be chaos?"

Therefore, this strategic layout cannot be done this way.

Zhang Shuye said: "I am stupid. What your Majesty said is true. According to this calculation, Hebei and Hedong are not in a hurry to deploy so many war horses."

"Yes, there is no need for it now. Hebei and Hedong have built up complete defenses in recent years. If the imperial court takes the initiative to send troops to regain Zhending and Hejian, it will inevitably have to fight a big battle with the Jin cavalry. If there are not enough war horses,

Come on, there’s no need to take action.”

Zhang Shuye immediately said: "In this way, we must first destroy Xia, then obtain a large number of cavalry from Xixia, and then go to the north!"

Zhao Ning said: "Now let's buy war horses from Xixia and build 30,000 cavalry for the northwest. When the time comes, we can destroy Xia in one fell swoop and recapture the Hexi Corridor. Why worry about not having war horses?"

"But if we want to destroy Xia, the Kingdom of Jin will definitely interfere."

Zhao Ning looked at the map and said: "So it is really important to recapture Taiyuan this time. Once Taiyuan is recaptured, the main battlefield can be compressed to the Hebei area, and Han Shizhong has already established an organic military town here."

He pointed to the Dengzhou area, and then pointed to the southernmost tip of Liaodong, which was later known as the Lushunkou area.

"Han Shizhong landed here to build a city, and the imperial court sent envoys to Goryeo. It would be better if Goryeo could send people and food. Once the military town here shows scale, it can force the Jin army to invest heavy troops in this area and distract the Jin army from investing in Hebei.

troops."

Zhao Ning's move was undoubtedly to use the huge resources of the Song Dynasty to extend the front line, force the Jin Kingdom to disperse its forces, and reduce the military pressure on Hedong, Hebei, and even Shaanxi when Xia was destroyed.

And if Taiyuan is recovered, the Jin Kingdom's front will be forced to compress it in the Hebei area.

It is only a matter of time before Xia is extinguished.
Chapter completed!