Since Guo Jia entered Guanzhong, Han Sui and Ma Teng began to restrict the outflow of strategic materials such as salt, iron and horses in their respective territories. On the one hand, they were in trouble at that time and needed to raise a large-scale army again. On the other hand, they had tacit understanding with each other and did not want Guo Jia to become stronger and stronger.
Today is different from the past. No matter how much strategic materials Han Sui and Ma Chao hoarded, they can only be seen but not used. There are only so many people in the territory. Take Ma Chao as an example. He has a population of only over 200,000 under his rule, and he has an army of more than 20,000. In other words, an average of less than ten people has to support a soldier. This is a very heavy burden in an era when technological productivity is not high.
It has been more than ten years since Guo Jia entered Yizhou and the end of the sixth year of Jian'an. In the past ten years, his rule has been good weather and the people live and work in peace and contentment. The prosperous Chengdu has a population of more than 500,000. The population of his subordinates before the Battle of Guandu was close to 6 million. Under such a population base, Guo Jia has 300,000 troops, which is actually a limit number. Now he has conquered the south and swallowed the entire northwest in the future. After another rest and recuperation, the direct benefits brought by population growth are to give Guo Jia room to expand his army.
Liu Biao in Jingzhou originally only carried 100,000 armor, which was a number that Jingzhou could afford calmly. However, in the face of Guo Jia's aggressive pressure, Liu Biao had no choice but to expand his army and pulled up an army of 200,000. This obviously exceeded the number that Jingzhou could afford. However, the disadvantages of this excessive military expenditure were not immediate and would be exposed over time.
After Yuan Shao, Hebei suffered a crushing defeat in Guanzhong, he invested a large private soldier in Hebei. Behind the 700,000 troops, Hebei's growth from wealth and prosperity to decline. Otherwise, with Hebei's grain production, Yuan Shao would not have given his life to the situation of losing food and grass during the Battle of Guandu.
The reason why Guo Jia did not list Jiangdong as the top enemy for the time being is also here. The territory of the six counties in Jiangdong is not big or small, but the population base is still incomparable to the north. Since Sun Ce swept across Jiangdong, the number of troops in Jiangdong has never exceeded 100,000, because no matter how many they can't afford it.
As for Cao Cao, who was based in the Central Plains, he was dying. If it weren't for the millions of Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, he had been surrendered and thus gained labor. In addition, the wealthy and gentry in the Central Plains left countless fields in exile due to war, he would probably have been unable to soar to the sky with the emperor.
Guo Jia has always been salivating about the war horses in the northwest, but after he entered Guanzhong, both Han and Ma families were respectful and secretly guarding him on the surface, so Guo Jia could not expand his cavalry unit. At most, he kept the Yinling Flying Cavalry to make up for the shortfall at 10,000 people every year.
This famine in the northwest came in time, which gave Guo Jia the opportunity to obtain war horses through trade.
At this time, whether it is Ma Chao or Han Sui, it is obvious that he will no longer hold on to strategic materials and ignore the importance of food. Without food, he will starve to death. He can't kill war horses for food and not exchange for food, right? This is a bit too expensive. A horse can exchange food for several months, but how many days can a horse kill a horse allow for a full meal?
Perhaps Ma Chao hasn't reached the edge of the cliff yet, so he can still not open the horse market to Guo Jia, but Han Sui has no choice.
The Yizhou caravan that went to the northwest to go shopping was not obstructed. As early as when Li Jue and Guo Si were in trouble in Chang'an, Guo Jia signed an agreement with the Han and Ma families, and also explained the interests of each other. Business is normal. There is no forced buying and selling. It is okay if you don't sell or buy it. But if you confiscate the caravan's materials without a sound like Yuan Shang, don't blame Guo Jia for meeting him.
Guo Jia couldn't fight Hebei and asked Yuan Shang to reason with him. It was easy to rush his army to the west.
The Yizhou caravan who brought grain to the northwest would not have anything, but he would have to exchange grain for war horses, and he would have to carefully select them, and he would not have any other Northwest specialties or handmade products.
The current business is a seller's market. It's not that I fell in love with your war horse first, but that you begged me to sell you the food.
I have to decide how much I sell, whether to charge money or barter is also the final decision.
Scattered war horses were transported back to Chang'an from the northwest, and these were transported directly into the Chang'an military camp. Each horse's arrival was recorded in the account book to offset the taxes of the Yizhou Chamber of Commerce in Chang'an, which was at least 30% lower than the payment of money and grain, so the Yizhou Chamber of Commerce was happy to be a middleman for Guo Jia.
Before winter came, the training tasks in the Chang'an military camp were much more stringent than before.
Only the generals in the army know what will go on the war within half a year, but ordinary soldiers will not know it. Now step up the training and relax a little during the winter. When the battle is reintegrated in the spring of the next year, the combat power will be significantly improved.
Fa was counting war horses in the military camp. On average, nearly a thousand war horses were sent to the military camp every month. He wanted to do a statistical work to submit it to Xu Shu, so that Xu Shu could negotiate directly with the representatives of the Yizhou Chamber of Commerce.
After finishing work, Fa Zheng steadily left the barracks in a cool autumn dress.
At dusk, the soldiers in the army finished their training and were preparing for dinner in an orderly manner. Fa Zheng, who had just walked out of the barracks for only a hundred steps, was suddenly stopped.
"Master Fa, please stay."
Fa Zheng stopped and turned around, looked at the strong young man, and gave a gentle smile and bowed: "Mr. Ye, is there anything wrong?"
Guo Ye was bare-jammed and wiped the sweat from his body with his shirt he took off. He said embarrassedly: "Please forgive me, Lord Fa. I am so stinky and sweaty. I want to ask you for advice if I have something to do."
After careful calculation, Fa met Guo Ye on the first day he was applying for Guo Jia. After a few years, Guo Ye grew up under the gaze of these civil servants and generals. It is indeed rare to be able to go to the military camp to practice hard.
"Young Master Ruoye doesn't dislike it, why not go and have a meal at the mansion?"
Fa Zheng opened his hand and invited him.
Guo Ye politely refused, "No, I will go back to the military camp later. In this way, I will accompany you for a while. I hope Lord Fa can solve my doubts."
Fa Zheng smiled slightly, took a step forward, and asked, "What are the confusions between Mr. Ye?"
Guo Ye hung his sweat-soaked top around his neck. After walking a few steps beside Fa Zheng, he said: "A few days ago, my father asked me how to deal with Han Sui and Ma Chao coming to borrow food. I answered whether to borrow it or not. My father smiled and disappeared. I don't know whether my answer was right or wrong. I hope Master Fa will solve my doubts."
Guo Ye has been thinking about this question recently. Jia Xu is not in Chang'an, so there are not many people who can ask for advice, and Fa Zheng is one.
Fa Zheng turned his head and looked at Guo Ye gently, then looked ahead, and said softly: "I want to ask Mr. Ye first, do you think the lord can surrender Ma Chao and Han Sui?"
Recruiting surrender?
It is impossible to annex the other party without force, or to make these two companies surrender.
Guo Ye blurted out: "Han Sui and Ma Chao will not surrender to their father."
Surrender or surrender requires a name.
Cao Cao's surrender and rebel were all under the banner of the Han court. When others surrendered, they nominally followed the court's call to be a loyal minister.
But it is a bit unreasonable for the princes to surrender to the princes for no reason. Even Guo Jia, who is now the General of the Cavalry and the governor of Yizhou, is only a Han minister. Since he is a minister, what is the name of asking a general who is also a imperial decree of the Han court to surrender? Isn't this equivalent to openly supporting Guo Jia's rebellion?
Guo Jia can fabricate the unofficial matter of Han Sui and Ma Chao as a slogan to attack them. On the surface, it is to fight against traitors for the Han Dynasty, but in fact it is to engage in expeditions and expansion. However, Guo Jia cannot directly command the other party to surrender, and his status is not enough to be justified.
Against this backdrop, Han Sui and Ma Chao could surrender to Cao Cao openly, at least in name, they were loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty. Cao Cao could also use the emperor to grant them titles. In turn, Guo Jia could not give them titles. At the same time, no matter whether Guo Jia was loyal or traitor, their fate was not necessarily optimistic. Guo Jia surrendered to the court, and they were subordinates. Guo Jia failed to compete for the Central Plains. They were a party of rioters. Guo Jia won the world. They were definitely not the group that benefited the most. Following Cao Cao and the court, even if the Han Dynasty eventually perished, at least they would not be the infamy in history books.
Guo Ye's answer made Fa Zheng feel relieved. At least Guo Ye did not blindly believe that Guo Jia's power was at its peak was a factor in Han Sui-Ma Teng's need to bow his head and surrender.
"Mr. Ye, since that's the case, if the lord wants to conquer the northwest, he must meet Han Sui and Ma Chao. So what is the most unfavorable situation?"
Fazheng walked slowly and his tone was soft.
This time, Guo Ye blurted out: "The two families joined forces to resist their father."
"What about a little better than this situation?"
"The two families did not help each other, and my father defeated them one by one."
"What about a better situation?"
"The two families have internal conflicts, and my father reaps profits."
Speaking of this, Guo Ye stopped and frowned and thought.
Fa Zheng did not continue to walk, turned his head and stared at Guo Ye with a smile.
After a while, Guo Ye suddenly bowed to Fa Zhengyi and said, "I have benefited a lot from talking to Master Fa. However, I want to know, if Ma Chao did not detain the food and grass, wouldn't his father's plan be miscalculated?"
Guo Ye told Guo Jia that it will be fine to borrow or not.
If the two families do not have food to survive, they will definitely unite to attack Guanzhong. This is a desperate attempt in a desperate situation. As long as Guo Jia blocks it, he can wait for the two families to die. However, this situation is precisely the most unfavorable situation that Guo Jia wants to conquer the northwest.
If you borrow food, the two families will be grateful and will be beneficial to Guo Jia defeating them one by one.
This is what Guo Ye thought of, and what he ignored was the best situation.
The two families fought each other, and Guo Jia reaped profits.
Fa Zheng said to Guo Ye meaningfully: "Young Master Ye, those who want to accomplish things, especially those who want to accomplish great things should not be petty. The lord doesn't even care about the gains and losses of a city and a land. Will he care about mere food and grass? The businessman is the one who is not good or bad. The lord will set up a bureau with borrowed grain, and at least he will return a situation that is neither good nor bad, and the best reward is now, and Ma Chao and Han Sui have a gap."
If the upper and lower class describes the father and son Guo Jia and Guo Ye’s views on borrowing grain, then it is obvious that Guo Jia is the upper class, while Guo Ye is the lower class.
Guo Ye nodded in agreement, looking like he was being taught, but he immediately asked again: "Master Fa said that Han Sui and Ma Chao had a gap. Could it be that these two families are going to go to war?"
No one deliberately told Guo Ye about military matters, so he would never know.
Fa Zheng smiled and said, "Although Han Sui received 100,000 stones of grain, it was not enough to support him through the danger of famine. At most, it would be slowed down. If Han Sui could not guarantee that the food and grass were abundant under his rule, then the people under his rule would go to other places to beg for begging. After the population was lost, he would have less harvest in the coming year, and the army had to cut it. This series of subsequent reactions, the lord called it a chain reaction, which would affect his whole body. Han Sui did not want to wait for defeat, so he had to start a war."
Guo Ye nodded frequently, smiled at the corner of his mouth, saluted Fa Zheng, turned around and ran back to the military camp.
Fa Zheng looked at his back gradually disappearing from his sight and sighed inexplicably.
"How great would it be if Mr. Ye was born ten or twenty years later."
Chapter completed!