Chapter 368: Intercession

"Why is it higher than us? Because the materials flowing from the Song Dynasty to Xixia were mainly copper coins and silk books, while the materials flowing from Xixia to China were mainly green salt."

"All the benefits that flowed into the Song Dynasty were captured by businessmen, and these businessmen would not use their profits for the construction of Shaanxi."

"During Renzong's reign, they severely cracked down and banned Ningxia salt from entering the country, which resulted in rampant smuggling."

"Not only was the green salt not banned, it also led to the Western Xia Li returning to the royal family and using it for military purposes; while the Song Dynasty Li returning to the merchants and Qiang people used it for comfort and enjoyment. This is the proper way to fund the enemy."

"But if trade is controlled in our hands, things will change into a different nature. We will use it to refine soldiers, improve transportation, build forts, and win over the Tibetan people; we will use it to build cement workshops, ironworks, and foundries and forgers.

As long as we use the exchanged materials with a higher utilization rate than the other party, we will win the economic confrontation."

"Dazhi has been in Guanzhong for a long time, so he should know Mr. Hengqu's theory that "qi does not arise or die, and the reason can be studied exhaustively."

"When this theory is put into the economic field, it can be understood as economic material and money. Its flow, just like the flow of Qi, cannot be stopped by humans. Even if it is barely stopped, problems will arise."

"What we have to do is to participate in it, find out the rules of the flow, and thus gain benefits. We want to make it disperse in Xixia, and it will be invisible when it disperses; we will make it gather in the Song Dynasty, and it will be powerful when it gathers."

"If you study the reasons carefully, you can still find ways to deal with it. For example, issuing Shu banknotes and replacing copper coins is one of the measures."

"Another example is to improve the salt production process, and you can also get snow salt that is not inferior to green salt."

"For example, among the goods exported to Xixia, we mainly focus on silk, tea, fine porcelain, fine wine, Buddhist scriptures, and various exquisite crafts."

"Among the imported materials, cattle, sheep, and horses are the main ones. Green salt is also acceptable, but we don't need to pay with copper coins, we can only use it to exchange for our goods."

"What we have to do is to encourage market exploration while cracking down on smuggling."

"We do not want to completely sever the economic relationship with Xixia, but we want to make this economic relationship orderly, controllable by the Song Dynasty, and beneficial to me."

"To form an economic community with the surrounding Tibetan people and let everyone prosper together, they will naturally turn to the Song Dynasty because safeguarding the interests of the Song Dynasty is to safeguard their interests. So I don't care if they take the glazed mirror to Xixia, what can they do?

No matter how high the price is, I will only earn my reasonable share and collect enough taxes."

"If conditions are met, we must cultivate our own fine breeds and own our own horse farms and pastures. Military supplies are the lifeblood of a country's survival, and we must be self-sufficient."

An old man appeared from behind the screen and laughed loudly: "This is a wonderful argument. This is the golden mean."

Su You handed over his hand: "I don't know who this is..."

The old man said: "I know what Mingrun said just now, Cai Ting, deputy envoy to the capital of Shaanxi, and Mr. Xue knows it, and he must make him a confidant."

Su You quickly apologized: "I have sent a letter to the transportation department, saying that the broadcast will start in the next few days. It would be rude to listen to Mr. Xue's instructions after I have been busy for a while. By the way..."

After saying that, he held up his hands and said, "Mr. Xue must know the name of this canal in Jingyuan."

Zhong Ji took one look at it and said: "This is the Jingshui Canal. In the 13th year of Jianyuan of the former Qin Dynasty, Fu Jian took advantage of the frequent floods and droughts in Guanzhong. He proposed to follow the story of Zheng Guo in the Qin and Han Dynasties and the story of Bai Gong, and sent it to the princes and below, as well as the noble and wealthy children.

Thirty thousand people dug up the source of the Jing River, dug mountains and raised embankments, opened canals and diverted water, and irrigated the hilly and brine land. It was completed in spring, and the people relied on their profits."

Su You opened the map with a red face, wiped off the word "Zheng Guo" on the map with a steamed bun, and re-wrote the word "Jingshui" on the map. He shamelessly said, "Look, you two, this pencil is really good."

Zhong Ji and Cai Ting laughed so hard that they almost burst into tears.

Su You calmly handed the map to Cai Ting: "The canal head has been surveyed in the past few days, and we are planning to use two months to build a new canal from the upstream position of the canal head to divert water from the Jing River and reopen the Jing Canal.

Restore the title of Jingyuan Land of Abundance. Please give this map to the deputy envoy to Duke Xue."

Cai Ting said with emotion: "Unexpectedly, Tanhua Lang is not only outstanding in his articles and theories, but also proficient in practical matters. It is really rare."

Su You smiled and said: "The miscellaneous work in the Kuizhou border area is indeed quite training, but the attention is put outside, and it is still mixed inside. I don't even know the name of the channel."

Cai Ting said with a smile: "If you do the big things well, it won't matter if you have minor problems. But I'm afraid your big Su will complain that your literary ideas are closed-minded, and it's hard to produce good works, right?"

Su You waved his hand: "My nephew still dares to care about his uncle? It's good that I don't blame him for not being careful in predicting the people!"

Cai Ting laughed loudly: "Ouch! Da Su has such a beautiful beard, I really forgot that you are the elder!"

After several people laughed, Cai Ting said: "I know Ming Run is a talented person, but I have a division of labor with Mr. Xue, and the one in charge is military. Ming Run, what is your purpose in sending Liu Canjun to build Dun'an stronghold?"

"

Su You glanced at Zhong Ji and said, "Nothing else, but after checking the map, I found that the Zhenrong Army was too weak, so I decided to set up a separate stronghold on the west side of the Zhenrong Army, facing the Zhenrong Army at Longguan, forming an angle.

to consolidate the northern periphery of Weizhou City."

Zhong Ji sighed and said: "Mingrun, your idea is good. If a stronghold can be established in that place, it will naturally be the best choice."

"But Mingrun, you are from the southwest. You don't know the geography of the northwest. There is a huge flaw in the place you chose."

Su You asked: "What are the flaws?"

Zhong Ji said: "There is no water source! Once surrounded, there will be chaos in three days. Mingrun, have you considered it?"

Su You smiled and said: "Don't worry about this. It is located at the east foot of Liupan Mountain. Liupan Mountain is full of forests and the groundwater is very rich."

Zhong Jie was surprised and said: "Dig a well? You have to drill through the stone layer!"

Su You cupped his hands and said, "This matter has its own precedent. Wasn't it the same when Kao Zhongping was ordered to disclose Qingjian City?"

This is an allusion to Zhong Shiheng, his father.

At that time, the western frontier was under-defended due to the lack of troops. After checking the terrain, Zhong Shiheng suggested using the old Kuanzhou City, two hundred miles northeast of Yanzhou, to restore the abandoned city fortress to withstand the Xixia attack.

If the city is 100%, it can stabilize Yan'an's situation on the right, bring corn to the east of the river to the left, and collect silver and the old lands of Xia and Zhouzhou to the north.

The imperial court agreed to the proposal and appointed him to be responsible for the project.

While Zhong Shiheng was fighting the Xixia people, he was building city defenses. However, due to the dangerous terrain and lack of water, everyone thought it would be impossible to succeed there.

Craftsmen of Zhong Shihengming dug wells and finally obtained spring water. After the city was built, it was named Qingjian City and became an important camp in the Song Dynasty to defend Xixia and Yan'an.

Zhong Ji cupped his hands and said, "How much manpower and material resources did my father spend on the construction of Qingjian City? Mingrun, do you know better than I do?"

"At that time, the ground was drilled one hundred and fifty feet before the stone layer was encountered. The stone workers thought it was impossible to drill through the stone. It was my father who ordered that a bucket of gravel be paid a hundred yuan, and finally we got the spring water. Where can I find it in Weizhou now?

What kind of financial resources? This matter is not easy to do..."

Su You smiled and said: "It's not easy, but it's not impossible."

Zhong Ji said: "Liu Canjun is a veteran of the Western Army. He fought with his father in the war. His father took pity on his old age and got him a job as a judicial officer in the army as a way of providing for him in his old age."

"Mingrun, a man in the army, has a rough and straightforward nature. Maybe he offended me with his words. I will plead guilty on his behalf, so you can spare him this job."

Su You asked: "Oh? You also think I am punishing him?"

Zhongjie smiled bitterly and said, "Isn't it?"

Su You smiled and said: "If you think so, then there is nothing wrong with you. I only sent him to build the city after knowing Liu Canjun's background."

Now Cai Ting became interested: "But why?"

Su You cupped his hands and said: "Deputy envoy, Da Zhi, when I first came to Weizhou, I saw that the armaments were slack and all kinds of people from the Tibetan and Han Dynasties came and went at will."

"As you can imagine, the Weizhou city defense has been leaking like a sieve for a long time. Therefore, the only official in Weizhou city that I can fully trust is Lao Liu, apart from Cai Chizheng, the general judge."

After saying that, the thief smiled and said: "Of course, if the king doesn't keep secrets, he will lose his country, and if the ministers don't keep secrets, they will lose their homes, which can make some mistakes in the enemy's intelligence. I don't care about acting in a show, and I happen to be with us in Zhenrong.

The military exercises are connected in series. This thing has a name, it should be called a TV series."

Cai Ting spat out a sip of tea and said, "Yes, everyone says that Su Mingrun is born with benevolence. I thought he must be a stubborn person. Fortunately, he asked me to make peace. It seems that the general will make peace."

If it doesn’t work out, I’ll continue to act like my old man.”

Immediately, Zhongzhi felt a little sympathetic to each other. This child was also a cunning and cunning person in his family, but he was known as "Xiaoyinjun" outside.

Now I can't help but admire Su You. It turns out that there are people as wretched as me in the ranks of civil servants... ah no, such sensible people!

Su Chu
Chapter completed!