To bring down the general is not something that happens overnight.
Lu Yi knew this very well.
The year before last, Li Heng spoke frankly about the incident and almost convinced His Majesty, leaving Lu Yi with lingering fears.
He had to reflect on what the school affairs office had done over the years, and found that the school affairs office had indeed offended too many people.
Even the Prime Minister Gu Yong was accused by the school affairs office, which led to Gu Yong being reprimanded by Sun Quan, and he even considered replacing the Prime Minister.
If it were not for the fear that Gu Yong would be withdrawn, Taichang Pan Jun, who was guarding Wuchang with Lu Xun, would have been transferred to Jianye to take over the position of prime minister.
It’s hard to say that Lu Yi at that time would really encourage Sun Quan to let Gu Yong go home to retire.
Although all the officials in the court and local officials dared not speak out in anger, Lu Yi knew that an unknown number of people had secretly formed a clique to bring about the death of the school government.
Therefore, in the past two years, the school affairs office has restrained itself a lot.
Especially when it comes to overthrowing a general, you can't rush it, you have to do it bit by bit.
One sentence of praise and criticism today, two sentences of encouragement and criticism tomorrow, and three sentences of backbiting and disgrace the day after tomorrow...
Most emperors are ruthless people, and no matter how important their ministers are in His Majesty's heart, they cannot withstand such piecemeal instigation.
General Shang is in charge of half of the Wu Kingdom, and he stays in Wuchang all year round. He rarely has the opportunity to meet with His Majesty, so he is suspected of having too much authority.
After sowing discord over time, Lu Yi believed that one day, in His Majesty's heart, his relationship with the General would gradually fade away.
As long as it fades to a certain level, then you can seize the opportunity to swoop down and overthrow the general, then it will not be a dream.
Once the general falls, the school affairs office will only have its last opponent, Donggong.
In the incident involving Li Heng's outspoken remarks, the school affairs office was the one targeted, so it was natural that it would try its best to find out the real driving force behind this incident.
As the emperor's most trusted eyes and ears, he is professional in this regard.
So what if I just found out?
The status of the Crown Prince of the East Palace cannot be shaken by the school affairs office.
At least not yet.
It just so happened that General Lu Xun was the biggest supporter of the East Palace.
Of course, since there was no rush to overthrow the general, Lu Yi usually just took advantage of every opportunity to do it without being too deliberate.
Because the school administration has more important things in front of it.
In the past two years, in order to raise military resources, His Majesty has asked Yousi to mint a lot of five hundred coins, called "Daquan Five Hundred".
This has caused private prices to rise a lot, and local complaints have begun to spread.
Therefore, in addition to its own duties, the school affairs office: helps His Majesty to investigate the ministers and spy on local states and counties.
At the same time, we must also find ways to raise money, food and various materials for His Majesty.
As long as you do these two things well, Your Majesty will rely more and more on the school administration.
Speaking of supplies, it seems that the coldest period has already entered, but there is still a batch of woolen materials in Shu that has not been delivered on time.
Lu Yi returned to the school affairs office, first sent someone to Jingzhou to inspect, and then turned back to the post house.
Upon learning of Lu Yi's arrival, Ma Di quickly came out to greet him:
"Lu Zhongshu, why do you bother to come in person in this cold weather? Please come in quickly."
"It's just that it's getting cold, that's why I have to come here all the more!" Lu Yi might have faked a smile to others, but to Ma Su, it was a genuine smile.
"It's cold outside, let's talk about it first."
Ma Di welcomed Lu Yi into the post house and made him a cup of hot tea.
Lu Yi took a sip of hot tea and then exhaled:
"This year's winter seems to be much colder!"
Ma Su nodded: "I took the students to the north of the river a few days ago and found that there were ice formations in some places along the river. It was really cold."
Lu Yi sighed: "Over the years, the riverside has frozen from time to time in winter. It is no longer a rare thing."
"It happens that in spring and summer, there are frequent droughts and floods, and locust plagues occur frequently. Without your country's support in recent years, Wu would not have been able to organize a war this time."
A battle involving a hundred thousand troops marching down Hefei City?
Ma Su smiled slightly:
"Han and Wu are allies, and they echo each other, which is reasonable. This time I brought these young men here to learn the art of sailing. Didn't I also receive strong support from Lu Zhongshu?"
"It should, it should!"
Everyone was carrying the sedan chair, and Lu Yi quickly gave way and said humbly:
"Your Majesty, in order to obtain war horses, has not hesitated to send fleets to Liaodong many times. This skill of maneuvering ships is originally an agreement when exchanging war horses with your country."
In the Battle of Jingzhou, the Shu people lost most of their navy.
Then in the battle of Yiling, the last remaining navy was lost.
No one with any foresight in the Wu Kingdom would be willing to see the Shu people rebuild their navy, let alone teach them step by step how to build and operate ships.
But for Lu Yi, the school affairs office was already in crisis at that time. Who cares whether the Shu people took the opportunity to rebuild the navy?
Besides, the school affairs office is there to relieve His Majesty's worries.
Your Majesty wants war horses, so the school office will naturally try its best to find war horses.
Warships are the most important weapon of Wu's country. Isn't the armored cavalry the most important weapon of Shu people's country?
If you don't have enough sincerity, why should the Shu people help you build an armored cavalry army?
Of course, the most important thing is that the Shu people gave too much.
War horses, wool, brown sugar, grain...
Which of the bulk supplies is not needed by Da Wu?
Ma Su, on the other hand, couldn't help but praise after hearing what Lu Yi said: "Lv Zhongshu is really a trustworthy person!"
Lu Yi was humble again.
But when it comes to the word "integrity", Lu Yi looks at Ma Su:
"Mr. Ma, Wu and Han are allies of each other, so they naturally have to be loyal, right?"
Ma Su nodded: "This is natural."
Lu Yi slapped his thigh: "Let me just say, my husband and I have the same views!"
Then he turned slightly sideways and approached Ma Su:
"Sir, you have also seen that this winter is extremely cold, and the officers and soldiers of the army are eagerly looking for warm clothes."
"However, your country still has a batch of woolen materials that failed to be transported to Jianye as agreed. Is this a breach of trust in the state of Wu?"
For a mere batch of woolen materials, Lu Yi, the official secretary of the school, not only sent people to Jingzhou to check, but also personally went to Ma Su to urge him.
Seems a bit petty.
But Lu Yi knew that the reason why the Northern Expedition was in vain was at least partly due to the early arrival of winter this year.
The 100,000-strong army led by His Majesty did not have enough clothing to keep out the cold. Diseases were prevalent in the army and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. They were unable to capture Hefei in time and had to retreat in a hurry.
Anyone who is older can see that in the past few decades, although there have been occasional mild winters, overall, winters have become colder and colder.
Therefore, the warm clothing in the army has always been a concern for His Majesty.
Lu Yi's response was exactly what His Majesty was worried about.
Having been in contact with Mr. Ma for so long, Lu Yi naturally knew that Mr. Ma had a lot of connections in Shu.
Otherwise, how could we become the leader of this group of students?
Not to mention rare items like brown sugar honey wine and other rare items in the eyes of others, Mr. Ma can always come up with a large inventory.
Ma Su has never concealed his status as a rich man.
He even made a mistake when he was drunk one time. He was close friends with a high-ranking brother-level figure in the Xinghan Society, and he could get material quotas from the Xinghan Society that others could not get.
Xinghanhui now has the potential to be a plutocrat, with Feng Hui as the leader and ten top leaders:
Zhao Guang, Li Yi, Wang Xun, Huang Chong, Li Qiu, Deng Liang, Yang Wanwan, Li Feng, Liu Liang, Xu Xun.
Not to mention Feng Hui leader, these ten brothers alone are either military generals or local officials, and are either in charge of the Xinghan Hui's material transportation or the Xinghan Hui's material allocation.
The Liangzhou Army was invincible in every battle and never had any logistical worries. To a large extent, it relied on the Xinghan Hui, which had a strict system under the leadership of these people.
Lu Yi wanted to make friends with Mr. Ma partly because he wanted to establish a good relationship with a powerful figure in the Xinghan Society through Mr. Ma.
At the worst, you can also get some additional quotas from the Xinghan Association through Mr. Ma.
For His Majesty's sake, Lu Yi didn't even care about his own reputation, let alone just face?
Naturally, Ma Su didn't know what Lu Yi was thinking. When he heard that a batch of woolen materials had not been handed over on time, he was immediately surprised:
"Oh? There is such a thing?"
Then he thought thoughtfully: "As Lu Zhongshu said just now, this winter is much colder than in previous years. If it is like this in the south of the Yangtze River, I'm afraid it will be much harder in the north."
"In addition to this war, it is possible that the Han Dynasty will be temporarily short of supplies."
"But don't worry, Lu Zhongshu. The Xinghan Association has always been well-known for its work. If we really miss the deadline, there will be sufficient compensation later."
Of course Lu Yi knew that Xinghan would be reliable in doing things, so he came to ask Mr. Ma to urge Xinghan to deliver the goods in time.
But the actual purpose is to come and get closer to the other person.
Isn’t it that human relationships and relationships are built through mutual interactions?
But seeing Lu Yi acting as if he was suddenly stunned, he nodded repeatedly:
"Mr. Ma's words really cleared up my confusion. It seems that I was short-sighted and didn't think of this."
Ma Su did not criticize Lu Yi's slightly exaggerated performance. He only saw a slightly apologetic look on his face and said sincerely:
"Lv Zhongshu, if this batch of woolen materials cannot be delivered in time, please give Lu Zhongshu a few nice words in front of Lord Wu."
As he spoke, he reached into his robe sleeves, took out a few bills, gently placed them on the table, and pushed them gently along the smooth tabletop.
"Lao Lu Zhongshu is here."
Lu Yi's eyelids twitched. Although he could not see the amount on the note, he knew that Mr. Ma was always generous and would never disappoint anyone.
"Don't dare." Lu Yi quickly held Ma Di's hand, "Between Han and Wu, there are many mountains and dangerous waterways. It is normal to make mistakes occasionally."
"I came here to tell you this, sir, just to let you know. I have no other intention."
Ma Su's hand was as steady as a mountain, not moving at all, and a smile appeared on his face:
"Huh, Lu Zhongshu, I said, this intention is to ask Zhongshu to say a few nice words in front of Lord Wu, not just for this batch of wool."
As he spoke, he took out his hand and left the note alone.
Only then did Lu Yi's face look serious.
"I'm so rude! You deserve it, I deserve it!"
He said "I feel ashamed", but the bills originally placed on the table floated into my sleeves as smoothly as silk, and were properly "disrespected".
In fact, banknotes are not popular in Jianye.
In other words, in the capital of Wu State, only the top small circles knew Qianzi.
Because Jianye does not have the ticket number of Xinghanhui.
Only people who can easily travel between Jiangling and Jianye will accept ticket transactions.
Go down the river from Yong'an, pass through Zigui and Yiling, and then arrive at Jiangling.
Jiangling was the largest transit point for transactions between Han and Wu.
There is the only ticket number of the Xinghan Hui in Wu State in the city. Next to the ticket number is the transit warehouse of the Xinghan Hui.
Anyone who goes there with a ticket can exchange for supplies at any time.
Lu Yi was a person who made it easy to travel between Jianye and Jiangling. He didn't even have to go there himself, someone would help him get it done.
Seeing Lu Yi put the bills into his sleeves, Ma Di continued:
"Lu Zhongshu values this batch of woolen materials so much. Could it be that your country also has a shortage of supplies?"
"Huh?" Lu Yi immediately looked at Ma Su warily.
Ma Su chuckled, his expression unchanged, and he was even in the mood to take a sip of tea, and then said slowly:
"He has also dabbled in the economy. Your country minted fifty large coins a few years ago, and another five hundred coins two years ago. Is this the Lord Wu's move to replenish the treasury?"
"However, the move of making big money also has harmful effects, that is, it can easily lead to an increase in private prices."
Having said this, Ma Su put down his teacup, looked at Lu Yi, and showed a gentle smile:
"He has been in Wudi for a long time. Since this year, food prices have almost doubled, right?"
"Not to mention that the charcoal used for heating in Jianye City is always out of stock. People with no connections can't buy it even if they have money."
It is often said that King Feng Gui was half a disciple of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, but if we really talk about it, Ma Su was the direct disciple of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, although this disciple ultimately disappointed the Prime Minister.
But having followed the Prime Minister for so long, Ma Di was naturally no stranger to the ways of managing the world and benefiting the people.
After hearing Ma Su's words and seeing the other party's determined expression, Lu Yi's expression changed several times, and finally he sighed:
"You are so talented, you can actually tell the autumn by looking at a leaf."
When food prices rise, you can find out just by asking. There is no point in denying it.
Besides, the other party has a close relationship with the Xinghan Society.
Others don't know the price of goods in Dawu. How can Xinghan do such a big business and not know about it?
"But this year is a bit special. After all, there is such a war, so food prices have risen so fast."
Regarding His Majesty's face, Lu Yi still subconsciously defended himself, saying that he lacked confidence.
The smile on Ma Su's face remained unchanged, and he didn't know whether he believed it or not.
I just heard him say:
"Lu Zhongshu, the Han Dynasty and Wu State are allies of each other and have agreed to fight against the bandits. As far as I know, since the Lord of Wu moved the capital to Jianye, he has always wanted to go north every year."
"If we send out troops once, the price of food will skyrocket. After all, it's not a big deal! The school affairs office headed by Lu Zhongshu is responsible for preparing money and food for Lord Wu. It's hard work to think about it."
When Lu Yi heard this, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Who says it's not the case? Everyone in the country blames me and hates me, but they don't know that what I did was just to distract His Majesty."
Having said this, he looked at Ma Su thoughtfully and asked tentatively:
"What you don't know, sir, is that Feng Langjun, the leader of the Xinghan Association, promised the school affairs office two years ago that he was willing to transfer grain from Shu to Jingzhou."
"It's just that it's been so long, but the food delivered is only a drop in the bucket. Sir, I have a close relationship with the Xinghan Association. I wonder if I can ask if I can bring more food?"
"Oh, there is such a thing?" Ma Di was surprised at first, then frowned, and finally a little embarrassed, "Ahem, Lu Zhongshu, after all, it was caused by this year's war!"
"Both the Han and Wu countries consumed a lot of money! But now that the war is over, I think there will be enough food in Shu next year."
"Besides, Feng Junhou is away on an expedition. He may be too busy with military affairs, so he can't think of it at the moment. Don't worry, Lu Zhongshu. I'll write a letter right now and help you ask some questions."
When Lu Yi heard this, he was immediately overjoyed: "Thank you so much, Mr. Ma!"
"Han and Wu are allies! Helping each other is the right thing to do." Ma Di waved his hand, and then lowered his voice, "But the matter of food will require some efforts from Lu Zhongshu."
"Oh, please tell me, Mr. Ma."
"Nowadays, there are many people who rely on the Xinghan Association for food, so even if the Xinghan Association wants to help, it still has to make some money for the people under it."
Lu Yi looked at Ma Di with a troubled look on his face:
"Mr. Ma, you might as well speak more clearly."
"Lv Zhongshu, what I mean is that if the Xinghanhui transports grain to Jingzhou, we have to let them transport some good things at least to Jingzhou."
"What good stuff? What can Jingzhou have?"
Ma Su chuckled, glanced at Lu Yi meaningfully, took another sip of tea, and then said slowly:
"Lu Zhongshu, the wealthy family in Jingzhou, even if their manor is full of grain, the government will not be able to collect much tax in the end."
"But if we let them grow sugar cane, the school government might be able to get some more brown sugar quota..."
