Although the grain and fodder used to purchase the war horses was a bit higher than what Sun Quan and the princes expected, the difference in profit from the riding animals that he bought and sold to the wealthy families in Jiangdong was, after all, in the eyes of Sun Quan and others, compared to the profit from capturing the servants of Jiaozhou.
It is more important to raise troops and mobilize people, and to hoard food and fodder to prepare for the war against Wei.
Furthermore, after his persistent persuasion, Zheng Pu finally relented and sold his fine war horses to Wu.
A good war horse only requires a hundred households of Shanyue prisoners.
Even though Zheng Pu repeatedly warned, these Shanyue prisoners of war were intended to be used as military households.
Each household of prisoners of war must have at least five dependents, and those who have grown up can be considered as soldiers.
Such a requirement may seem harsh, but Zhuge Ke could also understand: Soldiers without family ties are rarely brave enough to move forward without hesitation.
And he felt that the price of high-quality war horses was extremely low.
In other words, everyone in Jiangdong thought that such conditions were inadequate.
In the counties and counties east of the Yangtze River, the people of Shanyue are densely covered with stars.
Living in the hinterland of dangerous mountains and swamps, the people are numerous and vigorous. They dig out the mountains to produce copper and iron, and forge their own armored soldiers.
Their nature is restless and restless, they do not follow the law, they do not obey the king's rule, and they often turn out to be thieves and bandits. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, every county and county has sent out troops for conquests. When fighting, swarms will arrive, and when defeated, birds will flee. It is difficult to find a hiding place, and it is also difficult to break up.
its roots.
Now that the Sun family has taken control of Jiangdong, they have often been given false posts by people sent against the Wei Dynasty to incite trouble and disturb the place.
Therefore, many generals of the Wu State have the record of conquering mountains and rivers.
Among them, those who can be said to have overcome internal difficulties and calmed the country are Lu Dai, He Qi, Quan Cong, Zhou Li and others.
In particular, today's Wu State uses troops against Shanyue every year.
In order to capture people as soldiers, increase the number of households and farmland, and expand the land and open up acres of land to give national power, they captured maidservants to appease the powerful families in Jiangdong.
It can be said that the whole country is united as one to conquer the mountains.
Under such circumstances, Wu State had no shortage of Shanyue prisoners of war.
And Sun Quan would not be stingy with the big Han.
Zhuge Ke was very familiar with Sun Quan and knew that he would not be able to exchange for many high-quality war horses in a short period of time.
As expected, it is roughly forty or fifty horses.
Because Sun Quan returned with excellent war horses, not for use in expeditions, but to show his kindness!
He just honored the title of Emperor, and it was time to reward his merits.
Rewarding Jiangdong with excellent war horses can reflect Sun Quan's supreme kindness to those who have made outstanding contributions, and can inspire others to work hard and make great achievements.
Things are more valuable when they are rare.
The honor lies not in the value of the war horse, but in the fact that no one has it but I have it.
Sun Quan was well aware of such a simple desire to compete for fame, and Zhuge Ke was also aware of it.
However, what Zhuge Ke didn't expect was that after Zheng Pu sent him thirty miles away to say goodbye, and then returned to the Prime Minister's Office in Hebei County to report the whole story of the negotiation to the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang couldn't help but sigh with regret.
.
It is a matter of anger towards the younger generations of the family.
Said: "Yuan Xun is well-known in Soochow, and his talent and learning are also outstanding in Jiangdong. I don't want to, but he is tossed among the applause by Zi Jin without knowing it. This can be said to be unconcerned about the evil of the country!"
It also made Zheng Pu feel a little embarrassed.
Because the prime minister originally ordered that the price for each war horse should not be less than 3,000 hu of grain and fodder.
In order to keep the war horse trade with Soochow for a long time.
Moreover, the extensive raids on Sun Wu's grain and fodder were not conducive to coordinating the crusade against Wei.
After all, if Jiangdong was trapped in food and fodder, Sun Quan would have no intention of sending troops to attack.
"Cough, cough."
Coughing a few times to ease the embarrassment, Zheng Pu chuckled and said humbly, "The Prime Minister has exaggerated. It's not that Brother Yuanxun is incompetent, but if Jiangdong wants to buy war horses, he can only turn to me, a big man. Brother Yuanxun accepts the offer.
Sent, if you want to make things happen, you have no choice but to seek perfection."
"Oh, otherwise."
With a chuckle, the Prime Minister shook his head slightly and said, "Zi Jin, don't defend him. If he hadn't worked hard for success, how could he have been led into the trap by Zi Jin step by step?"
Well.
Hearing this, Zheng Pu was silent for a moment.
Just as the prime minister said, Zhuge Ke was controlled by Zheng Pu at every step.
Whether he was acting like a guanxing or having a banquet at home, everything was to get Zhuge Ke into the trap. Let him think of himself as a great man, instead of being emphasized by Zheng Pu.
After all, the more intelligent a person is, the more conceited and suspicious he is.
I am more willing to believe in the results I infer rather than the advice from others.
If he was not eager for success and would give up the negotiation first and let Sun Quan send others to negotiate, Zheng Pu would definitely lower the price of the war horse.
Because compared to war horses, big men need food and fodder more.
The Han army has no shortage of food and fodder, and Longyou is indestructible!
Longyou is not lost, and the land for grazing horses is in hand, so there is no need to worry about the shortage of war horses.
As for the Han Dynasty's establishment of cavalry in preparation for the attack on Liangzhou, it is also facing a shortage of war horses, so there is no need to think too much.
If the accumulated grain is not abundant, it is safe to send out troops!
This is the bottom line.
It is understandable that Zhuge Ke was blinded by a leaf this time and was deceived by Zheng Pu, saying that he "has no regard for the country".
Naturally, public and private are clearly distinguished.
After lamenting the shortcomings of his son and nephew, the prime minister straightened his eyebrows, stroked his beard and smiled, "Zijin has gained a lot from negotiating with the envoy of Wu this time, and it has benefited the country, which is great! As for the subsequent trivial matters, let Bo Song
Let's take it over." He trailed off slightly, and the Prime Minister found many small pieces of cloth from the sides of the case, "Zijin, let's take a look at the military information first."
"promise."
Responding quickly, Zheng Pu stood up and stepped forward to take it.
After returning, spread it out on the case and look through it carefully.
It turned out to be a statement of the military situation of Ma Dai, Gao Xiang, You Chu and Zhang Yi in Longxi.
Among them, he has already read Zhang Yi’s.
Since Zhang Yi was one of his generals, when he presented the statement to the prime minister, he would also make a copy for him.
It's just that Zhang Yijin's official position is not high, and he doesn't know much about the military situation of Ma Dai leading his army into the river head and Gao Xiang guarding Daxia County.
What You Chu said is almost the same as Zhang Yi's.
Gao Xiang said he had found out about Jincheng and Xiping County in the Wei Dynasty.
Now the Wei general guarding the dangerous Siwang Gorge is Jia Xu, who was born in Wuwei County; and the one who appeases the Huangshui River Valley is General Hao Zhao.
Both of them had been working in Hexi for a long time and were quite prestigious. With their help, they rebelled against Wei and gave up the interests of the Silk Road. The Qiang and Hu tribes became much more peaceful than before.
Guo Huai, who guarded Jincheng County and led the Qiang captain, built garrisons in the Yuzhong County area and often sent small groups of cavalry into the Taoshui River Valley. Many small-scale conflicts broke out with Gaoxiang's tribe.
.
Ma Dai's expression is the simplest.
He just claimed that within three to five days, he would not send two to three hundred horses to find a way to drive into the place at the head of the river.
If you encounter an enemy, you will avoid it; if you are blocked, you will return.
The only thing that caught people's attention was that the place where his troops crossed the river was different every time.
Therefore, after Zheng Pu looked at it, he roughly guessed the reason.
The time agreed upon by Ma Dai and King Shaodang Qiang to attack Tang Fan, the leader of the Qiang people at the head of the river, should be July or August during the autumn harvest.
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu says: "If you eat the enemy's one bell, you will treat me twenty."
Ma Dai, who was well aware of the inconvenience of transporting grain in the Han Dynasty, naturally adhered to the military strategy of "fighting to support war" and waited until the Qiang tribe at the head of the river had harvested grain and the cattle and sheep were fat before sending out troops.
Nowadays, a small number of cavalry are frequently sent to explore, just to find out where each tribe lives.
And as long as he persists in not fighting for a few months, Tang Fan, the head of the river, will feel that the Han army is just disturbing the situation and has no intention of sending a large army to fight for the head of the river.
But, with the Prime Minister’s wisdom, is there any reason to be unclear?
Why do you still show me this in writing?
After looking at the military situation one by one, Zheng Pu had confusion in his eyes and turned his head to look at the main seat.
But he saw the Prime Minister sitting upright, bowing his head on the case and writing furiously.
It must be that not long after the dispatch, Sun Wu sent food and servants to replace the war horses, right?
Zheng Pu realized something in his heart and did not dare to disturb him. He quietly waited for the Prime Minister to finish writing.
Perhaps it is because today's Han Dynasty has safely weathered the internal and external troubles after the Yiling War, and many affairs in various counties and counties are running in an orderly manner, so that the Prime Minister no longer laments the relationship with the unwillingness to eat. The Prime Minister's eyes are bright and his face is rare.
There was a wisp of ruddy color, as if the strands of silver on the temples were faintly shiny.
It makes people feel very at ease when they see it.
Similar to this is the former general Zhao Yun who was far away in Hanzhong County.
According to legend, his hair and beard were already white, and he became more energetic, smiling often and eating a lot at every meal.
In other words, all the old ministers who followed the late emperor Liu Bei in the early days, since returning to Longyou from the last year's battle, have grown stronger because of their expectations!
This is my great fortune!
Just as Zheng Pu was daydreaming about it, the Prime Minister happened to put down his writing on the case and came over to look at him. He quickly raised his hands in salute and said, "Prime Minister, I have read all about the military situation in Longxi."
"Um."
The Prime Minister nodded gently, with a gurgling smile, "Since Zijin has a plan in his mind, I don't need to say much about what happened in Longxi, and he also knows the reasons. I will tell you in writing that he went against the Wei Dynasty at Xiaoguan, Xiegukou of Xi County and Xunxun City of Xicheng County.
The garrison at the entrance has been reinforced with troops. Zi Jin has taken a closer look at the situation. What does the general who rebels against Wei want to do?"
The rebels against Wei actually increased their troops?
Immediately, Zheng Pu felt awe-inspiring after hearing this.
I also know what the Prime Minister wants him to know about this move.
This was due to the intention of going against Wei to increase its troops on the Hanzhong border, and also because Ma Dai and King Shaodang Qiang were already preparing to attack the area at the head of the river. When the time comes, a large-scale attack with swords and soldiers would trigger a large-scale attack against Wei.
After respectfully accepting the promise, Zheng Pu lowered his head and frowned in thought.
Regarding Xiao Guandao's increase in troops against the Wei Dynasty, I don't have any good ideas.
Gainxiaoguan has now become a battleground for both sides.
If the Wei Dynasty wants to recapture Longyou, it must defend Xiaoguan in Anding County.
If the Han Dynasty marches into Liangzhou, the direction of their departure must be Siwang Gorge between Jincheng and Xiping County. Before that, Xiao Pass must be captured. Only by capturing Xiao Pass can the Han Dynasty be able to fight it with Long Pass and Weishui River.
The continuous river valley became the eastern barrier of Longyou, completely preventing the incoming army from Guanzhong against the Wei Dynasty.
For example, when the Han Dynasty sent troops to attack Siwang Gorge, the troops from Liangzhou and Guanzhong came from Xiaoguandao at the same time, threatening Ji County and Shanggui in the Wei River Basin, forcing the Han Dynasty to return to defend.
Moreover, if the Han Dynasty takes control of Xiaoguan, it can still threaten Anding County.
It can cut off the connection between Guanzhong and Liangzhou, turn Liangzhou into an enclave of the counter-Wei, and make the Qiang and Hu tribes and Haoyou in the four counties of Hexi lose confidence in the counter-wei.
Living here, it is understandable to go against Wei and increase troops at Xiaoguan.
As for the rebellion against the Wei Dynasty, they also increased their troops to garrison Xiegukou of Yi County and Xunkou of Xicheng, which is incredible.
Because of the Battle of Didao in Longxi at the beginning of this year.
Wei Wei has just lost more than 7,000 soldiers in the battle. Regardless of the morale of the handsome army or the consideration of appeasing the local area, there will be no more thoughts of using weapons within this year.
Therefore, what is the reason for his subtle intimidation of Hanzhong County?
Is it to prepare for a rainy day and station troops first to repair roads and camps? When the time is right, they can launch a large-scale invasion of Hanzhong?
Or is it just a pretense to let me, the Han Dynasty, send his troops back to Hanzhong and leave Longyou empty?
For a moment, Zheng Pu was unstoppable.
After all, both outcomes are possible.
And if he makes a rash assertion and lets the prime minister think so and then dispatches troops and horses, he may face a heavy burden that the Han Dynasty cannot bear.
Soldiers must not be careless.
In particular, the person who is guarding Guanzhong against the Wei Dynasty is Cao Zhen, and the person who is in charge of Wancheng in Jingzhou is Sima Yi!
They can be called the two top commanders in the rebellion against Wei today.
Encore!
There was silence for a while inside the office.
Zheng Pu, who had not made any decision for a long time, finally raised his head and bowed his hands, saying in shame, "Please forgive Pu for his lack of knowledge, Prime Minister. Pu only dared to say that Wei Wei will not use weapons this year. However, he increased his troops to garrison at Xiegukou and Xunkou.
Surrounded by the enemy, I have no idea what I want to do, and I dare not speak nonsense."
"Haha~~"
Hearing this, the Prime Minister smiled sternly and waved his hand, "What's wrong with Zi Jin? I don't have any conclusion. Zi Jin doesn't speak nonsense, he's being cautious. There's no need to be modest." After comforting him, he continued to say, "Zi Jin."
When Long sent people to convey the military information, he even claimed that with the strength of Hanzhong's troops, there was no need to worry about the defense. Even if the counter-Wei attack came, we could still hold on until reinforcements arrived from Longyou."
Zheng Pu also laughed, "The former general is the mainstay of our great Han Dynasty. He is only against the Wei invaders, so he is unshakable."
"Um."
The Prime Minister nodded slightly and stroked his beard for a moment, "That's all, it's useless to think too much. Since the current movement against the Wei Dynasty is unclear, let's ignore it. Our army only needs to guard the dangerous points and wait for changes, and the troops will come to block it. But Zijin is staying here now.
In Ji County, the Wu envoy has already returned. After taking a rest, he and Fei Wenwei can care for the common people."
"promise."
Respectfully accepting the order, Zheng Pu raised his hands and said, "Pu excuses himself."
After leaving the department room, Zheng Pu frowned deeply.
It’s not that he is unclear about the Prime Minister’s new instructions.
Yang Yi, who had been staying in Hanzhong to dispatch grain and fodder, was moved to Longyou by the Prime Minister after Ma Su became the Prime Minister of Hanzhong.
In order to appease the Li Shu people, they settled in the fields.
As for Zheng Pu, who was still in charge of joining the army, it was natural for him to come and join forces when the Han Dynasty had no offensive for the time being.
What bothered him was his inability to understand Ni Wei's actions.
Even if the Prime Minister's plan was to remain unchanged in dealing with all changes, he could not let go.
In fact, he was overthinking it.
Because against the Wei Dynasty, Cao Rui ordered Cao Zhen and Sima Yi to increase their troops, but it was just a bluff.
One of the reasons is that Sun Quan gave up the title of King of Wei and Wu in favor of the title of Emperor.
The newly established state of Wu, out of a desire to establish its power, must prepare to use troops against Wei. Cao Rui, who suffered a series of defeats last year, did not want to fight on two fronts again.
On the other hand, Cao Rui finally made a decision after learning from the pain of going against the Wei Dynasty.
If you are worthy of Cao Cao's assertion and expectation of Wei Wu at that time: "I have been based on you for three generations."
