Li Siye smiled and shook his head, put the dried linen socks on his feet again, then put on his Liuhe boots and stomped his feet comfortably on the ground.
He turned back and asked Fujimaki: "If you are asked to be the guard of Congling, what should you do?"
Fujimaki said without hesitation: "Actively prepare for war! Strengthen training, raise troops for a thousand days, and use them for a while."
"Oh, let me ask you, how many horses are there in the stable of Congling Shouchu? What kind of armor are the soldiers guarding the city wearing? I ask you again, what do you need to raise soldiers? Of course it is money, I want
To buy them armor, I want to buy them good horses. If we only have food and wine, all we will raise are wine bags and rice bags! I am selling quilts now just to buy them good armor and good horses! What is the purpose of war? Isn’t it just to preserve life?
Do you want to destroy the enemy yourself? As long as I give them enough good equipment, I can improve their battlefield survivability, so that they can fight one against ten, or even one against a hundred."
Fujimaki looked up at him, opened his mouth and murmured: "Yes, it makes sense."
Li Siye patted Teng Mu on the shoulder and smiled: "Not only does it make sense, I'm also very organized. Get some rest and follow me to the Anxi Protector's Mansion with your quilt."
Fujimaki was shocked: "You can't go! You left your post without permission, how dare you come to the door and bring disaster on yourself."
"It's okay, I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"
…
In November, there was heavy snowfall for seven consecutive days in the four towns of Anxi. The temperature dropped sharply to a degree that would freeze chickens and dogs to death. The roofs in Kucha City were covered with icicles, and the hooves of horses sleeping in the stables were frozen to the ground by the ice.
Boiling water was needed to pull the horse out. The soldiers got up at night and went outside to relieve themselves. The yellow liquid fell to the ground and turned into icicles.
No one could have imagined that the winter in Anxi would be so cold this year, much colder than winters in previous years. News came from the Four Military Towns that there were many soldiers suffering from frostbite, and the situation would be unimaginable if this continues.
Lai Yao, the military governor of the fourth town, was riding on a horse wearing a thick fox fur. He had just inspected the military camp in the city. His face became very gloomy. He did not expect that the soldiers were suffering from frostbite. He was furious and threw
Bing Cao Shenjun, who was in charge of military supplies, was demoted.
The military officer who recorded the affairs was stomping his flute and blowing breath into his hands. In such a ghostly weather, it was very suitable to hide in the house and watch the charcoal pot to make tea. But Laiyao Duhu was a man who couldn't take any time off.
People, go around to the military camps to check whether the food and grass for the winter are sufficient and whether the winter clothes to keep out the cold are fully prepared.
After some inspections, he found that there was no shortage of food and grass for horses, but the winter clothes to keep out the cold were of varying quality. Especially when the soldiers slept at night, they only had thin quilts stuffed with reed catkins, catkins, and chicken feathers. Some people actually fell asleep at night.
He was frozen to death.
Lai Yao returned to the mansion with a pale face. The soldiers around him took off the fox fur cloak from his shoulders. Gao Xianzhi, the envoy of Qiuci Town, was sitting in his study, with a not very pretty expression on his face.
Lai Duhu sat cross-legged in front of the desk, Xiao Ting stood obediently behind him. In front of these two big men, he was not qualified to sit down.
Gao Xianzhi smiled bitterly and said: "It's so hot that everyone gets hot, and when it's cold they just look after themselves. Soldiers with a little financial means have sheepskin jackets and woolen quilts to keep out the cold, but those with poor conditions suffer. This year is colder than in previous years."
, the Duhu Mansion doesn’t have that many sheepskins to give them.”
Xiao Ting stood there and interjected: "As soon as the weather got cold, the prices of sheepskin and wool increased. When I came here early in the morning, I went to the fur market in the city to take a look. A sheepskin jacket actually cost...
Six hundred yuan, and a woolen quilt costs eight hundred yuan. These unscrupulous businessmen will make seasonal fortunes!"
Lai Yao stretched out his hand to wipe off the remaining hoarfrost on his beard, sighed and said: "Anxi used to be a government soldier. Regardless of armor, weapons, or horses, the soldiers had to prepare themselves. The soldiers did not need to pay rent, but most of them
The government soldiers have lost their land, and how can they afford armor and weapons? When I first came to Anxi to serve, more than half of the soldiers in a regiment were missing their armor. Now the imperial court is recruiting athletes to serve in the army, and all soldiers have begun to receive armor.
Even though they have money to pay, they still have no money to buy winter clothes, but if people freeze to death, the blame still has to fall on us."
Lai Yao grumbled for a while, then stepped into the topic and asked Gao Xianzhi: "Ambassador Gao Zhen, please tell me, what should we do now?"
Gao Xianzhi thought for a moment, stroked his beard and said:
"Of course I went to the markets in Qiuci, Khotan and other rich towns to buy sheepskin jackets, woolen quilts and other warm products and distribute them to the soldiers in the four towns."
Lai Yao frowned: "You are not a family member and don't know how expensive firewood and rice are. If, according to what Xiao Ting just said, a sheepskin coat costs 600 yuan and a woolen quilt costs 800 yuan, then nearly half of our athletes in Anxi are short of clothes and quilts.
If you want to purchase it, you need to spend six to seven million yuan. Now the total of copper coins and silk that can be exchanged in Anxi's treasury is only seven million yuan. This is what Anxi rents Yongtiao and trade route charges this year.
The remaining balance will have to wait until next spring to pay for the purchase of armor and depreciation of weapons."
Gao Xianzhi got a headache when he heard this kind of number, so he had to turn his face to the side and just lowered his head to drink tea. Xiao Ting, who stood behind Lai Yao, was silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking of a solution.
Lai Yao suddenly raised his head and asked him: "Xiao Ting, what can you do?"
The young secretary-general joined the army and said with his hands crossed: "Businessmen are hoarding and raising prices. It's a pity that we don't have extra fur coats on hand. Otherwise, we can sell them at low prices to punish these unscrupulous traders. But now, we can only charge high prices."
Buy part of it and give priority to the two strategic military towns of Suiye and Shule. After next year, we should purchase more leather and wool in midsummer to prepare for winter needs."
Lai Yao nodded. This was the only way he could think of for the current plan. Xiao Ting's words were comprehensive and it was not too late to make up for the situation. They did not expect that Anxi would be particularly cold today. With this experience, they would be able to keep warm and keep out the cold next year.
Items should be reserved as combat readiness materials first.
…
Li Siye took the horse and deliberately walked around the market in Anxi. He came out of the fur shops on both sides of the road to change brands. The prices of sheepskin jackets and wool-filled quilts were gradually marked to 730 yuan and 960 yuan.
Although there is a lot of money, there is still an endless stream of customers in front of these stores.
Here he not only saw the sinister faces of these Sogdian businessmen, but also saw endless business opportunities.
Li Siye suddenly turned around and said to Teng Mu: "Go back now and pass on my order to ask the military households and family members in Congling to make cotton-padded jackets and quilts. Tell them that the crafting fee for each piece will be increased by two yuan. For each piece made,
Eight coins. Let Tian Zhen lead sixty soldiers to catch up with the horses, drive into the grain truck of our Congling guard, load quilts and cotton-padded jackets overnight, and bring them to Qiuci Town for me."
Fujimaki asked worriedly: "What if I leave and leave you alone?"
"Nonsense, this is Qiuci, what can I do?" He patted Fujimu's back excitedly and said: "Don't you hate staying in Congling to guard the capture? Don't you want to be promoted and meritorious service? Put this matter aside
Once this is done, the day will come when you, my brother, will make your mark!"
Tengmu didn't quite believe Li Siye's words, but he still crossed his hands solemnly and said, "Please rest assured, Mr. Li, Tengmu will definitely fulfill his mission and handle this matter well."
"Go for it!"
He unloaded the quilt bundled on Fujimu's horse and tied it to Hei Pang's body, so that the other party could get back to Congling more quickly because he was familiar with the road.