Chapter 1036 Chapter 1045 Let’s make it clearer
Wanting to overthrow the general cannot happen overnight.
Lv Yi knew this very well.
The year before last, Li Heng spoke frankly about the incident and almost persuaded 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 Prime Minister Gu Yong was accused of crimes by the school affairs office, which led to him being reprimanded by His Majesty, and he even considered replacing the Prime Minister.
Had it not been for the fear that Gu Yong would be withdrawn, Taichang Pan Jun, who was guarding Wuchang with Lu Xun, would have been transferred to Jianye to take over the position of prime minister.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 is impossible 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 from the court to the local officials dared to be angry and dare not speak out, Lu Yi knew that secretly there were countless people who formed a clique and wanted to kill the school officials.
So in the past two years, the school affairs office has restrained a lot in its work.
Especially for things like overthrowing a general, there is no need to rush, you have to do it bit by bit.
Today, one sentence of praise and criticism, tomorrow, two sentences of encouragement and back, and the day after tomorrow, three sentences of backlash...
The emperor is often a ruthless person, and no matter how important the ministers are in His Majesty's heart, they cannot withstand such piecemeal instigation.
The general 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 power.
After sowing discord over time, Lu Yi believed that in his heart, one day his Majesty would gradually lose his friendship with the general.
As long as it fades to a certain level, then you can seize the opportunity and swoop down to bring down the general, it will not be a dream.
Once the general falls, the school office will only have the last opponent left—Donggong.
In the case of Li Heng's outspoken remarks, the school affairs office was the one targeted, so it was natural that they would try their 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 it’s 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.
Coincidentally, 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 office 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".
It has caused the price of goods among the people to rise a lot, and local complaints have begun to spread.
So in addition to its own duties, the school affairs office: helps His Majesty to detect 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 from the Shu Kingdom 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 around and went to the post house.
Upon learning that Lu Yi had arrived, Ma Su quickly came out to greet him:
"Lü Zhongshu, why do you bother to come in person in this cold weather? Please come in quickly."
“It’s just that it’s 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 Su 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, it is not uncommon for the riverside to freeze from time to time in winter."
“It happens to be spring and summer, and there are frequent droughts and floods, and locust plagues occur frequently. Without your country’s support in recent years, Da Wu would not have been able to organize a war this time.”
A battle involving a hundred thousand troops at the foot of Hefei City?
Ma Su smiled slightly:
"Han and Wu are allies and respond to 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 be!”
As the sedan chair was being carried by others, Lu Yi quickly gave way and said humbly:
“Your Majesty has sent fleets to Liaodong many times in order to obtain war horses. This skill in maneuvering ships was originally agreed upon when exchanging war horses with your country.”
In the Battle of Jingzhou, the Shu people lost most of their navy.
Then the Battle of Yiling, the last remaining naval force was lost.
No one with any foresight in Wu State 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 item is not a bulk material that Da Wu needs?
On the other hand, Ma Di, after hearing what Lu Yi said, couldn't help but praise: "Lv Zhongshu really trusts people!"
Lv Yi was humble again.
But when it comes to the word "integrity", Lu Yi looks at Ma Su:
“Mr. Ma, since Wu and Han are allies of each other, we naturally have to be loyal, right?”
Ma Su nodded: "This is natural."
Lu Yi slapped his thigh: "Let me just say, Mr. and I have the same views!"
Then he turned slightly sideways and approached Ma Su:
“Sir, you have also seen that it is extremely cold this winter, and the generals in the army are eager for warm clothes.”
“However, your country still has a batch of woolen materials that cannot be transported to Jianye as agreed. Is this a breach of trust by Your Majesty?”
Lv Yi, the official secretary of the school, not only sent people to Jingzhou to check for a mere batch of woolen materials, but also personally went to Ma Su to urge him.
Looks 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 among the troops 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 warm winters, overall, winters have become colder and colder.
Hence, the cold-weather clothing in the army has always been a concern for His Majesty.
Lv Yi's actions are exactly what His Majesty is anxious 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.
How else could we become the leader of this group of students?
Not to mention rare items like brown molasses 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.
Xinghan Hui now has the potential of 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.
Leave aside Feng Hui leader, the ten brothers in the Hui Hui alone were either military generals or local officials, and were either in charge of the Xing Han Hui's material transportation or the Xing Han Hui's material allocation.
Part of the reason why Lu Yi wanted to make friends with Mr. Ma was 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 Society through Mr. Ma.
For your majesty, Lu Yi doesn’t even care about his own reputation, let alone just face?
Ma Di naturally didn’t know what Lu Yi was thinking. As soon as 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, it will be much worse 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 it really fails, there will be sufficient compensation later.”
Of course Lu Yi knew that Xinghan would be reliable in doing things. He came to the door this time, ostensibly to ask Mr. Ma to urge Xinghan to deliver the goods in time.
But the purpose is actually to come and get closer to the other person.
Human feelings and relationships are built through mutual interactions, aren’t they?
But seeing Lu Yi acting as if he was in a daze, 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:
“Lü 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 the sleeves of his robe, took out a few bills, gently placed them on the table, and pushed them gently along the smooth tabletop.
“There is a letter from Lao Luzhong.”
Lu Yi's eyelids twitched. Although he could not see the amount on the note, he knew that Mr. Ma was always generous and never disappointed.
"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 for mistakes to be made occasionally."
"I came here to tell you this, sir. I just want to get some relief and have no other intention."
Ma Su’s hands were as steady as a mountain and did not move at all. A smile appeared on his face:
“Huh, Lu Zhongshu, I said that my intention is to ask Zhongshu to say a few words of kindness 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.
Lv Yi's face turned serious.
“I’m so rude and disrespectful! You deserve it, you deserve it!”
He said "I feel ashamed", but the bills that were originally placed on the table floated into my sleeves as smoothly as silk, and were properly "disrespected".
Actually, bills are not popular in Jianye.
In other words, Qianzi was only known to the top small circle in the capital of Wu State.
Because Jianye does not have the ticket number of Xinghanhui.
Only those who can easily travel between Jiangling and Jianye will accept banknote 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 is one of the few people who can easily travel between Jianye and Jiangling. He doesn't even need to go there himself, someone will help him get it done.
Seeing Lu Yi put the note in his sleeve, Ma Di continued:
“Lü Zhongshu values this batch of woolen materials so much. Could it be that your country’s supplies are also in short supply?”
“Huh?” Lu Yi immediately looked at Ma Su warily.
Ma Su chuckled, his expression unchanged, and he even had the mood to take a sip of tea, and then said slowly:
"I have 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 has its own disadvantages, that is, it can easily lead to an increase in private prices.”
Speaking of this, Ma Su put down his tea cup, looked at Lu Yi, and showed a gentle smile:
“I have been in Wu for a long time. Since this year, the price of food has almost doubled, right?”
“Not to mention that the charcoal used for heating in Jianye City is always out of stock. People with no connections cannot 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 Su was naturally no stranger to the ways of managing the world and benefiting the people.
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 know the autumn by looking at a leaf.”
The rise in food prices can be found out just by asking around. 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?
“But this year is a bit special. After all, there is such a war, so food prices have risen so fast.”
Concerning 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.
Only heard him say:
"Lü Zhongshu states that the Han Dynasty and the State of Wu 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 northward."
"If we send out troops once, the price of food will rise sharply. After all, it's not a big deal! The school affairs office led by Lu Zhongshu is responsible for preparing money and food for Lord Wu. It's hard work to think about it."
Hearing this, Lu Yi couldn’t help but sigh:
"Who says it's not the case? Everyone in the country resents me and hates me, but they don't know that what I did was just to distract His Majesty."
Speaking of this, he looked at Ma Su thoughtfully and asked tentatively:
"Mr. I don't know. Two years ago, Feng Langjun, the leader of the Xinghan Association, promised the school affairs office that he was willing to transfer grain from Shu to Jingzhou."
“It’s just been so long, but the food delivered is only a drop in the bucket. Sir, I have a close relationship with the Xinghan Society. 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!"
"The consumption of both Han and Wu countries is probably very high. But now that the war is over, I think there will be enough food in Shu next year."
"Besides, Feng Junhou is away on war. It may be that he is too busy with military affairs, so he can't think of it at the moment. Don't worry, Lu Zhongshu. I will write a letter to help you ask."
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 Su waved his hand, and then lowered his voice, "But this matter of food will require some efforts from Lu Zhongshu."
“Oh, Mr. Ma, please speak.”
“Nowadays, there are many people who rely on Xinghanhui for food, so even if Xinghanhui wants to help, it still has to make some money for the people under it.”
Lu Yi looked at Ma Su with a troubled expression on his face:
“Mr. Ma, you might as well speak more clearly.”
“Lü Zhongshu, what I mean is that if the Xinghan Hui transports grain to Jingzhou, we have to let them transport some good things back to Jingzhou.”
“What good stuff? What can be found in Jingzhou?”
Ma Su chuckled, glanced at Lu Yi meaningfully, took another sip of tea, and then said slowly:
“Lü Zhongshu, a big 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 let them grow sugar cane, and the school government might be able to get some more brown sugar quota from it..."
Lu Yi’s eyes lit up.
Wow!
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Feng Junhou wants to use Jingzhou coarse sugar as a guarantee?
This is easy!
You didn’t tell me earlier!
(End of this chapter)