Chapter 1106 Qin Bo arrives
Perhaps Guanzhong, or Chang'an, did have some kind of blessing effect on the Han Dynasty.
Every time the state of Wu sent envoys to Chang'an to look for Feng Junhou, they were always unable to see him immediately.
When Zhu Ju came over, he followed Feng Junhou and suffered from the cold wind for half a year.
Now Qin Bo from the School Affairs Office is here, and he heard from the people in Zhendong General Office that the prince has gone to inspect Bingzhou.
However, compared to Zhu Ju, Qin Bo seemed less impatient.
He learned that Feng Junhou was temporarily away from Chang'an, so he went to visit Zhu Ju again.
Zhu Ju couldn't help but frowned when he learned that the school affairs office sent people to Chang'an:
“I have nothing to do with the school affairs office, what is this person doing here?”
Although the school affairs administration has been much more low-key in the past two years.
However, due to the evil things he had done in the past few years and how many people he had offended, many people in the court were still gnashing their teeth at the school affairs office.
In Zhu Ju's view, if you can, try not to offend anyone who comes from the school affairs office.
“General, do you want a villain to go and reject him?”
The guard saw Zhu Ju's disgusted look and asked.
Zhu Ju hesitated for a while and then sighed:
“Forget it, the school office has won His Majesty’s favor, so it’s not appropriate to offend him, so let’s invite him in.”
)
After Qin Bo came in, his posture was relatively low, and he saluted Zhu Ju:
“The school official, Qin Bo, pays homage to the general.”
"Qin School affairs don't have to be like this." Zhu Ju endured the discomfort in his heart and said, "Please sit down."
“Thank you, general.”
“I wonder if Mr. Qin likes to drink soup or plain tea?”
The so-called soup tea is naturally the way of drinking in the past. The minced tea leaves are mixed with minced ginger, oil or even salt and boiled.
Cha tea is simply made by brewing prepared tea leaves into boiling water.
In the Han Dynasty, although tea was gradually becoming popular, those who could afford tea were basically families with some spare money.
The increase in grain production has further promoted the development of domestic pigs. Eating meat is no longer a privilege for wealthy families.
It has become a daily routine for rural landowners and wealthy people to eat meat.
Therefore, people drink soup, tea, and clear tea.
As for the two countries Wu and Wei, although they also drank tea, most of them were people who had caravans with the Han Dynasty.
The rest is basically soup and tea.
Qin Bo came from the school affairs office, so he naturally knew the difference between clear tea and soup tea.
But I saw him reply:
"General Zhu, don't bother me. I can just drink tea."
When the servants came up with tea, Qin Bo picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea. He looked around again and then said:
“Although the general’s courtyard is not very big, it is also unique. The tea in particular has a sweet taste and is really rare. It seems that the general’s life in Chang’an is really good.”
Zhu Ju looked at this man as if there was something in his words, frowned and said:
“Qin is too worried about school affairs. I don’t know anything about tea. This tea was just given to me by Feng Junhou. I am more accustomed to drinking tea in soup.”
“It’s spring now, and war horses need to be re-fitted, so it’s not suitable for riding. The ice and snow outside have melted and the ground is muddy. So these days, I’ve been sorting out my thoughts on riding and fighting, and haven’t gone out.”
"I don't understand military formations. I can't understand what the general told me."
Qin Bo waved his hand, pretending not to care:
“Actually, I came to Chang’an this time because His Majesty had some doubts about the armored cavalry, so he specially sent me here to bring a message to the general.”
Hearing that it was His Majesty's intention, Zhu Ju quickly stood up and said, "I wonder what your Majesty's will is?"
“General Zhu, please sit down, please sit down.” Qin Bo quickly stood up and said, “It doesn’t have to be like this. If you do this, it’s hard for me to ask questions while I’m standing, right?”
“Yes, yes.” Zhu Ju finally became polite and said to Qin Bo, “Please sit down, too, as a school official.”
After the two sat down again, Qin Bo continued to speak:
"Your Majesty is very happy to learn that General Zhu has begun to learn the art of cavalry warfare from the Han army. In my opinion, when General Zhu returns from his studies, it is useless to think that the Wei thieves are capable of cavalry."
Zhu Ju said modestly:
"The Qin school has received a commendation. But in my opinion, the Han's cavalry is indeed superior, and it is even better than the fine cavalry of the Wei thieves."
Thinking of the Han cavalry he had seen these days, Zhu Ju couldn't help but feel a little excited:
“If Wu can build a cavalry army after the Han Dynasty, not only can it defeat the fine cavalry of the Wei thieves, but at least it will not fall behind.”
Hearing what Zhu Ju said, Qin Bo's face also lit up with joy, and he continued to say:
“That’s good, that’s good.”
After praising him, Qin Bo asked:
“It’s just what General Zhu said, imitating the Han Dynasty to build a cavalry army. What kind of imitation is it? But buying all the horses, weapons and armor from the Han Dynasty?”
Zhu Ju did not doubt that he was there, nodded and said:
"It's best this way. Not to mention horses, there is probably no other place to buy them except from Han."
“Let’s talk about weapons and armor. According to my observations these days, the weapons and armor used by Han cavalry are extremely sophisticated.”
"Even if it is a long one, the saber used is actually a hundred-refined saber. When an ordinary long sword hits it, it will be cut off in just a few strokes. It is really sharp."
Hearing what Zhu Ju said, Qin Bo frowned slightly, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, but his face showed just the right amount of surprise:
“How is it possible that a mere quzhang can use a hundred-refined sword to slay a horse? This, this, is impossible!”
Zhu Ju nodded and smiled bitterly:
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard for me to believe it.”
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "No wonder the Han State has won many battles over the years. In terms of weapons alone, it has defeated the Wei State!"
Why can one Han in the Pre-Han Dynasty serve as the Five Hus?
A large part of the reason is that the weapons and strong bows and crossbows used by the soldiers of the former Han Dynasty were more numerous than those of the Hu people.
Coupled with the strong national power, the barbarians were once again overwhelmed.
That's why we can kill all directions.
I have not been to the Han Dynasty before, and I only know that it was used in the Han army, which is almost the same as that of Wu Dynasty.
Unexpectedly, I saw the weapons in the Han army with my own eyes, and then I realized that compared to the weapons used by the Han army, compared with those of Wu and Wei, they were vaguely similar to the advantages that the Han Dynasty had over the Hu people.
Zhu Ji, who felt this, felt extremely uneasy.
Seeing Zhu Ju's appearance, Qin Bo couldn't help but asked curiously:
“I wonder how it compares to the swords your Majesty forged in Wuchang?”
Zhu Ju shook his head and sighed: "Although I don't want to admit it, the fact is that even the swords used by ordinary soldiers in the Han army are comparable to the swords made by Your Majesty in Wuchang."
Qin Bo was stunned.
Your Majesty once had people mine copper and iron from Wuchang Mountain and cast thousands of swords and knives, each three feet and nine inches long.
These swords are much stronger than ordinary swords.
Your Majesty even took some of these swords and exchanged them with Han for a lot of wool.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Ju actually said that the swords of ordinary soldiers of the Han army could be compared with those swords.
How does this sound unreliable?
If it were a weapon used by ordinary soldiers of the Han army, it would be so powerful.
Then how could your Majesty exchange wool for it?
Not to mention that the commander of the Han army can use hundreds of swords to refine his sword.
Are you really telling me that I don’t know anything about the military?
If nothing else, a hundred-refined sword can be regarded as a precious sword in the eyes of the world.
In Dawu, it is worth tens of thousands of dollars—five baht, not a lot of money.
Not to mention Qu Chang, even ordinary generals cannot afford it.
Zhu Zifan was born in the Zhu family of Wu. He always despised money and spent money lavishly.
I heard before that he often received rewards from His Majesty, and his salary was generous, but it was often not enough.
I think of how your Majesty is often worried about the lack of treasury, and how the school affairs office has gone to great lengths to replenish the treasury for Your Majesty's sake.
How can people like Zhu Zifan be called suffering among the people!
Qin Bo snorted coldly in his heart, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. In line with Zhu Ju's words, he nodded repeatedly:
“So that’s the case, no wonder, no wonder the Han army can defeat the Wei thieves repeatedly.”
After finishing speaking, he sighed again:
"Your Majesty sent me here this time precisely because he saw what General Zhu said in his letter that this armored cavalry cost too much, so he had doubts."
“When I heard General Zhu say this, it turned out that there was indeed a reason.”
Unexpectedly, Zhu Ju couldn't help but feel a little anxious when he heard Qin Bo say this:
“Your Majesty, do you think the armored cavalry costs too much?”
How could Qin Bo leak the truth at this time? But Qin Bo smiled and said:
"This is a military matter, how do I know? Your Majesty asked me to come over, but he didn't ask me to discuss this with General Zhu."
Your Majesty asked me to discuss it with Feng Junhou, not with you.
Besides, what if I talk to you too much and ruin the affairs of the school affairs office?
Seeing Qin Bo's scornful attitude, Zhu Ju became even more anxious:
“The armored cavalry is the most important weapon of the country. With only three thousand Han people, they can defeat a hundred thousand Wei thieves, which shows how strong their combat power is.”
“I, the great Wu, learned from the Han State and have not fought in actual combat. It is best to follow the requirements of the Han State. Otherwise, if there are any mistakes, I will regret it.”
Hearing this, Qin Bo just said haha:
“General Zhu, I have said before, how do I know what is going on in the army? If General Zhu has any questions, he can send a letter to Your Majesty. What’s the use of telling me this?”
Zhu Ju asked again and again, but Qin Bo just didn't say anything.
The two of them didn't agree on anything, so Qin Bo stood up and left.
After Qin Bo left, Zhu Ju thought carefully about what Qin Bo had just said, and felt more and more that His Majesty seemed to have other ideas about the armored cavalry.
He walked back and forth in the courtyard for a while, muttering to himself:
“No, Your Majesty sent me to Han Dynasty just to learn the Han Dynasty’s cavalry tactics, and the armored cavalry is the top priority.”
"Your Majesty is far away in the Wu region and does not know the key points here. I must explain this important military matter to your Majesty in detail."
Having made up his mind, he immediately wrote another letter, emphasizing the superiority of the Han army's weapons and armor, and suggesting that Sun Quan's first batch of armored cavalry should be formed entirely according to Han standards.
But he didn't know that Qin Bo said he didn't understand military matters and revealed Sun Quan's intention intentionally or unintentionally. He was just testing Zhu Ju's opinion.
After he found out Zhu Ju's true meaning in the name of Sun Quan, he already had a plan in his heart, so he began to wait for Feng Junhou's return with peace of mind.
The date Feng Junhou returned to Chang'an was later than expected.
Even so, he still didn’t have time to go to Jiuyuan, so he turned back directly from Yanmen.
When he learned that Wu State had sent an envoy Qin Bo, Feng Junhou was a little confused:
"The emperor has not moved the capital. Shouldn't the envoy sent by Wu State go to Hanzhong? Why are they always going to Chang'an?"
Secretary Zhang Da, who stayed in Chang'an for Feng Junhou, took out a lot of documents and placed them in front of Feng Junhou.
These are the government affairs that he handled when he left Chang'an. They are sent here now for him to browse so that he can know what happened.
There is a secretarial corps for government affairs and a staff corps for military affairs.
Unless there is a particularly serious incident, these two departments are sufficient to handle most matters.
Seeing the large pile of documents in front of him, Feng Junhou felt a little impatient:
“I’ll see you later, just tell me what major events are happening during this time?”
As he spoke, he pushed away the paperwork in front of him, "I just came back, I'm half exhausted, and I'm not in the mood to read this."
Secretary Zhang advised:
"I know you are tired, so I specially picked these out for you to take a look at. Otherwise, when the emperor comes and asks about Guanzhong, you won't know anything. Are you okay with that?"
Feng Junhou yawned, "What are you embarrassed about? Xiao Gui and Cao Sui, as long as the people are not disturbed and the place is stable, it is a good thing."
“Besides, Bingji is worried about the cows panting and does not ask about the dead people in Hengdao. It is because everyone has their own affairs. I have set up a secretariat for this purpose.”
"If the emperor asks about the affairs in Guanzhong in the future, you can answer it. If he asks about the military affairs in Guanzhong, Sanniang can answer it. As for me, I can make plans for Guandong and Hebei for your majesty."
“It’s full of nonsense!” Zhang Xiaosi complained when he heard Feng Junhou’s words, but his face was full of joy. He even helped Feng Junhou put away the documents.
He sat down next to Feng Junhou, put his hands on Feng Junhou's shoulders, and said softly: "You can just talk about these nonsense in the house, but don't spread it outside, otherwise people will laugh."
Feng Junhou closed his eyes, enjoying Zhang Xiaosi’s kneading, and said in a long voice:
"What are you afraid of? If they have the ability, they can persuade the queen not to get involved in court affairs?"
"Chi", his tone full of disdain, "In all the workshops around the world, how many women are there?"
“Why didn’t they say these things when they were taking raw materials to make money?”
It is a consensus among the Han people that when a woman works to support her family, her wages may not be worse than those of a man.
The so-called economy determines the superstructure, which started from workshops, and more and more women participated in economic activities.
Coupled with the centuries-old rules of the Han Dynasty, who dares to say that we should imitate the Wei State and prevent women from the harem from participating in politics?
Afraid of being spit on by the queen.
When the Wei thieves attacked Hanzhong and I accompanied the emperor to Hanzhong to encourage the soldiers, why didn't you ask me to go back to Jincheng to hide?
Besides, what is the population of Han Dynasty now?
This weaving thing is women’s specialty.
Let women come out to work, and half the labor force will be added.
In these days, men have to be used as animals and women as men.
What can Feng Junhou do?
“Let’s talk about what Wu Guo sent envoys over again.”
“What can we do? Isn’t it about the armored cavalry?”
Feng Junhou opened his eyes and said curiously:
"I have nothing to hide about the cavalry. I have taught everything that needs to be taught, and Wu Guo is still not satisfied?"
When Zhang Xiaosi heard this, he couldn't help laughing:
“I think that this time when the Wu envoy came, he hoped that Alang would hide something from Zhu Zifan.”
Feng Junhou sat upright and asked, "What's going on?"
“This time when the Wu envoy came, he didn’t seem to have much trouble with Zhu Zifan?”
Zhang Xiaosi stopped kneading and thought for a moment:
"When he first came here, he paid a visit to the government once. He only said that his name was Qin Bo. He had some matters related to the armored cavalry and wanted to discuss things with Alang."
"As for how he wanted to talk about it, he didn't go into details, and I didn't ask in detail. After all, you still have to decide on this kind of thing."
Feng Junhou nodded:
"Qin Bo is from the School Affairs Office of the State of Wu. The School Affairs Office is in the State of Wu and does not have a good reputation. It is normal for Zhu Zifan not to deal with him."
However, he was a little confused about another thing: "It's just that Zhu Ju is in charge of this matter of the armored cavalry? Why did he also have a hand in it?"
Zhang Xiaosi chuckled: "That's why I said, I can't say, but the Qin school official hopes that Alang will hide something about the armored cavalry from Zhu Zifan!"
Feng Junhou looked at the little fox who had stolen a hen, and felt that she seemed to know something, or that she seemed to have guessed something.
(End of this chapter)