Chapter 1107 Deal with the Devil
Seeing the child's mother look like a little fox, Feng Junhou became more and more sure that she must know something.
So Feng Junhou urged with slight dissatisfaction:
“Hey! It’s just you and me here, and you still want to betray me? Come on, tell me, what does Qin Bo want to do?”
Zhang Xiaosi rolled his eyes at him:
"Didn't I tell you? When he first came to Chang'an, he just came to deliver a greeting card and didn't go into details at all. How do I know what he wants to do?"
Feng Junhou nodded her forehead:
"He didn't say it, so you can guess what he wants to do. Say it quickly and don't be shy."
After these years of training, even if Secretary Zhang cannot compare with the Queen, he is probably not too far behind.
It’s not like Feng Junhou has never met Qin Bo before. He knows that this person is smart, but in terms of vision and structure, he is not at the same level as Zhang Xiaosi.
To put it bluntly, it is impossible for any scholar with some ambition to stoop to join the school affairs office and become a school official.
After all, if you enter the school affairs office, you are destined to stand on the opposite side of the Wu Kingdom's court and opposition, be hated by all the officials in the court, bear infamy, and be spurned by others.
Without the participation of scholars, it is almost impossible for the school officials of the school office to have any long-term vision.
The most important thing is that the school affairs office is a sharp knife in Sun Quan's hand, and Sun Quan cannot allow it to have its own ideas.
If a knife has a mind of its own, can it still be called a knife?
What should I do if one day I turn around and behead my master?
“The initiative regarding the armored cavalry is in our hands. Both Qin Bo and Zhu Ju have requests from us.”
Feng Junhou looked at Zhang Xiaosi and continued:
“Qin Bo came to Chang’an. It’s okay if he didn’t make any moves. If he made any moves, it would never be able to escape your eyes.”
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaosi smiled proudly:
“It’s Alang who knows me in the end.”
Seeing her leaning softly into someone's arms, he said:
“Qin Bo did what Alang expected. Over the past few days, he has been trying to find out about the affairs of the Han army, such as the price of weapons.”
Feng Junhou frowned: "Ask about the price of military weapons? How do you find out?"
The cost of weapons and armor in the army is a secret.
Not to mention outsiders, even military generals, unless they are qualified to contact that level, they are still blind.
“At any rate, he is also an envoy sent by the State of Wu, and he is also related to Wu Guojian’s cavalry army. It is normal to inquire about matters related to the cavalry army.”
If it were anyone else, asking about this kind of thing would definitely have bad intentions.
But this time it was a cooperation between the militaries of Han and Wu. Qin Bo, as the envoy of Wu, was specially sent by Sun Quan to discuss the matter of the armored cavalry. He must have the right to know relevant matters.
Zhang Xiaosi explained: "In the name of thanking the cavalry for teaching me, I invited some generals in the army to a banquet. I wanted to know the money and food consumed by the cavalry in daily life."
“Oh?” Feng Junhou nodded, indicating that he understood.
As long as the true cost is not leaked, everything is fine.
In terms of setting up cavalry, Feng Junhou always paid according to the normal market price.
It is impossible to think of him offering a low price to Sun Quan for the sake of the alliance between Han and Wu.
But to say that the quotation was deliberately raised, that is not possible—Feng Junhou’s idea was not a one-time transaction.
His intention is to maintain it later.
The armored cavalry not only has extremely high requirements for war horses, but the losses of war horses are also very high.
More importantly, he now wants to get Wu's shipbuilding technology.
After all, as long as he mastered the shipbuilding technology, the Han Dynasty would be able to build warships by himself even without the help of Wu.
But if the Wu Kingdom loses its big men, it will also have no war horses.
Even if Sun Quan wanted to back Han and join Wei again, where would he buy horses?
The Wei State could barely maintain its own cavalry by relying solely on Youzhou.
Not to mention that King Feng Gui is now preparing to use the source of Youzhou’s war horses.
“Could it be that Sun Quan felt that the cost of the cavalry was too high and thought we had deceived Zhu Ju?”
"not sure."
Zhang Xiaosi leaned into Feng Junhou's arms and sighed comfortably.
The last few days of spring are cool and pleasant. It is not as cold as two months ago, nor as hot as summer.
The two of them cuddled together, feeling very comfortable.
"But according to my opinion, the money and food consumed by the armored cavalry army is most likely beyond the Wu people's expectations. The current treasury of Wu State may not be able to provide so much supplies."
Speaking of this, she seemed to think of something and couldn't help laughing:
“A few days ago, Ma Youchang (aka Ma Su) sent a message from the State of Wu, saying that Sun Quan planned to mint a large amount of money.”
"I estimate that this amount of money is most likely prepared for the purpose of building a cavalry army."
Feng Junhou’s right hand involuntarily reached into Zhang Xiaosi’s clothes from the seam of his clothes, and at the same time he nodded in agreement:
“So, he minted a lot of money, but found that it was still not enough, so he sent Qin Bo over to take a look?”
Speaking of this, Feng Junhou also laughed.
The large amount of money in Wu State has already been upgraded from "Daquan five hundred" to "Daquan equivalent to a thousand".
If it were to be recast, it would change from "a large spring equals a thousand" to "a large spring equates to two thousand".
It’s great to make big money!
The more Sun Shiwan casts, the easier it will be for the Dahan Reserve Bureau's banknote business to be spread in Wu.
It will be fun to wait for the day when the currency crosses Wuchang and really penetrates into Jiangdong.
Thinking of this, Feng Junhou couldn't help but become a little excited, and subconsciously used some strength on his hands.
Zhang Xiaosi groaned softly and twisted his body to make it easier for Feng Junhou to move his hands. At the same time, his breathing became slightly faster:
"Yes or no, after meeting Qin Bo, Alang will be able to know after a little testing."
"That's fine. But before I see him, let me climb the mountain first..."
“嘤咛!”
Who would have expected that Feng Junhou still overestimated himself. After climbing the mountain, he said he wanted to take a rest, but he overslept, and finally saw Qin Bo only the next day.
This is nothing at all. After all, Feng Junhou has just returned to Chang'an. He is tired from traveling and riding, and needs to rest for a day or two before seeing guests. This is human nature.
For a minister like Qin Bo who is lucky enough to advance, all the above shall prevail.
He came here to ask for something, so Feng Junhou naturally accepted him.
He will definitely not come to the door rashly like Zhu Ju did.
Even after meeting Feng Junhou, he gave a quick salute: "Greetings, Junhou!"
“Why is the Qin school official so generous?”
Although in the eyes of Wu people, the school officials in the school affairs office are all masters who do not engage in human affairs.
But in Feng Junhou’s eyes, the school affairs office was a cooperative partner.
After Qin Bo stood up, he looked at Feng Junhou and said respectfully:
“I haven’t seen you for a long time, and when I see you again suddenly, I am struck by the majesty of your king.”
Although you know that the other person is complimenting you, who doesn’t like to hear flattery?
Feng Junhou felt comfortable all over and laughed:
"Thank you for the award. Thank you for the school affairs of Qin. Please sit down. Please sit down."
After the host and guest sat down respectively, Feng Junhou asked:
"When Guanzhong was first established, I was entrusted with important tasks by the emperor, and I didn't dare to take it lightly. Therefore, I was a little busy in the past few days and didn't have time to see the Qin school."
"I'm sorry to hear that the Qin school affairs have been waiting for a long time. I hope that the Qin school affairs will not be strange. I just hope that I won't miss the Lord Wu's affairs."
Qin Bo quickly replied:
“The monarch guards Guanzhong, is concerned about the safety of his family and country, and is deeply trusted by the emperor. This is a good thing that no one else can ask for.”
"Such a good thing, Bo just wants more and more kings and princes. How can he blame it? After all, when kings and princes are promoted, villains and others can also enjoy the blessings of kings and princes."
These words are not polite words at all.
Hearing Qin Bo’s words, Feng Junhou laughed again and was extremely happy:
"I can't say I'm lucky. Between me and the school officials, we just help each other and benefit each other. It's a win-win, a win-win!"
Qin Bo also laughed along:
“If the king says it’s a win-win situation, then it must be a win-win situation.”
Feng Junhou looked at the other party and felt extremely happy: You know nothing about win-win, I mean I want to win twice!
After being polite, Feng Junhou officially turned to the topic:
“I don’t know if Lord Wu has sent the Qin school official here this time, but what’s the important matter?”
When talking about business, Qin Bo also quickly calmed down:
“Return to the throne, that’s right.”
“I don’t know what’s going on?”
“Cavalry in armor.”
When Feng Junhou heard this, he said curiously:
“I have never heard General Zhu have any objections regarding the armored cavalry. Could it be that Lord Wu has changed his mind again?”
Qin Bo smiled bitterly and said:
"General Zhu is the one who leads the army. He only leads the army. He is a majestic king. But if you ask any questions, he will give them all. How can he have any objections?"
“It’s just that General Zhu sent someone to send back the news about the money and food consumed by the armored cavalry. It was too shocking, so this time, Your Majesty sent a villain to check on the situation.”
Feng Junhou looked as expected:
“Master Wu, do you think that the armored cavalry consumes too much money and food?”
“Exactly.” Seeing Feng Junhou’s appearance, Qin Bo couldn’t help but asked curiously, “Could it be that Junhou had expected this?”
Hearing this, Feng Junhou smiled and said unhurriedly:
“Back then, the Wei thieves rode tiger and leopard cavalry, and they were able to conquer the world without ever being defeated. With such elite soldiers, Qin School Affairs might as well guess why the Wei thieves didn’t retain them, but disbanded them instead.”
Qin Bo was startled.
He looked up at Feng Junhou, subconsciously lowered his tone, and asked hesitantly:
"What the prince meant...is that the tiger and leopard cavalry of the Wei thieves also consumed a lot of money and food, so in the end the Wei thieves had to disband?"
Feng Junhou did not answer immediately, but his eyes swept across Qin Bo's face, and his expression gradually became a little solemn:
“Although I haven’t met much with Qin’s school officials, the Xinghan Association and the school affairs office have cooperated very happily. Therefore, there are some things that cannot be said in front of outsiders, but I am willing to say them in front of Qin’s school officials.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Bo quickly sat upright:
“Your Majesty, please speak, I am all ears.”
Feng Junhou sighed:
“Everyone knows that starting a business is not easy, but how can it be easy to maintain it? Since the empire was divided into three parts, the late emperor once cast a hundred coins, and Lord Wu also cast large coins many times.”
When he said this, he looked at Qin Bo again.
Qin Bo's face was slightly different. He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end he held it back.
Feng Junhou then continued:
“As for Wei, even coins have been abolished. They would rather increase the inconvenience for the people and trade in kind such as silk grain.”
"Why is this so? Isn't it just because the war has been going on for a long time, the world is exhausted, the people are in poverty, and the imperial treasury has no money and food, so it is a last resort?"
In human terms, the three kingdoms of Han, Wei, and Wu adopted different methods in balancing taxation and restoring the economy.
At the beginning, Ji Han and Wu State used the same method to survive the most difficult period by plundering private wealth.
The difference is that Ji Han had a domestic monster named Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. After taking over Ji Han's mess, he pulled Ji Han out of the desperate situation of internal and external difficulties.
Not only has the economy been restored and people's livelihood improved, but in the end, there is still enough energy left to send troops abroad.
Wu State is different.
I don’t know if Sun Dadi tasted the sweetness, couldn’t control himself, and finally couldn’t quit.
Or, there is no one like the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty in the country, and no one can help him restore people's livelihood and economy. At the same time, in order to maintain the huge expenditure, he has to make more and more money.
To put it simply, there is no going back!
As for Wei State, it was more like shock therapy in later generations.
After relying on the strongest foundation to survive the shock period, the economy can be restored as quickly as possible.
So, Cao Cao left too strong a foundation for Cao Pi and Cao Rui.
Even so, the Wei State can't bear the cost of military units like the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, which consume a lot of money and food.
From the perspective of the time, Ji Han and Wu, who had no or very few cavalry, had no ability to compete with Wei in this regard.
In order to reduce the burden and adapt to the current situation, Wei State not only failed to further develop the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, but instead dispersed the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and incorporated them into other battalions.
If it weren't for a certain country turtle who crossed illegally, Wei's approach would not be wrong.
As long as the three fulcrums of Qishan, Xiangyang and Hefei are maintained, Ji Han and Wu can be suppressed to the south.
At that time, Wei will definitely be the first to restore its national strength.
The longer the time passes, the further the distance between Wei's national power and that of Han and Wu will be.
This is called the great trend.
It’s a pity that there are people cheating on this plane.
In Feng Junhou’s mind, he had long concluded:
Even the Wei State cannot afford to raise tiger and leopard cavalry, and it is still unable to restore people's livelihood. Wu State, which has been minting huge amounts of money, is even less able to raise gold-eating monsters like the armored cavalry.
Of course, he would never say this in front of Qin Bo.
However, after hearing the true cost of the armored cavalry, Qin Bo's face became a little ugly, and he directly said what Feng Junhou was thinking:
“Then according to what the Lord said, wouldn’t it be difficult for me, Da Wu, to support an armored cavalry army?”
Feng Junhou didn't care about Qin Bo's face, and even smiled indifferently:
"How can I answer the question about Qin's school affairs? What I said is just a guess."
“Whether the state of Wu can form a real armored cavalry army will require a large amount of money and food in addition to the lives of its soldiers.”
“I don’t care about Wu Guo’s treasury, whether this matter can be accomplished in the end..."
He looked at Qin Bo meaningfully and said, "Even if Qin wants to ask my opinion, he must first tell me what the state of Wu's treasury is like, right?"
“I was the one who created the armored cavalry. There is no one in the world who knows better than me how to build a armored cavalry army from scratch.”
At this point, he stopped and emphasized his tone:
“The premise is that you have to let me know how much money your Lord Wu plans to have to form an armored cavalry army?”
Qin Bo licked his lips, swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, and then said hesitantly:
“Junhou, for the past two years, Xinghanhui has been saying that it wants Jingzhou to grow more sugarcane...”
Feng Junhou heard the piano and knew its elegant meaning, and smiled faintly.
It seems that we are really out of money!
“Chief Qin, it will take a year to harvest the sugar cane. Besides, there is no preparation in Jingzhou this year, right? It will definitely be too late to plant it this year.”
“If you plant next year, you won’t be able to harvest until the end of next year. You won’t be able to get the money until at least the year after next. Can Master Wu wait?”
Qin Bo was stunned again.
"In this case, I have a plan to help Lord Wu," Feng Junhou leaned slightly towards Qin Bo, as if he was bewitched by a devil, "Xinghanhui may be able to borrow some money from the school affairs office."
Qin Bo couldn’t believe his ears: “Borrow?”
Feng Junhou nodded affirmatively: "Yes, borrow, you can even advance part of the food in advance, but..."
He sat up straight again, picked up the cup, took a sip of tea, then spit out a tea stem, and then said the following words:
“Of course, this is conditional and requires a small mortgage.”
“Compared to the fact that the school affairs office helped Lord Wu accomplish this big thing, a few conditions and mortgages are insignificant. Does Qin school affairs office think that?”
Not to mention anything else, the last sentence alone directly hit the foundation of the school office: the trust of the emperor.
Feng Langjun activates special skills: clever words and seduction!
Qin Bo's defense is zero and he takes full damage immediately.
The specific manifestation is that the heart begins to beat violently and uncontrollably, and then hot blood rushes to the forehead.
(End of this chapter)