"If you have any questions, you can ask me."
Gu Jiu asked the maid Aqing to boil a pot of water and make tea again.
The tea leaves tumble and curl in the boiling water.
Gu Jiu pushed the teacup forward, placed it in front of Lord Li, and gestured with a smile for him to drink the tea.
Lord Li asked bluntly, "Why does Madam attach so much importance to the Northwest?"
Gu Jiu asked with a smile: "Why is your Excellency so concerned about the Northwest?"
"Liu Zhao wants me to go to the northwest, so naturally I have to care about it."
Gu Jiu said, "In my eyes, the Northwest is an untapped mine, hiding astonishing wealth. I am a businessman, and businessmen pursue profit. The Northwest has wealth, so naturally I must manage it well."
"Everyone says the Northwest is poor, so why does Madam Du say it's home to incredible wealth? Are people ignorant, or does Madam Du know something we don't? Or perhaps Madam Du has new business opportunities in the Northwest but won't reveal them?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "There are indeed business opportunities in the northwest, but these are all business secrets and must not be disclosed to anyone. Your Excellency, please forgive me for not being able to tell you the truth."
Lord Li choked.
He didn't expect that Gu Jiu would generously admit that there were business opportunities in the northwest, but refused to disclose more information on the pretext of business secrets.
He asked back, "Madam just said that you can ask me any questions. I asked, but Madam didn't answer my questions."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Your Excellency, if you have any questions, you can ask me. This will always count. However, whether to answer your questions is naturally up to me. Please forgive me."
Lord Li was furious.
Actually playing word games with him.
"Madam, you are not sincere enough."
Gu Jiu blew on the tea and took a sip. "Before asking others to show sincerity, shouldn't you also show some sincerity?"
Lord Li chuckled, "I can barely protect myself, like meat on a chopping board, at the mercy of others."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Your Excellency is too modest. In my opinion, you are a treasure of inestimable value. The key is to use it in the right place. The Northwest is vast and has great potential. Don't you want to achieve great things in your lifetime? Don't you want to leave your name in history?"
Xiliang and Beirong have been a constant source of trouble for the court since the founding of the dynasty. Internal strife within Beirong, resulting in decimated troops and generals, has prevented it from advancing south. Xiliang, on the other hand, relies on the deterrent power of the Northwestern Army and limited trade to maintain its status quo.
The border has remained static for over a decade. Everyone knows that every day that passes, peace is lost. War will soon break out. "With the court's current financial resources, Lord Li, please estimate how large a war it can sustain? If the war drags on for three to five years, what will become of the court?"
Lord Li said solemnly, "With the court's current financial resources, we can support about 100,000 troops to fight a one-year war. If the war continues beyond a year, the court will have to increase taxes and conscript even larger numbers of civilians for labor service."
If we win, we can take a breath and slowly recover. If we lose and are forced to prolong the war to three to five years, I can only say that the consequences are disastrous. We may linger on, or the world may change. Because whether it is fighting Beirong or Xiliang, it is a war that will destroy the country. Madam, you should know this.
Gu Jiu nodded. "The so-called national war is a test of national strength. Neither Beirong nor Xiliang is willing to fight a national war. However, survival is difficult, and if we don't fight, we will have nothing to eat."
From what I understand, when the Great Zhou Dynasty was struck by natural disasters a few years ago, Beirong was not spared. The drought turned much of the pastureland into sand, causing Beirong to suffer heavy losses.
The pro-war faction within the Northern Rong Army has already emerged and is preparing to make a move. Once the pro-war faction has resolved all internal conflicts, the Northern Rong Army will inevitably march south. I estimate this will happen within a year or two."
Lord Li frowned, "Where did you get this information, Madam? Our court has long severed ties with Beirong. There are only a few spies left in Beirong, and those who survived have gone into hiding. It's difficult to get any information from the Beirong court."
Gu Jiu said solemnly, "My information comes from the caravan. It's not what you think, my Lord. Because our dynasty has severed ties with Beirong, the Sihai Trading Company's caravans are unable to enter Beirong Royal City. However, the Xiliang caravans can come and go freely."
Lord Li was surprised. "Madam, have you planted spies in the Xiliang caravan?"
"No! This lady doesn't understand what a spy is or isn't. This lady adheres to the principle of making money together and has a pleasant cooperation with many Xiliang caravans."
Lord Li's beard twitched.
Why can Gu Jiu always talk nonsense seriously and wrap his words and deeds in a gorgeous coat?
Maybe it's an innate ability.
"Your Highness, do you know this news?"
"My Highness naturally knows."
"Why didn't the court receive any information? Madam, do you know the enormous risks of concealing such important intelligence?"
"Before Lord Li accuses me, could you please consider this for me first? In what position should I tell His Majesty that Beirong is plotting something? Do I want to live?"
Lord Li frowned, "For personal gain..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Gu Ji interrupted Master Li rudely, "Your Excellency, if you don't know the details, don't rush to blame me. Your Majesty will know about Beirong's situation sooner or later, just not now.
Furthermore, the Duke of Lu is already preparing for war. So even if Bei Rong suddenly marches south one day, our dynasty is not without the strength to fight. The horses at Qingping Horse Farm aren't raised in vain, and this horse farm under my name isn't just for show. Only with sufficient horses can we have sufficient cavalry.
However, training cavalry is not something that can be done overnight. We need time, we need someone capable to delay Bei Rong's southward advance, and we need more adequate preparations. We also need someone to keep an eye on the Northwest Army for the court, to give His Majesty peace of mind and to reassure the Marquis of Lu. This person must be you, my Lord!"
Lord Li's beard kept shaking.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m too excited or because my forehead is congested.
"Your Highness shouldn't be a lobbyist himself. He's not qualified to be one. Your Madam is a qualified lobbyist."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Does this mean that Your Excellency agrees to go to the northwest?"
Lord Li stroked his beard and said, "Give me three days. I need to think carefully."
"Is three days too fast? This lady is not in a hurry."
Gu Jiu looked at the other person with a smile.
Lord Li laughed heartily, "Madam really shouldn't have hidden in the backyard."
Gu Jiu smiled, "This lady has been busy recuperating for the past two years and has not been hiding in the backyard on purpose. My prince is not as bad as the adults say. If it weren't for his careful planning back then, Beirong wouldn't have been in internal strife. Beirong's southward march was delayed for ten years, all thanks to my prince.
The Jiangnan navy was also founded by my Highness. Last year's disaster relief efforts were also led by my Highness, who diligently raised food and fodder to help the court. Not to mention the myriad events that unfolded during your Majesty's ascension to the throne.
Although my prince is taciturn and his words are often harsh, his talent and ability cannot be denied. People often misunderstand those who are quiet, believing that those who are eloquent are more capable, which is a prejudice. But I believe that you can view my prince impartially and objectively.
Lord Li laughed heartily, "Madam has spared no effort in clearing the name of His Highness."
Gu Jiu shook his head slightly, "I just told the truth."
Lord Li said, "I don't deny that Liu Zhao is capable, and very capable. However, when it comes to controlling people's hearts, he is clearly far inferior to Madam. He is just one of those capable princes and grandsons of the emperor, but he is definitely not a world-shaking talent."
Gu Jiu laughed, "Being a prince doesn't require extraordinary talent. Being mediocre is even better. Because being mediocre can both reassure His Majesty and please the court officials."
Many court officials dislike my prince and are even wary of him, because he is too capable and beyond the control of the officials. A prince's overpowering abilities can sometimes be a curse, not a blessing.
After saying this, Gu Jiu looked at him with a half-smile, "My Lord, do you want the person sitting on the throne to be more capable, or more mediocre?"
Lord Li was speechless.
This question is difficult to answer.
The emperor needed in different periods is different.
Generally speaking, an emperor with greater ability is better than a mediocre one.
However, from the perspective of a minister, they naturally hope that the emperor is mediocre so that he can be fooled more easily.
Lord Li thought for a moment and asked, "Madam, do you think the Highness is a good man?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Of course he is good!"
"What's good about it?"
“You look good!”
Gu Jiu smiled playfully.
Lord Li was completely speechless and could not understand Gu Jiu's train of thought.
"Don't worry, sir. No one is perfect. If there really is such a person, you should be worried."
Lord Li suddenly said, "Warmongering!"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows.
Lord Li continued, "Your Highness loves war and bellicosity. I'm afraid his excessive military spending will not benefit the people."
Gu Jiu sneered, "A king who lost territory and paid compensation, who lost power and humiliated his country, is this really a blessing for the people? Your Excellency is looking at the issue too one-sidedly. War is not necessarily a losing business. In the past, wars cost a huge amount of money and food, and all the officials in the court opposed war because wars only benefited the military commanders, but not the people or the court. If going to war with Beirong could bring benefits to the court, how many people do you think would still oppose it?"
“Where does the benefit come from?”
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Land, population, cattle and sheep, livestock, indemnity and cession of territory, gold and silver treasures, aren't these benefits? It's a pity that the court lacks management talent. After receiving such benefits, they don't know how to manage them, how to turn land and population into a treasure trove. It's really disappointing.
It is precisely because these benefits cannot be realized in the long term that the court officials oppose the war. It is not because the people's livelihood is difficult that they oppose the war. In your decades of officialdom, how many people have you seen who are truly concerned about the suffering of the people? Have you seen enough people who oppose things just for the sake of opposing them?
Lord Li frowned, "Madam, do you have a way to monetize the land and population so that everyone from the court officials to the imperial court can benefit from it?"
"Of course! And I have been working towards this goal."
"Then I'll wait and see!"
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