Gu Jiu put down his teacup and looked at Prince Consort Huang. "Shaofu and the Ministry of Revenue, how many civilians do you need to recruit and how many carriages do you need to prepare to transport supplies to the northwest front?"
"This..." Prince Consort Huang hesitated.
Gu Jiu didn't need Prince Huang's answer.
She continued, "I did some calculations for the Ministry of Revenue. Before the establishment of Sanhe Express, organizing a war with 50,000 troops would require at least 200,000 laborers and 100,000 chariots. Even with so many laborers and chariots, the army still couldn't get timely supplies.
Were the laborers slacking off and refusing to work? Were the corrupt officials in the Ministry of Revenue in power unwilling to deliver food and supplies on time? Was it the weather? In my opinion, these are all factors that affect the supply of supplies, but they are not the primary factors. Even if the laborers work hard, the officials in the Ministry of Revenue do their jobs diligently, and the weather is good, supplies still cannot be delivered to the front line in time.
After saying that, Gu Jiu took a thick stack of information from Xu Yousi.
She said to Prince Consort Huang, "I've compiled a new statistical analysis of the data related to the allocation of supplies for wars of all sizes over the past hundred years. Thirty percent of the reasons for the delay in the timely delivery of supplies to the frontiers and the army's lack of timely resupply are due to official negligence and weather conditions. Seventy percent is due to transportation speed."
After saying that, Gu Jiu placed the information on the table and motioned Huang Qubing, the Prince Consort, to look through it.
She said to the father and son, "You may give this information to His Majesty for review. The data is clear and concise, and can be understood at a glance. Transporting supplies from the capital to the northwest would require 200,000 laborers and 100,000 carriages. In the past, it would have taken at least a month and a half."
The longest journey took nearly three months due to continuous torrential rains. The army suffered heavy casualties and had to kill horses to save its own lives.
The worst incident, however, occurred thirty years ago, when the army advanced deep into the grasslands and ran out of supplies, resulting in the loss of 20,000 soldiers and horses. Their bodies have yet to be recovered. This year, the situation has improved somewhat, with the establishment of Sanhe Express and the construction of a cement road, which has shortened the delivery of food and supplies by ten days.
"But don't be too happy, you two. According to our initial budget, we could shave at least half a month off the time it takes to deliver supplies. But why, no matter how hard we try, can we only shave ten days off the time? Are the soldiers lazy? I don't think so. The fundamental reason is that our transportation methods are too traditional and outdated. War is all about supplies, money, and time. How can we beat Beirong in terms of time? Have you two considered this?"
Prince Consort Huang was covered in cold sweat.
Huang Qubing seemed to be thinking about something.
Prince Consort Huang flipped through the information and was secretly shocked.
The information and data provided by Gu Jiu were so detailed that it seemed impossible to find any reason to refute them.
Gu Jiu tapped the table lightly to attract their attention.
She continued, "A traditional two-wheeled carriage cannot carry more than 300 kilograms. If the load is too heavy, more horses will be needed to pull the carriage, and the horses will need to be fed with soybeans and tender grass. This greatly increases the cost of feeding them.
However, the biggest drawback of a two-wheeled carriage is its water resistance, making it impossible to travel properly in rainy weather. Traditional carriages, with wooden wheels, no matter how fine the wood, become heavy and unwieldy when washed away by rain. I've calculated that transporting food and fodder in rainy weather can only cover a maximum of ten miles per day.
You heard me right, it's only ten miles. I've compiled statistics on this data. Rainy days make the roads muddy, and wheels become heavy and heavy from dampness, making it easy for them to get stuck. Plus, it's impossible to light a fire in the rain, so the laborers can only eat dry rations. Cold and hungry, they have to hurry, so even ten miles takes all their strength."
“Northwest drought!”
Prince Huang blurted out these words, but suddenly stopped talking to avoid appearing too stupid.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Master Jialing is right. The northwest is dry. But don't forget, it snows in the northwest in winter. When the snow melts, the ground becomes muddy and wet. It's a real pain to run wooden wheels in this weather. It's common for wheels to get stuck in the swamp and mud.
Have you ever considered how many wars this dynasty has waged in winter over the past century? I tell you, 70% of them were fought in winter. Perhaps this winter, war will begin again. When the cavalry penetrates the steppes, relying on wooden two-wheeled carts to transport supplies, can we be sure we can resupply the cavalry with food, fodder, weapons, and medicine in time?
Prince Consort Huang was overwhelmed.
Gu Jiu smiled faintly, "Master Housekeeper, don't worry. A four-wheeled carriage can solve all problems. As Young Master Qubing just said, a four-wheeled carriage has twice the space of a two-wheeled carriage. The same number of horses can carry twice as much supplies. It's also not affected by rainy weather, so there's no need to worry about the wheels getting wet and unable to run. Even if the carriage reaches the prairie, it will still be able to run."
Prince Huang was dizzy and almost lost his way because of Gu Jiu's tricks.
"A four-wheeled carriage can really solve all problems?"
Gu Jiu pushed the document forward and said, "Master Housekeeper, please take this document and the four-wheeled carriage parked in the backyard to the palace to see His Majesty. If His Majesty asks you any questions, please let Master Qubing answer them on your behalf. Master Housekeeper, do not worry about His Majesty's blame. If His Majesty wants to punish you, it will be Master Qubing and this lady."
Prince Consort Huang rubbed his eyebrows, his head still feeling dizzy.
"Madam, please continue chatting with my son. I will go to the next room to have some tea."
"Master, please go ahead."
Prince Consort Huang stood up and left the signing room.
Huang Qubing asked excitedly, "How do we do this? Madam, please tell me clearly."
Gu Jiu said softly, "If you want to convince Your Majesty to mass-produce four-wheeled carriages, the benefits I just mentioned are far from enough. After all, the court doesn't fight wars every day, nor does it need to transport food and supplies every day.
I plan to establish a transport company, with the Shaofu holding a 30% stake. The cost of a four-wheeled carriage, if mass-produced, could be reduced to twelve taels. With improved technology, costs could be further reduced.
The carriages are available in four grades: the standard version is priced at 30 taels per carriage, the comfortable version at 40 taels per carriage, the deluxe version at 60 taels per carriage, and the supreme luxury version at 120 taels per carriage. This price only includes the carriage itself; the horses are charged separately.
My madam's horse farm in the northwest will provide a complete range of horses, from ten-liang steeds to thousand-mile steeds. However, the horses do not belong to the transportation company; their relationship is that of a strategic partner. Furthermore, we can collaborate with the Horse Administration on horse sales, providing income for both the Administration and the court. Preliminary estimates suggest that the sale of four-wheeled carriages and horses will generate over a million taels of revenue annually for the Ministry of Rites and the Horse Administration.
"Is the annual income really over one million taels?" Huang Qubing was surprised.
If there really is such a profit, convincing Emperor Wende would be a very simple matter.
Gu Jiu nodded heavily.
She waved to Huang Qubing.
Huang Qubing moved closer.
Gu Jiu whispered to him, "Actually, the cost of a four-wheeled carriage is less than twelve taels of silver. Just know this. If I establish a transportation company, I will hold a public offering and strive to attract all civil and military officials, wealthy nobles, and so on. With such huge benefits before us, I don't believe that anyone in the court would dare to oppose the promotion of four-wheeled carriages."
Huang Qubing was secretly shocked.
Gu Jiu added, "This time, we will take care of both the north and the south in this share offering. In addition to the transport company, the iron smelting workshop will also be conducting a share offering at the same time. When the time is right, the iron smelting workshop will be split up and the shares will be increased again. All the iron mines in the world, including those under the name of the Shaofu, can be purchased by the iron smelting workshop. Procurement of iron ore will bring a considerable income to the Shaofu."
Huang Qubing's heart was beating violently.
This is a huge deal.
I want to buy up all the iron mines in the world!
Oh my god!
How many carriages are to be produced?
Can the whole world consume so many four-wheeled carriages?
"The Western Regions are vast, far beyond our imagination. There are countless countries, countless people, countless nobles, and countless wealthy people. If the Supreme Luxury Edition four-wheeled carriage can one day be sold in the Western Regions, what do you think the price should be?"
Gu Jiu suddenly changed the topic to the Western Regions.
Huang Qubing tried to say, "Eight hundred taels?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "At least two thousand taels."
boom!
The price of two thousand taels bombarded Huang Qubing's mind.
"Two thousand taels for the car body alone?"
"Don't you believe it?" Gu Jiu said with a smile.
Huang Wubing was speechless.
The reason why a carriage is expensive is not because of the body of the carriage, but because of the horse.
At that time, the body of a four-wheeled carriage was so expensive.
Huang Qubing really doubted whether there could be a profit of one million taels a year.
Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Have any of the projects I've worked on over the years failed?"
All right!
Huang Qubing was completely convinced.
A small Wenqing Bookstore can generate hundreds of thousands of taels of profit a year. What's impossible?
Gu Jiu's statement of wanting to buy up all the iron mines in the world was not an exaggeration.
In her plan, the current iron ore mining is far from meeting future demand.
Do you really think she spent so much money on the iron smelting industry just to make four-wheeled carriages?
How silly and naive.
Technological innovation in the iron and steel industry will lead the entire society forward in great strides.
The steam engine would not be a dream.
Steel shipbuilding is not a dream.
Bicycles may one day become standard equipment in every family and a darling of the marriage market.
The watch industry may also emerge as a result.
In short, improvements in technology and means of production make everything possible.
Of course, this is all in the future.
Now, we have to find a way to convince Emperor Wende to agree to the mass production of four-wheeled carriages.
Only by speeding up our slow life will people have more desires and needs.
With desire and need, everything is possible.
Gu Jiu asked Huang Qubing, "Do you know how to convince His Majesty?"
Huang Qubing was under tremendous pressure.
It was my first time trying to convince His Majesty to agree to a project, and the pressure was enormous.
"How about Madam come to the palace together?"
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