Chapter 121 Threatening You with Your Sister
What's wrong with the situation being tense? The Song Dynasty has never been afraid of wolves.
With united efforts, we will shoulder the national crisis and kill the Northern Wolf with our swords drawn.
The vast mountains and rivers are full of passion, and China is filled with brave men.
Why should I be ashamed to wear golden armor in a hundred battles? Even if I die, I will not be ashamed of the Chinese nation.
This is the answer given by the veterans. They are not afraid of death or fighting, but they just regret that they cannot fight freely.
The veterans' eyes were filled with tears, their voices trembling: "The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, we have been looking forward to it for countless years."
"A skilled warrior establishes himself in an invincible position before seeking battle. The Jin Kingdom should not be underestimated, and all generals must be fully prepared. Strategically, despise the enemy, but tactically, take them seriously. The Jin Kingdom's Iron Pagoda and Crooked Horse are still very powerful in a charging attack."
Zhao Huan reminded the veteran generals: "The border is the most important, but also the most dangerous, place. Facing the Jin Kingdom directly, we must be prepared for war at any time. If there are any difficulties that require support or solutions from the court, please raise them and I will find a way to solve them."
"I heard that Imperial Physician Sun invented a long-range ground-strike weapon called the Katyusha. It's even more powerful than a crossbow, easy to carry, and can be used for both offense and defense. I don't want too many. Could you please get us a few dozen?"
You really dare to think that there are dozens of them. Do you think these things are swords and spears and can be made just by saying so?
That's nearly a ton of wrought copper. Do you know how much it costs? There's also black powder, which requires thirty kilograms for one round of firing. How much should I give you?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Zhao Huan flatly rejected the idea. "General Manager Zhang, where do you plan to station your troops? The number will be adjusted based on the region you're stationed in, but the maximum number cannot exceed five. The cost is too high. Even for this, we have to pre-order. Right now, we only have a sample, and we haven't started full-scale production yet."
"Five gates are too few. They're not even enough to defend the city walls. We need at least ten!"
Zhang Shuye pushed the issue to the limit and bargained with Zhao Huan.
Zhao Huan showed a pained look on his face. "Master Zhang, if you want ten Katyushas, that's fine. You have to provide me with the raw materials. I'll arrange for the Firearms Supervisor to work overtime to make them for you."
?????
Please be a human being. I will provide the raw materials. Not to mention the gunpowder, I can't even afford the ten tons of copper.
"I, I am poor..."
"It doesn't matter if you're poor. I can give you some advice!" Zhao Huan smiled inwardly. "Why don't you choose to stay in Yanshan Prefecture? There's a large copper mine there. I grant you permission to mine it, splitting the profits 70% and 30%."
"Then you will have copper mines. As long as you provide the copper mines, Katyusha is not a small matter. You can have as many as you want."
"Yanshan Prefecture has copper mines? Copper mines are currency, isn't it strictly controlled by the state? Forget about a 37% split, even a 19% split would still be a huge profit."
"I am willing to do it. This is it, mining, smelting, I don't know how to do it. I am afraid that I will disappoint Your Majesty." Zhang Shuye's heart was in turmoil. He couldn't believe that there was such a good thing, but the conditions did not allow it.
"Don't refuse directly. You don't have anyone who can do it." Zhao Huan said, "What I'm best at is one-stop service. You don't have technicians, but I do. You don't have mining and smelting equipment, but I can also provide them. How can you give up so easily?"
Zhao Huan advised earnestly, "Look at the armies of other princes, their troops are so numerous, and then look at you, the governor of the Southern Circuit, a small fry with only three thousand men. Even so, your treatment is not good enough, you can't even give out 100,000 strings of cash. I finally understand why you are so destitute. I gave you the opportunity, but you didn't use it."
"Mining copper is such a good job, so many people would beg for it, and I've already given it to you, yet you claim you don't have chopsticks. If it were anyone else, they would have already started working. Think about the poor soldiers under your command, and the casualties caused by the lack of firearms. Can you really do that to them? You could have avoided all of this."
"Done!" Zhang Shuye gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty has taken such good care of me. I will definitely live up to your trust. I just don't know about the arrangement."
"Don't worry, everything has been arranged for you. Three thousand soldiers are definitely not enough to garrison Yanshan Prefecture. I'm sending Zhu Xiaosun with 50,000 soldiers to assist you and obey your command. If he dares to act like a troublemaker, I'll have Lian'er deal with him."
Before Zhang Shuye could speak, Zhu Xiaosun spoke up himself.
"Brother-in-law, Your Majesty, you have no moral principles. How can you threaten others with your sister?" Zhu Xiaosun jumped up and down. "Am I such a rude person? I will do whatever Chief Steward Zhang says."
"Stop your nonsense! I've already warned you in advance. If you don't obey General Manager Zhang and cause any trouble, you'll go back to Guangnan West Road and never see Lian'er again."
"Ah! Ah! Ah! You have such a cruel heart..."
Zhang Shuye was still a little worried. The other party had 50,000 and I had 3,000. The contrast was too huge. I felt a little uneasy. This Zhu Xiaosun didn't seem very reliable.
"Don't worry, I'm not done yet. I'll allocate another 30,000 troops to you. Aside from their slightly weaker combat capabilities, the rest are top-notch. They can repair city walls, forge weapons, and farm and raise livestock. There's nothing they can't do. You can completely leave the logistics to them. I'll ensure you have a pleasant and enjoyable battle on the front lines."
"Yanshan Prefecture remains the same. I will give you a quota of 100,000 men. You will find a way to fill the shortfall of 47,000 men. 30% of the copper you mine will cover the military expenses. Once the quota is full, you can choose whether to keep it for yourself or distribute it to the soldiers. I only want 70% of it."
Zhao Huan pointed to the resource legend on the map and said, "This copper mine has a reserve of at least 2,000 tons. That means we can get 600 tons of copper. Where else can you get such good treatment? What worries do you have now?"
"That's all. I just want to set off immediately. I can't wait to contribute to my country."
“…”
"Don't worry. Everyone here is the pillar of the country and my confidants. As the pillars of the country, I can tell you some of the plans in advance. The capital will definitely be moved, but not to Luoyang, but to Beijing. At the coronation ceremony, I said that the emperor guards the country's borders and the king dies for the country. This is not a casual remark."
"In this Great Song Dynasty, you are not the only ones who are not afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice. I am not afraid either. The Great Song Dynasty's greatest threat has always been in the north. Born in adversity, they will inevitably die in comfort. I will dance on the cusp of the storm. If I fail, I will die."
"So, generals, your mission is paramount. You must lay a solid foundation and gain a firm foothold before I can move the capital to Beijing. Otherwise, if we get swept away by the enemy, it would be a joke and a waste of face."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
