Chapter 122: Lao Liu, one of the Four Generals of the Restoration
Zhang Shuye was brought to a climax by a series of good news, and he laughed foolishly with satisfaction.
Liu Guangshi's eyes turned green with envy. The number of soldiers under his command was not much less than Zhang Shuye's, but there were only about 30,000 people. What's more important was that he was poor and his soldiers were poor too.
The imperial court and the local army jointly opened a mine. What a miraculous operation! There was no such precedent from the Song Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty. This is not much different from allowing you to mint copper coins.
Want, want, want!
"Your Majesty, are there copper mines in Youzhou and Tanzhou? Is the profit sharing ratio the same as that with Zhang Dazong? I have a bunch of hungry wolf cubs here."
Liu Guangshi could be said to be the most spineless of the three veteran generals, and he received the most criticism because he was always afraid of the Jin army. Whenever he was ordered to move to the front line, he would usually disobey the order and try to retreat.
Liu Guangshi's lax military discipline led to the surrender of many bandits and rebels, resulting in one of the largest armies of the time. He also frequently inflated military numbers, misappropriated military funds, and often avoided the front lines during battles, instead staying behind to escape if necessary.
Even so, Liu Guangshi earned the title of "Four Generals of the Restoration", and was on par with Zhang Jun, Han Shizhong and Yue Fei. God knows who made this ranking. Liu Guangshi and Zhang Jun were both figures with mixed reputations, and were not worthy of being listed on the same level as Han Shizhong and Yue Fei.
"Hahaha!" Zhao Huan laughed and said, "As long as you are not afraid of death, you will have copper mines and soldiers. This is the court's compensation for the brave and fearless generals and soldiers."
"I can't say anything else, but I, Liu Guangshi, am definitely not afraid of death. I always charge into the front lines in battle."
I don't believe you at all. It's clearly written in history books that Liu Guangshi was as cowardly as a mouse.
"Just go here!" Zhao Huan pointed on the map. It was neither Youzhou nor Danzhou, but in the north of Yanshan Prefecture.
Liu Guangshi's heart sank. The map clearly indicated that there was no copper mine here.
"Your Majesty, are you pointing at the wrong place? This is not the front line. We don't even border the Jin Kingdom. The north is full of mountains. What's the point of stationing troops here?"
Liu Guangshi's inner thoughts: You still say you treat everyone equally? You clearly don't want me to make money.
Seeing Liu Guangshi's face turn pale and blue, Zhao Huan was quite happy in his heart. He wanted to control people he disliked. As for abandoning them, that was impossible. People with flaws were easier to control.
If he is timid and afraid of things, just don't put him on the front line; if he loves money, that's fine too, just provide you with channels to make money.
To make the best use of everything and everyone, Zhao Huan positioned Liu Guangshi as the director of the steel plant.
"Maps don't tell the whole story. This place is rich in resources. Coal and iron ore reserves are hundreds of times greater than copper. I plan to build a new town here centered around coal and steel."
Zhao Huan didn't care whether Liu Guangshi could understand him or not, and he kept conveying his ideas.
That's right, what Zhao Huan envisioned was what the mining area would look like in the 1970s and 1980s. Based on the Xishan mining area, he would build a large gathering place and use the rich coal resources to develop various industries such as mining, smelting, weapons manufacturing, cement, glass, etc., to provide continuous material support for the anti-Jin front and future battles.
When the future model matures, the backbone and management personnel can be transferred to places with rich coal resources such as Datong and Taiyuan to develop in an all-round way, promote the development of industrialization and trade.
"There are very few people who are both familiar with warfare and have a good grasp of economics. Liu Du Yu Hou, I have high hopes for you!"
Liu Guangshi looked at Zhao Huan with a flattering expression and said, "I suspect you have seen through my nature, but I have no evidence."
Although I'm not very good at fighting, I'm good at making money! We can still be good partners. You're the boss, and I'll work for you. You eat the meat, I'll gnaw on the bones, and we brothers drink the soup.
"I am very democratic. If you are not satisfied with my arrangements, just tell me. I am very generous." Zhao Huan said the words "I am very generous" word by word. The meaning was very clear. Old Liu, you should be sensible. If you keep dithering, I will not be polite.
“Satisfied, satisfied, quite satisfied!”
Zhang Shuye passed away, and Liu Guangshi also passed away. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was almost noon.
"Sire, I see you don't look particularly well. Are you hungry because you haven't eaten for a long time, or do you think there's something wrong with my arrangements?"
"Your Majesty's arrangements are all about making money and developing. It's not that this is wrong, but money can be a powerful tool. I'm worried that the soldiers stationed on the front lines will focus more on making money and neglect training. Ultimately, the army must have good conduct, obey the court's orders, and be able to win battles."
"Winning a battle requires more than just an excellent commander; it also requires the soldiers' diligent training and tacit cooperation. Soldiers who don't leave their jobs cannot form combat effectiveness. Although there are significant differences, I feel like I'm facing the Tang Dynasty's military system. Compared to the more mature recruitment system, this is a step backward."
"I don't think this is a long-term solution!" Zong Shidao said with great concern, and was pessimistic about Zhao Huan's approach.
"Zhong Gong has given it more thought. This is indeed not a long-term solution, but for now, it may be the most appropriate. I regard Zhong Gong as my own, so I have something to say to you that I will save for last, after Zhang Shuye and Liu Guangshi leave."
This is actually a way to get closer to people. If they can't do it, I will just get along with you.
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