Chapter 124 Come on, stud!
"This strong liquor is so strong that even an animal can't bear it, let alone a strong man!" The stud couldn't help but sigh as he sipped the liquor.
"Of course not. This wine has more than one name. The official name is Wubudao, the more literary name is Gentle Years, and the more brutal name is Mendaolu. But I'm still used to calling it Erguotou."
"Muffled Donkey, it's really cruel! Gentle Years, it sounds like it was coined by a bunch of sour-toothed literati, what does this Erguotou mean?" Zhong Shidao asked Zhao Huan with a puzzled look on his face.
"Gentle Years" is the obsession of a guy named Li Su. It emphasizes a low-key luxury with connotation. Although this wine cannot amaze you or soften your years, it can make you bankrupt. It is expensive."
"As for Erguotou, it's all about the brewing process. As the name suggests, Erguotou is the liquor left after the raw materials have been brewed in the second pot. This liquor is the purest, has no odor, and although it's concentrated, it's not strong. It's truly mellow and fragrant."
"Losing everything?"
"Yes, just this jar of wine, five taels of silver."
"In the entire Song Dynasty, you can only drink such strong liquor here in the Bian Jing Palace. We have no plans to mass-produce it yet. Whenever you feel like drinking, come to the Bian Jing Palace and I will leave a few jars for you."
"Hehehe!" Zhong Shidao had absolutely no reason to refuse. After drinking such fine wine, how would he be able to drink the medium-alcohol-low Sanlejiang that looked like a beverage in the future?
Getting back to the topic, the two began to discuss the issue of stationing troops in the north.
"Sir, you must be wondering why I would allow troops stationed on the border to interfere in mining and smelting, industries that should be state-owned. Actually, there's nothing I can do about it. The distribution of mineral resources in our Great Song is extremely uneven. Generally speaking, there are more in the north and less in the south, and more in the west and less in the east."
"With my 1% inspiration, Imperial Physician Sun and the Firearms Supervisor have put in 99% of their hard work, and have successively launched heavy firearms such as the Hiroshima Mon Amour, the Nagasaki Light, and the Katyusha. In the future, we will also launch the Tiger Crouching Cannon mounted on ships and carriages."
"This Tiger Crouching Cannon is quite a treasure. It's an improved version of the Red Coat Cannon. The barrel is longer, and the wall thickness has been adjusted. It gradually thickens from the muzzle to the breech, fully considering the process of chamber pressure decreasing from high to low when the gunpowder burns. There are cylindrical trunnions on both sides of the center of gravity of the cannon. The cannon can adjust the firing angle based on this axis, and the range can be changed by adjusting the amount of gunpowder used. It also has a front sight and rear sight. If the trajectory is calculated using a parabola, the accuracy is very high. It can hit whatever you point at. The maximum range can reach 500 meters. The crossbow is nothing compared to it."
"I won't explain the parabola to you. You can't learn it at your age."
"To improve the army's combat effectiveness and reduce the casualty rate of soldiers, both require the assembly and manufacture of new firearms. Where do firearms come from? They come from copper, iron, saltpeter, and sulfur. To restore the Song Dynasty's national strength, recuperate, and prosper the economy, both require the support of currency. This is even more embarrassing. Our Song Dynasty is still extremely short of copper and silver. Some of the currency in circulation is already insufficient and cannot be recycled or recast. This is all because of poverty."
"Gold and silver are not naturally currency, but currency is naturally gold and silver. Even if you want to issue Jiaozi as a substitute, you must have sufficient gold, silver and copper in reserve." Seeing Zhong Shidao's confused look, Zhao Huan had no choice but to say, "Forget it, let's skip this. This is something you can't learn at your age."
Master Zhong said, "Thank you for your understanding, old man."
"The truth is, our Great Song Dynasty is severely short of gold, silver, copper, and iron, and urgently needs to replenish them. The proven gold, silver, copper, and iron resources, which are abundant and easily mined, are either on the border or in uninhabited areas, leaving zero sense of security. You know the combat effectiveness of the Xiang army. If we only send them there, they will be devoured without a trace left."
Zhao Huan chattered on and on, and the core meaning was clear: the court was short of copper, but only the army could do this quietly. If the garrison troops were sent, it would attract too much attention and be easily targeted.
"It's easier to delegate power than to take it back. Once they get used to receiving huge benefits from the imperial court, they won't be satisfied with diligent and down-to-earth work. Greed is insatiable, and human nature is hard to control. If they aren't properly settled down, it could cause a major upheaval, and even lead to another instance of Pharmacist Guo's treason."
The Zhong Gong fell into deep thought: "Since this must be done, the personnel arrangements must be carefully considered. Zhang Shuye is okay, he is upright and incorruptible; but Liu Guangshi's reputation is not so good..."
"Okay, let's get to know Ge. Greedy for money? Lustful? Power-hungry? Just shoot him and take him away."
Everyone knows that being a god is good, but fame and fortune are the only things that cannot be forgotten!
Where is the ancient and modern image? The desolate grave is covered with grass.
Everyone knows that being a god is good, but only gold and silver can’t be forgotten!
I regretted all day that we didn’t spend much time together, and when it was time to leave, I closed my eyes.
Everyone knows that being a god is good, but only my beloved wife can’t forget it!
You talk about your kindness every day when you are alive, but when you die, you are gone with others.
"Liu Guangshi is a man of unparalleled greed and lust. His military and political affairs are extremely corrupt, and he should be dismissed outright. However, Liu Guangshi is not completely useless. He comes from a family of generals. Although he is a bit timid, his military strategy is not to be trifled with. Many backbones in the army are brought up by him. In terms of economic acumen, Liu Guangshi is also very good. Mining and smelting is a tough job, and he will inevitably have to share some of the money with his subordinates. If he really appointed an iron-faced and incorruptible general, this may not be able to succeed."
"I think it's better to keep it within an acceptable range. Liu Guangshi and his men are in Zhang Shuye's north and want to surrender to the Jin Kingdom. Zhang Shuye is no pushover."
"One more thing. There's a saying, though not entirely correct, that's very practical: "Only with money can one have dignity." Military combat effectiveness is primarily composed of four factors: superior weaponry, a strategic commander, harmonious command relationships, and soldiers with strong operational capabilities."
"A soldier's mentality determines his ability to act. With our current military pay, obedience is a good thing. This city relies entirely on the general's personal charm. It's like your old Zhong family army. If an outsider were to take over, it would disappear in a few years."
Zhong Shidao: It doesn't sound good, but I have no evidence...
"Youzhou and Danzhou, these two places will be garrisoned by you, Lord Zhong. Zhu Xiaozhang and his 50,000 troops will be assigned to you. They will be provided with sufficient pay and equipment. I have only one request: train hard and keep the Jin Kingdom out of our borders. Once the Song Dynasty recovers, we will sound the clarion call for a counterattack."
"Youzhou, Tanzhou, Yanshan Prefecture, and even places closer to Bianliang City may have planted a large number of spies in connection with this war. We must pay attention to this and investigate thoroughly."
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