Chapter 306 This is the vicious scheme that Li Shiyue devised for the Prince of Zhenbei, a scheme that would wipe out his lineage!
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How to fleece the Turkic barbarians?
In fact, Li Shiyue gave him a vicious plan that would kill off his family line.
But this plan is a perfectly legitimate and open scheme; it remains to be seen whether the Turks can see through it.
In fact, Li Shiyue even said in her book: "Even if there are clever people among the Turks, or Han Chinese who have surrendered to the Turks who can see through the tricks, so what?"
No one can give up the profits they've already gained!
Knowing it was a dead-end business, they still had to keep going!
Li Shiyue's solution was to have the Prince of Zhenbei as a backer and find several big merchants to buy wool from the Turks!
Don't buy sheep, don't buy horses, just buy wool!
Why are you buying wool?
I buy them to make felt, spin yarn to weave carpets, or knit sweaters and trousers to sell!
Go buy wool from the Turks, buy lots and lots of wool, and have the Turks raise sheep for Andong on the grasslands, raise lots and lots of sheep!
People who have never raised sheep don't know how terrifying sheep can be.
Sheep are just as picky eaters as humans. They love to eat tender and juicy grass, and they eat it so much that they leave the roots exposed.
One sheep is easy to deal with, but a flock of sheep is nothing on a vast grassland.
But what if Andong wants wool, pays to buy wool, and wants a lot of wool?
So, the various tribes within the Turkic Khaganate naturally raised sheep for money, and would raise a lot of sheep for that purpose.
At that time, flocks of sheep will inevitably cause unpredictable disasters on the Turkic grasslands!
When their grasslands are so overgrown with sheep that no grass grows anymore, how many horses will the Turks be able to raise?
Without horses and light cavalry, would Andong still fear the Turks?
This is the vicious scheme that Li Shiyue devised for the Prince of Zhenbei, a scheme that would leave him childless and without descendants!
This is certainly not something that can be achieved in one or two years. At the very least, it will take eight or ten years, and at most, it may take ten to twenty years.
But so what?
In fact, if the Turks could raise a certain number of sheep, they might not have been able to raise enough horses to form a cavalry long before their grasslands became completely desertified.
At that time, Turks without horses would all be victims of the soldiers of Andong!
Li Shiyue's plan doesn't sound like a pipe dream.
Moreover, she is a very data-driven person, and over the past three years, she has purchased nearly a hundred sheep from the Turkic prince Sher.
The people then grazed the flock of sheep on a piece of land behind Daheishan Mountain. There were only about a hundred sheep, but in less than three years, they had eaten and trampled the land so much that the soil was now several layers thinner than elsewhere.
That spot, even though spring came this year, still isn't growing anything.
The fact that those hundred sheep grazed on that piece of land was enough to prove the feasibility of Li Shiyue's plan.
Not to mention, along with her report, Li Shiyue also sent over a method on how to select wool, clean wool, and then gradually spin wool into yarn, and then knit it into sweaters and trousers.
She also sent over three sets of wool sweaters and trousers in different sizes (small, medium, and large).
The winters in Andong are bitterly cold and the days are long.
Wearing these wool sweaters and wool pants, layered under an outer garment, truly makes one feel much warmer.
In other words, Li Shiyue's method, in the immediate term, can make money by selling sweaters, woolen pants, and felt carpets.
In the long run, it can also reduce the number of Turkic cavalry, subduing the enemy without a fight!
If the Prince of Zhenbei lives a long life, he might be able to expand his territory to include the lands inhabited by the Turks, Mohe, and Khitans!
Tell me, how could the Prince of Zhenbei not be tempted?
How can I prevent him from falling for me?
Otherwise, the Prince of Zhenbei would not have been able to say in front of everyone that Li Shiyue's "strategy was comparable to Zhang Liang's"!
So, at this moment, Li Shiyue put down the letter that the Prince of Zhenbei had personally written for her and looked at Zhou Yiran opposite her.
"Is Military Advisor Zhou scouting the way for the Crown Prince? Or for the Prince...?"
Zhou Yiran smiled and said to Li Shiyue, "Lieutenant Li is joking."
As a military advisor to the Prince's mansion, everything I do is for the sake of the Prince's mansion.
Besides, the young master is currently busy with wedding preparations; how could he possibly have time to investigate this matter?
Despite Li Shiyue's teasing gaze, Zhou Yiran remained calm and continued, "I will do exactly what the Prince said in his letter to Lieutenant Li."
Lieutenant Li is a woman who is no less capable than any man. Not only are you exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but you can also devise such a plan. You are truly a brave warrior who is proficient in both literature and martial arts!
With the two of us working together, we're sure we can get this done properly!
After all, it's all for the sake of the Prince's Palace and the people of Andong!
Li Shiyue smiled, but her smile was fake; it was truly a forced smile.
"Great, I've finally met someone who's even better at talking big and making empty promises than me."
While thinking this in her heart, Li Shiyue said aloud, "You're too kind! You're really too kind!"
"We'll rest here for a bit, and after lunch, I'll take you to see our village's sheep farm!"
At noon, Li Shiyue invited Jiang Huai, Li Qiutian, Li Xiatian, Li Shiliang, and Li Wangshui to the table to have a mutton hot pot with Zhou Yiran.
Jiang Huai was summoned by Li Shiyue, and only after arriving did he realize that he was to have dinner with Zhou Yiran.
"This, this won't do."
I have no official rank, how can I accompany you?
"Please don't make things difficult for me, Madam Li."
Li Shiyue shook his head indifferently, "Hey, all things considered, my official position is nothing, and the others have no official position at all. At least you have the title of Xiucai Gong (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations).
Although we are literate, that's all we know. We can't really have anything to say to scholars like Zhou Canjun, and we can't discuss the romantic and poetic topics that you scholars talk about.
Mr. Jiang, please help me out. It's just a meal, and it will only take about an hour.
"At least keep the table from becoming awkward, and make sure someone can talk to Military Advisor Zhou."
Only after Li San Niang's repeated requests did Jiang Huai finally sit down at the table.
However, Zhou Yiran was a good person; he not only had no objection to eating mutton hot pot, but also ate it with great relish.
Moreover, at this dinner table, he showed no disappointment at having Li Qiutian, Li Xiatian, Li Shiyang, and Li Wangshui accompany him, nor did he show any disdain for these commoners who had no official rank or title.
Even with Jiang Huai, the scholar, present, Zhou Yiran didn't engage in any romantic talk or discuss poetry and prose.
The things he asked were all things related to the village that Li Qiutian and his family were familiar with.
"Is it difficult to learn how to spin wool into thread and weave clothes?"
How are sheep raised in the village?
"With the Black Mountain behind you and the Turkic grasslands just beyond, do you have any worries living here?"
......
The questions were all about people's livelihood, wool and sheep farms, the Turkic barbarians, and trade with the Turks.
Li Qiutian and Li Xiatian were alright; they had spent a lot of time with Li Shiyue and were together almost every day.
Furthermore, both of them were aware of what Li Shiyue was about to do and understood why he was doing it.
However, Li Shiliang and Li Wangshui were not as "close" to Li Shiyue.
At least in Li Xiatian's view, some of the things Zhou Yiran said actually touched on the core interests of Lijiatun, and it was really something that shouldn't have been asked.
But Zhou Yiran not only asked in a calm and curious tone, but Li Shiliang and Li Wangshui, who were afraid of officials, actually revealed all their secrets to him, word by word!
Li Shiyue was so angry she almost laughed. She finally understood why military generals disliked civil officials.
Those civil officials are really too ruthless!
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