After hearing Chu Fan's words, Chu Anping finally understood why His Majesty wanted to purchase mutton and wool without restrictions. It turned out that His Majesty had such a long-term vision.
Just when Chu Anping thought Chu Fan would end the conversation, he continued, "We can't just look at how much silver we gave, we also need to see what kind of return it will bring. And do you think the Huns will be safe if they sell a lot of wool and mutton? Then you think the Huns are too kind to you."
Chu Fan sighed and said, "Actually, I don't really want to make such a decision. After all, this kind of thing is really cruel."
Just when Chu Anping was wondering why Chu Fan said that, Chu Fan asked Chu Anping, "Sixth Master, what do you think the Huns would do if they knew they could make money from wool?"
Chu Anping thought for a moment and replied, "If our Wei State purchases large quantities of Xiongnu mutton and wool, the Xiongnu might think that we, the people of Wei, are being taken advantage of for purchasing these commodities, which are not rare in their land. Once they discover the business opportunity, they will definitely raise the price, or even deliberately hoard them to make huge profits."
Chu Fan did not deny Chu Anping's idea. After all, such a thing was bound to happen, but Chu Anping did not say the deeper reasons.
Chu Fan added, "According to the greedy nature of the Xiongnu, I also believe they will do so. However, as long as they dare to raise the price, we in Wei will buy them all. This will make them think that the prices of mutton and wool will continue to rise, thus encouraging them to raise more sheep and produce more wool.
However, while the Xiongnu were immersed in the dream of making money, they overlooked an important fact: no matter how much a tribe expanded its livestock, it took at least several months for a sheep to grow from birth to maturity. And when the Xiongnu had made a huge fortune from mutton and wool, could they patiently wait for the sheep to grow?
I don't think the Huns will be patient. Greed will drive them to rush for success. If they want to gain more wealth, they will need more mutton and wool. Where do you think they will get these resources when the time comes?"
Chu Anping began to sweat as he heard Chu Fan's description. Your Majesty is trying to force the Huns into a dead end.
Chu Anping replied, "If the Xiongnu are desperate, they will probably stop at nothing. Their fastest way to obtain mutton and wool is to plunder the sheep of other tribes. The Xiongnu have no moral constraints; plunder is their way of life. This will inevitably lead to civil strife among the Xiongnu tribes. All we need to do is sit back and watch the fight unfold. Once they've slaughtered each other and their strength has been greatly reduced, we can strike back and completely eliminate the Xiongnu threat."
By then, not only will the Huns be unable to unite to fight against us, but they will also be severely damaged by internal strife. Those ordinary people will fall into dire straits and be completely disappointed with the Hun rulers. By then, after our Wei State has occupied the Hun’s territory, as long as we treat those ordinary people well and give them hope for a new life, they will naturally submit to our Wei State wholeheartedly.
Your Majesty's strategy is truly brilliant. Wei only needs to pay a small amount of gold and silver to plunge the Xiongnu into a quagmire of internecine slaughter, while we can sit back and reap the benefits."
Chu Fan said, "Sixth Master, you really understand immediately. This is exactly what I intend. The Xiongnu are extremely greedy. If we use them properly, they could become a sharp knife for our Wei State. We can trade with the Xiongnu. We can exchange those inferior weapons and armor we used to have for their mutton and wool. After obtaining the weapons, the Xiongnu will plunder and expand unscrupulously. At that time, it will not only be a fight among Xiongnu tribes, but may even affect other neighboring countries.
You must know that Wei was the one supplying weapons to the Xiongnu, and only last year did Wei defeat the combined forces of the Xiongnu and the Gan Kingdom. The Xiongnu still harbor a fear of Wei, but they don't hold that same reverence for other nations. As their power grows, their ambitions will inevitably swell. The Xiongnu will undoubtedly invade and plunder other nations, sparking a larger-scale war.
Of course, all of this is just speculation. It's also possible that the Xiongnu restrained their ambitions and only focused on developing animal husbandry, and then traded with our Wei State. However, if they did so, there would be no good results, because their greedy nature would make them continue to increase their flocks.
As long as there are too many sheep, the grassland will become weak due to overgrazing over time, and desertification will occur. When the land becomes a desert, they can no longer support the grazing of a large number of sheep, and there will even be no space for survival.
By the time they realized this, it was too late. Their economic resources would be depleted by the desertification of the grasslands and the weakness of their sheep. They would then have to either desperately invade other countries and make them their home, or surrender to the Wei State and accept our protection. Of course, they could also remain on the barren grasslands, struggling to survive until they were eventually eliminated by nature.
No matter what choice the Xiongnu make, Wei can respond calmly, so this is why I said this strategy is extremely cruel."
Chu Fan paused, as if giving Chu Anping time to digest his thoughts, and then continued, "But war is never merciful. In order to reduce the suffering of Wei's soldiers and civilians, we must adopt the most effective strategy.
I hope you understand, Sixth Master, that this plan is not only to solve Wei's wool and mutton problem, but also to weaken the Xiongnu and prepare for our future wars."
Chu Anping really wanted to kneel down at this moment. When Chu Fan was still a prince, no one was optimistic about him. However, after the elders nominated Chu Fan to the throne, the Wei Kingdom underwent earth-shaking changes in the past two years.
Now, His Majesty's plan can allow the soldiers and civilians of Wei to eat meat and wear warm clothes, and can also push the Xiongnu step by step into the abyss. From now on, there will be no power that can threaten the border of Wei. Facing such an emperor, no matter who it is, they will be in awe, and Chu Anping is no exception.
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