Zhenguan Crown Prince Li Chengqian

Chapter 931 Bargaining!

The lobby of the Ministry of War was very lively today, with the main officials from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households, and the Ministry of Industry gathered together, and the servants of the Shangshu Province Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling personally presided over the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the specific matters of the conquest of Gaochang.

Because the crown prince hadn't arrived yet, and the matter was urgent, Fang and Du had to take the lead in discussing it first. For example, regarding the materials that needed to be allocated for this expedition, from the very beginning, the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry were quite critical. All the ministers felt that Hou Junji opened his mouth a little too loudly.

First of all, taking the 11 troops to be dispatched in Chang'an as an example, Hou Junji wanted to achieve a comprehensive load, not only military supplies, but also ordinary infantry. They must have horses, camels and other livestock, and they must be purchased in a short period of time. With so many livestock, it will cost a high price.

As we all know, there are only caravans that own a large number of poor horses and camels, and they are all people with some background. If you want to get all these precious lumps out of their hands, even if the Ministry of Finance is willing to pay the price, they don't know if they will show their face or not. ah!
Secondly, the imperial court will also establish a large-scale supply point between Liangzhou and Suzhou, which will be responsible for the transportation and transshipment of materials sent from Guanzhong, and provide supplies for the [-] soldiers who are about to join the marching sequence there. The number of civilians ensures the delivery of supplies.

The last point is also the most excessive point. Hou Junji asked the Ministry of Industry to manufacture 200 million arrows and a certain amount of siege defense equipment within a month, and send them to the supply point in Suzhou; Even if the full production is only half of what he proposed, the output cannot be guaranteed at all, let alone Suzhou, which is thousands of miles away.

The officials of the Ministry of Industry did not understand how the cities of the Western Regions could be compared with those of the Tang Dynasty. Why should they attack and defend? Together with the household department, they strongly refuted Hou Junji's prodigal behavior.

Didn't wars be fought in the same way when there were no such things in the past?What's the matter, you Hou Junji's courage is getting smaller and smaller as you get older, is it because you want to smash Gaochang's army to death with so many things?Does that mean you don't need to bring a horse lance and a horizontal knife?
Just when the two sides were at a stalemate, Li Chengqian stepped into the lobby of the Ministry of War quickly. After waving his hands to signal that there is no need to be polite, he asked the two people on the left and right for the specific details, and then he couldn't help smiling. They are used to living a life, which makes them really uncomfortable to live a prosperous life.

"Zhu Qing, don't be so stingy. In the past, the Tang Dynasty was poor, and the soldiers had to fight hungry. In order to compete with the enemy for a morsel, they had to fight with their lives. Now that the conditions are better, spending a little more money will not only It saves combat time and reduces sacrifices, so why not!"

"This time our army will dispatch 15 troops and 20 cavalry troops, a total of [-] people; Gaochang is located in a remote place, the climate is unpredictable, and there is thousands of miles of desert in the middle. Lu Guogong's request seems reasonable to Gu."

"I know that it is very difficult for you to prepare so much equipment and supplies in such a short period of time, but no matter how difficult it is, it is no more difficult than for the soldiers who are about to go to war; almost all of you who can sit here today have come from the war years, Some of them have even served as civilians in the army for many years, and you all know how much supplies the army consumes every day."

"Don't pay too much attention to political achievements. As long as you can win the 46 towns of Gaochang and expand the territory of our dynasty, then everyone will contribute. As for the places where materials are insufficient, it seems that this will be handled in this way."

The Tang army has a huge system, and there are many troops in charge of border defense, and it is necessary to ensure sufficient supply of the main force of the Tang army in the north and south, so it has always been in a state of balance in terms of equipment and military supplies.

Less crowding is not a problem, as it can squeeze double the amount of supplies for 20 people, the supply line is extremely long, and the geographical environment is very harsh, the cost of this is destined to double.

In order to solve this problem, Li Chengqian decided that Xikaidao was responsible for the war horses and rough horses needed by the Western Expeditionary Army. The new governor Niu Jinda was a veteran, so he could rest assured that he would handle such matters.Moreover, they are close to Suzhou, which can greatly save time and cost, and the horse farm in the military industrial zone will be responsible for the shortfall.

The camels necessary for marching in the desert were led by the Ministry of Industry, and Changsun Huan was responsible for supporting them. No matter how much money was spent, all the camels with good teeth were collected from the Guanzhong caravan in the shortest possible time.Behind these caravans, there are people who are well-known. Everything is negotiable. Negotiate well, mutual benefit!

As for the problem of insufficient output of the Ministry of Industry, it is best to solve the problem. Yan Lide can go to Du Gou after the discussion. He also asked the two ministries to work together to continuously send the produced ordnance resources to Suzhou.

"Speaking of this, I would like to add that from now on, the Jiaohedao Economic Strategy Division will be established separately, led by Gu Hefang and Du Erxiang, Gao Jifu, the left servant of the Ministry of household, Jiang Xingben, the left servant of the Ministry of industry, Jiang Ke, the left servant of the Ministry of war, and the banker. Doctor Qing Guanglu Du Gou is the main official, who is in charge of logistics and supply issues. The logistics and food protection troops and civilians mobilized in Suzhou and Liangzhou are all under the jurisdiction of the Economic Strategy Department.”

Li Chengqian discussed with the emperor about the establishment of the Economic Strategy Division. This division is not only conducive to combat, but also conducive to the investigation of officials. Several servants will take the lead in selecting officials, and let these officials enter the situation in advance to understand the real situation of Gaochang. This will create convenient conditions for them to work in Gaochang in the future.

"Okay, since there are no opinions, let's draw up a memorial to His Majesty! After you return to the headquarters, you should deal with the issues related to the war as soon as possible. Remember, no matter what the price is, you must ensure the smooth progress of the war.", After finishing speaking, Li Chengqian waved his hand, indicating that we can leave.

After all the ministers and workers had withdrawn, Fang Xuanling handed Li Chengqian a piece of fruit, and then said with a smile: "You should continue to suffer from it, Your Highness, please do it well, or else this chatter will last a whole day, and the public is justified." The mother-in-law said that the mother-in-law is reasonable, it is very troublesome!"

"Xuanling, you are talking about the wheels of the car. Your Highness is very self-restraining. A gentleman cultivates a noble spirit. Grand Master Li has taught a good student!" Du Ruhui, who was holding a teacup, said in a teasing tone.

Li Chengqian, who was thick-skinned, was a little embarrassed when the two prime ministers said this, and then he waved his hands and replied with a smile: "You two prime ministers, don't make fun of Gu, Gu knows that you are in trouble, so Gu It’s just to drive ducks to the shelves.”.
(End of this chapter)