Becoming stronger from cutting Hu and Cao Cao

Chapter 257 Li Chen's Behavior of Great Powers

In ancient times, salt and iron were basically government-run, and because the mining methods were not advanced, most of the mining in the entire Three Kingdoms period is now open-pit iron mines, even if it is difficult to mine some shallow mines.

The exchange terms proposed by Li Chen are a very good thing for Cao Cao.The current situation is already at stake for Cao Cao.Five thousand white horses can be exchanged for Gongsun Zan's help. Gongsun Zan is located in Youzhou. Once he harasses Yuan Shao from the rear, he can restrain most of Gongsun Zan's troops. In this way, the pressure on Cao Cao's front is greatly reduced.

And judging from the current situation, Cao Cao is not short of iron, and the weapons reserves in the warehouse are also sufficient.On the contrary, what Cao Cao lacks most now is food. With the end of the war, the production of food will decrease, but the demand will increase greatly.On the surface, it is a good thing for Cao Cao to exchange iron for food.

Just like Cao Cao lacks food, Li Chen has a great need for iron.Xuzhou is considered a wealthy state and county among the many states and counties in the Han Dynasty, and after Li Chen has attracted refugees in the past few years, the population has also increased.

Li Chen has solutions to population, food, and economy, but there is only one thing that Li Chen cannot solve.That is the reserve of natural resources. Most of the underground ores in Xuzhou are coal mines, and iron ore can be said to be in short supply.

Among the navy ships that Li Chen is building, the main equipment is artillery, and artillery is an equipment that consumes a lot of copper and iron.Although the cannon is powerful, the same amount of iron ore needed to cast a cannonball can be used to cast hundreds of arrows.

Li Chen now only has Xuzhou and Luoyang in his hands, although these two places are rich and have a large population.However, resources are scarce, so exchanging food for iron is also a good thing for Li Chen.

Cao Cao was short of food, so exchanging food for iron was profitable for Cao Cao.Li Chen lacks iron, so exchanging food for iron is also profitable for Li Chen.So the question is, since both of them made money, who lost.

After some friendly negotiations, the two sides initially reached a consensus on exchanging grain for iron.At this point, it's time to start finalizing the details.

Cao Cao looked at Li Chen, and then said: "Brother just said that the market price of grain and iron will be traded, but with this war, both grain and iron ore will become tight supplies, and the price will inevitably increase by a large margin at that time." Climbing, I don’t know how to calculate this.”

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he looked at Li Chen firmly.Cao Cao knew in his heart that after the war started, the price of grain and iron would rise, but the increase in iron was definitely not as large as that of grain.Because iron ore can be smelted at any time as long as people are sent to mine it.But food is different. Not to mention that food needs a production cycle, and it depends on the weather.

Why did Cao Cao take the initiative to bring up this issue? To put it bluntly, Cao Cao kept his eyes open. He was afraid that Li Chen would raise the price.If one catty of grain can be exchanged for one catty of iron according to the price in peacetime, then after the outbreak of war, it may take three catties of iron to exchange for one catty of grain.

Li Chen couldn't see Cao Cao's careful thinking.Thinking of this, Li Chen laughed loudly.

"Ha ha!"

"Brother Cao, put your heart into your stomach. Since I, Li Chen, have come today, I have no intention of making trouble. In this way, it is better to hit the day than to choose a date. The grain and iron transactions are based on today's market price, no matter what price in the future , How about we all trade at today's price?"

As soon as Li Chen said this, Cao Cao couldn't help but a gleam flashed in his eyes.Cao Cao never expected that Li Chen could say such a thing.Based on today's market price, there is no doubt that Cao Cao took advantage of it.

As the saying goes, there is no free lunch in the world, and there is no such thing as a free pie in the sky.Cao Cao felt that Li Chen might raise other conditions, and make up for the benefits given to him in other matters.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao was both happy and worried, and asked with a frown: "Brother, do you have any other conditions?"

Li Chen smiled slightly, and shook his head lightly: "Conditions, it can be regarded as conditions, so, little brother, I will tell Brother Cao."

As soon as he heard that Li Chen was going to make a condition, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel tense.He was afraid that Li Chen would put forward some excessive conditions, if he did not agree to it at that time, he was afraid that the matter of food and iron exchange would be ruined.

"Brother Cao, that's right."

"If iron ore is discovered, it will naturally require a large number of strong men. This is what I think. The right to mine the minerals belongs to me, and Brother Cao can send someone to supervise. By then, we will know how much ore will be mined. .”

"Another point is that the safety of this mining area needs to be guaranteed in the era of war and chaos. Brother Cao does not have enough troops. In this way, I hope that Brother Cao will allow us to station troops in the mining area. Of course, each mining area must Brother Cao has the final say on the number of soldiers. Brother Cao allows us to garrison as many troops as I can conveniently.”

"The third point is this. When I came to Xuchang all the way, I found that many official roads have been in disrepair for a long time. In this way, in order to transport iron ore, I can still build roads for Brother Cao. As for the cost of road construction How about we share it equally. If brother Cao is not rich, you can use this iron ore to pay off." Li Chen talked eloquently, explaining his conditions.

After Cao Cao heard Li Chen's conditions, he also said that his face was full of inexplicable applications.

Cao Cao frowned, and asked in a very puzzled tone: "Brother, this is your condition."

Li Chen's conditions, to Cao Cao, these are not conditions, they are simply giving him benefits and warmth.

You see, Li Chen first exchanged grain for Cao Cao's iron ore, and then refused to let them mine it, but sent people to mine it himself, so that Cao Cao even won the manpower.

Then, Li Chen also helped Cao Cao build the road, although Cao Cao also had to bear the cost of building the road.But this is road construction on Cao Cao's chassis, which means that Li Chen has borne half of the cost for him.

As for the garrison in the mining area, this is justifiable.After all, the world is in chaos now, and there is chaos everywhere.Li Chen asked for the garrison to ensure the safety of the mining area, and didn't Li Chen also say that the garrison had to be approved by him.

At this moment, in Cao Cao's eyes, Li Chen was the best and kindest person in the world.At this time, instead of taking advantage of the fire and looting, it was sending carbon in a timely manner.

In the final analysis, Cao Cao's vision is actually poor.This kind of loan is mortgaged with minerals, and then gradually mortgaged with the right of way. This series of behaviors was perfected by the Western powers in that era.

(End of this chapter)