Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

"——Food and military equipment will arrive the next day!" Ouyang Lun took over the conversation, his eyes shining, "Father-in-law is wise! Military stations can be set up along the railway, and trains will run day and night. Soldiers on the front line will no longer have to fight on an empty stomach!"

I have to say that Zhu Yuanzhang had a very good vision.

Hearing Ouyang Lun's praise, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction and soaked his feet back in the water: "Go on."

Forehead.
Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes immediately.

Fortunately, I didn't praise him out loud. It seems that Old Zhu is still waiting for me to "feed" him.

However, Ouyang Lun did not intend to hide it. After all, the opening, operation and even expansion of the railway would still require Zhu Yuanzhang's support.

Ouyang Lun thought for a moment and said, "I have calculated that if we march from Peking to Mobei according to the traditional method, it will take the army two months to arrive, and more than half of the food and grass will be lost. But if we take the railway line——"

He dipped his hands in the foot washing water and drew a route map on the armrest of the recliner: "The first batch of elite troops can reach Zhangjiakou in five days by train and Datong in ten days. Six large military stations will be set up along the way to store food and weapons. The front-line troops do not need to carry too much baggage, and can move forward quickly with light equipment, which can increase their combat effectiveness by more than 30%!"

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and stared at the gradually evaporating water. "Well, that makes sense. But the grassland is vast, and the railway can't be built to the yurt, right?"

"No need to repair it that far." Ouyang Lun smiled, "We just need to control a few key nodes. The remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty are now scattered and nomadic. As long as we cut off their trade routes and block the salt and iron trade, they will fall apart within three years."

Hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes. "You said the same thing again, kid. When you were doing business with the grassland people, you also told me the same thing. What was the result? The grassland people not only did not fall apart, but developed better and better."

"Don't think we don't know. Many grassland tribes have towns, and their scale is almost comparable to the provincial capitals of our Ming Dynasty! Those grassland people are no longer nomadic, but have begun to settle down and do business!"

Hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Ouyang Lun looked a little embarrassed.

"Look, you've been exposed!" Zhu Yuanzhang came closer and asked in a deep voice, "Tell me the truth, are you really colluding with the grassland people?"

"Father-in-law, you are right. I have indeed colluded with the people of the grassland!" Ouyang Lun nodded.

"Oh my, Prince Consort Ouyang, we can't talk nonsense about this!" Eunuch Wang Zhong said quickly, "Hurry up and explain to the emperor that this is collusion with the grassland people, which is a serious crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of the clan!"

Wang Zhong was shocked by Ouyang Lun's words. Wang Zhong had a good impression of Ouyang Lun. It's not that Ouyang Lun would ask Zhou Bao to send him things every time, but Ouyang Lun's attitude towards him has not changed over the years and he has basic respect for him. So Wang Zhong didn't want anything to happen to Ouyang Lun at this time.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's face also became gloomy.

Ouyang Lun was quite calm about this and spoke slowly, "Father-in-law, ever since I became the governor of Beiping, I have been interacting with the people of the grasslands. It was also I who promoted trade with the northern border. We have been interacting with the grassland tribes for several years until now, and we have never stopped. In the early days, we exchanged tea and porcelain for horses, and then gradually expanded to ironware, grain and other items."

Zhu Yuanzhang tapped the dragon table with his fingers: "Tell me in detail."

"The first phase lasted about two years, mainly trading with scattered small tribes. They lacked a unified organization, and the scale of trade was limited, but the quality of horses was indeed better than inland areas." Ouyang Lun's tone was like reading a memorial, "The second phase began with getting to know many grassland tribal leaders, and the scale of trade expanded. They used high-quality war horses to exchange for ironware and food, with a ratio of five war horses for every hundred kilograms of ironware."

"Do you know what iron can do?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly turned cold.

Ouyang Lun's eyes remained calm: "Of course I know. According to my observation, we need war horses, and the grassland tribes need iron tools. This is just a matter of each taking what they need, and they use most of the iron tools to make farm tools."

The candlelight in the hall flickered, and Zhu Yuanzhang's face was hidden in the shadows: "Continue."

"The third stage began when I was transferred to the capital." Ouyang Lun continued, his voice still steady, "The tribes of the grassland began to unite. They used our iron tools to build smelting workshops. They were no longer satisfied with the exchange of finished products, but instead demanded raw iron and craftsmen."

“You gave it?”

"Well, I gave it to you. As the saying goes, it is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish."

Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth twitched, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Tell me about the current situation."

Ouyang Lun sorted out his thoughts a little, and his tone remained objective: "Now the grassland tribes can mobilize 200,000 cavalry. Now it should be expanded to 300,000, and they are well-equipped. They have improved the smelting technology, can they produce high-quality weapons by themselves? Not only that, I also gave them a lot of construction technology. Now the grassland tribes can already build roads and make cement by themselves, and still build cement houses."

"Three hundred thousand?" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table and stood up. "Do you know how many troops are there on the border?"

"The total number of troops stationed at the nine borders is about 300,000." Ouyang Lun's answer was calm and accurate. "The grassland cavalry is highly mobile. If they concentrate their forces to break through one point, the border will be difficult to resist."

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he lifted his feet out of the bucket, his sleeves blowing cold wind: "You are the one who caused all this?"

"Of course." Ouyang Lun nodded.

"Ouyang Lun! We really underestimated you. What do you want to do by developing the Ming Dynasty and the grassland at the same time?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a deep voice.

Ouyang Lun spread his hands and said, "All the major transactions between me and the tribes on the grassland have been approved by you, the Supreme Emperor, and your Majesty. I am just following your orders!"

"What a 'mission to obey the emperor'!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became furious, "Come here! Take down this traitor who aided the enemy and betrayed the country!"

The Jinyiwei in plain clothes outside the house came in upon hearing the noise, led by the commander of the Jinyiwei, Ji Gang.

Ouyang Lun's expression remained calm. "Your Majesty, the people of the grassland and the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty are not the same, right?"

Um! ?

Hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Zhu Yuanzhang's originally angry expression immediately froze, and then he waved at Ji Gang and others, "Stop!"

Ji Gang waited for several Jinyiwei to stop where they were.

"What does Ouyang Lun mean by this?"

"Your Majesty, the people of Northern Yuan are Northern Yuan, and the people of grassland are grassland people. Do you still remember the trade war I mentioned to you?" Ouyang Lun said slowly.

"Well, of course I remember. It was because of your suggestion that I agreed to allow the Ming Dynasty to trade with the grasslands, and we never stopped. But I didn't expect that you would make the grasslands develop so fast and well!" Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice, "You'd better give us a reasonable explanation!"

"Your Majesty, you are really old. The grassland is so vast, Bei Yuan can't represent the entire grassland at all!"

"From the very beginning, there have been many grassland tribes that are loyal to us. The ones that are developing now are naturally the grassland tribes that are close to the Ming Dynasty. What do they have to do with the Northern Yuan Dynasty!?" Ouyang Lun said slowly.

"Uh..." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened. "Ouyang Lun, you mean to say that there are now 300,000 troops on the grasslands that are close to our Ming Dynasty?!" "Yes, that's what I mean!" Ouyang Lun nodded and continued, "Not only that, these grassland tribes that are close to us have already controlled at least 60% of the grassland's economy. We only need to start with the economy, and the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty will cry for their parents!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly sat up straight, and the water splashed as he washed his feet: "Good boy! This is a vicious idea! If this trick had been used back then, Wang Baobao would have knelt down and begged for mercy!"

Ouyang Lun chuckled and said, "This is all thanks to my father-in-law's good leadership!"

Forehead.
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned by Ouyang Lun's praise. For a moment, he didn't know whether Ouyang Lun was praising him or mocking him.

"Your Majesty, are you still arresting him?" Ji Gang asked cautiously.

"Why are you arresting him? Ouyang Lun is a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty. Get out and stand still!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hands.

"Yes!"

Hearing this, Ji Gang breathed a sigh of relief. It would be difficult for him to catch Ouyang Lun, so he retreated quickly.

"Haha, don't take it seriously, kid. We were just joking with you!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, you didn't seem to be joking just now!" Ouyang Lun said with a smile.

"Hehe, we were just joking. Besides, how could I bear to keep you as my son-in-law?" Zhu Yuanzhang patted Ouyang Lun's shoulder.

In response to this, Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes and said, "I'll never believe you!"
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly frowned: "However, the railway is so conspicuous, if the Northern Yuan cavalry comes to destroy it..."

"I have three plans." Ouyang Lun raised his finger, "First, build beacon towers along the railway, one every ten miles; second, form a rapid response cavalry to protect the railway; third, "he smiled mysteriously, "Father-in-law, do you still remember the 'thunder bomb' that was tested last month?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "You mean to deploy firearms troops along the railway?"

"That's right!" Ouyang Lun clapped his hands and said, "If ordinary cavalry attacks, use rifles to prepare; if we encounter a large group of troops, immediately send trains to reinforce them. No matter how brave the Northern Yuan people are, can they be faster than trains?"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head and laughed, shaking the dust off the roof: "Great! Great! Ouyang Lun, you have more tricks for fighting than Xu Da!"

After laughing, he frowned again: "But, the cold weather in Mobei makes it difficult to maintain the railway. When I was on the expedition, I saw the wind and snow. I'm afraid the rails can't stand it."

Ouyang Lun was well prepared: "Don't worry, father-in-law. The 'fish scale rail' newly developed by the Ministry of Industry has retractable joints and is cold and heat resistant. Besides," he blinked, "we can practice in Liaodong first. There are also remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty there, but the climate is much milder."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly shouted to the outside of the door: "Someone! Add some hot water!"

Xiao Cui hurriedly brought the copper kettle in and carefully added water for the two of them. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at her trembling hands and suddenly asked, "Little girl, where are you from?"

Xiao Cui lowered her head and said, "To answer your question, my ancestral home is Datong."

"Datong?" Zhu Yuanzhang and Ouyang Lun looked at each other, "That's the front line. Is there anyone else at home?"

Xiao Cui lowered her voice: "Father. Father was a small flag of the frontier army. He died in battle ten years ago."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became serious: "Was it done by the Northern Yuan people?"

Xiao Cui nodded gently, and a tear fell into the foot basin.

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then suddenly took off a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Xiao Cui: "Take it. Go to Yingtian Prefecture to see the prefect tomorrow and tell him that Master Ma asked you to go. It's time to make up for your father's pension."

Xiao Cui stood there in a daze. Ouyang Lun quickly coughed and said, "Why don't you thank Master Ma?"

"Thank you for your grace, sir!" Xiao Cui knelt down and kowtowed, tears streaming down her face.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand to let her leave, then turned to Ouyang Lun and sighed, "See? This is why the Northern Yuan Dynasty must be destroyed. Ten years have passed, and the orphans of the martyrs are still trying to make a living in this world. We, the Ming Dynasty, are so sorry for these soldiers!"

Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes again.

"Father-in-law, you are prejudiced against our Heaven on Earth! Although our Heaven on Earth has taken in many orphans of martyrs, their income is among the highest among ordinary people. They can often buy a house and settle down in the capital after working for three to five years! How many people are trying their best to get in!"

"Is this how to make money?" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened immediately, then he looked at Ouyang Lun with a look of sudden realization.

It is indeed easy to make money following Ouyang Lun.

"You did a good thing." Zhu Yuanzhang muttered.

Ouyang Lun said solemnly: "Father-in-law, you are compassionate to the soldiers, and I admire you. During this northern expedition, we must improve the pension regulations and never let the loyal souls die with hatred."

"Don't worry about that. The court will not mistreat the martyrs, and don't you still have the Prime Minister of the Cabinet?" Zhu Yuanzhang patted his shoulder with satisfaction, and suddenly remembered something: "By the way, you just said that the firearms unit is now training. How is the Shenjiying?"

"I was just about to report this to my father-in-law." Ouyang Lun said, "Three thousand men have been equipped with new rifles, which have a firing rate twice as fast as the old muskets. There are also 'Thunderbolt' artillery vehicles, which can be disassembled and transported by train and then reassembled at the front. They are lighter and more powerful than the Red Cannon!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was so absorbed in listening that he didn't even notice that the water for washing his feet had cooled. Outside the window, the sound of the pipa had been replaced by the passionate "Ten Sides of Ambush", just like the Northern Expedition plan that the two men were planning.

Inside the Duke of Liang’s mansion, the night was dark.

Lan Yu sat alone in the study, with a pot of strong liquor in front of him, the wine cup half full, and his stern face reflected in the flickering candlelight. He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his eyes deep as the abyss, as if thinking about something.

The autumn wind was blowing outside the window, blowing up a few fallen leaves, making rustling sounds.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the courtyard, and an adopted son dressed in black walked in quickly, knelt on one knee, and whispered: "Adoptive father, I have something important to report!"

Lan Yu didn't raise her eyelids, but said calmly: "Speak."

The adopted son lowered his voice and said, "Today at 3 pm, the emperor left the palace in plain clothes, accompanied by his son-in-law, Ouyang Lun. They first went to inspect the newly built railway station in the capital, and then..." He hesitated for a moment, "Then the two of them went to 'Heaven on Earth' and stayed there for two hours before coming out."

Lan Yu's fingers paused, a gleam of light flashed in her eyes: "Oh?" (End of this chapter)