Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 714 He still sees me as his older brother

Pei Yuan saw that Xu Tai was positioned very close to Zhu Houzhao, which made it convenient for them to talk, so he immediately bowed and accepted the order.

He had already removed his heavy armor and helmet, and many people were seeing Pei Yuan for the first time, so they couldn't help but take a closer look.

To their surprise, Pei Yuan did not have the terrifying appearance they had imagined. At the age of twenty, he was actually quite handsome and sunny.

This has greatly changed the impression many people have of it.

Furthermore, Pei Yuan had removed his armor and was dressed in the same official robes as them, blending into the banquet atmosphere so naturally that many court officials felt he was an official of the Ming Dynasty, just like themselves.

Her initial resentment towards Pei Yuan has turned into reassurance.

The feelings of those foreign envoys were quite different.

Pei Yuan walked from a distance in the hall toward Xu Tai's seat, while the outermost seats were for the envoys from the four barbarian tribes.

Upon seeing Pei Yuan approach, even though he merely passed in front of their table, the envoys from various foreign countries all shrank back and avoided him.

Pei Yuan had some impression of the Japanese chief envoy, Ryoan Keigo, and the deputy envoy, Kōyō. Now that the fight was over, it was time to consider the future development of trade and economic relations.

Pei Yuan could not act rashly and ruin his grand strategy for Northeast Asia.

Without the import of highly circulated and essential commodities like cotton-padded clothes and quilts, the Japanese economy, fragmented by the daimyo, could not be revitalized.

This is like a blood vessel that is blocked everywhere, which makes the trade circulation in Japan lose its vitality.

This makes bloodletting very inconvenient...

Pei Yuan has planned to sell a large number of high-quality and inexpensive goods to Japan in the next three to five years, and through agents of all sizes, try to open up even the most remote trade channels in the shortest possible time.

In this way, when the precious "Yongle Tongbao" coins are poured in, the harvest can be completed in the shortest time.

When the Japanese daimyo began to experience economic collapse due to the massive influx of "Yongle Tongbao" coins, they happened to discover one or two more mountains of gold and silver. That was truly...

Pei Yuan could already imagine the bloodshed that would ensue.

At that time, Pei Yuan could easily acquire gold and silver by trading with the constantly emerging winners.

The emergence of gold and silver mountains cannot save the collapsing Japanese economy; on the contrary, it will suppress the prices of gold and silver themselves.

Once Pei Yuan brings the cheaply acquired gold and silver back to the Ming Dynasty, he can then turn around and reap the benefits from the silver groups that control the flow of silver.

At that time, the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes might even experience passive appreciation.

In preparation for this plan, after the price of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes stabilized a few days ago, Pei Yuan's money shop began to acquire "Yongle Tongbao" coins in succession.

The acquisition of "Yongle Tongbao" did not go smoothly at first.

Firstly, copper coins, being small-denomination currencies, lacked significant trading flexibility. Secondly, Yongle coins were indeed more exquisitely crafted than Hongwu, Xuande, and Hongzhi coins, making them rare and valuable. This explains the frenzy surrounding "Yongle Tongbao" coins throughout Japan.

At current market prices, a finely crafted Yongle coin can be worth two slightly inferior coins.

In the end, it was Yun Weilin who came up with a solution to the problem.

He took advantage of the lending channels of the temples in Beijing and launched the "Great Dharma Assembly for Many Children and Many Blessings" event. As long as the people could bring a "Yongle Tongbao" coin, they could exchange it for a "Xuande Coin" and a "Hongzhi Coin".

At this exchange rate, Pei Yuan is slightly at a loss, but not by much.

After all, the "Xuande coins" and "Hongzhi coins" are indeed a bit inferior to the "Yongle coins".

However, as long as Pei Yuan resold the "Yongle Tongbao" coins to Japan, he could make a fortune.

Therefore, as soon as Pei Yuan thought about the subsequent plans, he began to actively look for the locations of the Japanese envoy, An Keigo, and the deputy envoy, Kōyō.

As soon as I looked over, Ryoan Keigo and Kōyō both leaned forward and did a dogeza (a traditional Japanese kneeling posture).

The two said in unison, "We are humble people from afar, and we have offended the might of General Qianhu. We hope you will forgive us."

Pei Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "There's no need for that, please rise, both envoys."

Liao'an Guiwu and Guangyao kowtowed again and said in unison, "Please forgive our offense, General."

Pei Yuan was speechless. How come the more he was beaten, the more obedient he became?

He quickly said, "Never mind, it's just a little sweat."

Liao'an Guiwu and Guangyao then stood up, and bowed again as Pei Yuan passed by.

Now that everyone was watching, Pei Yuan couldn't very well talk business with them, so he quickly walked a few steps to Xu Tai's table.

As Pei Yuan walked towards them, Xu Tai quietly moved to the side.

When Pei Yuan arrived, Xu Tai stared straight at the Emperor, completely pretending that the Emperor wasn't there.

Pei Yuan wanted to have a chat with Xu Tai.

Despite being a hereditary commander from the Imperial Guard, Xu Tai is now serving as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Xuanfu and has grown into a capable general in the border army.

Chen Xinjian was theoretically under Xu Tai's command, and Pei Yuan was hoping to make some connections with him.

Xu Tai ignored Pei Yuan, and Pei Yuan subconsciously glanced to the side again, only then noticing Jiang Bin, who was trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

In this situation, Pei Yuan didn't feel comfortable greeting him directly, so he just smiled at him and nodded slightly.

Jiang Bin suddenly remembered that day when he was eating at the Da Ci'en Temple and Pei Yuan rushed in and beat him up.

He remembered asking Pei Yuan, "Have you eaten?"

As a result, that bastard rushed over and overturned the table.

That day, Jiang Bin not only got beaten up, but his men were also beaten to a pulp.

Jiang Bin was furious and even went to the Censorate to ask someone to speak up for him.

But thinking about the Japanese samurai who had been beaten red and white today, Jiang Bin suddenly felt relieved in that instant.

He still sees me as his older brother.

This is probably what Pei Yuan mentioned last time: "Brothers who have survived all the tribulations remain, and a smile at our reunion can erase all enmity."

Jiang Bin then smiled at Pei Yuan, his expression one of relief and contentment.

Xu Tai, as a general of the Daredevil Battalion, and Jiang Bin, as a general of the Divine Might Battalion, were sitting next to each other.

Pei Yuan and Jiang Bin's knowing smile across Xu Tai gave Xu Tai goosebumps.

In the still chilly first month of the lunar year, although martial arts champion Xu Tai sat with his eyes fixed straight ahead, a bead of sweat inadvertently dripped from his temple.

He couldn't help but recall the rumors circulating in the military.

Xu Tai remembered that Jiang Bin was a tough guy who had been shot three times by bandits, yet still managed to pull out the arrows and fight on.

How could this be...?

Seeing his three generals sitting in a row, Zhu Houzhao felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. With these three tough men by his side, how could he not deal with the Dalu in the north?

Zhu Houzhao did not show favoritism and immediately said, "Guards, serve wine to the three generals."

The eunuch quickly brought over three cups of wine, and Pei Yuan, Xu Tai, and Jiang Bin all hurriedly rose from their seats to express their gratitude.

Pei Yuan finished his wine and then realized that it tasted the same as the wine on his own table.

Zhu Houzhao was busy showing off and had no time to care about them. He was in high spirits and would occasionally interrupt the ministers to discuss the topic.

Pei Yuan already knew what was going on when he saw this.

Whether it was Zhu Houzhao, the court officials, or the envoys from the four barbarian tribes, this guy who displayed such great power was nothing more than a military man under the emperor's command.

He was like a sharp, gleaming knife hanging on Zhu Houzhao's body.

Zhu Houzhao proudly showed the knife to others, and even casually killed a few people. Then he put the knife aside and began to concern himself with the matters that mattered to him.

Pei Yuan didn't bother to argue about it.

Isn't Pei Yuan also waiting to squeeze the last bit of value out of the mighty general?

Everyone is involved in the game; only those who win in the end can summarize the results for everyone.

Whether or not that's what they want.

It was a rare opportunity to sit at the same table with two military bigwigs, Xu Tai and Jiang Bin, so Pei Yuan was more than willing to deepen his friendship with them.

So Pei Yuan offered a toast to the two men, saying, “His Majesty just bestowed wine upon the three of us and drank with us. I, Pei Yuan, am the youngest and fortunate to be ranked alongside my two elder brothers. It is only right that I offer a toast to my two elder brothers.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bin smiled and raised his glass.

Xu Tai didn't dare offend him, so he could only raise his glass and drink with the two of them.

Xu Tai had challenged Pei Yuan last time, but the fight didn't happen because of His Majesty. This time, with An Guiwu's provocation, Xu Tai jumped out to test his skills against Pei Yuan. Theoretically, if Pei Yuan expressed a desire to compete with him, Xu Tai really wouldn't be able to refuse.

In the past, Xu Tai would have had some confidence, but today he had completely given up on that idea.

After finishing his toast, Pei Yuan wanted to chat with the two about the affairs of the border town.

Zhu Houzhao had already organized the four outer armies, which had been trained for more than half a year, into two battalions, and it seemed that he was ready to personally lead an expedition at any time.

Xu Tai and Jiang Bin, as the generals of these two battalions, should have been well aware of the situation.

Pei Yuan then asked Jiang Bin, "I heard that the Dalu started causing trouble in the north again a few days ago. What do you think about this, Second Brother?"

Jiang Bin wasn't as oblivious as Xu Tai. With so many people around, Jiang Bin could only say in a proper and conventional way, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way."

Pei Yuan took the initiative to elaborate a bit, "A few days ago, I met a Hu man who had been sold into this country. From what he said, the north has become increasingly cold in the past two years, and many cattle and horses have died."

"I reckon the situation this year might be even more difficult than before. That little Mongol prince will probably be focused on getting some benefits from the Ming Dynasty."

Jiang Bin was just a low-ranking military officer, so he didn't understand what was going on.

However, Xu Tai, who was caught between the two, couldn't help but glance at Pei Yuan.

Taking the opportunity, Pei Yuan said to Xu Tai, "Why do I have a feeling that there might be a major war in the north this year?"

Xu Tai was a little unaccustomed to Pei Yuan's eagerness to get close to him.

He said directly, "Impossible."

Seeing Pei Yuan's disbelief, Xu Tai felt a surge of confidence.

Pei Yuan and Jiang Bin are no different; they're just reckless brutes.

Xu Tai said in a pointing tone, "The Northern Frontier and the Northwest are still different."

"The northwest is flat and vast, allowing the nomadic cavalry to come and go as they please. But our northern frontier is mountainous, with the Yinshan and Yanshan mountain ranges providing cover."

"The plains between the Yinshan valleys are blocked by Datong Town, which blocks the passage of the Yinshan Mountains, and further east, Xuanfu Town guards the strategic point."

"The Yanshan Mountains are difficult to traverse, not to mention the Great Wall blocking the way, there is also the Jizhou Garrison guarding the area."

"If the barbarians dare to advance south from these two places, as long as our border troops hold the key fortresses, the barbarians will be able to wander around and dare not make any rash moves."

"They won't get away with it if they go south. If they do, we can easily block their way back. Wouldn't that mean certain death for them?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan thought to himself, "This is still the same old trick of avoiding battle."

However, compared to the vast northwest, the northern defense line had fewer obstacles, which greatly limited the Hu (barbarian) forces, making it slightly more effective.

However, Xu Tai may not have realized just how determined the little prince was to go south this time.

Once he found a gap, the little prince would send out a large army to repeatedly breach it until the northern defense line was completely breached. Xu Tai's method began to collapse after half a year.

Pei Yuan and the other two did not bring up this matter to persuade them, but rather to take the opportunity to ask them for a favor.

Pei Yuan then said to the two men, "To be honest, I originally had a trusted subordinate named Chen Xinjian. A few days ago, thanks to Jiang Erge's connections, he was appointed as the commander of the Xinghe Garrison."

"Originally, seeing that the Emperor valued the border troops, I thought of letting him serve at the front lines to earn a good reputation. But that Xinghe Garrison Commander..."

Pei Yuangang had just finished speaking when Xu Tai looked at Jiang Bin with a strange expression and asked, "Did you pull some strings to get him a vacancy at the Xinghe Garrison Command?"

Jiang Bin nodded blankly.

Before Jiang Bin could even speak, Xu Tai gave him a disdainful look, "Aren't you sworn brothers? How could you betray him like this?"

Seeing that Xu Tai had misunderstood, Pei Yuan quickly said, "Governor Xu has misunderstood. I have always admired the demeanor of the border troops and dare not casually assign people to fill other brothers' positions. Therefore, I can only find some insignificant positions to let Chen Xinjian gradually adapt."

Xu Tai looked at Pei Yuan and said directly, "Xinghe Garrison doesn't have military pay or military farms, you know that, right?"

Pei Yuan nodded, "Of course I know."

Xu Tai said "Oh," and then said, "That's all."

Pei Yuan continued, "After I found a job for Chen Xinjian, I gave him some money to recruit soldiers, and now we have managed to recruit a few men, albeit in a rough and haphazard way."

Xu Tai, who always had a sharp tongue and offended people, wanted to laugh when he heard this, and asked in an exaggerated manner, "What use are those people?"

Pei Yuan coughed lightly, continuing to play the novice in front of Xu Tai, "So, I'm wondering why we'll need to train for another six months before we can actually use it."

"More than half a year?" Xu Tai laughed, completely disregarding Pei Yuan's strategy.

He's just a brute, completely clueless about leading troops and fighting. He only knows how to fight and doesn't know how to use his brain; he'll spend his whole life being someone else's tool.

Pei Yuan seemed oblivious to the implication in Xu Tai's words and continued, "If war breaks out, it would be best if Xinghe Garrison had at least six months to prepare. We'll need Governor Xu's understanding then."

Xu Tai waved his hand in agreement, "Alright, it's nothing serious, I understand."

(End of this chapter)