The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 288 As long as the speed is fast

There is a mountain north of Osaka.

During the Song Dynasty, it was called Daqingshan, and this area was called Baidaoling. During the Liao Dynasty, it was called Yuyangling. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Shenshan. During the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Wengguanshan. The Zhou Dynasty inherited the name from the Ming Dynasty and still called it Wengguanshan.

It also belongs to the Yinshan mountain range.

It stretches from the upper reaches of the Dahei River valley in the east to the Kundulun River in Heishan in the west.

It stretches nearly 500 li from east to west and is over 100 li from north to south. It also has a high altitude, with the main peak, Wengguan Mountain, reaching an altitude of two to three thousand meters.

Two groups of barbarian cavalrymen fought fiercely at the foot of the mountain.

far away.

Zhao Sheng led three hundred armored cavalry to reinforce the rear, even their warhorses were covered in cotton armor, their imposing presence was like thunder, ready to strike at any moment.

The power of armored cavalry is well-known.

Qi Shannian watched for a while and then agreed, "Erdun is still working very hard."

Since the Battle of Yunchuan City, the tribes of Dabansheng have lost the confidence to resist the Western Army of Datong. In addition, Wuen, fearing the Western Army of Datong, chose to lead his troops to flee north, leaving the remaining tribes even less capable.

However, they still have their advantages.

For example, being familiar with the terrain.

However, the Western Army of Datong also had its own methods for defeating the enemy, namely, using the barbarians to destroy the barbarians.

In order to completely eliminate the tribes of Dabansheng, more than 7,000 cavalrymen from various tribes were conscripted. It can be said that all the men of the tribes in Tumaochuan and Shanyu areas were wiped out, and even the old and weak were mobilized.

One thousand five hundred armored cavalry and one thousand five hundred padded armored cavalry were used to reinforce the lines, and there was also a wagon battalion of nine thousand militiamen for support.

More than 7,000 Hu cavalry, 2,000 mercenary Hu cavalry, and 800 Hu cavalry.

Nearly 10,000 Hu cavalrymen were scattered throughout the Dabansheng area.

The chieftains of these tribes were no strangers to Dabansheng, who was backed by Zhou Jun, and no one could do anything about it.

"Erdene!"

"Do you want to be the Zhou people's lackeys and exterminate us?"

Have you not heard?

"The principle of 'when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked' applies here?"

opposite.

An old Hu man, covered in blood, sat panting heavily on horseback, surrounded by his personal guards, indicating his high status. He shouted to Erdun ahead.

Erdun was furious.

"I'm letting you go, but you won't. Today's events are entirely your fault."

He certainly knew about Wang Xin's idea.

Ultimately, it all comes down to exhausting the Hu people.

Wang Xin is truly terrifying.

He dared not be negligent, fearing that Wang Xin would discover his selfish intentions. This man sometimes judged by his actions, not his intentions, and sometimes by his intentions, not his actions. No one could see through Wang Xin's ways.

Many people were killed.

So those who survived all understood.

We must not arouse Wang Xin's suspicion.

We must take the initiative to consider the interests of the Western Army in Datong.

He tried his best to conceal himself, taking great risks by slowing down his pace and even deliberately revealing his whereabouts. As a result, that old fellow Saihan couldn't bear to give up his territory and actually hid here, trying to escape.

That's what he thinks, and that's what others think too.

There were quite a few tribes that had taken refuge in Wengguan Mountain, and they were quickly discovered by Zhou Jun. In order to solve the problem once and for all, Zhou Jun entrusted Zhou Jun with the task of wiping out the Hu people of Wengguan Mountain.

He became the one in charge.

It seemed that the Western Army of Datong trusted him, but Erdun was on the verge of tears.

Their own strength is already the largest among all departments.

What's going on?

How did I become the biggest one?

No choice.

Erdun, with a heavy heart, led several thousand Hu cavalry into Wengguan Mountain. As they marched down the mountain, not only did many men from various tribes suffer losses, but his own tribe also suffered heavy losses, not to mention the Dabansheng tribes that were wiped out.

An inch of mountains and rivers, an inch of blood.

Although their units have many people, they don't have many able-bodied men.

Who wouldn't cherish their young and strong?

In the past two years, the Hetao region has been plagued by frequent wars and has been repeatedly ravaged by Wang Xin. Every day, thousands are lost, and every day, thousands more are lost. Over the years, the able-bodied men of each tribe have been almost entirely wiped out.

It's a true case of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

How could Erdun not hate Saihan?

Saihan did not know Erdun's thoughts, only that Erdun fought desperately against the Hu people for the sake of the Zhou people, disregarding even his own casualties.

Frustration, hatred.

Even to the point of bursting into tears.

"Wang Xin is so ruthless, using you like this, why can't you wake up?"

It's a simple truth that even I understand, so why doesn't Erdun understand it? He watched as his army was defeated, but Erdun's casualties were also considerable. Even if he defeated me, did Erdun really think he could gain the trust of the Great Zhou?

What he did was utterly incomprehensible.

"You don't respect the Zhou etiquette, so I'm not going to waste my breath arguing with you."

When Erdun saw other tribesmen approaching, he dared not risk being exposed and continued to offer subtle reminders.

This person is too old.

My mind is full of straws.

Unable to understand human speech, Erdun's eyes turned red with hatred, and he personally led his men to kill them.

"you"

Upon seeing this, Saihan bared his teeth in fury.

Soon the two sides clashed again. When the tribes that came to support Erdun saw how fiercely he was fighting and how serious the casualties on the ground were, they dared not be negligent and reluctantly led their own tribes into the battle.

soon.

Saihan was defeated again.

He led the remaining troops and fled into the ravine.

Erdun led his men in pursuit, and since the battle had progressed to this point, there was no point in holding back any longer. It would be better to completely eliminate Saihan and leave a better impression on the Western Army of Datong.

Many people hate themselves now.

Many people also want to replace them.

In any case, Erdun knew that he absolutely could not provoke the dissatisfaction of the Western Army of Datong, much less arouse Wang Xin's suspicion.

The fighting continued intermittently for several days.

The various departments were all broken up.

Zhao Sheng was also unsure of the situation, so he simply stayed at the mountain pass to observe.

Tribes occasionally venture out of the mountains.

Most of them were no longer able to fight.

Those tribes that were still strong enough to fight again but wanted to preserve their strength were ruthlessly reprimanded by Zhao Sheng in public and forced to continue fighting in the mountains. Only tribes that had suffered heavy casualties and lost their fighting capacity would agree to come out of the mountains to rest and recuperate.

Zhao Sheng was very clear about his mission.

"Can they win?"

Qi Shannian couldn't bear to watch any longer and rushed over to speak.

Zhao Sheng glanced at Qi Shannian.

Although the two were in a superior-subordinate relationship, Zhao Sheng was quite fond of Qi Shannian, his subordinate officer, because they both came from the Hexi Camp of the Beijing Garrison and because Qi Shannian was brave in battle.

"It doesn't matter whether we win or lose."

"What is this nonsense?"

"It's important to keep fighting."

Qi Shannian was stunned, but quickly came to his senses.

The parts of the battle situation that he couldn't understand before suddenly became clear, and a chill ran down his spine, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

"Too poisonous."

Zhao Sheng stared at Qi Shan Nian for a while.

Qi Shan Nian subconsciously lowered his head and looked at himself, wondering what was wrong.

"This is the general's doing."

"No wonder it felt so brilliant."

Qi Shannian immediately changed his tune.

Zhao Sheng glared at him.

Qi Shannian, realizing his mistake, went back feeling awkward.

It turns out it wasn't that I couldn't understand it.

It's not that I'm in a low position.

The general is standing so high; it's his doing, so it's normal that he doesn't understand it.

View from the sky.

Most of the main military forces in the Osaka region eventually flowed into the Ongguan Mountain area. The battles, large and small, lasted for a month before coming to an end. By the time the various units left, Osaka had already begun to build its foundation.

Another city is to be built.

Each department was used to it, utterly exhausted, but filled with despair.

In the past, the Zhou people could not occupy the area outside the pass. Even if they won a battle, they would leave soon. Even if they stayed, they could not hold out for long.

This time is different.

Two whole years have passed. Zhou Jun's footsteps have not only not left the area beyond the Great Wall, but have become increasingly steady there.

As the population of the Zhou people outside the pass increased.

All the departments saw was despair, and they couldn't think of any way to turn the tide.

Zhenlu City is located in the Tu Mao Chuan area.

Yunchuan City is located in the Shanyu region.

The Guihua City, which is about to be built, is located in Dabansheng.

The herdsmen in the Tu Mao Village area number nearly two thousand households, totaling over ten thousand people. Each household typically owns seventy or eighty sheep, one or two dozen cattle, and three to five horses.

An old saying goes that sheep typically give birth to three lambs at two years old, but if the snow is deep and the grass is dead, half of them will die.

Ewes give birth to three times every two years, but more than half of them die during snowstorms.

Convert it.

Each year, about twenty new birds are added, and in good years, up to thirty.

These are the quantities that can be used for trade.

They have no choice but to trade them, otherwise, as the flock grows, the allotted pastures will not be enough, and problems will arise very quickly. No herder would do that.

The cows usually give birth to one calf at a time, and twins are rare.

An old saying goes that cattle give birth once every two years, and when they do, they must choose a place with abundant water and grass to protect them. However, one in three of them usually die young.

That is, they give birth every two years, and the mortality rate of calves is one-third.

On average, there are two per year.

In other words.

The frozen sheep would become the staple food of the herders, and in winter they would be made into dried meat. They would also consume milk and sheep milk products daily, as well as tea, wheat, and other grains obtained from trade within the Great Wall.

The two cows each year are the most valuable.

Because the price of sheep is very low, a sheep sells for only five qian of silver in the Guanzhong Plain, and the purchase price on the grassland is even lower. Herdsmen can only earn three to five taels of silver by selling sheep.

One or two cows, or one or two horses, each year.

The trade in these two large livestock is the main source of income for herders.

The value of sheep lies primarily in sustaining the livelihoods of herders.

The value of cattle and horses is what improves the living standards of herders.

A cow can sell for eight taels of silver in the interior, not to mention the price of horses, which are ten taels or more.

The business flourished in all directions.

Wang Xin focused on the details.

The key is land.

"Nine thousand militiamen, not all of them, let's say six thousand, at least 20% of the land must be reserved. This is a red line, and the business must not ignore it, otherwise there will be problems."

Wang Xin reminded him.

We are still in a period of war. Before we deal with Ou Yanhu, it is not time to let our horses graze and our weapons be stored away.

Nine thousand militiamen and three thousand battalion soldiers.

Twelve thousand soldiers.

Those who have made meritorious contributions, meet the requirements, and are willing to stay on the grasslands will definitely make up half, and more likely than half.

Let's calculate it as half.

That's six thousand people.

The population of the entire Hetao region should not exceed 200,000, otherwise per capita resources will decline.

Two hundred thousand people, in families of six or seven, equals thirty thousand households.

Two-tenths of the population, which is exactly six thousand people.

In other words.

The standard they set themselves, and the purpose of the merchant guild's retention, was just enough to distribute to six thousand soldiers.

Xue Ke and Zheng Hao nodded.

The general's words were written down in the booklet.

Wang Xin had no one he could use.

Be clear about your own identity.

He left everything to the businessman, only responsible for supervision.

Xue Ke and Zheng Hao wished they could be split into eight pieces.

Although both were young, their years of travel outside the Great Wall had turned the two fair-skinned scholars into dark-skinned young men.

"I think simply reminding people is not enough; the military should send people to supervise and ensure that the red line remains unshakable."

Wang Xin gave the instructions.

"Will this cause dissatisfaction?"

Xue Ke said with concern.

Although Juzhongchang is growing in size and doing more business, it doesn't mean that no one is dissatisfied.

On the contrary, quite a few people are dissatisfied.

Because to date, Juzhongchang has not earned a single penny, yet it continues to invest money.

The merchant firm lacked cattle, sheep, and horses.

The cattle, sheep and horses that were originally lent to the herders finally yielded the expected returns in their second year, but these returns could not be converted into money and were instead lent to new herders.

With several rounds of financing, many people's shares have become more valuable, but their shareholdings have also decreased significantly.

In short.

The outlook is promising.

The actual benefit was zero.

Many businesspeople frequently complain about various threats.

Wang Xin disagreed.

Of course, businessmen don't tell the truth.

They all claim to be losing money, but in reality, they all drive BMWs and have beautiful women riding around.

“Anyone who is dissatisfied can withdraw their shares. Whoever is willing to withdraw, I will be the first to pay to buy back their shares. I will never let them lose money,” Wang Xin said dismissively.

The general was full of confidence.

Xue Ke suspected that he had been tricked.

Although Xue Ke was quite talented, he was ultimately somewhat bookish and easily swayed by others, believing whatever they said.

There are many kinds of value in business.

Expectations are also a form of value.

As long as there is expectation, businessmen are willing to invest money.

I certainly wouldn't believe those businessmen's nonsense.

Whether they are businessmen, officials, or ordinary people, they are all human beings. As human beings, they all share commonalities: greed and the desire for more.

That concludes the discussion on arable land.

Then there's the castle.

Zhenlu City, Yunchuan City.

The Guihua City project is about to begin construction again.

"This is not enough."

"We also need to build Chiershan City, Wengguanshan City, Fengzhou City, Heishan City, Dongsheng City, and Yulin City."

Wang Xin pointed at the map and waved his hand.

"The most important thing in business is efficiency. The sooner you develop the local areas, the sooner you can make money. Who would turn down making money? If the bank's funds are insufficient, then continue to raise funds."

Wang Xin's style was bold and unrestrained.

This time, it was Zheng Ang who was moved.

"General, this is too fast."

The third round of financing was only a few months ago, and now they're already asking for the fourth round.

Even merchants would be uneasy about the general's speed.

“Go and contact Li Dexing first. Li Dexing will understand,” Wang Xin said without hesitation.

Although I often instilled new business ideas into businessmen, not every businessman could keep up with my thinking.

Although Zhou Daofeng had the greatest influence, he couldn't fully comprehend everything; he could only be described as competent.

On the contrary, Li Dexing, who was less capable, was able to understand and apply the knowledge to other situations.

As for whether these businessmen will threaten him once they grow big.

Wang Xin was not worried.

The emperor should be the one who is worried.

Why are you worrying about this?

Whether the emperor or the merchant class holds power, it doesn't really matter.

Why should only emperors hold power, while merchants cannot?

Since merchants cannot hold power, the emperor should be the one in a hurry. But I am not the emperor, so why should the eunuch be in a hurry when the emperor is not?

Your own needs are the key.

The emperor gave him one million taels of silver for military expenses, promising to help him quell the rebellion in return.

The merchant gave him one million taels of silver for military expenses, promising to support him in order to successfully quell the rebellion.

It's very fair.

(End of this chapter)