Yunzhou, ten miles from Dongping County, Cao Xuan stood on horseback, not far away, an army was slowly pulling out, and in front of this team, several horsemen were rushing forward.

When he got closer, the first person turned over and dismounted, clenched his fists and bowed: "How dare you work Uncle Labor to go out of the city to greet him?" It's really a little nephew! ”

Cao Xuan dismounted with a smile and helped Zhu Youzhen up with both hands. "Your Highness is too polite, you have traveled all the way, and it has been hard."

"It's been a long time since I've been so tired of saddle horses, and Yuzhen's body and bones are not as good as before, but I really feel a little hard, but when I think of seeing my uncle soon, some hard work is gone." Zhu Youzhen said with a smile.

Cao Xuan couldn't help laughing, Zhu Youzhen was not like this before, at that time, he was unruly and unruly, with high eyes above the top, as if he was the first and second in heaven. A catastrophe actually changed his personality fundamentally.

But this is a good thing in Cao Xuan's opinion.

The two of them are also cellmates, and they were picked up by Jing Xiang from Wuyi together, Cao Xuan once thought that Zhu Youzhen had been abolished, until Jing Xiang sent a secret envoy and talked to him about something, he knew that Zhu Youzhen was actually a new look, completely different from the past.

Such a big event, he naturally would not listen to Jing Xiang's words, and through his own channels in Chang'an, he finally confirmed that what Jing Xiang said was true.

"This time you went out of Beijing, your father was also generous, and he gave you 3,000 of his most elite troops, and let Cao Bin lead the team, it seems that he still feels very sorry for your little son." Looking at the army that had stopped in the rear, Cao Xuan said.

"If you want me to stay in Pinglu for a little more time, and persist for a while longer, I always have to spend some money." Zhu Youzhen flattened her mouth and didn't care. "Besides, you have to pretend to be a father and a son, otherwise won't you let others see the joke? Although I am a wasted person, I am still his son after all! ”

Cao Xuan shook his head and said: "In the past, you relied on your fists to reason, but now you don't rely on your fists, but you have become sharp-toothed, after all, it is your father, don't go too far." ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled: "My father refused to give me any chance." I have forgotten all the military exploits I have made over the years, compared to my two elder brothers, I don't know how strong it is, once I feel that I am useless, I will abandon it like a cover, knowing that this place in Pinglu is already in danger, but still send me to support the façade. Cao Bin may be able to save my life when the time comes, but uncle, I have been defeated again and again, lost Luzhou, and then lost Pinglu, what face will I have in the future to stand in the Daliang court! ”

Cao Xuan sighed.

Like Jing Xiang, he also thought that Zhu Wen's impatience to abolish Tang Zili was an extremely unprepared behavior, and the result was that it was now difficult for them to move forward. Aside from the fact that the external environment is even worse, the internal environment is actually full of contradictions, not to mention anything else, the desire of Zhu Wen's sons for that chair alone has led to countless contradictions.

When there is no such chair, everyone does not expect it, but since there is one, qualified people naturally want to go up and sit down, which is human nature.

"Go into the city, I've prepared a banquet in the city for you." Cao Xuan's mood suddenly became a little low.

The two of them got on their horses and walked slowly.

The 3,000 soldiers and horses led by Cao Bin were naturally not allowed to enter the city, and Cao Xuan's subordinates went to take them to the places that had already been prepared to set up camp and send supplies to the army, so they were naturally well prepared for a long time.

"Along the way, the scales under my uncle's governance have made my eyes shine, and I feel a bit of a paradise!" The two walked side by side, looking at the vibrant crops on both sides of the road, Zhu Youzhen was very nostalgic. "Unlike Guanzhong, even though there are 800 miles of Qinchuan, there are barren places, you can see ruined villages, everywhere. Even raising food has become a big problem. ”

"After being Li Ze's prisoner for more than half a year, I still learned something." Cao Xuan said: "The Tianping Army was defeated in Luzhou, tens of thousands of troops, only three or four out of ten who were able to escape back, and the entire balance was close to the point of collapse." In the past few years, I have tried my best, but I have only barely recovered the good times. ”

Zhu Youzhen's face changed slightly, and she said, "Are you learning from Li Ze?" ”

"Not exactly!" Cao Xuan said: "Although I was captured at that time, I was still able to walk around and take a look. When they returned, some of them followed suit. Let's say Juntun. ”

"Are you saying that these fields are military camps?" Zhu Youzhen's horsewhip pointed at those crops.

"It was, but not now." Cao Xuan said: "At that time, our army was disheartened, and it was impossible to fight, so I took them to open up the wasteland and farm, and they always had to eat, and at that time, your father, our emperor, His Majesty, didn't bother to answer me." I had to be self-reliant. In one year, I cultivated nearly one million mu of land under Tianping, and then distributed these fields to those soldiers, and even the families of the soldiers who followed me to Luzhou and never came back were not missed, and everyone was allocated some land. ”

"This is the policy of returning to the heart, presumably uncle, it is with this strategy that he has re-cleaned up the balance of people's hearts, right?" Zhu Youzhen appreciated the authenticity.

"That's right!" Cao Xuan said: "If the Ping army is re-established today, but the tuntian has not stopped, the soldiers know that these tuntian are reclaimed for themselves, but they are also doing their best. ”

"No one reached out?" Zhu Youzhen said with a smile.

"Absolutely!" Cao Xuan snorted coldly: "But those who dare to stretch out their hands on the tuntian, I will cut one of them, and I will cut one pair of two." I didn't touch some people's vested interests, but these things are measures I use to rebuild the army and boost morale. ”

"How is the Tianping Army rebuilding?" Zhu Youzhen asked.

This is a question he has to care about. Because Cao Xuan is now his biggest foreign aid, Cao Xuan's power has a great impact on his future.

"Twenty thousand with armor." Cao Xuan said: "If it is in wartime, it can also mobilize 50,000 young and strong people. ”

"20,000 people?" Zhu Youzhen was slightly disappointed.

"After the first battle of Luzhou, I really understood what it means to be a good soldier but not a many." Cao Xuan said: "As long as you can use the idea, it is enough." Your Highness, don't underestimate my 20,000 people, after several years of estimation, their combat effectiveness is comparable to that of the Tianping Army in the past. I gave them land for their families, I gave them more salaries, and I allowed the talented to emerge and rush home to eat and die. This year, I relied on this army to make Tian Ping's repeated provocations in vain. ”

Pinglu faced the oppression of Qin Zhao's Zuo Xiaowei, and the Tianping Army was not easy, they needed to withstand the pressure of Tian Ping's right Jin Wuwei, although there was no large-scale conflict, but small military conflicts should not be underestimated, and the victory or defeat of the battle again and again would deeply affect the soldiers' will to fight and confidence.

"So, my uncle has gained a lot of money, right?" Zhu Youzhen said happily.

Cao Xuan shook his head: "It's not about taking advantage, it's just that there is no loss." Tian Ping is still a lot worse than his Lao Tzu, and I must be trembling against his Lao Tzu, but for him, I am at ease. His combat effectiveness of soldiers and horses is very good, and after the equipment has been strongly supported by Li Ze, it is far better than ours. ”

Zhu Youzhen gasped: "Uncle, although the Right Jin Wuwei is one of the twelve guards under Li Ze, it is really not their main force, can we only maintain an undefeated situation with them?" ”

"Their equipment is so good." Cao Xuan was a little indignant, "Several times, I thought that there would be a big victory, but I was stubbornly resisted by them, relying on their sophisticated equipment." I managed to hold out until their reinforcements arrived, forcing me to retreat. I can't fight hard with them, financial resources, manpower, can't compare with each other. My soldiers, now if you die one, there will be one less, you Laozi, now you will use me as a pawn! ”

"Where did Li Ze get so much money to support his army?" Zhu Youzhen was puzzled and puzzled.

"Haven't you been studying for the past two years? You also know that there are so many aspects involved in governing a country that it is absolutely impossible to rely on the army alone. Cao Xuan took out a few copper coins from his arms and handed them to Zhu Youzhen. This is the standard copper coin opposite, what do you think? ”

After checking it in his hand, Zhu Youzhen nodded and said, "It's much better than ours." ”

"Now the balance, everyone uses this money, and the copper coins minted by the Chang'an Money Bureau are useless at all." Cao Xuan said: "Do you know how much profit there is in this coinage? ”

"Of course I know that."

"Chang'an's coinage bureau, only know how to make money on this, don't know how to maintain the value of this coin, now in the balance, one or two silver can be exchanged for 1,400 copper coins minted in Chang'an, but it can only be exchanged for 800 copper coins."

"The difference of six hundred dollars?" Zhu Youzhen was shocked.

"When people usually trade, they choose to use the copper coins on the opposite side, but when it comes to paying taxes, they choose to use the copper coins minted in Chang'an." Cao Xuan shook his head and said: "In the end, I have no choice but to abandon the money of the Chang'an Minting Bureau and use this copper coin uniformly." ”

"It's the same as letting the other side make money." Zhu Youzhen said a little helplessly.

"What can I do? If I use the money from the Chang'an Minting Bureau, I will have to go bankrupt first! Cao Xuan said with a little crying and laughing: "I know that every time I use the money on the other side, I will increase the strength of the other party, so what?" When you enter the city, you'll see that the city is full of goods from the opposite side! ”