Jia Xu unified his opinions, met with Sun Ce again, and expressed his plan to ask Sun Ce to support another batch of ordnance, especially bows, arrows, and armor. The Western Liang army was good at cavalry and archery, but not all cavalry, but all cavalry, and when fighting against the Huns, who were more adept at cavalry tactics, bows and crossbows and sophisticated armor were their advantages for victory.

In order to gain Sun Ce's trust, Jia Xu spoke in detail and did not hide anything. Sun Ce expressed sincerity, and he also had to express enough sincerity.

After listening to Jia Xu's detailed plan, Sun Ce secretly sighed. This Jia Xu is really the virtue of the dead Taoist friend who does not die and the poor Dao, he should have been eyeing the Huns and the families of Bingzhou for a long time, but he has no food, he can't act, and he has no backers, for fear of causing a counterattack by the Bingzhou family. Now that he has grain and grass, and Zhu Jun as a backer, he finally can't hold it back.

His refusal to provide free assistance is just an excuse, no matter how much aid he gives, Jia Xu will not rely on others, he will control his own destiny as much as possible. Sun Ce was suddenly a little worried, would this person stay in Bingzhou become a disaster? After thinking about it, hey, what the hell am I doing, what else can the state do except for coal, even if he is strong, he will not be able to stand on his own financially. Even if you worry about it, it's the Bingzhou family that you should worry about, such as Wang Yun, why am I in a hurry.

"Even if the state is captured, Hedong can't give up. Although the grain production in Hedong is limited, there is salt in Hedong. Sun Ce reminded: "You control Yanchi, don't talk about the Huns, and the state family will also give you a smile." ”

Jia Xu laughed softly: "I heard that the general transports sea salt from Xuzhou and sells it throughout Nanyang, so he won't come to Hedong, right?" ”

Sun Ce laughed and pointed at Jia Xu. "Sir, rest assured, for the time being, the cost of transporting Xuzhou sea salt to Hedong is too high, I do any business, and I don't do loss-making business. Besides, Xuzhou Haiyan is not controlled by me, and Tao Lingjun has the right to decide. He paused, and then said, "Do you want the salt monopoly of Henan and Hongnong?" ”

Jia Xu smiled and nodded. "I was just about to ask the general to cut his love."

Sun Ce shook his head. "Henan can't do it, if Taiwei Zhu opens his mouth to me, I can't help but give it. Even if I don't give it, Tao Yuanjun will give it. However, I can guarantee that not a single grain of salt in Nanyang will enter Hongnong. ”

Jia Xu thanked him. "The general treats me with sincerity, I am grateful, and I give ten horses to show the meaning of continuity, and after the autumn to break through the Huns, and then choose good horses to send to Runan to help the general march south."

Sun Ce was unhappy. He personally rushed to Huangchi to meet with Jia Xu, and his sincerity was enough, but Jia Xu repeatedly tried it, which was really unpleasant. In the battle of Junyi, although he won consecutive battles, his losses were not small, especially the war horses, which lost more than 300 horses successively. Jiang Qi and Liu Bei's cavalry were limited, and the captured horses could not make up for the losses.

Are you kidding me?

Sun Ce's smile remained unchanged and nodded. "Thank you, sir, but I'm not respectful. However, you don't have to send the horse after the autumn to Runan, just send it to Nanyang. ”

Jia Xu said: "The general is really like a god with soldiers, and the loss this time will definitely not be big." ”

"Actually, it's nothing, it's just living within your means and watching the rice go to the pot. If you have horses, you should use more cavalry, and if you don't have horses, you should use more foot soldiers. The south of the Yangtze River is damp, the water network is vertical and horizontal, and the cavalry is useless. Sun Ce said lightly: "Besides, I also have other war horses to help, so I don't have to trade with you." Sir, I am injured and cannot sit for a long time, so I will not accompany you. Ziyi, you talk to Mr. ”

After speaking, without waiting for Jia Xu to speak, Sun Ce arched his hand, walked away, and hung Jia Xu in the hall.

Jia Xu was embarrassed. Jiang Gan got up, sent Sun Ce into the back hall, and when he came back, he saw Jia Xu's face was unnatural, and he sneered: "Jia Wenhe, this time the general came to talk to you in person, and next time I will invite you to Nanyang or Runan to talk." Ten horses, you can also get your hands on them? If you are really so nervous, then we will not do business with you for the time being, and we will wait until you defeat the Huns. ”

Jia Xu hurriedly said: "Ziyi, you misunderstood, it's not that I'm reluctant, I really can't take it out." We have been away from Liangzhou for a long time, the road is cut off, and there have been no war horses to replenish for a long time. The last time I went to Hanoi, I fought dozens of battles before and after, lost thousands of horses, and now I don't even have horses, and some cavalry have to be changed to foot soldiers. You can see it when you've been in Hedong for so long. ”

Jiang Gan raised his hand and interrupted Jia Xu. "Brother Wenhe, people can't stand without faith, we are not fools, and the general is even more disgusted with hypocrites. He may be fooled by you once, but never a second time. He's come thousands of miles to meet you, and if you treat him like that, you're not a friend enough. ”

Jia Xu smiled bitterly. He did mean to test Sun Ce, but he didn't expect Sun Ce to react so much and directly hang him in the hall. Although this person was born in the southeast, he is as straightforward as the people in the northwest, joy is joy, anger is anger, and he does not hide it at all. In contrast, he was a little contrived.

"Ziyi's words are serious, the general treats me with sincerity, how dare I treat each other with lies, I really can't take it out. Please also ask the general to give some time, once the Xiongnu is defeated, a good horse must be offered. ”

Jiang Gan interrupted Jia Xu again. "The general will do what he says, and the assistance he promised you will definitely be given, and the future will ......," he smiled. It depends on fate. The gentleman sees the opportunity to do it, if you can't even grasp the opportunity to send it to the front, you Jia Wenhe is a little sorry for the general's appreciation. ”

Jia Xuqiang laughed twice, didn't dare to say anything, said a few more words, and hurriedly said goodbye.

Jiang Gan sent Jia Xu away and returned to the inner room, where Sun Ce was waiting. What Jia Xu said, he heard it every word. Jia Xu must have an element of temptation, but when Jiang Gan said this, he still refused to let go, it should be that the war horse was indeed nervous. War horses are consumables, marching, fighting will have losses, the Western Liang soldiers stayed away from Liangzhou for several years, can not get the war horse supplement, attacking the Xiongnu is not only to break through to the north, but also a last resort.

In this way, he was relieved. asked Jia Xu for horses, not only to make up for the losses, but also to test the reality of the people of Liangzhou. He didn't want the people of Liangzhou to be too strong, so he took advantage of his southern expedition to advance into the Central Plains and stabbed him in the back.

Jiang Gan also thinks so. He had been in Hedong for a long time, and he did see that many of the cavalry horses were weak, and some of them had no horses at all, so they could only walk. But Jia Xu also has an element of exaggeration, even if there are few war horses, it is still no problem to transfer one or two hundred.

"Don't worry, General. Before you set out on the expedition, I will definitely be able to get enough war horses to send to Runan. ”

Sun Ce was very relieved about Jiang Gan's promise. "Control the intensity well, neither let them get too fat, nor push them too hard. I need them to hold the annex state, hold the east of the river, and stop the Huns and the Xianbei people on the steppe. ”

"I understand." Jiang Gan nodded solemnly. "General, if the people of Liangzhou want to gain a firm foothold in Hedong, it is not enough to have two or three years. In order to obtain enough war horses, Liaodong and even Guanzhong should pay attention to it, and the general must be prepared. ”

Sun Ce smiled. "That's why I want to take Yuzhang as soon as possible, without a big ship, it is unprofitable to sell horses in Liaodong."