"What does this mean?"

"Based on the average life expectancy of 60 years, the number of adult men who can be used for war in a country is calculated from 15 to 45 years old, which means that only about 25 percent of the entire population can be used for war!"

"And you, all the adult men have become warriors!"

"This means that in the years when there is no war, the Khitan will only starve to death!"

"This means that for every soldier killed in battle, the population base of the Khitan is declining by one member!"

"Even if your women can give birth again, I'm afraid they won't be able to withstand such a huge consumption!"

"At this rate, I can even assert that the Khitan will completely disappear in this world in another ten years at most."

"The once invincible legend can only be reduced to a joke for future generations to admire!"

"Why can Datang Datang fight for a hundred years, but it is getting stronger and stronger?"

"Why is the fierce and heroic Khitan getting weaker and weaker? Here's why!! ”

Li Xingzhou's loud drink made all the Khitans stunned.

That was the first time they had heard this question about the ratio of soldiers to civilians.

In fact, the ratio of soldiers to civilians is actually the top priority of a country!

Why did the so-called feudalism often appear in the feudal period?

A large part of the reason for this lies in the embodiment of this ratio of soldiers to civilians.

Mathematically, we can derive such a result.

That is: the border is doubled, and the territory is tenfold larger.

For example, if the length of the territory of the border is a square and the length of the side is ten kilometers, then the territory area is one hundred square kilometers.

If the side is 100 kilometers long, the territory area is 10,000 square kilometers. The growth of the latter is simply one more o than the former.

And it is this extra o that determines the strength or weakness of a country.

The meaning of the army in the very beginning was to guard the frontier and defend the country.

They do not produce, but get paid for themselves by selling the technology of war.

The common people paid a certain amount of the fruits of their labor to hire this kind of armed guard.

Through the above calculation rules, we can see that the more vast the territory of the Tang Dynasty, the more it can expand production and promote commerce by reducing the ratio of soldiers to civilians.

Assuming that 1,000 soldiers are needed to guard the frontier on a land with a radius of 100 square kilometers and a border of 10 kilometers, then a land of 10,000 square kilometers and a border of 100 kilometers requires only 10,000 soldiers to guard the border.

Its combat strength has increased year-on-year, but the ratio of its soldiers to civilians has been greatly reduced.

On the other hand, the people have less to give.

The growth of its national strength has also been greatly accelerated.

As Li Xingzhou said, this is a very important reason why Datang is strong.

They are warlike and martial, but not all of them are soldiers.

This brings them a plan for a sustainable exhibition.

Why can Datang deter the Quartet?

In addition to this need to consolidate the rear, there is also the possibility of freeing up more forces for other countries.

However, the ratio of their soldiers to civilians, the amount of food they need, etc., can be further reduced.

Smart people always use war as a tool to make money.

Through this kind of money-burning behavior, you can gain more benefits for yourself.

Of course, this kind of policy system is also very related to the topographical situation and political environment around Datang.

After all, a policy can never exist alone.

But the Khitan is different.

The Khitan never lacked brave warriors.

But they can't even formulate a basic livelihood policy.

This may be the sorrow of this warlike nation, right?

Their ancestors once relied on powerful wars and invincible battles to plunder a large amount of wealth for the Khitans, which made the Khitans believe in war.

Yet, they are now at war and are leading them down a path to racial annihilation.

And the biggest problem is.

There is no turning back.

Ku Moli swallowed saliva with some difficulty.

"The brother of the Khitan can only fight."

"But war may not bring you enough wealth. I remember that four months ago, there was a military operation in the Khitan to loot grain. But that time, you failed. ”

Ku Moli let out a long sigh.

"A lot of brothers died."

"In my opinion, every warrior of the Khitan is a priceless treasure, but unfortunately, there is a lack of a patriarch who can use them well."

Ku Moli stared at Li Xingzhou with big eyes.

"Bastard! Are you accusing me? ”

"No, I'm telling the Khitan what is missing?"

"What's missing?"

"Scabbard."

Scabbard?

This answer surprised everyone.

What does that mean.

Li Xingzhou raised his eyebrows slightly, with a good-looking smile on his face.

"The bravery of the Khitan is like the sword out of the sheath, coming and going, raging and publicizing."

"However, the sword has no sheath, and it suffers from the wind, sun, rain and frost all day long, and as the years go by, I am afraid that it will inevitably rust and dull."

"Sharpening the sword every day, although it can make the blade longer, but I don't know that the sword becomes shorter and shorter, and the soldier becomes smaller and smaller, and in the end it is not as good as the protection of a scabbard."

He looked at Ku Moli and said slowly.

"Therefore, what the Khitan lacks is the scabbard that can cover you outside and protect you from wind and rain."

Li Xingzhou's meaning is actually very clear.

There was no shortage of warriors in the Khitan, but they had nothing but warriors.

They can only survive by fighting, but even if they do, they lack cannon fodder.

Sometimes, there are wars that do not need to be fought by elites.

Some cannon fodder may be better suited for these tasks.

But the Khitans had no choice.

They are good steel, but they don't always work on the edge of a knife.

They are a spear of pure steel.

But not all warriors can wield it.

If it were a Tang Dynasty general, they would not hesitate to turn these good steels into sharp spear tips.

Then with a wooden hilt, it can not only reduce the weight of the spear, but also greatly increase the combat power.

Khitan...

They can't do it!

Li Xingzhou continued.

"Khitan is the world's sharp blade, if Longquan is in the world, even if there is no good sheath to protect the body, even if it is wrapped in a piece of yarn and a piece of cloth, it is necessary."

"Otherwise, I will be so sharp for a long time, I will work hard for myself and frighten others, but in the end I can only wear off all my sharpness in the years."

"So, the Khitan warriors need to find a new way out. This way out must not only bring wealth to the Khitan warriors, but also bring favorable protection to their own warriors, so that they don't have to spend themselves in vain because of those senseless battles. At least... The battle for food four months ago was no longer necessary. ”

With Li Xingzhou's faint words, he said sentence by sentence.

If the dusk drum and morning bell hit the heart of the Khitan warrior hard.

All the Khitan leaders pondered, thinking about what Li Xingzhou had said.

Although the Khitan warriors were brave, they were not all powerful and brainless.

Although they do not understand economics and are not good at people's livelihood, they can always see and hear clearly the obvious rights and wrongs of some issues.

Li Xingzhou's meaning is simple.

The Khitan's way of survival needs to be changed.

At that time, Li Baishi and Yan Shun had already stopped chewing.

Listening to Li Xingzhou speaking eloquently among the Khitan people alone, his words were sharp and his tone was passionate.

He is like a speaker, bringing questions to everyone, but also bringing the need for everyone to think.

Li Baishi whispered to Yan Shun.

"This guy is the most eloquent general I've ever seen."

Yan Shun snorted in a muffled voice.

"When he lied to me, he said it more beautifully than that."

Li Baishi thought, then you are still sitting here and eating and drinking with Li Xingzhou.

But thinking about it, I was afraid that this would have the opposite effect, so I swallowed it back into my stomach.

At this moment, the patriarch Ku Moli bowed to Li Xingzhou.

"Marquis Shan, we admit that you have a point."

"If I'm guessing correctly, do you want us to join your Zuo Yiwei and join you in attacking the Turks?"

"So what?"

Ku Moli smiled mysteriously.

"Shanhou, if the Khitan wants to grow, it can't die anymore. Attacking the Turks, I'm a Khitan warrior, I'm afraid there will be a lot of casualties, right? ”

Li Xingzhou laughed.

"It's your business whether to fight the Turks or not, and I'm not interested at all. I'm here just a Khitan suggestion, a suggestion that can make your winter not so difficult. ”

"As for joining Zuo Yiwei..."

"I'm sorry, my Zuo Yiwei is already full. If you recruit more than 3,000 people, I'm afraid that my head will have to be cut off by His Majesty first. ”

"So." He looked at Ku Moli and said word by word.

I'm not interested in recruiting Khitans, I'm not interested in anything! I'm here just to give you a suggestion that can strengthen the Khitan. ”

........................。。

The noise around the campfire stopped.

The wind quietly sent a solemn breath that enveloped the land.

Patriarch Ku Moli walked out of his tent, where hundreds of Khitan warriors stood silently.

Li Xingzhou's voice was loud, loud enough to spread out of this camp tent and dozens of meters away from here.

Many Khitan warriors heard Li Xingzhou's words.

Admittedly, he has a point.

The Khitan needed food, a large amount of abundant meat, and money to buy weapons and armor.

They also like the rich and prosperous city, where there are many new and good things, but the Khitan does not have them.

They had not even seen them, but could only hear or see some descriptions of them from the mouths of the merchants who came and went.

But now, even the merchants are less coming, because they are afraid of the Khitan warriors.

Brave warriors, as a rule, are not too reasonable.

Cunning merchants can deceive them again and again.

And they will only use their fists to vent their anger.

Even if the merchant who was beaten was not necessarily the merchant who deceived them.

Khitan... I'm really not good at dealing with people.

A nation without commerce is doomed to lack vitality.

Through the plunder of war, it became the only source of money for the Khitan, which is not unusual.

Li Xingzhou came, and he brought his own advice, but told everyone that he had no interest in recruiting Khitan warriors.

He's like a great good man.

With a smile and wealth, come to this savage and desolate place, and look for a group of brave warriors to increase their selfless assistance.

Such a good deed...

How many people in the world can refuse?

Ku Moli looked at his warriors, who were silent.

Sighing, he walked back to the tent with his hands in his hands.

"Hou Shan, you said you had a suggestion, what is it?"

This time, he sincerely asked for advice.

He didn't know what Li Xingzhou's purpose was when he came over.

But he knew that maybe Li Xingzhou could really do something for the Khitan.

What he needs is a way of survival that doesn't need to change too much for the Khitan.

But it can bring opportunities for the growth of the Khitan.

What he hoped Li Xingzhou could put forward was such a suggestion.

Subconsciously, he also believed that Li Xingzhou would not waste such a good opportunity to win the trust of the Khitan.

Li Xingzhou smiled slightly.

"Why can't the Khitan form a mercenary group?"??

Only by truly considering the problem from the other party's perspective can we get the other party's affirmation.

A wishful want to let the other party give all the benefits to themselves.

Even if you make a bargain, it's just a one-shot deal.

And the bigger hidden danger is to be careful of the retaliation of the opponent.

The era before Li Xingzhou's crossing was an era of replacing war with negotiation.

Most of the time, good diplomacy can bring far more benefits than war.

In diplomacy, there is such a famous saying.

"A high-quality diplomatic event is often not determined by how much you get from the event, but by how much satisfaction you have with each other."

"Under the premise of this satisfaction, how much profit can be expected, and how many possible losses are avoided. This kind of diplomacy that can plan for the future can be regarded as truly excellent diplomacy. ”

Li Xingzhou gave Khitan advice that made everyone's eyes shine.

Hire.

The Khitan's specialty of being good at warfare no longer has to be constrained by any army, and it can bring a lot of monetary benefits to the clansmen.

Most importantly, they had the right to choose the war.

If there are too many people dying in a particular battle, they can choose to raise the price or not go at all.

The Tang Dynasty is not without mercenary groups, but there has never been a precedent for an entire race to survive by mercenary combat.

And today, Li Xingzhou brought this plan to the Khitan.

Ku Moli was not stupid, he immediately realized the benefit, but at the same time he immediately thought of some questions.

"If the Khitan becomes a mercenary group, it will be a loss of its own position. It is impossible for us to fight for people we don't like, especially those who are hostile. ”

"And we're not good at business."

"We don't know how much the Khitan can be worth in a war, and we can't get any more loot as compensation for our deaths."

"In addition, the exorbitant price is not affordable for everyone."

Li Xingzhou Shu raised a finger: "All these problems can be solved by only one thing." ”

"How?"

Li Xingzhou smiled.

"It's very simple, just hire a managerial talent for Khitan that you can trust."

Many of the leaders of the Khitan were already excited at this time, and many people began to ask, "Who can do it?" ”

"First of all, this person must be able to selflessly consider the Khitan, and all interests should be prioritized by the interests of the Khitan."

"Secondly, this person is good at business, knows how to operate, and can maximize the benefits for the Khitan in negotiations."

"For example, when you go to war, in addition to the necessary and sufficient money, you must also be able to get a certain amount of loot."

"Third, this person must have a military vision, and he must be able to see all the possible consequences in an imminent war, so as to make a comprehensive plan."

"He will not bring a doomed war to the Khitan, nor will he fight for the Khitan that will not be lost."

"Fourth, this person must know the Khitan well enough. Only in this way can we truly make comprehensive preparations for the Khitan. ”