Li Yan met the staff surnamed Zhang in the barracks in Kaifeng.

"The villain has seen Li Yibin." The staff bowed to Li Yan. He did not call Li Yan a general or a marshal, but called Yibin.

Li Yan nodded and said, "Mr. Zhang, please take a seat." ”

The staff sat down and congratulated: "I heard that Li Yibin repelled the Qing army's attack and had the merit of beheading. It is really a rare victory in the battle against the Eastern Captives recently, and I think that the imperial court will definitely reward him. ”

Li Yan said with a smile: "It's just level 30, where can it be called a credit?" ”

"It's not easy to do that." The staff said: "Not to mention the border towns, since the Qing court has raided the south several times, there have been many meritorious servicemen, but most of them are just victories in the chapter. Either it is to kill the good and take the merits, or it is inferred that the captives are far away and cannot catch up. It is rare to be able to win like Yibin and come up with a real head. The guest of honor is also a prince and a relative, and the court naturally attaches great importance to the guest of honor. ”

Li Yan shook his head in his heart, and even the eunuchs of the prison army were sent, and he said that he liked it. Now it's just that he hasn't raised the banner of rebellion, and the court can only be more careful.

He didn't want to go around in circles, and said, "Then thank you Mr. Jiyan." Mr. Zhang is here, does Sun Du have any explanation? ”

Although Mr. Zhang felt that it was difficult to speak, he still had to say it when he came with his life. He arched his hand and said: "The superintendent sent the villain to ask for help from the guest of honor." ”

Li Yan asked suspiciously, "Help?" ”

Mr. Zhang stood up, bowed to the end, and said, "The Inspector wants to ask the guest of honor to donate some food and firearms to Shaanxi." ”

Sun Chuanting also had no choice. The imperial court did not pay food, and the tuntian was occupied by the gentry. Although he had already knocked out some money and food from the gentry to donate money, it was a drop in the bucket for the army's expenses. But he didn't dare, and he couldn't take it from the gentry like Li Yan. The imperial court will not allow it, he himself is also an official gentry family, and he can't oppose himself, so he can only ask Li Yan in Henan for some.

Because Sun Chuanting knew that Li Yan had food, especially the kind of thing called potatoes, which seemed to have a large output. Last time, he asked for some potatoes from Gao Jie and others, although they were bland and tasteless, but they could indeed fill their stomachs. Eating enough is almost the most important thing for the soldiers. Of course, the most important thing is to have a military salary to support the family.

However, Shaanxi is also suffering from drought for many years, and grain prices are high. Now that Huguang is being invaded by thieves again, the price of grain is even higher. Don't say that he can't pay the soldiers, and even if he can send it, it's not enough to buy two buckets of rice. Soldiers earn money to buy their lives, and they can't even feed their families, so who wants to work hard? So it's better to get some potatoes directly from Li Yan and send them to the soldiers.

As for firearms, as long as you inquire a little, you will know that the firearms in Li Yanjun's army are the sharpest. The firearms used in Shaanxi are shoddy, cannot be hit far, and even blow up and hurt people everywhere. Although it has begun to be rebuilt, after all, it is time-consuming and waste, and I want to get some urgent things from Li Yan first.

Li Yan frowned, and politely refused: "Mr. and Sun Du should know that Li has just recovered a large area, there are millions of displaced people to resettle, and dozens of states and counties need to be guarded, so~"

Mr. Zhang is also a well-versed person, and he arched his hand and said: "What the guest said, the supervisor knows it. Therefore, when I came, the superintendent instructed that if the guest of honor has any requirements, please feel free to mention them. Although the supervisor and the guest of honor are both guarding the society of the Ming Dynasty, the supervisor also knows that the current affairs are difficult, and he will definitely not let the guest of honor gain nothing. ”

Li Yan looked at the staff for a while before he asked with a smile, "Sun Du should already have a strategy, right?" ”

The staff nodded with a smile and said, "That's true, I just don't know if Yibin agrees." ”

"Mr. Zhang, you might as well come and hear it." Li Yan said curiously.

Mr. Zhang said solemnly: "Today's words, out of my mouth, into the ears of the guest of honor, after which the villain will categorically not admit it, and there is no connection with the supervisor." ”

Li Yan nodded and promised: "Sir, don't worry, Li is not a person who tells right and wrong." ”

The staff finally said: "The border town of Shaanxi is close to the Mongolian ministries, and the border generals have some private trading channels with the Mongols. If the guest can raise some tea bricks, silk, and rare gold and silver utensils, the overseer will make it easier, and the guest of honor can buy a war horse. As long as the guest of honor can donate 500,000 stone potatoes. ”

Li Yan laughed after hearing this, shook his head and said, "I'm giving money and food outside here." Sun Du must have regarded me as a big family, but unfortunately, Li is also looking for food everywhere. ”

Mr. Zhang also said with a smile: "Sun Du also wants to save some money for Yibin. The horses that Yibin bought from Zuo Xun and others cost sixty-five taels of silver each, which is really sky-high. If it is a trade of honorable guests, one horse is no more than thirty taels at most. The money saved is enough to buy some of the cheapest potatoes from Yibin, right? ”

Although Li Yan knew that the method of trade was good, but in the current situation, the probability of a situation in the middle was too great. Besides, he didn't believe that Sun Chuanting could control the financial routes of the border generals and the Shanshan gentry, and if he was in a hurry, it was not impossible for him to die another governor.

Li Yan still shook his head and said: "Li doesn't want to do the border trade for the time being. ”

"Then, the batch of war horses that Yibin got may be the last batch." Staff Zhang said threateningly.

Li Yan had already thought that there would be such a show, but he still shook his head and said: "It doesn't matter, Li will find a way to do it." ”

Staff Zhang also knew that the threat was ineffective against Li Yan, so he had no choice but to ask: "Yibin will not watch the supervisor struggle in Shaanxi, and let the thieves ruin this great country, right?" It's hard to stand alone. ”

"You go back and tell Sun Du," Li Yan commanded, "I don't ask whose horse it is here." If Sun Du wanted food, a war horse was exchanged for ten stone of potatoes, or one stone of wheat. It's okay to ask for silver, but it's not the price of sixty-five taels, I have already agreed with General Zuo's family, and the next time it will be fifty-five taels a horse. After all, the merchants in Shanxi can also get a lot of horses, and the price should not be too high. ”

Staff Zhang nodded: "Okay, the villain must bring the words to the guest of honor." The villain didn't delay the guest of honor and took his leave. ”

"Sir, let's go." Li Yan said goodbye politely. He watched Sun Chuanting's staff leave, a little funny. He didn't expect Sun Chuanting to do something out of the ordinary, it seems that the situation in Guanzhong is really bad.

But no matter how bad it is, he can't do it anymore. He is still digesting Henan's territory. The territory is not small, but the population is not large, which causes some difficulties for his army expansion. According to preliminary estimates, he can only add less than 40,000 recruits within half a year, which is really disappointing. These additional troops are not even enough to protect the troops of various states and counties, how can they expand outward?

...