"Give me a batch of Don horses for the Cossack cavalry."

Chu Tian dined in the hall of the main city in the south, and across the long table was Catherine. He unceremoniously asked Catherine for a batch of high-quality war horses.

The cost of raising ordinary war horses in Xuzhou and Yanzhou is very high, and the land for raising an ordinary war horse can feed more than a dozen people. As for the high-grade war horses, they need excellent feed, and the cost is higher.

So Chutian came up with Catherina's idea.

Catherine mentioned that she had a territory on the Don River, so the cost of raising war horses was much lower. The Don hippo is an excellent war horse used by the Cossack cavalry, if you can pit a batch of war horses from Catherine back to the Eastern Han Dynasty, you can save 100,000 taels of silver, which is also 10,000 taels of gold. For Catherine, the cost of cultivating a few thousand Don War Horses was less than 100,000 taels of silver.

Catherine squinted: "What do you want the Donhippo to do?" ”

"Improving the horse breeds of the Central Plains of the Eastern Han Dynasty."

"The war horses in the army are all geldings, and you can't cultivate offspring if you bring them back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. I'll go back to the Overworld and give you a few hundred stallions that haven't been gelding. However, if you want to improve the breed of horses, it is difficult. ”

Catherine looked at the man sitting across from her, and was not very optimistic about his plans to improve the breed.

Chu Tian knew that she had a large number of cavalry and was an eagle on the prairie, so she should have a lot of insight into raising horses: "What do you say? ”

"First of all, with the natural conditions of yours, the best war horses will die every year if they don't take good care of them, and a large number of Don hippos will die every year, and the breed will decline. If you take care of it and maintain the breed, the horse government will spend a lot of money. The cost of cultivating a high-grade war horse from an early age may be several times higher than the cost of a high-grade war horse purchased directly, because the purchased war horse can be put into use immediately. ”

"Secondly, if the base number of good horses introduced is too small, and the good horses will die every year due to soil and water adaptation, and the base to be improved is very large, in the process of backcrossing, the breeding results are likely to disappear."

"Moreover, it takes ten years for the improvement of war horses to achieve some results, and thirty years for significant results. This is still a horse breed improvement under modern conditions. Unless you think that the second generation of horses will achieve the results you want, the probability of this is very small. ”

"In the end, there is the problem of water and soil, and the improvement of the horse breed may fail, and the ideal breed may not be produced in two or three generations. Some ancient civilizations even spent hundreds of years perfecting horse breeds. ”

Catherine's words made Chutian need to consider it in more detail.

It is possible to raise horses in agricultural areas, but it is only necessary to take care of them from an early age, and the opportunity cost of mortality, breed degradation, and occupation of arable land is much higher than the cost of nomadic areas. There is a higher probability of degradation of the superior war horses.

The main reason is that the war horse has been improved for too long. In modern times, it took ten years to improve the war horse to achieve initial results, and thirty years to achieve remarkable results.

For thirty years, Chu Tian pondered that he was in his fifties......

In thirty years, Chu Tian thought that he was enough to snatch a horse-producing land.

"Give up your horses in that place. You can consider using Mongolian horses, Dawan horses, and Don hippos to improve the Ili horse. The breeding of Ili horses is dominated by Don hippos. Or, using Mongolian horses, Baikal horses, and Arabian war horses, the Three Hippos were improved. However, you need to have good pastures, such as alpine meadows, mountain meadows, mountain meadows, grasslands...... Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult, or extremely expensive, to improve the breed of horses, and it may not be possible to achieve the goal unless you have the resources and conditions of industrial civilization. ”

Ekaterina spoke eloquently.

Chu Tian's eyes lit up, Ekaterina was a talent.

No wonder she could become the largest lord of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

Catherine saw Chu Tian staring at her, although her body was a little hot, she still asked uneasily, "What's wrong?" Am I not right? ”

"No, you're right. Having good pastures can really reduce the burden. However, improved horse breeds can be tried now to prepare for the next generation. If you can't use it in this generation, you can use it in the future. ”

Chu Tian looked at Ekaterina with a burning look in his eyes: "I really want to catch you and go back to the Eastern Han Dynasty to raise horses." ”

Ekaterina was a little annoyed, it's okay to raise a child, how can she be allowed to raise a horse.

Chu Tian already knew it in his heart.

Improving a horse breed requires a lot of time and effort, and it is far from quenching the thirst of the near.

In Chutian's generation, snatching horse-producing land and sweeping the world is faster than improving horse breeds.

Improving a horse breed takes time and can be done at the same time.

Maybe in 10, 20, or even 30 or 50 years, the native horse breed will change dramatically.

"Can you let me go now?"

Of course, Chutian couldn't catch Catherine in the Eastern Han Dynasty to raise horses in her territory, and whether Catherine was willing to let him go was a question.

"Who wants to keep you here, Sophia, take him away."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Wait......" Catherine repented again, and was in a hurry, "how can I give you the stallion of the Don hippopotamus?" A teleportation array should be built in our territory. ”

With the teleportation array, there will be a way to trick Chutian into coming to St. Petersburg in the future......

"Can a teleportation array be established between the cities of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Grand Duchy of Moscow?"

Chu Tian was a little surprised.

You know, his summer city is separated from Catherine's St. Petersburg, halfway around the world. That's right, exactly halfway around the world.

"St. Petersburg is the 'World Trade Node' of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and you should know that teleportation can be carried out between World Trade Nodes at a high cost. If your Han Empire's world trade node, the Western Regions Protectorate, is willing to sign a treaty with St. Petersburg to open the teleportation array, I can send people to bring horses from St. Petersburg to the Western Regions Protectorate, and then use the Western Regions Protectorate to other cities in the Eastern Han Dynasty. ”

Catherine explained.

In fact, it is very simple, that is, to teleport from St. Petersburg to the Western Regions Protectorate, and then from the Western Regions Protectorate to Xiacheng.

The World Trade Node is very important, ensuring the flow of specialty products and population, and is also a way to carry out expeditions.

The Western Regions Protectorate and Nanhai County are the two world trade nodes of the Eastern Han Dynasty, representing the land Silk Road and the maritime Silk Road respectively, and are occupied by Huo'an, the capital of the Western Regions, and Defa, the shepherd of Jiaozhou.

Huo An's relationship with Chutian is okay, and it should not be a problem to sign the St. Petersburg-Western Regions Protectorate Treaty.

Theoretically, it is possible to use the teleportation array to sneak attack other civilizations, but Chu Tian doesn't need to worry too much.

The teleportation array can only teleport a few hundred people at a time, and it is extremely expensive. Unless a lord is rich enough, he will send troops directly from St. Petersburg to attack the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Sending hundreds of people at a time is just to send them to death.

Moreover, the teleportation array is mutual, and the Protectorate of the Western Regions can also send troops to St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg was a bridgehead for attacks on Northern and Eastern Europe.

If he had money in the future, Chu Tian would not mind taking 100,000 troops to St. Petersburg for sightseeing.

"There is no problem in opening the teleportation array, but you will give me 20,000 Don River war horses and 30,000 other war horses. Fifty thousand horses shouldn't be a big problem for you who own a ranch, and I will be of great use when I return to the Overworld. In consideration, I will give you a sum of gold and silver. ”

Chu Tian obtained a lot of loot in the national war, and looted a large number of gold and silver ornaments from the enemy soldiers killed in the battle, as well as the throne of Suleiman the Magnificent, which Chu Tian exchanged with Catherina.

Catherine has a vast grassland, more than Xu Fengnian's Longxi war horses. Add to that a personal relationship......

In the exchange of interests on the battlefield of the national war, there is no need to consider the cost of the teleportation array, and the price of one war horse that Chu Tian buys from Xu Fengnian can buy three war horses from Catherine!

Of course, this is with the consent of Catherine.

When it comes to business, Catherine is serious and refuses to retreat.

"Don't forget that you are still my servant, and you should obey your master's request. Otherwise......"

In order to buy 50,000 fine war horses from Catherine at one-third of the market price, Chutian had to take out the hemp rope that Catherine gave him.

Although Catherine is a pervert, for the sake of 50,000 war horses, Chutian can only sacrifice himself......

"No, it's 50,000 horses...... I...... I will never say yes......"

Catherine was resolute.

About two hours later, Catherine, who had been defeated, finally decided to sell 50,000 war horses to Chutian.

Fifty thousand horses is really nothing to her. In this national war, there were more than 50,000 captured horses. Catherine used her forces to conquer the Cossack tribes in the Don Valley, and she could not count the number of horses she had.

Chutian got Catherine and obtained 50,000 war horses, and Catherine promised to send the excellent stallions among the Donhippos to Xia City after the teleportation array was opened, and then left Catherine's room satisfied.

Chu Tian's generals were anxiously waiting for their lord's return. Their lord suddenly disappeared last night, and even Dian Wei didn't know about it.

Joan of Arc and Li Xiuning asked Sophia for someone, but Sophia didn't know anything, and the two sides almost caught fire.

When Chu Tian came out, he resolved the tension between the two sides.

Li Xiuning seemed to see something, after all, she was as shrewd as Xia Liang.

This matter is not complicated, and it is not simple to say simple.

Chutian approached Huo An to discuss the opening of the Silk Road with Europe. Huo An's Western Regions Protectorate was originally a transit point between the east and the west, and he was happy to open a teleportation array with St. Petersburg: "As long as the monitoring of the teleportation array is strengthened and the teleportation array is closed in time, the European legions will not be able to attack the Western Regions Metropolitan Protectorate." ”

"Then I'll leave this matter to you."

Chutian only needs to wait for Catherine to send the Donhippo stallion as agreed.

Chutian also purchased a batch of Dawan horse stallions from Huo An to carry out a small-scale horse breed improvement plan, using Don hippos and Dawan horses to improve the war horses in the Central Plains.

It's just that the cost of raising good horses in the Central Plains is high and the time is long. The military horses purchased in peacetime are also fanning horses and cannot reproduce offspring.

Before seizing the horse-producing land, the source of good war horses was basically still bought.

Catherine's 50,000 war horses were enough for Chutian to squander for a while. What's more, Chutian also captured a lot of war horses alive in the national war, including Mongolian horses and Arab horses...... It's just that the vast majority of war horses are geldings and lose their ability to reproduce.

"With St. Petersburg in the future, won't we be able to send troops to Eastern Europe?"

Hoan pondered.

"Then it depends on whether Catherine agrees, and she should not want our army to set foot on her territory."

Chutian drew a line between the individual and the territory, and Ekaterina probably did the same.

Unless there was a common interest, she would allow the Han army to appear in Eastern Europe.

Huo An thought about it, and it was true: "And from the Western Regions Protectorate to St. Petersburg, the price is not small, it is estimated that a soldier needs twenty or thirty taels." An army of 100,000 is two million taels, or even three million taels of silver. ”

Thinking of this astronomical figure, Chu Tian and Huo An both shook their heads.

Unless a special expedition is organized, it is willing to use such a large price.

"The national war is coming to an end, and Temujin has no chance to overtake in a short period of time, just in case, Cao Cao, Wei Qing, and Le Yi swept away the nearby enemies."

In order to suppress Temujin in the last period of the national war, Chu Tian sent Wei Qing, Cao Cao, Le Yi and other commanders to sweep through the nearby civilizations and continue to collect points.

Cao Cao fought in the main city in the south and served as Chutian's stand-in, which was Cao Cao's vote, and it was the first time he had run in with Wei Qing, Le Yi, Zhou Yafu and other army commanders.

Wei Qing and Zhou Yafu may not be as versatile as Cao Cao, but their ability to command soldiers and horses is almost the same as Cao Cao's, and they rank among the army commanders.

Cao Cao's loyalty also increased, and with Chutian's "Han Wu" characteristics, Cao Cao's loyalty increased even more.

Then just wait until the end of the national war.

During this period, Catherine selected 50,000 war horses and handed them to Chutian. Anyway, after returning to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, she will soon be able to replenish the war horses.

"These war horses have lost a lot of weight after the national war, and they need to be taken care of."

Catherine was clearly familiar with war horses.

Chu Tian took over 50,000 war horses, and at the same time paid a batch of gold and silver, and handed over the throne of Suleiman the Magnificent to Catherine.

Catherine will gain the throne of Suleiman the Great, and her prestige in Europe will soar, because Suleiman is one of Europe's enemies.

For Chu Tian, Suleiman's throne was just a piece of gold inlaid with precious stones, which was used to exchange for war horses, and it was definitely not a loss.

Catherine looked at Joan of Arc and Li Xiuning, faintly hostile.

The national war was coming to an end, and Temujin, who was besieging the cities of the Mughal Empire, found that he had no chance of catching up with Chutian, because Chutian's points were still increasing.

Lacking large siege equipment such as Xiangyang cannons, the Mongol cavalry did not have a strong siege ability, and could only rely on servant troops to attack the city.

Crassus, one of the Roman triumvirate, was brought by the Mongol cavalry to meet Temujin, who was overseeing the battle.

Crassus was sweating profusely in front of the Great Demon King of the East.

"The national war will end soon, and you will be taken to Mobei to serve me, but you can live. If you have a talent......"

Temujin slashed the dagger through Crassus's throat, and Crassus felt the coldness of the dagger and swallowed: "Money, I am willing to redeem my freedom with ten thousand taels of gold!" ”

Temujin said indifferently: "No, you have to help me get a million taels of gold." ”