"Traps are calm until they are broken, and it is impossible for people to make the right choice when they are full of greed. You see the benefits of Ceylon, but you don't see the great risks there.

The island of Ceylon is so close to India that it is a six-and-a-half-day flight from Xinjiapo. At first, the old man thought that you would capture one or two islands as a foothold.

But in order not to startle the snake, you actually let Li Xiu and Li Hu chase the typhoon to sneak attack regardless of the risk. The sneak attack was successful, but now? Tens of thousands of people were held back on the island of Ceylon, unable to advance or retreat.

And you'll have to do your best to send reinforcements and supplies to the island. The price we have to pay is far more than Wu Sangui. ”

Sun Chengzong took a sip of tea and finally closed the mouth sprayed with venom.

"It's useless to say that now, India is the biggest obstacle to our westward expansion. Gasoline engines have developed to this point, and our demand for oil products is many times more than before.

Not to mention anything else, you know how much the high-power airship will promote the economy of the Ming Dynasty. But why can't it be implemented, it's not because we don't have oil in Daming.

And the warships, which now have to carry heavy and dirty coal. Jinzhou has already experimented with oil-burning machines, and the voyage is much farther than that of steam engine ships that use coal. How much impact does this have on Daming Shipping? You won't be unaware of the economic benefits of shipping.

Where is the oil? There is one in the Middle East, as long as India is defeated, the next step will be to occupy the Middle East and extract oil. As long as there is oil, Daming's economy will reach a new level. Whoever controls the energy will occupy the world. For the sake of the lives of future generations, we ......! ”

"Wait a minute!" Sun Chengzong stretched out his hand to stop Li Xiao, who was impassioned and ready to start his speech.

“……！” Li Xiao, who was interrupted, was very unhappy.

"How do you know that there is oil in the Middle East, the last time Huzi said to go to the Middle East to build a canal. If you kill a few hundred people, if it weren't for your second brother in time, you wouldn't even be able to find a bone. ”

"I'm ......!" Li Xiao was so choked that he couldn't speak, and if the old guy didn't scare people, he thought that as long as he scarened people, he could scare people to death.

How do you explain it to the old guy? Those Muhammads in the Middle East in later generations made a fortune from oil?

"I knew it!" Li Xiao sat down on the chair angrily.

"Brother Xiao, this is not a matter of anger. I don't know if there is oil in the Middle East, but we need to settle down. If a country wants to gain a foothold in this world for a long time, it is necessary to attack. But it's not a good thing to fight every day!

You know the word "recklessness"!

This year, Jiangnan's tax revenue has recovered, and the state treasury is more abundant than before. But you can count with your fingers, build the Yangtze River Bridge, and build roads and bridges across the country.

Build branch railways throughout the North, and you're planning to build a new battleship Empire. With a displacement of 15,000 tons, the old man had never heard of a ship as big as a mountain floating on the sea.

And that's not even counting the construction of schools across the country, and your various research institutes. Brother Xiao, there is nothing to support with silver. Our Ming Dynasty is thriving, but there must be a fire underneath. The firewood that runs in this empire is silver, silver, silver! chamberlain

Without silver, how can I support such a large empire. Look, this is the payment fold sent from various places. Either stop the construction works, or comrades build schools, or stop your crusade to the west. Anyway, that's all there is to it, and if you spend more in this place, you will spend less in that place.

Otherwise, you will be the one who will do it. ”

Sun Chengzong directly put a large stack of folds in front of Li Xiao, which was more than a foot thick. Let's not say how long it will take, just watch it again, Li Xiao won't sleep tonight.

"Forget it, what's the matter with this expedition. Just sent Man Ye to the Ili River Valley, the originally planned three main divisions, plus one cavalry division to the west, now become Man Ye and Cao Wenzhao, and the military expenditure should be much smaller.

And the current war on Ceylon, I just want to use the second division. Since you have calculated so much, the money that was originally used for four divisions has now become only three divisions. The budget should be saved a little, you can just give me the budget that should be given to me. As for how to adjust, that's my business. ”

"Uh......!" This time, it was Sun Chengzong's turn to have nothing to say.

He originally thought that Li Xiao's use of troops in the South China Sea this time would require a lot of manpower, material resources, and troops. The main division had to be transferred at least two or three, but I didn't expect it. Li Xiao went to fight India, and only brought a second division that had just been redressed.

How long has it been since the Second Division fought a major battle? Since marching into the Southern Ming Dynasty, the Second Division has been stationed in Fujian to suppress the clan forces there. Later, Liangguang also became the territory of the Second Division, and the bandits were suppressed over the years, and Yuan Chonghuan only sent some regimental and battalion company commanders as observers to watch the battle.

Can the Gurkha soldiers, who can't fight the Japanese soldiers with the second division, be able to fight?

"Brother Xiao, the old man didn't say what he said just now. If you really want to send troops, I have to support you by smashing the pot and selling iron. Anyway, I took Ao Ye with me, the second division has not fought for too long, and the old man has no bottom in his heart about this combat power.

You went to India to fight this time, and you can't do it without the strong soldiers of Ao Ye's first division. Wu Sangui's subordinates can carry the Japanese soldiers, which means that they are not fish belly, and they are not bullied by you. ”

"No! I also want to take Ao Ye with me, but the First Division is now a heavy group. Counting the artillery, support logistics, and the garrison division responsible for the perimeter. There are 100,000 people in bits and pieces, and such a heavy equipment group is transported thousands of miles away to the South China Sea, which is how much capacity is needed.

How much time is it going to take! What we lack most now is time. Wu Sangui won't give Huzi much time, a month and a half, which is already the limit that Huzi's 50,000 people can support.

Now every day is a race against time, and I have sent a telegram to Yuan Chonghuan. If he is asked to reorganize his arms for war, all ships in the South China Sea will be temporarily requisitioned.

I'm going to concentrate all my capacity and do something big in a short period of time. ”

"What are you going to do?" Sun Chengzong suddenly woke up that Li Xiao was taking risks and gambling by doing this.

"Brother Xiao, you are now in the Ming Dynasty. You can't bet, at least not if you go out and bet yourself. If there is anything to do, let Yuan Chonghuan and the second and third children of your family do it, you must not be in danger.

You can't afford to gamble, Daming can't afford to gamble. The Ming Empire has just turned from decline to prosperity, and we have faintly climbed to the top of the world, and we can't do without you as a leader at this time. ”

"You're old and respectful, and you're more fit than me to lead this empire."

"The old man is more suitable to be an official and manage this empire than to lead this empire. Brother Xiao, you can't risk yourself. ”