For this problem, Guo Kang has also been prepared for a long time.

"We're going to recruit some people." "After the fighting in Egypt is over, we will recruit a group of fighters and logisticians to be stationed in Andalusia and Morocco as a permanent army," he said. In that place, camels were also an important means of transportation, and bringing more camel workers with them would be helpful for the war. ”

"Then this part of the funds ......" Cao Xun hesitated, feeling that they must be ready, but still asked.

"The emirs of Andalusia and Morocco will pay for us." Guo Kang explained: "It's the same as the previous funds to maintain the canal. As long as we expel the Portuguese army and help them in defense, they will pay everything for recruiting and maintaining the army. That way, we don't have to pay for it either. ”

"Is this all right?" Lady Elena couldn't keep up with his train of thought: "That means that in this battle, as long as we are responsible for sending troops?" As long as you win, not only can you expand your territory, but people will pay for it in the future? Isn't that just a waste of money......"

"You forgot? We fought Illyria before, and it wasn't the Venetians who paid for it. Cao Xun turned back to her and said, "It's just that I didn't give all the cash that time, but ceded the land and provided the fleet." ”

"When the Khan's court was fighting on our side before, I heard Maimaitinikus complain every day, saying that the war was lost." Lady Elena said suspiciously: "Anyway, I always think that fighting is a loss of money......"

"It depends on where the war is fought." Cao Xun shook his head and said: "The Poles are the second stunned people in the group of religions, not to say that we are heretics, and we will not lose money if we lose." Moreover, Smolensk was about to be robbed of land by the Poles at that time, and we had to pay for it ourselves, of course, when we went to war. ”

"That's ......" Listening to her husband's words, Lady Elena looked at Theodora with some embarrassment: "It's because I don't know much, and your plan seems to be really powerful......"

"He's not done yet." Theodora interjected: "We don't have to pay all the money for the troops. We can go to Syria and assemble first, and then go south. From there, let Hafez take care of the food. ”

"And the money for the gathering and sending of troops is to be paid by the Caliph and the Alexandrian merchants who supported him. Look, you don't really need to pay for a copper coin yourself. ”

"My Heavenly Father." The old lady turned her head to look at the Queen Mother: "Your granddaughter is really smart." Today's children are really getting more and more capable. ”

"I'm not married yet." The Queen Mother said modestly with a smile.

Guo Kang felt that the direction of her modesty did not seem to be quite right. Theodora, however, sat more upright, with his head held high, in a very useful appearance.

Still, Cao Xun was thinking about the details of the plan.

"If you are going to recruit locals......" His title also subconsciously changed, and while thinking, he asked, "If someone refuses, what are you going to do?" If there is a conflict, will the caliph also pay for them? ”

"Yes." Guo Kang nodded: "We can get the caliph's proclamation and the righteousness of the holy war." ”

"If they agree, that's even better; If they insist on confronting us, it will be tantamount to openly confronting the call of the caliphate. Our crusaders can wage holy war against them in the name of purging heresies, exterminating those who are obsessed. ”

Cao Xun thought for a while, and Lady Elena was a little stunned, and she didn't seem to react yet.

"As with the strategy against Egypt, when dealing with the caravans, we should not start a war first, but try to break them down first." Guo Kang explained.

"The local camel caravans have their own gangs, which are numerous and organized. But within the camel gang, the interests of different people are not consistent. ”

"At the top of the caravan are the guild leaders and the owners of the caravan of camels. Basically, as General Cao said, they were local tyrants, and they were all connected to Mamluk officials, local Egyptian tycoons, and Bedouin tribes in the south. ”

"These people make more than just the hard-earned money of transporting goods. Monopolizing trade routes is the greatest source of wealth. Even if we let them participate in the construction of the canal and reap dividends from it in the future, many people will be dissatisfied because they have lost their monopoly position. ”

"This part of the people is our most determined enemy." Guo Kang concluded: "Of course, they don't just contradict us – so we can get a lot of people together and deal with them. The Venetian, for example, is the most convenient. ”

"It's going to steal business, right?" Lady Elena understood.

"The Venetians are also fond of monopolies." Cao Xun nodded: "The so-called 'peers are enemies'." These two groups of profiteers are each other's worst enemies. They're definitely going to fight. ”

"Then we can really get the Venetians to pay more, and they can't agree to it."

"Yes. Moreover, there are people who resolutely confront us, and we are not afraid. Guo Kang said: "If they resist by force, we will confiscate their property and distribute it to ordinary camel workers as compensation, so that they can work for us." This is the same as giving land to citizens, and it is easy to stabilize people's hearts. ”

"Moreover, we are robbing the rich and helping the poor in the name of jihad, and we are not afraid of what others say in any way. If any rich man can't accept it, let him go to Hu Da Theory. ”

"That's really reasonable...... Cao Xun nodded.

"Except for these people, everything else is easy to get rid of." Guo Kang continued: "Our construction sites also need camel transportation, and it is impossible to eliminate them all. As for the really excess, it is also possible to transport them to Andalusia in the same way as mentioned before. ”

"It's empty right now, and there is a serious shortage of men. I spoke with their emissaries that the local emirs were happy to grant fiefs to the Mamluks, and fields or bonuses to other skilled people. It is not a big problem to settle these people. ”

"In this way, the camel gang that seems to be one force actually has at least three forces. We develop policies that are tailored to their positions and needs. ”

"The Art of War says that the best strategy is for strategy, followed by diplomacy, and then for the battlefield. I think that it is in line with the concept of a soldier to use strategy to further disintegrate the enemy and reduce the strength of the resistant. ”

"We can study the ideas of the Egyptian warlords separately, co-opt and suppress them; Of course, it is also possible to study the thoughts of different people in the camel gang separately and adopt different strategies. It's actually a similar line of thought. ”

"That's right, it's an insightful idea." Cao Xun nodded again and again: "I know why the Queen Mother recommended you so confidently." ”

"It's not my credit either." Guo Kang said modestly: "The 'king's domineering spirit' and so on I just mentioned are actually just the surface of the Seris culture. The true wisdom of the ancients lies in these strategies. ”

(End of chapter)