For experienced border generals, the most annoying thing for them is snow.

Although there is often a saying that there will be no war in winter, this does not apply to border gates.

Especially Shuofang, a border pass near the grassland.

Just like Yu Zhining said, a heavy snowfall killed and injured countless cattle and sheep on the grassland, and the Turks became even poorer.

For poor ghosts with knives, the best way for them to survive is to raid.

Shuofang may face war at any time.

In the Shuofang Assassin Mansion, there were very few people who participated in the meeting.

Yu Zhining, Chai Shao, Kong Yingda, Liang Luoren, Li Kuan.

The five people basically represent Shuofang's civil, military, worldly, religious and imperial power.

Five people, you look at me, I look at you, Li Kuan looked at his figure, sighed in his heart, he was about to be a year older.

"Your Majesty Winter Coat has already asked someone to transport it, General Chai, you can distribute it as soon as possible."

Yu Zhining saw that no one spoke, so he was the first to speak.

Chai Shao nodded, needless to say, he would also ask.

Yu Zhining sighed in his heart, why didn't these four people speak.

In desperation, he could only speak in person and give orders one by one.

"Dr. Kong, I remember that my boys' school has trained in battlefield first aid, and once the war starts, those students must be prepared to be recruited."

Kong Yingda nodded, this is no problem.

"General Liang, the merchants in Shuofang City, especially when it comes to other families, need you to communicate with them, once the war starts, all must be suspended, but the war can be used first."

Liang Luoren should also go down, there is no problem.

Yu Zhining gave instructions one by one and explained their respective problems.

But Li Kuan had a question in his heart, why did he have to fight, we couldn't discuss how to keep the Turks from coming.

With doubts, Li Kuan took the initiative to speak: "Everyone, shouldn't we discuss the question of how to keep the Turks from coming?" ”

Hearing this question, the other four people, you look at me, I look at you, Chai Shao, who was holding back a smile, said: "It's a bit ridiculous to let the Turks not come." ”

Li Kuan frowned, making a listening state.

I only listened to Chai Shao explain: "There are not many others on the grassland, that is, there are many poor ghosts, and they do not have the habit of stockpiling supplies. ”

"Those herdsmen, there are more than a dozen of them killed in a family, and half of them are frozen to death when the snow is heavy, and the goods we sell to them are extremely expensive, and they can't afford to buy winter supplies at once, and looting is inevitable."

The more Chai Shao said it, the more embarrassed he became.

In fact, the main reason is that the goods they sold to the grassland in the Central Plains were too expensive.

How expensive is it?

They used to do a stone of salt and a sheep.

So in the face of the occasional caravan being robbed by the steppe people, they didn't care, they themselves knew that they deserved it.

Li Kuan scratched his head and said suspiciously: "It doesn't matter, right?" ”

The rest of the people were stunned, and Li Kuan looked at Liang Luoren: "General Liang, in the autumn, I asked you to help me harvest wool on the grassland, and the price I gave you was three cents a catty, and I signed a total of 100,000 yuan for you." ”

Liang Luoren looked to the side and didn't speak, what could he say, he could say that he gave the grassland two catties and a penny, he definitely couldn't say it.

Chai Shao and Kong Yingda didn't understand what Li Kuan meant.

But Yu Zhining had already reacted at this time, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Li Kuan in surprise: "His Royal Highness the King of Chu means that before winter, we have already sent a resource sponsorship to the grassland. ”

Li Kuan nodded, that's right.

Others didn't understand, but Yu Zhining excitedly explained: "We are sure that the main reason why the Turks are plundering is because they can't live anymore. ”

"But the king of Chu has just said that his purchase of wool has sent a fortune to the steppe, and the Turks are not stupid, and they will exchange the money for various resources as soon as possible."

"And this is just the King of Chu's family, in addition to the King of Chu, I also know that other families also have business dealings with the grassland."

"For example, the Kong family's medicinal herb business."

Yu Zhining glanced at Kong Yingda, that's right, it's your home, the largest shipper of aphrodisiacs in the Tang Dynasty.

Chai Shao and Liang Luoren also looked at Kong Yingda strangely and did not speak.

Li Kuan didn't understand what Chai Shao and Liang Luoren's weird eyes meant.

Yu Zhining glanced at Li Kuan gratefully, and said to the others: "Later, I will check the number of import and export of goods in Shuofang, and estimate how many materials from Datang are stored in the grassland, if it is enough, we can focus on Shuofang's livelihood this year." ”

Speaking of this, Chai Shao, Liang Luoren, and Kong Yingda all breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them really don't want to fight, and the three of them are not easy to handle.

However, Yu Zhining did not dissolve the meeting, but looked at Li Kuan.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu, can the iron furnace and coal you sell be cheaper?"

Well, hearing this question, Li Kuan was a little embarrassed, but he still said decisively: "It can't be cheap, I've already given Shuo Fang the cheapest price." ”

"Even, the workers in the steel plant, I send a furnace to give the internal coal price."

Li Kuan said that he really tried his best.

His coal mines, in order to sell coal cheaply, have begun to find ways to reduce costs.

Give the family internal price to the steel mill and the school, so that the people of Shuofang can buy through these families, so that Li Kuan can save logistics and transportation, and the people of Shuofang can enjoy low-cost coal.

Li Kuan said that he was already very interesting, from being a person to doing things.

Yu Zhining also knew that Li Kuan was very interesting to do, but there were still poor ghosts among the people of Shuofang, and he couldn't watch them freeze to death.

In the past year, Yu Zhining has worked hard to stimulate the economic development of Shuofang, opening factories, building new enterprises, encouraging and forcing people to work and make money.

Li Kuan hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "Yu Tingshi, have you ever thought that those people are unwilling to spend money to buy coal. ”

Yu Zhining was stunned by what he said, what the hell.

Li Kuan really felt that the people of Shuofang were not poor.

Shuofang Iron and Steel Plant supports 2,000 employees, which means that 2,000 families are employed.

Shuofang Coal Mine also has 1,000 employees, which is also the employment of 1,000 families.

These two factories have been open for a long time, both for half a year, and the minimum salary of the employees of the steel plant is 500 Wen, which means that each family has at least 3,600 Wen of additional income.

Ordinary people's homes are usually large shops, and one stove in one room is enough.

Li Kuan's coal is not expensive, and the coal of 3,000 wen is enough for the people to survive the winter.

Li Kuan said that he was all good.

Yu Zhining was confused by Li Kuan's question, is there still someone who is ready to freeze in winter, this is impossible, it must be that the price of your Li Kuan's coal is too high for the people to afford.

Li Kuan sighed and explained helplessly: "Only half of the employees of Shuofang Iron and Steel Plant buy coal at home, and the remaining half, they all help others to buy on behalf of others to earn a part of the price difference. ”

"I have investigated, and the idea of those people is very simple, as soon as the kang burns, those who don't go to work cover the quilt, nothing happens, and they can't freeze to death."

"If you have money, you can buy two more sets of new clothes, you can wear them for a few more years, buy some coal, burn it out, and you have to buy it next year, it's a waste."

Li Kuan told the truth, and it was the result of his personal investigation.

Yu Zhining was stunned by what he said, he felt that what the people said made some sense.

Buy coal, it's over as soon as it is burned, and you have to buy it in the next year, buy clothes, you can wear it for several years, which is worth?

(End of chapter)