In Shuzhong, the mansion of the military general Zhuge Liang is not very conspicuous, and the gate that is only six feet wide is always inadvertently missed by passers-by.

The courtyard in the mansion is not large, with a total of ten wings in two rows on the east and west, of which Huang Yueying has improved eight of them into special workshops, in which she tries to make one invention after another provided by Guan Lin.

Zhuge Liang worked in the main hall and study at the entrance.

Because of the special and sensitive time, now there are always three scholars on duty day and night in the military general's mansion and outside Zhuge Liang's office, sending the battle reports on the front line, the problem of governing the state, the trends in Shuzhong, and a series of complicated matters.

Generally, the young people led by Yang Yi will be combed in the main hall first, and the more important ones will be selected and presented to the study.

At this moment, in the study, Zhuge Liang was reading the urgent report spread out on this long case, and as the urgent report deepened, his brows condensed slightly.

It was early spring, and there was still a chill in the middle of the night, but Zhuge Liang didn't realize it, under the dim oil lamp, his face was cloudy with the handwriting on the urgent report, and he struggled to read the last word, only to find that the oil lamp was about to go out.

Stand up, replace the burned-out wick, sit down... Reread.

The battle of the Northern Expedition to Hanzhong has begun, and more than half a month has passed since the main army set out. And the scroll of wooden tablets of Zhuge Liang in front of him is as heavy as a thousand pounds to him.

The urgent report recorded in detail the process of "crossing the rice cang mountain" in the first battle of Hanzhong.

Xiahou Yuan came with 8,000 elites, but Huang Zhong only brought 3,000 people;

Xiahou Yuan wanted to recuperate and then cross the Han River, climb over Micang Mountain, and want to fight Huang Zhong to the death at the peak;

But Huang Zhong traveled lightly and simply, galloping, and rushed over the mountain with an impossible marching speed, leaving only 800 people from the 3,000 soldiers, so as to ambush in the Han River, and attack halfway... killed 7,000 elites of Xiahou Yuan's Shensu Battalion on the spot, and even captured his son Xiahou Ba.

It can be said that it was a success in opening up the main battlefield in Micang Mountain, so that Liu Bei and Fa Zheng could lead the army to advance smoothly into Dingjun Mountain!

People talk about their strengths and avoid their weaknesses...

Xiahou Yuan has five hundred in three days and one thousand in six days, which can be called a god speed...

But in this battle, Huang Zhong is faster than Godspeed, and he is attacking his body in the way of the other... It's really overbearing!

"Old General Huang Shenwu..."Yang Yi on the side couldn't help but sigh after seeing Zhuge Liang after reading it: "And... Yunqi's practice of venturing over Rice Cangshan mentioned in "Farewell to the Clouds" now seems... It's right, it's accurate! He... Again, he was right! ”

With Yang Yi's emotion, Zhuge Liang also nodded, and then muttered: "I have never questioned Yunqi's decision-making, nor have I ever questioned General Huang's decision-making, this battle was fought beautifully, but..."

Speaking of which, Zhuge Liang hesitated slightly.

Because, according to the messenger who came back from the front line, this battle is beautiful, Liu Bei and Fa Zheng led the army is also crossing Micang Mountain and advancing to Dingjun Mountain, all of which are good, but Zhuge Liang noticed one.

That's... Consumption of food –

That's right, the 200,000-strong army rushed out, and it was over the mountains and lengthened the supply lines of the grain route.

As a result... Whether it is the quantity of food or the transportation of food, there will be huge problems.

Front... It's too long!

If it is only completed in one month, it will be fine, but if this battle is frozen at Dingjun Mountain and the confrontation lasts for more than three months, then food and transportation will become the biggest problem.

Yang Yi didn't know what Zhuge Liang was thinking or worrying about, but he just looked at his solemn expression, so he asked: "Our army has won a big victory, how can the military division have such a bitter expression?" ”

"My biggest concern was never that the army would not be able to cross the Rice Cang Mountain, but that it was after the army crossed the Rice Cang Mountain..."

Zhuge Liang sighed, and he handed Yang Yi another urgent letter related to the storage of grain in the granary.

As Yang Yi unfolded, Zhuge Liang continued, "It's only been a month since the troops were dispatched, and almost all the grain and grass in the Chengdu Treasury have been transported to the front line!" It's only February, and the autumn harvest is still a long way away, and if this battle can't be resolved quickly, I'm thinking... Where are we going to raise food then? And how to transport it over! ”

Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang took out another urgent letter and handed it to Yang Yi, "These two are urgent letters from Jinniu Dao and Chen Changdao, as expected, our army is a feint, so... These two places are stalemate with the enemy, but this means that the grain road cannot be passed through the Golden Bull Road, and it must also be transported over the Micang Mountain and transported from the Micang Road... It is not easy to raise grain, but it is even more difficult to transport it... If it really gets to the point of running out of food, then... Now the lord leads the army over the rice cang mountain, and when the time comes... If you turn it back again, it's going to be difficult! Grain... It's a big hidden danger for us! Wei Gong, don't forget, if according to the account in "Yun Farewell Biography", this battle in Hanzhong will take two years! ”

This...

Zhuge Liang's words made Yang Yi subconsciously swallow a mouthful of saliva, and he was still overjoyed, but suddenly the whole person became nervous.

Undoubtedly, Zhuge Liang looked further.

The army goes out to fight for combat power, but in fact, it is a supply!

The attacking side is often subject to supply, and as long as the supply problem is not solved, the enemy can always run through the tactics of the fortified wall!

I don't fight... It's keeping, it's consumption, it's dragging!

You must know that Zhang Lu and the Wudou Mijiao surrendered to Cao Cao, leaving Cao Cao with enough military rations for ten years on the Western Front. The Shu army is an absolute disadvantage, and the Wei army has the upper hand!

"Whew..."

With Zhuge Liang's words, Yang Yi sighed heavily, and his expression suddenly became solemn. "I see..."

Zhuge Liang then asked: "I instructed you to buy grain through the Commerce Bureau, transfer grain from Jingzhou, and even if you buy a batch of grain from those black market merchants at a high price, these?" Where have you gotten now? ”

This...

Zhuge Liang's words made Yang Yi hesitate for a moment, he showed a little embarrassment, and then replied truthfully: "It's not going well, during the war, the food was already skyrocketing... Even if there is the regulation of the Department of Commerce, the temperature can be controlled in the major counties and counties of Shuzhong for the time being, and the grain can be purchased on a large scale, and there will be no businessmen to sell it at this time, as for the transfer of grain from Jingzhou, this is even more difficult... In the past two years, Jingzhou has also been fighting a series of wars, and the grain in the treasury needs to be supplied to the Northern Expedition of the second general, even if some can be transferred, it will be a drop in the bucket, as for the black market..."

Speaking of this, with a "sigh", Yang Yi sighed, "The black market is more difficult, before... Shuzhong and Hanzhong also have merchants in the secret market, Shuzhong well salt, Shu brocade, Shu ginger in the Central Plains are extremely popular, and Shuzhong also needs the Central Plains medicinal materials, furs, spices and handmade products... The two sides often tacitly acquiesce in this kind of trade, but now that the war has begun, all the channels of trade are closed... If it weren't for the huge profits, what businessman would dare to take a risk? Send food here! So... Through the black market, I'm afraid it's also..."

Zhuge Liang's three plans to raise food, Yang Yi used three vivid facts to prove that these... It's all gone.

It was precisely because of this that Yang Yi's tone suddenly became low, and his expression darkened.

This kind of thing is extremely scary to think about, and the impact is too great, so I don't dare to think about it in depth.

Rather...

Yang Yi mentioned the sentence "If it weren't for huge profits, which businessman would dare to take risks"... Play with fire?

Zhuge Liang suddenly thought of something, it was... One, more than half a month ago, he had a conversation with Liu Chan.

Zhuge Liangyao remembered that it was when he was in Zitong that he heard Liu Chan again, again, again.

This time it is to cut off the Shu brocade sold to other places in the Department of Commerce.

When he returned to Chengdu, Zhuge Liang knew that it was more detailed, it turned out... In the past three months, the Shu brocade that should have been sold to the Central Plains has been truncated by Liu Chan for "inexplicable" reasons, and even... The originally prosperous north-south mutual market, Shu brocade has been broken for three months!

Zhuge Liang immediately sent Liu Chan to ask for an understanding.

For a while, all the memories of the conversation between the two appeared in front of me.

"Adou? Why do you want to cut off the export of Shu brocade? DID YOU KNOW? Annually... What is the huge amount of grain, grass and cloth and silk earned by Shuzhong through the export of this Shu brocade? ”

In the face of Zhuge Liang's inquiry, Liu Chan just spread his hands lightly, "Well... It was Master Guan Lin who taught me, he said... Shu brocade is hard currency in the Central Plains, and the price is not known how many times the price sold in Shu has increased? And once the Shu brocade sold abroad in Shu is cut off, the Shu brocade in the Central Plains will definitely skyrocket..."

Liu Chan's words directly confused Zhuge Liang, yes, stifling the export of Shu brocade can indeed double the price of Shu brocade, but... It was the merchants of the Central Plains who earned this batch of money, and it was the people who hoarded Juqi in the Central Plains who earned this batch of money, and they didn't have it in Shu!

In addition, now that the war is about to break out, it is the time to use money and grain everywhere, and the stop of export of Shu brocade for three months may be half a month or even a month's worth of food for the 200,000 army!

Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but shake his head, he couldn't hide his disappointment, he sighed: "Now that your father is on an expedition, what he lacks most is food, not this luxurious Shu brocade!" ”

But Liu Chan continued, "Master Zhuge only knows one thing but doesn't know the other, according to my Master Guan Lin, people have a price, everything is also profitable, as long as there is a profit in a thing, it will be used everywhere; With a profit of twenty percent, it will be lively; If there is a fifty percent profit, it will give rise to positive risk-taking; A double profit would make a man defy all laws; If there is a threefold profit, it will make people not afraid of sin, even to the risk of hanging their heads..."

What is this?

At that time, Zhuge Liang couldn't understand it, and only felt that Liu Chan did this, although it was not nonsense, but... However, it is an indisputable fact that the fighter planes were delayed and the supply and supply of grain were delayed.

But today, it looks like ...

That's a whole new story.

Especially the four words "desperate" put forward by Yang Yi...

Seeing Zhuge Liang thinking, Yang Yi asked, "What is the military advisor thinking?" ”

"I'm thinking about something..."

"What?"

With Yang Yi's question, Zhuge Liang replied lightly: "As long as there is a profit in a thing, it will be used everywhere; With a profit of twenty percent, it will be lively; If there is a fifty percent profit, it will give rise to positive risk-taking; A double profit would make a man defy all laws; If there is a triple profit, it will make people not afraid of sin, even at the risk of hanging their heads! ”

"Ahh If there is a way to make those black market merchants have fifty percent, or even double or triple the profits, they will take risks... Find a way to raise military rations for our army and transport them over? ”

Yang Yi's words made Zhuge Liang slowly bow his head.

"I think..."

He first paused when he said the two words, and then his eyes slowly expanded, and he said shallowly: "I think, his words... That's what it means, right? ”

He...

Yang Yi looked like the second monk was confused, then again, this he! Which one is he?

It is separated by a wall from the study room of the General's Mansion.

In a building that was renovated from a wing room to a workshop, Huang Yueying also saw an urgent report, but her attention was completely different from Zhuge Liang, she was quite excited and excited to hold the bamboo slip in her hands, and her eyes were staring at it.

"Over the rice cang mountain, the gunpowder whip and arrow half crossed to break the enemy... This is... Is this a big success of black powder? ”

With this sentence, the smile on the corner of Huang Yueying's mouth was even more...

It's as if she's celebrating herself!

Her efforts over the past few months have paid off, and of course, this effect... It's still far from what happened!

Gunpowder whip arrows, this is just the simplest use of black powder, according to the map sent by Guan Lin, incendiary bombs, gunpowder whip arrows... And then there's the gun, it's the artillery... It is a more powerful red-coated cannon, a sky-shaking thunder cannon, a terrestrial terrestris (grenade), and a Weiyuan general cannon...

Thankfully, these drawings... Huang Yueying has it all!

Unfortunately, these... I'm afraid it's enough for Huang Yueying to worry about it again...

However, being able to share the worries of her husband, make a contribution to the Sanxing Han, and explore all the unknowns that do not exist in this era, Huang Yueying has always been full of energy.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, Huang Yueying felt a feeling of nausea in her throat, and her stomach was slightly uncomfortable.

It was something she had never felt before.

"What's going on?" Huang Yueying patted her chest with her hand, feeling uncomfortable... A little relief.

Whew, exhaling softly, Huang Yueying said lightly...

"Maybe I'm too tired these days, right? Seemingly... The ancients were honest and did not deceive me, and if they wanted to hurry, they could not reach it..."

Indeed, during this time, she was tired ...

But this tiredness is not only in the workshop, but also in the boudoir under the occasional red candle!

…

…

"A doubling of profits will make a man disregard all laws; If there is a triple profit, it will make people not afraid of sin, even at the risk of hanging their heads! ”

On the outskirts of Chengdu, I heard the voice of Zhuge Ke in a villa from a distance.

Zhuge Ke is talking to Liu Chan...

It seems that the two also talked about this sentence, and more precisely, the two also talked about... That is the problem of food supply for Liu Bei's army.

Zhuge Ke is still analyzing: "Yunqi Gongzi said so... I can understand... After all, people die for money, birds die for food, and there are countless examples of this throughout the ages... Can... It's still people who die for money, birds die for food, you just say... Doubling or tripling the profits, where is the wealth? Where's the food? What does this have to do with the grain of Uncle Liu's army's Northern Expedition? Fools... Why did you start to learn from Yunqi Gongzi when you spoke, and it was foggy and incomprehensible. ”

"Hahaha..."

Hearing Zhuge Ke's words, Liu Chan laughed out loud, and laughed at Zhuge Ke as if he was joking, "Yuan Xun Gongzi is still from Jingzhou, how can you know more about it, and you don't know much about the master than me!" ”

"How?"

"I also said, now the sale of Shu brocade has been blocked by me for three months, the price of Shu brocade in the Central Plains is bound to double, and Shu brocade cannot be imitated because of the special material and process, that is... At times like this... Whoever holds the brocade in their hands, those merchants in the black market will listen to whom! ”

Liu Chan talked eloquently...

Zhuge pondered, these words... There's nothing wrong with it!

So here's the problem, now Shu Jin has been blocked for three months... Where are the rich? They don't have Shu brocade in their hands!

"Actually, I didn't block Shu Jin..."Liu Chan smiled mysteriously.

"Ahh

In Zhuge Ke's surprise, Liu Chan shook his head with a tiger's head, and then continued, "Don't you want to think about it, if you really cut off Shu Jin for three months, it would have been discovered by my father and Master Zhuge a long time ago, how could you only know now..."

"And what do you mean?"

"I shipped all the Shu brocade from the Commerce Department that was supposed to be sold to black market merchants to Jingzhou and Xiangyang City... Now, most of them should have been sent to Xuchang! ”

This...

Zhuge Ke suddenly thought of something, his pupils widened suddenly, and all the original doubts about Liu Chan turned into surprise and praise at this moment.

Liu Chan's voice continued, "Don't forget, my master's eldest brother, Fu Shiren... But an old arms dealer, all these years... He also did business with the merchants in the north, and in today's situation, Shu brocade is hard to find, and the price is skyrocketing, so he only needs to let out a little bit of wind and say that he has Shu brocade there... Are you still afraid that there are no black market businessmen who will take the bait? ”

This...

Sure enough, Zhuge Ke's conjecture was right, Guan Lin and Liu Chan were fishing, and they were releasing bait at this time!

So... It's easy.

Zhuge Ke asked: "Even if these black market merchants can't wait to need this batch of Shu brocade, then... Do they really have what it takes to get food to the front? ”

In the face of Zhuge Ke's inquiry, Liu Chan showed his confident side as always.

"Triple the profit... I'm not afraid to risk being hanged, not to mention ... Now this Shu brocade is thirty times, and it is three hundred times the profit... Don't say that it is to send food to the enemy's formation, I am afraid that they will take the risk to assassinate Cao Cao, and someone will definitely do it under this huge profit! ”

Popularity...

What Liu Chan learned most from Guan Lin is not tenacity, not reality and ideals, not quality, but people's hearts... It's to figure out people's hearts, to use people's hearts... Among them, greed and profit-seeking are the weakest link in human nature, and they are huge weaknesses!

"Hehe..." Thinking of this, Liu Chan smiled again, he picked up a chicken leg in one hand, and before gnawing on the chicken leg, he continued, "Before in Jiangxia, the master taught me, at the beginning... During the period of Emperor Ling, because Emperor Lingdi was a good donkey, he rode a donkey cart in the palace, which led to the popularity of the donkeys of the entire Han Dynasty for a while... The price of a donkey that was originally a thousand dollars rose to two million at its peak, which was higher than the price of a sweaty BMW... Yuan Xun Gongzi, you say... Together with this war, Shu brocade was out of stock in March ahead of schedule, and now... What price will it rise in Luoyang City? ”

This...

Zhuge Ke couldn't answer, but he was sure that it would definitely go crazy!

Or rather... Luoyang Jingui——

…

…

(End of chapter)