armyinform Page 254
Page 254
Mendo asked curiously, "I don't know why Zanpu is worried?"
Songtsan Gambo raised his head and said, "Prime Minister Zuo, Ben Zanpu suddenly remembered the agreement with the Western Datang Company in the past few days. Tell me, is what the King of Yue said credible? Datang is really willing to sell it to us. Grain and salt and iron?"
Menduo thought for a while, then shook his head: "Zanpu, to tell the truth, we were probably deceived by the King of Yue. Previously, when Tubo and Datang hadn't turned against each other, Datang only sold a small amount of salt and iron to Tubo every year. , the defense is that my Tubo will grow stronger, and now, although the two countries are in business and exchange what is needed, the Emperor of Tang will definitely not restrict us from purchasing grain, salt and iron..."
Prime Minister Donna also said: "Zanpu, Prime Minister Zuo is right, we need to prepare early."
Songtsan Gampo was somewhat disappointed.
He thought that he could take this opportunity to solve the shortage of food, salt and iron in Tubo.
"Ugh!"
He sighed.
At this moment, a guard ran in and said, "Zanpu, a letter from Tang Dynasty!"
Datang's letter?
Songtsen Gampo stood up abruptly and took the letter.
He opened it, looked at it, and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha……"
Mendo wondered, "Why is Zamp laughing?"
Songtsan Gampo said happily: "Prime Minister Zuo, this is a letter from the King of Yue. In the letter, he said that he has bought all the goods we need and will arrive in Tubo soon. He told us to prepare... "
"What? King Yue really did it?"
"It's unbelievable. You know, we haven't given them any money from Tubo yet."
"Next year, we will use cotton to pay off the bill, and that cotton is nothing more than a wild product. It means that we can get a large amount of grain, salt and iron without spending a penny, just by using a war horse!"
"What a happy event!"
The left and right prime ministers kept talking happily.
Songtsan Gampo said: "King Yue, you are really a good friend of Ben Zanpu, no, there is also Chen Chu, the son-in-law. I heard that the West Datang Company was founded by Chen Chu, and this business was naturally approved by Chen Chu... What a shame... alright!"
As he spoke, Songtsan Gampo ordered: "Prime Minister Left and Right, you pass down the order to make people ready to receive the goods... By the way, we have already entered into business with Datang, and in the name of Ben Zanpu, tell Tubo and the people of Datang , We in Tubo welcome Datang merchants to do business. Tubo’s cattle and sheep can be sold to Datang at will, and war horses... well, let’s sell a part of it. Things that are not available in Tubo, such as food, are sold to Tubo through the West Datang Company.”
……
Chapter 307 Adding New Sorrows
Ten days later.
Somewhere outside the city, a huge convoy appeared.
The banner of the team is: West Datang Company.
The Tubo people are already familiar with this banner and cannot be more familiar with it. Last time, the Western Datang Company came here to buy cotton and sell a lot of rare goods.
Therefore, when the convoy of the Western Datang Company reappeared, Luoxicheng was dispatched in full force.
Many Tubo merchants had already been waiting by the roadside, planning to buy matches and soap from the West Datang Company first, and then resell them.
Songtsen Gampo, who had already received the news, went out of the city to greet him with his ministers.
The two parties collided.
Songtsan Gampo waved his hand and said loudly: "We are guests from afar. Ben Zanpu has prepared delicious food and wine. Guests from West Datang Company are invited to enjoy it first."
The beauties of Tubo, carrying food and fine wines, enthusiastically entertained the people from the West Datang Company.
Li Ke took out the list and said to Songtsan Gampo, "Zanpu, this is the list you gave me at the beginning. Now, the goods have been delivered according to the list. Please send someone to check..."
Songtsan Gampo nodded.
Checking the goods was carried out by the left prime minister Menduo and the right prime minister Dona.
About half an hour later.
The two prime ministers came back.
Mendo said: "Zanpu, I have already counted, and there is no shortage of goods..."
Songtsan Gampo was overjoyed.
In the meantime, Li Tai took out a piece of paper and said, "Zanpu, this is the account of our Western Datang Company. The goods this time are converted into cotton, a total of [-] catties of cotton... I also ask Zanpu to sign it personally." The name, stamped with the big seal of Tubo is..."
Songtsan Gampo thought for a while: "It's okay, this is a debt, as it should be."
As he spoke, he signed his name on the bill and stamped it with his seal.
Songtsan Gampo said: "King Yue, you are exhausted with your horses and horses, and please go to Luoxie City. Ben Zanpu has prepared good wine. Of course, my beauty in Tubo is different from Datang. You can also try... "
In order to win over Li Tai, Songtsan Gampo had spent all his money and prepared a group of beauties. After Li Tai entered the city, dozens of beauties rushed forward to serve Li Tai.
Who knows, Li Tai waved his hand: "Zanpu, I'm sorry, I have important matters to go back to Shanzhou, so I won't go into the city. This time, my West Datang Company also brought other goods. Let’s open a store in Luoxi City, and I hope Zanpu will give it convenience..."
Songtsan Gampo asked curiously, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Li Tai said: "According to Chen Chu's request, this king will plant cotton in Shanzhou and Tuyuhun area..."
Songtsan Gampo was a little surprised: "This cotton can also be grown?"
In his cognition, cotton grows naturally.
There are many places in Tubo.
Li Tai smiled and said: "Cotton grows from the ground, so it can be planted naturally, and the cotton planted is definitely better than wild cotton... Zanpu, I appreciate your kindness, and I will leave."
Li Tai came and went quickly.
He left behind a team, led the others, and rushed back to Shanzhou immediately.
……
Love some cities.
Suddenly a large amount of grain, salt and iron, spices, and silk came, and everyone was very excited.
Songtsen Gampo immediately summoned the ministers to the palace, sorted out the list, and then distributed it.
Those who get the goods now will have to collect the corresponding cotton in the coming year, and then hand it over to the West Datang Company.
Soon, everyone divided up the goods sent by the West Datang Company.
This business, that is, Songtsan Gampo took the lead, and ministers participated.
As for the businessmen outside, they have no chance to get involved.
When everyone was overjoyed, Mendo suddenly stood up and said, "Zanpu, I have something that I have to explain to everyone."
"What's the matter?" Songtsen Gampo asked curiously.
Mendo said: "Zanpu doesn't know that this year's cotton was purchased by our Mendo tribe. After searching the entire Tubo, there were only [-] catties of cotton! But the first batch of goods from the West Datang Company was There are [-] catties of cotton, and there will be a second and third batch of goods in the future... How can we produce so much cotton by next year?"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Yes!
The size of Tubo is only about [-] catties of cotton.
But the goods of Xidatang Company have far exceeded the value of [-] catties of cotton.
However, the West Datang Company only wants to trade in cotton.
What should I do?
From Songtsen Gampo down, everyone was worried.
For a while, everyone didn't know what to do.
Songtsen Gampo asked, "Everyone, do you have any good ideas?"
Everyone bowed their heads and did not speak.
Songtsan Gampo suddenly became depressed.
The joy that was originally due to the arrival of the goods was wiped out immediately.
……
Tuyuhun.
The territory of Tuyuhun has already belonged to Shanzhou.
The current Shanzhou has a huge territory.
The general manager of Shanzhou's marching road is Li Ji, the general.
Before Tubo is settled, Li Ji needs to sit in Shanzhou to deter Tubo.
After Li Tai returned to Shanzhou, he found Li Ji immediately.
Shanzhou City.
General's House.
Li Ji went out to greet Li Tai himself, "I have seen His Royal Highness the King of Yue."
Li Tai waved his hand: "General, you don't need to be too polite... This king came to Shanzhou this time, because I have something to ask the general for help."
"Your Highness, please give me instructions."
Li Tai said straight to the point: "You must also know that this king is now the general manager of the West Datang Company, in charge of all the business of the West Datang Company in the west of Chang'an... Now, the West Datang Company plans to grow cotton in Shanzhou. I hope that the general can organize the people in Shanzhou to help with planting. Of course, the help is not in vain. The West Datang Company promises that adult men will be paid no less than ten cash per day... I heard that there is a shortage of food in Shanzhou, and the West Datang Company has already Send people to the south of the Yangtze River to buy grain, and it will be delivered soon, which can solve the food crisis in Shanzhou..."
Hearing this, Li Ji asked, "Your Highness, you want everyone in Shanzhou to help the West Datang Company grow cotton? Doesn't that mean you don't want to grow food?"
Li Tai laughed: "Most of the land in Shanzhou is now Tuyuhun. The land is not fertile, and it doesn't produce much grain...but cotton is different..."
Li Ji thought for a while, nodded, and said: "If the West Datang Company can deliver the food and pay the people for the hired labor, then I have nothing to say. This place has been fighting all the time before, and the people have been displaced. Now It would be great to allow these people to recuperate...Your Highness, there is a powerful general named Xue Rengui under Chen Chu's subordinates, this time, he will take full charge of this matter, what do you think?"
Li Taixin said happily: "But that Xue Rengui who traveled thousands of miles alone to solve the crisis in Shanzhou?"
Xue Rengui was famous in Datang.
Li Tai had heard about it a long time ago.
"Exactly!"
"That's great!"
Li Tai agreed.
……
Chapter 308 Ping Xibo's Candidate
Within a few days, Xue Rengui organized a large number of people and began to plant cotton from outside Shanzhou City according to Li Tai's request.
At first, the common people wondered why the West Datang Company would plant such useless things as cotton with great fanfare, but soon they no longer had any doubts, because the West Datang Company paid them all their daily wages.
The people on this land, because of years of fighting, have suffered untold hardships.
Many people died in war and starvation.
Now, getting the money and taking the money to Shanzhou City to exchange for food is something that has never been imagined.
Therefore, these common people work hard.
Li Tai walked around the fields all day long, directing the people to plant cotton, which was a great joy.
On this day, when Li Tai returned to the General's Mansion in Shanzhou City, he bumped into Li Ji head-on.
Li Ji said happily: "Your Highness, on behalf of the 10,000+ people in Shanzhou, I would like to thank Your Highness and the West Datang Company. If you hadn't come, I am afraid that these 10,000+ people would have nowhere to go...especially in the former Tuyuhun territory. There were horse bandits who endangered the people, but now, when the West Datang Company came, the horse bandits disappeared..."
Li Tai said: "The general is serious. The West Datang Company is also for business. The people of Tuyuhun have a hard life. Those horse bandits became thieves because they had nowhere to go. Now, the West Datang Company can not only keep everyone alive." , and let everyone have hope in life. Naturally, no one wants to be a thief. If the general has to say thank you, I should thank Chen Chu. The West Datang Company was founded by Chen Chu, and this king did it All of this is also explained by Chen Chu..."
Li Ji nodded: "I have been stationed at the border for many years, but I have never been to Chang'an, but Chen Chu's name is like thunder, and when I return to Chang'an, I must have a drink with Chen Chu."
"Hahaha, the general is massive, but compared with Chen Chu, I'm afraid it's much worse!"
"I didn't expect Chen Consort Chen to be a massive person..."
The two are talking.
Xue Rengui came in from the outside and said, "Your Highness, Mr. Chen has a letter that he wants to deliver to you personally."
Chen Chu's letter?