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"This is the horse bridle, saddle, and horseshoe. The Prime Minister calls it the three-piece set of horse gear. Before, it could only be equipped to the cavalry of Shangjun, but now it can be used to equip the entire army."

Xiao He walked to the wooden rack where military supplies were placed, reached out and picked up a three-piece set of horse harness, then turned to face Li Xin.

Li Xin took the 'three-piece set of horse harness' and stared at the three items.

The horseshoe is half-moon shaped, with slightly curled edges and a unique cold light of metal. The horseshoe is forged from fine iron, with some delicate textures on the surface, which increases friction while maintaining its beauty. The iron is hard and thick, and can withstand all kinds of wear and tear during long journeys. There are two small holes at each end of the horseshoe for nailing and fixing it on the horse's hoof.

The saddle is made of a tough leather that has been specially treated to be waterproof and durable. The leather surface is painted with some simple and majestic patterns, highlighting the majesty of the Qin Dynasty. The shape of the saddle is like an eagle spreading its wings and ready to fly, with a slightly raised front end and a wide and curved back end, which can perfectly fit the curve of the horse's back. The saddle pad is filled with thick cotton and soft wool, which not only ensures the comfort of the rider, but also reduces the pressure on the horse when running. On both sides of the saddle, there are two copper rings, which are used to fix reins and hang weapons and other items.

The reins are made of hemp rope and leather. The hemp rope is tough and elastic, and is carefully woven so it is not easy to break. The leather part is wrapped around the hand grip, and is engraved with some anti-slip patterns, which makes the rider more stable when controlling the horse. One end of the rein is connected to an exquisite copper bit, which is of moderate size, allowing the horse to comfortably accept the rider's instructions and effectively control the direction of the horse's movement.

Xiao He looked at Li Xin and introduced in detail:
"General, each of these three pieces of harness is carefully designed and crafted. The horseshoe can protect the horse's hooves, making them less likely to be damaged whether on a rugged mountain road or during a long-distance gallop. The design of the saddle is more in line with the physiological structure of the horse's back, which not only reduces the burden on the horse, but also allows the rider to sit more steadily during riding and reduce the discomfort caused by bumps. This improved rein accessory is more convenient and flexible to operate, allowing the communication between the rider and the horse to be smoother."

After that, Xiao He called a cavalryman, who came over quickly, leading a tall and strong black horse. The black horse's mane shone glossy in the sun, and its four hooves were strong and powerful.

The guard squatted down and began to install the horse's harness. He first picked up the horseshoe, lifted the horse's front hoof with skillful and gentle movements, and placed the horseshoe accurately on the bottom of the hoof. Then he took out a special iron nail from the tool bag beside him, carefully passed it through the small hole, and gently tapped it with a small hammer to firmly fix the horseshoe on the hoof. Then he placed the saddle on the horse's back, adjusted the position to ensure that the saddle fits tightly against the horse's back, and then passed the reins through the rings on both sides of the saddle and tied the bit. Xiao He completed the whole process in one go, and soon the harness was installed.

Li Xin walked towards the horse, stroked the horse's mane with his hand, squinted his eyes slightly, and revealed a light of eagerness in his eyes. Then, he pushed his hands and climbed onto the horse neatly. He sat upright on the horse's back, adjusted his sitting posture, and felt the comfort and stability brought by the saddle. The moment he held the reins, he could clearly feel the good feel of the rein accessories.

Li Xin shook the reins lightly and clamped his feet on the horse's belly. The black horse seemed to have received the command, neighed loudly, and raised its front hooves. The front hooves were raised high, shining with the light of strength in the sun, and then they stepped down suddenly, galloping out like an arrow from a bow. The horse's hooves made a rhythmic sound on the ground, crisp and powerful, like an exciting war song.

Li Xin rode on a horse, his black cape fluttering in the wind. His figure was as tall as a pine tree, his eyes were firm and sharp. The sun shone on him, outlining his tough outline, like a god of war. He controlled the reins in his hands freely, and every subtle movement could be accurately conveyed to the horse.

The black horse ran around the training ground, faster and faster, with a nimble and light posture. Li Xin rose and fell on the horse's back with the horse's running rhythm, and his body and the horse seemed to be integrated. Sometimes he leaned forward slightly, lowered his body to reduce wind resistance; sometimes he straightened his back and raised his arms high, showing his heroic spirit.

When the horse turned, Li Xin gently pulled the reins on one side, leaned his body slightly, and used his center of gravity to coordinate with the horse's turning. His movements were smooth and natural, without any delay. Under his control, the black horse galloped along the curve accurately, its hooves flying in the wind and raising a cloud of dust.

When accelerating, Li Xin clamped his legs around the horse's belly, shook the reins in his hand, and let out a low shout. The black horse seemed to understand his command, and its four hooves moved faster, like a black lightning across the training ground.

After the test ride, Li Xin dismounted from the horse in a neat and tidy manner. With a satisfied look on his face, he handed the reins to the soldier beside him. He smiled at Xiao He and said, "This three-piece set of horse harness is indeed excellent. With this equipment, the combat effectiveness of our cavalry will be greatly improved."

Xiao He smiled and said, "The weapons and supplies that the Prime Minister has issued this time include five tons of thunderbolts, 20,000 crossbows, and 50,000 sets of three-piece horse equipment. Some of the new food and grass are still on the way, but they are enough to supply the army for three months of fighting.

The Prime Minister has ordered all localities to cooperate and ensure the supply of materials for this expedition. General, you only need to focus on formulating strategies and tactics, and we will do our best to take care of these logistical matters."

Li Xin pondered for a moment, his eyes swept over the various military supplies placed on the parade ground, and then looked at the soldiers. A sense of pride surged in his heart, as if he saw the upcoming victory: "In this case, Li will definitely go all out and live up to your majesty's trust."

Li Xin looked towards the parade ground with a firm look in his eyes: "Pass on my order. From today on, select elite soldiers to form a gunpowder drill team. They will be trained day and night under the leadership of craftsmen. The rest of the soldiers must not relax either. They must continue to strengthen their conventional combat training and be ready to go to war at any time."

The deputy general took the order and left, and the training ground became busy again. Li Xin and Xiao He stood side by side, continuing to discuss the strategic deployment of the expedition to Western Qiang.

"General, as far as I know, there are many Western Qiang tribes, but they are not united. Perhaps we can take advantage of this and adopt a strategy of division and disintegration." Xiao He said slowly with a deep look in his eyes.

Li Xin's eyes lit up: "Captain Xiao means to win over some tribes and attack others?"

"Exactly."

Xiao He nodded:

"We can send envoys with generous gifts to negotiate with some relatively weak tribes that are willing to surrender, and promise them benefits. We can ask them to provide intelligence to our army, guide routes, and even assist in combat when necessary. For those tribes that stubbornly resist, we will strike them with thunder and lightning."

Li Xin stroked his chin and thought, "Although this is a good strategy, the selection of the envoy is crucial. He must be eloquent, courageous, and familiar with the customs and habits of the Western Qiang."

Xiao He smiled and said, "I have a candidate in mind. He is an aide to my mansion, named Su Jin. He has traveled to various places in Western Qiang and knows a lot about them. He is also an excellent speaker."

"Oh? Then please ask Lord Xiao to arrange for this person to come and see me as soon as possible." Li Xin said.

Not long after, Su Jin arrived at the training ground.

He was dressed in a blue shirt, with a handsome face and eyes that showed intelligence and courage. After paying his respects to Li Xin and Xiao He, Su Jin said respectfully: "General, sir, I am willing to be an envoy of the Qin Empire to the Western Qiang."

Li Xin looked at Su Jin and asked, "Do you know that this journey is full of dangers and you may not be able to return?"

Su Jin straightened his back and answered without hesitation: "I understand, but for the sake of the Qin Dynasty and for the general to successfully pacify the Western Qiang, I will not hesitate to die."

Li Xin nodded slightly: "Okay! Then you should prepare to leave immediately. Remember, you must be cautious and adaptable."

Su Jin bowed and accepted the order: "Yes!" As the two discussed and decided, Longxi County began to prepare intensively for the expedition to Xiqiang. Soldiers sweated on the training ground, trying to improve their combat skills; logistics personnel were busy preparing food and supplies; and the selected spies, after a short training, disguised themselves and quietly headed to Xiqiang. The whole Longxi was shrouded in a tense and hopeful atmosphere, and a war was about to begin.

On the Qin Road, convoys transporting military equipment and supplies continuously converged on Longxi, Shangjun, and Shujun. Craftsmen from all over the country were also rushing to make more weapons day and night to provide solid support for the upcoming war. The entire Qin was running for this campaign to pacify the Western Qiang.

.....................

Zhao Mansion.

Lu Zhi flipped through the account book in her hand and frowned slightly.

As the saying goes, when a cannon goes off, there is a thousand taels of gold.

A total of 300,000 troops were mobilized in this expedition against the Western Qiang and the Xiongnu.

The daily rations for ordinary soldiers are about 3 catties (mainly corn, etc.), which means about 90 catties per month. The monthly rations for 30 people would require 2700 million catties. The training, including combat, is expected to last for a year, and the basic rations for the soldiers alone would require tons.

Although the Qin Straight Road had been repaired, the Qin was the attacking party this time. Once the three counties were out, the transportation cost would increase significantly. It was considered good if one of the ten bags of grain could be delivered to the destination, and the rest would be consumed during transportation. Therefore, the actual amount of food that needed to be prepared was far greater than the direct consumption of the soldiers.

Transporting supplies requires many civilian laborers. If 10 civilian laborers can transport enough supplies for one soldier for one month, then 1 million civilian laborers are needed to transport supplies for 30 soldiers for one month. Some of these civilian laborers are conscripted, and some are hired. They all need to be paid. The daily wages of ordinary civilian laborers are half a tael of money, which is 300 taels of money for 30 days a month. In this way, the monthly wages of 15 million civilian laborers are as high as 300 million taels of money.

The civilians themselves also need to consume food during transportation. Although their physical consumption is slightly lower than that of soldiers, they still need about 2 kilograms of food every day, which is 60 kilograms a month. The monthly food demand of 300 million civilians reaches 1.8 million kilograms. At the price of 100 coins per stone of grain, the cost of this part of grain is 1500 million taels of coins. In addition, losses during transportation are inevitable. If the losses are taken into account, the cost will be increased by another 6500%. Therefore, the cost of material transportation alone is conservatively estimated to be more than million taels of coins.

In terms of military equipment, an army of 300,000 people must be equipped with at least 200,000 long swords and other types of weapons. Weapons will wear out and be damaged during use, so a certain number of spare weapons must be prepared. From the collection and smelting of metal materials to the forging and subsequent processing of weapons, this series of processes requires the consumption of a large amount of metal materials and fuel, and also requires a lot of labor from many craftsmen.

The production of armor was also a difficult task. The Qin army had many types of armor, including leather armor and copper armor. To make a piece of leather armor, multiple animal skins need to be carefully cut and sewn; copper armor requires more copper materials and complex and sophisticated processing techniques. Meeting the demand for armor for 30 people is a huge challenge, both in terms of the amount of raw materials consumed and the degree of demand for craftsmen. Moreover, armor needs to be maintained and repaired in daily use, which also requires corresponding materials and manpower investment.

The number of crossbows needed to support 300,000 soldiers was huge, reaching millions. The production of crossbows required a large amount of wood, metal, feathers and other materials, and required the participation of many craftsmen.

Although soldiers' clothing was prepared by their own families, they needed to prepare clothing suitable for the local climate, such as thick cotton-padded clothes and cloaks, to keep out the cold, because the climate conditions in the Western Regions were very different from those in the interior. To meet the clothing needs of 30 people, a large amount of cloth, leather and other materials were needed, and many tailors were also needed to sew. Cotton is still in the breeding stage, and it will take another two years before it can be planted on a large scale, so it is impossible to provide raw materials for clothing production.

Horses are indispensable for fighting, whether they are used for cavalry charges or for transporting supplies. An army of 30 people is roughly estimated to need at least 5 horses. The purchase of horses requires a lot of money, and the breeding and training process also requires a lot of manpower. The amount of grass that horses need to consume every day is about 10-20 catties. 5 horses need 50-100 million catties of grass a day, and 1500-3000 million catties of grass a month. If the war lasts for a year, the total demand for grass will be extremely staggering. Moreover, the storage and transportation of grass take up a lot of space and manpower.

In terms of medical supplies, it is common for soldiers to be injured and sick during war, so a large amount of medicinal materials need to be prepared for treatment, such as herbs for treating trauma, drugs for stopping bleeding, herbs for treating various diseases, etc. These medicinal materials need to be collected, purchased or grown from various places, and then go through a series of processing before they can be stored for use.

Plus tents, tools and other miscellaneous but necessary supplies.

After calculation, the monthly expenditure for an army of 300,000 would be at least 160 million coins.

The fiscal revenue of the Qin Dynasty last year was less than 200 million coins, and this was only after three million civilians were dismissed and the construction of the Afang Palace was suspended.

Although it had previously made a profit of 720 million from the auction of the tea, salt and soy sauce franchises, at the current rate of spending, it could only last about three months.

(Of course, it is impossible for all fiscal revenue to be used for the military)

"Mr. Prime Minister..."

Lu Zhi gently closed the account book, frowned, and looked at Yi Huawei with deep worry in her eyes. She bit her lower lip slightly and said with a worried tone: "The current financial resources of the Qin Dynasty can only support the army's operations for three months at most. If the war situation is tense and the subsequent food and supplies cannot be supplied, it is very likely that the Qin Dynasty will be dragged into the abyss. Once such a situation occurs, the people's livelihood in the country will be in decline, and various forces may take advantage of the opportunity to move, and the Qin Dynasty will be in danger."

Yi Huawei nodded slightly, put his hands behind his back, and slowly paced in the room. After a moment, he stopped, his face calm, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Three months, from the current point of view, is indeed a bit tight, but there is no way out. In fact, we only need to hold on for two months."

"Two months? Why does the Prime Minister say so?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Lu Zhi's eyes, and she leaned forward slightly, eager to know the answer.

Yi Huawei raised his hand slightly, made a soothing gesture, and slowly said: "As long as our army is proficient in the new weaponry, it will be able to exert a combat effectiveness far beyond the past. The new weapons have greatly improved both in sharpness and ease of use."

As Yi Huawei spoke, he walked to the map hanging on the wall, pointed to the area where the Western Qiang and the Xiongnu were located, and continued: "The enemy is not familiar with our new armaments, and will be caught off guard in the first battle. With the advantages of new weapons, our army can quickly advance the front line, seize key strongholds and obtain some spoils of war, which can replenish food and supplies, and at the same time weaken the enemy's strength."

Yi Huawei turned around, looked at Lu Zhi, and said with a smile: "As long as the early battles go smoothly, the war situation will be extremely favorable to us in two months, and the pressure on the materials needed will be reduced accordingly."

Yi Huawei was really not worried. If it really didn't work, he would ask Yilan to cooperate in the decapitation operation. He didn't believe that anyone could escape Yilan's energy cannon.

(End of this chapter)