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Chapter 1033 Making a lot of money

"Is it possible?" Huang Zhong was very shocked. He had racked his brains and didn't think it was appropriate to build a city here. But the emperor turned the disadvantage into an advantage with just one sentence. How embarrassing. For this reason, he looked around and asked the officers present, and the result was that they all agreed.

Xiong Sanba, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Construction, had many skilled craftsmen under his command, who were not only good at building roads but also dams. Five years ago, he built a 200-meter-long dam on the Luan River, which completely solved the problem of flooding during the flood season and insufficient water flow during the dry season, and played a decisive role in the expansion of the Luan River Industrial Zone.

Presumably, the little-known Ili River is not that big, and it is located in a natural canyon, which makes it relatively easier to build a dam than on a plain. The emperor's method has a high probability of success.

"Okay, you are all not good at this, so it's useless to think about it. Let's talk about the gains and losses of this northern expedition. I haven't read the report of the Ministry of Revenue yet, so I want to hear your estimates first."

It was obviously not a good idea to talk about engineering and construction with a room full of soldiers, and Hong Tao did not want to show off his superior intelligence in this regard. Seeing that no one raised any objections, he immediately changed the topic and talked about the most critical issue, cost and profit.

"In order to facilitate travel through the desert, the Ministry of War and the General Staff mobilized more than 30,000 camels and more than 50,000 war horses from the Inner Mongolia Special Region and the Yarkand State, and hired more than 70,000 herders and laborers.

According to the preliminary estimate of the General Staff, the Ministry of Revenue may have to spend 450 to 500 million silver coins, equivalent to two empires, at one time, for food, ammunition, and pensions."

The astronauts answered this question, but the answer was not all verbal, but more in the form of written materials. It was a thick stack of documents that listed all the specific expenditures and detailed figures. In fact, there was no need to introduce it. Just by looking at the thickness, you can tell that the expenses were not small.

"Fuck...it's really not cheap!" Sure enough, Hong Tao's face immediately fell when he heard the approximate number. He rubbed his face hard, as if he could rub off a layer of gold powder.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Although this battle was costly, the harvest was also great. Nearly 150,000 cattle, sheep, horses and camels were seized, as well as a large number of gold, silver and bronze objects. In a temple in Beshbalik alone, three bronze Buddhas weighing a thousand kilograms were found.

There are also many temples in Wuliyasutai, Kharakorlin and Daganerduo, including small Buddha statues in herdsmen's homes. If all are counted, the copper material alone is probably tens of thousands of kilograms.

I haven’t had time to count the gold, silver, jewelry, and gems, but there shouldn’t be a small amount. I thought it was hard for herders to live in such a cold place, but I never thought their ancestors would have saved so many good things.”

Seeing that the emperor was distressed about the money, Tan Mingming's mood became much more excited. He couldn't help but smile while talking, and his face was flushed, which showed how excited he was. The officers present were also delighted to hear so many good things, and whispers suddenly broke out.

"Bang bang bang...Pay attention to your image. This is the imperial palace. You are imperial officers, not bandits dividing up the spoils in the Juyi Hall. Can you be more reserved? Go on, what else have you gained?"

As a result, the emperor was annoyed. He grabbed a lighter and slammed it on the table, criticizing his subordinates for being petty. This was just the beginning. The other party was just three relatively large tribes, and they were nomadic tribes that were not good at financial management. If it were a country, even a small country, the wealth would have to be multiplied several times!
"Not counting the Zasaktu Khanate that was divided up, we still captured nearly 2 prisoners, one-fifth of whom were young and strong. Now the 9nd, th and Inner Mongolia Cavalry Guards are chasing the Durburts who fled westward. If all goes well, we should be able to capture tens of thousands of people.

Your Majesty has always been worried about the lack of population in Luzon and Annan. Now, 50,000 people will be sent to each place first. After a year or so of familiarization, they can become good farmers. If we follow the price of slaves sold by the Spanish, we can make a lot of money just from these captives. It is because of your majesty's kindness that most of them can become citizens of the Ming Dynasty and own land. This is a blessing that has been cultivated for several lifetimes!"

After trying hard to calm down, Tan Mingming picked up another document and continued to report. However, he began to speak freely again and even helped the emperor to calculate a sum. Naturally, he made a profit. But this time, the officers present held back, fearing that they would be scolded again.

"Hehehe... this is a huge fortune! You don't have to flatter me. The five million is well spent. If Sun Yuanhua dares to complain, let him come to me!"

As a result, the emperor could not help laughing out loud, and while laughing he lit a cigar, leaned back in his chair, and shook his head comfortably. He looked more like a bandit than the officers.

"Students thank His Majesty for his consideration!" With the emperor's words, Tan Mingming, astronauts and other general staff members all breathed a sigh of relief.

The Minister of Revenue Sun Yuanhua was no more combative than the Minister of Industry Wang Zheng. He would not allow any extra-budgetary appropriations to pass easily. Even if it was extra military expenditure approved by the emperor, he would send officials from the Ministry of Revenue to check the account books one by one. Any project that exceeded the market price and could not provide a solid reason would be cut and no funding would be given.

The General Staff was not a full-time purchasing department, and during wartime, they did not have the time or manpower to bargain, so they had to trouble the emperor for special approval every time. Although they would not be criticized, who would like to be accused of buying things too expensively by holding the account book?

This is because the emperor was wise. If he had a different emperor, he would have been suspected of making up accounts, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, and embezzling money during the procurement process. This would have had a very bad impact and would have damaged his character.

"It is a skill and a duty to use war to profit the country, but what I care more about is not the profit or loss, but the main goal of this war. The three tribes of Oirat no longer exist, and the three tribes of Outer Khalkha have also submitted to the country, but has the eastward expansion of the Russians been resolved?"

“Reporting to Your Majesty, there are indeed Russian mercenaries who use muskets and artillery in the Durbert tribe, but their number is relatively small. They rarely rush to the front line in battle. Apart from a few dead bodies and the weapons and personal belongings they used, no prisoners were captured.

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I have sent out three search teams of 500 people each, led by guides from the Tushetu Khanate, to follow the river northwards to search for traces of the Russians. I heard from the local Kirgiz herdsmen that they are thousands of miles away, and I am afraid that there will be no news for a while. "

Hearing this question, the smiles on the officers' faces immediately disappeared. That's right, the main reason why the emperor was determined to march north was not to eliminate the potential threats from the Oirat Mongols and the Outer Khalkha Mongols, but to prevent the Russians from expanding eastward and colluding with local tribes.

However, after fighting for several months and spending several million taels of silver, the main target has not been achieved. If the emperor really investigates the matter, it will be difficult for everyone from the General Staff to the Army to shirk responsibility.

(End of this chapter)