Three Kingdoms: I don’t want to fall in love in troubled times

Chapter 159 Pu Yuan
Not far outside Wushi County, smoke and dust rose in bursts, and the low trampling sound was like a heavy drum beating directly in people's hearts.

Looking down from the sky, a large dark cloud is slowly spreading towards the city.

The leader, Xu Jiashu, looked back at the armors worn by his knights, and still couldn't help shouting in his heart - this trip was really a huge profit!
The Yang family has been operating in Anding County for several generations, coupled with Yang Qiu's prudent temperament of always guarding his one-third of an acre of land, he has accumulated a considerable fortune in Linjing County.

With these foundations, once he encounters a good opportunity - such as the void in Guanzhong, Yang Qiu can instantly arm an elite force, get rid of his identity as a rural warlord, and enter the palace.

But it is a pity that these belongings have been put on by the knights behind Xu Jiashu first.

As the saying goes, my neighbor collects grain and I store guns. My neighbor is my granary.

Thanks to Yang Qiu's diligent accumulation over the years, the armor-wearing rate of the five hundred knights under Xu Jiashu's command has greatly increased, and they can now be called armored knights.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to internal disputes and the Qiang rebellion that lasted for decades, the national strength was no longer advanced compared to the Han-Hungarian War in the Western Han Dynasty. The size of the cavalry was also greatly reduced, but the tactics and equipment of the cavalry were greatly improved. progress.

In terms of tactics, the main cavalry shock tactics gradually matured.

Cavalry attacks are no longer something that only powerful men like Xiang Yu can play with. These excellent cavalry generals in the late Han Dynasty not only dared to attack cavalry, but even dared to attack infantry formations head-on.

"Instead of the strong generals Cheng Lian, Wei Yue and dozens of other cavalrymen, they rushed into Yan's formation, beheading them all on one day or three or four. After fighting for more than ten days, the Yan army was defeated." - This is Lu Bu who challenged Zhang Yan.

"Every time the public army crosses the Wei River, they are often clashed with overriding cavalry, and the camp cannot be established." - This is Ma Chao's battle with Cao Cao on the Wei River.

And, "When I see a good leader, I ride my horse and spur him in the crowd, behead him and return him, and all the generals can't be worthy of him." - No need to say more about who this is, right?

As for cavalry equipment, in addition to classic styles such as spears and bows, there are also a small number of high-end items such as horse armor, but they are too expensive and cannot be afforded by ordinary people. Therefore, the armored cavalry can only be said to have taken shape, but it is limited by the Due to the factors of the times, it is impossible to become mainstream.

In other words, the five hundred armored cavalry under Xu Jiashu are already at the pinnacle of this era's combat power. If used properly, they can play a decisive role at critical moments.

And he also has a trump card!

"If you don't know how to do stirrups, don't you know how to do stirrups?" Xu Jiashu said proudly, "Don't look down on the sports students!"

As a must-have artifact for time travellers, this thing has a simple structure and low cost. More importantly, stirrups can improve cavalry in all aspects.

Not only can it save the physical exertion of riding horses on official journeys, but it can also keep the rider stable on horseback, improve the accuracy of mounted archery, and greatly expand the range of cavalry sources, so that cavalry is no longer exclusive to nomads!
Although in Xiliang, the last point is not obvious.
When the stirrups start to be installed, it means a longer attack distance, more accurate riding shooting, more violent spear attacks, and more cavalry!

In a word, invincible.

It is our duty to restore the glory of Xiliang Iron Cavalry!
Ma Chao got the news that Zi Mao had returned to his army, but he turned against the enemy and took the initiative to wait for him at the city gate - mainly to hint to Zi Mao that he did not welcome him last time.

Unexpectedly, he found the oncoming cavalry with invincibility written all over his body. His eyes suddenly lit up and he didn't even bother to look at his theoretical target, Yang Qiu.

He looks here and touches there, just like a naughty kid who comes to your house to rummage through the cabinets during the Chinese New Year.

Xu Jiashu was smiling at the side - it was obvious that boys of any age would be excited for such an army of armored knights.

"These knights are all selected from the best," he showed off without losing any opportunity: "They are composed of elites selected from various villages. They are all top-notch masters in endurance, riding, archery and martial arts!"

"Zimao", the young general suddenly raised his head, "I want it too, can you help me get one?"

Because of the butterfly effect caused by Xu Jiashu, Ma Chao took over from Ma Teng several years in advance.

At this time, he had not yet had time to form his own tactical style and preferences, so he probably still followed the Han army tactics that Ma Teng learned when he was an officer - that is, in large regiment operations, the cavalry is mainly responsible for reconnaissance and harassment tasks. , there is still a long way to go from the fierce general who led the cavalry to charge at the Wei River so that Cao Cao could not camp.

Now that the example was in front of him, Ma Chao quickly understood Xu Jiashu's thinking.

After all, he was in Liangzhou and had all the favorable conditions for developing cavalry. As long as he was willing to invest heavily in resources, it was only a matter of time before he could build a cavalry army with stronger combat effectiveness.

"Of course I can help you," Xu Jiashu agreed happily at first, then changed the topic, frowning and looking very embarrassed, "But these are not cheap goods, they are very expensive."

How expensive is it to keep elite cavalry?

Let's put it this way, even if it is a simple version without horse armor and only knight armor, Xu Jiashu would not be able to afford much if it were not for the unexpected fortune he made from Yang Qiu.

You must know that this is under the premise that Liangzhou has no shortage of good horses and high-quality soldiers, and he still occupies a breeding base like Wushi County.

These 500 people are not human beings, they are just 500 gold-eating beasts.
Hearing this, Ma Chao did not waver at all.

"It doesn't matter how expensive it is!", he replied decisively, "I want to replace all my direct subordinates with this kind of thing!"

Xu Jiashu asked with great interest: "How many people are there?"

"Two thousand." Ma Chao thought for a moment and then changed his words: "No, three thousand."

If it's not enough, then expand it. Anyway, with his appeal, he doesn't have to worry about not having Qiang Hu with superb riding skills to submit, so it doesn't hurt to submit a little more.

"Is Mr. Chao just entertaining me?" Yang Qiu, who had been ignored for a long time, couldn't sit still. After all, he was a family man and knew how expensive firewood and rice were. "Three thousand elite cavalrymen may not be able to be built even if they waste a lot of money." Gotta come out!”

These 500 people were all the product of the "generous donation" that he and Ding Yang were forced to make. Seeing that Ma Chao thought they were nothing but cabbage, Yang Qiu couldn't help but secretly slandered: "Sure enough, he is just a child with a yellow mouth. He doesn't know how high the sky is."

"Zimao", Ma Chao glanced at Yang Qiu with his beautiful eyes, ignored him, turned around and continued to ask Xu Jiashu, "How is it? Is it okay?"

His expression was both expectant and apprehensive.

Although we hold a large county like Hanyang in our hands, it is one thing to have resources in many cases. It is another thing to be able to effectively use resources. It does not mean that you will get corresponding rewards if you waste resources. There are ready-made samples. Here, he just wants to get the exact same elite cavalry.

"Brother Yang Qiu's words are not unreasonable." To smooth things over for Yang Qiu, who had just surrendered, Xu Jiashu emphasized again, "The cost of building such a cavalry army is very high. Master Chao should think twice."

"No need," Ma Chao replied disapprovingly, "As long as it's something I want, no matter how expensive it is, I have to get it!"

What kind of perfect party is this?

Since Ma Chao made such a statement, Xu Jiashu stopped pretending - this level of order is quite rare even for Wushi County. It can not only absorb the current excess production capacity, but also further expand the scale of breeding, just for horses and armor. The income from this aspect is quite generous, plus the follow-up maintenance work, epidemic prevention, and breeding are all strong industries in Wushi County, and we can provide a complete one-stop service.

It is said that he is a fool to not make money even if he has money, not to mention that it is such a good thing that others pay to cultivate the industry. He has no reason to refuse at all. "In this case, I won't shirk it any more," Xu Jiashu said carefully, "but my brother has settled the accounts. I can handle the horses and armor here, but it's just about the cost."

"According to the market price!" Ma Chao waved his hand and said grandly: "I, Ma Chao, never take advantage of my friends!"

Yes, with his words, Xu Jiashu felt relieved.

What is the biggest shortcoming of Ma Chao?
It should be internal affairs. Not only does he lack the talent for internal affairs, but the entire Ma family can't find many talents who are proficient in internal affairs. Therefore, once he frequently fights and engages in military warfare, Ma Chao will easily fall into the dilemma of being unable to succeed.

Since he wants an invincible cavalry, Xu Jiashu will give him an invincible cavalry - and a heavy debt.

It’s easy to talk about the cost. Anyway, it’s just a matter of Justin and Bieber, so you can owe it first. Chao Gongzi is a decent person, so you don’t have to worry about him defaulting on the bill.

The stronger Ma Chao's military strength is, the harder it will be to support so many elite cavalry, and his financial situation will only fall into a vicious cycle, and in the end he may not even be able to pay back the interest.
At that time, it was time for Xu Jiashu to close the net.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t repay your debt, don’t you still have someone?

Of course, it refers to the carefully built cavalry army under his command. As long as it helps brother Zimao fight a few battles - such as helping to open up the Western Regions, helping to defeat Cao Cao, etc., he will be exempted from part of it. debt!

If you still can't repay your debt, don't you still have someone?
Mr. Chao directly sold himself to pay off his debts and joined the Renaissance Han Dynasty Group led by our eldest princess. He became a mascot, I mean a senior executive. His position was reserved and he was responsible for the comfort and governance of Liangzhou.

Historically, Zhong Yao led the Sili Xiaowei to govern Guanzhong, but he only managed to paper over the situation. The ten tribes in Guanzhong were separated and maintained peace with Cao Wei. The real cleanup of the separatist forces would have to wait until Xia Houyuan "took the right step of the pass".

Even so, Xiahou Miaocai went on a killing spree in Guanzhong and failed to suppress the rebellion. He was only tough enough and could be said to be exhausted, but not beautiful in the end.

But Ma Chao is different.

This kid is born to be Liangzhou Mu material!

As long as Ma Chao takes the position of Liangzhou Mu, the biggest contradiction, the Qiang-Hu rebellion, will cease to exist. If he is paired with a few good ministers and capable officials, Liangzhou, the abscess that constantly bleeds the big men, can even turn into a new one. Become a county with hematopoietic ability, use it as a base, and once again encroach on the Western Regions!

Since the outbreak of the Qiang Rebellion in Yongchu, the Han Dynasty has lost its influence in the Western Regions.

If Liangzhou is stable, the Western Region will be stable. If Liangzhou is in chaos, the Western Region will be in chaos. Ma Chao is the best candidate to reverse this situation.

The more Xu Jiashu thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was reliable - to transform Ma Mengqi into Ban Dingyuan.

In history, Ma Chao spent his life as a soldier, but he killed more than [-] members of his family. In the end, he could only take Ma Dai as a powerless mascot in the Shu Han Dynasty. He occasionally came forward to contact the Qiang and Hu aliens. His dying wish might not be fulfilled. That is to say, he was buried back in Xiliang.

If there is a soul in heaven, he will definitely like this ending.

Simply put, the entire plan is divided into three steps:

First, he made Ma Chao owe a large amount of debt, then waited for him to go bankrupt, and finally forced him to seek support from his brother Zi Mao, who had a high level of internal affairs.

perfect!

Xu Jiashu's smile could no longer be hidden. Ma Chao on the side was thinking about his own invincible cavalry and did not realize the seriousness of the matter at all - do you want to know more about the 30-year cavalry loan?
"Let your sister go into the city with Mr. Chao first," he called Ma Yunlu out, "I have something else to do, see you later."

"Okay then", Ma Chao took another deep look at the armored cavalry and mounted his horse reluctantly, "We'll discuss it later when Zi Mao has time."

"Brother Yang Qiu", seeing Ma Chao leaving, Xu Jiashu pulled Yang Qiu to a secluded place and asked a question: "I wonder where you got your armor?"

It is unrealistic to let Ma Chao owe huge debts just by relying on the breeding industry in Wushi County - in Liangzhou, the premium for horses is not that high. The real money maker has to be armor, and Yang Qiu The quality of this batch of armor in hand is quite good as a mass product, which is the key to increasing the price.

"."

Yang Qiu had a hesitant look on his face. In these troubled times, a good armor craftsman was worth a lot of money, so he was really unwilling to give it away like this.

"Brother Yang Qiu, since you have surrendered to the eldest princess, don't try to be the same as the eldest princess." Xu Jiashu saw through his inner thoughts, "Now that the Han Dynasty has declined so much, if we serve well and faithfully, in the future, let alone two thousand dan for one term, What’s so difficult about being a public minister?”

"There are many wars in Xiliang. Anding County and Beidi County are remote and close to foreign tribes, so they should be more peaceful." Yang Qiu organized his words, "So many Liangzhou craftsmen fled to these two places, and some of them went there." After arriving in the Western Region, I left some people who were favored by me, and one of them has amazing skills and can forge large amounts of iron!"

"Iron?"

Xu Jiashu touched his chin, wondering if it was some legendary Damascus steel?
Of course not. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, no piece of so-called Damascus steel could be found in the entire world. The iron iron Yang Qiu called was "Utz steel" originating from southern India, south-central India and Sri Lanka. It was made by putting raw ore into the steel. It is melted in a crucible, impurities removed and mixed with ingredients to refine it.

As a relatively high-quality high-carbon steel, it is very hard.

The main imported goods of the Han Dynasty from the Western Regions, in addition to Orchid and good horses, are probably this kind of wootz steel. Now there are people who can forge large quantities of this imported resource. No wonder Yang Qiu hides it and refuses to reveal it.

"There is such a good craftsman," Xu Jiashu asked, "but I don't know his name?"

"This person's name is Pu Yuan, he is not very old." Yang Qiu looked a little strange when he mentioned this person. "Although his skills are high, his actions are also very strange."

"Weird?"

"Yes," Yang Qiu nodded, "He said that the water in Liangzhou has the aura of gold essence, which is suitable for quenching, so he practiced casting skills here. He also said that these armors are all made by skilled hands, and he even took the initiative to lower the asking price."

"These are just training works?" Xu Jiashu pointed at the fine armor on the knight and couldn't believe it, "Then what level will Pu Yuan's hard work be?"

The 98's are already like this, so the 298's are not allowed to take off?
Pu Yuan must be brought under his command. Whether Ma Chao can take the bait depends on him!

"Does Brother Yang Qiu still have contact with this good craftsman?" Xu Jiashu asked quickly.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult." Yang Qiu touched his head: "This person is used to casting a large number of armor weapons at one time. He likes to travel around in search of high-quality mineral materials and water suitable for quenching. However, I am the only one in Anding County who can provide it for him. Enough supplies, so he will come to me."

"Find him immediately!" Xu Jiashu couldn't wait to take over the words, "Then triple the price of his armor weapons and sell them out."

"No," he shook his head violently and stretched out three fingers, "Triple it!"

(End of this chapter)