Chapter 12: Oil and Salt Are Expensive!

Three busy days. read

Almost everyone in the palace helped, and the recruitment of tenant farmers and pro-army troops was basically over.

It's just that in these two things, the land has been divided, but the recruitment of pro-army troops is not ideal.

"Your Highness, the pro-military army has currently recruited more than 5,600 people, and it is still far from full strength." Chang Wei was very distressed.

Although people came to sign up intermittently, he estimated that he could recruit at most 8,000 people from Yan County.

"Not bad." Zhao Xu shook his head.

The population of Yan County is here, and young people are rare.

The most important thing is that out of the 380,000 households in Yan County, at least 256,000 households have been turned into vassals by various wealthy families through various methods.

These people may yearn for the palace, but with the contracts signed with the wealthy families, they can only look forward to the palace and sigh.

"Is this the only way?" Chang Wei was unwilling to accept it.

With this small force, not only to fight the Beidi people, but also to suppress the wealthy private soldiers in Yan County would be difficult.

"I didn't say that I would only recruit people in Yan County." Zhao Xu smiled suddenly, "The rest of the troops will be handed over to me. Your most important thing now is to train troops. This is what we are doing in Yan County." Stable guarantee.”

"Yes, Your Highness." Chang Wei clasped his fists heavily, like a firecracker exploding.

Then, he raised his head, with a pleading look on his square face covered with beards, "Your Highness, we have soldiers now, but what do you think of the food, clothing, equipment, and armor and weapons?"

When Zhao Xu heard this, his flesh ached.

What was supposed to come, came anyway.

In ancient times, raising troops was a major expense for any country or force.

Sometimes half of the country's tax revenue is spent on the military.

He can't escape this rule.

The more than 5,000 people in the royal family's army are not just numbers, but more than 5,000 mouths.

"How much silver do you need?" Zhao Xu asked.

"According to the decree, the imperial court assigned the Northern Camp of Yan County to the royal army. General Mo went to see it. The armor and weapons in the warehouse of the camp were only enough for a thousand people, and they were all rusty."

Chang Wei was well prepared and took out a brochure from his arms and presented it to Zhao Xu with both hands.

Zhao Xu opened it and looked at it. Chang Wei listed in detail how much food, military uniforms, wages, and various types of armor and weapons were needed.

This month's expenditure is about 40,000 taels.

Zhao Xu sweated. A quarter of the staff would consume 40,000 taels per month. Full staff would cost 160,000 taels.

The money I earned from selling ice-making skills won't last more than a few months.

"Sure enough, the family is big and the business is big, and the expenses are also big."

Zhao Xu sighed, he still had to find a way to continue making money.

Otherwise, the soldiers would not be able to support him, and then he would really be unable to stand up.

He signed the book with a pen and stamped it with the king's seal.

Zhao Xu said: "Give the armor, weapons and military uniforms to me. You can go to Qin's account to collect the rest."

"Yes." Chang Wei went happily.

Liu Fu and Zhao Xu stayed together.

Both of them were in the gatehouse in the front yard of the palace at this time.

Liu Fu said: "Logically, the armor, weapons and military uniforms of the Guards should be in charge of the military affairs department of Yan County. However, the Yan County government office is now in charge of Zhang Kang. I am afraid that he will inevitably enrich his own pockets and pass off inferior goods." "

Zhao Xu nodded. With such an important matter, naturally there can be no mistakes.

This can directly affect the combat effectiveness of the royal family's troops.

As for the current Yan County government office, he completely distrusts it.

"Today's government offices have basically become the playthings of wealthy families. They are filled with children of wealthy families. If we use the government offices to give orders to Yan County, there will definitely be people who will interfere with it, so it is better to start a new one." Zhao Xu pondered for a while and said.

Liu Fu's eyes lit up, King Yan and him thought of getting together.

After these few days of contact, he admired King Yan's thinking more and more.

"The lower official thinks so too. Since the old broom can't sweep the floor, let's get a new one and build a new office for our own use in the palace. Anyway, the palace doesn't expect the office to collect taxes for the palace now," Liu Fudao.

"Well, that's right." Zhao Xu smiled.

The most basic function of the government office for the palace is to collect taxes.

This corrupt government office in Yan County cannot do it.

As for the implementation of political decrees, the people of Yan County have almost become vassals of the wealthy families, so there is nothing left to implement.

It would be better to build a government office to manage the people on the palace property.

In the future, after the wealthy families in Yan County are rectified, this agency can take over Yan County.

"When Xianguan was studying, I met some young people from poor families. They were talented and learned, but had no way to become officials. They could only make a living by selling paintings and copying calligraphy on the street. If Your Highness does not dislike them, Xianguan is willing to introduce them to Your Highness." Liu Fu said.

He also has selfish motives, that is, he does not want to work with those children of wealthy families.

"It's the time when the palace is employing people, so of course it's best."

In Dasong, the opposition between poor families and wealthy families is common.

In the current situation, only these children from poor families can do things for themselves.

Liu Fu was overjoyed and said, "I will visit them immediately and invite them to come."

Zhao Xu nodded, and when he thought of something, he said, "When I go there, I will call the man from the dental shop in Yan County and tell him that the palace has big business with him."

"Yaxing?" Liu Fu was surprised.

This tooth shop is a place where slaves are bought and sold, specializing in reselling human beings.

He has seen a few of Yaxing's outfits.

He thought that Zhao Xu might think that the palace had too few slaves and wanted to buy more.

So he went without asking any more questions.

After Liu Fu left, Zhao Xu then left the palace.

Since he woke up, he has been in the palace, and he has not even been to the nearby streets.

Now, everything is going according to plan.

He can also find time to wander around.

"Whose courtyards are on the left and right sides of the palace?"

The Prince of Yan's Palace faces east and west, and there is a wide street in front of the palace.

There is a large courtyard on each side of the palace, and the scale of the courtyard is much larger than the palace.

Sandwiched between these two courtyards, his palace looks even more shabby.

"Your Highness, one courtyard belongs to the Dong family, and the other courtyard belongs to the Lu family. Originally, these two courtyards plus the current palace were the real palace, but..."

As soon as Zhao Xu went out, twenty guards immediately accompanied him for protection.

Chang Wei was busy with the affairs of the personal guards.

He chose his most capable subordinate to serve as the new guard commander, named Xu Lie.

According to Chang Wei, this Xu Lie is not only good at fighting, but also very good at archery.

"But what..." Zhao Xu asked.

Unlike Chang Wei's steely straightness, Xu Lie has some Confucian style and speaks in a gentle manner.

"But, it was sold to the Dong and Lu families by Liang, the chief steward." Xu Lie said cautiously.

"Liang Cheng!" Zhao Xu frowned, which evoked a very bad picture in his memory.

This Liang Cheng is the eunuch most trusted by Emperor Zhao Heng.

In recent years, Emperor Zhao Heng has indulged in pleasure and ignored political affairs, and many powers have fallen into his hands.

The reason why he came to Yan County.

A large part of the reason is Liang Cheng.

This Liang Cheng is a complete snob.

Zhao Xu is crazy and stupid, just a waste, and his mother's family has no power.

When it comes to his leaving the vassal state, he naturally has no scruples and tries his best to make money, and doesn't care about his life or death at all.

"Since they are all the courtyards of the prince's mansion, take them back. Send someone to the Dong and Lu families and say that the king has invited them." He said.