Chapter 158: Tight Finances
“Four miles away.”
“Four miles.” When this number was spoken, Chang Wei and the generals took a breath of cold air.
Chang Wei was stunned for a long time, and slowly exhaled, “Your Highness is really a god.”
The experiment was a great success, and everyone returned to the palace.
The generals suddenly became unusually attentive.
“Hehe…Your Highness, have some tea.”
“Hehe…Your Highness, I will give you a leg massage.”
“…”
The meeting hall of the palace.
Chang Wei had a perverted smile on his face, and Feng Er couldn’t stand it, with a weird look in his eyes.
Other generals served him tea, poured him water, massaged his legs, and massaged his shoulders.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly, and if you have to fart, fart quickly.” Zhao Xu couldn’t stand it anymore, and yelled at a group of sweaty old men.
Chang Wei stood up with a grunt, stood in front of Zhao Xu, and asked like a machine gun: “Your Highness, how is the production of this artillery? When will it be trained and when will it be equipped in the army? "
The generals pricked up their ears.
The power of this artillery completely convinced them.
In the past, the soldiers boasted about their personal bravery and said that they could catch the shells of the musket with their bare hands.
Now they absolutely dare not brag that they can catch the shells of the artillery with their bare hands.
"The output is still good. We can still produce more than 100 guns a month. The training can start now. Let the former musket soldiers become artillery soldiers. We have to wait until the artillery soldiers are proficient before they can be equipped." Zhao Xu said slowly.
Chang Wei and others laughed when they heard it. That's it.
When he goes back, he will let the artillery train desperately. At least in a month, there will be a hundred artillery guns in the army.
Mo Yu sighed and said, "If this thing is placed on the top of Yanguan City, why worry about the northern Di going south..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the generals staring at him.
Chang Wei rubbed his hands, "Mo Yu, although you are from Yanguan, if the news of the artillery leaks out, don't blame us for being rude. "
Others nodded in agreement.
Mo Yu swallowed his saliva.
This cannon is the secret weapon of the King of Yan, and it is intended to strike the enemy by surprise.
If such a powerful weapon is spread, it will inevitably attract many people's prying.
"Who do you think I, Mo Yu, am? Since I have served Your Highness, I will only have Your Highness in my heart from now on." Mo Yu patted his chest.
Even if his father put a knife on his neck now, he would not leave.
Since he entered the royal army, the sophisticated weapons and armor of the King of Yan's soldiers opened his eyes.
More importantly, there is no intrigue here. From the generals to the soldiers, everyone has the same mind, that is, to defend the fiefdom and resist the enemy.
Unlike the generals of Yanguan, who only care about their own promotion and wealth.
Now, the King of Yan's army has added such a sharp weapon.
In his opinion, only here can he realize his dream of expelling the Northern Di.
"That's good. "Chang Wei's eyes softened.
Generals Lu Chang, Bai Shang and others patted Mo Yu on the shoulder, meaning that this was their own man.
Zhao Xu nodded slightly.
He was not confident in using people who were in Cao's camp but whose hearts were with Han.
With Zhao Xu's promise, the generals felt comfortable.
They bowed and said goodbye to him.
They couldn't wait to return to the barracks to study how to use artillery on the battlefield.
As soon as the generals left, the servants reported that Liu Fu was coming.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with these generals? They are like they have given birth to sons." He ran into Chang Wei and the others when he came.
These guys winked at him, quite proud.
"It's almost like giving birth to a son. "Zhao Xu smiled.
It is estimated that for a long time in the future, these generals will probably treat the artillery as their own sons.
Liu Fu did not understand what he meant, but he had something important to do at the moment, so he ignored it.
Holding the account book in his hand, Liu Fu was distressed, "Your Highness, silver cannot be spent like water, the treasury will be empty."
Zhao Xu looked at the expenditure and surplus on the account book, and his heart ached.
The continuous expenditure of Gongcao, after returning, he allocated another sum of silver to the Ship Department.
Before, there were expenditures for the Yahang, the expenditures for the soldiers of the personal army, the soldiers' salaries, and the expenditures for the salaries of officials.
In addition, in order to cope with the upcoming recruitment of new soldiers, the Armory Department purchased a huge amount of raw materials.
Now, the manufacture of artillery is added.
The silver in the treasury has dropped precipitously.
"There is also Shanggu County. Now all the expenses are borne by the Wangfu. Those local nobles will not pay even a tael of silver. Your Highness, if this continues for a long time, Shanggu County will only become a burden. "Liu Fu gritted his teeth.
He had just returned from Shanggu County, where he spent every day like a year.
The officials there were all hypocritical.
It was difficult to implement the decrees.
The wealthy families would always find various reasons to delay the implementation of the decrees.
Every time he saw the wealthy officials in Shanggu County, he wanted to chop them down with a knife.
Zhao Xu frowned and asked, "Can they hand over the occupied land?"
"Handed over, but it's the same as not handing over?" Liu Fu said angrily, "After I returned the land to the people, the local wealthy families secretly sent idle men to coerce and bribe the people to sign the sales contract. I have found more than one such case, but in the end I could only deal with individual wealthy children. "
"It's true that there are policies from above and countermeasures from below. "A smile appeared on Zhao Xu's lips, but it was a cold smile.
For him, time is precious, and he doesn't have that much time to play with the nobles of Shanggu County.
Now it's time to think of a way to eliminate these nobles and make the royal government's decrees pass.
So he said, "I have a way to solve the problem once and for all."
"Please teach me, Your Highness." Liu Fu was delighted.
"Investigate corruption!" Zhao Xu said two words.
There is no official from a powerful family who is not corrupt while in office.
As long as corruption is investigated, all these powerful families will be put in jail.
Liu Fu's face changed, "Your Highness, you are really forcing them to rebel. The private soldiers of the powerful families in Shanggu County are not a small number."
"A few days ago, I was a little worried about the loss of troops, but now I am not worried." Zhao Xu said.
Aren't they arrogant? He wants to see whether it is their arrogance or his artillery.
"Since Your Highness said so, I am relieved." Liu Fu suddenly felt that the anger in his heart dissipated instantly.
Since he followed the King of Yan, his wish has always been to release the people from the land of the powerful families.
This has never changed.
Now Yan County has done it, but in the map of the King of Yan's fiefdom, Shanggu County is still like a piece of porcelain that has not been wiped clean.
Now, he wants to wipe it clean.
Zhao Xu nodded. After what happened to Zhang Kang, he had realized a lot.
He couldn't always wait for these guys to set traps for him.
This time, he would use open strategies instead of conspiracy to get rid of these evils.
"Your Highness, there is still silver." Liu Fu reminded him before leaving, with a resentful expression.
Zhao Xu waved his hand to let him leave with peace of mind, indicating that he knew what was going on.
After Liu Fu left, Zhao Xu pinched his brows painfully.
This is just the beginning. As the stall gets bigger and bigger, there will be more and more places to use silver in the future.
We must expand our financial resources now.
Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered.
Tong San has been gone for a long time. Even if he walks slowly back, he should reach the capital.