Chapter 81 Economic Warfare? Isn't this where I excel?

Liyang, Yuanying.

In the Battle of Bai Ma and the Battle of Yanjin, two generals under Yuan Shao, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, were beheaded, which shook the military morale and caused panic among the people.

Even Lord Yuan Shao fell ill due to worry and impatience.

At that time, Yuan Shao spat out a mouthful of blood. If his attendants had not been quick to support him, Yuan Shao would have fallen seriously ill due to the second injury.

But even after the military doctor's miraculous treatment, Yuan Shao did not see much effect after taking the resuscitation medicine.

Because Yuan Shao is a heart disease!
"Everyone here is my trusted aide. What do you think we should do? Should we withdraw our troops?!"

Yuan Shao lay on the bed, looking at Feng Ji and other civil and military officials in a sickly tone, and asked sincerely.

This frank treatment touched the civil and military officials. A gentleman will die for his friend. Daily details can reflect many good qualities of a lord.

Yuan Shao may have many shortcomings, but he was able to dominate one side and become one of the largest princes in the late Han Dynasty. He had many wise counselors and brave generals under his command, so he must have his strengths.

The civil officials and military officers discussed for a while, and finally Feng Ji said: "My lord, although our army lost the first battle, we still have a great advantage!"

Yuan Shao's eyes suddenly lit up, and his pale face turned a little rosy.

Feng Ji continued:

"Jizhou is located in the North China Plain, with fertile land and abundant food and grass. It is said that it can support the country for ten years and provide millions of soldiers.

“The imperial court’s troops may seem to be mobilizing a large force, but they are short of food and fodder!
“Although Your Majesty has mobilized 20 million shi of grain and fodder from all the counties in the country, the capital has a population of millions and hundreds of thousands of troops, and the consumption of food for people and horses is still insufficient.

"Not to mention that Your Majesty has started wars everywhere.

"We are on the Yellow River front in Jizhou: the imperial court has deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, and the daily consumption of food and fodder is an astronomical figure!
"Bingzhou: Lü Bu led the Bingzhou army to hunt down Yu Fuluo and other Southern Xiongnu troops. It seemed that Yu Fuluo was at a disadvantage, but the Southern Xiongnu were skilled in bows and horses, and had the mobility of cavalry, so it was difficult for Lü Bu to encircle and suppress them!

"Huai-Si battle line: Although Yuan Shu gave up going north to Yanzhou, he chose to go south to Huainan, which also tied down the imperial army for us. Your Majesty ordered Tao Qian of Xuzhou to take action and appointed Liu Yao as the governor of Yangzhou. The military expenditure is beyond imagination!
"Liangzhou: Although Ma Teng is loyal to the Han Dynasty, Liangzhou has many Qiang and Di tribes, and there are also rebels like Han Sui. In addition, there are also barbarians such as the Kushan Kingdom invading from the Western Regions, making it a chaotic place!
"Youzhou: Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, seems to suppress Gongsun Zan, but he is too kind and righteous. His moral character makes me admire him. But for a ruler, being too kind and righteous will become a weakness. And the Xianbei and Wuhuan seem to be negotiating, but they must have evil intentions.

"My Lord, you see, the Han Dynasty is at war everywhere, and the war is raging all over the country. The military expenditure required is an astronomical figure every day.

"Your Majesty can't hold out for much longer, the court's finances will collapse!

"But we in Jizhou have enough food, troops, military supplies, and financial resources. As long as we delay the battle, slowly hold out, and prolong the war.

"We will definitely bring down the imperial court!"

...

Feng Ji's words made Yuan Shao's face turn pale and gradually become rosy. He became excited and full of vigor and vitality!
Just like what the military doctor said, heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine.

Yuan Shao's real concern was actually his worry about the future of his army and the court's continued pressure and victory.

But after Feng Ji's analysis, it seems that they, Jizhou, still have the advantage? !
and many more!

Yuan Shao suddenly remembered something and asked anxiously:
"But Yuantu, the court now has three great treasures: sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn! The yield per acre is very terrifying. If the war is delayed, I'm afraid they will gradually accumulate food and fodder, right?!"

"My lord, this is an arithmetic problem...blah blah..."

Feng Ji smiled and immediately calculated for Yuan Shao, as well as his colleagues including civil officials and military generals.

Based on the per-acre yield of sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn, it would take at least five years of cultivation before they can be "used".

Because this is a "new species" that appeared for the first time in the Han Dynasty, and the small amount of sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn needed to be used as "seeds" and could not be invested in military expenditures.

After Feng Ji's in-depth and easy-to-understand calculations, Yuan Shao felt relieved. The civil and military officials in Yuan's camp were even more relieved!

"I never thought Yuantu's mathematical ability was so outstanding!"

"Although mathematics is one of the six arts of a gentleman, we all study arithmetic, but our calculation ability is not as good as Yuantu's!"

"It is said that there is a mathematical genius named Kan Ze in Jiangdong, who can perhaps be compared with Yuan Tu!"

"He can be compared with Yuantu in mathematics, but Yuantu's strongest point is making plans and strategizing!"

"Exactly..."

"..."

These people immediately began to praise Guo Tu's mathematical ability. In fact, this praise also strengthened Yuan Shao's confidence.

Sure enough, after hearing this, although it was Guo Tu who was being praised, Yuan Shao was very satisfied. Lying sickly on the bed, he directly turned over the quilt and stood up.

"The battle is not over yet. A real man should fight bravely and set an example. How can he waste his time lying in bed?!"

Yuan Shao suddenly seemed to have endless power, his little universe exploded, and he took off the headscarf on his head and threw it away.

"Congratulations, my lord, on recovering from your illness!"

"My lord is a man of great fortune. He was so seriously ill, but he was able to recover overnight!"

"Congratulations, lord!"

Civil and military officials immediately began to flatter him, as Yuan Shao liked to hear nice words.

At this time, Guo Tu, who was somewhat embarrassed, stepped forward and saluted, saying: "My lord, I have a plan that can speed up the progress of the war!"

"oh?!"

Yuan Shao looked at Guo Tu and said, "Sir, please tell me quickly!"

Everyone also looked at Guo Tu.

During the Battle of Bai Ma, Qin Qiong sent his troops to Yanjin, which gave Yuan Ying the wrong impression. They were worried that Qin Qiong would outflank them from the rear, so they ordered Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong to send their troops to defend Yanjin.

Who knew that Qin Qiong would ride his horse at full speed, reach Bai Ma, and kill Yan Liang in the battle.

Upon hearing the news, Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong did not return to support Bai Ma, but instead increased their offensive to attack Yanjin, trying to besiege Wei to save Zhao.

Yanjin was indeed short of troops, but Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong failed to capture it. Later, Qin Qiong led his army to launch a surprise attack.

Yuan Shao sent Wen Chou and other generals to rescue and attack Yanjin.

In the melee, Wen Chou was killed again!
On the contrary, Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong escaped successfully, but in a very miserable state.

No one in Yuan’s camp blamed him. Not to mention that Guo Tu was a counselor, victory and defeat were common in the military, and there was nothing they could do about it!

But Guo Tu also has his own pride and dignity, and naturally wants to wash away his stain and shame and take revenge by making suggestions!

Guo Tu said:

“My lord, in addition to food and fodder, salt is also of great importance.

"We can make crude salt in large quantities and sell it. We can even lower the price and destroy the salt price in the court's jurisdiction. We can start an economic war!"

...

“This is a great plan!!!”

Yuan Shao's eyes suddenly lit up.

Behind Yuan Shao was the Yuan family of Runan, and the thing that Yuan's disciples and former officials, as well as the Yuan family's aristocratic families and followers, lacked the least was money and food.

The imperial court is short of money and food now, but these aristocratic families are not!
If we conduct an economic war secretly while engaging in direct military battles, we can crush the morale of the imperial army! Feng Ji said admiringly:
"This plan of yours has the style of Guanzi.

"Historical records once recorded that Guan Zhong banned Qi from growing mulberry and hemp, allowing it to produce only grain, and then bought raw silk and mulberry from the surrounding small countries at high prices.

"This led to farmers in several neighboring countries producing mulberry and hemp nationwide, and using the money they earned from producing mulberry and hemp to buy grain from Qi.

"Afterwards, Guan Zhong issued an order to ban the import of raw silk and mulberry and hemp, and to stop exporting grain to neighboring countries. As a result, the neighboring countries had mountains of mulberry and hemp, but could not exchange them for grain from Qi. Soon, large-scale famine and riots broke out.

"Qi State took this opportunity to attack these small countries, won a great victory, and established its absolute hegemony. This is a kind of economic warfare! It is better than invisible!"

After Feng Ji's in-depth and easy-to-understand explanation, the civil and military officials understood more clearly the strategic significance of this "economic war" and expressed deep admiration for Guo Tu!

Feng Ji added:
"Also, the lord started out in Bohai, and because of the coastal area, he established a ship trade. We can rebuild the navy.

“Those salt mines are full of toxins and difficult to use, so the salt used in the Han Dynasty is sea salt.

"We can take this opportunity to attack the salt fields along the coast of Qingzhou and Xuzhou to prevent them from producing salt and control the trade routes, which will be another blow to the imperial court."

...

"Yuan Tu's plan is perfect!"

Guo Tu pondered for a moment and was amazed at Feng Ji's wisdom. Feng Ji had perfectly supplemented many details that he had not thought of.

...

"There are many who are not as good as you!"

Feng Ji said modestly.

The two began to flatter each other, just like a fancy sedan needs people to carry it. The civil and military officials in Yuan Ying also began to flatter the two.

Yuan Shao was overjoyed when he heard this, and all his worries disappeared without a trace. He directly ordered:
"Follow the plan! Produce crude salt in large quantities at all costs and ask the Jizhou noble families to provide humanitarian sponsorship! After this battle, I will cause the capital's economy to collapse!"

"promise!!!"

……

Yuan Shao's recovery helped Yuan Ying regain morale. After a slow stalemate and a prolonged war, a protracted war of tug-of-war began.

It is now July. Except for the winter when the Yellow River freezes, the water flows fast on ordinary days, making it inconvenient to cross the river.

Therefore, if the imperial court wanted to launch a strong attack, it had to build ships, but Yuan Shao had a naval fleet that had been destroying the imperial court's ships.

However, Henei County borders Wei County in Jizhou, and the governor of Henei has been sending cavalry to harass Yuan Shao's grain routes.

However, between Henei County and Wei County, there is the influence of Heishan, a branch of Taihang Mountain, where Zhang Yan and other Heishan troops are entrenched.

Although because of Liu Bian's "tax reform based on land", many people in the Black Mountain Army who were coerced and forced into desperation by heavy taxes chose to turn to the light and retire.

This also reduced the Montenegrin Army from its peak "million-strong army" to the current "half a million-strong army".

Of course, this "500,000-strong army" is also an exaggeration.

Whether there are 30,000, 50,000 or tens of thousands of combat troops is still a question, but if the logistics of supporting families are included, there is a population of 300,000 to 500,000!
The Black Mountain Army was entrenched in the Black Mountain. When the imperial court sent troops to suppress them, they fled to the Taihang Mountains. When the imperial court withdrew its troops, they returned and attacked again. It was very annoying that they could not be eliminated.

Finally, the imperial court had no choice but to appoint Zhang Yan as the General of the Central Army to pacify the rebellion during the reign of Emperor Ling, which was considered a forced surrender.

After Zhang Yan surrendered to the imperial court, life became much more stable.

However, Zhang Yan was ultimately a force supported by the Yuan family. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Black Mountain Army also revolted at the same time. Later, Zhang Yan attached himself to the Yuan family, or strictly speaking, Yuan Shu.

The reason why he is helping Yuan Shao now is because Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao have formed an alliance.

Zhang Yan blocked the troops of Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei, near Heishan, and also served as a western barrier for Yuan's camp stationed in Liyang.

But this time, the imperial court was serious!
After Wang Kuang, governor of Henei, failed to capture the city after a long siege, Liu Bian sent Wang Fang to lead the Western Liang army out of the capital to fight and wipe out the Black Mountain bandits.

The reason is that there are many mines in Heishan, or Taihang Mountain, especially coal resources, which are very rich, and many of them are open-pit mines.

It is said that there is a huge salt mine near Montenegro.

Because there is no "salt making method", the salt produced by salt mines is toxic and cannot be eaten. Therefore, the salt of the Han Dynasty is produced from sea salt.

However, Liu Bian had recently drawn the "Salt-Making Method", which was an advanced salt-making method that could produce snow-white refined salt.

This led Liu Bian to send eunuchs from the East Factory and his trusted generals to the sea salt, rock salt and lake salt to purify and make salt.

This will be a huge amount of salt tax revenue!

It should be noted that the salt and iron industry in the Eastern Han Dynasty was not state-run, but privately owned!
Because when Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu started his career, he relied on the aristocratic families and had to give up a lot of his interests. Although he wanted to clean up the aristocratic families later, they were already too big to be eliminated.

Afterwards, many Han emperors wanted to restore the state-run salt and iron industry, but the power of the aristocratic families was too great and their plans always ended in failure!

Liu Bian no longer needs to push the "state-run salt and iron" policy. When he brings out "refined salt" and the price is similar to that of "coarse salt" or even lower, the people will definitely choose refined salt!

This is a disguised form of government-run monopoly!

Of course, because the "salt-making method" formula was simple, Liu Bian specially dispatched the eunuchs from the East Factory and his trusted generals to take action to ensure that everything would be foolproof!
The imperial court was now in some financial difficulties, and Liu Bian had been trying to find ways to expand finances, so he set his sights on the salt mines and coal mines on the Black Mountain.

Zhang Yan of the Montenegrin Army, it’s time to vacate the land!
Although there was no good news from Montenegro, there was a lot of news coming from the Yellow River front.

Yuan Shao fell ill and recovered?

Yuan Ying made a military move to slow down the stalemate and prolong the war?! It seems that they are preparing for a protracted war!

According to reports from spies, Yuan Shao's men seemed to be carrying out large-scale renovation of merchant ships and seemed to be planning to establish a naval fleet.

Moreover, Yuan Ying seemed to be secretly producing crude salt in large quantities, and even called on the Jizhou families for support.

Yuan Ying is preparing to use crude salt to wage an "economic war"? !

As the Jinyiwei and Dongchang infiltrated the local areas, the "No. 1 Village in the World" branches under the Jinyiwei had already opened in Jizhou, Yanzhou and other places.

Therefore, Liu Bian has been acquiring intelligence information very quickly in recent times, and even many secrets have been discovered.

This shows that the Jinyiwei’s infiltration has gone very deep!

However, the news from Jizhou made Liu Bian a little stunned!

Protracted war...naval fleet...coarse salt...economic war...

Is Yuan Shao coming here to get killed? !
Liu Bian now has the "salt-making method" of snow-white "refined salt", but Yuan Shao wants to use "coarse salt" to fight an "economic war"? !

Liu Bian suddenly laughed!

If there had been no salt-making method, Yuan Shao's evil scheme might have succeeded, and doing so would have certainly destroyed the people's livelihood and economy of the capital.

Under the current financial difficulties, it will even affect the financial crisis of the Han central government!
but.

Liu Bian has a method for making refined salt!
Economic War?!

Does Yuan Shao understand what economic warfare is? !
It seems that Liu Bian should give Yuan Shao a little shock!
……

(End of this chapter)