Chapter 321 Ye Mingsheng's Plan
Hearing Shen Jianzhong's almost stingy "quote", Ye Mingsheng showed a half-smile on his face...
Observing Ye Mingsheng's expression, Shen Jianzhong's heart gradually sank. He knew that Ye Mingsheng would not be satisfied with his "offer!"

But this is a negotiation, so he naturally cannot reveal all his cards right from the start. He needs to slowly test out Ye Mingsheng's price in his mind so as to save more resources. And now Ye Mingsheng's smile makes him begin to have a bad premonition.

The two men looked at each other. Shen Jianzhong was waiting for Ye Mingsheng to give him a price, but to Shen Jianzhong's disappointment, Ye Mingsheng didn't seem to be in a hurry at all and never opened his mouth.

The stalemate lasted for about half a cup of tea. Shen Jianzhong, who was eager to make peace, could no longer hold on. He shook his head and said to Ye Mingsheng in great embarrassment:

"Mingsheng, I know that the Cui family will give you much more than the Zhenwu Army, several times or even ten times more than us. However, the Zhenwu Army is not a local tyrant like the Cui family. We have limited money and food, and our consumption in Changqing Prefecture is also very high. Thirty thousand shi of food and grass is already very barely squeezed out by the Zhenwu Army..."

Listening to Shen Jianzhong's complaints, Ye Mingsheng sneered in his heart. What Shen Jianzhong said was nine out of one lie. What he said before was true, but if he said that 30,000 shi of grain and grass were barely enough, then he really thought Ye was an idiot!

"Master Shen, if you are like this, then there is no point. Please go back!" Ye Mingsheng said lightly:
Seeing Ye Mingsheng's immediate displeasure, Shen Jianzhong was a little annoyed, but the situation was stronger than him, so he could only suppress his anger and said to Ye Mingsheng with a wry smile:

"Mingsheng, if you have any ideas, feel free to bring them up! I will try my best to agree to yours!"

Seeing Shen Jianzhong say this, Ye Mingsheng stopped being polite with him and said directly:
"One hundred thousand taels of silver, two hundred thousand dan of grain, the price of grain provided by the Dalongchang Company is reduced to one tael and three cents per dan, the price of iron and coal is increased by 50%, and 500 craftsmen are provided to Fengzhou!"

Listening to the price offered by Ye Mingsheng, Shen Jianzhong's expression gradually turned cold. He looked at Ye Mingsheng without any hesitation and said firmly:
"Mingsheng, you know very well that this is impossible!"

"I know more about how much grain is stored in the warehouses of Changqing Prefecture, and how much grain Commander Chen has withheld from my troops!" Ye Mingsheng had long realized that Shen Jianzhong would say this, so he also said it coldly;
Since your offer, Shen Jianzhong, has no sincerity at all, I will naturally give him a taste of his own medicine. Anyway, negotiations are like this, asking for a sky-high price and paying a low price...

Because the situation was not favorable to our side, there was no other way. Shen Jianzhong lacked confidence in facing Ye Mingsheng, so after thinking for a while, he could only increase his offer.

"Ten thousand taels of silver, fifty thousand shi of grain and grass. As for the Dalongchang Company, we can give them some profit. We can help contact the craftsmen, but whether they are willing to go to Fengzhou is up to you!"

Although Shen Jianzhong's offer has increased significantly compared to the first time, it is obvious that Ye Mingsheng is still not satisfied with his offer!

During the next half incense stick of time, Ye Mingsheng and Shen Jianzhong engaged in several rounds of negotiation and bargaining. In the end, Ye Mingsheng made the final decision, requiring the Zhenwu Army to pay all the withheld military pay of 30,000 taels of silver from the Fengzhou Army, plus 100,000 shi of grain and fodder.

The price that Dalongchang Company offered for grain in Fengzhou was one tael and five cents per stone, and the purchase price of coal and iron increased by 30%, and two hundred craftsmen had to be provided.

Despite several attempts to persuade Ye Mingsheng, Shen Jianzhong still did not agree to Ye Mingsheng's price. Although the Zhenwu Army could afford it, it was close to their limit...
"Mingsheng, to tell you the truth, I can't agree to your price. Without the approval of Lord Chen, no one else can make the decision!" Shen Jianzhong said helplessly;
Ye Mingsheng raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, and said calmly: "Master Shen, my asking price is already very sincere! These things are not only compensation for us, but also the military expenses for us to cooperate with Master Chen's next move!"

Hearing what Ye Mingsheng said, Shen Jianzhong's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and after thinking for a while, he said:
"Mingsheng, do you have any ideas?"

Facing Shen Jianzhong's gaze, Ye Mingsheng spoke righteously:
“Of course, as a member of the Zhenwu Army, our Fengzhou Army is paid by the emperor and should be loyal to him. Song Wenhui’s actions are outrageous and condemned by both humans and gods. I, Ye, cannot forgive him…”

"Although I am not talented, I am willing to follow Master Chen and fight against the traitors together! Save the people of Liaoyang from the dire straits and restore a peaceful and prosperous Liaoyang!"

"Master Shen, you told me in the Zhaowu Camp that year that in the chapter on momentum in Sun Tzu's Art of War, when you command the many, you should do as you would the few, and divide them into several parts; when you fight the many, you should do as you would the few, and form and name are the key points; when you can make the three armies of the army be sure to be defeated, you should use the strange and the right method; when the troops attack, it is like throwing a stone at an egg, and the emptiness and reality are the key points; in any battle, you should use the right method to unite and the strange method to win!"

"Master Shen, your words are still ringing in my ears and are still fresh in my memory, so I reviewed them carefully. After learning from the knowledge you taught me, I have a plan that will definitely defeat Song Wenhui!"

"Lord Chen, the main force of the Zhenwu Army is stationed in Changqing Prefecture with well-trained soldiers and sufficient food. They are the regular army! Our troops in Fengzhou are slightly weaker, so they are the surprise troops! Lord Chen, please defend Changqing Prefecture and consume Song Wenhui's manpower!"

"We are waiting for an opportunity in Fengzhou. As soon as Song Wenhui shows any weakness, we will immediately dispatch all our troops to Dongning Prefecture and capture this traitor alive and present him to Lord Chen!"

Although Ye Mingsheng's words sounded very nice and he looked passionate, as if he was willing to sacrifice his life for the Zhenwu Army, how could Shen Jianzhong not see what he was really thinking?

Looking at Ye Mingsheng who looked righteous in front of him, the corners of Shen Jianzhong's mouth twitched from time to time. In his heart, he was using extremely strong willpower to suppress the urge to slap Ye Mingsheng to death...

Damn it, Ye Mingsheng, you just wishful thinking. We are blocking the knife for you in front, and you are taking advantage of the ready-made things in the back?
Although Shen Jianzhong cursed Ye Mingsheng's plan in his heart, he had to admit that if the sole purpose was to defeat Song Wenhui, then Ye Mingsheng's plan might very well be the best way to defeat Song Wenhui!

With Changqing Prefecture's current preparations, even if Song Wenhui's 100,000 troops rushed over, it is not certain whether it can hold out, but it should be able to hold out for a month. As for the 20,000 soldiers under Ye Mingsheng, it is not a lot, but it is not a small number either!

If we prepare properly, we might be able to kill Song Wenhui in one fell swoop while Song Wenhui's troops are exhausted from attacking Changqing Prefecture after a long siege and the hinterland is empty of troops!
But the key point is that the purpose of the Zhenwu Army is not to kill Song Wenhui, their purpose is to control Liaoyang!
Killing Song Wenhui is just a process for the Zhenwu Army to achieve this goal. According to Ye Mingsheng's plan, if successful, although Song Wenhui will die, it will be a bargain for Ye Mingsheng. It is very likely that Ye Mingsheng, whose wolfish ambitions are already obvious, will create new hidden dangers!
After thinking carefully in his heart, Shen Jianzhong looked at Ye Mingsheng and said:
"Mingsheng, do you think Lord Chen will agree with your plan?" "Why not? Apart from this, I think Lord Chen has no other good ideas, right? Could it be that Lord Chen is counting on Luoan to send reinforcements?" Ye Mingsheng asked with a smile:
Listening to Ye Mingsheng's words, Shen Jianzhong fell into silence. Everyone knew that the court was about to face a big storm. The Prime Minister Shangguan Hongyuan had no time to spare. Otherwise, with the elite 200,000 imperial guards from all over the country in Da Zhou, he would not dare to take action even if he borrowed Song Wenhui's courage...

"Master Shen, you and I both know that my plan is the last chance for Zhenwu Army to defeat Song Wenhui. Otherwise, everyone will be defeated by Song Wenhui sooner or later!" Ye Mingsheng said meaningfully:
After looking at Ye Mingsheng deeply, Shen Jianzhong shook his head and said in a deep voice:
"This is a serious matter. I cannot make the decision. I must go back and let Commander Chen make the decision!"

"Then I will wait for your good news, Master Shen!" Ye Mingsheng said with a smile:

"Lord Wang and his men..."

"Master Shen, rest assured. I am counting on Lord Wang to keep Changqing Prefecture impregnable. I will now order the lifting of martial law in the entire city. Lord Wang and his personal soldiers can leave Fengzhou at any time!" Ye Mingsheng waved his hand and said:

"Then I would like to thank you very much, Mingsheng, for your kindness!" Shen Jianzhong's expression finally eased after hearing this.

"Master Shen, you are too kind!"

After discussing the serious matters, although Ye Mingsheng and Shen Jianzhong both wanted to kill each other in their hearts, they still acted like decent people on the surface, and acted like a kind master and filial disciple, with a happy atmosphere.

Ye Mingsheng even invited Shen Jianzhong to have lunch in his house. When Shen Jianzhong finally left, Ye Mingsheng reluctantly sent him to the gate of the general's house. He put in enough effort to make the scene so that no one could say anything...

After watching Shen Jianzhong leave, Ye Mingsheng returned to the study. At this time, Gu Sansi and Huo San were already waiting for him there. Just like the last conversation, Ye Mingsheng still asked them to hide in the dark and eavesdrop on his conversation with Shen Jianzhong.

"Mr. Gu, do you think Chen Dechang will agree to our plan?" Ye Mingsheng asked as soon as he saw Gu Sansi:
"He won't agree, but Shen Jianzhong will find a way to make him agree!" Gu Sansi said pointedly:
"Yes, my Master Shen has a backup plan to deal with Song Wenhui!" Ye Mingsheng nodded in agreement and said:
Ye Mingsheng and Gu Sansi worked out this plan, where Chen Dechang would be the frontal defender while they hid behind and waited for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack. To be honest, they did not have much hope that Shen Jianzhong would agree to it. They just used it as an excuse to ask Shen Jianzhong for something...
After all, even a fool can see that Ye Mingsheng himself will benefit the most from this plan, while the Zhenwu Army will have to bear the greatest pressure!

To be honest, after proposing this plan, Ye Mingsheng was already prepared for Shen Jianzhong to turn against him.

But Ye Mingsheng never expected that Shen Jianzhong's reaction would be so calm, so calm that it was a little weird!

This made Ye Mingsheng think deeply. What cards did Shen Jianzhong, the Supervisory Commissioner, have in his hand that he had not played yet?

"Sir, I have secretly investigated and found that the Khitans and Shen Jianzhong have very close contacts!" Gu Sansi reported to Ye Mingsheng in a low voice:

Ye Mingsheng was not surprised by Gu Sansi's investigation results. After all, Shen Jianzhong and his people were at the upstream of the interest chain of the Dalongchang Trading Company, while the Khitans were in the middle of the interest chain. There were many interests involved between them, and it was normal for them to have close contacts!
The key to the problem is, what can the interests in Shen Jianzhong's hands allow the Khitans to help him do?
After thinking for a while, Ye Mingsheng decided to let Gu Sansi, who was in charge of Khitan affairs, give him a direct answer and then asked:

"Mr. Gu, do you think the Khitans will send troops for Shen Jianzhong?"

Gu Sansi did not rush to answer Ye Mingsheng's question. He thought about it for a while and then said very carefully:

"The Khitans can reach a consensus on looting, but there are some different opinions among them on whether to participate in the civil war in Liaoyang."

“Although the Khitans are good at fighting, their population is too small. The entire tribe has only more than 100,000 people, and the number of soldiers who can fight is no more than 40,000. They can’t withstand any storms. Once they suffer too much loss in Liaoyang, they will be in danger of being annexed by the Luobi people...”

"However, these alien races all have one characteristic in common, which is that they are extremely greedy. This has penetrated into their bones. As long as Shen Jianzhong gives them enough benefits, I believe they will still take risks!"

Listening to Gu Sansi's analysis, Ye Mingsheng nodded silently. Although he had no evidence to prove that Shen Jianzhong had a backup plan to deal with Song Wenhui, since he was aware of the possibility, he naturally had to be careful!
"Sir, since Cui Shao is willing to secretly instruct you, do you think we should take the initiative to contact them?" Huo San, who had been standing aside without saying anything, asked Ye Mingsheng:

"Not yet!" Ye Mingsheng said decisively:
Although Ye Mingsheng intended to make use of the power of the aristocratic families represented by the Cui family, he did not intend to do so now...
He is now like starting a business. He has opened a company with his own team and is doing well. Although it is small in scale, it has potential. Ye Mingsheng owns 100% of the company's shares. The Cui family is like an investor. They value the potential of Ye Mingsheng's company and have the intention to invest.

But Ye Mingsheng does not want to accept their investment for the time being. Their investment is too large compared to the size of Ye Mingsheng's company. If they are allowed to participate in the company, there is no doubt that Ye Mingsheng's equity will be diluted, and he may even lose his controlling stake.

This may not be dangerous for the time being, but after the company goes public, Ye Mingsheng, the founder, may be kicked out of the company...

(End of this chapter)