At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

"You have a string of good words. When I talk to you, you don't have a word in your heart. When facing me, don't you just use official words to prevaricate?"

Guo Jin put away her smile: "Zhuge Liang, I'm not here to question you. I'm just here to have a look. If you want to ask questions, that's also my father's business and has nothing to do with me. You really don't want to tell me what's on your mind. Prevaricate me like this?"

Zhuge Liang blinked and hesitated for a moment.

"Your Highness, I'm just a little worried that Your Highness and His Majesty don't like the current Dunhuang County."

"The development is good. Why worry that my father and I don't like Dunhuang County? The people of Li live in a healthy life, have money to spend, have food to eat, and won't starve to death. That's enough. Why are you so worried?"

"Because His Majesty has issued edicts many times, ordering the governors of the world to pay attention to agricultural production and encourage agricultural production instead of focusing on and encouraging commerce."

Zhuge Liang sighed: "I don't know if doing this will violate His Majesty's order, so I worry about it every day, but I have no choice but to do this."

"Agriculture is the foundation of the country, and it is a matter of course to attach importance to agriculture. No one can go without food for a day, but not everyone has to do business every day. The choice between business and agriculture is that simple."

Guo Jin shook her head: "Besides, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce means emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. It doesn't mean eliminating or not allowing private business. It's just asking officials to pay more attention to agriculture. No one will blame you for your business development."

"With His Highness's words, I have confidence in my heart."

Zhuge Liang smiled and said with a sigh of relief: "Your Highness, agricultural production is certainly the foundation of the country, but there are always some places that are not suitable for agricultural production. Higher yield."

Guo Jin agrees with this point.

Some places have more mountains and less land, some places are dry and lack water, some places have poor soil fertility, and some places are colder.

To put it bluntly, there are really not many places in the world suitable for agricultural production, and the same is true for Liangzhou, which has a bitterly colder, drier climate and less precipitation than the Central Plains.

Of course, these places can also develop agriculture, but if they only develop agriculture, they will not be able to handle Guanzhong, Yanzhou, Yuzhou in the Central Plains, and Jizhou in Hebei.

Innate limitations are really hard to make up for acquired, this is God's will.

Places with good agricultural production can get enough food and clothing, while places with insufficient agricultural production can only eat chaff and vegetables. This is too rigid and unhuman.

"Yes, what you said makes sense. Some places are just not suitable for agricultural production. There is no way around it."

Guo Jin nodded in agreement with Zhuge Liang's opinion.

"So, I know that, including Dunhuang County, Liangzhou as a whole, no matter how it develops agriculture, it will never be better than the Central Plains and Hebei. This is for sure.

That being the case, the minister thought that Liangzhou could not just stare at agriculture, but must find other ways out, otherwise Liangzhou would still be the bitterly cold Liangzhou, and the life of Liangzhou people would be difficult and difficult to develop. "

Guo Jin became interested.

"So, you fancy business?"

"Yes, I feel that if we want to make the people of Liangzhou rich, we must rely on business!"

Zhuge Liang said firmly: "The climate in Liangzhou is bitter and cold, and the development of agriculture is not as good as that of other states and counties, so we can only find another way. The so-called sky has no unparalleled road. Since the development of agriculture is not good, then develop commerce. After all, you can't let yourself be trapped. Died on one-third of an acre of land.

Liangzhou is a hub connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Since it is an important traffic road, people come and go. There are business opportunities for some people. People always need to eat, drink, and sleep. This is indispensable. As long as you have spare energy, you can Operate restaurants and hotels along the trade routes. "

"that's it?"

"Of course it's more than that. Business also requires the support of the government. The government supports and provides convenience, so that business can persist. For example, I set up a large market in Dunhuang County and provided various convenient policies to attract a large number of businessmen here. Trade, stay.

If they stay, the hotels and restaurants in Dunhuang can develop. The longer the time, the higher the commercial profits. The more profitable, the more people will come, and the more people will come, the government will collect more tax More convenience can be provided, so business can prosper. "

Zhuge Liang told Guo Jin his idea, and Guo Jin thought about it carefully, and found that it was really the case.

"You also presided over the repair of the road connecting the counties of Dunhuang with Dunhuang County?"

"Yes."

Zhuge Liang said: "Since you are the governor of Dunhuang, you can't favor one over the other. Other counties should also take care of them. If these counties are not as good as Dunhuang County, then use roads to make up for them and let them engage in agriculture and produce food, vegetables and fruits.

Agriculture will naturally develop. There are also many people engaged in agricultural production in Dunhuang County. If they produce a surplus of agricultural products, they can provide them to wine shops in Dunhuang County. There are also many people in Dunhuang County who are engaged in animal husbandry in the north, raising cattle, sheep and horses. , It can also provide meat to the county. "

"In this way, the entire Dunhuang County will be rejuvenated for you. With Dunhuang County as the center, both agriculture and commerce can get a share and profit. Only in this way can your Dunhuang County develop to the point it is today. "

Guo Jin seemed to look at Zhuge Liang with some sighs: "Zhuge Kongming, Zhuge Kongming, it's not in vain that my father cares about you so much. You really have lived up to your father's cultivation of you."

"I dare not disappoint His Majesty's cultivation."

Zhuge Liang expressed his loyalty again.

The more Guo Jin looked at Zhuge Liang, the more satisfied he was.

So he laughed and said, "However, in this way, including the four counties in Hexi, many other counties in Liangzhou will eat the leftovers from your Dunhuang County. This is not conducive to the unity of Liangzhou's officialdom. You are not afraid of other The sheriff is dissatisfied with you?"

"The agricultural production of Dunhuang County is not as good as that of other counties. Every year, a large amount of agricultural products are purchased from other counties to fill the gap. It is not that they have no money to make, and this is the way. Sleepy."

Zhuge Liang smiled: "Being an official will benefit one side and make Dunhuang County develop better. It is my duty. The governor of Liangzhou, the minister dare not step over his head and act on his behalf."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

After some conversation, Guo Jin liked Zhuge Liang very much.

He patted Zhuge Liang on the shoulder vigorously: "Okay, Zhuge Kongming! Good! Let me tell you, if other county guards hear your words, you will never want to be in the officialdom of Liangzhou. Other county guards We have to unite to squeeze you out."

"If Liangzhou can't stay, with His Majesty's wisdom, I will definitely have a better place to go."

Zhuge Liang didn't seem to care about the unity of the officialdom at all, so Guo Jin was even happier.

After laughing for a while, Guo Jin calmed down, looked at Zhuge Liang with admiration, and then sighed again.

"Kong Ming, I have something to tell you. If I don't tell you, you may not have much time to arrange."

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

"The army is about to pacify the Western Regions. I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain the status of Dunhuang County."

chapter 1246

The army wants to pacify the Western Regions?

Going to war?

Zhuge Liang was taken aback.

It took a while to respond.

"Right away?"

"Immediately, it won't be long."

Guo Jin gave an accurate reply: "Once the Western Regions are pacified, Dunhuang County will become the mainland, and there will no longer be so many people in the Western Regions to do business, and more of our people will go out and go further west and in the Western Regions." Merchants from Guishuang Kingdom, Anxi Kingdom and even Daqin Kingdom do business.

The trading volume of the small countries in the Western Regions is really not in the eyes of His Majesty. The money earned by the small countries in the Western Regions from the Silk Road is far higher than what they paid. The pacification of the Western Regions will only make our business bigger. There will be higher profits, but the situation in Dunhuang County will be difficult to maintain. "

Zhuge Liang pursed his lips unconsciously.

Guo Jin continued: "In this way, it is impossible for all these wine shops and hotels in Dunhuang County to exist now, and a considerable part will have no business and cannot continue."

Zhuge Liang frowned.

"Your Highness, Dunhuang County..."

"For the sake of the entire Wei State, a Dunhuang County is not in the eyes of my father. My father is the emperor. He focuses on the whole country and the future. It is impossible and should not focus on one county or one county. That is unfair to other people. of."

Zhuge Liang sighed slightly.

"But this is too cruel for Dunhuang County."

"There is no law in the world, the lesser of two evils."

Guo Jin did not hesitate to refute Zhuge Liang's hesitation: "The plan to pacify the Western Regions was drawn up a long time ago, but because the roads have not been repaired and the army is inconvenient to move, it has been delayed until now.

Otherwise, according to His Majesty's thinking, the small countries in the Western Regions will not be able to have their current glory at all. Their prosperity is unreasonable and their wealth is not in compliance with the rules, and they will definitely not last long. "

Guo Jin's resoluteness was exactly the same as Guo Peng's. Zhuge Liang could only sigh and had no other choice.

In the face of national policies, what can he do as a small sheriff?

"In fact, it's not just Dunhuang County that has to pay losses, but the entire Liangzhou, including Yizhou and Guanzhong, because the Western Regions dignitaries who are willing to buy goods in large quantities will be wiped out. If these people are gone, those orders will also be gone. "

Guo Jin took a deep breath: "But these losses are not in the eyes of my father. My father focuses on the more distant future, winning the Western Regions, controlling the Western Regions, and promoting the further westward advancement of the Silk Road. This is a big deal for most people. good thing.

The bad influence is temporary, but the good influence is long-lasting. Ordinary people may only focus on the present, but Kong Ming, you are the person your father likes. You should know how much such benefits will be in the long run. "

Of course, Zhuge Liang couldn't fail to see the benefits of taking over the Western Regions, but the development of Dunhuang County up to now is all his painstaking effort. How can he bear it once most of it is abolished?

Guo Jin naturally understood Zhuge Liang's ambivalence, so he comforted Zhuge Liang.

"Kong Ming, let me clarify this matter for you. When our goods go out from us, pass through the small countries in the Western Regions, and then go to the real buyers, Guishuang Kingdom and Anxi Kingdom, the prices are actually different. Every country has tariffs.

This tariff is used by His Majesty to appease the countries in the Western Regions to obey orders. It is an interest that must be transferred. Of course, it is okay not to give these benefits to the countries in the Western Regions, but the countries in the Western Regions will secretly disrupt the trade routes. As far as I am concerned , making ends meet.

Because of these tariffs, the price of the goods will rise, and the price sold to the Kushan people and the Parthians will increase, but the higher part will not be obtained by us.

Those who get this part are the countries in the Western Regions, and this part of the money is given to the countries in the Western Regions, which means that they don't have to do anything, as long as they lie there and exist there, they can collect money. "

What Guo Jin said was very simple and easy to understand, and Zhuge Liang could understand it very quickly.

This is indeed very unsatisfactory. I feel like my lifeline is being held in the hands of others, and I also have a strong sense of displeasure, unwillingness, unpleasantness, and quite angry.

The Silk Road I worked so hard to build, but you lie here as a middleman, making money and spending money. Is there such a good thing in the world?

Not to mention that the journey is not without risks.

Therefore, maintaining the safety of trade routes is also one of the responsibilities of the Protectorate of the Western Regions. If something goes wrong and the countries in the Western Regions blame each other, it will be difficult for Wei Guo to pursue it.

It's not that such a thing has never happened. Over the past few years, there have also been a small number of caravans who were unlucky. They encountered robbers of unknown origin who killed and robbed them on the way. After the incident, they didn't know how to pursue responsibility.

Rather than being controlled by others, it is better to solve this problem once and for all, recover all the costs that need to be spent, swallow all the countries in the Western Regions in one go, and solve all problems.

This is undoubtedly a good thing for Wei Guo and for the merchants.

It's just not a good thing for some people who make money from this business.

But their interests are destined not to be protected, and they are also destined to be deprived.

Zhuge Liang soon knew that the matter was irreversible.

So he began to think about how to compensate the locals in Dunhuang County who had lost their source of business.

"Do you find it hard to make up for it?"

Guo Jin saw Zhuge Liang's embarrassment.

"Naturally, if you don't operate carefully at this time, the public will complain, and it will not end well."

Zhuge Liang nodded.

"Well, that's true."

Guo Jin agreed with Zhuge Liang's opinion. After thinking for a while, Guo Jin suddenly had a bold idea.

"Kong Ming, when the war is over, are you willing to go to the Western Regions to be an official for a while?"

"Ok?"

Zhuge Liang felt strange, and involuntarily had doubts.

Go to the Western Regions to be an official?

How could the prince have such an idea?

After that, after Guo Peng told Zhuge Liang the method he thought of, Zhuge Liang fell into deep thought.

"Because the Western Regions are vast and sparsely populated, after my father conquered the Western Regions, I planned to divide the Western Regions into north and south for governance. The south of the mountain and the north of the mountain were divided into two Protectorate Houses. Each mansion governs half of the Western Regions, each with a level of two thousand stones."

Guo Jin revealed Guo Peng's thoughts on governing the Western Regions after the war.

This deepened Zhuge Liang's thinking.

After sending Guo Jin away, he was still thinking about it. After thinking about it for several days, he finally realized that this was the best way, which would have a high probability of not causing unrest in Dunhuang County.

Business can only be done in Dunhuang County, but it is not impossible to do it in other places.

The prince is right, trees are moved to die, people are moved to live, places that cannot survive must be moved, and even if they go to other places to resume their old jobs, they may be able to usher in a new life.

As long as the prestige accumulated by oneself is still there, everything is possible.

Moreover, after the war, the Western Regions will definitely increase the population. First, seize a position and seize the opportunity to enjoy the first wave of development dividends.

After Guo Jin left Dunhuang County, it didn't take long to arrive at Cao Ren's residence in Dunhuang County - Yumen Pass.

Cao Ren has been guarding Yumen Pass for several years. While building roads and guarding the border, he is also planning the offensive route of the army after the war. After several years, the offensive route is almost completely reappeared in Cao Ren's head. Guo Peng finally decided to go to war. Western Regions.

To be honest, Cao Ren once thought that attacking the Western Regions would only happen in his lifetime.

Finally, eight years in Yande, he got the news that the war was about to start.