Konoha Hypocrite Uchiha Tonan

Tang Ning looked at Emperor Chen and repeated, "Your Majesty, if you want to build a heavy cavalry force of 10 people, you will need at least 5000 million taels of silver every year."

5000 million taels of silver was actually just his conservative estimate.

One hundred thousand heavy cavalry is not just 10 horses and [-] armors. It also includes horse gear, feed, hiring expenses for blacksmiths and handymen, wages for cavalry, replacement of horses, maintenance of ordnance and armor, and the wear and tear of the expedition.

What's more, there are more than just heavy cavalry in the heavy cavalry team. Generally speaking, a 40 heavy cavalry must be equipped with at least [-] to [-] auxiliary troops, and this money must naturally be included in it.

For a team with 5000 heavy cavalry, [-] million taels of silver per year is actually not much.

After the inner court became rich, Emperor Chen was really in trouble. A few months ago, all the money left by the imperial court every year was spent on heavy cavalry, which could only maintain a maximum of 1 people. One hundred thousand heavy cavalry could only be maintained in a little over a year. , can eat up the entire court.

If you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are, then Huang Chen sits on the dragon's throne, so he naturally doesn't understand these facts.

After being shocked, Chen Huang looked at him with a frown and asked: "It's just a hundred thousand heavy cavalry, why do you need so much silver?"

Emperor Chen didn't understand the concept of one hundred thousand heavy cavalry at all. Tang Ning looked at him and patiently explained: "Your Majesty, you don't know. One hundred thousand heavy cavalry not only requires a large amount of military equipment and horse equipment, but also needs to prepare cavalry rations and war horse food and grass. In addition, A large number of auxiliary soldiers, handymen, and blacksmiths are also needed. These people all need food and wages. Not only that, the annual maintenance cost of the heavy cavalry is also a large amount. One hundred thousand cavalry consumes 5000 million taels of silver every year. In fact, it is not many……"

Chen Huang only knew that one hundred thousand heavy cavalry could sweep across the grassland and be invincible, but he did not know that it would cost so much money.

If 5000 million taels of silver were to be spent on these things every year, even if the court tried its best, it could only last for two years. Naturally, he could not watch such a thing happen.

He looked at Tang Ning, with a smile on his face, and asked, "The money from the treasury must be used on the blade. Of course, 5000 million taels cannot be used. What can Tang Aiqing do?"

Tangning's face darkened.

The treasury has nothing to do, so what can he do?

5000 million taels is also an astronomical figure for him. If he insists on collecting it, it will not be impossible, but the question is why should he?

He and Emperor Chen were not related, so there was no reason to spend all his wealth to do this. Anyway, even if he raised so many cavalry for the court, Emperor Chen would not marry his daughter to him...

Emperor Chen's budget for the heavy cavalry was only 500 million taels, so he could only reduce the [-] heavy cavalry to [-]. The [-] heavy cavalry, plus the accompanying other units, were enough to pose a great threat to the grassland. The number Any more is just a waste of resources.

Tang Ning was unlucky to meet an emperor as capable as Chen Huang. With his current attitude towards spending money, he might have to go to Jiangnan again in less than two years...

One hundred thousand became ten thousand, and the workload was not small. While Tang Ning had people step up supervision, she also had to deal with other chores in the Ministry of Works.

Five million taels of silver were only exchanged for 500 heavy cavalry. Chen Huang was obviously a little unhappy, so Tang Ning could only save a little and spend a penny in half.

The official residence requested by the two bachelors has been built by the craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry. Tang Ning had told the master craftsman in charge from the beginning to keep everything simple and ensure safety. If you can't afford too many fancy things, leave them as little as possible.

Some places can do less, and some places cannot.

The ordnance required by the Ministry of War is related to the lives of soldiers, so we must be extremely cautious and strictly follow the standards.

The doctor from the Ministry of Works sent a new batch of ordnance samples. These were randomly selected. Before being handed over to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works had to inspect them first.

Tang Ning picked up a Mo Dao with one hand. This knife was very heavy and difficult to wield.

Each of these Mo knives weighs fifteen kilograms, which is about ten kilograms when converted into the measurement unit of later generations.

An ordinary knife only weighs three to five kilograms, so ordinary people cannot use this kind of knife. Those who use this kind of weapon on the battlefield are the bravest warriors.

Tang Ning threw it to Lao Zheng and said, "Fifteen pounds of Mo Dao, let's see how it goes."

Lao Zheng is the ancestor of knives. Whether a knife is good or not depends on him.

Lao Zheng took the knife, held it in his hand, and said, "The knife is a good knife. It weighs thirteen kilograms and nine taels. It's not as heavy as you said."

The knives produced by the Ministry of Industry are all standard. If they weigh fifteen kilograms, they are fifteen kilograms. They can fluctuate within a small range around this number, but one or two more or one or two less will definitely not work. If one or two kilograms or less is one or two kilograms less, it will be even worse. It is impossible.

Tang Ning looked at a clerk and said, "Bring me the scale."

The Ministry of Industry has a variety of scales specially used for weighing. The man took a scale specially used for testing ordnance. After weighing it, he said: "Sir, this knife weighs exactly fifteen kilograms. There is no error."

Fifteen kilograms is not necessarily thirteen kilograms and nine taels. Old Zheng is the most honest butcher Tang Ning has ever seen. No wonder their butcher shop is doing so well. Fifteen kilograms of meat only costs thirteen kilograms and nine taels. It’s no wonder business is bad.

Tang Ning looked at Lao Zheng and said, "You may not have touched a knife for many years. It's normal for the feeling to be a little worse."

Lao Zheng weighed the weights on the scale in his hands, looked at him, and asked expressionlessly: "A knife weighing thirteen kilograms and nine taels weighs fifteen kilograms. What do you think the fifteen kilograms are?" How many kilograms does this weapon weigh?"

It stands to reason that Lao Zheng, who has been selling pork for more than ten years, should be very sensitive to weight and is unlikely to make an error of more than one kilogram.

Tang Ning thought for a moment, looked at the clerk, and said, "Bring me another weapon of power."

Weapons are weights. The Ministry of Industry made many kinds of weights according to their uses. The clerk quickly brought another set. Tang Ning used a ten-pound weight and a five-pound weight, and the fifteen-pound Mo weight. After the knife was lifted, there was no sign of the scale beam rising.

Tang Ning continued to move the rope on the scale beam. After passing the fourteen-pound and thirteen-pound positions, the scale beam showed some signs of lifting.

Tang Ning had an expression of interest on her face. The same knife weighed fifteen kilograms with one set of weights, but it didn't even weigh thirteen kilograms with another set. The problem was obviously with the weights.

Tang Ning asked the clerk to go out, find a butcher's shop on the street, and borrow the scale from the shop.

Use this pole to weigh the Mo Dao. The knife weighs thirteen kilograms and nine taels, exactly the same.

Tang Ning looked at the second set of weapons and asked the clerk, "Where are these weapons sent..."

The little official's face turned pale and he said in a trembling voice: "Hui, sir, they are sent to salt farms in various places..."

The weight of the weapon used to test ordnance was obviously insufficient, so the knife was weighed. This shows that the material was corrupted. The pound or two may have gone into someone's pocket.

There are so many ordnances coming out of the Ministry of Industry, a little less here, a little less there, which adds up to a very considerable number.

As for those sent to salt farms in various places, the situation is exactly the opposite.

Although the Chen State specialized in salt and iron, it also allowed merchants to get involved. They bought salt from the imperial court and sold it at a prescribed price in places designated by the imperial court.

The weight of these fifteen kilograms of power obviously exceeds fifteen kilograms, which means that the salt merchants took more than fifteen kilograms of salt from the court, but only paid fifteen kilograms. This is the wool of the imperial court. The emperor snatched money from his hands...

As for those who have the guts to steal money from Emperor Chen...

Tangning threw the knife on the ground and sighed, "It's really a shame..."