Abandoned Prince Survival Guide

The Dongrong envoy said: "Your Majesty, the covenant between your country and our Dongrong was signed by the first emperor Jingping. You Han people say that the father's debt is paid by the son, so you can't renege on it."

Xiao Yu sneered: "Do you still remember the special envoy who signed the covenant between your country and the late emperor?" Xirong and Rouran invaded our Da'an territory and slaughtered our Da'an people, but they always stood by and watched, and even brought disaster to the south. You have already betrayed your trust, and you still have the face to let my father pay the debt?"

Xiao Yu's words made Dong Rong speechless.

Xiao Yu looked at the Xirong envoy again: "My third younger brother, Xiao Yin, the king of Yue, is a hostage in your country. Now I want to ask, can the king of Yue be released?"

The envoy of Xirong said, "The prince of Yue has passed away from the epidemic."

Xiao Yu glared angrily: "We handed over the well-behaved prince to your country, but now you tell me that he is dead! Is this how you treat the prince of Anguo?!"

The envoy of Xirong argued: "Young Lord Yue died of smallpox, and there is nothing we can do about this disease. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yu closed his eyes, opened them after a while, and his eyes became fierce: "This is because of your ineffective protection. I ask your country to compensate us for our losses, return Nanzheng County to us, and exchange a city for one prince. , is it not an exaggeration?"

The envoy of Xirong simply didn't know how to answer the words. He came to collect debts, so why did he become the one being asked for debts instead?Anguo, the new emperor, looks beautiful and harmless, but his attitude is extremely tough. It seems that he is not easy to fool.

But don't worry, it doesn't matter if you are not obedient, just call until you are obedient, he said haha: "His Majesty is joking."

Xiao Yu glanced at him coldly: "Are you joking?"

The envoy of Xirong felt a sense of coercion from his eyes, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to answer any more words.

The Rouran envoy said: "You Han people have always established the country with integrity. Since your majesty has inherited the throne of Anguo, you should inherit all the inheritance, including this covenant."

"I'm afraid the envoy made a mistake. I inherited the throne? It was taken by me when I revolted and overthrew the tyrant's rule. All the previous treaties have nothing to do with me. Whoever you signed with, you can go with whoever Yes, don't come to me." Xiao Yu said firmly.

For a while, the atmosphere was a little stiff, and no one spoke.

These envoys didn't get any benefit, and left resentfully.

After they left, Min Chong sent someone to meet Ji Gao, the envoy of Dongrong.

Ji Gao looked at Min Chong in surprise, and Min Chong revealed his identity: "I have met Mr. Ji, Minister of the Household Department, Min Chong."

Ji Gao hurriedly clasped his fists at him: "Why did Lord Min find a certain office?"

Min Chong poured tea for Ji Gao himself: "Master Ji, please drink tea."

Ji Gaonan raised his teacup: "Master Min, if you have something to say, you might as well speak it out."

Min Chong smiled: "The drought in the north of our country is severe this summer, and the situation in your country must not be too optimistic." He knows the situation of Dongrong very well. After all, their intelligence network has already spread all over the world. Dongrong's drought and locust plague It is more serious than Xirong, it can be said that it is a thousand miles away.

Ji Gao looked at him vigilantly: "The situation is still under control."

Min Chong smiled and said, "Oh, it seems that your country doesn't need food anymore? That's because Min is overthinking."

Ji Gao looked at him, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Master Min still deals in grain?"

Min Chong took a sip of tea slowly, and cupped his fists to the sky: "Our Majesty is wise and mighty, and has cultivated a hybrid rice with a higher yield than before, and there is still some grain surplus every year. I want to use this grain to exchange for something else."

Ji Gao asked, "For what?"

"horses."

Ji Gao said: "Your country wants to train cavalry?"

Min Chong smiled and said: "Of course, your country, Xirong, and Rouran all won with cavalry. Of course, we also have a bargaining chip to protect ourselves. Although we cannot compete with your warriors on horseback, we will not be completely passive. "

Ji Gao said, "You mean, we give our own horses to the enemy to fight against ourselves?"

Min Chong raised his head and laughed loudly: "Master Ji, why do you think so? Why haven't you thought about it, we also use the food we grow to feed the enemy."

Ji Gao really had nothing to say.

Min Chong added: "If we hadn't been able to avoid the inevitable battle with Xirong, how could we exchange food with you for horses?"

Ji Gao became interested: "How do you say that?"

Min Chong said: "Your Majesty's successful proclaiming of the emperor is inseparable from the help of King Zhenbei. When King Zhenbei was still King Liang, he was attacked by Xi Rong and Xiao Yi, and his wife and children were killed by the hands of Xi Rong. King Zhenbei had to avenge his mortal hatred, which is what His Majesty promised King Zhenbei. In addition, King Yue died in Xirong for no reason. Anguo and Xirong Liangzi were married, and this battle was inevitable. The cavalry of Xirong was strong, We have to make plans. If Xirong can be weakened, for your country, wouldn’t it be a fight between snipe and clam for the fisherman’s benefit?”

Ji Gao pinched his chin and pondered for a while: "Then make an offer."

Min Chong stretched out a finger: "Five thousand catties of grain for a horse. The price of a good horse can be doubled, ten thousand catties of grain."

Ji Gao sat up straight and said, "You are obviously robbing!"

Min Chong smiled and said, "Master Ji, this year's severe drought in the north has caused the price of grain to rise."

"That's not your way of raising money!" Ji Gao said.

Min Chong continued to smile: "Master Ji must have seen all the way south. Drought and locust plagues have also been encountered in Anguo. We don't have much leftover food. If you don't want to sell it, I'll go find someone from Rouran. "

Ji Gao looked at him, hesitated for a long time, and said, "I can't decide this matter. I need to discuss it with His Majesty the Emperor."

Dongrong mainly grows barley, which can only be harvested in September. As a result, the locusts gnawed the newly green wheat seedlings to nothing. It is said that people are not enough to eat, and neither are livestock.

Min Chong said with a smile: "I hope to get an answer from Mr. Ji as soon as possible. By the way, I would like to remind you by the way, don't expect to buy private grain from the territory of Anguo. Now is the time of disaster, and the government strictly controls large grain and grass transactions. cut."

Ji Gao looked at Min Chong's smiling face and wanted to punch him, which meant that he had the final say on the price of food.

Five thousand catties of rice, even if the price is tripled, is only 15 taels of silver. Buying a horse at such a price is simply a dream in normal times.

But now that there is a famine, if we don't buy food, the army may not have enough rations.Horses still consume food and grass, so they really can't afford it.

Ji Gaoqiang held back his anger and cupped his fists: "Farewell!"

Min Chong looked at Ji Gao's leaving back and smiled confidently.This is what he and Xiao Yu discussed. Now that the situation in Anguo has been settled, the biggest threat is the Hu regime in the north. Hu people are good at riding and shooting. If they want to dominate the world, it is necessary to build cavalry.

The number of cavalry in Anguo is small, not more than [-] cavalry, and it is very scattered, so it is necessary to increase the cavalry.To train cavalry, you must have horses. Hu people are good at raising horses, so of course you have to buy them from them.

It really takes a lot of talking and talking to buy horses on weekdays, and the cost is too expensive, which is not affordable by the national strength.Now that we are encountering drought and locust plagues, why not take advantage of the conflict between East and West to buy some cheap horses?

After Ji Gao left, Ji Shan came in from the outside: "My lord, can it be done?"

Min Chong said: "It's almost there, go back and wait."

Ji Shan asked: "Is it still necessary to find Xi Rong and Rou Ran?"

Min Chong said: "There is no need to look for the envoys of Xirong for the time being. Later, you take people to the horse breeders of Xirong, and exchange some overseas spices and treasures with them for some horses. As for Rouran, you can exchange them with tea and carpets. .”

"Yes, my lord!" Ji Shan had just returned from overseas and brought back a lot of rare treasures. These things are especially loved by the Hu nobles, especially the Persian carpets, which are simply a symbol of the status of the Hu nobles.

Before the Dongrong Mission left, Ji Gao quietly paid a visit to Min Chong and agreed to the deal.Min Chong exchanged food for two thousand horses. With these two thousand horses, Anguo's cavalry combat power will be greatly expanded.

This year there was a severe drought in the north, and there were locust plagues again. Rouran, far north of the Great Wall, was the least affected. As long as there was no heavy snowstorm, they should not invade the south this winter.

As the East and West were short of food, they would inevitably reach out to Anguo in the south and sell food to Dongrong, firstly to exchange horses, and secondly to reduce the enemy.With food, the Dongrong people would not be hungry, but there was not enough food for Dongrong to carry out a protracted war, so they dared not send troops easily.

Xirong didn't buy food, they were seriously short of food, and they would definitely invade Anguo this autumn and winter.

Pei Linzhi, who was training cavalry in Yongzhou, learned that Xiao Yu had cleared the obstacles for him in the rear, and he only needed to concentrate on dealing with Xirong, so he took the time to train and fight for a few good battles.

Not only Pei Rinzhi, but also Xiao Yao, who was training in Liangzhou, was taking the time to train soldiers. The enemy was right in front of him, and he wished he could kill all the Xirong people with blood.

While urging Min Chong to make war reserves, Xiao Yu presided over the first nationwide selection examination.

On the first day of November, all states across the country conducted a preliminary selection examination, and more than 1 students signed up. A total of [-] candidates were selected from the preliminary examination, and the general examination will be held in Jianye on the first day of March of the following year.

From the general examination, the top [-] were selected to participate in the palace examination, and the top [-] were selected, and Xiao Yu personally checked the papers and interviewed the officials.

The rest of the outstanding recruits will be arranged by the imperial court to serve as officials in various places. Of course, not only [-] recruits will be recruited, but even those who are more than [-] can be recruited.

Xiao Yu planned to use several selections to exchange the blood of the entire officialdom in Anguo and replace them with the talents he hired. Although there are still some nobles among them, at least they are learned with real talents.

He hopes that the people at the bottom can enter the examination room as soon as possible, take the selection examination, and speak out for their class.

What made Xiao Yu happy was that this year in Yazhou, many children from poor families who came from a school took part in the selection exam, among them were the children he had taught back then. Thinking about it, I feel gratified, and finally there are vegetables that I can grow. sense of accomplishment.

These children from poor families cannot afford long-distance travel expenses, so Xiao Yu asked the local government to send the winners of the preliminary examination to Beijing to take the examination. Firstly, it can ensure that they can successfully participate in the general examination, and secondly, it can also guarantee their personal safety. After all, this In the early years, even if the thieves were wiped out, there were still all kinds of beasts to beware of, and it was much safer to act in unison.