"Food and wages." Liu Zhixing said simply and directly without any nonsense.

Hearing this word, Wang Youxiao and Li Yong sighed together, with sad looks on their faces. Li Yong was in charge of military supplies and knew how powerful he was.

Wang Youxiao's job is to supervise, but he has served as a county magistrate and knows how powerful he is.

"Huh!!!" Wu Nian took a deep breath, with a wry smile on his face, and then shook his head gently. The pressure on his shoulders suddenly increased and became heavy.

The joy of defeating Wang Zhongbi relatively easily and seizing Nanhai Mansion also dissipated.

This is an ever-present problem.

His army had no food and pay.

Everyone is a patriot who gathered to fight against the Mongolians or pirates. Currently there are twelve captains, which is twelve soldiers from ten thousand households.

They have no food and wages, only weapons, armor, and rations.

Only when Wu Nian was victorious, the Han people who killed the Mongolians and acted as their lackeys would confiscate the fields and reward the soldiers who had meritorious service or died in battle.

Everyone is a lofty ideal, so the army did not collapse. But this is by no means a long-term solution.

Everyone has to support their families.

Wu Nian felt very guilty about this, but there was no way to solve this problem head-on. He had too many troops, too many.

The expansion of territory is far less rapid than the expansion of the army.

For example, this time.

He had just conquered Nanhai Prefecture, the officialdom was not yet completely stable, and taxes had not been collected. However, Liu Zhixing had already proposed to expand the number of soldiers from six thousand households with sub-level treatment to serve as defenders. In this way, the number of troops

, enough for 180,000 households.

This is an astronomical figure, a barrage of belligerence within a barrage of belligerence.

Wu Nian didn't need to do calculations to know that under normal circumstances, his three prefectures, Nanhai, Yingqing, and Guangchuan, as well as the silver and copper ingot trade with the Kyogoku family, would not be able to pay wages.

If the entire five prefectures and 32 counties in Liaodong are conquered, food and wages may be distributed.

Wu Nian sighed, shook his head and said, "Zhixing, you know me. Outsiders say I am a butcher, but in fact, whenever I see soldiers who died in battle, I feel heartbroken."

"It's a pity that all men from the Han family died on the battlefield."

"It's not that I'm stingy with money and food, it's that I can't pay them at all."

Liu Zhixing, Li Yong, and Wang Youxiao all nodded. As Wu Nian's close and important ministers, they knew Wu Nian very well.

This general who assisted the Han Dynasty was ruthless and ruthless, and only dealt with foreigners such as the Mongols and Yuan people, or Han people who had broken the law or had done something wrong.

But he is very kind to ordinary people and is definitely a benevolent and righteous king.

Drought and locust plagues are good examples. And the [small court] operating according to Wu Nian's will is also honest and treats the people well.

The army and the people, the government and the people are like fish in water, very harmonious and united.

This is the fundamental reason why General Fuhan's Mansion was able to maintain its rule despite betraying Huang Chu.

"General, of course I know this." Liu Zhixing took a deep breath, raised his fists and said sincerely: "With all due respect. Looking through the history books, I'm afraid there are only a handful of kings and emperors who can reach the level of a general.

"

"I feel honored to work under the general."

After that, Liu Zhixing stood up, walked in front of Wu Nian, clasped his fists and bent down. Seeing this, Wang Youxiao and Li Yong also stood up and followed Liu Zhixing.

"What are you doing? Sit down." Wu Nian shook his head, quickly stood up, walked to the three of them, helped them up one by one, and then asked them to sit down.

After returning to his seat and sitting down, Liu Zhixing said: "But general, although it is difficult, food and salary must be solved."

At this point, Liu Zhixing glanced at Li Yong and Wang Youxiao, and then said in a deep voice: "General, those 40,000 troops from Chu have surrendered. If they are arranged to camp in the fields, they will be strictly guarded. They will not be able to escape."

"But we arranged for them to become defenders without food and wages. They will definitely run away."

"And I gave them food and salary. The rest of the army must have food and salary. Otherwise, you have food and salary, and I don't have food and salary. Those soldiers who don't have food and salary will probably be psychologically unbalanced."

"And not only that. These defenders, after we arrange to go to the place, we can find local women and let them get married on the spot."

"If they have food and salary, a wife and children, they won't think about running away."

"If the Mongols come to attack, they will fight to the death."

"This has another advantage. There have been frequent wars in Liaodong in recent years. There are many women among the people, but few men. There are many widows and unmarried girls."

"Let these more than 40,000 Chu troops surrender and start families nearby, and you can reconcile yin and yang."

Wu young man nodded lightly, what he said made sense. The soldiers had no food and pay, but they were still willing to work with him. It was because they were all from Liaodong and anti-Mongolian patriots.

In order to drive away the Meng Yuan people, they were willing to sacrifice their lives and live a miserable life. The Chu State sent troops to the south and had no personal experience with the Meng Yuan people. Why didn't they escape?

Food, salary, starting a family, one after another.

Goes to the core of humanity.

You can't do it without money.

A man has roots when he gets married, and family wealth is expensive.

"Okay. Although this is a big mountain, no matter how difficult it is for us, we still have to move it. Move the mountain to open a road." This pressure is really great, but it cannot be avoided. Wu Nian sighed and stretched out his hand to rub it.

He rubbed his temples, then looked up at the three of them and asked, "It seems like you haven't been thinking about this for a while."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Salt and iron franchise." Liu Zhixing said simply.

"Isn't this competing with the people for profit?" Wu Nian's face changed slightly, showing a serious look, and he shook his head and said.

The so-called salt and iron specialty.

That is to state the sale and purchase of salt and iron, and centrally manage it under the Fu Han General's Office. But this will incur huge management costs.

Official salt and official iron are definitely more expensive than private salt and private iron. This is stealing money from people's wallets.

This is a real struggle with the people.

Although there is a saying called.

Concentrate your efforts to do big things.

But Wu Nian still thinks that this is not good.

Liu Zhixing was not surprised by Wu Nian's reaction and said calmly: "General, this is not about competing for profit with the people."

"General, think about it. We are now so poor that we have to tighten our belts and live a life without even being able to pay out food and wages."

"We specialize in salt and iron, not for government expenses. Nor is it for large-scale construction, building mansions and palaces. It is to provide food and wages for soldiers."

"If the plan is carried out, we will have 180,000 households with soldiers. Almost every household will send troops. Our salt and iron franchise will gain benefits, which will then be turned into food and wages and distributed to the soldiers. This is not from the common people.

Did you take the money from your wallet and give it back to the people?”

"Money is still circulating among the people. It has not reached the hands of the government."

Wu Nian was stunned for a moment, raised his right hand and pinched his chin. What he said seemed to make sense.

He doesn't know much about economics, but he is good at listening to opinions and has his own judgment.

After hesitating for a long time, Wu Nian nodded and said: "Okay. Just specialize in salt and iron. But give it a try first. If there is a huge backlash among the people, cancel it immediately."

"yes."

Liu Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Wu Nian had agreed. Even though Wu Nian was not here, with them here, the mansion of General Fu Han could still operate normally.

But there are some things that Wu Nian can't do even if he doesn't agree.

Power is firmly in Wu Nian's hands.

"Can the fiscal revenue brought by the salt and iron franchise make up for the huge gap in food and salary?" Wu Nian thought of this question again and couldn't help but ask.

"No." Liu Zhixing shook his head and said bluntly: "I can only say that with the financial income brought by the salt and iron franchise, we can try to provide food and salary to the soldiers."

"Without the salt and iron franchise, there would be no way this shop could be opened."

"It is empty talk to digest the more than 40,000 surrendered troops of the Chu State, recruit another 20,000 strong men, and establish a garrison of 60,000 households."

Wu Nian involuntarily raised his head and looked at the beams and tiles.

All right.

money.

It's really a good thing.

but.
Chapter completed!