Chapter 150 Grain-for-Wool Program

   "As the old saying goes, you rely on mountains to eat mountains, and rely on water to eat water. Hanzhong now relies on Cao bandits in the north and Qiang Hu in the west. Of course, I found it from them."

  Zhuge Qiao's expression changed immediately after hearing this. If it wasn't for the letter from his mother, he might have started to sue on the spot, directly suspecting that this person was going to be a thief.

   "How do you say this?"

  Zhuge Qiao resisted the impulse in his heart and asked.

   "Brother should know that my younger brother used wool to make woolen cloth a few days ago?"

"Wen Xuan has already told Brother Wei about this matter. Speaking of which, if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, Brother Wei couldn't believe it. Even the wool that the Qiang Hu people discarded like a pair of shoes, Mingwen can use it Weave good cloth."

   Speaking of this matter, Zhuge Qiao couldn't help but praise.

"Since my elder brother has said that, in the eyes of the Hu people, the wool is like a discarded shoe. If we exchange things with them, they will definitely be overjoyed and come flocking here, and the cost is estimated to be insignificant." It’s too big. When it’s time to weave wool into cloth and sell it, once it’s in and out, the profit it gets is probably comparable to salt and iron.”

  In these days, salt and iron are monopolized by the state, and the profits are terrifying, but if you look at the ratio of cost to profit, wool is probably much higher than salt and iron. But Feng Yong didn't dare to talk too much, after all, the benefits of salt and iron are already one of the best deals of the big man.

  Zhuge Qiao's eyes lit up, then he pondered for a moment, then shook his head and refused: "It's not right. The matter of wool is of great importance, and it is beyond our reach."

  Looking at Feng Yong, he was a little puzzled and said, "According to what Wenxuan said, when the wool cloth came out, Mingwen was the first to say that this matter can only be decided by the court. Why do you want to change your original intention now?"

  Feng Yong had expected that Zhuge Qiao would ask this question, so he smiled immediately: "That's why the younger brother said that this matter can only be done for a while, to relieve the urgent need. Brother, do you know how many times a year the sheep's wool can be cut?"

   "How do you know, brother?" Zhuge Qiao laughed, "Before it was plainly written that wool was used to make cloth, they were barbarians. Who would care about such useless things?"

   "Twice." Feng Yong stretched out two fingers, "Once in late spring and once in late autumn."

  Zhuge Qiao frowned, thinking that when the sheep will be sheared has anything to do with this matter?

  Li Yi heard this, but his eyes lit up.

   "Brother, is this the time to shear the sheep?"

"That's right!" Feng Yong nodded, glanced at Li Yi appreciatively, then looked at Zhuge Qiao and said, "Brother should also know that the Qiang Hu man is going to drive the cattle and sheep elsewhere for the winter. Miss this At that time, I was afraid that if I wanted to collect the wool, I would not be able to collect it. My brother thinks, can the imperial court make a regulation on the matter of wool before winter?"

  Zhuge Qiao immediately shook his head, "This is impossible, the time is too hasty. It may take a month and a half before this matter is settled."

   It takes a month for Hanzhong and Jincheng to go back and forth, and the regulations have to be negotiated during the period. One and a half months is the fastest time.

   "It's already winter, where can I find wool?"

Feng Yong took a sip of water and continued, "Besides, for those Qianghu people, they will eat a lot of cattle and sheep as rations throughout the winter. After the winter, the wool that can be harvested is only as good as that. Less than a third of the time."

   "So if you can't harvest the wool once before winter, it will be wasted?" Li Yi showed a concerned expression on his face.

   Seeing Feng Yong nodding, Li Yi looked at Zhuge Qiao again and said, "Bo Song, what do you think?"

  Zhuge Qiao struggled a bit, looked at Feng Yong, then at Li Yi, and murmured: "If this is the case, it would be a pity."

"It's more than a pity!" Li Yi said, "Bo Song, brother didn't mean to do this for a long time, but just don't let the wool go to waste until the imperial court makes a regulation. If Bo Song agrees to this matter, it's okay Why are you so hesitant to prepare some military resources for Hanzhong without violating the court's decree?"

   "The so-called switch is difficult. Even if the court starts collecting wool next year, I'm afraid it will make mistakes due to inexperience. If my brother tries it out first, it can be regarded as preparation for the court to do this next year."

  Feng Yong added a fire to the side.

  Zhuge Qiao gritted his teeth, and finally agreed: "The two virtuous brothers are right. I will accept this matter as a brother, and I will write a letter to explain to you."

  At the same time, I thought to myself, speaking of it, this matter is considered to be done for the public, not for personal gain, and adults should not blame me.

"But even if the wool is not worth much, if we want to exchange it with the Qiang Hu people, the Hu people will not just give it to us for nothing, right?" Zhuge Qiao made up his mind, but then remembered something, "Then I will wait What should I exchange with them?"

  Feng Yong wants to be a profiteer in this matter, so he is naturally prepared: "Dare to ask brother, what do Hu people lack most in winter?"

   "Nature is clothing to keep out the cold and food to wrap the belly."

   "That's right. These two things are what they need urgently. As long as they exchange these two things with them, why not get wool?"

   "These two things are also needed in Hanzhong, and there is nothing left. How can I give them? It's not appropriate!" Zhuge Qiao was shocked and refused again and again.

   "It's just that there is no Hanzhong army, and others may not."

  For the Qianghu people, food is the most precious thing in winter. Exchange their most precious things for their most trashy wool, a stone of grain is not exchanged for hundreds of catties of wool, is the bandit nickname "Feng Langjun" for nothing?

   Take out a hundred stones, which is basically enough.

  After all, this is the first exchange, and time is running out. The Hu people have started to drive their cattle and sheep to find places to spend the winter. The news will definitely not spread very far, and the ones who can rush over to exchange are basically the Qianghu nearby.

"who?"

   "Brother forgot again? Didn't you just say that Lady Huang is the richest person in Hanzhong?"

   "But this matter is to prepare military funds for Hanzhong, so how can Huang Niangzi be involved?"

   "It's not impossible to not involve Huang Niangzi. As long as the Hanzhong government sends out some food, it doesn't need much. It only needs more than a hundred stones. Maybe my brother can get it?"

  Feng Yong asked bluntly.

  With no capital, still want to be a white wolf? You get bait for fishing!

  No matter how stupid the Hu people are, could it be that if you say you want to collect some wool, he will send it over eagerly? If Ma Chaojian was still alive, he would yell twice, and maybe some Qianghu would come over and lick him.

   Zhuge Qiao's face flushed instantly.

Feng Yong sighed, and said: "Brother, to be honest, if my brother hadn't come to ask, I wouldn't have said this. According to my thinking, the younger brother will cooperate with the Huang Niangzi, and the food will be paid. If you can do your best, then ask Erlang to shut down General Ma and make General Ma famous, brother, do you think this will be possible?"

   "It can be done naturally."

  The honest man Zhuge Qiao couldn't say anything against his will, so he nodded and said.

   "There is a fixed amount of grain in the Hanzhong Mansion. Although my brother is the Hanzhong Grain Officer, I'm afraid he can't misappropriate it without authorization, right? If you still have to report to the prime minister, what's the difference from waiting for the imperial court's regulations?"

Feng Yong just wanted to bully an upright gentleman like Zhuge Qiao, or else someone with a conscience would come over. Hearing such a good thing, he might just turn the official business into a private matter and make some tampering with the Hanzhong military rations, leaking such a small amount of food. The profits obtained are divided directly, so what about Hanzhong military resources?

  (end of this chapter)