King Qin said: "Shaolong always surprises me. Before the competition, he said that General Wang Jian is a rare general, and he should be entrusted with the post of Taifu no matter what. As soon as I saw General Wang, I felt that Shaolong's recommendation was right. , I like it in my heart. I didn’t expect that there would be this surprise waiting for me.”
When everyone heard that Xiang Shaolong actually praised his opponent so much before the competition and bluntly said that the King of Qin would entrust him with an important task, how magnanimous he was. The military immediately had a great impression of Xiang Shaolong. The military bosses looked at each other and made a tacit understanding in their hearts that they would reciprocate the favor.
Wang Hao said: "Your Majesty, Shaolong's invention alone is beyond comparison with ordinary military achievements. Simply conferring the title of Grand Tutor is not enough to commend Shaolong's contribution."
The King of Qin said: "Exactly. Shaolong is extremely talented and has a noble character. If he cannot be reused, how can we, the Qin Dynasty, recruit talented people from all over the world?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Your Majesty, Shaolong is willing to go to the northern border to resist the Xiongnu. I hope your Majesty will grant you permission."
Everyone was shocked. Northern Xinjiang was difficult and not a good place to go.
Wang Lu asked: "With Shaolong's talent, he can easily gain glory and wealth by staying in Xianyang, why should he go to the border to suffer?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "The Huns are cruel and cruel, making our border people miserable. Moreover, the Huns are gradually becoming stronger. Once a unified political power appears on the grasslands, they will become a serious problem for us in the Central Plains. We Qin, Zhao, and Yan The Three Kingdoms have been harassed by the Xiongnu for many years, building the Great Wall, wasting people and money, Shaolong cannot bear the death of the people at the border by foreign butcher knives, please give me the right to command troops at the border, and I am willing to do my little bit to keep the peace at the border."
The King of Qin said with emotion: "Shaolong is so kind, I really can't bear Shaolong to go to the border and suffer."
Xiang Shaolong said: "Your Majesty, the border is a stage for me to display my talents. A decisive battle against the Huns has always been my dream."
The King of Qin said: "To lead the army in battle is not to go to Northern Xinjiang. We and the other six countries are also constantly conquering. Shaolong stays in Xianyang, and there is no shortage of opportunities to lead troops."
King Qin now valued Xiang Shaolong very much and wanted to keep him by his side.
Xiang Shaolong said: "In my eyes, the six countries are like withered bones in a grave. A short-term war is not enough to affect the general trend of the world. It is only a matter of time for our Qin to unify the world. The Xiongnu is different. The solution to the Xiongnu can only be military. In our In our eyes, the Huns are our number one military enemy."
When King Qin heard Xiang Shaolong's blunt statement that Qin would definitely unify the world, he felt happy and asked: "Shaolong is so optimistic that our country, Qin, can unify the world? The Xiongnu can only use military force, so what other methods do the other six countries have?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "It is self-evident that our Great Qin is powerful, but it is not strong enough to be able to resist the alliance of the six eastern countries alone. Once our Great Qin takes military action, it will definitely lead to the six countries uniting again, but if If the Qin Dynasty does not have military operations, the six countries will fight among themselves and continue to fight internally. The Zhao State also suffers from the threat of the Xiongnu, which consumes the national strength. After the Changping War, its vitality was severely damaged and could not be recovered in a short time. In addition, the Zhao State There is nothing to worry about when the king is fatuous and traitorous ministers are in power. The king of Wei originally had Lord Xinling who was a hero, but he had constant conflicts with the king of Wei. But he didn't like to fight, he wrote a thousand words, but he had no strategy in his mind. Although there were people like Tian Dan, they were hard to come back; The great resources were wasted by the vacillation of time; let’s not mention the small countries of Yan and Han. I, the great king of Qin, are wise, my soldiers are responsible for their lives, and they are united and united. I would like to ask, besides me, Qin, who else is qualified to unify the world? Now the six kingdoms are still united If they have the strength to compete with our Great Qin, we will suspend military operations. Without the pressure from Great Qin, they will definitely kill each other. We will then use economic aggression to suck the world's wealth into our Great Qin. And the border areas are... It is a good place for military training. If all the soldiers of our Great Qin are sent to the border in batches, after experiencing the test of blood and fire, they will surely become real tiger and wolf soldiers. As our Great Qin becomes more and more prosperous, the six countries The national power is getting weaker and weaker, and when the time comes, it will be able to sweep the world with the force of autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Because of their backward lifestyle, the Xiongnu did not engage in production or trade, but they were robbing by nature, and the only thing between them and us was There is a way to war.”
Xiang Shaolong's long speech made everyone suddenly enlightened. They did not expect that there was such a profound truth hidden behind him going to the border.
The King of Qin asked: "What is economic aggression?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "To put it simply, we make money from them through doing business."
King Qin frowned and said: "Business means making money for each other. We make their money, and they also make our money. You must know that Daqin is located in a remote place and is not rich in resources. This is also the reason why the Shang Lord emphasizes agriculture and suppresses business. .”
Xiang Shaolong said: "The Lord Shang was afraid of the loss of important strategic resources such as grain and minerals, so he banned the Qin people from doing business. From a strategic point of view, it is not wrong, because there is nothing else worth exchanging. We can develop some new ones , products with high added value that are not strategic materials at the same time, selling them and buying their low value-added products generally means we make money.”
No one understood, so King Qin continued to ask: "What is added value?"
Xiang Shaolong continued to explain: "Your Majesty, I am about to present two of my unique products to your Majesty. Take these two products as examples. One is called refined salt. The salt we eat now has too many impurities and the taste is bad. What's amazing is that I have the technology to refine coarse salt into refined salt like snowflakes. This product is not available anywhere else. I can price it at will. If you want salt, you must come to me to buy it. There is also a commodity called paper, which is used for writing. Similar to silk, it is easy to carry, but it is cheap and easy to promote. It is also not available elsewhere. If you want to buy it, you can only come to me."
King Qin said: "How to make money at a low price?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Small profits but quick turnover. Moreover, these are consumables and will be constantly needed, so we will continue to make money. And the added value of this kind of goods is high, and we have to keep buying food." It doesn’t matter if the price is a little higher for strategic resources with low added value such as minerals, minerals and coarse salt, they should be reserved for war.”
King Qin was overjoyed and said: "Is Shaolong going to dedicate these two skills to me?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Exactly. Our country, Da Qin, has a monopoly on the production of paper and refined salt, and the income generated goes into the national treasury, which can be used to improve people's livelihood and increase military expenditures."
The King of Qin became more and more satisfied when he saw Xiang Shaolong, and said: "In this case, I will thank Shaolong for his righteousness on behalf of the army and people of Qin!"
Xiang Shaolong said: "I sincerely ask your Majesty and the generals to keep Shaolong's treasure presentation a secret. It is not appropriate to let too many people know about it."
Everyone suddenly realized that Xiang Shaolong came from the Wu family. The Wu family was originally a wealthy businessman, and Lu Buwei, the backer of the Wu family, was a business wizard. How could they not know the value of these two technologies. Xiang Shaolong bypassed them and presented himself directly to the king, fearing that he would be hated by others.
King Qin was a little embarrassed and said: "The Wu family is good at doing business, otherwise let the Wu family handle this matter for me."
He was giving back to Xiang Shaolong.
Xiang Shaolong shook his head and said: "The Wu family is already too rich. If we get richer, it will not be helpful to our lives. Moreover, it is unimaginable to monopolize huge profits. The strength of the Wu family is not enough to deter Xiao Xiao. I am afraid of intervening in this matter." It is a misfortune rather than a blessing. It also reminds the king to treat it with caution. Money and silk are very attractive, and in the face of huge interests, some people will definitely take risks and fish in troubled waters."
Seeing how carefree Xiang Shaolong treats wealth, everyone admires him. Xiang Shaolong is no different from a saint in their minds.
The King of Qin praised: "Having Shaolong here is really a blessing to our great Qin."
No one thought that Xiang Shaolong was hypocritical because his sacrifice was huge. At this moment, the military has completely regarded Xiang Shaolong as one of its own.
King Qin said warmly: "Has Shaolong really decided to go to Northern Xinjiang?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Yes, I have made up my mind, please make it happen, Your Majesty."
King Qin said: "Okay! I will give you the tiger talisman to control all military affairs in the northern border."
Xiang Shaolong bowed down and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Wang Jian quickly also bowed down and said: "Your Majesty, I would like to accompany Taifu Xiang to the northern Xinjiang to fight against the Xiongnu. Please grant me your permission!"
The King of Qin sighed: "Our Qin Dynasty has young men like Shaolong and Wang Jian, so why worry about big things happening! That's right! You two go back and prepare."
After the two of them left the palace, Wang Jian said: "Thank you General Xiang for your recommendation. Wang Jian has nothing to repay, but Wang Jian will not refuse any assignment from General Xiang."
Xiang Shaolong said: "General Wang, you don't have to be polite. Now that you and I are both the Crown Prince and Tutor, and we are going to Northern Xinjiang together, we are not outsiders. From now on, you and I will work together to assist the Crown Prince, defeat the Xiongnu, and sweep across the capitals of the six countries." It's no problem. Today I have a gift for the general." He said and got a brand new saddle and stirrups from his entourage.
Wang Jian was overjoyed and quickly thanked him.
After Xiang Shaolong returned home, he discussed with Wu Yingyuan about going to Northern Xinjiang.
Wu Yingyuan didn't expect Xiang Shaolong to go to Northern Xinjiang, so he asked why.
Xiang Shaolong said: "It has always been my wish to fight the Xiongnu, and I have designed many weapons for this purpose. I want to test the effects in practice, accumulate experience, and achieve some military exploits. I cannot keep them in the northern Xinjiang forever. I will come back after the year to prepare for the unification of the six countries in the future, and I do not want to participate in the political struggle in Xianyang. After I leave Xianyang, you should not get too close to Lu Buwei. Now our backers are the king and the prince. Lu Buwei attaches great importance to profit and neglects justice, and will definitely have conflicts with the king in the future. We must stand firmly on the side of the king, even if we turn against Lu Buwei. I will transfer most of the elites and property of the Wu family to help me establish a foothold in the north. The second is to open up a new foundation for the Wu family outside the Great Wall. We cannot put all our strength in Xianyang. Xianyang is the center of the storm. If you are not careful, you will be shattered to pieces. "
Going to Northern Xinjiang, Xiang Shaolong decided to take Wu Tingfang and Shu'er with him. Firstly, they had to guard the border for a long time. Secondly, even if they were fighting against the Huns, he could keep them safe with his own strength and that of those around him.
