Xiao Chuo handed a file to Yeluzhen.

That was a piece of information about prices in the Southern Song Dynasty.

"Compared to this time last year, prices in the south have dropped by another 10%! Moreover, this is despite the fact that they are also gathering a large amount of strategic materials like us. What does this mean? If nothing else, this year

After the autumn harvest, their prices will fall somewhat," Xiao Chuo said.

"This shows that the south has had good harvests year after year. In terms of finance, they are much wealthier than us. They can spend more money to build armaments and collect materials without affecting the lives of ordinary people." Yeluzhen was a little depressed.

Authentic: "We can't do that because we have to collect enough supplies, which causes prices to skyrocket. Not only does the people complain, but even many grassroots officials have a difficult life."

"There are so many complaints?" Xiao Chuo sneered: "Are life now more difficult than it was more than ten years ago? It should be much better, right? I could live with it back then, but I can't live with it now!"

"Queen Mother, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality!" Yeluzhen said.

The reason why Xiao Chuo received so much support and had such a high reputation among the people was because Xiao Chuo, who was in charge of state affairs during Yelujun's reign, made all industries in Liao prosperous. Whether it was officials or citizens, their incomes were high.

It is rising steadily, and the happiness index is of course rising sharply.

It is precisely because of these that when the fight broke out between the emperor and empress after Yelujun's death, most people sided with Xiao Chuo and became her supporters.

But now, Xiao Chuo is going to attack the Southern Song Dynasty with all his strength, and everyone's living standards have suddenly dropped a notch. Although it is still better than more than ten years ago, many people are still dissatisfied.

"It will be fine after you survive this for a while!" Xiao Chuo said. "The school affairs office said that there were new food crops in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the yield was quite amazing."

"Yes!" Yeluzhen said: "Agriculture has always been extremely developed around Xijin Prefecture, so I have always paid attention to the farming in the south. Since last year, several new types of crops have appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty. I heard that

They were introduced from overseas. One day's potatoes were harvested once in April this year, and the yield per mu reached an astonishing more than 1,000 kilograms. One day's red potatoes were harvested this month, and the yield per mu exceeded 1,000 kilograms.

Jin. Both crops can be used as staple food, which is one of the reasons for the decline in prices in the south. However, it is said that Xiao Fuzheng and their emperor Zhao An in the south are not very satisfied with this output. It is said that these two crops

The yield per mu of crops can be more than doubled. Your Majesty, the two crops planted in the south this year are not on mature fields, but on raw fields or even wasteland that no one has cultivated because of its barrenness. I feel that this is the reason why

The scariest!"

"If they can plant it, we can also plant it!" Xiao Chuo said calmly: "Send someone over and get the seeds back at any cost."

"They didn't deliberately block these from us at all!" Yeluzhen said with a smile: "I have got a lot of seeds back, and this time I brought some back to the Queen Mother for you to try. I have eaten them, and they are really good! Southern

It's so grand that I'm surprised that such an important weapon of the country was allowed to be taken by us without being blocked."

"My second brother is really grand. But, can he block these things if he wants to?" Xiao Chuo said: "As long as the people start planting, we can always get it, why not?

It’s generous and generous. It’s just that the people here are willing to plant a large amount of this thing?”

"It does not compete with the staple food for land, so there should be no problem in promoting it. Since the Queen Mother has said so, then I will send people to the south to purchase large quantities!"

"Okay. Something that makes my second brother so interested is definitely a good thing!" Xiao Chuo warned: "Not only get the seeds, but don't take a look in the south and inquire about the further use of these things.

"

"Yes, I will do it after I go down!" Yeluzhen nodded and said: "Queen Mother, these matters are long-term government affairs. There is no rush and they can be handled slowly. But where is the Western Army?"

"You want to ask the King of Zhenbei to send troops to attack the Western Army?" Xiao Chuo said.

"Yes!" Yeluzhen said: "Yelumin, the king of Zhenbei, currently has more than 100,000 troops under his command. If he can launch an attack on the Western Army, regardless of victory or defeat, he can eliminate the threat from the Western Army to our waist and ribs.

"Yeluzhen said.

King Yelumin of Zhennan was a direct descendant of the Queen Mother, and no one except the Queen Mother could give orders to touch him.

"When Yelumin left Zhongjing, he only brought 5,000 Shan troops and 3,000 Jurchens. In the past few years, his subordinates have slowly gathered eight cavalry units of the Ugu Enemy Lie Tong and gathered the power of the Zubu people.

, when he arrived in the Western Regions, he merged with the Uighurs, Tubo people and the tribal armies of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions." Xiao Chuo said: "In terms of combat strength alone, he does have more than 100,000 cavalry under his command. However, these of his

Can the power be used against the Western Army?"

"If the Queen Mother requests..."

Xiao Chuo waved his hand: "These people are all gathered together because of interests. Among them, the eight tribes of the Ugu Enemy Lietong and the Zubu people are even very hostile to us. Yelumin gathered these people together and marched all the way to

Xi, first attacked the Black Khanate, and now they are attacking Huazizmo. Tell me, why did Yelumin let these people fight for him?"

Yeluzhen remained silent.

"It's profit, it's wealth!" Xiao Chuo said: "These are the only reasons why those people are willing to gather under Yelumin. Without these, will they still obey Yelumin's orders? At the moment, attacking Huahua

Qizim has reached a critical moment, and seeing that he is about to get a lot of wealth, can Yelumin give up Huazim and return to the army? If so, I'm afraid the army will fall apart! Don't take the wealth you got.

, turn around and confront the Western Army head-on, what do you think the eight divisions of the Uugu Enemy Lietong are doing? What are the people who are blocking the divination doing? I'm afraid even those Jurchens won't agree!"

"As the King of Zhenbei of Daliao, Yelumin must share the worries of Daliao at this moment!"

"I will give him a decree!" Xiao Chuo said: "At least let him restrain Tie Yaozi and Bu Bazi. As for the rest, I guess he can't do anything. King Zhennan, Yelumin can understand the differences in his mind.

We have done a great job by taking away the eight tribes of the Ugu Enemy Lietong and the wavering fortune tellers so that they would not threaten our backyard of Daliao."

"What the Queen Mother said is absolutely true!" Yeluzhen nodded. If Yelumin could prevent Tieyaozi and Bubazi from advancing eastward, he would be barely satisfied. Compared with these two armies, the other tribal troops in the Western Army

To be honest, it's not even close to half a star.

This time, the head coach of the Southern Expedition finally fell into the hands of Yelu Zhen.

This is a satisfactory result in all aspects.

For at least the next two years, the top priority of the Liao Kingdom will be the Southern Expedition. According to the calculations of Empress Dowager Chengtian, Yeluzhen and others, if everything goes well, everything should be resolved within two years.

If it can't be solved in two years, the trouble will probably be serious.

Because Daliao couldn't afford to delay it.

Hundreds of thousands of troops marched south and were eaten by horses. Not to mention other factors, the military expenditure alone was enough to collapse the imperial court. In order to provide the logistics for hundreds of thousands of troops, at least twice as many civilians as combatants had to be mobilized.

Within two years, these people were basically out of production.

It only consumes but does not produce anything.

In comparison, the Southern Song Dynasty, which fought on its own and was based on defense, was much more comfortable. What's more, it now seems that the South has once again taken the lead in the Liao Dynasty in terms of economy.

As for the Song people's ability to make money, the Liao people could only accept their defeat once again.

Even though the Queen Mother has been sparing no effort to promote the self-sufficiency of Daliao's most basic production materials for more than ten years, although it has achieved certain results, it is still incomparable with the Song people.

In the past, no matter how rich the Song people were, the Liao Kingdom was not afraid.

The Song people never turned their economic advantages into military strength. Instead, they felt that the richer they were, the less likely they were to fight.

But now in Jiangning and Xinsong, the situation is completely different.

More money is being transformed into stronger combat power, more powerful weapons, and more strategic material reserves.

Every time she saw relevant information delivered by the school affairs office, Yeluzhen felt uneasy.

This also further supports Empress Dowager Chengtian's decision to compete with the Southern Song Dynasty within the next two years.

Although the Jiangning New Song Dynasty is now located in the south, it still has a large population base and strong financial resources. Coupled with Xiao Chongwen, a figure who is the main battler and has extraordinary ability to control the court, the threat of the New Song Dynasty is increasing day by day.

expand.

Every day that passes will increase Xin Song's combat effectiveness by one more point.

Yelu Longxu and Yelu Zhen were sitting on the street of Jiangshifang.

The Jiangshifang was a separate area deliberately designated when Zhongjing was built, and it was completely isolated from other areas. When this area was built at that time, because the cost was too high and there were no such areas in Daliao,

So many craftsmen have caused a lot of controversy.

Because at that time in the Liao Dynasty, most of the truly skilled craftsmen were in the hands of nobles, aristocratic families or tribes, and very few were living abroad.

But with the capture of Tokyo, the Empress Dowager Chengtian took over the entire Song Dynasty's craftsman camp in Tokyo, and brought them all back to Zhongjing and settled in the craftsman's workshop. Not only that, at that time, any Song craftsmanship with any skills in Tokyo and its surrounding areas was

All people were kidnapped by the Liao army. These people and their families totaled nearly 200,000 people.

Now these people live in the craftsman's workshop.

The craftsmen and their families who live here cannot leave this area.

This area is divided into different areas, engaged in different manufacturing work.

The production of weapons and armor can be regarded as the top priority in the craftsman's workshop, located in the core area.

Here, it is related to the supply of weapons and armor to the front line in the next few years, and Yeluzhen is naturally the most concerned about it.

Even just walking on the street, Yeluzhen could feel that the temperature here was much higher than outside. In just a moment, she was already sweating profusely.

And looking at the craftsmen in those shacks, most of them only wear a pair of shorts.

What surprised Yeluzhen was that the fat man Yelu Longxu, who was supposed to be the most afraid of heat, actually looked much better than him.

"Still in a bad mood?" Looking at Yelu Longxu's elongated face, Yeluzhen said with a smile: "You really can't blame the Queen Mother for this matter. The person you chose was careless and did such a thing, and why?

After being caught, how can the majestic Emperor of Liao endure such humiliation!"

"If you say that there is no Queen Mother behind this matter, I won't believe it!" Yelu Longxu said dullly: "The Queen Mother still doesn't want to return to power!"

"Without this root, how can this sprout come from?" Yeluzhen said: "After all, it was Xiao Se who was not cautious in his conduct, and others could take advantage of him. Moreover, at this time, we in Daliao really need people like the Queen Mother to control it with one hand.

The emperor is still only sixteen years old after all."

"With you as the commander-in-chief of the Southern Expedition, what can I have to worry about!"

"As the governor of Hebei, you don't know what's going on on the other side?" Yeluzhen said solemnly: "This time our battle will be much more difficult than the last time we defeated Hebei and other places. Suixian's defeat has already given us a

This has sounded the alarm. If we continue to underestimate the enemy, I am afraid that both you and I will die without a burial place."
To be continued...