Three Kingdoms

"Iron price doubled in Jizhou? 』

For ordinary people, it may just be a matter of price fluctuations, but for Fei Qian and Pang Tong, this is indeed a military issue.

It is said to be Jizhou, but it is obviously near Yecheng, otherwise Jizhou is not too small, and no one specially traveled to the whole of Jizhou to investigate.

Jizhou also has iron mines, and the output is not small, so most of the time, the price of iron basically maintains a stable price, with little fluctuation. If it suddenly rises like this, there are only two reasons. One is that iron There is a problem in the mine, and the other is that there is less iron on the market.

Iron is a strategic resource, so iron mines and other areas are basically areas of focus. They cannot be guarded by soldiers, so the possibility of problems is relatively small. After all, in this era, absenteeism is almost like livestock, even if there is a landslide. , at worst, change the hole and continue digging...

Therefore, Fei Qian and Pang Tong determined that the iron ore in the Jizhou market should be purchased on a large scale, which led to the price increase. Why buy large amounts of iron? Of course it's not for eating, it's obviously for forging weapons. So Cao Cao is preparing to explode his troops? Youzhou is obviously somewhat unlikely, so will Cao Jun attack Huguan?

The closest place to Jizhou is undoubtedly the Shangdang area of ​​Taiyuan, and the rivers and mountains inside and outside the terrain are dangerous, with the river in the west and Taihang in the east. The whole thing is like a fruit wrapped in a hard shell, which cannot be easily broken, especially Cao Cao's fortress. Attacking from the southeast is even more difficult.

Historically, Cao Cao used superior troops to attack Huguan and spread the word, but it took him more than half a year to break through the hard shell.

So on the whole, when joining the Shangdang in Taiyuan, Bingzhou has always been in a state of defense instead of attack, because it is difficult to attack Huguan from Jizhou. Similarly, if Fei Qian wants to send troops from Huguan to attack Jizhou, it will be the same if he has to climb the Taihang Mountains. The transportation was difficult, so Jia Qu served as a defense and containment in Huguan, and would not take the initiative to attack under normal circumstances.

This is somewhat interesting.

If it was just to attack Jingzhou, would Cao Cao need to make such a big move?

But if it weren't for Jingzhou, could Cao Cao afford to fight on both sides?

Fei Qian and Pang Tong discussed for a long time and felt that they could not rule out the possibility that Cao Cao suddenly became dizzy. However, this possibility was not high because Cao Cao would not send troops to fight Fei Qian until the Jingzhou issue was completely resolved.

So Fei Qian and Pang Tong finally decided to continue sending people to Jizhou to spy on the news and find out what Cao Cao was doing...

However, no matter how Fei Qian deduced, what he never expected was that Cao Cao actually used these irons to create a uniform cavalry.

Equipped cavalry is too expensive. Of course, Fei Qian is naturally Fei Qian. Well, it’s a waste of money...

Of course, Cao Cao plundered almost all the iron ingots in Jizhou not only to make weapons, but also for other purposes.

On this day, Cao Cao took some noble surnames from Jizhou and Yuan Xi to the southwest of Qinghe County.

After Yuan Xi defected to Cao Cao, he rarely showed up. As a result, some people spread rumors that Yuan Xi was killed by Cao Cao just like Yuan Tan. The rumors were even louder and louder, as if he was poisoned and cut into pieces. Something like that, as if I was watching the whole process in person.

So Cao Cao simply took this opportunity to show Yuan Xi in front of the Jizhou nobles. Although Yuan Xi was generally dressed up a little, his energy and energy were obviously much worse, like tofu skin that was half moldy. Even under the sun, there was still a rotten and old smell. smell.

After bypassing a hill that was not very high, there was a large piece of flat land behind the hill. On the flat ground, bamboo and flags were used as fences to enclose a large open space, which was quite vast.

In the far distance of the open space, there are many arrow targets and wooden stakes placed in hundreds or even thousands, neatly arranged and densely packed, standing as if they were a military formation. On this side of the open space, it is even more eye-catching, because there is a fully armed cavalry making pre-war preparations.

The Jizhou nobles put up awnings and looked at the cavalry. After seeing the equipment of these cavalry clearly, they couldn't help but take a breath and wink at each other.

It turns out that the price of iron on the market is so high these days, just for this reason...

Cao Cao walked in front with his head raised and his beard raised, his eyes slightly squinted, as if he didn't care about the arrogant movements of the Jizhou nobles behind him.

The Jizhou nobles and others clicked their tongues, then followed Cao Cao, staring intently. Yuan Xi was at the back, as if he was not interested in anything. After a few glances, he lowered his eyelids again.

However, Cao Cao had no intention of leaving Yuan Xi idle. Since he came out to bask in the sun, he had to bask in the sun thoroughly. How could he not turn it over and give it a good rub? So after getting on the general stage, he immediately called Yuan Xi to his side, and even reached out to hold Yuan Xi's arm, showing a harmonious atmosphere like a kind uncle and a well-behaved nephew.

Of course, if Yuan Xi's wife is still there, it's hard to say that Cao Cao likes her even more...

Ahem.

Cao Cao was actually forced to make such a move now.

The first reason is that the general Hussar is now firmly seated in Guanzhong and has soldiers from Bingzhou and Liangzhou. The most powerful soldiers from Liangzhou are the cavalry. This is also a factor that has always worried Cao Cao, and also made the Jizhou nobles always feel that Cao Cao is not very reliable, and they are not willing to bet on Cao Cao.

Many Jizhou natives secretly have such considerations. When Boss Yuan was alive, they could not stop the Hussars. Now that Boss Cao is replaced, he may not be able to stop them either... After all, Boss Cao was in Xu County before. It wasn't long after the loss I suffered, how could I just forget about it?

In order to calm the minds of the Jizhou nobles, and to enhance his own strength against the Feiqian cavalry, Cao Cao almost sold out the pot and created this batch of armored cavalry.

The iron in Yuzhou must be provided nearby to the soldiers who are preparing to attack Jingzhou. Naturally, it is impossible to transfer it to Jizhou. The desire to build a large amount of armor and equipment in a short period of time naturally caused a shortage of iron ingots on the market in Jizhou.

When the people and horses not far away gathered together, it seemed that the scene was very grand. However, Cao Cao would not tell these Jizhou natives that not all of the three or four thousand people in front of him were armored cavalry. At least four of them Three-thirds are auxiliary personnel, and the actual armored cavalry is actually only six to seven hundred people.

In order to build these armors equipped with cavalry and horses, almost all the iron ingots on the market in Jizhou were collected. Even if Cao Cao wanted to expand the scale, it was almost impossible. Many things are easy to think about but difficult to do. A uniformed cavalry unit is not only a problem of armor, but also of people and horses...

Fortunately, it finally looks a bit like it now.

Although these armored cavalry do not have the plate armor structure that is covered with iron armor and wears like a can like later generations, they can still be considered to have stronger protective armor today. First of all, the cavalry have all replaced iron pockets. I know that a large part of Cao's cavalry was similar to the Hu cavalry. They only wore leather benches on their heads. Some even wrapped their heads in scarves. Even generals often did this.

Although the leather turban is light and breathable, its defensive power is just better than nothing. Naturally, it cannot be compared with the iron turban.

Secondly, all the original double armors were replaced by enhanced version of the Zha armor with neck guards, arm guards and skirts. Liangdang armor is the most common armor for big men nowadays. It is very easy to make and wear. It consists of two pieces of body armor that cover the chest and back. They are tied with leather strips on the shoulders and sides, making it easy to put on and take off. However, the double armor also has great shortcomings. For example, the neck, arms, ribs, waist and legs are almost exposed. As a result, if these areas are cut, slashed, or stabbed, it is easy for soldiers to be injured. , cannot fight. This is of course a painful lesson learned after the battle between Cao's cavalry and hussars some time ago.

Nowadays, the improved armor has much better protective capabilities. The iron pockets and the towering neck guards on both sides can protect the fragile head and neck. The additional shoulder armor can block the hands and arms. There are two pieces under the body armor. The long armor skirt can cover the entire thigh and most of the calf, and underneath are leather boots.

As for the mounts, they are all specially selected tall horses, otherwise they would not be able to carry such a heavy cavalry. They are then covered with felt, leaving only four legs exposed, so ordinary arrows can basically not hurt the horse's belly.

In addition, on the front of the horse, there are face curtains, chicken necks and breasts, all made of leather and decorated with iron nails.

The most important thing is that all these war horses are covered with metal shoes.

Of course, it can be said that improvements in armor, horseshoes, etc. were actually learned by Cao Cao from Fei Qian, but Cao Cao definitely refused to admit this.

How can this be called piracy? Does your Hussar have the copyright?

Learning and growing from opponents has always been something Cao Cao is good at...

When Cao Cao and others boarded the general commanding platform, the retinues equipped with cavalry were assisting the knights in putting on their armor, arranging the armor of the war horses, and finally helping the cavalry mount their horses. Of course, the equipment of these retinues is relatively simple, basically just leather bean and leather body armor.

But no one paid attention to the retinue. Most people's eyes were attracted by the majestic-looking uniformed cavalry...

"Isn't this full body armor very light?" 』

"How do you think it weighs hundreds of kilograms?" 』

"nice! A warrior too! 』

Cao Cao listened to the chattering sounds behind him. Although there was no smile on his face, the original solemnity in his eyes relaxed a lot.

Look at those cavalrymen in formation, then hold the reins with their left hand to control their mounts, and raise their right horseshoes diagonally upward at a 45-degree angle. When they form a neat queue with three rows in front and back, thirty steps apart, The person in front raised the horse's chariot high and shouted loudly: "Everything is ready, Sikong!" 』

Cao Cao waved his sleeves and said, "Go to war!" 』

The rumble of war drums sounded, not too urgently at first, and the cavalrymen also moved forward slowly. Then the sound of heavy horses' hooves gradually accelerated with the sound of the drums, and finally became more intense, with countless mud specks and dust turning under the horses' hooves. Flying, the long horse shaft shone with an icy cold light. The iron hooves of the war horse landed on the ground, and the sound almost drowned out the drums. Even if Cao Cao and others stood on the general platform, they seemed to be able to feel the wooden platform under their feet. Stopped and trembled...

In the blink of an eye, the first row of armored cavalry had already rushed close to the "enemy position". At the thorn points of hundreds of horses, the targets and wooden stakes in front of them were knocked down one after another, causing large amounts of smoke and dust to rise. In the Jizhou area behind Cao Cao The nobles and nobles all stretched their necks to watch. Seeing this, they couldn't help but cheer loudly. The atmosphere was full for a while.

The armored cavalry in the second and third columns rushed over and soon completely broke through the "enemy formation". The straw piles and targets that were originally neatly arranged were almost all turned into a mess. By the time these armored cavalry had passed, Once that area was cleared, all that was left was a mess...

After watching the exercise, Cao Cao turned to Yuan Xi and asked, "What do you think of the combat power of this cavalry?" 』

Yuan Xi couldn't help but shiver slightly, then lowered his head and cupped his hands and said: "You are so strong that you can defeat thousands of troops!" 』

Cao Cao was obviously very satisfied with Yuan Xi's cooperative attitude, so he turned around and asked the noble nobles in Jizhou. Then these noble nobles in Jizhou also expressed that they were more confident after seeing Cao Cao's performance of cavalry. Five tablets or something, climbing on beds, ladders, and walls without taking a breath...

Cao Cao waved over a few more uniformed cavalry, and then asked these Jizhou nobles to observe them closely to make sure that these horses and armors were not made of bamboo and wood, and finally smiled. Send these people away.

Seeing Yuan Xi, Jizhou nobleman Hao You and others gradually go away, Cao Cao's smile faded little by little. He turned to look at Cao Xiu and said, "How is it?" 』

A layman can watch the excitement, but an expert will know the ropes.

Cao Xiu opened his pocket and saw hot sweat rolling down from the top of his head. The cushions in the pocket were already soaked. "Everyone is heavily armored, and the horses are also armored. When fighting, the only way to survive is to rush forward." You can't fight for a long time if you are too strong... and the cost of one ride is no less than a hundred soldiers..."

Cao Cao sighed slightly, "Does Wen Lie mean that this is a waste of time?" If you can really break through ten thousand with a thousand, it would be worth it..."

Cao Xiu remained silent.

Cao Cao also looked into the distance and did not continue to say anything.

Of course, the disadvantages of the armored cavalry are not limited to these. If they had not secretly learned horseshoes from the hussars general, and just acted like this, those broken wooden stakes and boards would have damaged many horseshoes! In addition, today's racecourse is almost completely controlled by the hussars generals. If Cao Cao wants to obtain war horses that can carry equipment, he not only has to pay more and more expensive prices, but also cannot ensure the reserve of war horses for replacement. Once war losses occur, he will have to replace them. There is no place to make up for it!

These problems make the armored cavalry in front of us of actual combat value, but they cannot be used casually like ordinary soldiers. And for troops that cannot be used casually, no matter how powerful their combat effectiveness is, how valuable can they be?

Cao Cao patted Cao Xiu's arm and said, "These armored cavalry will be commanded by Wen Lie Haosheng..."

Cao Xiu agreed, and then he seemed to realize something and said, "Don't you think Duke Ming will take these cavalry to Jingzhou..."

When Cao Cao heard this, he just laughed and waved his hand.

Cao Xiu took half a step back and said no more.

Cao Cao put these cavalry in Qinghe for training. On the one hand, the Qinghe land was relatively flat and suitable for cavalry training. On the other hand, the Qinghe land was originally the most unfavorable place for the Cao family to take over Yuan Shao's rule. In the convinced area, there is such a strong cavalry, which is naturally a powerful deterrent to these Jizhou natives.

As for the land of Jingzhou, the northern half of Jingzhou is relatively flat and can be used by horseback. However, if you pass through Nanjun, there are many dense water networks and swamps. If you use cavalry, not only will the route be single, but it will also be severely restricted by the terrain, so it is not as good as ordinary people. The infantry is flexible.

And there is also a very important point. These armored cavalry, which cost a lot of money, can only be regarded as superficial goods now. If they are really brought to the battlefield now, I am afraid they will be exposed soon. If they are damaged, Cao Cao will There really is no capital to rebuild. To put it simply, Cao Cao's current economy is already heavily in debt and on the verge of collapse.

After sweeping away the iron ingots in Jizhou, it was naturally impossible for Cao Cao to give them all in cash, and many of them still owed money. Why do you do this? Think about the time when Qin Shihuang collected his weapons and made a golden man, and then look at Cao Cao's current situation in Jizhou...

From a certain point of view, Cao Cao collected iron ingots on the market in Jizhou and pushed their prices to a high point. On the surface, it seemed to be to equip the cavalry. In fact, it also had a hidden purpose, which was to make the natives of Jizhou want to The cost of resisting Cao Cao increased to the point that these people could no longer afford it.

Then at some point, Cao Cao can also release some iron ingots in batches, on the one hand to maintain this relatively expensive market, on the other hand to earn some price differences...

This is what Cao Cao learned from Fei Qian. After all, the current price of war horses is already so high that Cao Cao gnashes his teeth every time he buys one.

A penny can stump a heroic man!

Cao Cao's biggest purpose in planning Jingzhou was to make up for the economic deficit.

If Cao Cao were in later generations, he would definitely be a permanent resident on the blacklist of major banks. Because Cao Cao basically operated with debt, basically demolishing the east wall to pay for the west wall.

When they entered Yanzhou, they borrowed their troops from Yuan Shao. Then they took over Yanzhou's manpower, material and financial resources, took over Qingzhou, and owed a huge debt without having to repay it. Then they took over Xuzhou again and beat Tao Qian until he screamed and screamed. The debt pile was on the verge of collapse, but Yuan Shu happened to make an overbearing act. Cao Cao slapped his thigh and once again asked the noble family to borrow money to beat Yuan Shu...

The money you borrow must always be repaid.

Fighting also costs money.

Cao Cao seemed to be like a master of using credit cards, constantly paying handling fees. While expanding his assets, he also owed more and more debts. It's just a pity that in recent years, apart from acquiring a large amount of land to collect the original tax items, Cao Cao has not created any specific new industries or produced any new products to obtain economic growth...

If there is no one to compare, there is actually no problem with Cao Cao's model. However, if the problem is compared with Fei Qian, the cavalry general in Guanzhong, Cao Cao can't help but sigh and have a headache.

However, what Cao Cao didn't expect was that his headache was actually just the beginning...