While talking to Xiao Hujiu, Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi and Zhang Maoshi walked in together and greeted Xu Ping.

Everyone sat down, and Xu Ping saw Xiao Hu: "Mr. Concubine, we want to discuss the affairs of the court. It's a bit inappropriate for you to bring two bottles of wine and go to the small pavilion over there with Tan Hu to drink, how about it?"

As a prisoner of war, Xiao Huji still had this kind of consciousness. The soldiers took two bottles of good wine, thanked Xu Ping, and went to the small pavilion in the distance with Tan Hu. He really loved the wine made at home brought by Xu Ping. If he had wine, he wouldn't bother to care about everything.

When Xiao Hu saw his departure, Xu Ping said to Fan Zhongyan: "I don't know what to discuss with you after you come here?"

Fan Zhongyan bowed and said, "Protector, today we have discussed exchanging annual monies for horses. There are some things that cannot be decided, please give advice to the Protector."

Xu Ping had reported this matter to the court, and Zhao Zhen and the two governments agreed in principle. They just repeatedly reminded that the number of horses should be carefully calculated, so that the Khitan should not feel that the Song Dynasty was in trouble, and that they should not suffer any losses.

The four words "Don't suffer losses" have a lot of mystery. What does it mean to suffer losses? What does it mean to not suffer losses? It cannot be explained clearly in a simple sentence. Horse scores, etc., and horse prices vary from place to place. There are explanations for what level of horses you want.

The general military horses are divided into five levels. The price of Hebei Road is 22 to 28 to 10 guan, while the price of Hedong Road is 14 to 18 guan, which is nearly ten guan. This is still the area bordering the Khitan, and the price of horses in Kaifeng Prefecture has to be added to a few more guan. Now, the largest source of the Song army's war horses is divided into more detailed levels, with a total of 23 levels, with a price ranging from the lowest 8 to the highest 35 guan. The best tribute horses in the wild are also divided into three levels, with a general 25 to 75 guan, and the imperial horses are 60 to 110 guan. As for the Gaochang Kingdom, which is the most popular horse in the Western Regions, a good horse is only worth a piece of silk. The horses in the northwest are the lowest, and the best price is a piece of higher-level price than other places because the good horses in the world come from the northwest, and there are no high-level horses in other places. The horses that Xu Ping rode now are the best horses worth about fifty guan in the northwest.

This is the price in the Song Dynasty. The price of Khitan has to be cut by nearly half. How can it be considered a loss or not? Just like the price of silk in the Song Dynasty is several times different from that in the Khitan, the same is true for horses. This is the result of the fact that there are too many qualified horses produced by the Group of Herds in recent years. With this price difference, there are many algorithms for the number of horses.

Xu Ping asked Fan Zhongyan: "After you discussing, you feel that the annual quota remains unchanged. Is it appropriate for the Khitan to lose more horses to this dynasty every year?"

Fan Zhongyan said: "Since the alliance of Chanzhou, especially in recent years, the price of silk has dropped sharply, with 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 pieces of silk being worth about 200,000 guan. We discussed that it is better to follow the price of Hedong Road, and the number of horses is 12,000 each year. If the orders are different, the number of horses will vary. In short, the price of 12,000 guan is enough to make up for 12,000 guan. The two dynasties have roughly the same value."

Xu Ping shook his head: "That's wrong. Silver and silk are based on the price of this dynasty, and horses are based on the price of this dynasty. Wouldn't the Khitan take advantage of it for nothing? According to the price of Hedong Road, it should be more than 20,000 Khitan namas."

Fu Bi and Zhang Maoshi were shocked. If all 20,000 horses a year were within the level of war horses, the horses of the imperial guards could be provided by the Khitan. Even if 200,000 cavalrymen could barely maintain their 200,000 horses a year.

Fan Zhongyan was also a little embarrassed: "The 20,000 horses a year, and the number is really bigger, and the Khitan will definitely not allow it. It is not that it is worth a lot, but that it is the investment of our army. The imperial guards have horses to ride, and the Khitan is even less supportive."

Xu Ping smiled and said, "The Khitans are not stupid. How many cavalry can these horses be used? If decided, the Khitans will definitely collect horses to fill the numbers. How can they invest in our army? The horses used by cavalry will still rely on the group shepherd's office to raise them themselves in the future. The horses brought by the Khitans are mostly used by the wing army and the servants, or for service. In the future, it is agreed that the horses will also be entered into the group shepherd's office and will not be delivered directly to the army. This way, if the horses are too many, they can be converted into other livestock according to the waiting numbers, such as cattle, mules, camels, etc., and even donkeys and sheep. The Khitans still feel embarrassed, so they fold them into fur, tendons and feathers. How about it?"

There were three officials in the Song Dynasty. Anyone who came could be converted into money, and they could save travel expenses by converting them into fur and fur. Now they have occupied the Dangxiang, and the Song army has no shortage of horses at all. Xuping, who came from the Khitan, did not intend to give it to the cavalry, but to the three officials, especially the mailing department responsible for national cargo transportation. Transportation and logistics are a major event, and only after development can industry expand.

Fan Zhongyan thought for a while and nodded: "If this is the case, the Khitan should not be embarrassed. Twenty thousand horses are not worth much in their territory, and they must be less than 200,000 knots. Speaking of which, this dynasty will still let them."

Fu Bi said: "The Khitan is poor, this is inevitable. We don't think there is much money, but they may not be like this."

After a few people discussed, the number of horses was settled. They told the Khitan envoys that it was 30,000 horses, but they agreed, and if they didn't agree, they would bargain to 20,000 horses. After the delivery, the silver silk was still transported by the Sansi to Xiongzhou for delivery to Khitan, and the horses were transported from Khitan to Fengzhou. The Song Dynasty collected them in Yunneizhou.

He ordered the roasted meat to be taken, and the sergeant filled the wine for several people. Xu Ping said: "It's snowing today, let's drink a glass of wine to remove the cold and eat some meat to warm your stomach. It's rare to have a good snow, let's see the scenery."

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Fan Zhongyan said: "The Protector, there is another matter that needs to be decided. If it is agreed, how the border troops arrange garrisons, city defense, building and digging trenches will be explained. How will this dynasty garrisons be stationed at the border, can the Protectors have a general idea?"

"I have discussed this matter with Mr. Lu of the Privy Council many times, and it is temporarily determined that this is the case. In this area, the two new and old cities in Yunneizhou, plus the affiliated cities, stationed one army. Zhenwu County and the affiliated cities, stationed one army. Maocheng to Sicheng, stationed one army. Dongshengzhou is also a army with a total of four armies, about 140,000 people. Hedong Road from Daizhou to Fuzhou and along the Khitan border, about 100,000 troops. Hebei Road and Khitan border, 200,000 troops were stationed, totaling 440,000. From the boundary between the two countries, all cities, prefectures and counties are bounded by border areas. Khitan can garrison according to these numbers. The city walls of Hedong Road and Hebei Road are all old. Here we connect the current city walls, and the rest are as old. The boundary here is based on Qingzhong as the line and the two sides are forbidden zones."

Fan Zhongyan nodded, thought for a while and said, "What about two hundred miles away? How do the garrison say it?"

"Two hundred miles away is a domestic matter, and there is no need to be bound by the oath. Otherwise, will the national strength of the country still be determined? The national conditions of the two countries are different. Outside the Khitan Yan land, the entire nomadic tribe is full of soldiers, so how do you calculate it?"

Military reciprocity can only constrain the border, and the military operations in the mainland are naturally determined to die according to their own wishes. The distance of one hundred miles is barely enough to be early warning, but once the army gathers, it can pass quickly. This is beneficial to the Song Dynasty, which maintains a large number of standing troops. It can allow the Khitan to gather troops through military mobilization and military exercises.
Chapter completed!