In fact, this is also the top issue faced by Li Er and his cabinet at this stage. Almost every day, Li Er holds a small meeting to summon Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui and others to the Ganlu Palace to discuss strategic issues, and the court meetings are basically absent.
Stopped.
But that’s what I say…
After all, Chang'an is still relatively far from Rome - then again, Chang'an is the hinterland of China after all.
Although Li Er used a variety of means, whether it was mechanisms such as post stations with dedicated people and horses, or laying expensive "telephone" lines regardless of cost, he was not on the front line, and many things could not be sensed. Some subtle disturbances,
If Li Er comes in person, he can usually analyze some information, but now he can only listen to Cheng Yaojin's report.
And reports are sometimes not detailed enough.
The key is that Rome currently has no measures to increase troops or reduce food supplies to the east. It seems to be quite safe, which makes it even more strange.
Because no matter how you say it, Rome divided its forces and recruited a large number of new soldiers within the Roman state. This was obviously not an ordinary move. To say that the Romans had no military intentions, Li Er felt that this was simply insulting other people's intelligence.
So this time, except Cheng Yaojin, who wants to calm down the situation on the front line and recall Li Jing...
On the one hand, of course it was because Li Jing had left Anxi to guard the Central Plains for several years and had not returned to the Central Plains. As a king, Li Er must give enough consideration. This is necessary for running a team. On the other hand... so what, not for listening
Li Jing’s own opinion.
Of course, since Li Jing has been recalled, the first thing to do is to have a good gathering with Li Jing. Let’s have some drinks and celebrate the New Year first. A good leader cannot use his ministers as tools. But at this moment...
Anyway, it was idle time on the road, and Li Jing himself was obviously worried about Rome, so there was nothing to talk about. What's more, he was going to see Li Sheng.
Although no one mentioned it, now...
Going to see Li Sheng was all about family ties at first, but on the way, whether it was counselors like Wei Zheng and Du Ruhui, ministers like Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, or Li Er himself... there was something deep in his heart.
An inexplicable feeling of tension.
This strange feeling of tension is clearly the kind that occurs in people's hearts when entering a place like a temple.
And since I'm going to ask for advice... No, I'm going to meet Li Sheng for a drink and a chat. It feels safer to write down my manuscript on the way... What if Li Sheng knows everything by then and explains the method, and Li Er as
Father Jun himself doesn’t understand anything yet, so that scene is so funny...
Li Er is familiar with this kind of funny scene!
When Li Er asked this question, Li Jing pondered for a moment, and then started talking.
In fact, Li Jing was in the Anxi Protectorate instead of a military camp outside the Pamir Plateau, and the information he received was not much more than Li Er. But Li Jing still had an advantage after all. Like Cheng Yaojin, he had the opportunity to directly
Get in touch with people who came out of Rome!
Of course, these people may not all be spies, there are also many merchants among them... You must know that Lingzhou is also an important commercial town, and this gave Li Jing an opportunity to understand some details of Rome's national conditions.
According to Li Jing's understanding, Rome is increasingly not what it seems on the surface. Although it is mobilizing troops and recruiting troops, it is generally "calm".
Because according to Li Jing's research, currently... food prices in Rome are still rising!
From the perspective of later scholars, the Roman Empire was also called the "Mediterranean Empire". The main meaning of this title is that the main area of Rome did not produce much food. The main food-producing area was actually Africa, and food mainly passed through the Mediterranean Sea.
For shipping.
One result of this model is that Roman business was relatively developed among the many agricultural countries during this period. It can even be said that besides the Tang Dynasty, Rome had the most merchants. Even in the field of culture, myths and legends, there were
Hermes, the dedicated god of commerce.
In places where commerce is developed, prices tend to fluctuate greatly and are more sensitive to various situations. The reason why Li Jing is so serious today is because he understands...
"What?"
After Li Jing finished speaking, Li Er's expression froze, "The increase exceeded that of previous years..."
Increase is a term in the business field, and it took Li Erpin a few seconds to understand.
But after understanding the reaction, Li Er suddenly became alert!
Let’s not talk about far away, let’s talk about China. Food prices have been the ultimate standard for measuring the quality of “the world” since ancient times.
Food costs one stone and two coins, which is a prosperous age. When it reaches three coins, it is average, and when it reaches four coins... it often means that the food harvest was poor that year.
For example, if you talk about five coins and six coins, it usually means that a certain state or county has suffered a major disaster. As for seven coins... that is the rhythm of exchanging children and eating.
As for the situation at Rome Junior High School, according to what Li Er understood through phone calls, it was quite peaceful.
You have an empire, and there is peace and quiet in the country, but the price of food suddenly rises quietly? Isn't this a bit...
Li Er reacted immediately.
Wei Zheng and others on the side also understood instantly.
"This Rome... It seems that there is either a natural disaster in the country, or there is something happening!"
Wei Zheng frowned!
As soon as he said what Li Er wanted to say, Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling on the side also frowned and nodded.
"That's it... If there was no intention, how could it suddenly happen?"
Li Jing saw that everyone understood and nodded, "That's exactly it."
Then he added, "I learned this news from the mouths of merchants from Rome. The price of food has risen sharply. At present, it is mainly due to the food stored by Roman merchants and wealthy households. As for the food of the people, it is said that the Roman king Hannibal the Younger has
Strict order, starting from this autumn, merchants are strictly prohibited from purchasing food from farmers..."
As soon as this small detail came out, Li Er's brows completely furrowed.
If we only talk about the sharp rise in food prices, it may not explain much, but on the one hand, food is inexplicably lost among merchants and wealthy households, and on the other hand, the monarch is still punishing the people severely to calm the people, then...
Who wants to say that the Romans had no intentions? Li Er can only say that such people should be pushed out and killed as soon as possible. They are trying to hide their bad intentions.
As for the two small details Li Jing mentioned, Li Er... He only knew one of them before, but he didn't know the other.
The Roman Emperor Hannibal ordered the protection of farmers, and this Li Er really knew it - just joking, he went out of his way to collect intelligence, how could he not follow the emperor's decree at any time, but this...
Taken in isolation, it is clearly very ordinary, nothing more than ordinary love for the people and benevolent government!
Just combined with what Li Jing said... things are unusual.