"Let's talk about how to implement it." Li Shimin struggled a little, not sure whether to adopt Lin Xuan's suggestion.
Lin Xuan said coldly: "Your Majesty, nomadic people live in no fixed places and are difficult to find. However, there is also a drawback, that is, they live scattered. You only need one elite soldier to go deep into the grassland and kill men when they meet them; women and children when they meet
If they encounter livestock, they will take away those that can be taken away, and kill all those that cannot. When encountering abundant grassland, except for those who can occupy the land of our Tang Dynasty, all will be set on fire. Of course, if you encounter
Those who are willing to surrender can be given land so that they can enjoy the treatment of Tang people."
Anyway, given the brave and fierce character of the aliens, there will definitely be few who will surrender without fighting. When the time comes to live in separate areas, we are not afraid of any trouble caused by them. After a few generations, who will still be willing to go to the grasslands to eat and sleep in the open?
"The method you mentioned is very good, but it is very unrealistic. First: The alien races live scattered, but the grassland is so big, how to find them? Second: You said that you must always have elite soldiers, but what you need to go deep into the grassland is cavalry. Datang
The cavalry is still a little worse than that of foreigners." Li Shimin said.
It’s not that the Tang Dynasty didn’t have elite cavalry, the famous Xuanjia Army was the cavalry.
However, the Xuanjia Army is heavy cavalry, and what is needed to penetrate deeply into the grassland is light cavalry.
Lin Xuan smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the first problem can be easily solved. We can form a caravan and go to the grassland to explore the gathering points of various tribes."
Li Shimin shook his head and said: "Those foreign races are not stupid. The Tang Dynasty also trades with the grassland, but they all go to the places designated by them. It is impossible to go deep into the grassland."
"Your Majesty, those tribes also have selfish motives. If a caravan can obtain a large amount of salt, I believe that I will become a guest of each tribe." Lin Xuan said with a smile.
The nomads are ruled by tribes, and the Khan only rules each tribe, but the tribes do not control each other.
The grassland is very short of salt. If there are merchants who can get salt, they will definitely be willing to trade privately, and no one will think of sharing it with other tribes.
Li Shimin frowned and said, "No, we can't sell salt to them."
Salt and iron have always been the focus of the imperial court's blockade. How could they take the initiative to sell them to foreigners?
Lin Xuan asked back: "Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty has been blocking salt from flowing into the grassland. May I ask, Your Majesty, has it been blocked?"
The nomadic people's salt mainly depends on trade, exchange or robbery.
How much salt can you grab just by grabbing it?
They still rely on exchange and trade for most of their salt.
Although they would also trade some salt with other countries, most of the salt flowed in from the Tang Dynasty.
Marx said: "Once there is an appropriate profit, capital will become bold; if there is a 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; if there is a 20% profit, it will become active; if there is a 20% profit, it will be active;
If it has 50% profit, it will take desperate risks; if it has 100% profit, it will dare to trample on the laws of the world; if it has 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime and even risk hanging."
And the profit from transporting salt to the grassland is more than 300%.
Li Shimin blocked it, but it could not stop the corruption of interests.
The largest salt seller is the Aristocratic Family.
Not only salt, but also iron. Salt and iron can be used as currency on the grassland.
Li Shimin was silent, he also knew what the family had done, which was why he had been suppressing the family.
Lin Xuan continued: "Now that there is a new method of making salt, there is no shortage of salt in the Tang Dynasty. Wouldn't it be cost-effective to transport cheap salt to the grasslands and bring them back in exchange for their war horses?"
"How to solve the problem of elite soldiers?" Li Shimin asked.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, he already agreed.
Lin Xuan smiled and said, "Didn't Your Majesty ask me to go to the military camp to train soldiers? I am sure that I can train an elite army for Your Majesty."
Li Shimin's eyes flashed and he asked: "Are you so confident? I have seen your military training method, but it seems to have nothing to do with cavalry, right?"
"I have a treasure about cavalry, so I can have this confidence." Lin Xuan said confidently.
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and asked, "What treasure? Gives you such confidence?"
"This thing cannot be explained clearly by just talking about it. Your Majesty asked your own soldiers to take command of your horse and bring it to the palace. Your Majesty will know it at a glance." Lin Xuan said.
Lin Xuan is talking about horseshoes.
The Tang Dynasty already had stirrups. With the stirrups, the difference between the riding skills of the Tang army and foreigners was not that big.
When traveling long distances, the biggest concern is the wear and tear of the horses' hooves.
Although the troops can steal horses from foreigners, there is nothing they can do if they encounter an encirclement and suppression by foreigners.
Horseshoes can solve this problem very well.
Although Li Shimin didn't know what kind of medicine Lin Xuan was selling in his gourd, he still ordered people to bring Liu Da into the palace.
Because of the horse, of course it couldn't be brought to the main hall, so Li Shimin took Lin Xuan and others to the square outside the main hall.
Not long after, Liu Da led the horse and came over under the leadership of the eunuch.
Li Shimin liked horses very much. He noticed something unusual from the sound of the horses walking and kept staring at the horses' hooves.
Liu Da led his horse to the front and saluted quickly: "I see your Majesty!"
Although he is Lin Xuan's personal soldier, his position in the army is still there.
Although he was only a captain before, he was still a ninth-rank official and was still qualified to be a minister in front of Li Shimin.
"No courtesy!" Li Shimin kept his eyes on the horse's hooves and never moved away.
Lin Xuan smiled: "Your Majesty, you can try the horse. It is best to have someone sprinkle some stones on the ground, so that you can better test the effect."
"Come here, sprinkle some gravel on the ground!" Li Shimin ordered.
After the eunuch had finished scattering the stones, Li Shimin took the horse from Liu Da and climbed up.
"Drive!" Li Shimin shook the horse's reins and rode in the direction where the stones were scattered.
When the horse's hoof stepped on the stone, Li Shimin also felt it on the horse's back.
If the horse is not studded with horseshoes, in this case, it should be slowed down due to the injury to the hoof.
But the horse did not slow down and ran quickly through the gravel-strewn area.
After riding through the gravel area, Li Shimin turned his horse around, walked through the gravel area again, and then rode his horse to dismount in front of Lin Xuan and others.
"Lin Xuan, lift the horse's hoof and let me see it." Li Shimin ordered.
"yes!"
Lin Xuan stepped forward and picked up one of the horse's front legs and lifted it up.
Although his horse is not a good horse, it has a docile personality.
Lin Xuan lifted his horse's legs. Although the horse was a little uncomfortable with it, it didn't kick him.
"Is this iron?" Li Shimin looked at the horse's hoof in surprise.
When Lin Xuan saw that Li Shimin had finished reading and put down the horse's hoof, he said with some pride: "I call this thing a horseshoe! What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Li Shimin couldn't stand Lin Xuan's proud look and said flatly: "Well, the horseshoe is good, but the horse is terrible."
Lin Xuan was speechless. Isn't it hard to find good horses? Datang had many good horses, but none of them were willing to sell them.
As a result, even if he had money, he could not buy a good horse.
When Li Shimin saw Lin Xuan deflated, he felt very happy and said with a smile: "Is this horseshoe complicated?"
"It's not complicated at all. Anyone who knows how to blacksmith can make it." Lin Xuan said.
Li Shimin was overjoyed: "Okay, you have made a great contribution this time, and I will definitely reward you generously."
"It's just a horseshoe. I dare not take credit." Lin Xuan said modestly.
Although Mogami said this, he was shouting in his heart: reward me quickly, it is best to give me a knighthood.
Lin Xuan was already imagining in his mind what he should be called Duke.