Chapter 1153

Gao Yang heard this and immediately chuckled, "Your Majesty, this is not difficult. The livestock structure on the Xiongnu grasslands is roughly divided into cattle, sheep, and warhorses!"

"Among them, sheep are the Xiongnu's primary food source and economic pillar. Sheepskin can be used for clothing and leather, while wool can be used to weave garments, make blankets, and more!"

"Goats and sheep are different; goat hair is coarser and straighter with less curvature, and the cashmere inside has excellent warmth and breathability. Sheep wool is relatively finer, grows in bundles, and has poorer elasticity."

"But because sheep wool has a higher yield and the surrounding countries have a greater demand for it, the Xiongnu primarily raise sheep, not goats!"

"We can take the lead in suppressing the purchase price of sheep wool, driving it down to a low price. Merchants everywhere, chasing profit, will surely follow suit. Additionally, I will promote the benefits of goats, raise the price of goat hair and leather, and bundle them with luxury goods like soap and white jade sugar—for instance, using goat leather specifically to craft containers for them. In short, drive the price up!"

"Once Da Qian makes a move, combined with the influence of soap and white jade sugar, plus rumors and the power of money, the demand for goats will increase, and their numbers will surely skyrocket!"

Speaking of this, Gao Yang gave a cunning smile.

Wu Zhao and Shangguan Wan'er, however, were left bewildered.

Gao Yang even understands wool?

Listening to this, it seems he is inciting the Xiongnu to raise goats?

"Chief Gao, I didn't quite understand. What is the difference between the number of sheep and goats for the Xiongnu?" Wu Zhao asked, looking puzzled.

"Your Majesty, the difference is enormous!" Gao Yang smiled, his eyes gleaming: "Because sheep eat grass, they consume the parts above ground, like fresh, tender leaves, and do not damage the foundation of the pasture. But goats are different; goats dig up the roots!"

As the words fell, Wu Zhao's eyes suddenly changed.

Sheep eat grass, but goats dig up the roots!

Her eyes suddenly brightened.

Shangguan Wan'er was also struck as if by a thunderbolt, her beautiful eyes widening.

Gao Yang continued: "If the price of sheep wool is heavily suppressed while goat hair is driven up, this will inevitably lead to a surge in the number of goats raised by the Xiongnu!"

"At that time, Your Majesty can dispatch multiple merchant caravans to the Xiongnu to loudly promote the 'advantages' of goats, claiming they are in short supply in Da Qian, that goat hair is expensive, and goat meat is extremely popular. Then, create examples of other Xiongnu tribes becoming wealthy from raising goats, and take the opportunity to drive up the price of goat kids!"

"At that point, greed will move hearts, and it will surely form a massive trend sweeping the entire grassland. Furthermore, because soap, white jade sugar, and strong liquor packaging are in high demand, we can continue the hype. The Xiongnu will only be able to profit from our Da Qian; the other countries will not foot the bill!"

"As the plan progresses, Your Majesty can use cooperation and funding to induce some Xiongnu nobles to develop large-scale goat farms, intensifying the human frenzy!"

"Then, the original livestock balance on the grassland will be completely broken. The grass roots will be eaten, the land will gradually desertify, the number of high-quality pastures will plummet, the survival space for warhorses will shrink drastically, the economic foundation the Xiongnu rely on for survival will suffer a heavy blow, and their combat power will be weakened imperceptibly!"

"And once this 'Pasture-Wasting and Source-Cutting' plan begins, even if the Xiongnu discover the malice within, it won't matter. Because the Xiongnu are a union of various tribes, not a solid block. Those who sell goats get rich, those who don't remain poor. If the Xiongnu Chanyu tries to suppress them by force, it will surely cause dissatisfaction in their hearts!"

"This is a massive trend. As long as there is enough capital for hype, and by leveraging the influence of soap, white jade sugar, and strong liquor, even that Xiongnu Chanyu will not be able to resist!"

"Under the lure of profit, in the face of money, what is the Xiongnu Chanyu?"

"Hiss!"

Wu Zhao drew a sharp breath.

Her red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes trembling.

Clearly, following Gao Yang's words, her heart was extremely unsettled.

Gao Yang continued, "At that time, Your Majesty can set up multiple trading outposts, hold 'Wool Competitions,' and create a situation where wool is in high demand, hyping up goat hair of various lengths according to different grades!"

"Secondly, provide precious silk, ceramics, and large quantities of spices, soap, white jade sugar, and strong liquor to those Xiongnu who raise high-quality goats, further stimulating the enthusiasm of the Xiongnu!"

"At the same time, when purchasing, create a tense market atmosphere to make them continuously increase their investment. Your Majesty can then use your power to increase export controls on life necessities like grain, salt, and iron, setting up complex approval procedures so that even if the Xiongnu have money, they cannot buy key supplies!"

The more Wu Zhao listened, the brighter her eyes became.

She had to admit, this brat Gao Yang was too ruthless.

This is playing the Xiongnu in the palm of his hand!

"Chief Gao, what else?" Wu Zhao continued to ask.

Gao Yang took a sip of hot tea and said, "Your Majesty must create a specific currency used exclusively for trading with the Xiongnu. Otherwise, if the Xiongnu earn money from Da Qian and trek to other countries to buy goods, it would be a huge loss. Therefore, the currency must be reformed!"

"Your Majesty should encourage the Xiongnu to use this currency, claiming it is stable and easy to carry and store, otherwise, there will be no trade. At the same time, plant 'economic agents' among the Xiongnu to promote lending to Xiongnu nobles and herdsmen, using low interest or interest-free loans as bait to make them continue expanding their scale!"

"Then we reach the final step I like best: running away!"

"When the grassland is in shambles and the pastures have weathered away, Your Majesty can announce a reform of this currency, restrict its exchange, and make the Xiongnu pay their debts with more wool, livestock, or even pastures!"

"Because goats were hyped up by our Da Qian and supported by luxury goods like soap, and the price of goat kids was also driven up, the Xiongnu's costs have been pulled extremely high. The other countries will not easily foot the bill."

"Once this move is made, the wealth of the Xiongnu will inevitably shrink, their military capability will weaken accordingly, and a large amount of their fixed assets will be plundered in disguise by Your Majesty, plunging them into great chaos!"

"After that, open up border trade to sell strong liquor, silk, tea, and porcelain. If the Xiongnu invade, then close the border trade. It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality! Without strong liquor to resist the cold, tea to cut the grease, and silk and other supplies, the Xiongnu will surely be unable to endure it, and the border will return to stability!"

These words.

Left Wu Zhao filled with admiration.

She let out a long, heavy breath!

This Gao Yang is too terrifying!

Fortunately, she used a little trick; otherwise, could Gao Yang have brought out this vicious scheme?