Chapter 982: Such Explosive News

In the dossier, Qingyang Shuo highlighted several key points regarding the current domestic situation.

This saved Liu Zheng a great deal of trouble.

First, regarding the Grand Canal, there is actually not much left that Liu Zheng can exploit. After all, when the Grand Canal was opened, there was indeed the intention of facilitating troop transport, but the reality is just like the logistics system of the Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce: if you are on someone else's turf, you will be constrained by them. If you want to transport troops via the Grand Canal, when the time comes, they will just close the sluice gates, and you won't be able to transport a damn thing; they might even catch you like a turtle in a jar. Over the past year, many Feudatory Kings have been trying to find a way around this.

Unless one can directly open up the channel from Chuan Shu to Jingchu and then stir up some trouble in the south, it remains a possibility.

Second, the current troop strength of Liangzhou is 250,000, Hanzhong 200,000, Chuan Shu 300,000, Jinzhou 300,000, and Qingzhou 300,000.

This figure still includes the logistics troops.

If one only counts combat personnel, the total adds up to about 800,000 at most.

Meanwhile, the Old Aristocrats have reached a strength of 1.2 million combat troops.

The Scholar-officials, likewise, have 700,000.

At the very least, in terms of troop strength, if Liangzhou were to face two major powers simultaneously, there is no guarantee of victory—provided, of course, that the troops Liu Zheng has hidden abroad cannot return. Do not forget, Liu Zheng currently has 300,000 troops in Central Asia, a conservative estimate of 300,000 in the Western Regions, and another 300,000 south of Jiaozhou...

But at this moment, everyone in Longyan is certain that these troops cannot return in the short term.

Therefore.

In this regard, Qingyang Shuo's suggestion is similar to Liu Zheng's: the most optimistic scenario is that no large-scale domestic war occurs.

Regarding the other contents of the dossier.

It concerns the tracking of the Yinzhou Coin.

Nowadays, the Yinzhou Coin has become a stable and highly discreet currency in Longyan; people can use it to purchase anything, including Weaponry and Equipment, and even use it for bribery and the division of interests.

But...

In fact, under the Big Data Center of Liangzhou, the Yinzhou Coin is also traceable.

Of course.

This cannot be told to outsiders.

Otherwise, once these data points are exposed, it would be too shocking.

"Heh, these Jiedushi are truly so complex that they are somewhat incomprehensible..."

Liu Zheng read for a full hour before chuckling and stretching his back.

Complex.

Ancient Zhongguo is truly too complex. All sorts of duplicity, all sorts of hidden agendas, all sorts of fence-sitters, all sorts of egoists, all sorts of opportunists...

Liu Zheng.

Having been in this world for so many years, he naturally knows that if he wants to survive, he must be influenced by his surroundings, and perhaps even learn to be more cunning than them.

Qin Zhangfeng and Pei Yanran had been waiting quietly on the side.

Especially Pei Yanran, who was watching very intently.

She seemed very interested in how Liu Zheng would deal with these matters.

Liu Zheng pondered for a moment before picking up pen and paper.

In his reply to Qingyang Shuo.

He mentioned the following points.

"One, we have not considered a major war, but others might. Therefore, everything should be considered from the perspective that a major war is about to begin. Thus, we can focus on several major provinces that are geographically situated in the cracks to incite defection; even if defection fails, at least reach some kind of agreement. For example, Youzhou, Jizhou, and Pingzhou."

These three provinces are all situated in the cracks between the Grassland Royal Court, Tiemu City, Qingzhou, and Liaodong. They are inherently in the bitter cold lands of the north, and during the Little Ice Age, they have not been faring well. Moreover, since the Three Kingdoms period, the people in these places have had a fierce temperament, and the mentality of watching Zhongyuan and raising an army to rebel has always existed.

"As well as Jingchu..."

Jingchu is also of utmost importance, situated in a place of strategic contention and serving as the gateway to Chuan Shu. If it cannot be won over, it will certainly be the first place they aim to capture.

【Blank line】

"Two, the other six Jiedushi should be appeased with generous gifts."

Liu Zheng is now not only a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Sports but also the Jiedushi of Liaodong, and the Jiedushi who just went to Liangzhou has long been stripped of military power and become a victim of Liangzhou's Sugar-coated Cannonball and luxurious lifestyle, so he is not worth worrying about. The Southern Border Jiedushi is also Liu Zheng's man, so that goes without saying. But there is still room to maneuver with the other six Jiedushi.

"Three, accelerate the storage of Steam Trains and secretly transport them to various locations."

"Four, slow down military stockpiling and throw out smoke bombs to the outside world."

"Five, increase economic activities to confuse the enemy."

After writing these, Liu Zheng carefully copied them twice more, totaling three copies, and sent them out.

Pei Yanran then gave a bitter smile.

The gap is truly too large.

By the time he finished his official business, it had already turned dark.

He ate with Pei Qianyun and the other two, exchanging cups and toasting.

"When do Brother Qin and his wife plan to marry?"

Liu Zheng asked with a smile.

Qin Zhangfeng looked embarrassed, but Pei Yanran chuckled: "If we could marry at the same time as the Young Master and the Princess, that would be best."

"Ah? Good, good, good!"

Liu Zheng was naturally very happy as well.

He did not even feel that this was presumptuous, and couldn't help but think of that rascal Jiang Xuan, adding with a laugh: "That brat Jiang Xuan has matured quite a bit recently, but it's a pity he didn't manage to trick that Ottoman mare Princess back."

Qin Zhangfeng also laughed heartily.

When they were in Liangzhou, the three of them were as close as brothers; back then, Jiang Xuan was still a greenhorn, a hot-headed youth. Now he has been tempered, yet they don't see each other for half a year or a year at a time.

But there is no help for it.

The enterprise is too large; only those one absolutely trusts can be entrusted with heavy responsibilities.

And Pei Yanran is also someone who does not stand on ceremony. She knows that a man's priority is his career, and the day Liu Zheng truly marries Xie Chan will be the day the basic tone for this Longyan world is set.

Getting married at that time would be only natural.

It's just that...

She still stole several glances at Liu Zheng.

Her heart kept wondering.

The current Vice Minister Liu could already be considered to be going against the current.

He was getting closer and closer to that vortex in Jinghua that could crush a person.

Then he...

How would he deal with all of this?

Especially since he had just requested reinforcements of five hundred thousand troops from Nanyang for the Li Dynasty, how would he make Xie Tianyao easily overlook this enormous crime?

This year, it was impossible for him to forcibly extend Xie Tianyao's life for another year.

Actually.

It was not just Pei Yanran who was curious.

At this moment, people within the country were also waiting for the revelation of this answer.

It was just that.

They had not expected.

The method Liu Zheng used this time to be so explosive.