The Dragon Cavalry marches forth.
Page (1/3)
Although Li Shimin had been outmaneuvered by his ministers, it did little to dampen his spirits.
The reason was that Li Zhi had just paid him his year-end dividend.
Boilers did not sell in particularly large numbers, but their profit margins were astonishingly high.
A small boiler priced at five thousand strings of cash required only around one hundred and fifty jin of steel. The steel and labor together cost barely more than two strings. Even with the accompanying pipes and several sets of cast-iron radiators, the total cost came to no more than three or four strings.
Boilers of this sort were generally installed in the guest halls of wealthy households. Those rooms were too spacious, and people came and went too often, for ordinary honeycomb stoves to meet their heating needs.
Beyond those were boilers priced at eight thousand and ten thousand strings. Such boilers were used to heat the rear courtyards of great households, generally providing enough warmth for areas ranging from several hundred to more than a thousand square meters.
The precise installation depended on how many secondary wives the household head had taken.
In the period before the New Year, Li Zhi sold more than fifty boilers, bringing in a total revenue of over three hundred thousand strings.
He handed one hundred and fifty thousand of them directly to Li Shimin, delighting the emperor so greatly that he could probably smile in his sleep.
His son had truly been worth all the affection he had lavished on him!
Not only had he obtained a fifty-percent stake without spending a single coin of his own, but the dividends had also been paid with remarkable generosity.
One hundred and fifty thousand strings! That was nearly as much as the money in his private treasury.
And this was only the beginning. If there was already so much profit now, how much would there be by the end of the year?
Li Shimin counted on his fingers as he calculated his fortune, and many others were doing much the same.
Li Zhi had retained only forty percent of the silk business. He had given away or sold off the rest at a generous discount.
His sole purpose was to draw more people into the venture and have them share the pressure that might come from the great clans.
That was why, when he had first solicited investors, he had not chosen only those who stood close to him.
He had offered the same opportunity to every high-ranking official at court.
That included Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Hou Junji.
By the end, the silk business had more than thirty shareholders, each holding an average of one or two percent.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
This time, Li Zhi gave each of them ten or twenty thousand strings in dividends.
It was all hard cash, far more substantial than equivalent goods such as silk or grain.
Thus, during the final days of the year, every time Li Zhi encountered one of these men, he was rewarded with a sincere smile.
Even Hou Junji, who had always opposed him, became unusually courteous.
Li Shimin was in high spirits, and his handling of affairs became correspondingly more generous.
When New Year’s Day arrived, he directly ordered the people of Chang’an to hold three days of communal feasting and drinking.
The people of Chang’an were overjoyed.
The changes that had swept through the city over the past year had brought them considerable benefits.
First, the flourishing trade had allowed many merchants to earn much more.
Then the handicrafts stimulated by Li Zhi had given countless ordinary people more opportunities to make money.
The honeycomb stoves, which could be purchased on installment, had also spared them from suffering through the winter cold.
And finally, every road in Chang’an had been paved with concrete.
They had completely escaped the mud brought by rain and snow.
In high spirits, the people streamed out of their homes, calling friends and summoning neighbors, and the whole city erupted into celebration.
After attending the family banquet in the palace, Li Zhi brought Liu An, Chai Long, and Duan Shizi to the Dragon Cavalry Army’s encampment.
He had already arranged for large quantities of fresh meat, vegetables, and strong liquor to be delivered there.
That evening, he intended to celebrate the New Year together with the soldiers.
But celebration was not his only purpose. He also meant to issue them orders to attack Tuyuhun.
Since the beginning of the year, Tuyuhun had repeatedly harassed the Tang frontier under one pretext or another.
Such conduct had provoked Li Shimin’s deep displeasure.
However, Tuyuhun lay at the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in a region of high elevation. Tang forces were therefore extremely ill-suited to fighting there.
Under ordinary circumstances, the Tang merely punished the other side lightly before returning to a defensive posture.
As a result, Tuyuhun had grown increasingly bold, and its border incursions had become more frequent.
At the family banquet, Li Zhi had already sought Li Shimin’s approval to send the Dragon Cavalry Army to Tuyuhun on a military expedition.
The most basic objective was to ensure that Tuyuhun would never again dare invade Tang territory.
If the campaign proceeded smoothly, they could seize the opportunity and attempt to destroy Tuyuhun altogether.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
In the Dragon Cavalry Army’s mess hall, a group of officers led by Su Lie sat around Li Zhi.
The rest of the soldiers had formed tables of a dozen or more men each.
Hot pot was being served that day, and the fragrant steam drifted throughout the hall.
As he ate, Li Zhi delivered the mission to Su Lie.
After explaining the assignment, he cautioned him, “Tuyuhun lies on a plateau. Though its conditions are not as harsh as those of Tubo, you may still find it difficult to adapt at first.”
He paused, then swept his stern gaze across the assembled officers.
“Therefore, I order you to make adaptation your primary objective during the initial phase. You are not to engage the enemy in large-scale frontal combat under any circumstances.”
Su Lie and the others nodded in acknowledgment.
Afterward, Su Lie asked, “Your Highness, is there a time limit for this expedition? And will any other friendly forces be sent to support us?”
Li Zhi replied, “There is no fixed deadline, but the campaign should not drag on excessively. Tubo is also casting covetous eyes upon Tuyuhun. Should an opportunity arise to seize it, you must strike swiftly and decisively.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “Before the war to destroy the kingdom begins, the Tang will send no army to reinforce you. You must therefore arrange all supplies and provisions yourselves.”
Su Lie’s eyes hardened when he heard this.
Then he answered without hesitation, “Your Highness, rest assured. We shall seize Tuyuhun and repay the care and cultivation you have shown us.”
The others spoke as one.
“We swear to seize Tuyuhun with our lives, and repay the care and cultivation you have shown us!”
Li Zhi waved a hand.
“This expedition is primarily for training. As officers, your first duty is to protect the lives of your men. You must never pursue glory recklessly or advance beyond your limits.”
Su Lie rose and saluted.
“Your subordinate will heed Your Highness’s teachings and do everything in his power to preserve the Dragon Cavalry Army’s fighting strength.”
Li Zhi nodded.
“Then I can set my mind at ease. You may march out after today. I will not come to see you off.”
“Your subordinate obeys.”
Li Zhi remained at the Dragon Cavalry Army’s encampment for a while longer. He then handed the tiger tally in his possession to Su Lie before returning to the prince’s residence.
Early the next morning, the Dragon Cavalry Army quietly departed the encampment.
Chang’an lay more than five hundred li from Liangzhou. Even at the Dragon Cavalry Army’s speed, they would need six or seven days to reach it.
This was their first real mission, and a trace of excitement shone on the young soldiers’ faces.
Long training and their previous drills had filled them with absolute confidence in their own strength.
That confidence would soon be transformed into battlefield power.
Before long, it would also turn them into a devil army that would make all of Tuyuhun tremble at the mere mention of its name.
Page (3/3)