The soldiers have a strong body, good military qualities, excellent armor, sharp weapons and a brave heart. The people have nothing, and they can't use even a brute force. It can be said that there is a world of difference. Not to mention anything else, even a rain of arrows, these more than 800 so-called local heroes will be shot into hedgehogs...

After sighing, Yuan San turned his head and lowered his voice and said to Lu Haoshan: "Brother Shan, if you want to train an elite soldier, investment is essential. Before the three armies can go, food and grass will come first. I know you have raised a lot of money and food in secret, but you have to figure it out first. The first sentence is about the army. Since it is a army, weapons and equipment must be missing. I wonder how Shan brother is preparing?"

"I haven't prepared yet," Lu Haoshan confessed helplessly: "I haven't been taking care of it a few days ago. I either have no time or money. Even if I have some money, I have no way to do it. Even if I don't say it, I will discuss with you what kind of weapons and equipment I want to build."

"There are many types of good weapons and equipment, are you going to plant them?"

“What kind of types are there?”

Yuan Sanshu said as a family treasure: "If you have too many armors, such as iron armor, cotton armor, fish scale armor, mountain armor, chain armor, etc., there are many weapons, such as long spears, short spears, long swords, short swords, bows and arrows, fire regimes, bird regimes, three-eyed guns, five-eyed regimes, seven-eyed regimes, red barbarian cannons, etc., so it is said that there are countless. Why not say that, Shandi, what kind of army do you want to build?"

Lu Haoshan said without hesitation: "I would like to ask my third brother to go out and train an elite cavalry."

"Yes, the cavalry responds quickly, fights flexibly, and has a strong impact. It is a good choice." Yuan San said with a smile: "The Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, had a Xuanjia Army under his command, which can be said to be well-known. He defeated ten times the enemy with only three thousand people in Shanhaiguan. Now the mainstream of combat is also cavalry. However, building an elite soldier is a great price."

"Stern brother, please come here," Lu Haoshan said with a smile: "I know nothing about these things. I would like to ask my third brother to give me some advice and introduce it to me so that I can prepare."

Yuan San was originally a cavalryman and had been with Yuan’s command for a long time. He knew this naturally well. He smiled and said, “You are asking the right person. Your third brother is confident in cavalry. What do you want to ask?”

"How much does a cavalry cost every year?" Lu Haoshan finished speaking and immediately added: "I'm talking about elite level."

Jiangyou is a small county, so it is not advisable to hold a large number of troops to avoid arousing suspicion from others. It can only be done slowly. Infantry mobility is too poor, and once it is surrounded, it is difficult to break through. It is definitely a priority to develop cavalry or to develop elite cavalry.

After thinking for a moment, Yuan San began to introduce: "Now the infantry and cavalry are synchronized. An ordinary cavalry receives 18 taels of silver every year, and an average of 100 and 50 cents of silver per month. A good horse is eight taels per horse. However, in war, I believe that a top-notch horse will not be less than 100 and 100 taels of grain and beans per horse. The expenses will be increased during the war. That is to say, at least 24 taels of grain and beans a year. The cost of a three-eyed gun is about one tael of silver. The cost of a sword, bow, and short sword is about two taels of silver. The cost of birds is about five taels of silver. The cavalry is mainly lightweight, and each set of helmets and cotton armor costs six taels of silver. In this way, a cavalry spends about sixty-five taels per year."

"Of course, these sixty-five taels do not include the soldiers' food, rewards, expenses such as food price increase, personnel getting sick, injured, pension, old horses, loss of losses, etc. These are all huge expenses. Some emergencies must also be prepared, and the loss of ammunition, damage to armor, reserves of war horses, etc. cannot be taken lightly. Take weapons as an example, such as firearms, which are just cost and are for use by the imperial army. For outsiders, it is a contraband product, even if there is money, it is difficult to buy. Even if you want to buy it, the price will have to double. Brother Shan, you have to do what you can."

Raising an army is equivalent to a prodigal family. Lu Haoshan gasped. Damn, this is too expensive. According to Yuan San, building an elite cavalry can cost hundreds of taels of silver a year. He is a seventh-rank county magistrate, and his annual salary is only 30 to 40 taels. Without any means, he can't afford to support half a cavalry. No wonder Emperor Chongzhen cried everywhere and made money everywhere. It was too expensive.

Of course, the imperial court saves much more than private ones. For example, grain, beans and grass can be collected, weapons and equipment can be built by themselves, land enclosure training does not cost money, building military camps can mobilize civilians, etc. If privately storing the army, only those wealthy families dare to think about it.

Lu Haoshan thought about it and found that the money he could use was less than 70,000 taels. He used a large sum of money to recruit Yuan San and others before, which means that the amount could be used was about 60,000 taels, and some emergency responses were left. Then, excluding the capital required for the Tea Horse Exchange, now at most a cavalry of three or five hundred people was established.

"This cost is too high." Lu Haoshan couldn't help but say.

"Yes," Yuan Sanyi said with a serious expression: "So Brother Wei has always advised you to act cautiously. If you join the army, you will fight for your life. If you don't get the money for your life, the soldiers will mutiny and rebel."

Lu Haoshan knew that in the late Ming Dynasty, he had become a trend, and soldiers rely on military wages to support their families. Once they could not get the wages, their families would starve. How could they not get angry? They would cause trouble and hang up and beat the generals and torture them. The famous general of the Ming Dynasty, Zuo Liangyu, was also hung up and beaten by his subordinates because they could not pay the wages.

Lu Haoshan nodded and said, "Brother Xie, I know how to do it."

"Why will the plan continue?"

"Of course, continue" Lu Haoshan said firmly: "What I decided will never change."

Yuan San nodded in a complicated mood. For this brother, he knew that what he decided would be difficult to change, especially since he had a series of plans early in the morning to use the new army to escort the caravan to trade tea and horses, and to feed back the army with the profits earned by the caravan. The two complement each other. Just imagine, hundreds of well-trained private soldiers escort the caravan, and which other thief dared to think about it. Even when officers and soldiers enforced the law, they had to secretly measure whether they could suppress them.

He is really willing to invest tens of thousands of taels, but when he took him in, he already showed his extraordinary courage.

"Okay," Yuan Sanyi said seriously: "Brother Shan, you took me in when I was in the most difficult time and recognized me as my brother. Nothing needs to be said. Your business is mine. Don't worry, I will do it for you."

"Brother Xie San, we have blessings and enjoyment, and we have difficulties together." After Lu Haoshan said that, he stretched out his right hand and raised it in the air. Yuan San saw it, smiled slightly, reached out and slapped his hand and hit the palm in the air, which was considered to have completed a man's agreement.

After the high-fives, the two of them smiled at each other, feeling a little sympathetic. Yuan San asked casually: "Brother Shan, how are you going to solve those weapons and equipment?"

"I also have a headache for this problem." Lu Haoshan spread his hands and said helplessly: "I plan to ask skilled craftsmen to build it while finding ways. If it really doesn't work, just use some ordinary things first and improve it slowly."

Yuan San thought for a while and lowered his voice: "The war in Liaodong is like a bottomless pit. The army has dragged its wages into a trend. Many military officials resell military materials. As long as they can afford silver, they can get anything. Good weapons and equipment are not something that ordinary blacksmiths can create."

"The third brother is right. I think so too, but there is no way." Lu Haoshan said in a complicated mood.

These things are prohibited items, and ordinary people dare not touch them. Not only do they sell them carefully, but they are also cautious when buying them. Even if they have money, they may not be able to buy them. Lu Haoshan has been paying attention to the news about this since he confiscated Chen Gui's property, but there has been no progress.

Yuan San smiled bitterly and said, "A few months ago, it was just a small problem for your third brother. Unfortunately, today is different from the past. Those people probably are more afraid of me than to see a ghost. Brother, I can't help you."

"I understand, I will think of it." Lu Haoshan said with a smile.
Chapter completed!