98: Chapter 98 Su Bai's Plan

Zhang Hai stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest, a sneer playing on his lips. He completely disbelieved that a mere greenhorn could come up with a solution.

Su Bai seemed not to notice his expression, his finger lightly tapping on several small dots around Yunzhou City.

He then said earnestly:

"These are the largest grain-producing counties near Yunzhou. Most of their grain is in the hands of a few major grain merchants."

"The first thing we must do is get them to sell their grain to us."

"Sell the grain to you?"

Zhang Hai scoffed and couldn't help but interject:

"Vice General Su, are you talking in your sleep? Although the news that the capital has fallen hasn't spread yet, those merchants are all sharp as foxes; they've long sensed that something is wrong.

They are too busy hoarding grain right now; how could they possibly sell it to us? Even if they were willing to sell, the price would definitely be astronomical! Where would we get enough military funds to buy it?"

He had hit the nail on the head.

Even General Qin Bei nodded slowly, clearly agreeing with Zhang Hai's view.

In troubled times, grain is life.

If you want a merchant to sell you their life, your price must be so high they cannot refuse.

Su Bai looked at Zhang Hai, maintaining that same calm and breezy smile, and said to him:

"General Zhang, who said we had to pay for it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, even General Qin Bei was stunned.

Not pay for it?

Isn't that just robbery?

Zhang Hai's eyes instantly lit up.

He was a military officer, and his thoughts were simple: if they don't listen, beat them until they do.

So this time, Su Bai's words hit exactly what he was thinking, and he said to Su Bai with some excitement:

"Does Vice General Su mean... we should send troops directly to raid those grain merchants' homes?"

"Foolish!"

The smile on Su Bai's face vanished instantly, and he shouted sternly.

His voice was full of Aura, actually making Zhang Hai, a veteran of the battlefield, subconsciously shrink his neck.

"General Zhang, use your brain!"

Su Bai said in an unceremonious tone: "What kind of time is this? It is a time of internal strife and external threats, a time when we are isolated and without aid! If we rob the grain merchants, how are we any different from roaming bandits?

If word gets out, what merchant would ever dare come to our Yunzhou City again? We would be cutting off our own path to survival!"

Zhang Hai's face turned red and then white from the scolding.

His lips moved, but he couldn't refute a single word.

Su Bai ignored him and turned his gaze to General Qin Bei, continuing:

"We won't spend money, but we can give them something more important than money."

"What kind of thing?"

General Qin Bei asked curiously.

"Three things." Su Bai held up three fingers.

"First, safety."

"We tell those grain merchants that the world is about to fall into chaos, and the Yao Race may return at any moment. Their grain, hoarded in rural granaries, is like a piece of fat meat that everyone wants a bite of.

But if they transport the grain to Yunzhou City and sell it to us, we can use this batch of grain to recruit more soldiers and reinforce our city's defenses."

General Qin Bei's eyes lit up.

That's right, a sense of security!

For merchants in troubled times, this is more important than gold.

After all, no matter how foolish those merchants might be, they know that life is more important than money.

"Second, privileges."

Su Bai continued: "We can sign an agreement with them. Any merchant who sells us grain this time can be granted the status of 'Yunzhou Army Supplies Authorized Supplier'.

In the future, all military procurement for Yunzhou City will be purchased from them first. Furthermore, we can promise that after the war, we will grant them exclusive rights to sell salt and iron in certain areas."

Hiss—

General Qin Bei immediately sucked in a breath of cold air.

Exclusive rights to sell salt and iron!

This is a privilege that only the Imperial Court can grant!

This Su Bai, what a grand gesture!

They began to realize that what Su Bai was thinking about was no longer just defending the city.

He was paving the way for establishing his own power in the future.

"Third,"

Su Bai looked at General Qin Bei with a smile and said earnestly, "It is also the most important thing—reputation."

"We will package this as a righteous act of 'Yunzhou merchants and citizens united in defending the city'. We will erect monuments and write biographies for all the merchants who contribute, singing the praises of their Karma.

Let them transform from profit-seeking merchants into righteous merchants who protect their homeland.

General, think about it: for these merchants who are wealthy enough to rival nations but have always been looked down upon by the scholar-official class, isn't a good reputation that lasts for generations more attractive than mountains of gold and silver?"

Su Bai's words were like peeling a cocoon, analyzing the psychology of those merchants thoroughly.

Even Zhang Hai, who wasn't very convinced at first, was now looking at Su Bai with his mouth wide open.

They had fought wars their whole lives and had never thought that war could be fought like this.

General Qin Bei looked at Su Bai before him, a monstrous wave surging in his heart.

This young man, what exactly is inside his brain?

This isn't just a general's talent; this is damn well a marshal's talent!

If this Su Bai is given time, I'm afraid he would be more than capable of serving as a marshal.

"Good! Good! Good!"

General Qin Bei said the word "good" three times in a row, stood up abruptly, walked to Su Bai, and looked at him excitedly.

He unhooked the tiger tally from his waist and slapped it into Su Bai's hand.

He solemnly instructed Su Bai:

"Su Bai! From now on, you are fully responsible for this matter!"

"All troops and resources in the city are at your disposal! I, General Qin Bei, will be your deputy!"

When Zhang Hai saw that tiger tally, his heart was shaken violently.

The General actually trusts this youth so much?

Zhang Hai looked at Su Bai, who was holding the tiger tally, and no longer felt even a shred of dissatisfaction.

He stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Su Bai, clasped his fists in a standard military salute, and said in a booming voice:

"This subordinate general, Zhang Hai, is willing to follow Vice General Su's orders! I will not refuse even if it means death!"

Su Bai looked at Zhang Hai kneeling on one knee, then looked at the tiger tally in his hand, and his heart was suddenly filled with soaring ambition.

He knew that this was the first time since coming to this world.

That he truly held his fate in his own hands.

He looked at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"Pass on my order! From this moment on, in my name as Vice General, invite all grain merchants inside and outside Yunzhou City to meet at the City Lord's Mansion in three days to discuss the 'Great Plan for Yunzhou's Prosperity'!"

Just as Su Bai's voice fell, a personal soldier ran in quickly from outside the door with a strange expression.

"Report!"

"Speak!"

General Qin Bei waved his hand with great Aura and said loudly.

The soldier clasped his fists, but his gaze couldn't help but glance at Su Bai, saying: "Reporting to the General, Vice General... there is a man outside the mansion asking to see you, claiming to be Vice General Su's uncle."

Uncle?

Hearing the messenger's words, Su Bai's entire body froze visibly.

After his Transmigration, he had inherited this body but had not received any of the original owner's memories.

Now, a man claiming to be his uncle had come knocking.

If they were to meet, wouldn't his cover be blown?