First-rank palace maid Su Jixiang

Chapter 217 The Prototype of the Future Black Tiger Army

Wei Ling was extremely excited because the things presented in the pictures that Su Jixiang drew for him gradually formed a picture in his mind.

"You see, our Black Tiger Army is currently mostly composed of infantry." Su Jixiang flipped through another painting, "If we divide our Black Tiger Army into other types of troops, such as heavy warhorse teams, rapid-fire light crossbow teams, siege heavy crossbow teams, and quick-response light cavalry teams, then the combat effectiveness of our Black Tiger Army will be..."

Before Su Jixiang could finish his words, he felt his body lighten, his feet left the ground, and Wei Ling kissed him hard on the face several times.

Su Jixiang's face flushed, and she patted Wei Ling who had picked her up, "Put me down, I haven't even finished talking yet!"

"You and I are thinking the same thing!" Wei Ling happily hugged Su Jixiang, feeling that he was holding not only his wife, but also a huge treasure. "Madam, you are really my great treasure!"

"You're so cheesy!" Su Jixiang's face turned even redder after he suddenly called her "baby"...

"No, you are my wife, and you are my treasure to me!" Wei Ling looked at Su Jixiang, his eyes slightly red with excitement! "Do you know that the things you showed me today will completely transform the Black Tiger Army?"

"I know, but I also know that if you want to build such a Black Tiger Army, money is indispensable." Su Jixiang said, "Maintaining these troops is not a simple matter. In the past, we could only maintain them with the money given by the new emperor. It is probably not enough to update so many weapons and equipment. So Mangcheng must be opened up. Mangcheng has such a good geographical location, and trade must be done. We can set up checkpoints, and goods entering and leaving need to be taxed and registered. They can be classified according to the items and a certain amount of tax can be collected. If it is daily necessities used by the people, a very low tax can be collected. After all, the quantity is large, and the money added up is also considerable. But if some valuable items are traded, the tax collected will be a little heavier."

In fact, Su Jixiang set up this checkpoint according to the specifications of modern customs.

She didn't understand it in detail, so she could only propose a hypothesis. She also needed Wei Ling to bring some other people to study how to maximize the border trade and benefit both the people and the army.

"That's a good idea." Wei Ling's eyes became brighter. "Madam, what I learned in the cold palace is actually more practical than what I learned in the Imperial Academy for many years!"

"Hey, there are all kinds of people in the cold palace. Many concubines who were banished to the cold palace were trained as noble ladies at home." Su Jixiang said with a smile, "Anyway, they have a lot of ideas. If you treat them well, they are willing to teach!"

Anyway, Wei Ling had never been in the cold palace, so Su Jixiang could just blame all her thoughts on the people in the cold palace.

"I still have a lot of ideas, so I'll just draw this much for now. Because this is what I think I must prepare first. After all, you told me something before, and I think it's most important for us to prepare for a rainy day!" Su Jixiang said with a smile.

"Yes! Madam, what you said makes sense." Wei Ling carefully put away all the drawings that Su Jixiang had drawn. "Tomorrow I will find someone to build some blast furnaces, using them as a cover for carbon fields. We in the north use a huge amount of carbon, so it shouldn't arouse suspicion from outsiders."

"Well, just be careful." Su Jixiang nodded.

Wei Ling was a smart man, so Su Jixiang knew that he had just made a beginning and would leave the rest to Wei Ling, who would definitely do it properly.

The next day, Nangong Rui was released.

He had been locked up in the military camp for a long time. Although he could not say that he had never seen the sun, he could not help squinting his eyes when he suddenly walked out of the tent. Today was a sunny day.

The one who came to release him was Qian Feng. He personally escorted Nangong Rui out of the military camp and handed him a package.

"All your things are here." Qian Feng said to Nangong Rui expressionlessly, "You can go back."

"Just let me go like that? Where's the general? I want to see the general." Nangong Rui took his bag. He didn't have much stuff. All his money was given to his family. In the barracks, he only had a few sets of clothes for changing. The rest of his things were distributed by the army. Obviously, what Qian Feng packed for him were just his clothes for changing.

"The general is very sad about your situation and doesn't want to see you for the time being. Also, your mother, your sister-in-law and sister, and the children at home went to the general's mansion yesterday and cried." Qian Feng said to Nangong Rui, "The general said that your brothers can't be released for the time being because they accepted money from those thieves. Most of the property in your family is also stolen money, so it can't be returned to you for the time being. As for when it can be returned and how much can be returned, we need to wait until your brothers have made their confessions and the accounts have been checked before we can talk about it."

"But..." Nangong Rui's heart tightened, "General doesn't want to see me, does that mean he doesn't want me to stay in the army?"

"There is no place for you in the Black Tiger Army for the time being." Qian Feng said with a stern face. He was reluctant in his heart, but he couldn't show it. "Although you didn't participate, because of your dereliction of duty and malfeasance, Mangcheng fell into crisis twice. You are temporarily suspended."

"I want to see the general, Brother Qian, can you help me?" Nangong Rui was anxious when he heard that he was suspended from his post. "Even if I don't want an official position, even if I just want to be a soldier, I don't want to leave the Black Tiger Army! Please help me plead with the general!"

"You'd better go back first!" Qian Feng finally couldn't hold back and sighed, "The general is very angry this time. Just wait until he laughs out of anger!"

"No, no, no, I want to see the general now!" Nangong Rui said anxiously.

"Oh, why can't you listen? The general is still angry, and your family went to make trouble for the lady again, which made the general even angrier. The general's wife gave your family twenty taels of silver and didn't say anything, but you also know that our general regards the lady as the apple of his eye. Isn't your family making trouble for the lady an eye drop for the general? Besides, it was your family who did something wrong in the first place. What's there to make a fuss about?" Qian Feng said, "You should go back first. Celebrate the New Year first. Your family can't do without a man to support them. After the New Year, maybe the general will be in a better mood and willing to see you. You still have to be patient!"

Nangong Rui looked at Qian Feng and knew that he would not lie to him. Now he was helpless. Even if he was anxious, Wei Ling was probably unwilling to see him.