area51novel Chapter 2713 Need to Buy Equipment
Chapter 2713 Need to Buy Equipment
As soon as Li Shen said this, the entire room fell silent again, and all eyes turned to Li Shen.
Changsun Wuji, in particular, frowned.
Manufacturing weapons privately is illegal, including armor and crossbows. Selling them privately is even more outrageous, a crime punishable by confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire family.
"Does Your Highness Prince Ji truly believe this?"
This time the voice was clearly heard because the person had stood up. It was none other than Hou Junji, the Minister of War, who had been idle at home for several years after making a mistake and was then reinstated.
Since that incident, Hou Junji has toned down his sharp edges, kept a low profile, and acted in a proper and conventional manner.
Li Shen had almost forgotten about this person, but unexpectedly, he suddenly reappeared today.
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.
Changsun Wuji turned his head and glanced at Hou Junji. When he saw that it was Hou Junji, his brows furrowed even more deeply, forming a deep frown.
"What I say is true. Weapons, armor, bows and crossbows, everything is available."
Li Shen replied.
"Tenth Brother, you're drunk," Li Chengqian reminded him from the side, noting that these were all sensitive words.
Li Shen, however, did not care:
"Brother, what are you afraid of? The weapons I manufacture are not privately made; they are all registered with the Ministry of War."
The three provinces issued an imperial edict permitting this.
This is the source of Li Shen's confidence; his own father had obtained a license for him.
Otherwise, if he spends all his time studying weapons and equipment, he'll eventually be accused of treason.
The ministers had known about this matter for years.
"Minister Hou, do you mean you want to replace the court's weapons and equipment?"
Changsun Wuji asked in a deep voice.
Changsun Wuji was of course aware that Li Shen had issued an order to allow the manufacture of weapons, but there was a condition that each of Li Shen's weapons must be numbered and reported to the Ministry of War.
This is an imperial decree personally issued by His Majesty. If any weapon is found to be unregistered, His Majesty will punish the offender, and the consequences could be dire.
Changsun Wuji wasn't concerned about Li Shen manufacturing weapons; he was concerned about Hou Junji needing to change his equipment.
For a long time, most of the iron used for the weapons and equipment of the Tang army came from the Changsun family and was then forged by the Ministry of Works.
But if they purchase directly, wouldn't that bypass him? He's hoping to make money off iron.
Moreover, he overheard Hou Junji say that the weapons and equipment produced by the Prince Ji's Mansion were of better quality than those of the current army.
In other words, their iron is not as good as Li Shen's iron.
He knew that Li Shen had illegally seized a lot of iron ore in Liaodong Province.
"Duke Zhao, I am merely inquiring. If His Highness Prince Ji is indeed willing to sell us weapons, the strength of our Great Tang will double."
As everyone knows, the guards of Prince Ji's mansion are equipped with excellent weapons and armor, making them very powerful in combat. This is likely due to the advantages of their weaponry and equipment.
"This humble official wishes to equip the border troops with these weapons and armor to ensure the safety of our Great Tang's borders."
Hou Junji bowed and said earnestly.
"Minister Hou, the border equipment has always been the best, and it is in no way inferior to the Imperial Guard."
"By doing this, aren't you just wasting the court's money?"
Changsun Wuji's face showed a hint of displeasure.
"Don't worry, Duke Zhao, it won't be wasted. The border troops' equipment can be sent to the Protectorate General's Office or to the various local military commands."
This also enhanced their combat capabilities.
Duke Zhao, although our Great Tang is now at peace and all nations are paying tribute, there are still many forces around us that are eyeing us covetously.
Countries like the Tibetan Empire, the Western Turkic Khaganate in the Western Regions, and even the Tiele tribes in the north could not be harmed.
We should plan ahead and prepare in advance.
Hou Junji remained neither humble nor arrogant, and his attitude remained calm.
While the two were talking, Li Shen secretly came up behind Li Shimin and whispered in his ear:
"Father, what's going on?"
"I don't know," Li Shimin replied simply.
"So what should we do later? Should we sell it or not?" Li Shen was a little undecided.
“Your mother is still alive, what do you say?” Li Shimin tilted his head and glanced at Li Shen.
"Understood." Li Shen nodded and secretly sat back down.
At this point, Changsun Wuji was at a disadvantage because his motives were impure, and many things could not be said openly.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please hear me out."
Seeing them arguing like this, and not knowing how long it would go on, I spoke up.
Neither of them spoke after hearing this, so Li Shen continued:
"Gentlemen, and all the gentlemen present, I believe it is advisable to replace the equipment of the border troops."
“Your Highness, why do you say that? You have been away from the court for a long time and do not know much about the affairs of the court. Changing clothes is not something that can be done with a few hundred or a thousand knives.”
Yu Zhining interjected.
"Oh, in that case, you can discuss it yourselves." Li Shenyi shrugged, indicating that he would no longer participate.
"No, Your Highness Prince Ji, I am asking seriously." Hou Junji ignored Changsun Wuji and bowed directly to Li Shen.
Li Shen really wanted to take on this job, but the equipment couldn't be the same as the Imperial Guard, and he didn't have the production capacity.
However, the refined iron or ordinary iron he produced was much better than that produced by Changsun Wuji's family.
Throughout history, arms dealing has always been a major and highly profitable business.
It's a pity that his father had already subtly told him not to take away the Changsun family's business.
He was thinking about his own interests, while his father was thinking about balance, the stability of the court, and the checks and balances between various forces.
"The nation is above all else," Li Shen sighed inwardly and replied.
"Minister Hou, I am answering you seriously: it is possible to do this business with the imperial court."
However... I wonder if you can make the decision to accept my price.
You should also know that good equipment also means it's expensive.
Upon hearing Li Shen's words, Changsun Wuji swallowed his rebuttal to Hou Junji. How could he have forgotten that the person opposite him was Prince Ji?
How could Prince Ji blatantly steal his sister's business when his sister was still alive?
"Then I wonder how much this equipment is worth?" Hou Junji was taken aback, but then asked.
"Hehe, that depends on which type Minister Hou needs. There are Fubing level, Duhufu level, and Bianjun level."
Li Shen chuckled.
"What level do the guards of Prince Ji's mansion belong to?" Hou Junji asked directly.
“The highest level,” Li Shen said solemnly.
"We need that kind in Xiaguan, but I don't know how much it costs," Hou Junji asked eagerly.
Li Shen's guard battalion was already famous in the court, belonging to the elite of the elite, with three thousand men capable of chasing and killing tens of thousands.
In a battle involving tens of thousands of people, the Ji Prince's guards suffered zero casualties, with only a few wounded, who were injured after falling from their horses.
This demonstrates just how sturdy their armor was.
"This isn't expensive, only 1,500 strings of cash per set. Since it's for the border troops, I can sell it to you at a loss, 1,000 strings of cash per set."
Li Shen held up one finger.