Moma Liangshan

Chapter 215 Gold Ten Thousand, New Heavy Cavalry

Emperor Tianzuo was not about to let Wang Hao's explanation rest. He asked, "Have you ever heard of the Iron Forest Army?" Wang Hao shook his head and replied, "No!" Emperor Tianzuo was not angry at Wang Hao's ignorance. He said, "You should know that in the Khitan language, the Imperial Guard is also called the Leather Chamber Army?" Wang Hao nodded and replied, "Yes!" Emperor Tianzuo continued, "At the height of the Liao Dynasty, the Imperial Guard numbered 500,000. From the Imperial Guard, one in ten was selected to form the Leather Chamber Army of 50,000. From the Leather Chamber Army, one in ten was selected to form the Leather Chamber Army of 50,000." "Five thousand Iron Forest Army soldiers!" However, Emperor Tianzuo's words did not end there. He continued, "Each Iron Forest Army soldier rides three horses, both men and horses are heavily armored. A hundred riders advancing together have the force of an overturned mountain; a thousand riders charging is like a landslide, the end of the world!" Wang Hao saw through Emperor Tianzuo's thoughts and replied, "Since the Iron Forest Army is so unstoppable, where are they today?" Emperor Tianzuo, filled with sorrow, slowly said, "Seven hundred thousand soldiers perished in one battle, and five thousand Iron Forest Army soldiers were also wiped out while covering my retreat!"

Wang Hao didn't entirely agree with Emperor Tianzuo's viewpoint, saying, "The annihilation of the five thousand Iron Forest Army soldiers proves that there are no invincible military units at this time!" Emperor Tianzuo sneered, saying, "After the Iron Forest Army's annihilation, the Jurchens began to build the Iron Pagoda and repeatedly defeated our army. Meanwhile, you have forged even more sophisticated iron armor. All of this seems to tell me that heavy cavalry is indispensable!" Wang Hao truly hadn't expected that a piece of iron armor would stir up such a huge wave, saying, "Your Majesty should understand that the more sophisticated the armor, the more complicated its forging!" Emperor Tianzuo replied, "I understand even more that for you, as long as the reward is generous enough, all difficulties can be easily overcome!"

Wang Hao smiled sheepishly and said, "Your Majesty flatters me!" Emperor Tianzuo, however, left no room for negotiation, saying, "Three hundred taels of gold for a set of armor, two hundred taels of gold for a set of horse armor!" Such exorbitant prices were unbelievable not only to Wang Hao but also to Lin Chong standing nearby. However, Wang Hao was unwilling to stop there, saying, "Five hundred taels of gold for a set of armor and a set of horse armor, plus a warhorse!" The Princess of Shu, not expecting Wang Hao to continue with such outrageous demands, said, "Do you really want to sell the iron pieces you have for the price of gold?" Faced with matters of principle, Wang Hao would not yield to personal feelings, saying, "A precious sword that can cut through iron like mud weighs no more than three or five pounds, yet it can sell for a thousand taels of gold. According to your calculation, that pound of iron would sell for ten times the price of gold!" The Princess of Shu wanted to argue further, but Emperor Tianzuo stopped her, saying, "I..." "I can agree to your conditions, but I want all the armor you have now!" Wang Hao refused, saying, "I can only give up a maximum of three hundred more sets of armor!" Emperor Tianzuo, seeing this, said, "Deal!" But then added, "I want you to deliver at least three hundred sets of armor every month!" Wang Hao was puzzled and asked, "All armor?" Emperor Tianzuo replied, "Yes!" Wang Hao was still confused and asked, "Has Your Majesty suddenly changed your mind, only wanting armor, not horse armor? How will I deliver my warhorses?" Emperor Tianzuo replied, "Ten sets of armor plus six warhorses!" Wang Hao replied, "Alright!"

Seeing that the important matter was settled, the princess of Shu said, "Duke of Bohai, you may leave!" Wang Hao looked helplessly at the princess, deeply sensing the burning anger within her, and could only say, "I take my leave!" Emperor Tianzuo nodded in agreement. After Wang Hao left, Emperor Tianzuo asked, "Are you angry because of Wang Hao?" The princess of Shu's cheeks flushed, whether from resentment or shyness, she slowly said, "Father gave him wealth and honor, but he is cold-hearted and greedy!" Emperor Tianzuo sighed and said, "Frankly speaking, Wang Hao has done nothing wrong!" The princess of Shu was still angry, saying, "The Emperor of Song only gave him a county magistrate and a viscount, but you gave him a duke and a governor—it's a world of difference!" Emperor Tianzu shook his head and said, "You understand even without me saying it. The Liao Dynasty is engulfed in war, and Wang Hao's refusal to kick us while we're down is already a sign of his integrity. Besides, what he brought is truly a lifeline for us!" The Shu princess complained, "Rather than a lifeline, it's more like he's coveting the gold and silver in the national treasury!" Emperor Tianzu, however, saw things very clearly and said, "What use are two hundred years' worth of gold and silver accumulated by the royal family in a time of crisis? It's far less practical than a sword, a suit of armor, or a pound of grain!"

Wang Hao, sitting in the same carriage as Lin Chong, responded, "Have you ever heard of the Iron Forest Army?" Lin Chong replied, "The Khitan Iron Forest Army can be considered the progenitor of heavy cavalry. The Iron Falcons of Western Xia and the current Jurchen Iron Pagodas are all derived from it. The Song Dynasty's infantry armor was also, to some extent, created to counter the Iron Forest Army!" Wang Hao was surprised, as the name "Iron Forest Army" appeared very infrequently in later generations. Seeing that Wang Hao didn't speak, Lin Chong continued, "Why did you suddenly agree to the Liao Emperor's request and give up a full five hundred sets of armor?" Wang Hao replied, "The benefits that Liao can bring us far exceed these weapons and armor. Moreover, if Emperor Tianzuo can rebuild the Iron Forest Army, it might not be a bad thing for us!" Lin Chong was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Why?" Wang Hao replied, "Weapons are inanimate, but people are alive. Heavy cavalry does have a huge advantage in charging and breaking through defenses, but they are not enough to dominate this era." "The most powerful army!" Lin Chong exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. "Does Your Excellency know how to build an invincible army?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "There is no such thing as absolute invincibility in this world, but the scales of victory will ultimately tip in favor of justice!" Lin Chong couldn't help but ask, "What is justice?" Wang Hao replied, "Justice is the will of the people!" Lin Chong continued, "Human hearts are fickle; there are millions of people in the world, how can they all be of one mind?" Wang Hao answered, "Seek common ground while reserving differences, and let the minority submit to the majority!" Lin Chong seemed to understand and replied, "This humble general understands!"

Lin Chong suddenly remembered something and said, "If the Liao emperor takes away five hundred sets of armor, then we'll only have one hundred left. But the cavalry that came to Jiaozhou with me number one hundred and twenty!" Wang Hao understood the meaning behind Lin Chong's words and said, "Our main purpose in coming to Liao is to train our troops, not to charge into battle. Losing a few sets of armor won't affect the overall situation!" Lin Chong didn't completely agree with Wang Hao's point of view and could only hesitate to speak. Seeing this, Wang Hao said, "Speak freely!" Lin Chong said, "Only an army that has undergone the baptism of iron and blood can become a true elite!" Wang Hao smiled and said, "One month later, I guarantee that everyone will be armored!" Lin Chong asked, "How many soldiers should we recruit for the first time?" Wang Hao replied, "Recruit two hundred soldiers, and after one month of training, choose one out of two to keep!"

End of this chapter

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