Mi Zhu's Boldness, Cavalry's Bane

Pei County, blacksmith workshop.

Just as Liu Bei and Xu Shu arrived, Qin Tian was inspecting the workshop.

With the arrival of spring and the warming weather, the workshop felt stiflingly hot.

Tongues of flame surged from the furnaces, and bare-chested men swung heavy hammers, striking rhythmically in a continuous, overlapping clamor.

Craftsmen moved back and forth in an orderly fashion, forging a uniquely shaped spearhead.

For an army, soldiers and horses are merely the foundation; to truly form a force, one requires equipment, armor, and other gear.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Liu Bei was holed up in Pei County, poor as a church mouse.

In reality, he did possess a supporting production line, though its output was low and production speeds were sluggish.

These craftsmen were not the common blacksmiths one might encounter on the street, but specialized artisan households dedicated to manufacturing military equipment.

No matter how down-and-out Liu Bei became, he would never abandon these people.

They were craftsmen by heritage, their bodies hardened by years of ironwork, possessing the raw, aesthetic strength of laborers.

Walking among them, the noise was loud, yet it was not oppressive.

Of course, it would have been even better if Mi Zhu were not tagging along beside Qin Tian.

Mi Zhu followed Qin Tian every step of the way, asking incessantly:

"Strategist, is the situation this year truly so dire?"

"Could you specify which regions will be affected?"

"How many refugees do you estimate there will be?"

Hearing Mi Zhu's questions, Qin Tian could not help but sigh:

"Brother Zizhong, could you please give it a rest?"

"Let this humble one finish his inspection, and we shall discuss it in detail later!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu realized he had been too pushy and offered a sheepish smile:

"It is not that I am impatient, but time waits for no man, and I urgently need to confirm these details!"

Seeing Qin Tian's displeased expression, he quickly added:

"Very well, please, Strategist, continue your inspection!"

With that, he fell silent and followed quietly by Qin Tian's side.

Seeing this, Qin Tian shifted his gaze back to the blacksmiths and resumed his rounds.

Yet, as he inspected, he sighed inwardly, realizing he had underestimated the ancients after all!

As for why, one must go back to a month ago.

Following the military council that day, Liu Bei had summoned Mi Zhu to his residence the next morning and relayed everything Qin Tian had said.

The moment Mi Zhu heard Qin Tian's true identity, he was completely stunned.

After the shock came confusion!

Liu Bei had no choice but to explain the events of the recent period and the reasons behind Qin Tian's use of a pseudonym.

Mi Zhu listened in a daze, secretly thinking that his brother-in-law was being unkind—hiding things from outsiders was one thing, but to keep his own brother-in-law in the dark as well!

However, knowing Liu Bei's difficult circumstances, he did not take it to heart.

After carefully weighing the pros and cons, he agreed.

Just as Qin Tian had predicted, after thorough consideration, Mi Zhu felt he had nothing to lose.

In this era, grain was considered hard currency.

Even if there were no drought, he could resell it and not lose much money.

Compared to the wealth and grain he had already invested in Liu Bei, this was nothing!

Thus, he began arranging personnel to scout grain prices across various regions, eventually purchasing seventy to eighty thousand shi of grain.

But after buying for a while, the more Mi Zhu thought about it, the more he felt something was off.

He figured that since he had already decided to commit, why not go big?

After careful study, he discovered a massive business opportunity!

One must realize that if Huainan were struck by disaster and Liu Bei failed to seize the region, this stockpile of grain would be worth a fortune!

For instance, during the great drought in Sanfu the year before last, a hu of grain cost five hundred thousand, and a hu of beans or wheat cost two hundred thousand.

If he resold this batch of grain, a brand-new richest man in the Han Dynasty would be born!

And even if Liu Bei did seize Huainan, he would still profit.

First, by contributing grain to save the masses, his reputation as a philanthropist would surely spread far and wide for the Mi Clan!

Second, a severe drought in Huainan would create a massive number of refugees and, consequently, a vast amount of vacant land; he could easily hoard a portion of the grain and purchase land at rock-bottom prices.

It could be said that no matter the outcome, it was to his advantage—the more grain he had, the more he would earn!

He then settled on a plan: first, purchase emergency grain from surrounding commanderies and counties to ensure Liu Bei had supplies to draw upon.

Second, mortgage the family's landholdings to raise a massive amount of liquid capital.

Third, head to Jing Province to purchase low-cost, aged grain from the great clans there.

This aged grain was the surplus stock of the aristocratic families; it certainly didn't taste good, and some of it was already infested with weevils, but the price was incredibly low.

As long as it was purchased on a large scale, the price could even be driven down to under one hundred and fifty coins per shi.

Yet, this grain would be just as effective when the drought arrived.

For the disaster victims, the issue wasn't whether the food tasted good, but whether it could fill their stomachs.

Once famine struck, let alone weevil-infested grain, people would eat it even if it were mixed with dirt.

Having finalized this plan, he began to make preparations.

However, before truly putting it into action, he had to confirm one thing: that the drought would truly come.

Spending ten thousand gold to buy grain was one thing—that was supporting Liu Bei.

But now, he was preparing to go all-in, betting everything on one move to soar to new heights.

If it went wrong, it would mean the total ruin of his family fortune.

Consequently, for the past few days, Mi Zhu had been pestering Qin Tian with constant questions.

Upon learning of Mi Zhu's intentions, Qin Tian couldn't help but lament that Mi Zhu had been born in the wrong era.

If he were in a later age, he would surely be a world-class capitalist.

With both wealth and the audacity to act, success would have been inevitable.

But while Mi Zhu asking once or twice was fine, coming every single day had started to annoy him.

That was why he had been so cold just a moment ago.

Now, after being spoken to like that, Mi Zhu finally quieted down.

But with Mi Zhu standing behind him, he lost the mood to continue his inspection; after a moment of thought, he turned around and said, "Forget it, Brother Zizhong, why don't you tell me how much grain you intend to buy?"

Seeing that Qin Tian had finally turned back, Mi Zhu hurriedly smiled and said, "Strategist, I intend to purchase one and a half million shi of grain."

"One and a half million shi?"

Qin Tian couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, then asked, "Where would the Mi Clan get that much money?"

He had estimated that, given the scale of the Mi Clan, twenty thousand gold would be their absolute limit.

Even if they bought mostly aged grain, they could at most afford a million shi.

How would Mi Zhu cover the rest?

Hearing this, Mi Zhu stroked his beard with self-satisfaction and said, "That is easy. If my Mi Clan lacks funds, we can simply raise capital. I have already spread the word that I intend to purchase Shu Brocade in Yi Province to sell in the Central Plains, Hebei, and other regions."

"I will have the noble families of Donghai chip in a few hundred or a thousand gold each, to be repaid by next spring."

"I expect that with the reputation of the Mi Clan, raising another one or two hundred million coins will not be a difficult task."

"Even if we struggle to maintain it, we can raise funds from elsewhere; once the grain is sold, we can cover the deficit."

Hearing this, Qin Tian was left wide-eyed—this was truly, criminally brilliant.

So, Liu Bei's subordinates were just a bunch of outlaws, were they?

This method of financial maneuvering was over a thousand years ahead of its time.

It was no wonder the ancients were so clever; if they hadn't taken the wrong path in their development, there would have been no room left for the Western barbarians.

Thinking this, Qin Tian said, "If that is the case, I will give you a firm promise, Brother Zizhong."

"Go ahead and buy; I will back you for however much you purchase!"

"If you can truly acquire that much grain, I can offer you a fine position in the future!"

Hearing Qin Tian's words, Mi Zhu felt relieved, but then asked curiously, "A fine position? I wonder what it might be?"

"It cannot be spoken of for now. In any case, wait until the end of this year, and Zizhong, you shall see the results."

"I must wait until the end of the year?"

Mi Zhu's expression shifted, and he sighed, "The Strategist's way of doing things is truly unfathomable. It is only the fourth month, and you are already thinking about the end of the year?"

He truly wanted to crack open Qin Tian's head to see exactly what was inside.

The current situation was so complex that it was hard to fathom how Qin Tian could be so certain.

Qin Tian naturally paid no mind to what Mi Zhu was thinking, merely smiling as he said:

"How it turns out, we shall know when the time comes!"

"Very well, it is getting late. Brother Zizhong, hurry back and make preparations. It is already the fourth month; whether our army can achieve great things rests entirely upon your shoulders!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu immediately raised his hands and said:

"Strategist, please do not say such things. I am but a mere merchant; I am ill-suited for such a heavy responsibility!"

"This duty still requires the Strategist to shoulder it!"

"Strategist, you are busy, so this humble one shall take his leave!"

With those words, he bowed and departed.

With Qin Tian's affirmation, he now felt a sense of certainty in his heart!

Watching Mi Zhu leave, Qin Tian could not help but sigh with emotion; although Liu Bei had spent his life wandering from place to place, he certainly had many benefactors!

A brother-in-law like Mi Zhu was likely impossible to find in several hundred years!

It was no wonder that Mi Zhu's rank and status always remained at the head of all the officials.

A man like Mi Zhu could make a name for himself in any era.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw the craftsmen in the distance stop their work one after another to salute the entrance. Looking up, he saw Liu Bei walking over, accompanied by Xu Shu.

Seeing this, he hurried forward to greet them:

"Why has the Lord come here?"

Liu Bei had already spotted Qin Tian and stepped forward with a smile:

"I was inspecting the camp today and did not see the Strategist, so I had Yuanzhi bring me here!"

"By the way, I just saw Zizhong leaving in a hurry. I wonder what that was about?"

They had just run into Mi Zhu at the entrance and exchanged greetings, but had not asked for details.

Hearing this, Qin Tian smiled:

"What else could it be?"

"It was about the purchase of grain and fodder. Brother Zizhong had some doubts, so he came to ask!"

"So that is how it is!"

Liu Bei nodded, looking at Qin Tian and inwardly sighing at his hard work.

Ever since he took office, he had been quite busy.

Beyond military affairs, he had to train the troops on one hand and supervise the grain and fodder on the other.

He handled everything in an orderly fashion; his ability was truly beyond reproach.

Even without his strategic planning, his ability to manage logistics and coordinate various parties alone made him a top-tier talent!

Thinking of how he had dumped all these tasks onto Qin Tian the moment he arrived, he said with a touch of shame:

"The Strategist has worked hard. It is a pity that Bei lacks such talent and cannot share the burden for the Strategist!"

"Why does the Lord say such things? To eat the lord's salary is to share the lord's worries; what hardship is there in that!"

Qin Tian gave a humble smile and then looked at Xu Shu:

"It is one thing for the Lord to come and offer his regards, but why has Yuanzhi come?"

Xu Shu grinned at this:

"Since there is nothing to do in the army, I feared the Strategist might be slacking off, so I came specifically to supervise the work!"

"You rascal!"

Qin Tian scolded him with a laugh, punching Xu Shu on the shoulder:

"I am the Strategist; it is one thing for you not to supervise, but you have come to supervise me instead!"

"Even if you do not say it, I know!"

"Did you come to sneak a peek at my secret weapon?"

Having been punched by Qin Tian, Xu Shu laughed heartily:

"That is exactly it, and the Lord has the same intention!"

Seeing Xu Shu use him as a shield, Liu Bei also laughed:

"Indeed, having heard from Yuanzhi that the Strategist was overseeing the forging of weapons, I came specifically to take a look!"

"I wonder what kind of weapon the Strategist is overseeing?"

"Since the Lord wishes to see it, there is no reason why not!"

Qin Tian simply turned around and said:

"Someone, bring me a Hook Sickle Spear!"

Upon his order, a soldier walked into the armory and soon emerged carrying a long spear.

Liu Bei examined it closely, noting that the spear was nearly eight feet long, with two protruding, razor-sharp barbs beneath the spearhead.

"The appearance of this object is quite peculiar!"

Xu Shu nodded from the side as well:

"Indeed, the spear design is non-standard, but I wonder what its purpose is?"

Seeing their curiosity, Qin Tian took the spear:

"This item is specifically designed to counter cavalry!"

He laid the spear horizontally on the ground and pointed to the hooked barbs:

"Our army currently lacks cavalry, so we must find a way to counter them. The protrusions on both sides can hook hooves and pull at legs, forcing the horses to be injured. Once the cavalryman falls, one can strike directly at him!"

Watching Qin Tian's demonstration, Liu Bei nodded and sighed:

"Military Advisor, this invention of yours is truly ingenious!"

As a veteran commander himself, he knew the danger of cavalry lay in their ability to charge and harass incessantly.

For ordinary infantry, encountering cavalry was a matter of nine deaths and one life.

It was a situation where they could neither fight back nor escape!

In this era, the most common weapon for countering cavalry was the halberd, yet the halberd was not as practical as the spear!

This weapon of Qin Tian's could be considered a fusion of spear and halberd; though not difficult to manufacture, its effectiveness was immense!

By shifting the target to the horse's legs, if equipped on a large scale, it could deal a fatal blow to any cavalry force.

Thinking this, Liu Bei found it more and more interesting:

"Excellent, excellent! This item is truly excellent! It can certainly be called a sharp weapon!"

However, Xu Shu frowned as he watched:

"I thought it was some secret weapon; while this item is good, it is of little use to our army!"

"Yuan Shu's army possesses no elite cavalry, so we will have little use for it when attacking him!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei realized the point:

"That is true, Military Advisor. Since our army is to engage Yuan Shu, we should be forging more swords and spears; why bother manufacturing such things?"

Facing their questioning gazes, Qin Tian picked up the spear and said with a cryptic smile:

"You two have misunderstood. I did not craft this for Yuan Shu, but for Lu Bu!"

Liu Bei and Xu Shu were stunned on the spot.

Not to fight Yuan Shu, but to deal with Lu Bu—what could this possibly mean?