"As long as we produce this on a large scale and equip our troops with it, the war in the south will be nothing to worry about."
Gao Lanying was eager to try. Though she could not become the Pacify Shu General, helping the war effort in the south would still be good.
Peng Zun, however, had something else on his mind. "General Gao, what does it cost to produce these wool textiles?"
Gao Lanying was slightly displeased, but she understood. She was a general of Great Shang, while he was a noble. Different positions naturally meant different views. King Zhou was already suppressing the nobility, so it was good enough that a noble scion like Peng Zun had not joined the rebellion. Expecting them to contribute to the nation was asking far too much.
"Rest assured, young master. As long as wool textile production reaches a sufficient scale, its costs will be low and its output will surpass silk and hemp. Clothing that is warmer than silk or hemp, yet costs less to produce..."
Gao Lanying did not spell it out, but Peng Zun quickly caught on. "A sufficient scale? Since you put it that way, General Gao, I presume Chaoge alone would not be enough. Could you be thinking of the northern grasslands?"
Gao Lanying nodded. "Exactly. The northern tribes have submitted. Their men can work in the mines, but their women lack the strength to earn a living by mining. Why not let them continue doing what they are good at?"
Though she wanted to raise women's status, Gao Lanying would not twist reason and insist that women were as strong as men. She knew how to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. Women might lack physical strength, but they could handle delicate work like