Although iron smelting technology has made certain progress in this era, it is still a scarcity among the people.

The toughness of iron can be used to forge weapons, so in military use, more than half of the iron is consumed. The rest can only be used by princes and nobles.

Among the people, copper is still the main choice.

For example, the "kettle" used by folk for cooking is made of copper or ceramics, and the "ding" is usually also a copper tripod.

The problem before Li Qi now is the shortage of copper and iron.

Li Qi's idea was to use Sichuan brocade or tea leaves to recycle scrap copper and iron.

This "inspiration" comes from the reverse operation of "old mobile phone, bad mobile phone repot".

Shu brocade or tea is scarce in other states and counties, but not in Yizhou. Even because Nanzhong and Shu counties plant too much tea, and tea is a luxury goods among the people in the war-torn years, the inventory is increasing day by day, making it inconvenient to store.

.Yizhou officials in charge of the tea industry even considered whether to cut prices and promote some.

There is no need for it now, because Li Qi believes that using these stocks to exchange for broken pots and tripods that can no longer be used in ordinary people's homes is both environmentally friendly and affordable.

However, this exchange ratio should be treated differently.

For example, the recycling prices in Jingzhou and Yizhou can be set lower, while the recycling prices in other prefectures and counties, such as Yangzhou, Jiaozhou and even Hebei, can be raised.

This is mainly due to the transportation costs and middlemen's profits. You have to let people make money so that they will do their best to help you.

Although the price of scrap copper and iron recovered from distant places is relatively high, making this business seem not very cost-effective, copper and iron as strategic resources can effectively curb the copper and iron stocks in the sphere of hostile influence.

Li Qi was only responsible for providing ideas and not specific operational instructions. He even suggested that Zhuge Liang should not bother thinking about specific plans and just leave the right things to the right people to complete.

Li Qi's "business consultant" Wang Li has been in semi-retirement since Zhan Cheng was injured, so these matters were left in the hands of Wang Li's son Wang Lei.

The specific execution price and operation plan are all drawn up by Wang Lei himself.

For example, Wang Lei pointed out that the common people are more receptive to food and money, and are less interested in luxuries such as silk and tea. Therefore, Shu brocade tea will eventually fall into the pockets of middlemen, who use food or money to sell goods to people.

Common people purchased the Shu brocade tea leaves and then sold them to earn the price difference.

So, first of all, starting from the streets and alleys of Jingzhou and Yizhou, there were shouts of "Broken pots and basins, waste cauldrons and replace them with Shu brocade tea".

Slowly, this shouting line spread to Liangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiaozhou, and then resounded throughout the Central Plains.

There are even unscrupulous businesses who, in order to expand their business, exchange meat buns for other people's copper cauldrons. Especially some naughty children, in order to eat a bite of meat buns, directly smashed the cauldron and exchanged it for scrap copper when the adults were not at home.

The adults have to hang up the naughty child and beat him when he gets home.

No, Jiangling made a comedy:

At that time, Ren Xu and Sun Shangxiang were wandering on the street and happened to see a family hanging their children from a tree and beating them with wickers.

Ren Xu was a kind person, how could he see his child being wronged like this, so he quickly stepped forward to stop him.

The other parent said with tears in her eyes: "Madam, you don't know something. This little copper cauldron in the house has brought disaster to this child."

Ren Xu asked his guards to go to the market and buy a cauldron for this family, and complained: "The meat buns are replaced with scrap copper and iron. I don't know who came up with this bad idea."

If this happens in other people's homes, it's a story, but if it happens in your own home, it's an accident.

Many children are afraid of being beaten by their parents and no longer dare to steal the cauldron at home.

But in this case, if everyone gets hungry while playing outside, there will be no meat buns to eat!

Li Zhao, who is only four years old but is a hero among girls, stood up decisively when everyone needed it: "Don't worry, they will smash my house tomorrow."

The older friend advised: "Isn't this bad for you? Aren't you afraid that your wife will beat you?"

Li Zhaodao: "Even if you are beaten, you can't watch everyone go hungry!"

As a result, the chef of the government office was unprepared, and it was only at noon that he discovered that there was no cooking cauldron - not even any spare ones, making everyone in the government hungry.

Ren Xu was so angry that he grabbed Li Zhao and wanted to do it, but he couldn't bear it.

Sun Shangxiang said: "She should be beaten! But I suggest my sister to take her to the street and beat her, so that other children can see how much our family Zhao'er has paid to let everyone eat meat buns."

As a result, Li Zhao became famous among the minors in Jiangling County and people were convinced.

Of course, Li Qi didn't know about these things. He was busy fighting with Cao Cao.

However, it is said that after Li Qijun won the battle with Cao Jun, Sima Yi finally found a way to break the formation, so he engaged in another battle in the countryside.

Cao Cao reined up his horse and marched out of the formation, asking Li Qidao: "Do you dare to set up the formation?"

Li Qidao: "Why don't you dare? Our formation is unpredictable. You must not think that you have seen through it."

Sima Yi sneered secretly from the side and said to Xu Huang, who was about to step forward to break the formation: "General Xu, don't worry, all the changes in the formation are in order. Just wait until General Xu sees me ordering the flag to act."

When he was young, Zhuge Liang laid out eight formations. Xu Huang led a group of soldiers and horses to charge over. Sima Yi climbed onto the elevated platform again and waved a flag as an order.

Without saying a word, Li Qi pointed his flag in the direction of Cao's army. First, the crossbow team came forward. After a burst of fire, the Qiang cavalry on both wings rushed out.

Xu Huang was stunned. Where is the promised fighting formation?

Cao Jun was waiting to see how Xu Huang broke the formation, but the Yizhou soldiers and Qiang cavalry suddenly rushed over and were unable to defend themselves!

Cao Cao scolded: "Little Li Qi, you don't have martial ethics! You attacked me, an old man in his fifties."

Li Qidao: "I told you, our formation is unpredictable, even the crossbow troops and cavalry on both sides are part of the formation, okay!"

Sima Yi, who was on the elevated structure, saw the Qiang cavalry rushing over. He panicked and hurriedly trembled while holding on to the railing to move down.

After the large army covered up the enemy, Cao Jun retreated without any chance.

Li Qiming and Jin withdrew his troops and did not pursue them.

Cao Cao and Li Qi were facing the enemy, but they couldn't win twice, and they were depressed.

Xun You said: "Our army can retreat to Xiwu and fight a protracted war. Although Li Qi has pacified Liangzhou, the people are still unconvinced, and civilian production has been affected by the war. Not much food can be collected, and the transportation of food along the Shu Road has failed.

It is extremely difficult. In less than three months, Li Qi will definitely retreat due to running out of food. When the time comes, we can take advantage of the victory to pursue him and defeat his army."

The Xiwu mentioned by Xun You is located 250 miles west of Chang'an. It was built by Dong Zhuo with 250,000 civilians after he moved the capital to Chang'an.

of food for nearly thirty years.

However, before Dong Zhuo had time to accept it, he died because of robbing Lu Bu of a woman. However, Xiwu became an important defense base on the western front with a strong city and sufficient food supplies.

Cao Cao followed Xun You's advice, led his army to retreat, and stationed troops in Xiwu.

Li Qi knew that Cao Cao had retreated tens of miles to Xiwu, but he was unwilling to continue to approach the camp.

Because the current camp location is relatively close to Chencang Fortress, if something happens, you can retreat to Chencang in minutes and use the fortifications Zhuge Liang built in Chencang during this period to resist the enemy;

If you follow Cao Cao to the east, if something happens, you will have a long way to retreat to Chencang. If Cao Cao sends a surprise force to capture Chencang, you will die without a burial place.

On the other hand, Li Qi also considered the transportation of grain and grass.

If the army is stationed here for a long time, food will be consumed quickly, and transportation will inevitably be frequent and inconvenient.

Zhuge Liang suggested: "Qixian County in the northwest of Chencang has a good ecology, four distinct seasons, and dozens of large and small rivers. It can be used to plant early rice in the plains for long-term use."

Li Qixun thought that in order to capture Chang'an, he must first break Xiwu.

But Cao Cao personally leads the main army here, Xiwu is not easy to break, and Chang'an is even harder to break.

So you should make long-term plans.

In addition to stationing fields behind Chencang Fortress, Li Qi also planned to expand Chencang into a defense center like Xiwu, and build forts and arrow towers around Chencang Fortress, making it the eastern gateway to Yizhou and Liangzhou.

All this is related to only one word: "money".

Therefore, Li Qi continued to leave Zhang Ren to guard stability, and sent Wei Yan and Xu Shu forward to Chencang Fortress. When the time was right, the troops from the west were sent out from Chencang to head towards Chang'an; the troops from the south were sent out from Xiangyang to head towards Wan and Luo, and there would be a big event in the Central Plains.

It can be determined.

More than a month later, Wei Yan and Xu Shu had arrived at Chencang Fortress, and the defense framework around Chencang had been designed. They could start construction only when funds were in place.

Therefore, Li Qi sent Zhuge Liang back to Yizhou to raise money and food, and he himself had to go back to Jingzhou to raise money and food.

Before leaving, Wei Yan asked: "We are now at a stalemate with Cao Cao between Chencang and Xi County. Although Cao Cao's army is more numerous than us, we may not be able to defeat him. Why should we give up so easily?"

Li Qidao: "I have never fought an uncertain battle, nor am I willing to use the lives of soldiers to build a stable. Wen Chang should consolidate the city fortress here and focus on holding on to it."

In fact, Li Qi did not want to have a decisive battle with Cao Cao in Yiwu for many reasons.

Not willing to use the lives of soldiers to forcibly pile up is just one of them;

Secondly, if the strong pile fails, his vitality will be greatly damaged, and Cao Cao happens to take Liangzhou and annex Yizhou in one fell swoop. Li Qi is unwilling to do such a gambling thing. After all, it is not easy to travel through time, so you have to cherish it, right?

What?

Third, if Xiwu and even Chang'an are captured now, it means that the situation in the world has changed. Now Liu Bei, Sun Quan and other princes are weak, and it will be no problem for everyone to unite to deal with Cao Cao. But once the situation is reversed, Li Qi will become the strongest in the world.

The princes, I am afraid that others will unite to deal with him. If the foundation is not strong, Li Qi may suffer the consequences if he loses troops and generals in exchange for a superficial reversal of the situation.

Fourth, Li Qi needs fame to attract heroes from all over the world. It would be fine if he did not know that Cao Cao would become king. Since he knew this, why not wait and let Cao Cao break the tradition of the Han Dynasty first and make Cao Cao the target of public criticism.

, how about calling yourself king again?

What would you do if you were lucky enough to defeat Cao Cao and lose his confidence?

Either you sincerely support the Han, and end up being accused of having great achievements and supporting the army; or you can become the third thief in history after Dong and Cao - Li thief.

Even if he is the thief of Li, he has lost his time and cannot control the civil and military officials like Cao Cao. Moreover, Li Qi's status as "the son of Li Quan" is not as good as that of Cao Cao, and he does not have Cao Cao's call in the court.

His strength will only end up with a false reputation like Li Thief.
To be continued...