The Demon Lords

There are mainly two points,

One point is the loss in the handover process.

The other point is the consumption during transportation.

The loss in the handover process is that after the grain is levied from the farmers, it is first stored at the county level, then at the prefectural level, and possibly transported to another place for centralized storage before being sent either to the capital or the destination.

When it arrives at the local regions, it is again centralized and then distributed, and this is speaking on a smaller scale.

At each step, there are people profiting, you peel off a layer, he peels off a layer, and once the local main general peels a layer, the officer peels a layer, if the core can remain intact when it reaches the hands of the frontline soldiers, it’s already quite good.

The practice of skimming off the top is unavoidable, even in the times with which Lord Zheng is familiar.

The other point is transportation; first of all, large quantities of grain need to be transported, the more grain there is, the more people and livestock are required for transportation, and they need to be fed during transit.

Therefore, to minimize losses and maximize efficiency, the entire Cheng State’s garrison for troop provisions is dispatched starting from Ying Capital City, which is Cheng State’s most core and central area.

Of course, individual troop quotas are still calibrated by the imperial court.

"Double?"

Upon hearing this figure, Lord Zheng was tempted.

Though Lord Zheng could maintain an elite force of twenty thousand cavalry at Snow Sea Pass with not just the imperial provisions but also his extensive pillaged reserves and upcoming commercial operations.

But if the provisions could double, the extra portion should suffice for another ten thousand cavalry.

Of course, it doesn’t just magically appear, as silver and grain cannot transform by themselves, but it’s like a person eating a few extra bites, gaining more strength, and after completing the employer’s work, they can still tidy up their own yard.

This is the caliber of Sun Youdao,

Being able to conceive of this "life-buying" method in such a short time, indeed the former Prime Minister of Dacheng was not to be underestimated.

But Lord Zheng hadn’t rushed to express his stance yet,

In business dealings,

one gives the game away if they seem overly eager.

Moreover, the fates of his entire family are in his palms, does he need to hurry?

Sun Youdao continued:

"My son serves as Transport Envoy of Ying Capital City...."

Positions and duties aren’t exactly the same, because positions can be either substantial or honorary.

Some positions sound more like honors.

Such as Sun Youdao’s current status as Cheng State Grand Tutor, which is actually an honor, allowing him to enjoy retirement benefits at this level.

Lord Zheng’s title as Cheng State General is also honorific, as Cheng State is no more, whom would you command?

But the Transport Envoy is a real position, the rank may not be high, yet the responsibilities are numerous.

Because the eastern part of Cheng State faces constant threats from the wild people and Chu people, the main forces of the Eastern Conquest Army led by Lord Jingnan are stationed in eastern Jin.

Hence, military supplies transported from Yan State, Quhe City, and Li Tian City to Ying Capital City are practically handled and received by the Transport Envoy, and the distribution is also through him.

Understand this, military supplies have always been the life-blood of an army.

Sun Youdao once served as Cheng State Prime Minister; from Town South Pass onwards, it was Situ Lei leading the frontlines in battles while he arranged the logistics for military supplies at the rear. Their cooperation resembled that of Liu Bang and Xiao He.

After Situ Lei passed away,

Whether the Eldest Prince or Lord Jingnan led the Eastern Conquest Army,

they utilized Cheng State’s existing bureaucratic system for army supplies and logistics,

Sun Youdao once managed the affairs comprehensively from the rear, absolving Lord Jingnan of worries, even the Lord had praised him.

Therefore, in this aspect, or accurately, in this area, it should be regarded as Sun Youdao’s loyal domain, the entire hierarchy must be comprised of individuals he had promoted and assigned; otherwise, he wouldn’t have placed Sun Liang in that position before his retirement.

"Lord, there are numerous troops stationed within Cheng State, and the amount of provisions received and distributed is considerable, but this old man reassures he can manage it.

Firstly, increasing sources, when reporting needs to the Yan State’s court, embellish them a bit, when receiving military supplies from Li Tian City and Quhe City, some items and losses can appear even unseemlier.

Secondly, curbing expenditure, if the Lord wants to feast fully, wants to be overfed, then the provisions for other regional garrisons must be restricted, so they eat enough to avoid chaos but not so little they are driven to hunger, merely feeling resentment without causing significant trouble, the delicate balance I am confident in maintaining.

And, thirdly,

that is economizing thoroughly.

According to precedence, Ying Capital City, such a large urban center with its populace and officials all need maintenance; as long as the commoners don’t starve, nothing erupts.

But officials, if poorly served or ill-equipped, tend to cause unrest.

Thus, universally, wherever military supplies are transported into Ying Capital City and then distributed outward, some profit is definitely dispersed.

This portion of the pie can also be trimmed."

Ying Capital City is essentially a miniature court,

Moreover,

currently, Yan State isn’t fully funding regional garrison provisions; the remuneration for Ying Capital City’s officials and the more junior officials beneath them are naturally not fully provided.

But living beings are not stifled by urine; regardless of their red, purple, black, or blue official robes, as long as they are within a government office, they might not excel in other things but are adept at profiteering and benefiting, a basic survival skill, indispensable.