Chapter 1104 Strategic Crush
In the first year of Yanxi of the Han Dynasty, as soon as spring began in Guanzhong, Feng Junhou began to inspect spring plowing in various places.
Spring plowing is one of the tasks that the government attaches most importance to, and is related to the stability of local people.
This year’s spring plowing in Guanzhong is particularly important.
When the news that the emperor decided to change Yuan Yanxi reached Guanzhong, Feng Junhou knew that his brother-in-law would come to Guanzhong this year.
If the work in Guanzhong is done well, the capital will be moved directly this year.
If you are not prepared, then the emperor will patrol the border.
Everyone on the left and right has to welcome the emperor. This is the most important task in Guanzhong this year.
So Feng Junhou estimated that he would not have much time to manage the place in the second half of the year.
Everything that needs to be done must be done in advance, time is very tight.
Field registration south of the Weishui River is still continuing.
Nowadays, there are fewer people and more land. The land allocated by the government does not mean that all the land must be distributed.
Rather, the land is divided according to the principle of 10 and 50 acres. Now the population is sparse, and a family of three can still get 150 acres.
A family of five can manage a hundred acres of farmland without losing time, and there will be no hunger.
This is still in Guanzhong. If it is over in Liangzhou, Han people can get 100 acres, and Hu people can get 50 acres.
If there is an additional population, you can continue to be allocated fields from the government.
According to this method of division, the fields in Guanzhong can be divided continuously for two or three generations.
After two or three generations, if you still hope to rely on this little land to make a living, then this dynasty can only be comfortable for another generation at most, and it will inevitably enter decline.
The continuous annexation of land, the continuous differentiation between rich and poor, and the inability to feed more people with food often mean the coming of unrest.
This is the self-adjustment process of ancient human society.
Through active or passive population reduction, the purpose of restoring stable operation of society is achieved.
And the superposition of the small glacier climate will reduce food production even more severely, and the Hu people will be forced to continue to move south, which will only make this change more drastic.
So if Feng Junhou wants to avoid the darkest period in Chinese history, it is not enough to unify the world.
He also needs to find ways to increase food production against the Little Glacier cycle so that the output of China's land can support a larger population.
At the same time, we must also find ways to combat the severe weather of the Little Ice Age, especially to improve people's cold resistance.
They even had to find ways to tame the barbarians who continued to move south.
The further north you go, the more you feel the malice of God when she comes to visit your aunt.
More than 200 people, including men, women, old and young, froze to death in Jinyang City last winter.
This is only in Jinyang City.
It is unimaginable how many people in Bingzhou would freeze to death in one winter.
If Deng Zhi had not stayed in Longyou, he would never have imagined that the winter in the north would be so cold.
After inspecting the spring plowing in Guanzhong, Feng Junhou crossed the river again and headed north to Bingzhou.
This time, Deng Zhi, the governor of Bingzhou, followed Feng Junhou through Yanmen Pass.
He felt a little anxious.
“Your Majesty, you should dig coal quickly!”
So many people froze to death last year. It can be said that Bingzhou has just recovered, so there was no time to do a lot of work.
But if so many people freeze to death again this winter, it will be a question of whether I can keep my current position, let alone return to the court to fight for the position of the three princes.
The Xinghan Hui chose two locations, one in Pingcheng and the other in Mayi City (later Shuo County) not far from Yanmen Fortress, and planned to mine coal in these two places.
Of course, it can also be said that a large amount of coal was found in these two places.
Feng Junhou sighed and said to Deng Zhi:
"Uncle Deng, I'm worried too. I still have a lot of things to do in Guanzhong. But I haven't found any iron ore after searching for so long."
“If we go to war easily, if iron ore is found elsewhere, wouldn’t the money and food invested be a waste?”
"The people behind this kind of thing can't make the decision, so I had to find time to come and take a look."
In the late spring season, there was still a slight chill outside the Great Wall. Feng Junhou and Governor Deng rode their tall horses side by side on the grassland outside the Hanwai, letting the cool wind blow on their faces.
Deng Zhi couldn’t help but raise his voice when he heard Feng Junhou’s words:
“Don’t waste it! How could it be wasted? This winter, the people of Bingzhou will spend the winter with these coals!”
In the south, it's okay to say that even if there is no fire pit or coal stove, as long as there is food, the family can get through it by gritting their teeth and huddled in the haystack.
But in the north, especially in places like Liangzhou and Bingzhou, it is not something that can be overcome by squeezing.
But if there is no fire to keep warm, it will definitely freeze to death.
As a person lives in this world, he cannot lack anything, including food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
Why did Feng Guiwang employ so many barbarians as laborers, but the barbarians on the grassland still regarded Lord Feng as a god?
Isn’t it because he helped the Hu people with their basic necessities, food, housing and transportation?
Each workshop has a batch of spoiled wool every year, that is, scraps that cannot be sold.
But even these scraps, if taken to the barbarians, are also treasures to keep out the cold.
Liangzhou Gongfang Caochang Fur Factory and others distribute this kind of wool to handymen and weavers for free every year, which can also make people feel grateful.
Those who are more handy at home will change their clothes into winter robes. Don’t talk about whether they are ugly or not, and whether they are comfortable or not. Not being cold is the greatest comfort.
Hongnu commander Liu Bao and others were willing to pay for the blankets used by the caravans to wrap their goods.
Why?
It’s really because I’m afraid of the cold.
Milk tea, which was popular in Longyou in the early years, has gradually become popular in Liangzhou.
I heard that this is a good thing made by Feng Junhou himself.
The richer Hu people drink a bowl of hot milk tea made from tea bricks, and their whole bodies will feel warm.
If you have a small coal stove at home, it is most convenient to burn some coal for heating and boiling water for cooking.
What is this called? This is called a good day that even the gods will not change.
That would have been unthinkable when we were in the desert before.
Why did Zhao Sanqian lead his cavalry and wipe out several wealthy families in Liangzhou, but the whole Liangzhou remained calm?
Isn’t it because people are determined?
Who would let go of a good life and instead engage in a business that ties their head to the waistband of their trousers?
Isn’t this a disease?
Now don't say that you are leading the barbarians to rebel. If the barbarians find out, it will be good if they don't put a sack on you and go to the government to collect the reward.
Happiness is all about comparison. As long as the living standards of the people continue to improve under your rule, it doesn’t matter if you control a thousand women at night or three thousand a day?
Ten thousand a day is all you need - as long as you don't touch my wife and daughter.
Unless you add money!
Deng Zhi has been in Longyou for so many years, but he has seen with his own eyes how Feng Junhou governs the land where Han and barbarians live together.
Even if you don’t understand anything else, don’t you understand how to learn something?
On the other hand, Feng Junhou couldn't help but laugh when he heard Deng Zhi's hurried tone:
“It turns out that this is what Uncle Deng was worried about. Don’t worry, as long as Uncle Deng is willing to facilitate the Xinghan Association, the people of Bingzhou will never be frozen this year.”
With Feng Junhou’s assurance, Deng Zhi felt relieved and said with a smile:
"I also know that Xinghan will be in Bingzhou, mainly because they want to find iron ore."
Now Deng Zhi can be regarded as one of the big shots in the court - mainly because he is senior and has lived a long time.
And he also has a son in Xinghanhui.
Xinghan would exchange the interests of Guanzhong for the iron smelting rights of Bingzhou. It can be said that this was somewhat of a gamble.
So in his opinion, finding iron ore is the primary goal of Xinghanhui.
However, Feng Junhou was always generous to his own people, and he promised not to let the people of Bingzhou suffer from the cold until iron ore was found.
After receiving the guarantee, Deng Zhi patted his chest and promised:
“The iron ore matter, as long as I am in Bingzhou, it will definitely open the door to the Xinghan Hui, but please don’t worry, my dear nephew.”
The two big men of the Han Dynasty were engaged in some kind of dirty power and money transaction, and suddenly there was a rumble of thunder in the distance.
Deng Zhi looked in the direction of the thunder, which was the direction of the Xinghan Hui enclosure.
“I heard from people below that since the beginning of spring, even if it’s a sunny day, there will always be thunder over there.”
Deng Zhi seemed to have remembered something, and turned to look at Feng Junhou again with some surprise:
“My dear nephew, will everything be okay?”
Feng Junhou smiled:
“Uncle Deng is rest assured, what can happen? Even if something happens, it will be in a deserted mountainous area, and it will not hinder anything.”
“By the way, Uncle Deng, it’s best to warn the local people not to run there if nothing happens. There are always some weird things happening in mining areas.”
“I remember when I was digging coal in Nanxiang, a three-foot-long worm was dug out of the mountain. Some people even said it was about to turn into a dragon.”
“So if someone is curious and sneaks in and sees something rare, rumors will spread, which will make the people panic.”
Looking at Feng Junhou’s calm and confident expression, Deng Zhi simply said that he had little experience and didn’t know much about things like mining.
He nodded immediately and said:
“Since my nephew said this, I will ask people to pay more attention to it.”
The members of the Xinghan Hui didn't care, so Deng Zhi naturally wouldn't worry about him.
To put it bluntly, even if someone is really killed by lightning, it is not a big deal.
Because in addition to the people who Xinghanhui, the rest there are either laborers or criminals sent by the government, and there are also some Bingzhou Hu people.
"There is one more thing that Uncle Deng should pay attention to. Taiyuan County still needs to pay attention to farming." Feng Junhou held a riding whip in his hand and pointed to the large grassland in front of him, "It is not suitable to grow food outside the Great Wall."
“So from now on, we will still have to rely on Uncle Deng to transport food here from Taiyuan.”
With Yanmen Fortress as the boundary, although the Datong Plain in the north can grow some grain, the yield is not too high, and part of it must be supplied within the fortress.
The Taiyuan Plain south of Yanmensai is the real core of Bingzhou’s essence, and it is also the main grain-producing area of Bingzhou.
Each base of the Xinghan Hui will have a food supply base.
Off-duty workers need to consume a large amount of calories. In an era when protein supply is insufficient, the demand for food is even stronger.
Taiyuan Plain is the food supply base planned by Feng Junhou.
“My dear nephew, don’t worry. As soon as spring started this year, the Xinghan Hui brought a lot of farm tools and grain seeds to Taiyuan.”
“Speaking of which, I have really benefited from my nephew this time. If I can’t even do this well, how can I have the dignity to occupy the position of governor of Bingzhou?”
Deng Zhi replied and sighed in his heart:
With the support of the Xinghan Society, everything will be much more convenient.
Others have to work very hard, but if there is a Xinghan who can help, he only needs to work three times, and he is already much stronger than others.
The two were talking when they saw a group of people galloping in the distance.
When Deng Zhi saw clearly the appearance of the people and horses, he wisely said to Feng Junhou:
“I have other things to do, so I won’t disturb you.”
Feng Junhou held up his hands and said, "Uncle Deng, please do as you please."
At this time, the person coming was none other than Guan Xiaojunhou, who was leading people over.
In this team of carriages and horses, there was not only a carriage, but also several carts pulled by mules.
The wheels of the cart are much taller than ordinary carts, and the entire cart is specially designed and reinforced. Although the structure is simple, it is very convenient for pulling goods on the grassland.
This kind of cart was modified by Feng Junhou after imitating the Lele cart that had been passed down in the grassland for thousands of years in later generations.
Guan Xiaojunhou rode up to Feng Junhou. The car behind him opened the window, revealing Amei's pretty face.
There is a light called joy in Amei’s eyes.
Feng Junhou was delighted when he saw her little appearance, and looked at Guan Xiaojunhou again.
Guan Xiaojunhou, who had always been cool in front of outsiders, could not hide the excitement between his brows at this time.
“Set up camp and rest!”
As the guard camp dispersed, Feng Junhou looked at his two wives and concubines: "How?"
“Alang, it’s really, really, really awesome!”
The usually calm Guan Xiaojunhou couldn't wait to give a thumbs up, "It's really amazing! That big mountain was blown up in half..."
“It’s an exaggeration, how can it be so powerful?”
Feng Junhou smiled and shook his head, "At most, it will make a big hole."
How much equivalent would TNT in later generations have to be able to blow up half a mountain?
Not to mention that the only thing used now is black gunpowder - after years of testing by Ah Mei, it should be the best formula.
The most important thing is to know the equivalents used in various situations.
The purpose of coming to Bingzhou this time is to test various types of equivalents and finally compile them into practical guidance materials.
But even with the best formula and mastered the equivalent amount, there is no way to compare with TNT.
"Almost the same!" Guan Xiaojunhou didn't care about that much, but seeing her face full of joy, "According to my opinion, blowing up the city is enough."
There is a big difference between blowing up half a mountain and blowing up a city.
Most of the current cities are made of rammed earth, and even counterweight trebuchets cannot stop them.
However, Feng Junhou is not easy to attack Guan Xiaojunhou, who is thinking about leading an army with explosives to blow up the world.
He looked at Amei and asked about another thing:
“How, the coal there may burn sulfur?”
Amei shook her head:
“The quality of the coal there is considered to be very good, but for refining sulfur it is a bit inferior.”
"It doesn't matter." Feng Junhou said with a smile, "The quality of the coal is good, which is a good thing."
"From Pingcheng to Mayi, the underground is full of coal. There must be some suitable for sulfur refining. We will go to Pingcheng tomorrow to have a look."
Hearing what Alang said, Guan Xiaojunhou suddenly remembered something:
"Alang, Pingcheng and Mayi are now considered to be areas outside the Great Wall. There are thieves in the east, so we need to pay more attention."
"Xijun, don't worry, the eyes of the world are only looking at Luoyang, Yecheng, Hedong." Feng Junhou smiled mysteriously, "I am interested in Youzhou."
“Youzhou?”
Feng Junhou smiled slightly:
“Yes, Youzhou. The only place in the world that can produce excellent war horses is Liangzhou and Bingzhou, Youzhou. Now Liangzhou and Bingzhou are both under the control of the Han Dynasty.”
"The current war horses of the Wei thieves are all produced in Youzhou. If there are no war horses from Youzhou, in a few years, the cavalry of the Wei thieves will no longer have any use."
The lifespan of horses in later generations is about thirty years, but this is under scientific breeding.
But in this era without scientific animal husbandry, living for twenty-five years is enough.
Horses are the earliest, and they have to be three years old before they can be selected to join the army.
After entering the army, it takes another one to two years to train before riding it on the battlefield.
If it is lucky enough to survive on the battlefield and wars are not frequent, it can serve until it is about twelve years old.
Because that is its peak period. After that age, it begins to decline, and forcing it to charge will only hinder it on the battlefield.
At this time, it can basically be transferred to the logistics department to transport grain and grass.
But this is an ideal situation, and in practice the situation is often:
Most war horses did not wait until they were twelve years old, died on the battlefield, or were injured, and could never become war horses again.
Perhaps it may have experienced too many battles or ridden too much, causing it to age prematurely.
The Kingdom of Wei already dominates the world with its fine cavalry. Coupled with the secrets brought by Yang Yi, I believe that the cavalry of the Kingdom of Wei will be greatly improved.
But now, Feng Junhou smiled evilly, he no longer planned to play cavalry versus cavalry with Wei.
The Ghost King cast his eyes directly on Youzhou, intending to draw out the fire under the cauldron.
Horseless Cavalry, do you want to play?
(End of this chapter)