Chapter 846 Prepare for war
When the Yellow River reaches the Manyin Ferry, the water surface becomes open and the water becomes gentle. It is a good place to cross the river.
But here, there is a hill rising suddenly, becoming a natural military fortress.
Ascending this hill, you can have a clear view of dozens of miles around the ferry.
To the west of the Yellow River, you can see many cattle and sheep, as well as herdsmen riding horses, running around the sheep, and at the same time, there is the faint sound of dogs barking.
Those sparsely standing dome-like haystacks are actually silage towers.
On this side of the Yellow River, a large number of oxen pulled an eight-oxen plow to plow the land.
There is a ditch under the mountain front, which is the Fukou Avenue.
At the end of Fukou Avenue, a wide pontoon bridge made of pontoons spans the east and west banks.
On both sides of it, there are two small pontoon bridges composed of sheepskin rafts as auxiliary bridges.
"Brother-in-law, look, Xu Erniang's plan is not to make any major changes to the west bank of the river for the time being. You can first sow some alfalfa seeds and create a semi-enclosed pasture."
“The first thing we need to reclaim is this large area on the east coast...”
The young lady of the Zhang family had a stern face and introduced Feng Junhou in a serious manner.
As soon as Feng Junhou looked at her little face, he knew that she was sulking.
He immediately waved and shouted to the guards: "Bring an oil umbrella over here, without even blinking!"
The guards climbed up quickly when they were far away, handed Feng Junhou an umbrella, and then quickly disappeared on the mountainside.
Feng Junhou opened the umbrella, raised it to Zhang Xiaosi's head, and then said with concern: "Siniang, I see you are sweating on your face, come here, I will wipe it for you."
Knowing that this guy had bad intentions, the little lady of the Zhang family couldn't keep her sullen face any longer. She gritted her teeth, kicked him a few times, and cursed angrily:
“You are so heartless! You are so heartless!”
Feng Guiwang is tall and strong, Zhang Xiaosi's fists and kicks are not as powerful as General Guan's, and he doesn't kick anyone ruthlessly.
Feng Guiwang grinned and said "ouch" twice, thinking it was to give Zhang Xiaosi some face.
The two were flirting, and the guards led people up to the mountain.
“I’ve seen the prince, I’ve seen Madam Zhang.”
The second mother of the Xu family and Li Tong and his wife bowed their heads and saluted together.
Feng Yong nodded, pretending to be a serious person and said:
"Get up. Li Xu, I have no other intention in calling you here this time. I just want to ask about the reclamation situation on the east coast."
As he spoke, he pointed to the foot of the mountain, "How much wasteland can be created from here all the way to Zuli? Have you calculated it?"
Xu Erniang was wearing a narrow dress with tight sleeves that came from Nanxiang. From her shoes to her trouser legs, there were some specks of mud. She looked like she was a hard worker.
She stroked her hair, as if to clarify her thoughts, and then slowly said:
“May I ask you, sir, if this includes the west side of the river?”
Hearing this, Feng Yong looked at the west bank of the Yellow River again, "Since the west bank of the river is temporarily immobile, it is naturally not included in it."
Xu Erniang nodded: "If it is not included, from the ferry to Zuli County, about 300,000 acres of fertile farmland can be developed."
“Three hundred thousand acres of fertile land? Are you sure? It’s not Zhongtian?”
This number is slightly beyond Feng Yong’s expectation.
Xu Erniang nodded and affirmed: "Back to Junhou, it is indeed fertile land. Among the 300,000 acres, more than 70,000 acres were planted with bamboo heads in the early years, so it can be cultivated directly this year."
"There are more than 100,000 acres. We need to plant beans first, and then grow grain the next year. For the last 100,000 acres, we need to plant alfalfa fertilizer first to let the raw land become mature land, then plant beans one year later, and finally grow grain. .”
“But as long as food can be grown, it will eventually become fertile land, and I can guarantee this.”
What Xu Erniang said is the basic process of land reclamation for the Xinghan Hui.
This set of procedures can be traced back to the time when Hanzhong was reclaimed and Feng Yong became the chief of the Diannong School of Hanzhong.
Fengjiazhuang had a bumper harvest of grain, and more grain was harvested per acre than other families. Coupled with the introduction of the curved shaft plow and the eight-niu plow, Feng Langjun was considered an expert in farming at that time.
In half-ripe fields, planting beans first and then planting grains the next year can make the grains grow better.
Many people who came to Hanzhong for reclamation gave it a try with hesitation, and then the next year they all gave it a thumbs up, thinking that Feng Langjun was a good person.
This trend started from that time.
Then, two years later, the Prime Minister went to the south and the Xinghan Hui was established. With the help of the second generation of Quan in the Huihui and the new product of wool, Feng Huishou almost monopolized the beans in the Han Dynasty.
Especially the beans, which were plundered by the Xinghan Hui and then transported to Nanzhong to support the Southern Expedition.
That is to say, taking advantage of the opportunity of the Southern Expedition, the Xinghan Hui suddenly gained a firm foothold.
After this wave of operations, not to mention outsiders, even those within the Xinghan Hui felt that Feng Hui's leader was simply too far-sighted.
Earlier, some people secretly laughed at him for foolishly revealing his farming skills, but they had already planned it.
But no matter what, if you plant some beans in the newly opened wasteland, or when the fields are rotated, and then spread some manure during the second year of cultivation, you can always harvest a few more bushels of grain, which is a good thing.
So this farming method became a popular practice among the Han people.
As for growing alfalfa, let alone that.
Back then, when the bald Khotan broke into the Ju County trading market, if he hadn't brought alfalfa seeds with him, how could he have gained Feng Langjun's sincere friendship so easily?
When opening a pasture to raise livestock, silage is indispensable. If you want to store silage, you must have enough forage. If you want to have enough forage, alfalfa is a must.
At the same time, alfalfa also has the ability to improve land fertility.
The royal family is now able to reap the dividends, and that starts with the Queen's unique insight and magnanimity in lending Feng Langjun tens of thousands of acres of the imperial estate owned by Hanzhongye to grow fodder.
This favor is not a big deal for Feng Langjun, who started his own business.
Still, whether it is the previous Xinghan Association or the current school captain's palace, all the strong expansion, that is based on the basis of sufficient supply.
Whether it’s for people or livestock.
People need to eat grain, and livestock need to eat grass and beans.
Wherever the pasture is, the pasture will be planted. Wherever the pasture is, alfalfa will be planted. This is the most basic thing.
Feng Huishou has not returned to Jincheng for so many years, but whenever he asks for something, the brothers in the guild will support him even if they sell their underwear.
Over the years, it is not that no one has thought about hooking up with the core figures in the Xinghan Society, but without exception they have failed.
Not only because of King Feng Gui’s current status, power, and the benefits he can bring to the Xinghan Society, but also the awe in everyone’s hearts is also an important aspect.
After all, anyone who looks back afterwards will feel a chill in his heart.
Having been in the game for so many years without realizing it, I suddenly discovered after the fact that there were many things that my brother had unknowingly arranged from the beginning.
So to rebel against your brother, it really requires the courage to face death.
After all, it is still too difficult for the young men in their twenties in the Xinghan Club to fight against a sinister guy who is good at digging holes at least a few years in advance.
Of course, Feng Junhou doesn’t know what others think, but he has his own ideas:
“Of the 300,000 acres, just use 100,000 acres to grow grain, and the remaining 200,000 acres will be planted with beans first.”
As he said that, Feng Junhou looked at Zhang Xingyi again, "After we go back, Si Niang will draft an official document and establish the rules."
Zhang Xingyi nodded to express his understanding.
One hundred thousand acres of fertile farmland sounds like a lot, but according to a rough calculation, it can only keep a thousand or so families fed all year round, while still having some leftovers for sideline businesses.
The Xiaowei Mansion has a lot of autonomy, so it does not need too much farmland. This is what the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty said.
Feng Junhou said that this logic... is very perfect, and he raised his hands to show his approval.
So this needs to be prepared in advance.
“The area on the west bank of the river can be turned into pasture for the time being and forget about farming.”
Feng Yong turned around and looked to the west. To the north of the slightly undulating wasteland, he didn't know if it was his own imagination, but he seemed to be able to see the Great Wall faintly.
Although Longyou was still rich in water and grass at this time, after crossing the Yellow River, the further west you go, the changes in water and soil can already be seen with the naked eye.
When the food supply is sufficient, it is better to keep that piece of wasteland as pasture than to develop it as cultivated land, even if it is to leave some environment for future generations to work around.
Xu Erniang glanced at Feng Yong in surprise, as if she didn't understand why Feng Junhou wanted to restrict farming. However, the number of livestock under the control of Xiaowei Mansion was huge, and beans were almost as important as grain.
Besides, food has been shipped from behind, so it is not incomprehensible to grow beans.
So she responded: "No."
Feng Yong finished speaking and glanced at Zhang Xingyi.
Zhang Xingyi understood, and then asked:
“Li Langjun, how is the scale of livestock and bees this year compared to last year?”
In just two years, the application of hand printing has been promoted within Xinghan Hui at an extremely fast speed.
Just the test papers from several schools, the tabloids in the military, and the communication of various government orders from the Lieutenant's Office and Yuexun County made Beeswax extremely tight.
It is foreseeable that with Feng Yong taking office as the governor of Liangzhou, the demand for beeswax will increase sharply.
After all, if you are used to printing by hand, who would want to copy it by hand?
Not only is it prone to errors and omissions, the most critical thing is that it is not efficient.
Before Amei got the handmade mimeograph machine, all official documents had to be copied one by one from the principal's office to the county, then from the county to the township, and finally from the township to the pavilion.
If the county copies something wrong and the township copies something more, it is not impossible that when the policy is spread to Tingheli, it will become the opposite policy.
Hand-printed, you only need to copy one copy, and you can directly print hundreds of copies.
War is fought not only on national strength and resources, but also on mobilization efficiency, organizational capabilities, etc.
King Feng Gui defeated Cao Da Sima. In addition to relying on surprise and advanced military units, the officers and soldiers of the Xiaowei Mansion withstood the huge pressure in the early stage with their strong organizational skills, which was also an extremely important factor.
So beeswax, which affects the organizational efficiency of the school captain's office, can also be regarded as a combat readiness material.
Only when there are any major festivals or important dinners in the Principal's Mansion, a few candles will be lit in various places.
I usually light an oil lamp.
The Feng family is not rich either!
Even the young ladies of the Zhang family, who used to be able to show off their wealth with candles made of beeswax, now have to light tung oil lamps.
The Zhang family’s young lady will definitely be dissatisfied with the decline in her quality of life, so she will work hard to increase the scale of beekeeping.
Li Tong didn’t know if he felt the sun was too bright, so he wiped the sweat from his forehead:
“Back to Mrs. Zhang, although some new bee colonies were expanded this year, the bees were attacked by insect pests a month ago, so, so…”
When Zhang Xingyi heard this, his face darkened.
A guy who doesn’t live up to expectations!
It doesn’t give me any face at all!
No future!
…
Feng Junhou, on the other hand, is well aware that the risks of breeding are very high and cannot be afforded by ordinary people. Even ordinary wealthy families can only raise them sporadically.
At that moment, he quickly smoothed things over and said, "Natural disasters and pest disasters cannot be predicted by human beings. I can't blame you entirely for this, but you need to be more careful in the future and pay attention to the surroundings of the beehive."
Li Tong responded quickly: "Yes, yes, I understand. After I go back, I will personally arrange it and take the lead in inspecting all the beehives."
Today, Li Langjun has a happy family, a happy life, and some small power in his hands. He can be regarded as a decent person.
Not to mention all the things he has experienced in the past, he cherishes his little life now, how can he dare to be a little bit jealous?
Zhang Xingyi snorted, but it was hard to say anything else.
Feng Yong asked some more questions about breeding under the control of Xiaowei Mansion. After understanding the situation and giving some instructions, he let Li Tong and his wife go down.
"Okay, Li Tong has done a pretty good job, there is no need to be so angry."
Feng Junhou saw that Mrs. Zhang was still unhappy, so he spoke.
At least in terms of meat supply, there is no shortage in Xiaowei's Mansion, and Li Tong can be considered responsible.
“What’s not bad? I can’t even light a candle at night. How can it be called good?”
The young lady of the Zhang family said unreasonably.
“Let’s be reasonable. Who doesn’t know that at least half of the man’s honey is in the hands of the Zhang family’s young lady?”
Feng Junhou avoided beeswax, but he used a trick to avoid the truth:
"This honey is more expensive than brown sugar. Just for the supply of honey, I don't know how many people owe you a favor."
“Not to mention the income from honey, how many big men are richer than you? Are you still not satisfied?”
This rainbow fart was photographed so well that Mrs. Zhang finally had a look of pride on her face, "I earned it with my own skills!"
Then he glanced sideways at Feng Junhou and said, "There are indeed not many people who are richer than me, but among the people around me, which one is not richer than me?"
Feng Junhou coughed and said with a straight face: "Nonsense! At most, there is only one person who can compare with you!"
It's okay if Feng Junhou didn't say this. As soon as he said this, Zhang Xingyi became furious. She gritted her teeth:
“Why should I compare myself to others? I just want to compare myself with her!”
“Six Niang, forget it, let’s not compete, we can’t compete…”
"No!" Zhang Xingyi glared at Feng Junhou angrily, "No coward! If you don't help me, I will find a way on my own. One day, I will definitely surpass her!"
Feng Junhou pretended not to hear.
Several women in the Feng family have their own spheres of influence.
Li Mu controls the economic lifeline of Nanxiang, and she provides at least half of the Feng Mansion's cash flow.
Although Amei seems to be very low-key, she is addicted to the ocean of knowledge and has an extremely important influence on various equipment used in all aspects of the school.
At the same time, she is also responsible for training the engineers needed by Hanyang Manufacturing Bureau. If Hanyang Manufacturing Bureau really takes shape in the future, she will be the actual founder.
As for the wife of the Feng family, let alone that.
Because the Zhang family’s young lady’s goal has always been to win over General Guan.
It’s just that General Guan is in control of the Feng Mansion. If Mrs. Zhang wants to compete with General Guan, she means competing with the entire Feng Mansion...
Feng Junhou supported her courage, but was not optimistic about her struggle.
Alas, hope is too slim...
“Siniang, it’s too hot. Let’s go down first. I’ll accompany you to the river to see the scenery.”
Feng Junhou coaxed, "Maybe I'll cook tonight and make you a dish."
“I want to eat tofu!”
I guess it was the conversation about beans just now that made the young lady of the Zhang family feel something, so she made such a request.
“No problem, what kind of tofu do you want to eat?”
“What do you think?”
(End of this chapter)