Chapter 864 Encounter
For others, this blizzard that has not been seen in Liangzhou for decades may make them confused or even at a loss.
But Governor Feng would definitely handle this kind of incident much more calmly than others.
Because Longyou is the preview of Liangzhou.
The difference is that one is a severe drought and the other is a blizzard.
One area is small and the other is large.
But those are all sudden natural disasters.
Although he is furious and angry, it does not mean that Feng Jishi will have no good ideas.
The capital that Feng Junhou came from was Ping Nan Ce, Lian Wu Ce, and the other was the farming method.
The curved shaft plow, the eight-oxen plow, and improved farming techniques are all considered farming methods.
Along the way, whether it was sacrificing flesh and blood to enrich the Han people, sacrificing wool to enrich the Han people, or other sugarcane, brown sugar, etc.
The premise for doing all this is that Feng Jishi has one thing firmly in mind: agriculture is the primary industry.
Whether it is the handicraft industry, the woolen textile industry, or even the agricultural and sideline food industry, or the reprocessing of agricultural products, they are all based on having enough food in hand.
Only when you have food can you be qualified to think about how to move forward. Without food, whatever you build is just a castle on the beach.
Having food in hand, there is no panic in mind.
The governor's office has grain in hand, and Liangzhou Haoyou is willing to help. Even in Shu, a lot of grain can be collected.
But the key to the problem is how to transport food to Liangzhou.
So whether Governor Feng was irritable or angry, it was not because of lack of food.
Of course, there is indeed a slight shortage of food.
Otherwise, Secretary Zhang would not have said that food cannot be rationed according to the full meal quota.
But the more important reason is that a large part, or even most, of the large-scale transportation livestock that Feng Governor saved over the years will be wasted in this natural disaster.
For Feng Jishi, who had been deliberately deploying the plan three years ago and wanted to implement a mule tutelage, this was three years of accumulation and most of the losses.
This kind of setback that required him to turn back made Feng Jishishi furious, which was a matter of course.
The news that made Governor Feng furious was certainly not good news.
But for some people who have been hanging around Nanxiang Exchange all year round, it is rare good news:
There is finally a reason to increase the price of food!
Over the years, the Nanxiang Exchange and Reserve Bureau have held several large-scale entertainment events where they went to the Qingchi Lake.
Let us all speculate on grain and get a taste of the iron fist of Han feudalism.
Hanzhong, Yuexun, Jiangzhou and other places were all grain-producing areas of the imperial court.
The Huang family (Huang Chong) and the Ju family (Jufu) took a good lead, plus the back stabbings of the six families of the He family and the Li family.
So even in the plains of Shu, where the aristocratic families in central Shu are based, there are many families who are inextricably linked to the Xinghan Society.
It can be said that after rectifying, dividing, and buying off the aristocratic families in Shu, and the imperial court and the Xinghan Conference, the government has now controlled most of the grain production in Shu.
Coupled with the regulatory role of the exchange, if someone wants to make waves in food, the difficulty will increase exponentially.
It just so happens that in recent years, the Han Dynasty has been winning external battles one after another, and its internal development momentum is not weak either.
At least the poor people at the bottom no longer have to starve to death. If they work harder, it is not impossible for their whole family to have enough to eat for a year.
If you add a little luck, for example, those who move to Nanxiang or Yuexi, there is actually hope of turning around.
As for the upper class, let alone that.
The emerging powerful people not only have the opportunity to accumulate a foundation, but they even have the opportunity to overtake others and break the various monopolies of those century-old noble families.
It can be said that the whole country of the Han Dynasty is enjoying the dividends brought by development - except for some conservative families.
It is just a centipede, dead but not stiff.
With the foundation accumulated over hundreds or even hundreds of years, the conservative family still has the opportunity to survive and drink soup occasionally.
For example, from the second half of the previous year to the first half of last year, the Wei army invaded Hanzhong, fought at Xiaoguan, and fought to recover Liangzhou.
In just over a year, there were three major confrontations between Han and Wei, and countless minor confrontations.
The amount of money and food spent is simply huge.
That is to say, the big man now has the confidence and the top and bottom are united, otherwise it may not be as easy as it is now.
But even so, the Han Dynasty's government may not have much food in stock.
As soon as the news of the white disaster in Liangzhou reached Hanzhong, the food supply of Nanxiang Exchange finally became unbearable.
“It’s passed! It’s already passed two hundred dollars!”
The exchange began to become a little restless.
The so-called soup refers to this time.
The conservative family, which has not benefited from the Han Dynasty's dividends in recent years, finally still has a lot of fields in their hands. If they have fields, they will naturally have food.
When food prices rise, it’s time to drink soup.
In the past few years, the price of food has never exceeded 200 yuan. This time it has exceeded 200 yuan. For them, it is something worth cheering.
“Things are not that simple. The war two years ago and last year consumed an incredible amount of money and food.”
"So in my opinion, the government's treasury may not be able to produce much food at once."
Speaking of this, a certain private think tank lowered his voice:
"The most important thing is that Mrs. Mu is not in Nanxiang! Without Mrs. Mu in Nanxiang to take charge of the overall situation, some people just can't sit still!"
Some people disagree with this view:
"I heard that the disciples of Feng Jishi and Mu Niangzi are here now. If those far-sighted people like Feng Jishi are not at ease, how can they let these two people take charge of the overall situation in Nanxiang?"
"That's right! I heard that the young master of the Wei family was Feng Prefect's first disciple. He was extremely talented and taught at Nanxiang Academy on his behalf. Even Mr. Xiang once praised him!"
Mr. Xiang, naturally, took the initiative to withdraw from the court and concentrate on his studies.
Public think tanks sneered:
“Can a person with high talent and no experience be able to take charge of the overall situation? Do you remember the time when Ma Su and Ma were young?”
“The prime minister has taught him the art of war for many years. What happened when he led the army into battle for the first time in the battle of Longyou?”
I saw this civilian think tank frothing at the mouth and said, "Even the governor Feng saw fighting in front of the battle for the first time since the Southern Expedition."
"He then led the army to quell the rebellion in Yuexi, and then trained troops in Yuexun on a large scale. He had many elite soldiers and generals under his command, and finally achieved a great victory in the Battle of Longyou."
“Isn’t this the same as the situation in Nanxiang at this time?”
As he spoke, the civilian think tank shook his head with a worried look:
"If Madam Mu were still in Nanxiang, the price of food would naturally be kept down. But now, I'm afraid it will cost more than two hundred yuan..."
Many people suddenly felt that it made sense after being reminded of this.
That’s right!
Mrs. Mu has great prestige in Nanxiang. If she were here, the price of food would probably not even exceed 200 yuan.
But if she is gone, coupled with the continuous battles with Wei in the past two years, the treasury is empty, and now we encounter the Liangzhou White Disaster, I am afraid that the price of food will not only be as simple as more than 200 yuan.
Some people in the crowd were even thinking to themselves that this time it might not be as simple as just drinking soup, and maybe even eating some meat.
Think about it, how long have you not eaten meat over the years?
“That’s complete nonsense!”
Some people agree, and naturally some people oppose it.
A young man stood up with a red face and glared at the private think tank:
"I heard that Wei Langjun and Lady Ding both studied under Feng Jishi since they were young. Wei Langjun has been in charge of the school these years and has never made any mistakes."
“Mrs. Ding first followed Feng Jishi to Yuexun to manage many affairs, and then came to Nanxiang to follow Mrs. Mu.”
"If I hadn't won the trust of Governor Feng, how could ordinary people be treated like this? Therefore, what you say must be absurd."
Over the years, Governor Feng went from being a young hero to being the best man in the Han Dynasty, and finally became a famous general in the world.
He is the idol in the hearts of many big men.
Now when I hear someone questioning their idol, I naturally can’t help it.
The private think tank seemed a little embarrassed and annoyed when he heard these words, and immediately sneered:
“To put it bluntly, the white disaster in Liangzhou requires real food. If there is food in Hanzhong, then you can see that Dongfeng Express will transport food northward?”
"I have counted the days. There are many times more signs in this exchange asking for delivery of grain this month than before."
“Guess how many of them are in a hurry to be shipped to Liangzhou?”
From the transaction type and delivery time of the exchange, inferring the food shortage situation in Liangzhou made many people present brighten their eyes and feel enlightened.
The young man was also startled for a moment, but he quickly countered:
“When Liangzhou suffered from the White Disaster, the government naturally wanted to find ways to raise more food. They would rather have more than less, but they may not necessarily count on the food raised from the exchange.”
“Our Han Dynasty has had close contact with Wu State in recent years, and there has been no war for a long time, so there must be food in stock in Jiangzhou.”
Speaking of this, he looked around at everyone again, with a proud look on his face:
"We have also taken over the Yuexun County. Nowadays, there are vast areas of traffic, fertile fields, and herds of cattle and horses. Do you think that if Liangzhou is short of food, will Yuexun have food transported there?"
The more the young man spoke, the more excited he became, "I heard that there is a farming cao in Feng's governor's house, which specializes in studying farming methods."
"Feng Jishi has been operating in Longyou for more than three years. Do you know how many good fields have been cultivated there?"
It is impossible to be without food. With Governor Feng's foresight and his cultivation methods, how could he end up in a land without food?
When everyone thought about it, they suddenly felt that it made sense.
Although Liangzhou is indeed too far away, over the years, the cavalry of the Xinghan Hui have already penetrated into the hearts of Shu people.
Anyway, it’s just talk!
The cavalry of the Xinghan Hui have not transported enough things to Longshang in recent years?
Why do you say that food cannot be transported? how to prove?
As a civilian politician, just talk about it and that's it. Anyway, it's not me who does it myself.
But I saw the civilian think tank looking at the young man with some surprise.
Don’t think these words are easy to say.
In this era of extremely slow information dissemination, there are no special channels for collecting information.
Someone who can sort out this information and deduce the possible results is already considered an elite talent with a preliminary overall view.
As for whether the food is enough and whether it can be transported in time, without knowing how many resources Feng Governor has at his disposal, who dares to draw a conclusion easily?
After all, the reputation of King Feng Gui is not just a boast, but is based on actual military records and political achievements.
“This gentleman,” the folk think tank cupped his hands, “someone…”
He was about to get to know the young man when suddenly a shout came from outside:
“Come on, come on! The school test papers are out!”
“Boom!”
Everyone who originally wanted to listen to the two men's arguments suddenly stood up.
There was a faint sound of stools and chairs overturning, and everyone rushed to the door.
“Don’t panic, don’t panic! You’re stepping on my shoes!”
“If you don’t panic, just go behind!”
“There, there, there!”
…
“Get in line!”
The surging crowd pushed to the front, where they saw several gentlemen guarding several large baskets with many test papers stacked in them.
“We won’t sell it until we arrange it!”
“Three feet away, don’t come within three feet!”
Everyone who was crowded with faces flushed, even yelling, and seemingly showing their fighting spirit, was suddenly shocked by these two words, and they all obeyed obediently.
“Old rule, ten cents a piece.”
“I want twenty!”
"Five at most." Xiao Langjun stood behind the table and pointed to the baskets lined up, "There are five baskets in total. Take one from each basket. There is no use in taking duplicates."
“Pay the money first and then get the test paper, prepare your own copper coins…”
“I don’t think there will be any change, everyone knows that, young man, let’s get started!”
Someone said impatiently.
“Okay, since you all know the rules, let’s come.”
The first lucky person threw a handful of copper coins into the first empty basket, without even looking at it, and went forward eagerly to pick out the test papers.
These test papers were all printed by the school for the exam this month.
Either too many were printed and the students could not use them all, or they were printed too few times and there was black ink in some places, or the test questions were not printed clearly...
Anyway, for various reasons, it was treated as waste paper in the school. It had no other use except to be used in the latrine to wipe the buttocks, or as a kindling for the coal stove in winter.
Later, as soon as the news about the examination and selection of talents for the Liangzhou Governor's Office came out, and when they heard the content of the examination, almost everyone turned their attention to Nanxiang Academy.
It is impossible to enter the school.
That Feng Dianzi would rather choose the wolf cub of a barbarian to enter than open the back door.
But this is not a big problem.
Because it is actually not too difficult to learn arithmetic in Nanxiang.
As long as you are willing to spend money, you can always buy school-specific arithmetic books from some places.
Those who are more talented can always learn it as long as they can calm down and learn from the basics.
But the exams require examination papers.
What kind of test method is that? No one has ever experienced it!
There are always smart people in this world.
You can’t enter the school, but some people can get out of the school!
Bite the bullet, spend some money, and give some benefits to families with children in school, and you can always get some test papers.
So the problem comes again. This test paper is not consistent and it is still changing.
If there is market demand, there will be market supply.
I don’t know since when, at the back door of the school, there will be people selling some test papers from time to time, saying that the school has too many and students can’t use them all.
So I took it out and showed it to everyone.
Learning is of course priceless, but in view of everyone’s eagerness to learn, I will charge the cost of some paper, ten cents a piece, so that no one can be deceived.
This test paper is synchronized with the school exams, which is the most conscientious thing!
“The cram school in Qianmen has started! Go and sign up quickly!”
Several young men sold out their examination papers and carried heavy baskets into the back door. Someone was shouting loudly again.
So everyone exclaimed, clutched their exam papers and ran in the other direction.
“Baojiao Baohui! Baojiao Baohui, the senior teacher of the school, will give lectures for twenty days in a row, giving detailed lectures on arithmetic in the first year of school, Baojiao Baohui!”
…
The civilian think tank who was still sitting calmly looked at the young man and asked with a smile:
“Why don’t you go, Mr. Lang?”
The young man glanced at the private think tank and asked:
“Why don’t you go?”
After saying that, both of them chuckled without saying a word, and then subconsciously touched their arms, with a look of contentment on their faces.
Selling learning into this kind of ghost, do you say that he did not learn a few skills of Feng Gui?
Whoever believes it is a fool!
Feeling the unique touch of the books in their arms, the two of them thought to themselves at the same time: "I have the examination papers of the Liangzhou Governor's Office. Do I need to grab those things?"
“May I ask what you call this gentleman?”
"I am Li Xiaming, whose courtesy name is Shushen. I live in Liuzhou at home. Just call me Li Liulang."
“Oh, it turns out to be Li Langjun. My surname is Ma, Tian, and my courtesy name is Youchang. May I ask where Li Langjun comes from?”
“Hanjia County.”
“Someone from Yunnan County.”
…
(End of this chapter)