Northern Dynasties

Chapter 70
Du Yun, the county magistrate, was indeed very self-motivated. On the afternoon of the second day after Li Tai finished talking with Zheng Man, he brought a few entourages to Shangyuan Village.

Seeing the current scale of the manor, Du Yun was also taken aback. He still remembered that when he came here in the first half of the year, it was just a deserted garden, which was completely opposite to what it is now.

"Is there really nothing wrong?"

Du Yun glanced at Zheng Man, pointed to the gate of the manor and said with some uncertainty, and seeing Zheng Man nodded, he couldn't help sighing: "Li Lang is not a vulgar talent, he has only been in the country for half a year, not only lost It is worth ten thousand stones of grain and goods, and it has been cured so beautifully!"

"That's why Li Lang's proposal should be seriously considered by the county lord. He will practice what he says. Others are afraid of difficult situations, and to him it's just normal!"

Now Zheng Man is full of confidence in Li Tai, even if Li Tai said that he wants to go to the sky to pick up the stars, he feels that it is an honor for him to help build the ladder.

Of course, Du Yun also had high expectations for Li Tai, so he came so unreservedly after hearing the news, but when he thought that what Li Tai was going to do this time was after all extraordinary, he was not as confident as Zheng Man, and just said : "Let's enter the village first, and discuss it with Li Lang in detail."

When they were welcomed into the manor by the strong men, they saw some villagers gathered under a thatched shed, as if they were watching something.

In the center of the hut was a pile of coal mixed with water and mud, and Li Tai was clumsily manipulating a weirdly shaped bamboo utensil.

He first inserted the hollow cylinder at one end of the utensil into the coal pile and rotated it, and the live rod at the upper end of the utensil was squeezed and raised by the peat.

When the cylinder was filled with peat, he moved the utensil on the open space, dropped it twice, and then pressed down the floating rod with force, and a fist-sized cylindrical briquette was squeezed out of the cylinder. There are some cylindrical holes evenly distributed on the cake.

All things are easier said than done. Seeing that after a busy morning, they finally produced a reasonably well-formed briquette, Li Tai also wiped the sweat from his forehead with satisfaction, then turned his head and pointed to a nearby Zhuang Ding and said, "Look at the briquettes." Are you familiar? You can take over."

While speaking, he handed the bamboo briquette machine in his hand to Zhuang Ding, and watched Zhuang Ding operate it, and the pressed briquettes were actually a bit more regular than his own, so he was relieved.

He has nothing to worry about. Although the villagers are not as open-minded as he is, as long as they are taught the basic skills, their practical ability is much better than him.

"Li Lang always has whimsical ideas, which are refreshing. I don't know how the new and interesting things created this time will benefit people?"

Seeing that Li Tai was idle, Du Yun stepped forward and pointed at the briquettes and asked with a smile.

"People in Zhuang live in the cold winter, so they make small things to keep warm."

Li Tai's overall impression of Du Yun was not bad, so he explained a few words with a smile after hearing this, and led Du Yun into a private house next to him, and let him have a look at the briquette stove surrounded by pottery pipes.

The price of charcoal in Guanzhong is quite high, but there is no shortage of coal resources. The cost of building such a coal stove in the household circle is not too high. It can not only keep warm, but also ensure the supply of hot water. Li Tai also hopes to borrow Du Yun to be nearby Promote it in counties and townships.

He had been tinkering with briquettes all morning, and there were many stains on his robes, so he went back to the dormitory to take a bath and change clothes after he confessed his guilt, and asked Li Zhusheng to accompany the county magistrate to explain.

When he returned, several people from the county government had already entered and sat down in the hall. Du Yun praised Li Tai's wonderful idea of ​​creating things to benefit the people, and then said again: "Yesterday, the county captain Zheng returned to the government, and the sue is the gentleman's idea. Building water conservancy in the village?"

Li Tai nodded after hearing the words, and raised his hand to signal Li Zhusheng to fetch the books and books he had sorted out before, put them on the case in front of Du Yun, and said with a smile: "In Wuxiang County, there is a well and canal from the Han Dynasty. The Luoshui River is drained and irrigated, benefiting thousands of hectares of nearby rural fields.

Nowadays, these deep wells and channels are so deserted, and the originally fertile land has suffered from poor harvests year after year due to floods and droughts, which really makes the viewers feel sorry for the farmers.Although I am a newcomer from a foreign country, but since I am based in this hometown, I also hope that I can do my best to encourage and benefit the people of this side of water and soil. "

"Li Lang is worthy of being a famous and talented man, he is indeed benevolent and righteous!"

Du Yun sighed with emotion at first, and then lowered his head to look through the books on the case, his face became more serious the more he looked at it.

What Li Tai said about the old career in the Han Dynasty refers to the Longshou Canal built in the Luoshui River Basin during the Western Han Dynasty.

After Luoshui entered Huazhou, due to the terrain, a big bend was drawn downstream to flow into Weishui, and a large area of ​​Weibei land, including Shangyuan, flashed out of the river basin.

During the Western Han Dynasty, water was diverted in the middle of Luoshui River, so that this part of the land on the Weibei Plain was also irrigated.

However, due to the vertical and horizontal ditches and ridges in Shangyuan where the channel flows, and the thick soil layer, landslides often occur at the edge of the weir, so the well channel method was created, digging deep wells and connecting them with underground channels, so that groundwater can supplement the water shortage in times of drought. , Free from the evaporation of water, and can drain and prevent waterlogging when it is flooded.

When Li Tai traveled with He Basheng, he already had the idea of ​​building water conservancy. Although he was busy with other things when he returned to Shangyuan, he did not give up on this idea. He kept instructing his subordinates such as Liu Gong who often wandered in the countryside They collect data.

Combined with the actual situation of the region, he planned to choose the restoration of the Longshou Canal in Han Dynasty as the first choice.

Although the Longshou Canal has been abandoned for a long time, there are still some remnants of wells and construction relics. The second Shangyuan can be regarded as one of his strongholds now, with a little accumulation of rural conditions, and some local foundations for planning and mobilization. .

Li Tai asked people to collect very detailed information, including the terrain along the route of each channel, the ownership of each field, and even the density of the wells in the folk canals.

It took Du Yun more than half an hour to finish looking through these materials, then closed his eyes and sorted out the materials in his mind, and then he couldn't help sighing: "Li Lang has only been in the country for a few months. But the proficiency of the nostalgia has already surpassed me, it really makes me, an official of the people, feel ashamed!"

"The county government office is very busy, so we must cover all aspects, and we should not focus on one thing. I live in the countryside and am bored, so I don't dare to take such a compliment."

Li Tai replied modestly at first, and then asked with a smile: "According to what the county lord saw, which one of the roads and canals listed in the map is the most acceptable?"

"In my opinion, the middle line is the best. It crosses the plateau from the narrow part of the plateau. The amount of construction is small and the soil can be benefited more."

Du Yun is not a thief who just sits and talks. He has a deep understanding of Tian Sang's affairs and local conditions. After hearing Li Tai's question, he weighed it with his own knowledge and information before answering.

After Li Tai heard the words, he also nodded and smiled and said: "Fortunately, what the county lord saw is similar. The canal was dug from the middle of Luoqu to divert water. It is used for labor on flat land, and construction can be started this winter. Before spring plowing, the canal can be dug for [-] miles to the north of the plateau. After the spring plowing, the thawed soil on the plateau will loosen and the water vapor will rise, so you can drill wells and drill holes in the plateau. After autumn, you can continue to use the southern plateau to divert the water from the south, and the two hundred miles of canals can be completed in one year!"

He is not just talking on paper, even the phased construction period has been planned.

"If there is no interference from miscellaneous things, Li Lang's plan is indeed feasible. However, such a huge project requires a lot of labor and materials, and the county is also difficult to call and helpless..."

Du Yun sighed in embarrassment and said that this year he relied on Li Tai, a big client, to complete the task assigned by Daxingtai. The county's savings are weak, and it is really difficult to plan such a large project.

"The materials don't need to be borne by the county government. I visit the villagers to raise funds. This is a beneficial policy that benefits the village and people. How can the county officials be left alone."

Li Tai didn't expect the county to provide money at all, so he said after hearing the words, and then said: "But the villagers are tied to farming, and this year they are recruiting soldiers as soldiers. The township will inevitably run out of resources, and the county government needs to dispatch workers!"

When Du Yun heard that there was no need to pay, his heartstrings relaxed, but after hearing the last sentence, he became embarrassed again: "The county's labor force is also short..."

boom!
Before Du Yun could finish speaking, Li Tai clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the case, his expression darkened: "Neither give materials nor work. The county magistrate lacks sincerity, so there is no need to do this. Seek advice from others, never make things difficult for someone!"

While speaking, Li Tai stood up and put on a gesture of seeing off guests.

Du Yun didn't expect Li Tai to turn his face so quickly, and he felt ashamed and annoyed for a while.

Seeing this, Zheng Man quickly smoothed things over and said, "Li Lang, please be calm and don't be impatient. The county lord does not mean that. Although the county has thousands of servants, slaves and maidservants, it still needs to do what it can..."

"Stupid official, I don't know how to use manpower in the county? This year, the county employs nearly [-] workers, and less than [-]% is self-made. There are two renters, but five are borrowed by envoys! There are seven cave-cut statues and three newly-made temples, all of which are in the county. The power of the mid-term service is exhausted! But the blessing of the Buddha can be reduced by half, so there is no problem that the channels for benefiting the people will be unavailable!"

Although the construction of water conservancy requires a lot of labor, the government is not without such strength.Although the average household registered in the county is only in the early [-]s, there are thousands of soldiers and laborers, most of whom are prisoners of war, criminals, and destitute families with no land to grant.

As long as this part of the labor force is organized and mobilized, the government can not miss the plowing and mulberry work, and the project can also be promoted in stages during the slack season.

"The county venerables have their own difficulties. Those who use their power to serve are all benevolent and charitable homes in the village. Worshiping Buddha statues also urges enlightenment..."

Zheng Man was still waiting to argue, but Li Tai grabbed something on the case and threw it at him: "The dog officer still has to quibble! Could it be that I am digging canals and farming, so I am not from Jishan Township? You are waiting for the officials to deceive me. The new customer is ignorant. They cheated me a lot of food and goods, thinking that I was a rootless duckweed in Kansai and could be blackmailed?
It's not about the common people, but about ghosts and gods. If you pray to gods and worship Buddha, it's best to get a few clay sculptures to protect the evil spirits. "

Li Tai's sudden rage startled Du Yun too.Although he is a county magistrate, he really doesn't have a strong sense of superiority when facing the real powerful family.

Zheng Man rubbed the sore spot, secretly resenting Li Tai for being too ruthless, but he still bowed down to apologize again and again, and leaned closer to Du Yun and said in a low voice: "Li Lang is new to Dongzhou, so he might not be afraid in normal seasons. , savage, fierce, and harmful to the nostalgia, just need the township regiment to deter the township. When the county general Zhou is also a student of Li Lang, the county lord needs to think deeply..."

Du Yun's face was pale and uncertain, although he knew in his heart that the two of them would sing and act for him, otherwise Li Tai would not be so clear about the details of the county's employment.

But he also had to admit that the young man who was still renting farm cattle from the county before had to be treated as a real powerful villager, even more difficult and difficult than those powerful rural householders, and he could no longer be dismissed casually. .

"Li Lang, please appease your anger, please appease your anger. It is my duty to benefit the people and govern in such a way! Although the county's workers are sick, there is still room for dispatch..."

Thoughts were churning in his mind, Du Yun finally stood up, bowed his head and cupped his hands to appease Li Tai.

Li Tai is playing prestige in his own manor, but he doesn't know that his name has once again gained a sense of presence in Xingtai Bafu.

(End of this chapter)