In the Southern Song Dynasty, I competed with Mongolia for the world

Chapter 553: It is difficult for imperial power to go to the countryside

The further north you go, the cooler the temperature becomes. The north usually freezes in November, and in some places it won't melt until June of the following year.

The freezing period in the south lasts about three months.

Zheng Youcai and the others have been here for many years and are relatively experienced. They stayed away from the coast, avoiding most of the ice-covered areas, and cautiously headed towards the 'Da Song Bay' on the opposite side.

"Great Song Bay" is Pinrenna Bay in later generations. The Song Army's bastion is at the eastern end of the bay.

They set out on the tenth day of the lunar month and traveled about three hundred miles on the first day. After dark at night, the speed dropped to the lowest, probably only five or six miles per hour, so they were very careful.

The first few days went smoothly, but on the fifth day, white fog appeared on the sea.

According to Zheng Youcai, thick fog formed in the sea area here due to the intersection of cold and warm currents. Fortunately, there is no warm current now, so the fog is not thick. In addition, they have telescopes, so they are still within the range of visibility.

In this way, the four ships of theirs slowly and slowly traveled more than three thousand miles for nearly twenty days, and finally entered Dasong Bay.

These four ships can carry four to five hundred people when fully loaded. They and their crews together only have more than a hundred people, so they carry more supplies and cargo. This can ensure that they will not lack food and drink along the way.

Zhao Yu had been taken on a boat by Zhao Yurui since he was a child, and had experienced several long sea journeys along the way. His physical fitness was not bad, but two of the guards who followed him actually suffered from frostbite.

After placing the cold guards that day, Zhao Fu led people to the bow of the ship and saw someone waving a flag on the icebreaker in front.

"General Zheng?" Zhao Fu called Zheng Youcai.

Zheng Youcai's whole body was wrapped tightly, with a heavy cotton hat on his head and something like a later scarf on his face, with only his two eyes exposed.

"King Yan, we are now at the north of Yuanzhen Sea. It's cold outside, so be careful of the wind and cold." Zheng Youcai glanced at Zhao Yu, who was also wrapped up like a brown rice.

"It's okay. I wore a lot of clothes and kept myself warm." Zhao Yu pointed to the front: "What's going on in front?"

"The icebreaker should have sighted the bastion, we are almost there."

"It's not difficult." Zhao Fu was delighted when he heard this. He didn't expect it would be here so soon.

Zheng Youcai smiled bitterly and hesitated to speak. Under normal circumstances, he was not willing to be at sea for a long time.

It's so cold here that no one wants to take a bath when they go out to sea, and there's no water to take a bath. It's only been less than twenty days, and they're already smelly.

But now that Zhao Fu is in high spirits, he will certainly not pour cold water on him: "I look up to King Yan Hongfu, and there will be no dangers along the way."

"Hahaha." Zhao Yu laughed.

Sure enough, after a while, Zhao Fu picked up the telescope, and under Zheng Youcai's guidance, he also saw a tall flag in the distance.

The flag was frozen into an ice sculpture, and it was covered with white ice. Zhao Fu was afraid that it would break at any time.

There is a bastion under the flag. I wonder if the people on the bastion also saw them with binoculars. After a while, thick smoke rose from above.

"They should have seen us and lit up their cigarettes." Zheng Youcai said happily.

Zhao Fu exhaled softly, his expression very excited. According to the calculation that Kuye Island is more than 5,000 miles away from Lin'an in the Song Dynasty, it is almost 9,000 miles away from Lin'an.

Where even my father has never been, I, Zhao Yu, have come.

In late January of the 15th year of Yuan Zhen, the prince, Yan Wang Zhao You, personally rewarded the army and came to the Da Song Bay Fortress nearly ten thousand miles away.

The garrison of the bastion consists of more than a hundred people, and they are rotated every two years.

After Zhao Fu went up, he discovered that there were still women in the bastion. When he asked Zheng Youcai, he found out that the women here were all Korean or Japanese women. They were also rotated every two years, mainly to solve the psychological problems of the soldiers.

"How did the women come?" Zhao Yu asked strangely.

"I bought them from Korea and Japan. Many people there are short of money and are willing to let them come over." Zheng Youcai said.

Why are there no Han women? Zhao Yu wanted to ask more, but looking at the endless sea and ice, as well as the continuous white snow all around, he still didn't ask. After all, these people were the real warriors of the Song Dynasty. They had to live in such a world of ice and snow, nearly ten thousand miles away. The place.

"Meet the King of Yan." The locals, wearing dragons on their heads, came up with several junior military officers to pay homage.

"Excuse me, you are all my warriors of the Song Dynasty." Zhao Fu recalled in his mind the scenes and regrets of his father Zhao Yu Rui summoning civil and military officials before, and tried his best to imitate Zhao Yu Rui, maintaining the majesty of the royal family, but at the same time Corporal Xian, who still has to behave, has no airs.

Dai Long and others were a little surprised by Pang Ruo. After all, this might be the only time they saw a member of the royal family in their lives. It was unknown whether they would see them again in the future.

"I don't dare, general. I can't wait to guard one side. Compared with the brothers who are fighting bloody battles in the front, it is relatively comfortable." Dai Long is also relatively modest and does not dare to call himself a brave general.

"Maybe you can adapt to the climate here?" Zhao Fu helped them up. With the support of a general, he looked around. He stood at the highest point of the fortress, looked around, and chatted with them casually.

"They are all brothers from the north. Many brothers have lived in Haisanwei and Kuye for several years before."

The soldiers and horses here are basically recruited from the north, Liaodong, Haisanwei and other places after living for a few years, so they are more adaptable than the southern soldiers, and there are also many original Jurchens among them.

Of course, now everyone is called Song people. Many Jurchen soldiers died when they were young and have been growing up in the Song Dynasty. They are not much different from Song people.

For example, the deputy chief of their capital was a Jurchen, and there was a Han named Zhong Weiguo.

Zhong Weiguo was only in his early twenties. The Kingdom of Jin died when he was born. He was born to his parents in Da Yuan. He immigrated to Vladivostok with his parents when he was six years old. He has been living in Vladivostok ever since. He was eighteen years old. He was drafted into the army, first stationed in Kuye City, and later rotated here.

"What's that area to the northwest?" Zhao Fu used his telescope to see that there seemed to be a field on the northwest side of the bastion.

"Back to King Yan, it's rye." Zheng Youcai said at this time: "Rye is the only food crop that can grow and survive in this area."

Rice cannot be grown here, only rye can be grown for one season, so steamed buns have almost become the staple food here. The sergeants eat more steamed buns. Of course, the Song Army Navy also ships a batch of grain and vegetables every year to let them improve their food.

"I heard from my father that the human body needs various nutrients, and vegetables and fish are indispensable. Apart from food rations, are there very few vegetables here? Do brothers usually eat vegetables?"

When Zhao Yu came here this time, he brought a lot of vegetables. There is an underground kiln here, which can be used as a refrigerator. It is very useful for preserving food.

"The imperial court allows supplies to be replenished once every July, mainly grains, rice, vegetables and fruits to ensure the nutrition of the brothers." Zheng Youcai was full of praise when he said this.

Emperor Zhao Yurui took great care of the sergeants, especially those who were alone overseas, and were given priority in terms of supplies.

They asked Korean and Japanese merchants who came to Haisamwei to bring fruits and vegetables, and then provided them to Kuye City, Kuye Island and overseas defenders. Although it was not much, it ensured that they could eat for a period of time every year. "We also planted carrots here, which is enough to supplement the nutrients needed." Zheng Youcai didn't actually understand what nutrition was at this time, but the court would mention it when training new recruits in the past few years, and everyone subconsciously understood these two things. I also understand that the memory of words is related to physical fitness. As long as you have good nutrition and are less likely to get sick, your physical condition will be better.

Carrots were introduced to the Chagatai fiefdom from Persia. After Zhao Yurui obtained them, they vigorously promoted them. It is also one of the few vegetables that can be grown in the Far East. It is currently regarded as the main vegetable of the Song army in Haisanwei and Kuye City. .

"There are a lot of mushrooms here that can be used to make soup." Dai Long said excitedly.

There are forests all over here, and there are many mushrooms in the forest. These are all good things in later generations, but some are poisonous and some are not poisonous. You need to distinguish them. When the Song Army first came, some people were poisoned. Later, it spread to Lin'an, and Zhao Yu Rui specially issued an order to teach them the difference. This thing is very simple. The complex colors are mostly poisonous, and they can be boiled and used in soup to distinguish between feeding dogs and fish.

Zhao Yu came to see the living conditions of these overseas garrison troops on behalf of Emperor Zhao Yurui, and also to see how the various departments of the imperial court were performing their duties. Now it seems that the local implementation is very good. Although it is nearly ten thousand miles away from Lin'an, the soldiers can eat well and drink well. Well, morale is good too.

"Someone come here." Zhao Xie took a piece of paper and asked someone to read it out. It was mainly about the supplies for rewarding the soldiers. After reading a long list, Dai Long and others were delighted. Several military officers looked at each other, as if they heard that there was also wine. His Majesty and the Prince of Yan were really generous.

After reading it, everyone thanked him loudly.

At this time, Zhao Fu asked someone to bring over some seeds.

"This is called beet." Zhao Yu said, "The imperial court just obtained it from Persia last year."

"This beet, like carrots, can be grown in bitter cold areas."

Beet prefers shade and dislikes heat. It has strong cold resistance and is one of the most popular and planted vegetables in Siberia, along with carrots.

Because of its high sugar content, it was later used as the raw material for sugar production after sugar cane.

The Song army has fully planted it in Persia, and it can replace sugar cane for sugar production in some areas.

Dai Long took the beets solemnly, and Zheng Youcai also looked serious, because the court had set a target for them.

"Before the end of this year, our government will plant a total of 5,000 acres of sugar beets in Kuye, Vladivostok, and here to ensure vegetable diversity for the entire army."

"You can't eat carrots every day, right?"

Hahaha, there was laughter all around.

"Next year we will expand the planting to 10,000 acres." Zhao Fu said solemnly: "The next year it will reach 50,000 acres."

Everyone who had just laughed suddenly became quiet again.

"Starting from the year after next, our eastern Far East Province (referring to the seaside Haisamwei, Kuye side) will start to be able to produce sugar and maintain self-sufficiency."

Now the sugar in the Far East Province is shipped from Zhejiang and Jeju Island. Zhao Yurui requires that in three years, Zhao Yu's territory will be self-sufficient and produce its own sugar.

The more local self-sufficiency, the less the court's losses and expenses.

When Zheng Youcai heard this, he said cautiously: "Kuye Island, Haisamwei and this place add up to 5,000 acres. What about this side?"

Zhao Yu looked at the bastion and the sergeants. There were only more than a hundred people here. Although there was no need to fight, a small amount of training was required: "There must be at least 500 acres here in three years."

You can’t use so much beet for eating. There are more than 100 people here and 50 acres, which can last for a year.

It would be best to make sugar in the rest of the future, so there is no need to transport sugar here.

"Candy be made here too?" Zheng Youcai couldn't believe it.

Because sugar production was considered a top-notch craft in the Song Dynasty and was relatively confidential. Currently, the white sugar technology has been controlled by the imperial court for more than 20 years. As Zhao Yurui's territory grows larger and larger, more and more places give sugar production power. The yellow mud water pouring method also slowly leaked out.

Several years ago, white sugar was available among the people. However, because most of the fields were distributed to the people, and almost all the important fields were in the hands of the imperial court, it was difficult for the people to plant sugar cane on a large scale, so this profit is still there. In the hands of the court.

"The imperial court will gradually immigrate here and expand its territory. After the Far East City is built, a city may be built here, so homemade candy will definitely be made in the future."

Zhao Yu's meaning is very clear. In the future, there will not be only a hundred people here, but there may be a thousand, ten thousand, or even one hundred thousand people. When the population increases, you can't expect to ship so much sugar every year.

So sooner or later they have to make their own candy, and then the court will send craftsmen over, and this is not something they have to worry about.

Now Zhao Fu's priority is to build his Far East City, which is where his Prince Yan's palace is located.

Concentrate manpower and material resources to build the Far East City first. When the Far East City is almost built, you have to start developing here.

According to Zhao Yurui's requirements, at least ten cities must be built in the entire Far East and Eastern Siberia, and each city must have 100,000 immigrants, which would require one million people.

Of course, Zhao Yurui may not be able to complete such a project during his lifetime, but Zhao Fu will definitely be able to complete it as long as he follows the court's plan.

That night, Zhao Qi stayed in the bastion and experienced the life of sergeants. This made Dai Long and other grassroots officers have a good impression of him. This was something Zhao Qi had never done.

The next day, Zhao Fu led a group of people on horseback and headed eastward in the cold wind.

He also came with the task of exploring the road. When taking the land route, it is about three hundred miles from Pinrenna Bay to Kalajin Bay. If it is at sea, the ship will have to go around thousands of miles, and it is difficult to travel at this time because of ice.

Facing the cold wind, everyone headed eastward under the leadership of Dai Long. It took three days to reach the east coast of Karajin Bay.

This shocked Zheng Youcai and other generals.

The young prince Zhao Yu was actually able to eat and sleep outside like their sergeants, and he was very adaptable.

It was only on this day that Zheng Youcai flattered him.

But Zhao Yu said slowly: "When we were ten years old, we started going to sea and camping with our father."

"I have to spend more than half a month on a ship at sea every year."

"Go to both the south and the north."

"And camping in the wild."

"Father said that as a prince of the imperial family, you cannot stay in the palace every day, because if you stay in the palace for a long time, you may not know what is happening outside."

Some officials would deceive their subordinates and hide their superiors, so it was difficult for the emperor's imperial power to go to the countryside since ancient times. Zhao You did not tell Zheng Youcai these words, but Zheng Youcai could also feel it.

(End of this chapter)