Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1262 Guo Xin's Astonishment

More than half a month ago in Luntai City, the newly reclaimed fields were crisscrossed with paths, and the air was filled with the smell of soil and wheat straw.

The soldiers and civilians of Luntai City had finished harvesting the wheat, while Lin Hao was inspecting the equipment of the water-powered mill in the water-powered forging workshop.

Lin Hao plans to build dozens of water mills along the river to grind the harvested wheat into flour to supply the military and civilians of the entire Western Regions.

When Lin Hao returned to the Grand Commander's Mansion, he went to the adjacent drill ground and, seeing the heavy sacks of grain at Guo Yuanzheng's feet, asked with a smile:
"Yuanzheng, how's the inventory going?"

"Grand Commander, the inventory is complete!" Guo Yuanzheng said in a hoarse voice, but with a hint of pleasure.

"The new wheat yields 93 shi (a unit of dry measure). Not to mention supplying Luntai City, it could feed the entire Tang army and civilians in the Western Regions for more than three years."

900,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) is approximately 150 million jin (another unit of weight). Currently, the number of soldiers and civilians in the Western Regions is only about 40,000, which can feed them for 1500 days.

Currently, there are over 10,000 soldiers and civilians in Luntai City, over 5,000 soldiers and civilians in Xizhou, and approximately 20,000 people in Kucha.

If each person eats an average of ten steamed buns per meal, and with 1.5 million catties of wheat, plus the beef, mutton and grain produced in the two regions, it would be more than enough to feed them for three or four years.

Of course, this is in a state of peace. If war breaks out, we should be grateful if this amount of food can last for more than a year.

"In addition, eight thousand sets of newly forged bright armor, ten thousand horizontal swords, and countless spears and shields!" Guo Yuanzheng continued to report.

Lin Hao's gaze swept across the distant smelting workshop billowing black smoke and the clanging water-powered forging hammers. He nodded and gave the order:

"Four thousand sets of armor and weapons were dispatched. Yuanzheng escorted three thousand sets and thirty thousand shi of flour to Commander Guo of Kucha, while Wenbin also escorted one thousand sets of armor and ten thousand shi of flour to Protector Yang of Xizhou."

Tell the two generals that this is a small token of the Grand Commander's appreciation; the Anxi Army and the Beiting Protectorate are of one mind and will weather this difficult time together!

"Yes!" Guo Yuanzheng clasped his hands in greeting, then said with a slight hesitation, "However, the two places are far apart, and the Tibetan cavalry are rampant. Transporting such heavy equipment and provisions may be difficult!"

"Dispatch four thousand elite veterans and one thousand new soldiers from Chang'an to escort this batch of grain and military supplies, operating under the cover of darkness and hiding by day." Lin Hao said calmly, with unparalleled confidence in his voice.
"Furthermore, use those newly trained warhorses with better endurance. I don't believe anyone would dare to touch the supply train escorted by four thousand elite heavy cavalry!"

The thousand light cavalry were the new army from Chang'an, and the four thousand elite cavalry were the fully armored heavy cavalry, who were actually the old white-haired soldiers from the Western Regions. These Tang soldiers had lived in the Western Regions for many years, so riding horses was naturally no problem for them.

Looking at the horses he had genetically modified, their endurance now far surpassed that of regular warhorses, enough to support them in quickly traversing dangerous areas.

"Yes, sir!" Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Wenbin's eyes lit up. They had both experienced the extraordinary nature of those improved warhorses, so they didn't ask any more questions and went to carry out their orders.

Several days later, the teams heading to Kucha and Xizhou set off together.

The leader was an old captain with a scar on his face. Before setting off, he stroked his brand-new bright armor, which gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the moonlight.

"Damn it, this armor is even sturdier than the armor we wore back in Shule!" He spat and roared at his ten equally white-haired veterans.

"Keep your spirits up, all of you! When we get to Kucha, let Commander Guo see that Luntai is not only good at farming, but also at blacksmithing and killing!"

The procession silently blended into the night, with only the muffled thud of horses' hooves wrapped in soft cloth.

······
Half a month later, in the city of Kucha.

"Did I hear wrong? Did Luntai City come to ask us for grain?" Guo Xin's Grand Protectorate Commander asked, suppressing the urge to clean his ears.

"No, they've brought us grain. The carts are full of flour and wheat, as well as weapons and armor!" The guard who came to deliver the message had been farming since he was a child, so how could he mistake them? How could he not recognize the armor and weapons they were wearing?

The guard then confidently said, "The supply convoy will arrive soon. If the Grand Protector doesn't believe me, he can check it at any time!"

"How long has Lin Hao been in Luntai City? Where did he get so much food? Even if he went out to rob, he couldn't have taken much, could he?" Guo Xin thought incredulously.

There aren't many arable areas in the Western Regions, and the Tang people are the most familiar with farming. They can't even steal anything from them, but what if it's true?
Thinking of this, Guo Xin, somewhat excited, immediately stood up and said, "Come on, let's all go and see if it's real or fake!"

Before long, Guo Xin arrived at the city gate and saw groups of fully armed heavy cavalry escorting the supply train of Luntai City.

He then stepped forward to examine it, touching the Mingguang Armor from Luntai. The armor plates were cold and hard, and the workmanship was far superior to his expectations.

On another carriage were sacks of snow-white flour, piled high like mountains.

"Reporting to the Grand Protector, the grain, armor, and weapons for Luntai City have been delivered!" Guo Yuanzheng approached Guo Xin, saluted, and presented the list with both hands:

"The supplies delivered this time include 3,000 sets of newly made armor and weapons, 20,000 shi of wheat, 10,000 shi of flour, about 5,000 roosters, and about 8,000 laying hens. Please check and accept them, Grand Protector!"

A long line of large carts stretched out, almost blocking the already narrow entrance to Kucha City.

The mountains of grain, the fresh scent of wheat in the air, and the vibrant aroma of live poultry created a stark contrast to the usual somber atmosphere of Kucha.

Many white-haired veterans had spontaneously gathered around. Their clothes were tattered and their armor was worn out, but at this moment, their cloudy eyes were fixed on the vehicles, as if they could not believe what they were seeing.

"There are live poultry too?" Upon hearing that live poultry had been delivered, even Guo Xin, who was usually as calm as a mountain, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Even if he was the Prince of Wuwei and the Grand Protector of Anxi, in this remote and isolated place, eating meat was an extremely luxurious treat, let alone for the soldiers below him.

Especially those white-haired veterans, they remember the last time they ate meat, it seems like it was the last time.

Guo Xin quickly snatched the list and scanned it. What was written on it was exactly the same as what the soldiers had reported. It was written in black and white, and there was no way to fake it.

He looked up again and carefully examined the soldiers from Luntai who had come to deliver grain.

Their faces all looked like young people. Apart from the thousand or so new recruits who had been gathered from Chang'an just a few months ago, the rest were white-haired veterans who had been "reinforced" to Lin Hao from here. Now, all of them had turned from white hair to black.

With Guo Xin's keen eye, it was easy for him to distinguish between veterans and new recruits.

The veterans' skin was much darker and rougher than that of the new soldiers who had just arrived in the Western Regions, due to years of exposure to wind and sun.

Most importantly, the veterans from the Western Regions were far more imposing than the new soldiers from Chang'an. The once white-haired old soldiers now had ruddy complexions, bright eyes, and stood tall and straight, exuding a robust and valiant air that only comes from being well-fed every day and having confidence in one's heart.

This spirit and energy are completely different from those of the old soldiers in Kucha City, who, though resilient, have inevitably had their luster worn away by the years and famine.

"Where did all this grain come from?" Guo Xin's voice was a little hoarse.

He did set up military farms in Kucha, but the land there was barren and water resources were limited. Even in good years, the harvest was barely enough to feed the army and keep them from starving. He had never had such a bountiful harvest, enough to raise poultry with grain.
Upon hearing this, Guo Yuanzheng unconsciously puffed out his chest even more, his face beaming with undisguised pride as he said:
"Reporting to the Grand Protector, it was all planted by Governor Lin, who led us, plowing and tilling every single hoe!"

"We have opened up large tracts of new farmland outside Luntai City, built irrigation ditches for dozens of miles, erected waterwheels to irrigate, and manufactured military equipment. We have also followed the governor's instructions to raise chickens with earthworms and fertilize the fields with manure and compost..."

After recounting Lin Hao's land reclamation policy in Luntai, Guo Yuanzheng remarked with emotion:
"That's why we have such a bountiful harvest this year!"

His tone was filled with emotion and pride, after all, the tremendous changes in Luntai City over the past few months were a miracle they had created with their own hands.

Guo Xin and the veterans followed his introduction, looking at each item one by one, their eyes almost not enough to take it all in.

The snow-white flour, the golden wheat, and even the hens laying eggs and the crowing roosters were dazzling and dreamlike.

"This wheat is even better than the wheat grown in the best fields in Guanzhong!" Guo Xin grabbed a handful of wheat grains, letting the plump kernels slip through his fingers.

"Grand Protector!" one of Guo Yuanzheng's guards, a young soldier, said solemnly.

“Governor Lin has considered that this is a new variety, so he will leave behind brothers who know about farming to guide how to try planting these new wheat varieties near Kucha.”

"Good, good, good!" Guo Xin exclaimed excitedly. With this grain, there was no need to worry about the invading villains of the Western Regions.

"By next year, the grapes we grow in Luntai will be ripe, and then we can make wine!" Guo Yuanzheng added, his tone full of anticipation for next year.

What? You can brew your own wine? Guo Xin was momentarily dazed. Was he in the remote city of Kucha in the Western Regions, or had he returned to the prosperous Guanzhong Plain?

No, even the troops stationed in Guanzhong probably didn't live as well as the city of Luntai described.

"Lin, the Grand Commander truly possesses extraordinary talent!" Guo Xin could only utter this complex exclamation in the end.

Although his opinion of the young man had risen several notches, it still surprised him once again.

He suppressed the turbulent thoughts in his heart and gave an order. The veterans of Kucha City immediately sprang into action, starting to count and receive the goods according to the list, carefully transporting bags of grain and cages of live poultry into the city.

The soldiers from Luntai carefully instructed them on how to store various grains to prevent them from rotting and how to feed live poultry.

After the inventory was completed, the quantity was actually more than what was written on the list. Guo Xin inquired about the reason, and Guo Yuanzheng smiled slightly and said:

"Reporting to the Grand Protector, the Grand Commander has instructed that there will inevitably be losses on the road, so we have prepared some extra in case of unforeseen circumstances."

"Perhaps it is thanks to the great fortune of the Grand Protector that we were escorted by five thousand elite cavalry along the way, and our journey was exceptionally smooth. We left all the surplus behind."

After the grain was unloaded, dozens of large carts remained, covered with thick burlap. These were among the key supplies being transported: weapons and armor.

Guo Yuanzheng's expression turned serious, and he took out another list, respectfully presenting it to the emperor:

"Reporting to the Grand Protector, this is the armor and weapons that Governor Lin ordered us to deliver to the Grand Protector!"

"The Grand Commander said that the Anxi Army has been guarding this remote region for decades, with supplies from the imperial court cut off, and the army's armor and weapons are already in a terrible state. Now that Luntai City has some spare resources, it has prepared some for the Grand Commander and his comrades in Kucha."

"In total, there are 3,000 sets of newly made armor, 4,000 refined swords, 5,000 spearheads, and 100,000 arrows... Please check and accept them, Grand Protector!"

The burlap lining was lifted, and in the sunlight, the brand-new iron armor gleamed with a cold, bluish light. Bundles of swords, spears, and lances, along with piles of arrows, lay stacked like mountains.

Guo Xin was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a long time before she finally found her voice:
"You, not only are your granaries full of grain, but you've even managed to smelt iron on your own and forge such a large quantity of weaponry?"

This is no longer just wealth; it's practically a complete logistical base! In just a few months under Lin Hao's control, what kind of incredible existence has Luntai City become?
An impatient veteran nearby picked up a broadsword, flicked the blade with his finger, listened to its clear, resonant hum, swung it a couple of times, and exclaimed in delight:

"Great Protector! Listen to this sound, look at this blade, this steel fire, it's no worse than the hundred-refined steel of Chang'an! It's just as good as the broadswords we used to use!"

Another veteran picked up a suit of armor, weighed it in his hand a few times, and then forcefully pried open the armor plates, praising it:
"Tsk, this armor is a bit plain, not as imposing and exquisite as the ones from Chang'an in the Ming Dynasty, but it is indeed sturdy and durable, and much lighter, which is more conducive to prolonged battles!"

The military industry in Luntai City was clearly based on actual combat needs, abandoning all fancy decorations. In addition, it adopted water-powered mass forging, which was naturally not as good as the meticulous hammering and polishing of blacksmiths.

The more meticulous veteran officer picked up several swords and compared them side by side, then examined the armor components, his eyes growing increasingly surprised and suspicious:

"How amazing! Great Protector, look at these knives and armor plates, they are almost as if they were carved from the same mold!"

"What kind of skilled craftsman could create such uniform weaponry? And the hammer marks on the armor plates are so even and deep, it's something no ordinary human could achieve!"

Guo Yuanzheng once again revealed a proud expression as he explained:
"Reporting to the generals, most of these armor blade blanks were not forged purely by manpower. The governor set up water-powered hammers at the river outside Luntai City, using the power of the water flow to drive the hammers to repeatedly forge the blades. This not only saves effort but also ensures that the force is even!"

"The armor plates are also made using water power, and are pressed into shape in one go at an extremely fast speed. Without such a powerful tool, we would have to work ourselves to death to produce so many armors."

Guo Xin took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and glanced at the brand-new cavalry army, which was enough to arm an elite force.

Then, looking around at the white-haired veterans whose eyes were red with excitement and joy, stroking their armor as if caressing a lover, he finally slammed his hand heavily on the carriage shaft:
"Good! Good! Good! Take them all! Put them all into storage and replace the old equipment!"

He gazed eastward, towards the city of Luntai, his eyes filled with unprecedented curiosity and determination:

"Lin Hao, you always surprise me! When you return, I, the Protector-General, will personally lead my guards to accompany you to Luntai City for a proper visit!"

Then he remembered something else and asked, "With so much grain and military supplies, what about Protector Yang of Xizhou...?"

"Don't worry, Grand Protector!" Guo Yuanzheng replied immediately. "We are traveling in two caravans this time, with Lieutenant Lu and I leading the caravans respectively, to Kucha and Xizhou."

"Judging by the time, the convoy destined for Xizhou should have arrived by now!"