Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1264 The results of farming
Dramatic changes occurred in them, and Guo Xin's body then burst forth with the vitality that only young people possess.

My joints became relaxed and flexible, and the slight blurriness in my vision caused by the passage of time disappeared instantly, leaving my vision crystal clear.

He subconsciously raised his hand and touched his cheek. The deep, knife-like wrinkles on it seemed to have been mostly smoothed out by an invisible hand, and his loose skin became firm and elastic again.

The most obvious thing was that strands of jet-black hair were emerging from his snow-white hair at an astonishing speed!
The reason Guo Xin's reaction was so strong was mainly because Lin Hao had used Qi and Blood Restoration and Treatment on her, which made them feel it so intensely.

After transferring life energy to Guo Xin, he grabbed Yang Xigu's hand next to him and transferred life energy to him as well.

His reaction to the changes in himself was even more direct; his hands, which were originally covered in bulging veins and had dry skin, became rosy and full of strength.

His back, which had been aching from old injuries for years, was now warm and soothing that he almost groaned.

"This...this!" Yang Xigu's voice trembled, filled with unbelievable joy. He looked abruptly at Lin Hao, then at Guo Xin, whose appearance had also changed drastically.

Although Guo Xin did not speak, his violently heaving chest and the intimidating glint in his eyes said it all.

He slowly raised his hands, looking at them as if they had returned to their peak condition at 25, then gazed deeply at Lin Hao, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement as he asked:

"Could this ability be considered a divine technique?"

Lin Hao released his grip, feigning exhaustion as he let out a soft breath, before speaking in a calm tone:

"It's not a magic technique, but merely a method of absorbing and transforming energy. The cost is enormous; even if you drain the life force of each prisoner, you can only restore one person's life energy for one year."

At this moment, Guo Xin and Yang Xigu were so excited that they could hardly contain themselves. They pounded their chests hard, making loud thumping sounds, and said with great excitement:

"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! I feel as if I have returned to the days when I followed General Li Siye to break through the enemy lines with his Mo Dao!"

"Governor Lin, I, Yang Xigu, will never forget this kindness!" He clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

Guo Xin also solemnly cupped his hands in thanks, expressing his gratitude to Lin Hao and understanding the meaning behind Lin Hao's words.

Thinking of a prisoner who could only regain a year of his youth, Guo Xin said in a cold voice:

"It seems that rejuvenating isn't easy. Our few prisoners aren't enough. With the Tibetan invasion underway, we're going to be busy for the next few days. Hopefully, there are enough Tibetans!"

Yang Xigu nodded in agreement, and Lin Hao smiled as well. This was exactly the effect Lin Hao wanted to achieve.

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After leaving the secret room in the prisoner-of-war camp, Lin Hao did not prepare any lavish banquet for Guo Xin and Yang Xigu, the two highest military commanders in the Western Regions. Instead, he took them directly to the military camp's mess hall.

On the long wooden table were not the dry, hard flatbreads or porridge commonly found in the Western Regions, but rather plump, fluffy steamed buns, meat buns with thin skins and generous fillings, and a boiled egg for each person.

The soldiers lined up in an orderly fashion to receive their food, their faces showing no sign of complaint about the hardship, only a strong appetite for their daily meal.

Guo Xin and Yang Xigu followed Lin Hao's example, took their plates, and sat down to eat with the ordinary soldiers.

Biting into the steamed bun, the hot meat juice and aroma of the dough instantly fill the mouth. The steamed bun is soft and slightly sweet, far superior to what they usually eat. Peeling the egg, the egg white is tender and smooth, and the yolk is rich and fragrant.

This seemingly simple meal is a rare treat for them, who have long relied on coarse food in Kucha and Xizhou.

They were able to hold out in the Western Regions for decades, deeply understanding the importance of sharing weal and woe with their soldiers, and even more so, they understood the astonishing logistical support capabilities behind this seemingly ordinary meal.

"The Grand Commander's military leadership is reminiscent of the ancient Cheng Bushi!" Guo Xin exclaimed sincerely after the meal.

Cheng Bushi was known for his strict military discipline and rigorous administration. Guo Xin's words were a compliment to Lin Hao for managing Luntai City so well and for his strict adherence to laws.

Yang Xigu wiped his mouth, chuckled, and added:

"In terms of military farming and iron smelting, Cheng Bushi is probably no match for the Grand Commander. After all, the history books don't say that he could provide his soldiers with meat every day and that he could build mountains of iron armor!"

His words were rough but his reasoning was sound, pointing out where Lin Hao surpassed even the most famous generals of antiquity. He even secretly thought that if any regional military governor within the Tang Dynasty could be so self-sufficient in food and military supplies, the imperial court would probably be in a state of constant anxiety.

But the Western Regions are now a place abandoned by the imperial court. It is already a blessing that people like Lin Hao, Guo Xin and Yang Xigu are guarding the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty. We can't ask for more.

The strength of Lin Hao and Guo Xin is not a threat to the Tang Dynasty, but rather the only hope to support the Tang Dynasty's banner and prevent it from falling in the Western Regions.

Of course, neither Yang Xigu nor Guo Xin considered this possibility, since Lin Hao only had so few men under his command, and they were not likely to pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Another point is that Lin Hao's ability to restore youth has an appeal that far surpasses worldly authority, so naturally people wouldn't think about it from another angle.

They even hoped that Lin Hao would become stronger and stronger. Now, the Anxi Protectorate and the Beiting Protectorate only had three cities left: Kucha, Xizhou, and Luntai. Only by becoming stronger themselves could the glory of the Tang Dynasty be restored.

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The following day, Lin Hao personally led them on a tour of the core industrial area of ​​Luntai City.

The first thing that catches the eye is the huge coal pile and coke kiln, where Lin Hao's industrial skills are once again on full display.

High-quality raw coal is continuously transported from nearby mines and converted into coke through dry distillation in the kiln, producing thick smoke and intense heat.

"We use this coal for cooking and heating in the city every day!" Lin Hao explained.

"This would save a lot of timber and straw. The timber could be used for construction and arrow shaft making, and the straw could be used to feed livestock. It would be much more cost-effective than burning it all."

Guo Xin and Yang Xigu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. They knew the hardships of fighting the desert for precious vegetation in Kucha and Xizhou for a little fuel.

Lin Hao's actions, though seemingly ordinary, fundamentally changed the way people lived in the Western Regions.

They then visited the iron smelting workshop, where coke was used instead of charcoal to smelt iron. This resulted in higher furnace temperatures, greater efficiency, purer molten iron, and a production volume far exceeding their expectations.

Molten iron, glowing red-hot, flows from the furnace, pours into a mold, and cools to become rough pig iron ingots, awaiting the next step of forging.

But when they arrived at the water-powered forging workshop on the riverbank, the real shock came over them. Even before they got close, they could hear a series of deep, rhythmic, thunderous impacts that made the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly.

Guo Xin and Yang Xigu exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and disbelief in each other's eyes, witnessing the immense power of industry for the first time.

Stepping into the workshop, the sight left them speechless. A huge waterwheel slowly turned with the power of water, driving several incredibly heavy iron hammers up and down through a complex linkage mechanism.

The red-hot iron on the anvil, under the immense force of the hammer, was easily forged into shape like soft dough, and amidst the flying sparks, the outline of the armor plate quickly took shape.

The craftsmen only need to wait for it to cool slightly before proceeding with subsequent processes such as polishing the burrs, drilling holes, and connecting it with leather ropes, and a sturdy and durable suit of armor will be completed.

"This...this...!" Yang Xigu's mouth dropped open as he pointed at the giant hammer that was moving back and forth and asked, "Could this be a god like you?"

Although Guo Xin did not speak, his constricted pupils and slightly trembling beard betrayed the turbulent emotions churning within him.

He quickly calculated in his mind: the most time-consuming and laborious forging process in making armor was so easy and effortless here, the efficiency was more than a hundred times higher!
"Grand Commander!" Yang Xigu suddenly grabbed Lin Hao's arm, his voice trembling with excitement:
"If this continues, won't it be possible that within a year, every soldier in our Anxi and Beiting armies will be able to wear this iron armor?"

He couldn't even imagine the scene. Even at the height of the Kaiyuan era, the most elite troops of the Tang Dynasty couldn't all be fully armored. How could they be trapped in a lonely city now and be richer than during a golden age?

Guo Xin was also filled with excitement, and an even more crazy thought flashed through his mind: "If... if the Longyou Road can be opened in the future, we can use it to transport iron armor to the interior!"

But he immediately shook his head, knowing that this was an impossible task, and that the Uyghurs and Tibetans would never sit idly by and watch such military supplies pass through their territory.

Lin Hao smiled slightly, confirming Yang Xigu's guess: "That's right, what's produced here is not only military equipment, but also many agricultural tools."

He pointed to another area where brand-new plowshares, hoes, and sickles were being mass-produced, and then explained:

"If you want to do something well, you must first have the right tools. With these, the efficiency of land reclamation and wasteland clearing will be greatly increased."

He further explained that due to the previous iron shortage, they could only make the most essential curved plows and hoes.

With ample iron resources available, he has designed more labor-saving and efficient seeding machines, threshing machines, and other equipment, which are currently being tested.

Once implemented, the harvest from a single person's field will far exceed that of the past.

Although Lin Hao only established a tiny iron smelting industrial center in Luntai, which couldn't even compare to a village-level factory in later generations, it was enough to dominate the entire Western Regions in this era.

Finally, Lin Hao led them to a pile of neatly stacked iron pots. "These are for the surrounding tribes."

"An iron pot? Sold to the barbarians?" Upon hearing this, Guo Xin frowned immediately. Successive dynasties of the Central Plains had always been extremely vigilant against the outflow of ironware, and he instinctively objected:

"Great Commander, this could be aiding the enemy! Although the Hu people have no shortage of blacksmiths, iron cannot be allowed to fall into their hands so easily!"

"Your Highness, do not worry!" Lin Hao was prepared. He casually picked up a newly cast iron pot and tapped it with an iron rod.

With a crisp "clang," a crack appeared on the pot!
Lin Hao then explained with a smile, "The iron in this pot was specially forged to be brittle and hard, so it's fine for cooking food, but if you want to remelt it to reforge swords..."

Then Lin Hao had someone bring out a horizontal sword made by melting down an iron pot, and then he slashed at an ordinary soldier's horizontal sword.

With a "crack," the horizontal blade cast from the iron pot shattered. Guo Xin and Yang Xigu rushed forward to check, while Lin Hao explained with a smile:
"This is a special steel that I specially smelted. Once it is smelted at high temperatures, the iron becomes brittle and easily broken, making it unsuitable for military use!"

Lin Hao had a firm grasp of this simpler alloy knowledge. When smelting pig iron, if the sulfur and phosphorus levels were slightly exceeded, the steel would experience hot brittleness and cold brittleness, respectively.

Excessive sulfur content can lead to the formation of low-melting-point eutectics. The melting of these eutectics reduces the grain boundary bonding force, causing hot brittleness during steel processing and making the steel prone to cracking, thereby reducing the ductility and toughness of the steel.

Phosphorus exists in iron through substitutional solid solution, which increases the temper brittleness and cold brittleness of steel, making it more prone to brittle fracture at low temperatures.

"That's good, that's good!" Guo Xin and Yang Xigu were finally relieved.

As long as there's a way to control it, that's fine. They're quite supportive of everyday items like Lin Hao's that can't be used for military purposes.

Lin Hao calmly explained, "It can be used to exchange for cattle, sheep, and furs. More importantly, it can be used to bring back the Tang people who have been enslaved by various tribes!"

During this period, Lin Hao redeemed many more Tang soldiers who had once been slaves of the Tibetans. They had become proud citizens of the Tang Dynasty and were extremely grateful to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao also settled them in the city, helped them get married and start families, and worked hard for the future of Luntai.

Most of these people may no longer be able to fight, but their experience can still provide Lin Hao with a lot of help.

Whether they were forging weapons, teaching farming, patrolling city defenses, or even teaching children to read, they were all contributing their talents and their loyalty far surpassed that of purchased slaves.

Guo Xin and Yang Xigu suddenly realized what was going on, their doubts vanished, and they were filled with deep admiration.

"I see!" Using this harmless yet practical ironware as leverage, they can not only seize resources but also redeem scattered comrades and continuously strengthen themselves!

During this period, Luntai City did indeed see many more faces, mostly Tang soldiers and civilians who had returned as a result.

These people may no longer be able to fight, but their Tang Dynasty spirit remains, and their experience and skills are the nourishment that this newly built city needs most.

Guo Xin and Yang Xigu stayed in Luntai for ten days, and every day, accompanied by people arranged by Lin Hao, they went deep into the fields, mines and workshops.

What they saw and the land reclamation strategy constantly challenged their existing understanding, and at the same time, their hope of regaining control of the Western Regions grew stronger.

Just as they were discussing with Lin Hao when to reclaim the former territory of Beiting, a messenger from Xizhou disrupted their plans.

It turned out that the Uyghur Grand Minister, Jieyuqis, sent an envoy to Xizhou to once again invite Yang Xigu to lead his army to join him in attacking Beiting.

In the past, Guo Xin and Yang Xigu would have been extremely worried, but now, they and Lin Hao share the same thought: the opportunity for the Great Tang has arrived!
The Uyghurs wanted to divert attention from internal conflicts by achieving military merit, thereby stabilizing the internal power struggle. The Tang Dynasty, on the other hand, wanted to take the opportunity to recover Beiting, even if it could not recover all of it, it wanted to recover most of the territory.

(End of this chapter)