Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 338, A Happy Ending

Today, the grasslands no longer have the distribution of various tribes, and only two regions remain.

One is a grassland and a state, the other is a grassland.

The grassland people of Hezhou look down on grassland people from outside the region.

Because Fang Yong treated the two differently, the grassland people of Hezhou considered themselves superior.

The grassland people from outside also looked down on the grassland people of Hezhou, considering them despicable traitors.

In essence, there is no difference between the two.

One of them was conscripted into Wu Xiejun, and afterwards Fang Yong specially arranged for him to be stationed in Hezhou, and deliberately treated him differently, which sowed the seeds of conflict.

As for why?

Naturally, it's because only by creating chaos among the grassland people can he better manage them.

If all the people of the grasslands were to unite as one, how could peace be achieved?

This conflict wasn't particularly obvious at first, but it completely erupted in mid-February after the sheep on the grassland gave birth.

A doubling of the reproduction number is simply outrageous.

This miraculous phenomenon spread rapidly across the grasslands.

The herders outside Hezhou went from scoffing to being dumbfounded, then to being filled with unyielding envy, and finally their envy turned into jealousy and resentment!

Imagine how you would feel if you worked hard and poured a year's worth of effort into something, only to have the other person easily produce twice the results.
You should know that this achievement is crucial to the family's livelihood for a whole year!

That wasn't all. The other party even provocatively asked to borrow hay, their words carrying little respect but rather a hint of boasting.

"No, I won't lend it!"

A herder outside of Hezhou expressed his anger.

Generally, herders prepare extra winter grass in case of unforeseen circumstances.

However, even if this herdsman had extra hay, he would never lend it to the hay swindler!

The hay was harvested by him with great effort, and even if it was burned or rotten, it was still his own, and he had the right not to lend it to others!

Unfortunately, the world doesn't always work the way people expect.

There is not enough pasture for herders in Hezhou.

Herdsmen outside the prefecture have surplus hay but are unwilling to lend it out.

What should I do?
You should know that Hezhou is the property of the King of Wu.

As mentioned before, the cattle and sheep raised by these herders in Hezhou must eventually be handed over according to a certain proportion.

Now the King of Wu's cattle and sheep are starving to death, what should be done?
This problem was quickly passed up the chain of command.

Finally, Zhou Shuan personally placed it in front of Dorei's desk.

Choose.

Solution 1: Starve the cattle and sheep of the King of Wu.

Option two: Have the King of Wu personally come and pay for the hay!

Looking at these two methods, Dorrey broke out in a cold sweat.

Solution one: Starve the King of Wu's cattle and sheep.
He would rather starve himself than let the King of Wu's cattle and sheep starve!

Option two: Have the King of Wu come in person to buy hay?
They wouldn't buy his head too, would they?

Dorrey jumped to his feet, bowed, and swore an oath:
"General Zhou, don't worry, I'll go and deal with those unruly people right away!"

Dore dared not deal with the Zhongxia people.

However, he was very good at dealing with the nomads.

Dore quickly issued a decree ordering all steppe people outside the state to supply pasture to the state free of charge and with priority.

Anyone who dares to resist or disobey will have their ears cut off if they are found to have done so once, their kneecaps gouged out if they are found to have done so twice, and will be burned at the stake if they are found to have done so three times.

The cruel punishments enraged the herders.

During this period, some people inevitably broke the law.

The result was black bones burned by flames. Small-scale uprisings broke out in two areas as a result, but were quickly crushed by the Dorrey and Huaiyin armies.

The rebel leader was subjected to the most severe torture on the grasslands, and died after being exposed to the sun on salt.

From then on, no one dared to resist.

The herders in Hezhou received pasture.

The King of Wu managed to save his cattle and sheep.

Dorei Khan consolidated his rule.

The herders outside the state were subjected to severe punishment.

Everyone had a fruitful day, and it was another happy one for everyone.

Unbeknownst to them, the conflict between Hezhou and the grassland people outside Hezhou deepened once again.

Beijing.

Fang Yong received Zhou Shuan's report on the recent events that had occurred on the grassland.

The turmoil caused by the pasture was also recorded, but not in great detail. It was only briefly mentioned that several hundred people rebelled as a result and were all executed.

Fang Yong stared silently at the numbers, his heart unmoved.

Deep down, Fang Yong really loves the people of the grasslands.

He didn't want to see this either.

However, there's no other way; this is a necessary growing pain for peace.

Having seen these figures, Fang Yong mainly focuses on the number of cattle and sheep that the grasslands can provide this autumn.

According to Zhou Shuan's statistics and report, the grasslands can provide approximately 350,000 sheep and 40,000 cattle this autumn.

This is the most conservative estimate.

If we squeeze every last drop, we can increase that number by about 40% to 60%.

However, doing so could create a vicious cycle and affect production volume in the following year.

Fang Yong looked at the number and was slightly disappointed.

The total number of cattle and sheep produced on the grasslands is only around 400,000.

In the modern society of my previous life, this number wouldn't be more than 200 times higher!

But there's nothing we can do about it.

The grasslands were sparsely populated, and the various tribes were quite backward, making it difficult to compare with the modern society of the previous life.

In addition, recent snow disasters and wars have greatly reduced the population on the grasslands, and the production of cattle and sheep has naturally continued to decline.

Last year in particular, Fang Yong's sweeping campaign on the grasslands consumed too many cattle and sheep.

At that time, the Huaiyin Army experienced some shortages of military rations. Fang Yong could only hint to Zhou Shuan to exploit the grassland people. During this period, there were even instances where the entire army ate cattle and sheep every few days, which was the result of the blood and tears of countless grassland people.

Meanwhile, the ongoing war has also affected a large number of herders, many of whom were directly impacted by the war, resulting in the complete loss of their cattle and sheep.

Given these circumstances, such an outcome can only be considered a cycle of cause and effect.

Now that Fang Yong has control of all the land on the grassland, he naturally won't do anything like draining the pond to catch all the fish.

For herders who did not choose to exploit the grasslands, the process proceeded as normal.

With his talent, in another year, when these newborn lambs grow up, the cattle and sheep production on the grassland will surely explode.

This kind of explosion is growing exponentially; it will only increase and grow very rapidly.

In just a few years, the grasslands will become a huge cattle and sheep production base.

At that time, not only will he not need to increase production, but he will also need to take the initiative to control the breeding of cattle and sheep to prevent them from breeding too much and affecting the grassland ecology.

By then, his prestige on the grasslands will likely be unparalleled.

It would only take a few words to annex Dorrey.

The millennia-long conflict between the Central Plains and the grasslands will be completely resolved in his hands.

Surely no one wants to go back to the past, right?
(End of this chapter)