Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 384 is about to deliver a shock.
royal palace.

Since Yuan Baoju ascended the throne, Empress Yifu rarely saw him.

"His Majesty!"

Empress Yifu, as Yuan Baoju's principal wife, was quite powerful. As soon as she arrived, all the women around Yuan Baoju scattered.

Yuan Baoju, whose interest had been spoiled, did not give Empress Yifu a friendly look.

"Why is the queen here?"

"I heard that Your Majesty intends to allow members of the Yuan clan to take up official positions in local areas?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju smiled.

"What, are you trying to get official positions for the sons of your Yifu clan?"

Yuan Baoju had assumed that Yifu had come to ask him for a favor, and was quite pleased. However, Yifu shook her head and said:

"Will Your Majesty reconsider?"

Yuan Baoju frowned and asked:

"Why?"

E.F. said:

“If we release these members of the Yuan clan, it will be difficult to get them to come back.”

Yuan Baoju listened, but didn't care.

"If you don't want to come back, then don't come back. It'll save you from constantly asking me for this and that!"

"But I'm afraid they might cause trouble!"

Yuan Baoju waved his hand and said:
"Why are you so afraid of this and that? Don't you think they'll cause trouble in Luoyang?"

Just as Yuan Baoju finished speaking, a report came from outside the palace.

"Your Majesty, it's not good!"

The eunuch beside Yuan Baoju rushed in, looking flustered. Seeing that Yifu was also there, he bowed.

Yuan Baoju, seeing his eunuch's state, asked:

"What's the matter that you're so panicked!"

"Yuan Xiu has been beaten up!"

After hearing this, Yuan Baoju waved his hand and said:

"Let him fight then, he deserves to be beaten to death!"

"Your Majesty, this matter is not simple; the one who assaulted someone is related to the King of Qin!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju was startled and immediately said:
"Then go arrest them!"

The eunuch was taken aback and asked:

"Catch who?"

"Of course it's Yuan Xiu! Go and catch him! Send him to jail!"

"Your Majesty, this matter may be somewhat troublesome."

"what?"

……

"He Liuhun, have you heard?"

Wei Jing returned from buying groceries at the East Market in Luoyang, bringing back firsthand rumors circulating in the area.

At this moment, Gao Huan was sitting in his own courtyard drinking tea, while Lou Zhaojun and Gao Loujin were busy nearby.

"What's the matter?"

Thanks to Hou Jing's contributions, Gao Huan's family regained peace, and life returned to normal.

Gao Huan's family was used to Wei Jing's sudden outbursts.

Every day, Wei Jing would bring back some rumors circulating in the streets.

"Yuan Xiu has been beaten up!"

"Let them fight!" Gao Huan didn't seem to care much. "Brother-in-law, stop asking about these rumors all day long. If you have nothing else to do, go over and keep an eye on the house. The sooner it's finished, the sooner we can go back to Ye City."

"This time is different; the person who did the beating is related to Ohno Sawa!"

Upon hearing Wei Jing's words, Gao Huan's spirits lifted, and Lou Zhaojun and Gao Loujin, who were busy at work, also came over.

"how?"

"It's all over the place that the Hu people who came to pay homage from the north clashed with Yuan Xiu in the Fourth Market. You have no idea how chaotic the scene was; I heard the fight was bloody."

While everyone was eating melon seeds, they pressed for an answer:
"and then?"

"Yuan Xiu's attendants were no match for the Hu people. After they were beaten down, he was left all alone. Yet he still dared to threaten them, saying that he was a member of the imperial family, the grandson of Emperor Xiaowen, and the brother of the current emperor, and that he would teach them a lesson."

Gao Huan listened with some doubt.

"What does this have to do with Ohno Sawa?"

Wei Jing explained:
"When those barbarians heard this, they said that they lived in the north and only knew of the Heavenly Khan, but had never heard of an emperor in the Central Plains."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's expression changed, shifting from a purely spectator's attitude to one of caution.

He thought for a while, then became extremely excited, revealing a gloating expression.

"Quickly, send someone to keep an eye on Yuwentai's side, and report back as soon as possible!"

"promise!"

……

Inside the room, Yuwen Tai growled in a low voice.

What is he going to do?!

After Yuan Xiu was beaten, the matter escalated significantly. A group of Yuan clan members took the matter to Yuan Baoju, demanding that he severely punish those Hu people.

But this wasn't about severely punishing these barbarians; it was clearly aimed at Li Shuang.

The key point is that Yuwen Tai cannot remain uninvolved. After all, he is Yuan Xiu's brother-in-law.

At this moment, Yuwen Tai was somewhat agitated. Marrying a member of the Yuan clan would certainly be helpful to him.

However, this Yuanxiu is far too unstable.

Liu Liang, a general under Yuwentai, walked into the room from outside.

"My lord, someone is watching us from outside!"

Although Liu Liang was a brave general, he was also a meticulous person. After returning, he noticed that there were people outside Yuwentai's residence.

Yuwen Tai waved his hand, somewhat annoyed, and said:

"Never mind them, they're all Gao Huan's people."

"What do they want by being so blatant?"

"What else can they do? They just want to see me make a fool of myself!"

Yuwentai didn't want to deal with those things at the moment, and instead asked:

"How is Yuan Xiu doing?"

"It's caused quite a stir. Some people are even saying, 'Is the Emperor greater than the Heavenly Khan of the Great Wei?'"

Upon hearing this, Yuwentai became even more certain that this group was after Li Shuang.

After Li Shuang led his army into Luoyang, he took control of the entire city and implemented the Equal-Field System, rewarding meritorious soldiers with land.

The Yuan clan members had many complaints about this.

But where does their confidence come from?
How could the troops under the command of the Yuan clan possibly stand against Li Shuang?
Yuwen Tai couldn't understand it, and just then, a report came from outside.

Yuan Xiu arrived, saying he wanted to rest here for a few days.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tai's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Let him into the manor!"

……

Jinyong City.

Upstairs in the tower, Li Shuang was looking at the documents sent from Guanzhong.

Hou Jing stood by, indignant.

"Your Majesty, these people are too ungrateful! How about I go and teach them a lesson?"

Li Shuang listened and asked:
"What do you want?"

"I led my troops and captured them all." Li Shuang smiled and asked:

"In that case, how are we any different from the Erzhu clan?"

Hou Jing listened and explained:

"Your Majesty, you don't know, I asked those Hu people and the passersby who were there at the time, and it was Yuan Xiu who stirred up trouble. He insisted on buying someone else's fine horse at the price of a nag, and when the other party refused to sell, he wouldn't let them leave!"

Li Shuang, however, said:
"They're just stirring up trouble, but what can you do about it?"

Hou Jing asked doubtfully:
"What do these people want to do?"

This is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!
"These Yuan clan members want people in Luoyang and even the whole country to think that we are the next Erzhu clan! In this way, it will be very difficult to implement the equal-field decree or anything else."

After listening, Hou Jing said:

"These people really know how to play dirty tricks! Your Majesty, what should we do?"

Li Shuang said:
"Bring those barbarians here."

"promise!"

Before long, Hou Jing brought those Hu people to him.

They were all tall, unlike the short stature of ordinary Hu people. Even when Hu people came to pay homage, they maintained a certain decorum and wouldn't send people with pointed faces and monkey-like features.

As soon as they entered the house, they knelt down and said:
"Greetings, Heavenly Khan!"

Li Shuang looked down at them and did not tell them to get up.

The group of Hu people were somewhat uneasy, and one of them spoke up:

“We know we have caused trouble for the Heavenly Khan, and we are willing to submit to his disposal.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang asked:
"How is your harvest this year, tribes?"

"Thanks to the grace of the Heavenly River Khan, our tribe has had a bountiful harvest this year. We have gained more than 3,000 head of cattle and sheep, 200 young offspring, dozens of cartloads of furs and medicinal herbs, and more than 1,000 shi of millet."

Li Shuang listened and laughed:
"Your tribe is skilled in treating cattle, sheep, horses, and camels. Twenty of you may be sent to Chang'an for further training. I intend to establish a livestock supervisory office in Xia Prefecture. After you have completed your studies, you will enter the Xia Prefecture supervisory office to raise cattle, sheep, horses, and camels. Initially, you will be ranked as the ninth grader, and those who excel will be promoted."

"We thank the Heavenly Khan!"

Li Shuang waved his hand and said:

"No one in Luoyang can cause me any trouble. You will all go to the Ministry of Justice today and surrender yourselves. We'll deal with you as you see fit!"

"As ordered!"

After the few Hu people left, Hou Jing approached and asked:

"Your Majesty, is this matter concluded?"

Li Shuang smiled and said:
"This matter is over, but more troubles will follow."

"What about that?"

"How do you think these members of the Yuan clan have the audacity to stir up trouble at this time?"

Hou Jing stroked his beard upon hearing this.

"The Yuan family doesn't have many soldiers. Even if Prince Yuan Yue of Runan goes to Henan, he still doesn't have many men under his command!"

At that moment, Hou Jing suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said:
"Could it be that they colluded with the Liang people?"

Li Shuang said:
“Yuwentai has already been implicated; we can’t let Gao Huanguang see this.”

Hou Jing, upon hearing this, patted his chest and said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have nine ways to get that brat He Liuhun involved in this matter, nine ways!"

Li Shuang nodded and said:

"In that case, I'll leave Luoyang to you for now."

Hou Jing was somewhat surprised and asked:
"Where is Your Majesty going?"

"I need to return to Guanzhong to handle matters concerning the various pastoral supervisors!"
-
If agriculture is the foundation of a country, then animal husbandry is about its potential.

Livestock and boats were the most important means of transportation in this era.

Both the Qin and Han dynasties prospered because of their horse administration, with cavalry dominating the world and intimidating the surrounding barbarians.

Of course, there were also dynasties where the horse administration was a complete mess, resulting in a complete mess of military strength.

Li Shuang led his troops back to Guanzhong, but instead of going to Chang'an, he went to Shayuan!

There were already people waiting here.

Jia Sixie!

When Li Shuang met Jia Sixie, he was leading a large group of students to inspect the animal herds in the newly built ranch in Shayuan.

As Li Shuang's Grand Minister of Agriculture, Jia Sixie has been in charge of agricultural affairs in Guanzhong for many years. He has also cultivated a large number of students who are proficient in agronomy, thus providing Guanzhong with a large number of talents.

Upon seeing Li Shuang arrive, Jia Sixie cupped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities, how about it?"

Jia Sixie said:
"The water and grass here are excellent. The cattle and sheep I raise here have delicious meat and produce a lot of milk, which can be used to make cheese. In addition, I have built cellars here and organized people to cut grass and bury it in the cellars so that it can be used to feed the cattle and sheep in winter."

Located at the confluence of the Wei and Luo Rivers, Shayuan boasts excellent water and grass, and is alkaline soil. Horse ranches were established here as early as the Han Dynasty, making it a top-tier pasture in Guanzhong.

Li Shuang nodded, and after leaving with Jia Sixie, returned to the temporary tent.

When Jia Sixie was alone with Li Shuang, he gave a long and detailed report on his work progress.

Although there are places in Guanzhong where rice is grown, the production area is small, and most areas, like other parts of northern China, are dry fields.

Under Jia Sixie's rule, a crop rotation system of millet, wheat, and beans was implemented, resulting in three harvests every two years.

For the nomadic peoples of the north, agriculture was a rudimentary activity. They did cultivate the land, sometimes supplementing their diet with crops. However, nomadic agriculture consisted mainly of sowing seeds in the ground and then harvesting whatever amount they could the following year.

But for Jia Sixie, agriculture was art.

The construction of people's houses, the differences in the planting of cash crops on Yongye fields, and the water and land topography of various places are all closely related to agriculture.

For the people of Guanzhong, agricultural production under Jia Sixie's leadership was simple and convenient, but not simplistic.

Li Shuang nodded and said:

"I intend to establish several supervisory offices in Guanzhong, Lingxia, Hengshuo and other places to oversee cattle, sheep, camels and horses."

Jia Sixie walked over to Li Shuang, looked at the details, and was somewhat surprised.

Animal husbandry was extremely developed in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it was even once a pillar industry of the country. At that time, a million horses were raised in the Damaying Grassland, also known as the Shandan Military Horse Farm.

Even today, a large number of them remain.

Jia Sixie looked at Li Shuang's design, which was basically an upgrade of the old system of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

In addition to the Longyou Supervisory Office, the Hexi Supervisory Office, the Xiazhou Supervisory Office, and the Hengshuo Supervisory Office, there were also the Chang'an Pasture Supervisory Office, the Shayuan Supervisory Office, and the Loufan Supervisory Office.

This is indeed a grand idea, but it will not be completed in just one or two years.

Why does the Ma administration need the government to promote this?
The biggest reason is that ordinary people don't like raising horses.

When ordinary people raise chickens, they only need to feed them some millet occasionally. Not only can they eat it, but the chickens can also lay eggs, enriching their meals.

Pigs are easy to raise and eat, and they are very beneficial to agricultural production. Even the bones left after slaughtering a pig can be ground into powder and scattered in the fields to fertilize the land.

Needless to say, cattle are the mainstay of farming and transportation for ordinary people!
Horses are different. Raising horses not only takes time and energy, but is also very costly. More importantly, they are not very useful.

When it comes to plowing and transportation, horses are no match for oxen.

In terms of meat and milk production, horses cannot compare to cattle, sheep, and pigs.

Moreover, horses defecate while eating, and their droppings are acidic, which spoils crops.

For farmers, there's no time to care for horses, and raising them isn't cost-effective. Moreover, the sheer amount of damage they cause to crops is a fatal flaw.

Therefore, the horse administration must be promoted by the state, which means that the people should raise horses on a large scale in the private sector and that a lot of subsidies should be provided.

However, this era is different. There are many nomadic tribes in the north. Accepting them can reduce the cost of raising horses.

Jia Sixie glanced through it, and when he saw the Shayuanjian (Sand Garden Supervisor), he became somewhat curious.

"Did Your Majesty establish the Sand Garden Supervisory Office, specifically for the breeding of cattle and sheep, to supply Chang'an exclusively?"

Li Shuang shook his head and said:

"It's for breeding purposes."

"Breeding?"

Li Shuang looked at Jia Sixie, his hands behind his back, with a somewhat inscrutable expression.

"As a leading agricultural scientist of our time, are you aware of the principle of natural selection?"

……

(End of this chapter)