Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 104 Teasing Zhong (Please read 4k words)

Lüqi Tieguan Town.

Zhang Xianyi is here today for his inspection.

As a town located at the foot of Wufeng Mountain, most of the residents here are blacksmiths and miners.

With an annual output of 100,000 jin of pig iron, it is evident that this small town has a considerable level of productivity.

It contained twenty-three furnaces, more than thirty master ironworkers, and hundreds of apprentices.

When Zhang Xian and his group arrived, these people were still smelting pig iron.

The craftsmen of Tieguan Town didn't care who owned Tieguan Town; all they cared about was the wages they could earn each day after smelting iron.

The group toured all the furnaces in the town.

Zhang Xian nodded secretly. The furnace method used here is the steelmaking method. The official ironworks are different; the techniques they use are much better than those used by ordinary people.

However, it still can't compare to the steel-frying furnace in Taoyuan.

The twenty-three furnaces produce 100,000 jin of iron annually, while each furnace produces only a little over 4,000 jin per year.

Compared to the Taoyuan steelmaking furnace, which produces over a thousand kilograms of steel per batch, the production capacity here is much lower.

Should we build a new Taoyuan steel frying furnace here?
After thinking it over for a while, Zhang Xian ultimately decided not to choose this place.

He turned his head and whispered to Han Ji beside him: "Change the positioning of Tieguan Town from iron smelting to iron ore rough processing. The iron ore coming down from the mountain gathers here and is only used for separating iron ore raw materials."

“A new site will be selected downstream of Heishuidu, and a new site will be built. The flow of the Hutuo River is far greater than that of Taoyuan Creek, and the power of the water will be even more powerful here.”

Han Ji quickly wrote down the following with a fine-tipped hard pen: "Take advantage of the winter off-season for farming, and arrange for manpower to build a furnace and a water forging workshop as soon as possible."

Zhang Xian nodded and hummed in agreement.

After inspecting Tieguan Town, the same thing happened in Yanguan Town, which was more than ten miles away.

Now that both towns are under Zhang Xian's complete control, the corresponding officials are naturally all personally appointed by Zhang Xian.

Unfortunately, few people are literate now, so he can only have a large number of officials manage things using the most primitive counting methods.

However, the situation should improve significantly after spring arrives, when the relatives of the craftsmen in Taoyuan will have completed literacy courses, and there will be about 200 literate people using the service.

If Zhang Xian were willing, he could even allow some of the county soldiers to leave the military and become officials.

However, he decided to wait and see. He was reluctant to part with the soldiers from Taoyuan, and he was also uneasy about the newly recruited county soldiers. So he decided to wait until after spring to see how things went.

Like Tieguan Town, Yanguan Town was also filled with steaming heat.

After the salt rocks are crushed, they are rinsed with water, and then this water is introduced into salt fields that resemble farmland.

Then it settles, crystallizes, is collected, and then boiled.

Boiling salt was a very common method, and although the finished salt was mostly yellowish-brown and of inferior quality, this was the type of salt that most people ate during that era.

The small quantity of premium salt produced was circulated among powerful and wealthy families.

After touring the entire town of Yanguan, Zhang Xian already had a general idea in mind.

Yanguan Town can be reformed; at least he already has ideas about the salt-making method.

Thanks to his experience in sugar production and various crafts in Changshan, he can understand the core ingenuity of simple crafts at a glance.

The problem with salt production by boiling is that the initial melting process is too simplified. If a filter pond is added to the existing salt pond, the quality of the finished salt will be greatly improved.

This is not difficult; all you need to do is raise a new pool around the existing salt pond and line it with gravel and some charcoal.

He turned to Han Ji and spoke, which the latter wrote down on a piece of paper.

The inspection of the two towns did not take too long, and the group returned to Lüqi County before noon.

Before the start of spring, Luqi is destined to be a quiet time, and the only thing people can do is stay home and have children.

"County Duke, County Assistant."

Upon entering the main hall, a young man dressed like a scholar rose and bowed.

This man is Gu Yu, the head of the Gu family. He has now been recruited as the registrar of Lüqi County, and his main job is to handle all the trivial matters of Lüqi County.

Zhang Xian nodded slightly and smiled, "Shi Lin has indeed worked hard."

Shi Lin is Gu Yu's courtesy name. He has been recruited for four or five days, and the group has become quite familiar with each other.

Gu Yu smiled humbly and said, "It is my honor to be able to share the burdens of the county magistrate and the county assistant magistrate. It is no hardship for me."

Han Ji smiled wryly to the side, "Not hard work? Then you're in luck. Just wait and see. Once you're trusted a little more, you'll know whether it's hard work or not."

You haven't experienced life in Peach Blossom Spring. Your lord treats one person like four or five!

Gongda, oh Gongda, you must grant my request and come to share my burdens!
With his mind wandering, Han Ji bowed to Zhang Xian and said, "Lord County Magistrate, I will first select a site for the Blackwater Ferry."

The latter nodded: "You may leave once you arrive."

After saying this, he took his seat in the main seat and began his daily official duties.

Sure enough, after a registrar was appointed, the tedium of his work was greatly reduced.

All official business was categorized by the registrar, and he could usually skim through most items of the same category.

No wonder the prime minister system has appeared repeatedly in history; it is indeed a good function that lightens the burden.

Similarly, it is a function that easily produces powerful ministers.

Zhang Xian glanced at Gu Yu on the side table, and spoke as he wrote down his corrections.

"Shi Lin, are you getting used to the affairs of the county government?"

"Reporting to the County Lord, although there are some tedious tasks, they are nothing compared to being able to share your burdens."

"Shi Lin is very kind. How has the Gu family been lately? Is there anything we can do to help them?"

"Thanks to the county magistrate's care, the Gu family is doing well, and recently, many of the clan members are grateful for the county magistrate's new policies."

"Haha, that's good. There are too few loyal and virtuous families like the Gu family in Lüchi. If the other four families could be used by me like Shi Lin, then why should Lüchi not prosper?"

Gu Yu's forehead was sweating, and he said with a forced smile, "The county magistrate is kind and benevolent. One day, he will understand."

"Sigh, I hope so," Zhang Xian sighed softly, placing a wooden slip he had already reviewed aside.

As if it were a normal, casual conversation, he spoke again.

The fingertips tapped lightly on the table, producing a rhythmic sound.

"Shi Lin, I heard that your younger brother has been studying the Analects of Confucius recently?"

Gu Yu paused in his work, then respectfully replied, "Your Excellency is wise; my younger brother is indeed studying at the clan school, but he is simply slow-witted."

“Hey,” Zhang Xianpai interrupted, waving his hand, “The worst thing a scholar can do is to belittle himself. We do have a few annotated volumes of the Analects here in this county; take them back to him another day.”

Gu Yu quickly stood up and bowed: "Thank you for your kindness, magistrate, but..." "But what?" A hint of amusement flashed in Zhang Xian's eyes.

Gu Yu looked troubled: "My younger brother is unruly and unruly; I fear I may disappoint the county magistrate's good intentions."

Zhang Xian suddenly laughed: "It's alright, this county enjoys disciplining naughty children the most."

"By the way, Shi Lin, have you ever heard of the fragrant wine of Han Tan?"

A hint of surprise and confusion flashed in Gu Yu's eyes: "I have indeed heard of it, but this wine is mostly sold in Luoyang and the south. I've only heard of its name, but I don't know what it tastes like."

"Haha, to be honest, Shi Lin, this wine is a secret recipe from our county. Now that Lu Qi has arrived, we'll naturally be brewing it again," Zhang Xian smiled. "I wonder if Shi Lin would be interested in participating?"

Gu Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "The Gu family is willing to share the county magistrate's burdens."

Zhang Xian nodded in satisfaction: "I've been thinking that the Gu family has been rooted in Luzhou for many years and is familiar with all parts of Bingzhou. How about this: this wine will be sold to the Zhou family in Changshan for 30,000 coins for 100 catties, but since Shi Lin is one of our own, how about giving him 26,000 coins?"

"This is too generous a gift from the county magistrate," Gu Yu said, her face showing alarm. "The Gu family dares not be greedy; we will accept whatever amount is appropriate."

“Hey,” Zhang Xian patted his shoulder, “Am I such a mean-spirited person? Besides, I’ve said this is leniency towards Shi Lin’s own people.” He added meaningfully, “Does Shi Lin not consider himself one of our own?”

Startled, Gu Yu rose and bowed deeply: "Gu Yu dares not presume; to receive the county magistrate's favor is truly my greatest honor."

Zhang Xian patted him on the shoulder, inviting him to sit down, and casually asked, "By the way, have any families been exchanging letters frequently between the prefecture and Lüqi lately?"

Gu Yu's back stiffened, then she said frankly, "Half a month ago, my uncle wrote to inquire about the current situation in the county. I have truthfully reported the county magistrate's new policies. As for the other families, I am not aware of them yet."

"Very good." Zhang Xian smiled with satisfaction. "Lin will have to be extra careful then. We can't let our business, which has just started to take off, be ruined by those lurking parasites."

A flash of understanding crossed Gu Yu's eyes: "I understand."

"Hehehe, when it comes to handling official business, I always say things that are irrelevant when I'm doing things. Shilin, you'll have to remind me in the future."

"only"

Just after noon, Zhang Xian finished his official business in the county and went to his home farm, which was a few hundred meters away from the county.

Accompanying Zhao Yun's baggage train this time were several chickens and ducks, as well as several cattle, horses, and pigs from the farm.

They didn't bring many, but two males and two females were enough for breeding.

The reason for bringing these livestock from Taoyuan is that they have been breeding in the farmland for a long time and are obviously superior to ordinary livestock.

Especially those horses, the best of which are from the Modaoshi tribe in Bingzhou. Naturally, he wants to focus on training excellent warhorses so that when the Lüchi Iron Cavalry comes out, it can directly and fundamentally defeat the Hu people and Xianbei.

Squatting in the farmland watering and fertilizing, Zhang Xian thought about the Hu people beyond the Great Wall. He thought that it would be time to send the county soldiers out to work in the spring. Every year in late autumn and early spring, it was the peak season for the Hu people and Xianbei to plunder and harvest grain.

Elite troops can only be forged through iron and blood. To be honest, the Peach Blossom Spring soldiers have reached a critical point through closed-door intensive training alone, and simple intensive training can no longer have a significant effect on strengthening them.

The reason they continue to train so hard is simply to set an example for the newly recruited soldiers.

Therefore, he intended to take the soldiers of Taoyuan out to see blood.

Spring will arrive in two months, and by then all the newly recruited county soldiers will be trustworthy, so the timing is perfect.

As for the rule that troops cannot be dispatched without authorization,...
No, I sent them out on my own. How could you possibly know that these soldiers were sent out from Lüqi?
With all the crops well taken care of, the sugarcane, though not cold-resistant, is still growing under the protection of the farmland, only its ripening time has been extended to 600 hours, making it stand out from most other crops that take 480 hours.

In winter, the unsuitable season causes the yields of farmland to double over time.

Even in pastoral areas, the egg production of chickens and ducks has decreased significantly.

Fortunately, Zhang Xian's current priority is to refill the livestock pens, so it's fine to proceed slowly.

In addition to the multi-generational breeding poultry he brought from Taoyuan, he also purchased a batch of native poultry from Bingzhou to supplement his herd.

If a type of poultry that is highly adaptable to multiple regions and environments can be developed in the future, it will be beneficial for its large-scale promotion.

In biological terms, it means supplementing the genetic diversity within an organism.

Brushing fur, feeding animals—the county magistrate, dressed in a fur coat, worked without any airs of officialdom. If the local tyrants and common people saw this, they would probably be astonished.
-
Changshan.

After following the caravan for more than ten days, Xi Zhong arrived at Changshan Zhen Ding. He felt that he should still visit Taoyuan.

How can you quickly understand a person? Visit the place where they started out.

Although I intend to go to Luqi to assist him, it's always good to learn more about my future lord's character.

Some strategies can only be implemented if they are tailored to the ruler's character and personality.

The strategy of strategizing for one's lord is to plan for the future and overall direction of one's ruler. If the strategy does not align with the ruler's interests, then even the best strategy may not be as good as a bad one.

Xi Zhong sees himself as a strategist, so he wants to know everything about his lord.

Peach Blossom Spring.

Leading a packhorse with a bag on its saddle, Xi Zhong thoughtfully surveyed the village, its grounds clearly marked by white snow.

Smoke rose from the chimneys, children played and frolicked, and a group of three hundred strong young men jogged energetically around the village.

'The weather was indeed pleasant; the villagers had rosy complexions and mostly smiling eyes, proving Zhang Zixu's kindness was beyond doubt.'

He stepped forward, and as soon as he entered the village, two people came to meet him.

Their attitude wasn't exactly bad, but they were certainly very wary.

"Who are you? This paradise does not accept wandering travelers for the time being."

Xi Zhong smiled and bowed respectfully: "I wonder if Mr. Zixu is at the manor? I have a chronic illness and would like to ask Mr. Zixu to diagnose it."

Upon hearing that they had come seeking medical treatment, the two men's guard lessened slightly. One of them sighed, "You've come at a really bad time. If you had come here a month or two ago, I, the head of this estate, could have treated you. But now that I've taken office as the magistrate of Luqi County, I'm afraid I can't help you much."

Another person chimed in, "You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you have a meal in Taoyuan and rest for a while? Although the owner of a certain manor has gone to take up his post as the magistrate of Luqi County, a great doctor often comes to the manor to provide medical care. You can find a farmhouse nearby to stay temporarily, which should alleviate your pain."

Xi Zhong laughed even more heartily.

The saying "to see the whole leopard from a single spot" applies to the ordinary villagers under Zhang Zixu's command, which further proves the authenticity of his character.

“Hoo—ha—!”

The three hundred villagers who had been running around the village passed by the village entrance again.

Upon seeing the three men at the village entrance, the leader gave the order: "A-Biao, lead the team and continue!"

"promise!"

Then he walked over.

Despite the harsh winter weather, Xiahou Lan was dressed in only a thin, short outfit, her long hair tied up and wrapped in a headscarf, looking quite ordinary.

"What's the matter?"

He stepped closer and asked, his eyes fixed on Xi Zhong.

　The next chapter will be later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)