Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 207 Politics

(I stayed up all night writing and forgot about Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. I added a plot point in the previous chapter. Subscribers can refresh the page; you won't be charged again.)
When Zhang Xian and his entourage stepped through the heavy and solid gate of Weize Pass, the area inside the pass had transformed into a bustling city of workshops.

The huge waterwheels, driven by the rushing stream drawn from the inside of the gate wall, rumbled tirelessly, powering rows of wooden spinning wheels and looms.

Truckloads of freshly arrived raw wool and bundles of cotton were quickly unloaded and thrown into huge washing pools or sent to cotton-carding sheds.

The newly made winter clothing was packed into carts and carried by mules and horses, or by strong laborers on their shoulders and backs, against the flow of people, towards the depths of the Taihang Mountains, towards the Yellow Turban refugee groups still trekking through the wind and snow.

Zhang Xian reined in the black shadow and quietly watched the bustling scene before him.

Zhao Yun, A Shan, and the others beside him were already used to this kind of scene.

But for Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, this was far too shocking; they all stared wide-eyed.

"Lord!"

Zhao Hu, who was in charge of Weize Pass, ran up to Zhang Xian and greeted him.

The latter glanced at him and smiled: "Well done, you can handle things on your own now."

"Hehe." Tiger Cub chuckled and scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Xian tapped his head impatiently. After exchanging pleasantries, he straightened his expression and asked, "How far have the refugees gone?"

Zhao Hu's simple smile faded slightly, and he replied seriously, "My lord, the number of refugees who have passed through the area in the past twenty-odd days is approximately 230,000."

As you instructed, those who enter Weize Pass should rest for a day, eat their fill and dress warmly, then be given dry rations and ginger pieces before continuing their migration to Baijingbao.

According to reports from Baijingbao, the scholars from the county school sent by the prince were well prepared, registering households, explaining the laws, distributing land, farming tools, seeds, and instructions according to the number of people in each household, all in an orderly manner.

"It's just... there are just too many people. Baijingbao is almost overflowing."

Zhang Xian nodded slightly as he listened.

"It's alright. I imagine Wenruo has already arranged the various gathering points. The influx of refugees from Guangzong this time was indeed too large. In addition to the ordinary refugees who were already migrating to Bingzhou, it's impossible to properly accommodate them in one or two locations."

"After this incident, the population of Taiyuan will likely exceed one million."

The population was tallied at the last wedding, and it already numbered over 600,000, including 200,000 residents of Taiyuan and 400,000 displaced people.

Once the Yellow Turbans have fully entered Guangzong, the total number of refugees will likely exceed 800,000 to 900,000, and the total population will certainly not be less than one million.

After saying that, he glanced around behind him and instructed Zhao Hu, "Prepare some food and drink, with plenty of meat, so the brothers can get some rest."

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Hu bowed and accepted the order, then turned to make the arrangements.

Among the routes, Weize Pass was the largest storage point for supplies, and all supplies and provisions sent from Bingzhou to Jizhou were allocated from here.

The original Weize Pass was not particularly formidable, consisting of only some rammed earth walls. Now, however, it is a towering concrete pass, impossible to climb.

It can be said that as long as Weize Pass is occupied, the entire area east of the Taihang Mountains will be under Zhang Xian's control.

Dismount and rest.

Zhang Xian summoned Zhao Yun, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

"Zilong, the Youyi Army has suffered greatly in this battle. You should lead your troops to temporarily garrison at Weize Pass for three days to rest, replenish supplies, and reorganize military equipment."

Three days later, the garrison will be moved to Lishi. The newly subjugated Xihe tribes, though temporarily intimidated by Fengxian's military might, are unpredictable. You are tasked with working in tandem with Fengxian, training the newly subjugated herders, establishing a militia system, and strictly investigating the private possession of armor and bows and arrows. Ensure the stability of Xihe, clearing away any potential threats to your future advance towards Yunzhong, Wuyuan, and other areas!

"promise!"

"Xuan De."

"Here I am! Former General."

Liu Bei took a small step forward.

"Does Xuande want to achieve great deeds or stabilize the region?"

Zhang Xian sized up Liu Bei. Putting everything else aside, Liu Bei had been quite diligent and conscientious during his time in office.

Liu Bei's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he immediately clasped his hands and bowed: "Reporting to the General, my two brothers and I wish to make a name for ourselves!"

Zhang Xian nodded, glanced at Zhao Yun, and knew about their little spat before, but it wasn't a big deal.

So he ordered, "Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, listen to my command!"

"exist!"

"The three of you will join the Youyi Army, and your official positions will remain unchanged, directly under the command of Zhao Yun!"

"The border troops are constantly engaged in battles. If you want to achieve merit, then show your strength!"

"I will obey the former general's orders!"

The three of them looked slightly excited.

Zhang Xian waved his hand: "But let me make this clear from the start. The three of you who join my Youyi Army must understand the difference between the Bingzhou Army and other military factions. I will give you three a task."

"After joining my Youyi Army, the three of you must thoroughly study the military regulations without error. If you violate our military law, the officers' swords will not discriminate based on your talent! Xuande, you supervise Yunchang and Yide." "Yes."

Liu Bei respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhang Xian nodded slightly, said no more, turned and left the rest area, mounted his horse, and Mo Ying let out a soft neigh before taking off.

"Ah Shan! We'll head back first!"

"promise!"

Thirteen guards also mounted their horses and followed closely behind.

Zhao Yun and the others could rest, but Zhang Xian could not. There were many things to do in Bingzhou, and the Yellow Turban rebels from Guangzong were also attached to him. As the backbone of the government, he had to return as soon as possible to take charge of the administration.

Moreover, matters such as being enfeoffed as a marquis, promoted to the rank of General of the Vanguard, and given command of the military affairs of three prefectures need to be discussed thoroughly with Wenruo and the others.
-
Jinyang City, Prefectural Governor's Office.

Inside the warm pavilion, the charcoal fire dispelled the harsh winter chill, but it couldn't dispel the busyness.

A huge map of Bingzhou was laid out on a long table, covered with various cinnabar symbols and tiny characters.

Xun Yu, Chen Ji, Wang Lie, Han Ji and other core subordinates gathered together, and everyone looked exhausted.

"...As of yesterday, the number of refugees registered in Baijingbao has reached 247,000."

The voice of the clerk was hoarse: "Among them, about 200,000 people were granted land in the newly reclaimed areas of Daling, Zishi, and Pingtao counties. They were temporarily settled in the Zhaoyuze reclamation site. Eight thousand of them, who were craftsmen, participated in the construction of water conservancy and roads as work-for-relief and have been gradually moved into the Luqi workshop area."

"The rest of them still live in the villages around Baijingbao."

"Food and provisions!"

Xun Yu's voice slowly rang out: "How much grain does the Zhaoyuze reclamation site consume daily? How much grain is needed for the newly added artisan households in the workshop area? Are the seed reserves sufficient for spring planting? How much ironware and oxen are still needed for land reclamation? These figures need to be confirmed!"

"Reporting to the Prefect!" The granary clerk quickly unrolled a thick book.

"Zhaoyu Ze has 200,000 people, and the daily consumption of millet is... Due to the work-for-relief program, the rations for able-bodied men have been doubled, and the total demand for millet is about 3,000 shi! The rations for newly added artisans and their families in the workshop area are about 100 shi per day! For spring wheat planting, 70% of the millet seeds have been prepared, but there is still a 30% shortage, which is being purchased from various places in Taiyuan at a fair price."

There is a huge shortage of iron farm tools due to the overwhelming influx of new residents. The newly established Fenyang Ironworks, located beside Zhaoyu Marsh, is working day and night, but it still can't meet half the demand! Oxen… are being mobilized from both the north and west!

A series of cold numbers came crashing down, and the air in the warm room seemed to freeze even more.

Two hundred and forty thousand people! That's almost the entire population of the former Taiyuan Prefecture! And these people are newcomers, producing almost nothing in the short term, relying entirely on existing resources. Their daily food consumption is a bottomless pit! Not to mention resettlement, land allocation, and production tools...

Han Ji had been silent, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the back of the chair. He suddenly spoke up: "The pressure on food supplies can be temporarily alleviated by using the newly made compressed military rations."

This product is made from wheat bran, soybean meal, millet scraps, oil, salt, and sugar. Although it has a coarse texture, one piece is enough to feed a strong man for half a day, and it is durable for storage and transportation.

Currently, daily production is 5,000 pieces. With the arrival of the water-powered sledgehammers in the spring, production can double. Priority will be given to able-bodied men in Zhaoyuze's work-for-relief program and to settlements further away, facilitating transportation.

Xun Yu's eyes lit up: "Excellent! This is very good! When you arrive, we must increase production!"

"We can't increase the production of military rations in the short term, but we are short of ironware."

Han Ji continued, his gaze fixed on the map: "The key lies in the wind! Manpower and animal power are too inefficient for wind pumping, which restricts iron production, and water power is also limited in winter."

The 'fire chamber' (steam engine prototype) test at the workshop is nearing completion and can be used for trial purposes.

I intend to dispatch skilled craftsmen, carrying key components and blueprints, to Fenyang Ironworks immediately to modify the water-powered blast furnace into a 'fire chamber' blast furnace! If successful, iron production can triple within ten days!

"A fire chamber with blowing air?" Wang Lie stroked his beard, his eyes showing surprise: "Gongzhi, is this thing... truly so miraculous?"

"Absolutely true!"

Han Ji said decisively, "This is the secret of the investigation of things taught by our lord! It is by no means an exaggeration! The cylinder and piston need to be cast from fine iron, but the iron in Bingzhou is sufficient for this purpose!"

"Good!" Xun Yu praised.

"This matter will be fully supervised by Gongzhi! The workers and materials of the craft workshop and Fenyang Ironworks will all be at your disposal!"
"Yes, sir!" Han Ji accepted the order.

Inside the warm pavilion, decisions concerning the survival of hundreds of thousands of people and the future of Bingzhou were quickly reached through intense discussions and efficient deployment.

Just then, a guard's voice rang out from outside the door: "Reporting to the Prefect! The Lord's carriage has arrived at the gate!"

The room fell silent instantly.

Everyone stood up at the same time, straightened their clothes, and turned their eyes toward the door, filled with excitement and anticipation at having found their leader.

The sound of heavy footsteps came closer and closer.

The door to the warm pavilion was pushed open, and Zhang Xian, dressed in a black casual suit with unmelted snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders, strode in.

His gaze swept across the people in the pavilion like a hawk's, over the mountain of documents and maps on the table, and finally landed on their faces, which were etched with the marks of their toil.

Without exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Xian went straight to the head seat and sat down, his voice steady and calm.

"Wenruo, Your Excellency has arrived, Your Highnesses... You have all worked hard."

"Now, tell me, is our savings enough to sustain us?"

(End of this chapter)