Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 208 Zhang Ning
He sat down and began to speak, his hand already holding the grain and fodder register.

Xun Yu cupped his hands and said, “My lord, the grain reserves in Taiyuan County are still sufficient, but there are too many people pouring in all at once. Although there is enough grain, we are short of manpower. Moreover, each meal requires fuel for cooking. These are the problems that are troubling us.”

Zhang Xian nodded upon hearing Xun Yu's report, but did not reply.

A deep voice began reading the records from the grain and fodder register.

"Two hundred and forty-seven thousand people..."

"Zhao Yuze consumes 3,000 shi of grain daily... workshops consume 100 shi... spring planting seeds are still 30% short... ironware is more than half short..."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the tired and tense faces of everyone present.

“Wenruo, Gongzhi, Wanggong, Yuanfang… you have all done your utmost, and I am very pleased.”

He pushed aside the grain register, leaned forward slightly, and an invisible aura emanated from him.

"But now is not the time for us to rest. There are still two or three hundred thousand refugees arriving along the route."

"We have toiled in the wilderness for this very day!"

He suddenly stood up, walked to the huge map of Bingzhou, and pointed heavily at the mark of the Zhaoyuze New Reclamation Area.

"The distribution of land, the reclamation of wasteland, the construction of irrigation ditches and roads all require manpower. I have only one requirement: all officials must be loyal to their duties and not slacken! If we can get through the most difficult and challenging first few months, the people of Bingzhou will respond in kind!"

His eyes gleamed: "Just imagine, with a million people gathered, what a prosperous scene Taiyuan, and even Bingzhou in the future, will be!"

"In addition," Zhang Xian smiled slightly.

"Now I have received the gold seal and purple ribbon, the jade tablet and court robes, and have been appointed as the Marquis of Jinxiang, General of the Vanguard, and Governor-General of the military affairs of You, Liang and Bing provinces."

"The former general's mansion has been opened, and you all now hold official positions in the former general's mansion. Your Excellency has arrived."

He looked at Han Ji: "In the General's Mansion, you will be in charge of the craftsmen as the Left Chief Secretary."

Compressing military rations is a good strategy! Therefore, production must be increased again! If the water-powered sledgehammers are exhausted in winter, then add more people! Three shifts, day and night! The necessary wheat bran, soybean meal, soybean fat, and salt should be supplied by the granary officials at all costs, with priority given to them! The coarse taste is fine; the more military rations you produce, the fewer refugees will have to worry about firewood!

"In addition, I will also supervise the manufacture of new fire chamber forging hammers and put them into use as soon as possible."

"As the General commands!"

Han Ji clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will personally oversee production. Within ten days, daily output will surely exceed eight thousand!"

He looked at Zhang Xian with surprise, never expecting that his lord would be promoted again after just one trip!
The same goes for the others. Marquis of Jinxiang, former general—what an honor! Each of them is now proud of it!

After arranging for Han Ji, Zhang Xian turned his gaze to Xun Yu: "Wenruo, you shall order the Right Chief Secretary to continue serving concurrently as the Prefect of Taiyuan Commandery. The military settlement and grain distribution must be carried out without any disorder! You shall be in charge of the overall situation."

Xun Yu bowed respectfully: "Rest assured, my lord!"

"Yuanfang, you are hereby appointed as the Attendant Gentleman of the General's Office and concurrently as the Clerk of Taiyuan. You must not slacken in the administration of officials. When new people come to the city, any official who embezzles or extorts money, no matter who he is, shall be executed without mercy! His head shall be hung at the gate of the settlement as a warning to others!"

Chen Ji bowed and accepted.

"Prince".

Zhang Xian softened his tone and looked at Wang Lie, whose hair and beard were all white.

The importance of moral education needs no further explanation.

The newly arrived people, having left their homes and homes, were bewildered and helpless. The elementary and night schools were a strategy of appeasement to bring them into Bingzhou!
I will have the paper mills and printing houses work day and night to print the required books! The required teachers will be recruited from the county schools! The county government will provide additional subsidies.

Tell them that teaching and nurturing students is a meritorious act that benefits generations to come, and it is also a virtue! In every newly reclaimed settlement and industrial area, the sound of reading must be heard!

Wang Lie, in high spirits, declared: "I accept the order! I will ensure that the words of the sages resonate deeply with the people!"

A series of orders were issued from inside the warm pavilion. Zhang Xian's return gave the officials more confidence to act.
-
On the banks of Zhaoyu Lake, the wind and snow have not yet ceased.

The vast lakeside permafrost has been laid out like a giant chessboard, with newly dug drainage ditches forming countless neat plots of land.

The cold wind whipped up snowflakes, lashing against countless hunched figures.

The most difficult part of the project was starting work on the frozen soil. It wasn't that the Taiyuan prefectural government was inhumane, but rather that the large number of displaced people gathered there. If they weren't allowed to expend their energy, trouble would break out. Many conflicts arose from idleness.

Moreover, if we don't let the refugees move, they'll just become a grain-devouring machine that consumes resources without producing anything. Although construction is difficult in the frozen ground, every little bit helps.

They start work around 9 or 10 a.m. and finish around 3 or 4 p.m. They even stop during snowy or windy weather. To put it bluntly, they don't let them be idle, but it's not about exploiting or oppressing them.

This is the newly established Zhaoyuze reclamation area, where nearly 100,000 Yellow Turban refugees who arrived earliest are gathered, waiting for spring plowing and land allocation.

They were scattered around Zhaoyuze, a large lake that converges three rivers and has enormous potential for reclamation.

According to Zhang Xian and his colleagues' calculations, the population of 100,000 was only one-eighth or one-ninth of the number that Zhaoyuze could accommodate.

If Zhao Yuze were fully utilized, this alone could support a million people.

If it weren't for the fact that it was too close to Xihe County and too far from Taiyuan, Zhang Xian would have wanted to develop this place long ago.

The confluence of the Wen River, the former Gong River, and the Fen River is a huge source of income for fishing and hunting alone!

At a large settlement, more than 10,000 refugees from Guangzong, wrapped in thick cotton-padded clothes distributed by Bingzhou, wielded picks and shovels in the cold wind, digging through frozen soil, building ditches, and ramming foundations.

A burly man with a prominent scar on his face, a former Yellow Turban leader, slammed his pickaxe into the hard frozen ground, sending up a few ice shards.

He wiped the snow and sweat from his face, looked at his fellow villager beside him who was equally exhausted and whose movements were getting slower and slower, and couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Damn it! They say they're giving us a way to survive, but what's the difference between this and forced labor? Doing such heavy work in this freezing weather! If I'd known this would happen, I would have stayed in Guangzong..."

"Scarface! Shut up!"

A slightly older, composed former commander beside him gave a low shout and glanced warily at the Bingzhou officials patrolling in the distance.

"Do you want to get us all killed? Don't forget what happened to Han Qiong and his gang! And don't forget who gave us these cotton-padded coats that can keep us from the wind and snow! Who made it possible for our wives and children to have hot porridge in the shack!"

Scarface's expression softened: "But...but this is too tiring! It's more tiring than fighting a war!"

"tired?"

The older commander sneered and pointed to the shed in the distance where things were being distributed.

"Look! You say you're tired, but who are those things prepared for? Are you doing the work for others or for yourself? This will be our fields from now on. Think about the days when people in Guangzong City were so hungry they had to eat tree bark! Think about those brothers who froze to death by the roadside!"
"It's tiring now, but at least I have food to eat and shelter from the wind! No matter how much I do, it's still work for myself, and I get work points for every bit of work I do. Work points can be exchanged for food coupons, and in the spring, we'll get land! This is real, tangible hope! Have you lost your mind?!"

The older commander spat repeatedly, and the scarred man gradually fell silent, but the force with which he swung his hoe grew stronger and stronger.

While I was working, a commotion arose in the distance.

Several officials pushed a cart piled high with grayish-white blocks over and began hawking their wares in the area.

"Extra treat today! Half a flatbread per person! Hot water is plentiful!"

The queue formed in a very orderly fashion. Over the past few days, the Yellow Turban refugees in Guangzong had also developed the habit of queuing for everything in Taiyuan.

When it was Scarface's turn, he also received half a pressed cake, which was slightly warm to the touch.

He hesitated for a moment, then broke off a small piece, put it in his mouth, and chewed it vigorously.

The rough texture, combined with the rich aroma of beans and oil, instantly fills the mouth.

Although it is far less delicious than fresh corn rice, it is truly filling.

"Hey... this stuff is really filling!" Scarface's eyes lit up, and he stuffed half a pancake into his mouth in a few bites.

Then I took a big gulp of warm water, burped contentedly, and felt my energy return.

He stopped complaining, picked up the pickaxe, and hammered the frozen soil even harder.

The older commander looked at the scarred man's change, then at his fellow villagers who were clearly invigorated after receiving the cakes, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

He silently ate his flatbread, gazing in the direction of Jinyang City.

That Mr. Zixu is truly shrewd; he used both kindness and force, offering a piece of cake and a piece of clothing.

The same scene was playing out all around Zhao Yuze.
-
Jinyang.

The backyard of the Zhang residence is a secluded little courtyard.

The snow in the courtyard had been swept clean, with a few hardy pines and cypresses dotting the landscape, exuding a sense of crisp coolness. Zhang Ning, wrapped in a plain-colored thick cotton cloak with the hood pulled low, sat alone on the railing of the covered bridge.

She stared blankly at the glistening snow on the branches in the courtyard.

His face was slightly pale, and he looked even thinner than when he was in Guangzong. His brows were furrowed with an unyielding sorrow and bewilderment.

With her father gone, the fate of hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban brothers rested on her shoulders, and was entrusted to another man.

Although Jinyang City was nice, she felt a cold and unfamiliar feeling of being out of place.

The sound of light footsteps approached.

Zhang Ning did not turn around, but continued to gaze at the accumulated snow.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Xian's voice rang out beside him, calm and unwavering.

After handing over his work at the county government, he rushed back to his residence.

Zhang Ning's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Look at the snow. The snow in Guangzong is reddish and grayish. The snow here... is very clean."

Zhang Xian sat down next to her, not looking at her, but glancing at the snow in the courtyard, and said gently, "Snow is just snow, it doesn't matter where it falls, what matters is the person looking at it."

Zhang Ning turned his head, his eyes peeking out from under the hood with a hint of inquiry and stubbornness: "Zhonglang... no, it should be Zhang Hou. Zhang Hou, you've placed me here, with fine clothes and sumptuous food, are you trying to keep me in a cage, just to be a docile caged bird?"

"A caged bird?" Zhang Xian finally turned his head to look at her, his gaze deep.

“If that were the case, your father would not have entrusted you to me, nor would he have let you know about the events unfolding inside and outside this mansion, Ning’er.”

He used this more intimate form of address once again.

"What your father left you was not shackles, but a responsibility and a strength. Hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban brothers gathered because of your father's name, and they came to Bingzhou because of your existence."

He took a thin document from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Ning: "Take a look at this."

Zhang Ning hesitated before taking it and unfolding it.

The above is written in neat handwriting, recording a small event that happened in the Zhaoyuze reclamation area today.

A minor Yellow Turban leader nicknamed Scarface complained about the hard work, but his enthusiasm was rekindled after being persuaded by his companions.

Beside it is Xun Yu's annotation: "The newly annexed people initially harbored resentment. By providing work relief in lieu of material rewards, their resentment gradually subsided, and they were put to use."

"What...does this mean?" Zhang Ning asked, puzzled.

"This is just one of the countless trivial matters that happen in Bingzhou every day."

Zhang Xian's voice was steady.

“Scarface’s resentment represents the fear and unease of countless newcomers. Ning’er, what your father wants is to give these people a way to live, a hope to live like human beings.”

This hope lies not in the vague and uncertain heavens, but in the land beneath our feet that we can cultivate, the work points we can exchange for food, the cotton clothes that keep us warm in winter, and the schools where our children can study!

He stood up and pointed in the direction of the prefectural governor's mansion: "In that mansion, countless officials are calculating the use of every grain of rice, and the chief clerk and other officials of the Ministry of Works are working desperately to increase the output of all tools and implements."

Wang Lie, in his sixties or seventies, was working tirelessly to ensure that every newly incorporated citizen could read and write! This was Bingzhou! I was giving them hope to live like human beings!
And you, Ning'er, are the bridge connecting me and them. Hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban brothers trust you and respect you. Sometimes your words are more effective than any of my military orders.

Zhang Ning gripped the document tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white.

She raised her head, meeting Zhang Xian's gaze bravely for the first time: "Lord Zhang wants to marry me?"

A few days later, Zhaoyuze Reclamation Area.

The wind and snow subsided, and the rare warm winter sun shone on the vast construction site.

Ditches were dug, shacks were built, roads were leveled... Under the efficient organization of the officials in Bingzhou, all projects proceeded in an orderly manner, like a huge ant colony.

A small commotion spread among the laborers.

"Look! That's... a young lady?"

"What a young lady! The daughter of the Great Teacher of Virtue!"

"Why has this young lady come? It's freezing cold here..."

"Look, they're coming this way!"

Zhang Ning was dressed in a thick gray cotton coat, no different from that of an ordinary woman. Her hair was tied in a bun, and her face was without makeup, even with some mud on it.

Accompanied by Zhang Bailu and the elderly canal commander Chen Zhong, she was walking along the newly dug ditch.

She was no longer the pale and fragile orphan hiding in her boudoir; her eyes now held a calmness and resilience.

She walked over to a group of people who were working hard to build the foundation of a shack, including Scarface and others.

"Brothers, you've worked hard."

Zhang Ning's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

There are no fancy words, only the simplest greetings.

The laborers stopped what they were doing and looked at her with some excitement.

"It's not hard at all! Young lady, we're not tired at all!"

"That's right, we've suffered all kinds of hardships!"

"."

The group chatted amongst themselves, each with a smile that suggested they had accepted life and death.

Her eyes swept over the crowd.

"Alright, I know you're all thinking about Guangzong again, but we've climbed out of Guangzong now!"

Her face was slightly somber: "I know that everyone had a very hard time in Guangzong, and it would have been better to die."

But now we've made it out, and it was Zhang... it was Marquis Jinxiang who gave us the path! Is this cotton-padded coat warm enough? Are those flatbreads enough to fill us up? Tired? Of course we're tired, but it's because we used our strength to earn our own land!

She pointed to a shack area where several children, bundled up tightly, were chasing and playing in the snow, with wisps of smoke rising from the rooftops.

"It's about ensuring our children have a peaceful life where they won't have to suffer from hunger and cold in the future!"

"This is our nest, our home, which we dug out bit by bit from this frozen earth with our own hands! Tired? Think of spring! Think of us planting seeds with our own hands and watching the green seedlings sprout! Think of autumn, the golden waves of wheat! Think of those days when we had grain in our hands, firewood in our houses, and our children had books to read!"

"We have tasted all kinds of suffering! Now! I proclaim this in the name of Heaven to the people of Heaven!"

"I hereby command you all! Live each day well from now on, live in peace and prosperity!"

On the snow, many devout believers of Huangtian were already in tears.

They wiped the snow and tears from their faces and responded loudly to Zhang Ning.

"We! We humbly obey the decree of Heaven!"

"I will obey the decree of Heaven!"

"The young lady is right!"

"Yes! For the children! For our own land!"

"We've endured all kinds of hardships! This is nothing!"

"Let's get to work! The sooner we finish, the sooner we get our share of the land!"

Scarface slapped his face hard, spat fiercely, swung the ram, and slammed it down on the wooden stake with all his might, producing a dull, powerful thud—a sound that seemed to herald the start of a war!

The surrounding laborers responded in unison, their shouts and the clanging of tools rising one after another.

Chen Zhong looked at Zhang Ning's figure in the crowd, his old eyes filled with satisfaction.

Great and wise teacher, your daughter... has grown up!

(End of this chapter)