Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 221 King Wu's Benevolent Governance

At Shenwu Palace, Beiji Wu was looking at the reports that had been coming in from all over the country recently.

The ninth year of the reign of Emperor Wu was a crucial year, but why?

Arctic Martial Arts has reorganized the various events that have occurred this year.

At the beginning of the year, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain were hit by a snow disaster, and the province of Shan Nong was also hit by an earthquake.

However, it was also during the New Year period of that year that the steam engine entered the experimental stage, and the research on the internal combustion engine also matured.

At the same time, steel technology has also entered a bottleneck stage that Arctic weapons can not yet comprehend.

The fact that Arctic Weapons can no longer provide technical support to the entire steel industry also means that steel furnaces no longer need frequent upgrades.

The original long-life blast furnace began to extend its lifespan, allowing for a stable increase in output.

Advances in steel and construction technology accelerated the construction speed of steelmaking furnaces and factories, coupled with gradually increasing cement production and the availability of cement raw materials that could be crushed using steam engines.

Explosives and technology have improved mining efficiency, enabling the use of deep-seated resources such as copper, iron, and coal.

They already possessed the technology for deep mining before open-pit coal, copper, and iron were exhausted.

Trains were just the beginning; after copper wire, iron, rubber, and other materials were developed, electric systems followed suit.

The invention of electricity was actually very simple and not difficult at all. You could generate electricity by rotating a magnet or coil. Craftsmen could understand this childlike technology after watching it a few times.

The use of electricity is a crucial step in starting an internal combustion engine; without the spark of electricity, the internal combustion engine would not exist.

The main purpose of creating this was to solve the welding problem; Arctic Forces are currently less concerned with intelligence exchange and maintaining imperial rule.

He's almost thirty years old, and many things he's done well are meant for future generations to enjoy, but Beijiwu doesn't seem to care much about his descendants.

The faster the intelligence exchange, the more issues need to be resolved. Arctic Martial Arts doesn't have that many urgent issues to resolve.

Steam systems are being rapidly adopted in various large factories, and the key components of steam equipment are also beginning to be developed in a large-scale, specialized, and collaborative manner with the establishment of hundreds of factories.

The steam factory served as the new district, and the first industrial city was gradually established.

It took only six months from the first officially operating train to the third.

Many parts were forged by hand, and the use of steam boilers simplified the work that used to require a lot of workers to work overtime for long periods of time.

More people were put into industrialization and became full-time workers.

Serving King Wu was an honor, and facts have shown that the productivity of slavery was not low.

A group of free men, having just obtained slave status, were terrified that others would think they weren't working hard enough.

The locomotive, which originally required four or five hundred craftsmen to work for half a year to produce, was now built by only three or four thousand people in just six months, resulting in the second and third locomotives.

The high salaries reported in the newspapers for public sector employees were not fabricated; they were indeed lowered to avoid public criticism.

Once industrialized production capacity reaches the mobilization capacity of tens of thousands of people and has a mature production system, then the production capacity will become extremely formidable.

The hundreds of factories in the Wuzhou Industrial Zone can guarantee an annual production of 200 locomotives, which is sufficient to meet the needs of coal mines and critical cargo transportation.

However, there aren't that many railway tracks, so there's only one road for going back and forth, and there's no second railway available.

Currently, three trains travel back and forth within their respective areas along the line, without touching each other.

How to avoid train collisions and how to transport goods across regions are the problems that the Ministry of Transport needs to solve.

Production capacity can be increased dramatically, but the railway tracks still need to be repaired slowly.

Most of the steam engines were kept by the factories for upgrading their own equipment, while others were handed over to shipyards to build steam warships, or used to mix cement, smash stones, stamp steel, and perform hot piercing on steel.

With the technology to pierce red-hot steel, it became possible to manufacture steel pipes necessary for industrial equipment, making trains far superior in quality than before.

Electricity can be used in welding to solve the problems in cylinder manufacturing.

Although there are still many problems with the technology and equipment, the current production capacity is sufficient for the needs of the Mountain Farming Kingdom.

Over nine years, the literacy rate in Wuzhou region increased significantly, and the overall quality of the population also improved markedly under the impetus of various production teams and factories. In particular, with increasing familiarity with mechanization, many children were able to quickly master some manufacturing techniques after they grew up.

Wuzhou has no shortage of craftsmen; the men who remain in Beijiwu are mostly craftsmen.

The artisans from the Wen Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty, and the Western Regions were among the most likely to survive.

The mountain people have never discriminated against artisans. From the Arctic uprising to the present, the status of scholars has been that of a dog on the roadside.

Developing the country through agriculture and industry is a national policy and something that Arctic military has been actively promoting for many years.

The emperor's preferences influenced everyone, and the era generally held scholars in far less reverence.

In addition to significant technological advancements and explosive growth in production capacity, the territory has also doubled in size.

Liu Jingshun, as a member of the Shan Nong Ren public household, conquered the Indochina Peninsula and, relying on a continuous supply of guns and gunpowder, wiped out the remaining forces on the island.

The Western Expeditionary Army has been exerting its strength for the past three years, starting in 6 AD.

The territory is growing larger, but the area under actual control only begins to be counted from this year.

Because this year, a large number of officials have been continuously dispatched to other areas, exiling those who had been waiting in the capital for almost ten years to the west.

People from various production teams also went to the west for promotions and advancements; these people, loyal to the Mountain Farmer Kingdom, were able to stabilize this generation.

As for whether their descendants still recognize the Shan Nong Kingdom, we'll have to wait and see.

The expansion of industry and military also attracted many surrendered merchants to the Mountain Farming Kingdom, bringing with them Western technology and treasures. The First Age of Exploration also began that year, although the Arctic Warlords were no longer paying attention to it.

Everything is thriving, and even the heavy draft horses that were bred a few years ago have been successfully developed through East-West exchanges.

But... it's not really needed anymore.

In a few years, we will enter the era of combine harvesters, which will eliminate the need for livestock for traction. At the same time, steam tractors and handcarts will also replace the role of various animals.

After the Western Expeditionary Army finishes its battles, the demand for horses will drop rapidly.

There is still a demand for cattle in the south, and water buffaloes are still indispensable for paddy fields.

Farmland in the north is rarely used. One hundred million mu of arable land is enough to feed twenty to thirty million adults and children. Beef, mutton, pork, eggs, milk, fish, meat and vegetables have all been added to the diet. Many orchards have also been planted in various places as welfare.

In areas with poor soil, cultivation has been abandoned. Apart from reserving some crop seeds and cultivation bases, most of the food, reserves, and industrial grains come from various hereditary territories and the small-scale farming economy in the south.

Selling grain is the main source of income for most people who do not have public household registration.

Nowadays, agriculture doesn't need as many people, and it's hard to maintain the good life of previous years by relying solely on farming.

Many people are not satisfied with the income from a few dozen acres of land, nor do they want to be trapped in their hometowns and unable to leave. However, they have gradually accepted reality and honestly farm to support their families.

The imperial court didn't need so many people to do the work, so naturally it wouldn't allow these people to move around freely.

Not charging taxes and not disturbing them is already an extraordinary act of kindness. Beijiwu never intended for outsiders who weren't his own to live the same life as his own people.

The prohibition of movement of people is a regulation that has existed in every dynasty. Beijiwu did not want a large group of beggars to come to his doorstep and cause trouble.

All beggars and street performers were sent back to their place of origin. Those without a place of origin were sent to places like Tibet, the Western Regions, and Annam. Many of them died on the way.

Today, the Mountain Farming Kingdom is not afraid of being criticized by others, and no country or minister dares to criticize the Arctic Warrior.

***
"Seeing how well the country is developing, why do I feel so sad..."

Beijiwu leaned back in his chair, head tilted back, frowning as he pondered why he was unhappy.

Today, the country is thriving, and all industries are making steady progress.

There were no enemies outside, no internal troubles, and everyone in the court and among the officials was of one mind.

"After working so hard for so long, finally managing to integrate and stabilize a world that was conquered by force, and making it bigger and stronger, why am I not as happy as I expected?"

After thinking for a few seconds, Beijiwu gradually realized the reason.

“I understand now. The reason I was happy when I farmed at home was because it was food I ate, and food I fed the women in my family.”

"Because it's my own achievement, I'm happy and satisfied."

"Whether the country is doing well or not has nothing to do with me now, I haven't benefited from it!"

"I also enjoyed the benefits, being able to train people like dogs at will, but I could do that when I was in the rural mountains."

"The joy of training people is not as great now as it was back then."

Arctic Martial's idea is not wrong. Back in the rural mountain village, he trained people who didn't want to be dogs.

Now that he's the emperor, countless people want to become his lackeys, all wagging their tails and eagerly cooperating.

Women are the same. In the past, they valued feelings and relationships, but now the women sent from all over the country are eager to spread their legs and wrap themselves around the emperor's waist.

"Ancient emperors had no worries about food and clothing, nor did they lack beautiful concubines. It seems that they satisfied their spiritual needs by handling government affairs and holding power. Am I supposed to spend my whole life reviewing memorials?"

Beiji Wu was not the first emperor, so there were precedents and solutions for many things.

However, after considering the emperors of various countries in his memory, Beijiwu still refused to become the political emperor.

"Being the emperor is just a job, only an hour or two a day is enough, there's no need to be so tired."

"Then what should I do? Play around with women? Forget about that, it's pointless. I don't want to be obsessed with women every day, it would only make me feel more empty."

After thinking for more than ten minutes, Arctic Martial came up with a good idea.

“Tear down all those Western buildings and rebuild them with the houses I designed, so that there will be no history left.”

“I also designed the buildings for various tourist attractions across the country. Since we have the Summer Palace, we should also have the Spring, Autumn and Winter Palaces, and build several large parks and city landmarks.”

"I want to leave my mark on the stone!"

Beijiwu is actually very artistic and possesses the painting skills to become a painting master of this era.

It has been almost ten years since he last picked up a paintbrush, and Beijiwu has no plans to continue painting.

Paintings and books are easily burned and sold, but architectural designs can last for many years.

Many ancient buildings that we remember from this day forward have not yet been rebuilt, and Beijiwu is well-positioned to design timeless buildings in different styles for each region.

"We have so much money that we can't spend it all, so let's just consider it a way to increase the income of farmers who are not registered in the public sector."

The Arctic military's leniency provided many unemployed farmers with an opportunity to go out and earn money.

There is no shortage of manpower; as long as the Arctic military needs it, the captured prisoners can be put to good use.

Prisoners have been doing this kind of thing since ancient times.

Arctic Wu quickly implemented benevolent policies, taking foreign prisoners who should have been executed and using them to produce cement and quarry boulders.

(End of this chapter)