Chapter 402 Main Business

Chapter 402 Main Business

Chapter 402 Main Business
Kaocheng is a very small county town.

There is only one street in the city, and you can see the end of it at a glance. In this narrow and crowded city, some houses have a front yard in addition to the back garden, and even a small vegetable patch.

Shao Xun squatted beside the vegetable patch, digging the vegetables one shovel at a time with a small shovel.

"Is this from the small grass species?" Shao Xun said as he shook the mud off the lettuce.

Lettuce was introduced from Central Asia during the Han Dynasty, and Ge Hong called it "lettuce" in his book "Zuo Hou Fang". However, it was not widely planted at that time. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties three hundred years later that lettuce became a common home-cooked dish.

"Those planted around the Spring Festival can be harvested in ninety days, which is almost true." Concubine Pei leaned on the Hu bed with a bulging belly. A new life was about to be born.

"Do you like to eat?"

"like."

"I'll plant some during the Autumn Festival, and make pickles for you after the frost falls."

"Maybe you're at war."

"Then I'll plant some while I'm on the march and bring it back for you."

"By the time we get to Kaocheng, they'll all be rotten, right?"

"It's pickled, so you don't have to worry about it."

The two of them were talking back and forth, seemingly saying meaningless nonsense, but as they talked, the corners of their mouths curled up.

Concubine Pei did not ask Shao Xun about getting married, and Shao Xun did not bring it up on his own initiative. The two of them tacitly avoided Yu Wenjun.

After digging the lettuce, Shao Xun washed it by the well.

Concubine Pei looked at him quietly, occasionally moving her body with difficulty with the help of her maid.

This child is her burden and also her treasure.

She hopes that her child will be able to see his father once he is born.

"Swish!" Shao Xun rinsed the lettuce stems with water over and over again, then took a knife and cut them one by one.

"The three cities of Heyang are not that simple." Concubine Pei said slowly, "Once the city is successfully built, the Xiongnu will surely invade in large numbers."

"I think they will attack while the city is being built." Shao Xun said, "If Liu Cong has any brains, he won't just sit there and watch."

Concubine Pei sighed but said nothing.

Men always fight for power or for women.

Some people like both power and women. Her man is one of them, and so is Liu Cong.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get the three cities of Heyang now?" Concubine Pei asked, "Many counties and kingdoms in Yu and Yan are only loyal to us on the surface."

"Everything is prepared, and failure is inevitable. Now is a good time. Once the Xiongnu suppresses Guanzhong, there may not be time for this." Shao Xun said, "Build it first, because we will have to march north in the future. Besides, it is enough for the counties in Yuzhou to be loyal on the surface. When the territory is larger in the future, they will naturally be loyal."

"How's the Shogunate?"

"I don't care much about small matters." Shao Xun said, "For major matters, the Chief Secretary, the Military Affairs Officer, and the Attendant General will send them to Xuchang and report them to me. The heir king has not been reckless recently and is very stable."

"Have Puyang, Xingyang, Dongping and other places been plundered again?"

"The Xiongnu cavalry just sneaked in." Shao Xun said, "I can't defend the river thousands of miles away. The fields in these counties are indeed mostly barren. We will have to allocate grain for relief after the autumn harvest this year."

"Didn't you go to the Xiongnu to cause trouble?"

"They have more than ten times as many cavalry as me. Even if they only recruit a small number of people, it will be enough to defend against me." Shao Xun said, "Unless they fight me face to face like Gao Ping, they can't afford to harass me."

"No wonder you want to get involved in the three cities of Heyang." Concubine Pei said, "Attracting all the thieves here may not be a bad thing."

"Hua Nu's knowledge exceeds that of many men." Shao Xun said with a smile.

Concubine Pei gave him a reproachful look, but soon frowned again.

Shao Xun quickly wiped his hands, walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The child was sleeping and just turned over." Concubine Pei relaxed her frown, gently stroked Shao Xun's face, and looked at him with a gentle smile.

The man's first reaction was about her, not the child, which made her feel very happy.

Such little bits of care and love in life, when accumulated over the years, will be very considerable and can be used to offset some unpleasant things.

"Come and lie down for a while." Shao Xun helped Concubine Pei up and let her lie on her side on the couch in the bedroom.

Concubine Pei lay down for a while and then felt uncomfortable again.

Shao Xun patiently helped her sit up.

The maid had gone to cook, and Shao Xun sat next to Concubine Pei, reviewing official letters from Xuchang, Chenjun, and the Yanzhou Shogunate.

Concubine Pei had her eyes half open and half closed, and when she saw Shao Xun was always by her side, she finally closed her eyes in peace.

The room was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of shuffling papers.

His style of governing the shogunate was quite distinctive, with seeking truth from facts being the most basic principle.

Therefore, when officials from all over the country reported to their subordinates and the subordinates submitted memorials to him, there was basically nothing nonsense in them.

The Silver Spear Left Camp has already begun to pull back.

After the Silver Spear Right Camp escorted Yu Wenjun and others back to Xuchang, they had been training near Xuchang.

The Yicong Army moved to Putianze in Xingyang for training.

Many people believed that the three cities of Heyang might become a tactic of adding fuel to the fire, and Shao Xun also had this worry.

But for now, he couldn't send all his troops there, that would be too stupid and a waste of money. This year, Yanzhou's harvest was affected again.

The 20,000 troops guarding the ferry had to cultivate the land every year, but the harvest was poor every year. They had to rely on Chenliu, Jiyang, Jiyin, Gaoping and other places to provide financial support for their survival.

To be more precise, it was entirely maintained by the money and food provided by the nobles and powerful commanders of the fortresses.

The world has reached this point where normal taxation no longer exists, and the household registration book is completely nonsense and has no use at all.

The money and grain still have to be provided by the local tyrants, and this is the basis of their bargaining power.

Fortunately, we are eating the imperial food this year, so we can save as much as possible.

After reading it, Shao Xun felt that the time for going to the war was only a few days away, and he wondered if he could wait until his child was born before leaving.

The south wind blew open the window, and Concubine Pei gradually opened her eyes.

Shao Xun fetched a basin of water and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel.

"Is it hot?"

"Ah."

"Do you want to change into a ramie shirt?"

"it is good."

Shao Xun brought out a hemp cloth shirt with two crotch, placed it on the couch, and then took off Concubine Pei's green jacket.

Some parts seemed even more plump, and he couldn't help playing with them for a few times, making both of them breathe a little.

"It's been a while since I vented my troubles." Shao Xun said in her ear.

"You have a new bride to vent your feelings for, so how can you still remember the old one?" Concubine Pei said angrily.

"It's different." Shao Xun said, "When I first got you, I almost lost my soul. I have never felt so comfortable before."

"Seven out of ten of your skills are used to coax women." Concubine Pei looked at him with a smile.

But even though I said this, I was still very happy in my heart.

Women, no matter what age, like to compare.

Who men like more is the focus of the competition.

Concubine Pei is a rational woman, but she also has irrational aspects, especially as she gets older.

After putting on the hemp shirt, I felt much cooler.

"This is a tribute from Yiyang County." Shao Xun said, "Yuyan is short of silk, but fortunately those counties over there produce kudzu."

"Princess Xiangcheng mentioned that Jiangdong hasn't presented hemp cloth to the court for a long time, so the palace is short of it." Concubine Pei touched the clothes on her body and said with emotion, "I didn't expect that I would wear it."

Kudzu is a perennial herbaceous vine with a soft vine-like shape. The stem bark fiber can be used to weave cloth or make paper.

Picking kudzu is an ancient activity. The Book of Songs says: "They are picking kudzu. One day without seeing them feels like three months."

In this era, kudzu was mainly produced in the south, and some was also produced in Yiyang and Anfeng counties in Yuzhou, and was generally used to make kudzu cloth.

Because ramie cloth is thin, light, soft and breathable, it is very comfortable to wear in summer. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "wear deerskin in winter and ramie clothes in summer".

The cultivation of kudzu has undergone several migrations.

It was very common in the north during the time of "The Book of Songs", then gradually disappeared and flourished in the south. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it gradually became more common in the north again, and then receded again. It is very strange.

But overall, this is an excellent summer textile.

"What does it matter to me if the emperor doesn't have ramie clothes?" Shao Xun said, "I only care whether the people I care about can wear them. This year, people in Runan and Qiao are also growing ramie and ramie. When there is a surplus, we can send another batch to the palace to appease the emperor."

Concubine Pei sat in his arms, her head gently resting on Shao Xun's chest, and said, "Ten years ago, I couldn't have imagined this day."

"Isn't your man awesome?" Shao Xun said with a smile.

"You didn't marry me, so what's the difference between man and woman?" Concubine Pei rolled her eyes at him.

"The child is about to be born, but you are still my man?" Shao Xun pretended to be angry and said, "After my child is born, you will have to give birth to one for me next year."

"You have so many women, any one of them would give birth to a child for you? I think Princess Xiangcheng is willing to give birth to a child for you." Concubine Pei sighed.

"I really didn't touch her." Shao Xun complained.

Concubine Pei covered her mouth and chuckled, but said nothing.

"Hold me, I'm sleepy again."

"Isn't it hot?"

"It's hot, but you still have to hold me."

"it is good."

Shao Xun gently placed Concubine Pei on the couch, then held her waist and waited for her to fall asleep.

This is what the ancient Greek god in charge of yellow hair should do.

Fighting and killing are not my main job.

When Concubine Pei fell asleep, Shao Xun also felt a little confused.

I don't know why, but he actually thought of Brother Cong...

(End of this chapter)