Chapter 456 Mu Qiang
Chapter 456 Mu Qiang
The June wind blew into the second-floor attic, making it a bit stuffy.
The two sat side by side on the terrace, looking at the glorious yet dilapidated Jingu Garden.
The boat split the water, creating two small waves.
A few water birds suddenly flew out from the reeds by the pond.
Several maids stretched out their arms, as tender as lotus roots, and picked water chestnuts from the pond, talking and laughing, with great joy.
Another gust of wind blew, causing ripples on the lake and the small boats to sway back and forth. The maids and their boats disappeared among the tall lotus flowers, leaving behind only a series of exclamations and laughter.
"Life like this is much more interesting than fighting and killing." Shao Xun said with emotion.
He had just been to the pond and picked some things.
The design of Jingu Garden is very ingenious. It draws water from the mountain rivers into the lakes and pools, then flows downstream into the wilderness.
The lake in Jingu Garden is a tourist attraction, where plants such as lotus, lotus seeds, water chestnuts, hibiscus, etc. are planted, and a lot of fish are raised.
As the river flows downstream, it drives the water mill to grind flour, making very effective use of water power. The presence of lakes and ponds regulates the amount of water, allowing these water mills, water trucks and other equipment to work effectively regardless of whether it is flood season or dry season.
This is a manor that combines enjoyment and production. To be more precise, it should be a waterscape palace built on the mountain.
"I don't like fighting and killing." Yang Xianrong was casually wearing a gauze, with nothing underneath. Her face was rosy and pretty, and she held her cheek with her hand, looking at the pond, woods, flowers and plants in front of her, and said.
Shao Xun leaned against the porch pillar and looked at the woman.
He recalled the Jinyong City that year, when Yang Xianrong sat behind a stone table, chatting and laughing with him, with a bit of false charm.
Yang Xianrong turned her head and looked at him, seeming to understand the meaning in the man's eyes.
She was no longer angry, she was just a little confused.
"You just like me because I'm beautiful and I'm the queen, right?" Yang Xianrong said.
Shao Xun nodded hesitantly.
"But at least you still have some conscience and are willing to coax me." She sighed.
Shao Xun turned his head and looked into the distance, remaining silent.
When talking to smart people, there is no need to explain too much, because those who understand will understand.
"This spring I went to Runan for a trip and waited for you for a long time, but you didn't come. Later I found out that you came to Luoyang." Yang Xianrong continued, "I thought about it for a long time in Princess Xiangcheng's ranch. Maybe I don't like fighting and killing, so I am very afraid of fighting and killing, so I especially want to feel at ease."
According to later generations, Yang Xianrong's harsh living environment and the life-and-death crises caused by repeated dethronements made her develop a twisted mentality of admiring the strong.
She didn't dare to face this idea before, but now she has analyzed it carefully and understood the root cause of her anxiety.
"I don't want to see more women around you, and it's actually because I feel uneasy." Yang Xianrong sighed and continued, "I work hard to take care of your fields and livestock, cultivate seeds in Cuiyou, and teach farmers in Guangchengze, all to show my value. If I didn't have some ability, you wouldn't even look at me."
Shao Xun did not refute.
He is actually a very smart person, but he just likes to play dumb.
Yang Xianrong was the most rude person to him, but peeling off the surface, she was a woman with extremely poor sense of security.
Her mind has become twisted. She admires the strong, worries about gains and losses, and constantly seeks a sense of security.
Of course, what Yang Xianrong said was a bit inaccurate.
The Taishan Yang clan was deeply embedded in his regime.
Taishan and Lu were managed personally by Yang, and Qiao and Pei were deeply influenced by him.
Shunyang also belongs to the Yang family.
Yang Dan also made great achievements in Nanyang.
Yang Jiongzhi is now the governor of Yuzhou, Yang Chen is the right Sima of the shogunate, and Yang Jian is the prefect of Ruyin.
The Yang family actually controlled four counties and kingdoms, and half-controlled two counties and kingdoms. They had a governor in Xiang County, troops in Nanyang and Taishan, representatives in the shogunate, and students and former officials in the court.
Such a big family has become a powerful force under Shao Xun. Perhaps only the counties and kingdoms in Yanzhou controlled by Concubine Pei can compete with it.
Why did political alliances in ancient times always use marriage as a means?
Isn't it enough for a few old men to sit together and exchange benefits? Why must women appear?
The reason is simple. Marriage is a lubricant, a private channel for communication, and a step to ease conflicts.
If you only talk about interests and not feelings in everything, serious problems will inevitably arise in the end.
Yang now wants to send her illegitimate daughter to Shao Xun's house as a concubine - the legitimate daughter is not too embarrassed to do so for the time being.
Shao Xun was too lazy to ask for it, having Yang Xianrong as a lubricant was enough.
This is also her value. She is actually very clear in her heart, but she doesn't want to say this, because that would make everything too naked - even if there is an exchange of interests, it is better to have a fig leaf.
"How is the seed cultivation going?" Shao Xun asked.
Yang Xianrong looked at him strangely, as if she didn't understand why the man was saying such unromantic words at this time.
"I brought all the wheat seeds with me." Yang Xianrong said, "We plant and select them every year, so it should be good."
"I'll have people plant it in the fall," Shao Xun said.
Just as the fate of most stallions is to be castrated and sent to the battlefield, the genes of most wheat are not qualified to be passed down. After generations of selection, only the ones with the fullest grains are left to be used as seeds.
Of course, what Yang Xianrong did in Guangchengze was more complicated.
She has a team of dozens of people under her, who, according to Shao Xun's requirements, specialize in planting small plots of land and observing the growth of wheat.
Over the years, seeds with various characteristics are selected.
For example, some wheat varieties are resistant to lodging. Regardless of whether they are truly resistant to lodging or just lucky enough to survive, keep them all and plant them again the next year to observe. For example, some wheat varieties are disease resistant. Also select them out and plant them again the next year to continue observing.
People, animals, and plants are all the same. Every individual is different. Through long-term screening and cultivation, genes that do not meet the requirements are removed, leaving only the parts that people need, ultimately to increase production.
This is a tedious and long-term task.
It is not complicated, but it takes up a lot of manpower, and the workers need to be able to read and write records, and it would be best if they have experience in agricultural production and management.
Such a talented team cannot be found anywhere else except in the aristocratic manor.
Many of the things that Yang Xianrong did were suggested by Shao Xun on a whim, but she wrote them down and put them into practice.
During the implementation process, they made a series of adjustments based on their own understanding, and the results were very good.
To do anything, it ultimately requires people to execute it.
The time traveler is alone and has limited energy. The ideas he comes up with casually must be implemented by a professional team.
"What are you going to do next?" Shao Xun asked.
Yang Xianrong glanced at him playfully and said, "I won't bother you anymore."
Shao Xun smiled awkwardly and said, "What are you talking about."
"I'm going to Luoyang now to see if everything is okay?" Yang Xianrong asked.
"It will be fine." Shao Xun replied.
Actually, this is very normal.
After Sima Yue died, no one wanted to kill Yang Xianrong anymore.
She is just a widow of the previous emperor who has no influence at all. It is not worth it for others to deal with her.
But she is the emperor's sister-in-law and has a noble status, so ordinary people can't deal with her.
"This is the most precious thing I have ever received from you." Yang Xianrong sighed.
"Do you have any message for the emperor?" she asked.
"Forget it." Shao Xun shook his head and said, "If we talk too much, he will start to have wild thoughts, which is not good. The war is about to start, and I don't want to cause trouble."
"Can we win?"
"Who can guarantee military conflict? Besides, it's not certain whether we will fight or not. I'm just going to build a city. If the Xiongnu let me build a city, I have no reason to fight."
"Your fighting style is very consuming, right?"
"This is the difficulty of defeating cavalry with foot. Let's try our best."
His war with the Huns entered a painful stage for both sides.
After a long-term confrontation along the Yellow River, it is no longer possible to come up with a surprise move.
The two sides fought back and forth like they were rolling in a mud puddle. It was not beautiful or shocking at all, and it was even very vulgar and ugly. But if you really looked into it, you would find that both sides were aiming for the other side's vital points.
Real masters fight for their lives. There is no back and forth fighting or counter-killing with a sliver of health like in novels. The victory or defeat is often decided immediately and the moves are simple and unpretentious. The loser may even die in a very ugly way, with a miserable death.
But being able to drag the Huns, who were born with a huge cavalry advantage, into the mud was a great victory in itself.
The cavalry had the upper hand, and they should have been floating in the air, detached from the world, crushing their opponents with ease, without a trace of worldly airs. But now their white robes were stained with mud, their handsome faces were covered with stains, their eye circles were hit hard by a punch, and the corners of their mouths were bruised and purple...
It feels good to think about it.
"I plan to settle the people you brought with you in Yanshi." Shao Xun said, "One household will lead ten households, and a total of 1,100 households will be recruited to grow grass and raise horses in peace."
"Willn't we starve to death if we only grow grass?"
"Let's rotate crops." Shao Xun said, "The land is very fertile after harvesting alfalfa. Planting wheat next year should make it grow well."
Everyone understands the agricultural technique of crop rotation.
In the Northern Wei Dynasty, when land was distributed equally, it was explicitly stipulated that if the land allocated was barren, "double the amount would be given."
The reason for giving twice is to allow you to rotate crops.
If the soil is poor, the yield will not be high, and the soil will even become poorer and poorer. Therefore, the land must be given time to recuperate and accumulate nutrients. In this way, crop rotation becomes necessary.
Leguminous grasses have rhizobia that fix nitrogen, which can fertilize the soil. In addition, crop rotation can also avoid pests and diseases.
The two-year three-crop system implemented by Shao Xun in Henan is actually a kind of crop rotation: alternating millet, wheat and beans can reduce many diseases and pests, which is much better than planting only one crop for many years.
"From now on, Luoyang, Henan, Yanshi and other counties will be your pastures, right? Just like the Hu people's Chanyu." Yang Xianrong chuckled.
"I want to defeat the Xiongnu with an overwhelming force of cavalry." Shao Xun said with a smile, "Let them know who is the true master of the grassland."
"Do you have anyone who can herd horses?"
“Yes, but it’s definitely not enough.”
"What are you going to do?"
"Arrests!"
"How do you catch it?"
"I herd cattle and sheep during the day and catch prey at night. I often go to Xincheng, which is a hundred miles away..."
(End of this chapter)