Chapter 701 Where the Dream Begins
Chapter 701 Where the Dream Begins (Part )
The Green Willow Garden is still the same as before, with someone sweeping the garden all the time.
Half of the farmhands outside the garden have already become registered citizens, and they are all living a peaceful life.
The remaining half is under the management of Pei Shiliu, who cultivates the fields and maintains the daily operations of the manor - and they will be released one by one in the future.
Shao Xun rested here for two days. Apart from reviewing a few important official letters sent from Bianliang, he wandered around the area, looked at the crops in the fields, and chatted with a few old farmers, although they could not speak a few coherent sentences.
He even went out of his way to look for traces left behind.
His parents lived here for a long time, and he accompanied his mother to make salted pickles.
My eldest nephew got married here.
In the west wing, he had stood guard in armor for a whole night to protect Queen Yang.
He held a military meeting in the compound. A lot of people came that time, and most of them now hold high positions.
Jin Dao and Huan Lang were both born here and left their childhood memories there.
So many great memories...
On July 18th, Princess Xiangcheng Sima Xiuyi came with her daughter.
Shao Xun was a little surprised because he didn't call anyone over at all.
"I invited you here." Pei Lingyan said as she poured tea under the shade of the tree.
Shao Xun was speechless.
When he saw Sima Xiuwei, he thought of Wang Dun, the governor of Jingzhou.
No, theoretically speaking, Wang Dun was already a commoner, because the court had issued an order to dismiss him from his post and replaced him with Tao Kan, the prefect of Xiangyang who had once competed with Wang Dun for the position of governor.
No results.
Tao Kan even brought up Liu Hong's loyalty to the country and cursed the envoy, saying that this was an edict issued by the emperor under pressure from the traitor Shao Xun, and that he would not obey the edict and expelled the envoy.
Upon hearing the news, Wang Dun bowed and thanked him.
This was done by Yu Min, and Shao Xun only asked about it briefly afterwards.
These northern scholars don't understand what the ultimate pursuit of the southern nobles is? To establish their own country!
Their overall behavior pattern is in service of this goal. They will do whatever can make them comfortable and independent, and will hinder or even kill anyone who undermines their goal of independence.
After so many years of running-in, it has basically taken shape.
From this point, we can fully understand why the Northern Expedition was so difficult in later generations, and there were always people who held them back at critical moments. But once the northerners came south and threatened their independent status, they immediately united and fought against the northerners.
There are conflicts within the group due to family relationships and power struggles, but there are also common interests.
This is the reality in the South.
In Shao Xun's view, there is no threat from the South, only harassment.
Up to now, apart from the initial conquest of Yiyang and Anfeng, two counties with a strong southern culture, with the support of local gentry, only two counties (Sui State) have been conquered.
It is totally not worth mobilizing a large army to fight Wang Dun, Ji Zhan, Gan Zhuo and others, because they will avoid fighting and defend themselves, which will result in a fight lasting a year or so, delaying wars in other directions.
At present, Runan, Nanyang, Ruyin and other places have defended very well and the front line has not changed, which is enough.
"Greetings, Lord Liang." Sima Xiu's daughter Hui came forward and bowed.
Shao Xun took a look and found that he had grown a little bit.
It was a hot day, and she was still wearing fancy and complicated clothes. Shao Xun felt a little distressed when he saw her, so he waved and said, "Come and sit over here."
The daughter glanced at Sima Xiuwei.
Sima Xiuyi sighed softly and said, "Go ahead."
Huiwan walked over.
Shao Xun gently held her hand and said to Sima Xiuyi: "You are so old-fashioned at such a young age, you——"
"This is how scholars and ladies should behave." Sima Xiuyi said disapprovingly.
Shao Xun's heart moved, and he asked, "What's her name?"
In fact, he already knew his daughter's full name when they met last time.
"Wang Huiwan." Sima Xiuwei said a little nervously.
Shao Xun's face darkened and he asked, "What's your name?"
Sima Xiuyi pulled his daughter over and said unhappily, "What? You are a great general, and you want to steal someone else's child?"
At this point, her usually strong voice trembled a little: "Suyu Palace is lonely and hard to endure. If it weren't for Hui Wan, I would have nothing."
The little girl lowered her head.
She is six years old and not completely ignorant.
Shao Xun held his daughter in his arms and said angrily, "When I conquer the world, there is nothing I can't do. Hui Wan is my daughter, and I want her to be a princess. It would be good to play with Fu Bao for a few days first, so that she can get familiar with him."
Sima Xiuwei was about to get angry, but when she saw the man's concerned look in his eyes, she miraculously calmed down.
Huiwan also looked up at her father timidly.
Sima Xiuwei sighed secretly, after all, father and daughter are connected by blood, and family ties cannot be severed.
With such a caring father around, Huiwan will surely live a life of wealth and carefree in the future.
Pei Lingyan gave Shao Xun a reproachful look, then pulled Sima Xiuwei aside to prepare snacks.
Shao Xun watched all this with satisfaction.
In a small farmyard shaded by green trees, a princess and a concubine worked hard to prepare food for him. At this point in his life, he was very satisfied!
"A while ago, a caravan returned from Jiangxia." Sima Xiu's voice came from afar: "They made a lot of money, but it's useless for me to keep it. Considering that you still have some conscience, use it to train a mule army. They have also helped me guard the ranch for a long time, so they can't be useless."
Shao Xun pretended not to hear anything and just looked at his daughter, making various expressions.
Hui Wan lowered her head. After a moment, she couldn't help but raise her head, then lowered it again.
After a while, the corners of her mouth were already curled up. Shao Xun told another joke, Hui Wan wanted to laugh, but she probably felt it was not serious enough, so she covered her mouth and tried to hold it back.
Shao Xun was amused by her appearance.
This little old-fashioned daughter is just like her mother and likes to pretend.
"Your name is Shao Huiwan, not Wang Huiwan, do you know?" Shao Xun whispered in her ear.
The younger daughter didn't speak.
"What do you like?" Shao Xun asked.
"There are many beautiful birds in Suyu Palace." Hui Wan quietly looked in the direction of her mother and said in a low voice.
The name "Su Yu" is not without reason.
The palace was built on the mountainside, with dense forests nearby. At night, tired birds returned to their nests, chirping loudly.
In the early morning, flocks of birds sang on the branches and then flew away.
Hence the name "Suyu Palace".
"Grandpa will help you shoot one down." Shao Xun promised: "No, ten will be fine, okay?"
"Grandpa, don't do that!" Hui Wan shouted in desperation.
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, his face turned redder.
Shao Xun, however, was as delighted as if he had eaten iced crispy mountain in the dog days of summer. He kept saying, "Okay, okay. Whatever my dear girl says, then that's it."
Hui Wan lowered her head shyly.
Sima Xiuwei heard this from a distance and glared at Shao Xun fiercely.
Shao Xun glared back, and finally both of them laughed.
"Come on, grandpa will take you out for a look." Shao Xun put his daughter down and said.
Huiwan looked at her mother.
Sima Xiuyi said helplessly: "Go ahead, but don't get your clothes dirty."
Hui Wan blushed and took her father's hand, following closely behind.
The father and daughter walked along the ridge beside the irrigation canal and came to the bank of the Ru River.
The ships from that time are still moored to the shore.
Pei Shiliu was directing the peasant women to go to the river to pick lotus. When he saw Shao Xun, he immediately saluted.
Shao Xun looked at him happily and said, "Sixteen, I haven't seen you for several years. Why weren't you here the past two days?"
Pei Shiliu was a little excited and said, "I went to Xin'an to buy farm tools and just came back."
"Oh? But Xin Anye?" Shao Xun asked.
"That's right." Pei Shiliu said, "Several furnaces have been set up over there, and the first batch of farm tools have been smelted. I have had them all bought for use in Caiguanzhuang and Lvliuyuan."
“Without your help, we wouldn’t know how to manage the three gardens in Luoyang and the three docks in Yiyang,” Shao Xun said with emotion.
In fact, Pei Shiliu is also an official now: the magistrate of Liang County.
The deputy of the county magistrate had no real power and even no work to be in charge of. Pei Shiliu didn't care and wandered around the Shao family's manor all day long.
"Ming Gong has not been back for many years." Pei Shiliu sighed, "In fact, Guangchengze has changed a lot. The market here is not even comparable to Xiangcheng. The war horses grazing sheep in the grass are very majestic. They are all selected according to Ming Gong's requirements. The Tuqi Du of Youzhou came to see it several times and were very envious."
"Oh? Is this true?" Shao Xun laughed happily.
"Yongjia Granary City has an annual grain storage capacity of 700,000 to 800,000 hu. The wasteland that was newly opened back then still had bamboo roots, tree stumps, and stones in the ground. After years of cultivation, it has become cultivated land. With the pasture as a backdrop, large amounts of manure are poured on it, and the fields have become higher." Pei Shiliu said.
"In the year of the locust plague, all the grass and trees in Guangcheng Lake died. Many years later, herds of deer can be seen everywhere again. In the mountains and forests, there are even sounds of tigers roaring."
"The Caiguan Pond that you ordered to be excavated has been deepened and widened a lot. The water is rippling and the lotus roots are connected to the sky and the ground."
"We also raise a lot of fish. The young men from Liang County's martial arts school often come here to fish, or go into the mountains to hunt."
"Many new mulberry trees have been opened. There is one in the Green Willow Garden. The freed farmhands are grateful and say they want to weave some brocade for you."
Pei Shiliu talked a lot.
Shao Xun was extremely happy to hear this.
Liang County and Guangchengze were his first base and where his dream began.
He had really been away for too long, and when he came back occasionally, he was always in a hurry.
"It's time to come back and take a look." After Pei Shiliu finished speaking, Shao Xun said with emotion: "It's only this year. I don't know where I will be next year."
"Do you want to go to Bianliang?" He looked at Pei Shiliu and asked.
Pei Shiliu's heart moved, and he said, "It's up to you, sir."
"Go ahead." Shao Xun said with a smile, "How can I forget the old man now that I am rich? From now on, the farmhands of Green Willow Garden will be registered as civilians. They have worked hard for these years and they should get what they deserve. Just leave two or three hundred acres of land in the garden so that those old soldiers can have a place to live."
There were several disabled old soldiers in the Green Willow Garden, all of whom were former Yamen soldiers. They were also brave warriors when they were young, the kind who dared to charge directly into the enemy camp.
After being injured and disabled, they were placed in Green Willow Garden and supported by their families, with each family receiving 60 to 70 acres of land.
"My lord, all the officials above the rank of Sima from other departments have arrived. More than 20 people from the martial arts department have also come." Yang Qin approached from a distance and reported.
Shao Xun sighed regretfully.
Hui Wanan stood there quietly, seeming a little disappointed.
Shao Xun laughed, took out a dagger, cut off a section of reed diagonally, and then cut it vertically, handed it to his daughter, and said, "Blow it."
Hui Wan took the reed doubtfully, blew it towards the cut made by the dagger, and immediately heard a "woohoo" sound and smiled happily.
Yes, children all like to play.
Shao Xun patted his daughter's head lovingly and said to Yang Qin, "Take them to the backyard. I'll be there soon."
(End of this chapter)