Chapter 1284 Family Banquet
Chapter 1284 Family Banquet
After explaining the task, Shao Xun ate with the children in the yard.
The mother could no longer make the pickled mustard herself, but there were still many jars and pots in the Xianju Palace, all of which she had asked the palace servants to make, ready for the children to come and eat.
However, many of them were about to go bad and no one came to eat them, so they had to be given to the palace servants.
"This autumn mackerel was made in June, and it's just right now." Shao's father sat next to Shao Xun, took a sip of wine, and said, "The red-headed carp from the sand sea has been cooked for more than a month with the best sorghum rice, salt, and rice wine."
Shao Xun picked up a piece and found it tasted a bit bitter, but it made him find the feeling of his youth and he ate it happily.
Crown Prince Shao Jin sat next to him. He paused for a moment while eating, but swallowed it quickly.
Shao Xun knew that the autumn mackerel made by his mother might not be the most delicious, and there were even many flaws in the craftsmanship, but he had gotten used to it, and for him it was the most rare delicacy.
The prince and others have been living a life of luxury since childhood, and they are never tired of eating fine food. They have never eaten the autumn mackerel from their hometown before, and may have subconsciously thought it was not tasty.
"Why did you think of cooking autumn mackerel, mother?" Shao Xun asked after putting down his chopsticks.
"It was delivered personally by Young Master Cai, the Supervisor of the Imperial Household." said Shao's father.
"Cai Cheng?" Shao Xun wanted to laugh.
In the eyes of his parents, Cai Cheng is still the young military commander who built cucumber racks and dug the ground for them. No matter what official position he holds now, he is still that "little young man".
"I haven't seen much of Cai Cheng this year." Father Shao said, "He hasn't come here many times in total."
"He has a lot of things to do now and went out again this month," Shao Xun said.
"Where did you go?" Shao's father asked, "Your mother said she would send him a few jars of autumn mackerel."
"We went to Zuoguoyuan." Shao Xun said.
I didn't want to explain too much, but considering the prince was beside me, I said a few more words: "Last autumn, I planted more than ten acres of rye in Yanzhi Mountain, Yuyang State, and Mayi County, and harvested more than twenty bushels in May. This spring, I planted one acre of rye in Zuoguo Garden and half an acre in the mountains of Diaoyin County. He wants to go and see the harvest."
"He is such a high-ranking official, but he still has to be in charge of farming?" Shao Xiu asked.
"This thing is different." Shao Xun said, "If it's extremely cold in winter, the wheat seedlings might be frozen, but this thing won't, so it's very useful."
At this point, Shao Xun looked at the crown prince Shao Jin and said, "Liang Nu, do you know Liaoze?"
"I know." Shao Jin responded.
"Grandpa, I've been to Liaoze before." Hu Tou brought a basket of steamed cakes over and distributed them one by one, saying casually, "It stretches for thousands of miles, with both land and water. There are many willow trees on the sandbars, and the grass by the water is fresh and tender, which cattle and sheep like to eat. It looks very pleasant in summer, but it is very dangerous after autumn. Sometimes it rains and snows in August, which is quite unbearable. Snow is okay, but if it is rain and snow, it will make you uncomfortable all over. Let alone fighting, it would be good if you can retreat intact."
Shao Jin wanted to get up and help.
Hu Tou dodged and said with a smile: "Sixth brother, you are the prince, you shouldn't do these things, just sit still."
Shao Jin was stunned.
Shao Xun pulled him to sit down and said, "Hu Tou is right. There is a difference between the ruler and the minister. You will have to take care of your brothers and sisters in the future. You still have a lot to learn."
Hu Tou handed a steamed bun to Shao Jin and said, "The one with your favorite dried date filling, grandma saved it specially for you."
Hearing that his grandmother still remembered what he liked to eat, a warm feeling surged in his heart. He silently broke the paper open along the cross, revealing the deep red dates inside.
Hu Tou smiled and went to distribute steamed buns to other people.
"Liaoze is just like what Hu Tou said, it's freezing cold in winter. The southern half is not so bad, people from the Central Plains can barely adapt to it after going there, but the northern half is difficult, it's a really bitter and cold place." Shao Xun said, "But that's also excellent land. For thousands of years, few people have cultivated it, and countless plants, leaves, people and animals have rotted there, making it very fertile. In places where there are few people, if someone of my size steps on it, the humus would almost cover his ankles."
"Grandpa, are you saying that the more land you plant, the thinner you will be?" Shao Jin asked, "I've seen farmers in Henan plant crops every year and they can still harvest three or four hu per mu."
"Land, like people, needs to be taken care of." Shao Xun said, "People in Henan collect silt from the river every year, cover it with feces, stir it repeatedly, and spread it on the fields after it is piled up. This is maintenance. If not, the land will become thinner and thinner, and even the soil will become thinner and thinner. Back to Liaodong, Sima Yi slaughtered and relocated the Liao people, leaving the area barren. The Xianbei took the opportunity to occupy the land of Wei and Jin, but they did not engage in farming. It was only after the Central Plains was in turmoil at the end of the Jin Dynasty and 200,000 people from the Central Plains left that they began to combine farming and animal husbandry. The harvest of those wastelands was not high at first because there were many weeds. But the land is full of nutrients, and after slowly removing the weeds, the yield per mu is high."
"If we only plant crops without raising them, will the land be ruined?" Shao Jin asked.
"Yes." Shao Xun nodded, then smiled and said, "But you probably won't be able to see it in this lifetime."
"So fat?" Shao Jin was shocked.
Shao Xun laughed and said, "I don't know how many years of fertility it has accumulated. What do you think? During the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the land in the Central Plains was also very fertile. But now it is not as good as Liaodong. We can only maintain it from time to time."
"I see." Shao Jin nodded and said, "Is this the reason why father is looking for rye?"
"Yes and no." Shao Xun said, "You don't necessarily need rye to grow crops in Liaodong, but it is true that rye is more cold-resistant and not easily destroyed by cold winds or heavy snow. If you are lucky, you can plant rye in the spring and harvest it four months later, and you can safely harvest the next season's grain. But do you know about the Tuoba Xianbei's frost-resistant story?"
"know."
"That's the problem." Shao Xun said, "Liaoze has a lot of moisture. If there is another cold wind, it will easily destroy most of this year's crops. It's better to graze the animals."
Shao Xun remembered that the Shangjing Linhuangfu of the Liao Dynasty was located in the area of Balin Zuoqi and Keshiketengqi, and was separated from the Xilin Gol Prairie by the Great Xianbei Mountain. After the Liaoze degraded, a lot of land in Linhuangfu was silted up, and the planting industry was very prosperous, with millet as the main crop. However, it is not known whether it was due to climate change or excessive human development, but many of the lands after the Liaoze degraded became semi-deserts, which is a pity.
"If we have rye, there will be less trouble." Shao Xun said, "There is not much rye now, you will know in a few years. Last year, four acres of rye in Yanzhi Mountain, Yuyang State, and Mayi County, all of which are relatively cold mountain valleys, all survived the winter safely and thrived. In May, one acre yielded two hu. Before this, the people in these three places never dared to plant any winter crops. Do you think this thing is good?"
"If we have this thing, Liaodong can take it." Shao Jin said.
"Good." Shao Xun smiled and said, "If there is not enough land in the Central Plains in the future and the people are in hardship, you can just move them to Liaodong. This is a gift from Grandpa for you."
In fact, the main function of rye is to survive the subsequent Little Ice Age.
During the warm period of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Bohai Kingdom was even able to grow rice in the northeast. It continuously conquered the Heishui Mohe (ancestors of the Jurchens) and the Shiwei tribes (ancestors of the Mongols), and used a mixed agricultural and pastoral state to defeat these nomadic tribes. It was called the "Prosperous Kingdom of the East Sea". At its peak, it had a population of 3 million and a national history of nearly 230 years.
Today's Goguryeo is almost the same. Although it was defeated by Murong Xianbei many times, Murong was not able to destroy this country. Although the scale of their farming cavalry is not small, they can hold on by relying on the mountainous terrain and the cooperation of infantry and cavalry.
The father and son talked for a while and soon finished their meal.
Shao Xun came to his mother and chatted with her.
"Xiao Chong, are you going to the battle again?" Liu asked softly.
"Mother, at this point, there is no need for me to lead any battle. We are capable of defeating the enemy." Shao Xun said, holding his mother's hand.
Liu nodded in relief and murmured, "Mother knows that time is running out. If you go out to fight, it will be difficult for Mother to see you even once."
Shao Xun lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.
"Yesterday, Hou San invited a monk to the palace to preach, saying that Buddhism has the theory of reincarnation." Liu said, "Aniang was very happy to hear that, but she doesn't know how long it will take for reincarnation after death. It would be great if she could see her children and grandchildren again. What Aniang misses most is you. The big tiger left early, and this family depends on you to support it."
Shao Xun nodded, then reached out and called his sons over and asked them to sit down.
"You grandchildren have grown up so much, and can help your father share the family business." Liu wiped her tears gently, then stretched out a hand, touched the face of Crown Prince Shao Jin, and said: "Liang Nu, you are the eldest son, you must work hard in the future. It was not easy for your father to create such a big family business by himself. He had no one to rely on, so he could only rely on you. I heard from Young Master Cai that the Cao family was too wary of their brothers, so they lost their country. The Sima family also lost their country because of the discord between brothers. I don't know what to do, just listen to your grandfather. You must listen to him, he is the most capable of all the generations of the Shao family."
"Sun knows." Shao Jin shed two lines of tears.
Liu looked at Shao Yu again and said, "Tiger head..."
"Grandma, I'm here." Hu Tou squatted down so that Liu could touch his head.
"You are the tallest and the biggest, and you are the best fighter among the grandchildren." Liu said, "Even when farmers fight for water and fields, the strong ones rush to the front. The Shao family is a small clan with only a few people, and the country still depends on you. I went out of the palace once in March, and there were many aristocratic families along the Bian River. Their pomp and circumstance is not much worse than our Shao family. When your father was here, they didn't dare to bully us, but now that your father is gone, I dare not think about what they will do."
"In the early years, there was a fortress in the East China Sea. The fortress owner took in a group of outsiders. Later, the outsiders took away his family property and all his descendants died out. You are the strongest, so you must support this family business for Liang Nu in the future, and don't let outsiders bully you."
"Grandma, I understand." Hu Tou lowered his head and shed tears, then grabbed Liu's other hand.
"Where is Nian Liu?" Liu asked again.
"Grandma." Shao Xu walked over and squatted in front of Liu.
"You are the most kindhearted among all the grandchildren." Liu said, "Your father asked you to make financial plans because he values your ability. A family cannot do without money, and a country cannot do without money. You have to help Liang Nu."
"Yes." Shao Xu replied with a sad look on his face.
"Jin Dao, Huan Lang, Chun Lang..." Liu murmured, "It's rare that all the grandchildren are here today. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to say some things if I don't."
Jin Dao and others stepped forward one after another, looking sad.
After Liu explained everything, she gently stroked Shao Jin's head and said, "Liang Nu, the family must be united. They are all your brothers and can help you. You must also treat them well and don't fight with them, so as to let outsiders take advantage."
Shao Jin burst into tears, stretched out a hand, and swore: "Sun, swear in front of your grandmother that you will love your brothers. If you break this oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth."
"Little bug." Liu looked at Shao Xun again.
"Auntie."
"If Liang Nu makes a mistake in the future, don't blame him or reprimand him. You must teach him well," said Liu.
"Okay." Shao Xun responded.
"You must keep your word." Liu said, looking at her son with hope.
"Son, you should keep your word." Shao Xun nodded in agreement.
Liu smiled, as if she had let go of a worry, and smiled with relief.
(End of this chapter)