They traveled thousands of miles to win the battle of Liaodong. By the time the war profits were counted and the harvest was tallied, the Daliao River had completely thawed.
In this battle, the five cities of Wulu, Fangxian, Pingguo, Xiangping, and Liucheng were captured. Gongsun Du and other Liaodong rich men killed most of them. Qiu Liju, Su Puyan, Wuyan and other Wuhuan Chanyus and Wuhuan commanders participated. Among them, the captains of the Han armies in Liaodong and the officers of fifty or more captains were all executed. In this battle, the middle and high-level leaders of the hostile forces in Liaodong were greatly traumatized.
From then on, the Wuhuan people and Han people in Liaodong will be a scattered mess for a long time, and it will be difficult to form a climate. It will be impossible in this lifetime to organize such a large force.
According to post-war statistics, 20,000 Han people and 40,000 Wuhuan people were added during this war, for a total population of 60,000. In addition, more than 4,000 war horses were killed, and the food, grass and baggage were useless.
Although the Ukrainian and Han coalition forces that came to attack this time were very poor, the Shanyu, officials, and wealthy households were all quite wealthy. Although Wang Yan blocked the Western Liaoning Corridor and cut off trade within and outside the customs, they still collected what they should. On the contrary, because of Wang Yan, the price was even lowered. They are all waiting to kill Wang Yan, reopen business channels, and make more money.
They not only collected things from Liaodong, but also went north to collect products from Wuhuan, Goguryeo, Fuyu, etc. outside the territory. Outside the territory were the Greater Hinggan Mountains and Changbai Mountains. These two mountain ranges surrounded the Songnen Plain, the largest and most fertile plain in the Northeast, from east to west. Although they are barbarians from outside the area and are not good at farming, they do not have that many people. They can survive by eating from the mountains. There are piles of mountain products, animal skins, animal bones, and medicinal herbs.
They need salt, iron tools, a certain amount of food, cloth, and so on. Those who can afford to trade with them are the wealthy households in Liaodong. Even Wuhuan Chanyu such as Qiu Liju relied on the trade of the wealthy clan members.
Now that all these things are in the hands of General Wang, apart from keeping those for his own use, they are basically given to the wealthy families in exchange for food, cloth, salt and other supplies.
He has already begun to build a salt farm. This most basic living material must be guaranteed. Pingguo (Yingkou) and Wenxian (Gaizhou) areas are good locations for saltworks. Starting this year, wealthy people will no longer have to use salt and iron to cut leeks.
As the territory expands and the population increases, corresponding military deployments must keep up.
The mighty guards with the strongest combat effectiveness moved to Xiangping. When General Wang moved thousands of miles to fight, an enemy from the east came to steal Guo, and he was beaten to a pulp by the three thousand mighty guards who were left behind. After replenishing the soldiers who were damaged in the battle, they stood in the front to prevent Xuantu from invading.
Wulu City was guarded by Xingwuwei. In the previous battle of Liaodong, Xingwuwei defended the Tuhe base camp. They fought steadily and did not allow the enemy to come out of the mountain road. He was stationed without a filter, cooperating with the Xiangping guard Jiaojiao to protect the Liaohe plain.
Guangwu Guard was stationed in Fuxin. Previously, Guangwu Guard attacked Fuxin. After General Wang defeated Qiu Liju, he rushed over and decided to fight. His troops were replenished and stationed in Fuxin. They could take advantage of the geographical advantage to prevent the bandits from entering the Wuli Valley. They drove straight into Pochangli and captured the Tuhe River. They could also rely on the terrain as a place to advance. It can also coordinate and support Wulu and Xiangping. If the enemy comes, join forces and attack them, or they can drive away and steal homes.
In the battle of Wuli City, the Yingwu Guards, who suffered heavy losses, were converted from militia to a formal army and garrisoned Pingguo. Their mission was still to prevent enemies from coming from the east. In addition, producing salt was also their job.
The Xiaoqi battalion commanded by Liao Hua selected and deployed another 2,500 people from each guard, adding to the scale of 5,000 troops and horses. The captured war horses, except for those used by the guards and cavalry, were basically given to Liao Hua. They were stationed in Taian, which was Taian in Anshan two thousand years later, and was named after the general.
They garrisoned in Taian and relied on the mobility of the cavalry to support the first three areas. They also prevented the Liaohe Plain from opening up and allowing the enemy to penetrate directly into the hinterland of Fang County. What he does on a daily basis is training, raising horses, and farming.
The above are all regular troops, totaling more than 30,000. In addition, there are three militia units. The Xiongwu guards who had previously been mobilized to defend Changli took advantage of the situation to gather troops in Changli. A new Zhenwu Guard was formed in Tuhe Base Camp, and a Xuanwu Guard was formed in Suizhong on the southern front.
As for Liucheng, General Wang's actual hometown, he did not send anyone to occupy it. Because the geography of his hometown is not very good, surrounded by mountains, there have been droughts nine times out of ten years, and the harvest is relatively not very good. There is a wider area in the north, so there is no need to hoard troops in the ravines.
It is not a problem at all to say that enemies are coming from the direction of Liucheng again. After all, his rangers are completely professional soldiers who are trained in new ways. They spread widely and learned the map measurement and making methods taught by Wang Yan. They ate and slept outside, drawing maps and checking the enemy's situation. As long as you know the enemy is coming, you can win. The later you come, the easier it is to win. If it's too late, it won't be them attacking, but Wang Yan sending troops over...
Now that we have won the battle of Liaodong and are completely established in Liaodong, the Han army will definitely not attack. Moreover, his military deployment is more inclined to defend the north rather than the south. You know, as long as the Xuanwu Guards in Suizhong are destroyed, the Tuhe Base Camp will come next. For troops from other places to be mobilized to Suizhong, it would take three days at the earliest and ten days at the farthest.
This is Wang Yan's statement, so everyone can rest assured.
But Suizhong's troops and horses are definitely impossible to be without. Not just to go south, but also to keep the trade routes. Now that General Wang is occupying the Western Liaoning Corridor, how can he allow businessmen from the north and south to come and go from his territory?
As we all know, trade drives regional economic development. The land that now controls the throat of the Northeast must be used as a commercial transit place. Large-scale trade can be carried out here, commercial taxes can be collected, the economy can be developed, and people's livelihood can be supported. Within five or six years, it will definitely become rich.
In fact, his burden is very heavy now. The total number of regular soldiers and militiamen is more than 50,000. Including army logistics, the number is more than 60,000 when not fighting, and over 100,000 when fighting.
Its current total population is less than 400,000. With this number, basically all the leaders are on the battlefield. You can imagine how heavy the burden is.
So although we distinguish between combat soldiers and militiamen, they are not actually professional soldiers. To put it bluntly, it is just that combat soldiers have better food and have heavier training tasks than militiamen, while militiamen have better food and more tasks than ordinary farmers.
If it weren't for cutting leeks with glass, and if it weren't for the many fruitful battles, I wouldn't have been able to survive.
Now that Liaodong has been decided, the Liaohe Plain is under control, and the water of the Daliao River has melted, it is natural to start the vigorous spring plowing plan.
Although the river water has melted and it is almost the vernal equinox, the land in Northeast China, which coincides with the Little Ice Age, is not so easy to melt. The official spring plowing time in the Northeast is March in the lunar calendar and April in the Western calendar. It is only February now, more than a month apart, and the land has not yet thawed, but it is impossible to really wait until it does before taking action.
The Liaohe Plain has not been fully developed, and there is still a lot of wasteland. The fields cultivated last year also need to be plowed. Brick kilns still burn bricks, glass kiln entrances cannot stop working, trees need to be cut down, houses need to be built, spring floods need to be prevented, water conservancy projects need to be repaired, spring catches must not be given up, and large-scale captive breeding of chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, and cattle must also be planned. All these things are all in the hands of the general.
Following the general's order, the common people, who had spent the whole winter hiding on the warm fire pits and consuming a large forest, walked out of their homes with the cool spring breeze blowing.
Most of the women who are fertile have their bellies raised. On the smooth streets passing by, the laughter of children rang out for the first time in a long time. This winter, the general set a record that was impossible before 1911. No one died of cold or starvation. Not many people died of the disease. After all, those who made it all the way were in good health and relatively able to survive. In addition, Wang Yan personally took action and took his doctors to see the doctor, so the problem was not big.
This time, in order to get out of the house to work early so as not to catch the cold or a viral flu, Wang Yan had already prepared the medicine in advance. Anyone who is sick or not can drink it, it won’t be bad anyway.
The common people walked out of their homes, followed the general's instructions, and with a hopeful smile, received cattle, grain, and agricultural tools, and began major construction again.
During this winter, through the joint efforts of blacksmiths, craftsmen, and people hiding in their houses for the winter, 50,000 sets of king plows and hundreds of parts for large waterwheels were built.
There are not many cattle, only more than 2,000, which were plundered from Youzhou last year. He has served her like an ancestor all winter, and has given birth to more than a hundred calves so far. This is because the production cycle of cattle is relatively long, nearly a year. The more than one hundred calves that were born were brought here before.
When the baby was born, General Wang went to work as a veterinarian teacher and taught several farmers who claimed to be proficient in cattle matters and specialized in raising cattle for the landlord. He hadn't even eaten beef this winter.
The scarcity of cattle has been with us for two thousand years. This situation must be solved. Enclosing pastures and raising animals on a large scale is a must. Otherwise, how to enrich the diet and how to eat meat.
More than two thousand cattle are definitely not enough to cultivate nearly 100,000 square kilometers of land. At this time, the role of the army is demonstrated. If there are not enough animals, people should be used as animals to pull the plow. If one person is not enough, two will be used, and if two are not enough, three will be used. This is the right time to exercise physical fitness.
Compared with the common people, the army is the main force in farming. After they reclaim a large area of military land, they have to farm land for the common people. The front is the public land, and the back is their own land.
The military service age is not yet fully implemented. Because this is not just a simple matter of being a soldier, it is a systematic project. Including material level, medical foundation, educational foundation, etc., it is determined by a series of factors and cannot be determined by a simple sentence.
It is necessary for the population to have children under the age of 18 now. In an extra three or four years, compared to ten born, only three or four can live to be ten. This is a very important point. Although the age of service is not mentioned as twenty, it is also being tightened. Each guard will slowly eliminate veterans who are over thirty-two years old and are not yet officers.
Basic education is a long-term process. For example, now, he has printed books and even brought Cai Yong over. How can there be so many teachers teaching?
As for the impact of papermaking and printing on wealthy families, it can basically be ignored. Because this is rooted in education and the national official selection system. There is no one to teach, and books are distributed everywhere. Only a few people who know the words can understand it. This is destined to take ten or twenty years to achieve the initial results. He has made certain achievements in education.
The basis of education is material conditions. Only when basic life needs are met can we have time to learn and progress, and then cultivate some lofty goals.
Similarly, material conditions also determine the basis of medical treatment. It costs money to see a doctor, to train doctors, to spend money to prepare medicinal materials, to spend money to research, and so on. Doctors also determine the survival of babies, the salvation of patients, and ensure the lives of the people. This is another basis for deciding military service.
The military service system determines the decisive factor in protecting the means of production. Only by ensuring our own production income and ensuring people's lives can we continuously improve our material foundation and then promote the construction of education and medical systems.
The lifespan of people in the Han Dynasty was generally around thirty or forty years old. They died of hunger, severe cold, disease, and military disasters. But all the above things are developing for the better, and life expectancy will naturally increase.
At least for now, under the rule of General Wang, it can be said with certainty that the people will only die of serious illness or accidents at work. It is impossible to freeze to death or starve to death, let alone be killed by the enemy into the hinterland...
The vigorous production and construction began, and Wang Yan was also very busy.
He rode around with a group of more than ten personal guards all day long. Today we will look at the brick kiln and the glass kiln entrance. Tomorrow we will look at the progress of plowing the ground. The day after tomorrow we will discuss armor with the blacksmith, look at the situation of iron ore and iron smelting, and study with the carpenter what else needs to be done. Seeing patients, paying attention to the breeding conditions of various animals, and running out to see a few people every day.
From time to time, you have to go to other places for inspections to see if the civilian officials are working hard and if anyone is crazy about money. You have to pay attention to the farming situation of the army, pay attention to the physical and mental health of the soldiers, and find the guards. Sima studied the Xiu Mu system, and those who were not married studied marriage matters. The salt farm also had to pay attention, which was also profitable.
Regularly take stock of your financial resources to see how long you can sustain them. We also need to study how to collect business taxes, and we also need to find people to go to the north to spread the concept of peace. Let people know that they are now open for business and you can come and have a look. Whether you are rich or poor, you can Bring something to sell.
It is difficult to operate within the pass because business is controlled by wealthy families and the distance is further away. Wang Yan cannot do business directly with individuals, but in the north, there is no problem. They come to trade on their own, and no one can stop them.
In this process, they will envy the lives of the people under the rule of the general, and they will be infiltrated bit by bit, and they will be captured bit by bit by the general using advanced materials and culture.
As the key to economic and trade, money is necessary. After this year's autumn harvest, Wang Yan will use money to purchase the surplus grain of the people under his rule. By the next year, the economic activities under his rule will be initially active, and that will be the beginning of prosperity.
In Tuhe City, the book garden has been expanded a lot. Wang Yan is no longer sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. It is simple that because of the heat, he has moved his desk and other things sideways.
Not only that, the previous mats and tables were all gone. They were replaced with a set of solid wood tables and chairs made of elm wood, and the kneeling posture was finally changed.
At this moment, the general, who was wearing a plain white Sichuan brocade singlet, was smiling and looking at Zhen Sheng, who was standing there shivering and reading a book.
After a while, Zhen Sheng carefully placed the book on General Wang's desk: "General, this book is truly a gift from God!"
This was somewhat exaggerated, but Zhen Sheng's flattery was on point. Wang Yan waved his hands lightly and sat lazily on a chair covered with tiger skin: "Meng Guang's words are exaggerated. This is based on Cai Hou's wonderful ideas. What do the creations of my people’s labor have to do with heaven? What do you think of this book?”
"It's really good. The writing is smooth, the printing is square, the ink is clear, and it has a scholarly atmosphere. With this book, literature and education will flourish." Zhen Sheng changed the subject and said, "The general ordered Cai Yong to come here, Sheng He went to Wu to pay homage to Cai Yong and expressed his ambitions to the general. However, he was unmoved. Sheng followed the general's instructions and invited him again and again. Now that the general's magical skills of creation do not need to threaten Cai Yong, but he asked three times based on this book and decided to teach him. He flies on horseback to pitch.”
This is a good employee. Let’s not talk about making money by buying books. Let’s first connect the book with the big boss. Although Wang Yan didn't have much contact with other representatives of wealthy families, he could directly judge that none of those people were as good as Zhen Sheng.
The simplest reason is that the Zhen family was in decline, and when their survival was at stake, they would sacrifice the face of the wealthy family, otherwise they would not be able to marry the daughter of the sect, who were thirteen years apart, to General Wang. thing. The other wealthy families are all behemoths. If you can put down your shame, you will naturally gain more and make greater progress.
This is a condition that representatives of other wealthy families do not have. Although Wang Yan has now been granted the title of Marquis of Liao, General Tianwu, and the official title of Governor of Liaodong, he actually controls most of Liaoxi County, Liaodong, Xuantu, Liaodong vassal states, and half of the four counties of Lelang. land. With a population of 400,000 and a full force of troops capable of pulling out 100,000 soldiers and horses, the feudal lords who ruled the land of Liaodong were not in the eyes of the Central Plains family.
Yes, the Han Dynasty has come to Liaodong to announce the decree and give the seal. The king thief has become the king's prefect. Although he has not yet married and has children, his honorific title can also be called 'Gong', 'Shi Jun', or 'Wang Liaodong'. '...
If Zhen Sheng had become the Zhen family, the Zhen family might be better off than it is now, but it is a pity that he is a sideline and cannot be the family or the master.
Wang Yan answered and asked, "Can we find out more about Cai Yong's daughter?"
"She has five daughters. The eldest daughter died in infancy. The second and third daughters are all married. The fourth daughter is named Yan and is ten years old. She is the Wei family of Xu Hedong. The fifth daughter is named Li and is eight years old. Cai Yong's wife died early and is now Yang sent his daughter to accompany him. He paid no attention to worldly affairs in the land of Wu and devoted himself to learning, teaching scholars who came and went. He loved books and had a huge collection of books."
"Very good, Cai Yong is coming, Yan and Li are coming, and so are their huge collections of books. A thousand soldiers may not be able to handle the task, so I will accompany you with two thousand soldiers to the land of Wu. For grain and grass, you can help me by deducting it from the transaction."
"Sheng, I will definitely live up to the general's expectations." Zhen Sheng avoided the table and bowed.
"Last time I taught you to transport all the books in the Zhen family's collection. You should do this quickly. I am not trying to teach you, but I actually want to print all the books in the Zhen family's collection into this book. Compared with the bamboo slips, this book still exists in the world. It lasts longer. Compared with the silk book, this book contains more information, and it is easier to read if you hold it."
Wang Yan said with a smile: "To be honest with Meng Guang, I will print two copies of the book with the Zhen family, and one copy will be for my collection. I do have the intention to sell books, but I will not sell your family's books. Last year I made the second copy. We raised troops and gained a lot along the way. We defeated the Gongsun family in Xiangping and wiped out many of them. This book garden became my collection of books, and the sales were also for this purpose. This matter is all related to the Ruzhen family. What I want is food and grass. , a wealthy family’s collection of books.
When I have a huge collection of books, I will build a separate pavilion, which I will call the "Book Collection Pavilion". When Cai Yong comes here, he will be the head of this pavilion, manage the books, and carry out Lao Tzu's old deeds. Maybe he can also achieve enlightenment. "
"General, please rest assured. All the books collected by the Zhen family can be sold. If my Zhen family sells books, other wealthy families will certainly sell them as well. It is a good thing for us to exchange our collections. I, the Zhen family, should set an example."
That's what happened. The Zhen family printed the books on paper and added some conditions when selling the books. Not only did they have to spend money, but they also had to get the books. Was it all up to them, the Zhen family? In this way, if the general builds a library in Liaodong, they can also work together to build a family library in Wuji's hometown, which is indeed a good thing.
Besides, Wang Yan didn't know how many books they had at home. It wouldn't be a big deal if they didn't take out some of the treasured books.
Wang Yan nodded affirmatively and turned to ask: "Now that you have contacted the ten permanent servants, you can communicate with Qian. The secretary's collection should be massive. The books can be transported to Liaodong in batches and reprinted. You can send the book back.”
"This matter is easy to hear. The general is now sitting in Liaodong. A letter will arrive in two months."
Books are precious and knowledge is precious because they are rare. What is more precious is teaching. This is exactly what the wealthy family teaches. They are all the six arts of a gentleman, but obviously, even if you are literate, you can't understand them just by reading a book. Besides, the art of war, which is now a compulsory course, requires the guidance of famous teachers.
The privileges and blessings of Liu Bei's royal family have been cut off, and his family has been reduced to farmers, and he himself makes a living by weaving mats and selling women. How could he become a sworn ally with Guan and Zhang when he was just starting out, leading five hundred soldiers and horses to march and fight?
Don't underestimate five hundred people, let alone marching and fighting. That's not what you say, but Liu Bei did it. Before meeting Zhuge Liang, although Liu Bei had been wandering, many battles and many operations were done by himself. All this is because he has a good teacher. Lu Zhi is a serious boss. This is due to his ability in Confucian classics and the art of war, apart from his official status.
Gongsun Zan was able to take the land of Youzhou and become a prince, naturally because of his apprenticeship with Lu Zhi and the skills he later learned from other people. If not for this, he was born in the Lingzhi Gongsun family and would not be ranked highly today. He was still a commoner, and it would be almost impossible for him to reach that height.
Those who are truly talented can summarize and learn by themselves. In fact, the books and knowledge passed down also come from this way. It is the enlightenment of the predecessors, recording their experiences, passing them on to future generations, and constantly improving them.
But being able to constantly summarize, learn, and improve is a rare ability. Everyone knows that this is good, but there are only a few people who can really do it. Otherwise, the wheel of history rolls forward and there is no need to repeat itself.
"Of course I can rest assured. I have met Meng Guang so far and he has lived up to my expectations. Meng Guang is a great talent."
"The general praised him highly, but Sheng didn't dare to accept it." Zhen Sheng arched his hands, unable to hide the smile on his face, and said instead, "Last year, the general taught me to send a caravan to the Western Regions to find cotton. The pictures are the same, but I really don’t know if they are what the general is looking for.”
Wang Yan raised his eyebrows: "Where are the seeds?"
"Although I carry a little with me, I can teach the general how to identify it. I got a stone of cotton seeds in total during this trip, and they are all in the warehouse outside the city. General, please take a look." As he spoke, Zhen Sheng took out a brocade bag from his arms, opened it and handed it to the king. Word.
He took the kit, grabbed a handful of cotton from it, picked out the cotton seeds, nodded and smiled: "Yes, they are cotton seeds. Meng Guang has made great contributions."
"Performing your duties for the general is what you should do. I dare not talk about credit. Sheng really doesn't know what this cotton seed is used for, so I would like to ask the general to clarify his doubts."
"This is like silk or linen, which can be used to spin cotton cloth. This is its fruit. After being beaten, it can be made fluffy and can be used as stuffing for clothes. It can protect against severe cold. It is bitterly cold in Liaodong, and with this cotton, my people in Liaodong There is no need to hide indoors in winter, which is a blessing for Liaodong.”
"Congratulations to the general for obtaining this fine seed. In time, the bitter cold in Liaodong will be no longer a worry. Congratulations, congratulations..."
Wang Yan laughed loudly: "Meng Guang's words are precise. It takes time, and it will not be difficult to achieve in five years."
"General, I don't know how to grow this species?"
"It needs to be in a place where the sun shines brightly for a long time, and the land needs water and enough soil."
"Can't we plant in Mo Liaodong?"
"The land of Pingguo is okay, but it has many difficulties in giving birth."
“Where can I plant it?”
"This is Gu Mo (Aksu) of the Western Region. If you have contact with the Western Region Protectorate, you can send barbarians to farm, and I will trade salt and iron."
"Sheng Gui Wuji will send someone to contact him through letters. What if it fails?"
"It won't work."
General Wang waved his hand, it would be best if he agreed, and it didn't matter if he didn't agree. There is a kind of Pingguo plant. Although the yield is less, it is better than nothing. Little by little, it will always develop for the better. As long as you have the seeds and know where they are, the future will be long.
In fact, the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins are also cotton-producing areas, but even though the grain is grown all over the land, there is still not enough to eat. Cotton is a cash crop, but food is the basic necessities of life. It cannot harm people.
Zhen Sheng nodded and said no more. As for how the general in Guizhou came to know about this unheard-of cotton, he would never ask, let alone think too much about it. He just thought that the general was a god ordained by heaven.
At this moment, the bodyguard ran in with a report: "General, there is a message from Suizhong Rangers. Tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans are heading north."
"oh?"
"General, I know this, and I was about to report it to the general. All I saw along the way north were yellow turban refugees. Not just tens of thousands, but tens of thousands, dragging their families with them, stretching for hundreds of miles.
I sent my soldiers to explore, and found out that the Yellow Turban troops from Qing, Ji, and You were defeated. I heard that the general had defeated Wuhuan in the land of Liaodong, and was granted the title of Marquis of Liao, General of Tianwu, and the official title of Governor of Liaodong, so I came to surrender. The prefectures and counties along the way also knew the reason and did not hinder each other. They allowed the Yellow Turbans to pass through and sweep the people northward. This was really my plan. "
Zhen Sheng cupped his hands and said what he knew about the situation.
"Meng Guang, don't worry. In the land of Liaodong, there are fertile fields and no one is cultivating them. We are not afraid of the incoming people, but we are not afraid of the incoming people." Wang Yan laughed and said, "Pass my military order, Xiong Wuwei will divide three thousand troops to guard the Tuhe River." , Zhenwuwei immediately organized his army, fully armed, and rushed to Suizhong. You are also fully armed, took my equipment, and set off immediately."
"Yes!" The guard took the order and left.
Wang Yan said with a smile: "Does Meng Guang want to go with us?"
"Sheng Dang went south to do business with the general, so he went to see him for a while."
"Put away these five books, pack your bags, and set off in half an hour..."
I would like to express my daily gratitude to the good brothers who vote monthly for their support.
Thank you to all the brothers who recommended me for your support,
Thanks to the big brothers who read silently for their support.
(End of chapter)
