In Guanzhong and Qian counties, hundreds of men were mingling in the fields with bamboo poles.
They were not fighting randomly, but fighting in very organized formations.
The muscular men in the front row were holding bamboo poles and beating each other in neat rows. The slightly shorter ones were holding bamboo bows and constantly throwing arrows made of bamboo fragments into the sky.
The advance and retreat are coordinated with the sound of drums, and everyone shouts chants, advancing and retreating at the same time, and even the frequency of attacks is similar.
The battle soon became extremely fierce, and the young men did not flinch even if they were beaten to a bloody head, because this was not only related to their own image, but also related to their status in the family.
Anyone who gives up on such a battlefield will be basically useless. They are not even allowed to enter the ancestral hall when worshiping ancestors. Sisters cannot marry into good families, and they themselves cannot marry into good wives.
What's more important is that they can only survive as a clan as a unit. In the cruel social laws of the tenth century, any clan or clan that has a reputation of being easy to bully and weak will immediately be bullied by everyone.
Even the government will come to pinch you as a soft persimmon. The government officials pointed out: The hardest labor will be borne by your X family this year.
Therefore, on this kind of battlefield, there is no room for retreat. We can only work together to fight.
This situation has formed the culture of abundant military virtue in the Han Dynasty since the Qin and Han Dynasties. It is the gene for the Han army in the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties to often face several times more enemies when going out, and to fight tenaciously.
Because generations of Han family members have been trained in such low-intensity battles since childhood.
They have known since they were young what it would bring to themselves, their families, and even their clans if a man becomes timid in battle.
Correspondingly, a strong man who was proficient in bow and horse in the countryside, wielded a gun and stick, and dared to hit people and kill people, had a status in the countryside that was unimaginable by later generations.
That's why when the Yanhe Fort was built, the old blind man risked his life to leave his children and grandchildren with a reputation as a brave man in the Long March.
Of course, if this happens too often, it will easily lead to a situation where local powerful people are everywhere. The later the dynasty reaches, the more it will weaken the court's control over the local areas.
Therefore, since the Song Dynasty, with the gradual strengthening of centralization of power, this kind of custom in the countryside began to be suppressed until there was not much left.
People with high status in the countryside have changed from strong men who are skilled in bows and horses, and can use guns and sticks, to even scholars.
This is a perfect double-edged sword!
There are disadvantages to having abundant martial virtue in the countryside, because it will lead to the decline of the court's control. For example, in the late Han Dynasty and now the late Tang Dynasty, there were armed separatist regimes everywhere, domineering warriors, and endless rebellions.
But the good thing is that even in the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, the Central Plains warriors could still easily suppress the surrounding barbarians and beat them up.
Even after the Five Husties disrupted China, the powerful Han people in the north still found a way to survive, and the Han warriors headed by the ancestors of the Li and Tang royal families could rise again.
At the same time, the Song and Ming dynasties, which suppressed martial ethics in the countryside and regarded powerful men as savage beasts that would be wiped out as soon as they appeared, also had their good sides.
The high degree of centralization makes the world more like a whole, revitalizes the world's economy, communicates with all directions, greatly enhances the degree of recognition, and makes the overall political situation more stable without the emergence of powerful foreign enemies.
But the disadvantages are also obvious. The Song and Ming dynasties successively committed tragedies that destroyed the world and plunged the nation into an abyss.
Whether it's good or bad, it's really hard to say.
On the hillside, the fighting continues. The Li and Wei families here have had grievances for many years over irrigation and other matters. If they are not dealt with, a big fight will occur between the two families, causing headaches for the government.
In fact, Dad Wei, who was watching the battle from a distance, had a bigger headache. He looked at his sons shouting for a fight in the distance and closed his eyes sadly.
Too many babies! Too many babies!
Father Wei was very energetic and gave birth to seven sons in total, all of whom were vigorous and vigorous. They all served in the Inspection Department, served as slaves, and were frequent visitors to the Gun Club and Bow and Arrow Club.
But except for the eldest and the third, the other five sons don't know much about farming and are unwilling to farm.
The imperial court divided Yongye Field and Fenkou Field, but his sons despised farming and it was useless, so they basically just fooled around a few times and it was over.
He was so angry that Father Wei could only cultivate their Yongye fields with his eldest son and his third son almost to death from exhaustion.
If you really can't plant the sub-kou fields, you can only rent them out. But now everyone is not very short of land, and it is often the sub-kou fields in the middle and lower fields. Therefore, renting out the sub-kou fields cannot be done at a good price. It can only be said to be better than leaving it empty.
"They are all sustained by eating enough." At the end, Dad Wei made his judgment.
This judgment is correct, because according to the historical trajectory, Guanzhong, Hexi and Longyou will begin to gradually decline in this timeline.
The main reason is naturally that the weather is getting colder and the precipitation line is moving southward. Guanzhong and Helong have changed from affluent lands with abundant rainfall during the Sui and Tang Dynasties to semi-arid lands in the northwest.
Of course, the situation in Guanzhong is better than that in the Helong area, but the situation is limited. The overall climate and food production are declining.
At the same time, due to excessive development, the forest area has been greatly reduced, and various environmental problems are also emerging.
No matter how fertile the fertile farmland is, it will become a middle field or even a lower field after experiencing several natural and man-made disasters. Without precipitation, no matter how good your water conservancy facilities are, they will not have much effect.
However, Zhang Yan's move of giving priority to planting corn, sweet potatoes, orange melons, etc. in Helong inadvertently caused a wave of blood to these three places.
It can be said that the yield per mu of these three places has been pushed back to or even exceeded the yield in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.
This is the specific reason why Mr. Wei said he was full. After three years, Guanzhong near Helong also took over a large part of the expansion of the planting scope of new crops.
The sudden increase in output has enabled families like Wei's family, which does not even cultivate their own land, to live well with more than 30 acres of Yongye land per capita.
Seven sons, these are seven invincible gluttonous mouths! I can eat more than ten or twenty kilograms of corn buns in a day.
However, with the increase in the yield of new crops, an average of thirty acres per person would not only allow them to eat well, but also allow the more talented five of the seven sons to dance with guns and sticks.
You know, martial arts training, even at the most elementary level, requires a large amount of protein intake.
And when the yield per mu increased, the middle and lower fields and water conservancy projects that people originally didn't think much of, immediately became worth a hundred times.
When an acre of land with careful tending can only produce one or two hundred catties, the value of this land is not worth fighting for.
But when this piece of land can be cultivated with a little care and can produce four to five hundred pounds, it will be worth fighting for.
On the 'battlefield', the Wei brothers became more and more courageous as they fought, perhaps because the blood genes of their ancestor Wei Gao, the famous general, had revived in them.
The five Webster brothers, who are not easy to give birth to, are all physically strong. They were born in farmers and relied on other people's war horses to ride, but they are good at riding, and their spear, stick and archery skills are even better.
Under their leadership, the Li family was beaten back by the Wei family, screaming repeatedly, and was about to collapse.
At this moment, a gong sounded in the river bend in the distance, and a large flag of the Xinyang Inspection Department and soldiers from the twenty-thirty inspection department appeared in the eyes of Wei and Li Dingzhuang with guns and knives.
Oops! If you are caught now, you might have to build river embankments, which can be exhausting work.
In an instant, the two young men who were fighting just now dispersed and ran away!
"Hahahaha." The inspector from the Xinyang Inspection Department laughed and said to a person who looked like a chamberlain beside him:
"Officials from the Song Dynasty, please see, I have said that the people of Qianxian County want to be tough, but our Xinyang Inspection Department is ranked second, and no one dares to be ranked first."
"Okay, okay, okay!" Song Guanren said three times in a row with his eyes shining. This time the saint ordered the three kings to go to the Fan River. There was a shortage of such tough warriors to pacify the barbarians.
As he said that, the Song officials pointed to the young men of Wei and Li who were evacuating in the distance like a herd of frightened cattle and said: "It is impossible to say that a large number of princes and uncles will appear among these people."
"Thanks to the good news from the officials of the Song Dynasty!" The inspector came a little closer, "so that the officials can know that I also have a brother-in-law and a nephew who only dance with guns and sticks but do not give birth.
However, he is proficient in bow and horse, can use guns and sticks, and has already prepared armor and war horses at home. If I can be recommended to a certain king by an official, I would be extremely grateful and would also express my deep gratitude. "
Official Song smiled politely and rejected the folded banknote in the inspector's hand without looking at it. Then he looked at him seriously and said:
"I can help introduce people, but you have to come over and show me first. Those who are capable will definitely flourish."
Are you kidding? Although Song Guanren is a eunuch, he is also a military eunuch, and he is going to the river with Zhang Xianyu, the king of Anguo.
But we can't let some crooked melons and cracked jujubes sneak in. When the time comes, everyone will be trapped and die in the river together, which will look good.
. . . . .
Father Wei sat upright at the head of the dining table, and his wife and her eldest daughter-in-law brought the food up.
The staple food is a few white flour steamed buns. It is busy farming now, which is high-intensity physical labor, so this is for the eldest and third child to eat and give them a supplement.
The rest are basically corn buns, which are big and sweet. Apart from being a bit choking, they are also a perfect staple food. They also come with a bowl of millet porridge with diced sweet potatoes.
The most important dish is a plate of fried chicken with tomatoes. Dad Wei likes this dish very much. It is sweet and sour with a little salty taste. The key is that there is a lot of soup. It is extremely delicious when dipped in corn buns.
The rest is a large pot of stewed orange melon with a little salt. It tastes good and is enough to fill my stomach.
Finally, there is a plate of peanuts soaked in vinegar. This is the exclusive property of Mr. Wei as a parent. He likes to use this little peanut to drink a sip of wine. It can be regarded as the only enjoyment of this old farmer who participated in the battle to destroy Shu as a civilian. .
However, before Father Wei had time to enjoy it, the door was pushed open with a clang, and then his five sons, who were like bullocks, rushed in with a roar.
The five brothers were frightened, fearing that they would be arrested to build the river embankment. When they came in, they saw that the food had been laid out. They had been fighting for a long time and were already hungry. Five pairs of green eyes looked at Father Wei, waiting for his permission. Began to eat.
Father Wei carefully moved his plate of vinegar-soaked peanuts in front of him, then stuffed a few white-flour steamed buns into the hands of the boss and the third child, and then nodded.
The boss here just took over the white flour steamed buns, carefully broke off a large piece under the table and quietly stuffed it into his wife, and then broke off another large piece and gave it to his three-year-old son. Quietly, the family of three was filled with mystery. sweet.
Then, there was only a sound like a drum, and the dishes on the table were jingling.
Countless afterimage-like hands darted left and right in the void, and plates flew back and forth on the table, barely landing completely.
Finally, when the hovering plate fell to the ground and no longer made a noise from being poked, the ten kilograms of steamed cornmeal woofou had almost reached the bottom. A large pot of stewed orange melon was cleaner than a dog licked, and the sweet potato porridge was also clear. I saw a figure.
Except for the fried chicken with tomatoes, which they didn't dare to eat too much, the others were basically eliminated successfully. The three-year-old nephew was so shocked that he stared at the uncles with his eyes like bells.
Of course, they would not dare to be so presumptuous when eating. I rule the world with loyalty and filial piety, and the majesty of the father in the family is still very sufficient.
The reason why they dared to be so bold now was because the five Webster brothers were afraid of being arrested and went to build river embankments. After eating this meal, they planned to hide at their uncle's house in the next county for ten and a half days.
Father Wei still felt sorry for his son. Although he looked down upon them for not giving birth, seeing his fourth son staring blankly at the vinegar-soaked peanuts in his hand, Father Wei hurriedly gave his grandson a few. He smacked the vinegar smell, and then handed it to his fourth son.
Then the fourth son and the fifth son, who were not full, each picked up a corn bun, dipped it happily in the vinegar sauce and started to make a fuss.
"Give them two more bags of steamed buns and some pickles." Father Wei ordered his eldest daughter-in-law, and then he searched hard for a while and finally found a purse containing some copper coins.
He planned to buy some cakes for his sons to visit their grandfather and uncle on the way, so that they could have something to say.
In the silent air, there was a clang, and the door was pushed open again, and the Wei family members were collectively shaken.
As the door was opened, bursts of gong sounds came from outside, as if the world was connected to them again.
The person who came in was Zhang Xiang, an old man from his hometown. The old man was wearing silk and satin clothes that people usually couldn't bear to look at.
This is what Mr. Zhang Xiang was awarded by the government for leading his hometown to pay taxes last year. In Zhangzhou, ordinary farmers are not allowed to wear silk clothes.
When Mr. Zhang Xiang saw the five Wei brothers, who were tall, broad-shouldered, round-waisted, and full of fleshy faces, his face lit up with joy, as if he had seen five big silver ingots.
"Wei San, I'm so happy, so happy! The three great kings Erlang, Wulang, and Shilang of the Sage are going to open a mansion in the middle of the river. They want to recruit our Qianxian warriors to accompany the king in his expedition. Your family, the Five Wei Biao, have the opportunity to make contributions. !”
"ah!"
Dad Wei stood up suddenly, opened his mouth, and instinctively wanted to refuse. This was the son he had raised after twenty years of hard work, and who was willing to go thousands of miles away in one go.
But not a single word came out of Father Wei's mouth.
Because he knew very well that without the saint, he would have died in a military rebellion long ago. Without Zhou Dynasty, he Wei Sanbu died in the military rebellion, and he probably died of starvation in the great flood in Qianxian County more than 20 years ago. .
Without the saint, there would be no corn, sweet potatoes, his favorite tomatoes, and peanuts, and there would be no good days today.
Therefore, even with Father Wei's stubbornness and reluctance, he couldn't say "no" after hearing the saint's recruitment.
The room was quiet, but a flash of light suddenly flashed in the eyes of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wei family, but she quickly reacted and lowered her head suddenly.
The five younger brothers in the family dance with guns and sticks every day when they are not engaged in childbirth, but they are also very good at eating. She cannot finish a meal for one brother in a day.
If their followers were sent away by the king, their Yongye fields would not be taken back, and they would still be farmed by their close relatives.
Now that there are five less people in the family, she will immediately be much richer. Maybe she can save some money to hire a famous teacher for her eldest brother to learn literature and martial arts, and then he can go to the county school and become prosperous in the future.
The third child of the Wei family quickly glanced at his sister-in-law, and then looked away uncomfortably.
According to the law, if a brave soldier goes with Wang Huzheng, he can immediately get a sum of money to settle down, which is not much, only three to five thousand yuan per person.
But he has five brothers! This time it was dozens of strings.
The third eldest son of the Wei family has not yet married a wife at the age of nineteen because there are many brothers in the family and they are not well-off. But if he had the money, he would soon be able to marry a wife as beautiful and virtuous as his sister-in-law.
"Grandpa, I want to go. I have been practicing martial arts for more than ten years. I can use bows, horses, spears and sticks. I don't want to farm. I want to be an official!" The fourth son of the Wei family said in a deep voice.
"Grandpa, when the child goes to the river and gets a title, we will buy two slaves who know how to farm and come back to plow the land for our family, so that grandpa and my brothers won't have to work so hard." The fifth eldest son of the Wei family continued.
Mr. Wei is an old man and has seen the reactions of everyone in the room. He understands in his heart.
The eldest and the third child have done a good enough job raising five brothers for so many years, and now is the time.
Amid the sobs of his old wife and the overjoyed congratulations of Mr. Zhang Xiang, Mr. Wei nodded slowly. At that moment, he actually felt a slight sense of relief.
. . . .
The so-called minister of the tyrant of the Bouveshi family, Adud Daulai, invaded and occupied the territory of Saman Persia. It can be said to be true or false.
To be honest, it is because the Bouveshi dynasty has been trying to digest the Khorasan region that originally belonged to Saman Persia over the years, and the two sides have been going back and forth in the Khorasan region.
The lie is because the intensity of this tug of war has become less intense after nearly ten years, and the Bouveshi dynasty has not launched any large-scale military operations recently.
Therefore, the reason for the Three Kings' Western Expedition was actually because the opportunity to annex Samandro had arrived. Zhang Xianyu and others went west just to completely devour Samandro.
In the past nine years, Guo Ting'er has done a very good job. She has used her status advantage to successfully allow the Liufa Sect to enter Xi'an City, and has been able to compete with the Tianfang Sect in terms of followers.
But behind this great development are increasingly fierce conflicts.
Provoking the Samanid Persians' hatred of the cannibals was a double-edged sword, because while it made the Persians hate the cannibals, they also hated the Han people who were also outsiders.
The tug-of-war over the years has basically been between the cannibals uniting with the Persians to attack the Han people, and the Han people uniting with the Persians to attack the cannibals.
And now, it's time for things to end.
This is because the Persians and Sogdians who can win over the Han people have basically been brought over. Those who cannot be brought over will be difficult to win over in another ten years.
At the same time, a major event that could be described as earth-shattering occurred in the river.
That is Zhang Shengren's loyal servant, the Dinghai Shenzhen in the Troika in the river, the governor of Ningyuan, posthumously given to the Dunhuang Prince, the posthumous title of loyal old Zhang Zhong, died of illness last year at the age of eighty-one.
The death of Lao Zhang Zhong caused great changes in the situation in Hezhong.
The conflict between the Zheng King Bai Congxin and the Dinghai Grand Duke Lu Zhen, who had been de facto vassals for more than ten years, and the Jin Kingdom kings Li Congde and Guo Ting'er gradually surfaced.
This time the three kings marched to the west, firstly, they asked their son to mourn for the old Zhang Zhong, and secondly, they asked Zhang Xian, the king of Anguo, who had worked hard for twenty years to cultivate him and had the ability of a generation of heroes, to go to the river to become the kings and kings of the Han family in the river. The leader of the force.
Avoid infighting among your own people and direct your strength further west, thereby laying the foundation for the future.
(End of chapter)
