"How does it feel to govern a party?" Zhao Kuo and Li Mu walked side by side on the path outside Dai County.
Li Mu is more mature than before, his personality is much more restrained, and he has an air of elegance. If you don't know him, you will think that he is a civil servant, but not that Li Mu is one of the few famous generals in the world.
Although July is hot and the weather is gradually getting cooler, this is only relatively speaking. The sun is still shining brightly during the day at this time, and the leaves beside the road are hanging listlessly on the treetops.
On both sides are neat patches of farmland, with lush green crops swaying gently in the breeze, and figures wearing bamboo hats walking through the fields.
No matter what time of year, there is never a shortage of busy people in the farmland.
The mulberry trees at the head of the field are not thick, and they should not have been planted for a long time. Not far away, there are houses scattered in an orderly manner. The houses are not gorgeous, but they are neat and tidy.
Occasionally, the barking of dogs comes from the village, which triggers a series of barking sounds. It seems that the barking team is holding a meeting.
Zhao people have the custom of raising dogs. Horses, Hu dogs, and Kunlun jade are known as the three treasures of Zhao. Hu dogs can be ranked alongside war horses and Kunlun jade, which shows their status.
In addition to herding and hunting, dogs can also play a certain role in the military.
Mozi once recorded in his book how to use dogs to prevent enemies from digging tunnels. This was to dig tunnels in the city and put a dog in each tunnel. The barking of the dog would indicate that there was someone there.
In the distance, the green hills are undulating and lush. Groups of people dressed in coarse cloth are busy in the mountains. There are even more people than in the fields. There are many old people and children among them.
Daijun is where the Zhao State's Great Wall Army is stationed. Every day training consumes a large amount of arrow shafts.
The trees on the mountain are all good materials for making arrow shafts. The government can buy them without any limit, and they can buy as much as they want.
Although the price is very cheap, in this era, it is rare to have such an income.
Therefore, countless people poured into the mountains to cut down branches and plan arrow shafts.
Thanks to the fact that there are trees everywhere, they don’t grow much if they are cut down, so we don’t have to worry about damaging the environment.
"It's difficult. Governance, the world is peaceful and the people are stable. Reason, comply with the laws of heaven, develop and grow. It's not easy to truly govern." Li Mu said with emotion.
It is easy to govern one party, but it is too difficult to truly govern it well.
The people in the three northern counties of the State of Zhao are fierce and martial. They like to be competitive and take it as their duty to help the weak and suppress the powerful.
When we were resisting the Huns, after everyone heard the news, without saying a word, they prepared their own dry food and rushed to the front line on horseback.
Although they no longer need to pay as much as they do, the martial spirit is still intact. Almost all the young men here can fight on horseback, and even many young girls have good riding skills.
Many villages here have their own stables, and they travel on horseback, with knives and arrows at their waists.
In the State of Zhao, knives and arrows were not regulated weapons, but armor and crossbows. Hiding one privately was a serious crime of beheading.
People in the Central Plains have a phobia of lack of force, and they all hope that the stronger the force, the better. Even if they are poor, they have to borrow money to buy a weapon and hide it under the bed board in case of emergency.
Later, the weapons of the Zhao Kingdom changed. In addition to casting farm tools, many of the retired weapons were sold to the people.
Daijun has Zhao's earliest horse farm, is Zhao's main source of cavalry, a bridgehead against the Donghu and Xiongnu, and a bridge connecting Handan and Hetao.
What the people of Daijun admire most are generals who can fight, especially young famous generals like Li Mu who destroyed the Huns' cavalry. As soon as they arrived in Daijun, they were welcomed by the people of the county.
In the past few years when Li Mu was the county governor, no matter whether it was Donghu in the north or Yan State in the west, let alone invading Zhao State, they did not even dare to approach the border, and they could hide as far as they could.
The people of Daijun felt a sense of pride in being Zhao people, and they also respected Li Mu more and more.
but……
The people of this generation do not engage in farming and mulberry...
Li Mu tried every means, even using Guan
Department, they recruited several farm disciples from Handan, and ordered the forced reclamation of wasteland for farming, and set targets for each township, but the effect was not very good.
The land and water support the people. Daijun extends in all directions, reaching the grasslands in the north, the Central Plains in the south, the Hetao in the west, and the Yan Kingdom in the east. The special geographical environment causes wars here almost every year.
The enemy loots and plunders, while our own side is fortified and clear of the country.
The food that was sown was destroyed by one's own people or enemies before it could be harvested.
In addition, the people here are martial and loyal, and caravans traveling from south to north like to recruit guards here. Zhao State also recruits cavalry here every year, so that they can have an income without farming.
Over time, no one will grow food.
It was not until recent years that Zhao State vigorously developed agriculture and reclaimed all the land that could be cultivated, that the situation improved.
"Actually, the fact that you can do this is beyond my expectation." Zhao Kuo said with a smile.
Before meeting Li Mu, Zhao Kuo had already inspected Dai County. Compared with the first time he came to Dai County, it had been greatly improved, as evidenced by the neat farmland.
You must know that Zhao Kuo regards Li Mu as a general, or a commander-in-chief, rather than a civil servant who governs a party. The reason why Li Mu was placed in Dai County was that, on the one hand, Northern Xinjiang needed an elite regiment to take charge, and on the other hand, it was to deal with the Yan State in the future.
Governance is secondary.
But Li Mu did a good job. He personally led the people of Daijun to cultivate fields and form caravans, and maximized the advantages of Daijun. Not only did he not cause public resentment, but he won the support of the people of Daijun.
Even those top civil servants who personally serve as county governors can only do this.
However, the separation of civil and military families was not so obvious in this era. It was very common for civilian officials to do the work of military generals, and generals to do the work of civilian officials. Wei Wuji, for example, was among the best in the world whether it was internal affairs or leading troops in combat.
"Thanks to Jun Cheng's help, Jun Cheng taught Mu a lot during this time." Li Mu turned around and nodded to an old man behind him.
Zhao Kuo also knew this old man. He was once a retainer of Lord Xinling: Tang Ju.
Zhao Kuo was worried that Li Mu had just governed one side and had no experience, so he sent the experienced Tang Ju to help Li Mu.
But this guy is a bead-calculator. If he dials the beads, he will move. If he doesn't dial, he will stay still.
"Sir, he is one of the most talented people in the world. You should ask for more advice and treat him with the courtesy of a teacher. Don't neglect him." Zhao Kuo said seriously.
"I will remember it," Li Mu said, cupping his hands.
"I don't dare, I don't dare. The governor of the county is like a man of heaven. How can I be so virtuous and capable as a minister? I dare to teach the governor." Tang Ju waved his hand quickly and said.
When Wei Wuji entered Zhao, he originally wanted to stay in the Kingdom of Wei, but after thinking about it, the free meal tickets were gone. It would not be easy for him to stay alone in the Kingdom of Wei. After all, he was old and could no longer cultivate the land. The family would still become a burden to their children, so they followed Wei Wuji to the Kingdom of Zhao.
For him, it is enough to have a place to make a living, and he has no delusions about getting a good salary or anything like that.
