The back office of Xiangyang Mansion was filled with people. It had never been so lively. All the officers with some status in Wang Xiao's hunting army gathered here, having wine and meat, and celebrating the New Year happily. In the military camp that was not here, there was also food and wine, and it was more lively than ever.
Wang Xiaolie toasted a few drinks and said a few polite words, then left and returned to his study.
Not long after, Shao Ling, Niu Gao, Cao Zhiyan, Xie Linong, Yu Huan and others came over one after another.
Wang Xiaolie ordered tea to be served and several people drank it. Said: "At such a time of the New Year and the festival, it is a lively day for the soldiers. But for those of us, we should be extra busy. Now most of the troops are stationed in Xiangyang Prefecture. If they drink too much, it is inevitable that trouble will occur. Wait a moment, let's go our separate ways. Go out separately and inspect the military camp. If there is any trouble, calm it down immediately."
Xie Linong said: "It's a pity that I can't have a few glasses of wine on such a good day!"
Wang Xiaolie looked at Xie Linong and shook his head: "You must remember that you are the one leading the army, and you have a huge burden on your shoulders! When the army is lax, the leader must be extra cautious! You must relax yourself , not on a day like this!"
Several people said yes together.
Looking at a few people, Shao Ling, Cao Zhiyan and Yu Huan were all right, but Niu Gao, who was fond of drinking, and Xie Linong, were a little anxious there. Wang Xiaolie shook his head slightly and said nothing more about them. Good wine is a personal habit, there is no need to treat it differently. But never let alcohol cause trouble.
Half an hour later, Wang Xiaolie and several generals went out and inspected various military camps.
Watching the people in the city celebrate the New Year happily. Peach charms were hung everywhere, and some people lit firecrackers. Several wild beard hunters, dressed as gods and ghosts, walked along the shops on both sides of the waiting road to beg for money. A peaceful scene.
Niu Gao said: "People in this world just like to be poor and have fun. It has only been a few days of peace, and there are all kinds of entertainment on the streets."
Wang Xiaolie said: "It's not a time of peace, how rare are these activities? The people are like this. They work hard all year round, and finally at the end of the year, they have to be happy. We have to be careful and don't let idle people cause trouble. Just come."
As he spoke, he arrived at the military camp on the edge of the city. Wang Xiaolie separated from several people and went to inspect various military camps.
At night, Wang Xiaolie sat alone in the room. There is a charcoal basin next to it, a pot of wine on the table, and a few simple dishes, which you can pour and drink by yourself. Many New Year's Eve rules of later generations were not formed at this time. There was no TV, no Spring Festival Gala, just New Year's Eve alone.
After a few glasses of wine, Wang Xiaolie looked at the red charcoal basin, his eyes a little blurry. At this time, I thought of my family in my previous life, my sister in Ruzhou, and many, many more.
Wang Xiaolie understood that these things should not be thought about. I have a lot to do now, so I can't let my thoughts disturb me. But on this special day, I can’t help but think about it.
Wang Xiaolie sighed, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp. When I finally fell asleep, I couldn’t even remember the next day.
The New Year was celebrated in a lively manner. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, more than a hundred scholars from Ruzhou arrived in Xiangyang Mansion, and the city suddenly became lively. The people didn't know what these people were doing, and they talked a lot.
In the government office, Chen Yuyi met with Wang Xiaolie. He asked: "Observation, many people from Ruzhou came to the city yesterday, and the people were talking a lot, wondering why they came to Xiangyang. Since I entered the city and rested with the people, the people all benefited. Suddenly so many people came, it is inevitable to doubt. "
Wang Xiaolie said: "What are you worried about? There are more than a thousand troops in the city, why don't they worry? Don't worry, these people are here to do things. There is no money in the army now, there must be someone to make money. Also, reduce If the people's taxes are paid, will nothing happen? After the accident, someone will always have to do the things in the countryside. We first arrived in Xiangyang, and it was difficult to find a suitable person for a while, so we chose an old person first."
Chen Yuyi nodded in agreement. I was still confused, but I didn't say anything more. The army is for war, so no one is surprised when they come to Xiangyang. But not these new arrivals from Ruzhou. Judging from their young age, the oldest is only over thirty. He also has an elegant temperament and clearly has a special purpose.
After sending Chen Yuyi away, Wang Xiaolie ordered his soldiers to call the people from Ruzhou into the government office.
Everyone bows. Wang Xiaolie said: "You should make it clear before you go what you want to do in Xiangyang. It is not urgent. In these ten days, you will walk around the city and get to know Xiangyang. Although they are not far apart, Xiangyang and Ruzhou are separated. Belonging to the north and the south, there is still a big difference."
Everyone said yes.
Wang Xiaolie added: "Here in Xiangyang, the climate is warmer and there is more precipitation. Compared with Ruzhou, the food grown is slightly different. Where there is water in Xiangyang, rice can be grown, and wheat can be grown in winter. Rice and wheat are harvested twice a year. , like Jianghuai. It’s just the people’s habits. There are fewer people planting wheat, so less grain is harvested. You can find out from the government officials where there is a lot of wheat, and you should know what you need to pay attention to when planting wheat. "
In later generations, most places in China had two seasons a year, and places to the south even had three seasons and four seasons. But in the Song Dynasty, most places still had one season a year. Only a few places, such as the Jianghuai region, practice rice-wheat rotation. Court taxes and land rents from landlords were calculated on a quarterly basis. Places where rice and wheat are rotated are richer than other places. Of course, you can also rotate rice and rape here in Xiangyang, and you can also rotate soybeans and wheat.
Agricultural technology developed slowly over time. Thousands of years apart, there are many differences. At this time, the varieties of rice are not yet abundant, and it is not clear whether early rice or late rice can be distinguished. There are no suitable varieties for two-crop rice and three-crop rice, and it is impossible to grow them even if you want to. What people call late rice at this time is actually the rice that grows back from the roots without plowing the land after harvesting. Rice-wheat rotation has not been implemented for a long time, and farming technology is not popular.
In fact, most of the agriculture that Wang Xiaolie is familiar with gradually took shape after the founding of New China. Even during the Republic of China, in Suzhou, the most fertile area, there was only a very small amount of farmland that practiced crop rotation. Crop rotation, ridging, interplanting, etc. These agricultural technologies have indeed appeared in China very early, but their development has been slow and not widespread.
Wang Xiaolie had memories of his previous life, and a quick look around the place revealed many areas for improvement. Some agricultural technologies that were thought to be known to everyone in previous lives were not promoted at this time. For example, if crop rotation is widely promoted in the Jinghu area, grain production can be greatly increased. For example, through the construction of water conservancy projects, wheat can be grown in a large number of places in the north that can only grow millet, and the output can also increase. There are many such opportunities.
Wang Xiaolie added: "There is another important matter. There is not much money in the army, and we need to make money. Without money, how can we support the army? It is not enough to just collect money from the people. You should find a way yourself. Many industries have already been established in Ruzhou It’s done well, Xiangyang should also do it. In ten days, you can walk around Xiangyang more and see what kind of business you can do. Also, Xiangyang produces lacquerware, which is famous all over the world. You also need to learn more about it and recruit some Workers build a lacquerware factory. If they are centralized, the cost will be lower than that of craftsmen."
Everyone said yes together.
Xiangyang's specialty is lacquerware, which has been famous throughout the world since the Tang Dynasty. However, in the Song Dynasty, it declined slightly, but it was still famous in the world. The status of lacquerware in this era cannot be compared with that of later generations. If this business develops, you can make a lot of money.
Since entering Ruzhou, Wang Xiaolie has been promoting education. Some of these people from Ruzhou are from various industries there, and some are from places where literacy is taught in various places and have learned well. These people are the cadre team that Wang Xiaolie needs most now. Although everything is rough, there are always people and everything can start.
