Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 256 Opportunity
"Then, it's settled!" Outside the Fuyundui Temple, Shao Shude took the kumiss and drank it down in one gulp.

All the chiefs also picked up their wine bowls and drank them all in one gulp.

It is unclear who built Fuyundui Temple.Anyway, in the area of ​​Zhenwu Army and Tiande Army, no matter Han people or Hu people, they all attached great importance to the temple on this mountain, and people often came to worship.

Next to Fuyundui Temple is Mulan Temple, which was built by no one.There is a poem by Du Mu: "Bend your bow to fight as a man, make up and thrush your eyebrows in your dreams; return the wine after thinking about it for a few times, and pile up the clouds to wish the concubine Ming."

The Heaven Sacrifice Conference with the Yinshan Fanbu was held here, and no one objected, and they all took it for granted.

After the Heaven Sacrifice Assembly was over, Shao Shude left the largest five chiefs alone, and discussed with them about the establishment of Niuzhuang.

The so-called Niu Zhuang means that each family takes out a part of the prairie steers and sells them to farmers in the Tang Dynasty in the form of installment payment.No payment in the first two years, payment in the third year, and direct payment for four years. Each cow will be given two dendrobiums and five buckets of wheat every year, with a total of ten dendrobiums.Calculated according to the recent increase in food prices, it is worth five cents in total.

At this time, a prairie steer is worth about three coins, and overall it is still a lot of money.

At least half of the cattle and sheep on the grassland were concentrated in the hands of the chieftains.In some tribes with great disparity between rich and poor, even most of the cattle and sheep are concentrated in the hands of the headman, so this matter can only be discussed with them.

As one can imagine, this is quite difficult.

If it weren't for Commander Shao's prestige now so high that all the chiefs had to save face, there would be no talk at all.It's not that they don't want to sell. In fact, this method of paying the full amount in six years can earn a lot of extra food for them. The main problem is that people worry that they won't be able to get back the money.

To put it bluntly, this matter is that Marshal Shao is guaranteeing his reputation.The chiefs squeezed their noses and gathered about [-] cows. Seeing how they looked, they even made plans that they would not be able to take them back.

Shao Shude was angry and funny. He originally estimated that there were 30 head of cattle in the Yinshan tribes, but in the end he only took out [-] head.No matter how many there are, there are really no more. Some are too small to be suitable, and some need to keep milk. In short, there are both dodging intentions and practical difficulties.

Shao Shude didn't care either.This matter can only be done slowly, and after a business is done, they will slowly change their minds.

In addition, family members of sergeants who have cash or food reserves can buy directly, and grassland people also welcome it.Over the years of Heping, the trade between the grassland and the Han region has become more and more frequent. Nowadays, many grassland herdsmen are used to eating grain, and they exchange grain with them for livestock, and both sides can make money.

The story of the farmers in Longxing Temple in Lingzhou getting a high yield has already spread in the surrounding counties, and now there are many people who want to follow this model.The shogunate organized various tribes to set up cattle farms to solve the source of some cattle, and the families of wealthy soldiers would directly buy some. It is estimated that at least [-] households will implement the three-crop crop rotation system next year.

When they also successfully and steadily obtain high yields and harvest more than two dendrobiums of wheat per mu, more and more people will follow suit.For some things, the government will take the first step, and then everyone will benefit from it, and they will do it spontaneously, and there is no need for the government to come forward.

"There is one more thing, next year is likely to go to war again." After saying this, Shao Shude carefully looked at the faces of the five leaders, and seeing that they had no obvious objection, he smiled and said: "Don't worry, It’s still the same as this year, with 6000 people from each department.”

In the Battle of Conquering the Five States of Helong, more than a thousand people were killed and disabled in Yinshan and Fan tribes.

For these thousands of people, the family members can receive one hu of food per month for ten years, which is the same standard as the government army—before the Western Expedition, Marshal Shao had already paid about 12 hu of food as compensation for a year. After the end, tens of thousands of dendrobium will be spent a year.It has only been more than five years since the first group of military members who received the food gift, and the number of them is also small. If the food production is not increased as soon as possible, as the scale of future wars becomes larger and larger, the expenditure in this area will also increase. Sooner or later it will be too much.

But Shao Shude did not intend to abandon this policy, because it was an important part of maintaining the morale of the Dingnan Army.Why can't the enemy rush forward?Why do the sergeants dare to work hard?It's not because there are no worries!

It is to dispel the concerns of the sergeants and let them dare to die, so that the Dingnan army can have combat effectiveness.Like Zhu Quanzhong's practice of pulling out the team and beheading, the leader of the team dies, and the whole team is beheaded. It is not the right way to rely entirely on severe punishment.Otherwise, why are there deserters from the Xuanwu Army everywhere, so that Zhu Quanzhong would start tattooing soldiers' faces to catch deserters?
Once the leader of the team died, the sergeants had no intention of fighting and fled one after another. Isn't this a joke?
Tattooing on the face is the humiliation that only prisoners have. Let the sergeants do the same, do they still treat them as human beings?Being looked down upon everywhere, how can morale be high?

"May I ask the king of Lingwu County, next year will he conquer the South West Road of Shanshan?" asked Zhuang Langshen, the head of the party behind the mountain and the inspection envoy of the pì tí spring.

"Exactly. Arrive in Xiazhou before the Spring Society Festival in February next year." Now, there is nothing to hide from them.

For this expedition, Shao Shude did not ask them to bring cattle and sheep. The reason was that they did not make much money in the western expedition to Helong last year, and they may still have lost money.Ordinary sergeants were very happy when they received the reward, but most of the cattle and sheep were provided by the headman.

For this expedition, after entering Guanzhong, donations must be distributed on the spot, so that the local people can provide food, grass, and rewards.Shannanxidao is also very rich, everyone came to help, of course Marshal Zhuge would also express something, and the chiefs finally made a fortune.

"Anyway, get ready, 6000 people, come before the Spring Festival, don't miss it!" After talking about these two things, Shao Shude didn't plan to stay any longer, and went south directly back to Xiazhou.

Looking at the armored cavalry that has increased to 210 people, all the chiefs are a little afraid.Both men and horses wear heavy armor, impenetrable to stabbing, which gives people a very unusual visual impact.

Marshal Shao named the 210 armored cavalry "Iron Harriers" in a unified way. They were very aggressive. At this time, they were all in armor and waiting outside Fuyundui Temple—well, after leaving for a while, they had to put their equipment on the pack horses. Purely for show.

After leaving Yinshan, Shao Shude returned to Xiazhou via the Hetao Grassland without stopping.

When he was in Dijinze, he temporarily stayed for two days and chatted with Wei Caisu about sending troops.Afterwards, I met with Jian Biancai and Zengren master and apprentice.

The temples of the branch of Longxing Temple are magnificent, but the effect of preaching, how should I put it, is very mediocre.There are few believers, and the offerings of believers are even less.

Shao Shude thought about it, should he allocate some money to them so that the missionary effect will be better?This has to be discussed with the staff after going back.

After leaving Dijinze and rushing back to Xiazhou, there was another wave of worshiping heaven.

Shao Dashuai felt that he was about to become a working machine.For more than 300 days a year, he is either fighting outside or dealing with various affairs in the town.Even hunting, which used to be a hobby, has become a large-scale political gathering, intrigues with a group of old tribal men, calculating their little capital, and making various compromises.

Tired of heart!

On the contrary, the concubines at home don't have to do anything, just lie on the bed and wait for the commander-in-chief to come home and "serve" them.After finishing the work, they have to go out to fight for their children, men suffer!

Why did you have a brain twitch and kidnap so many women back home?Do you want to be responsible for them one by one?But with lust and heart together, I still can't help but want to do this, people are cheap!

"Commander, Deputy Envoy Chen is back." Just after returning to the yamen to make a pot of tea, Li Renfu, the tenth personal soldier, came in to report.

"Let him in." Shao Shude raised his spirits, sat up straight, and said.

"Marshal, fortunately, I've met Marshal Zhuge." Chen Cheng walked in with a dusty look on his face.

"Vice Envoy Chen has worked hard, drink a bowl of tea to warm up first."

"How dare the Marshal of Labor do it himself, let someone do it."

"Vice Envoy Chen is running outside for me in the cold wind and frost, so loyal and diligent, what's wrong with pouring a bowl of tea? Sit down." Shao Shude poured a bowl of Lingzhou fragrant tea by himself, then sat down, Asked: "What is the situation in Shannan West Road?"

"Not very good." Chen Cheng shook his head and said, "Xingzhou and Fengzhou have been pulled over by Yang Shouzhong. Commander Zhuge led more than [-] people to conquer the city. They besieged the city for more than a month and failed. Later, because of Zhuge Zhongbao's self-reliance The hasty retreat was actually taken advantage of by Yang Shouzhong, and the hearts of the people in Xingyuan Mansion became more and more lax."

"How is Marshal Zhuge?"

"I am riddled with all kinds of diseases, and the end is approaching." After Chen Cheng thought for a while, he still said truthfully: "If he can rest in peace, he may live for two more years. But in the winter, he sent troops in the wind and snow, and did not fall down on the spot. It's not bad."

"It's come to this point..." Shao Shude sighed.

He didn't quite know when Zhuge Shuang died in history, and he lived a few more years in this life.But the adopted son Zhuge Zhongbao actually betrayed, which should have dealt him a big blow.There is an undercurrent in the states in Fangzhen, if Yang Fugong presses in again, I don't know what will happen.

"What did the commander-in-chief say?"

"Marshal Zhuge talked a lot about the fight against Li Guochang and his son and Huang Chao back then. He was very interested and talked for a long time. He said that he had met too many people in his life and suffered too many losses. How many handsome young men, how many heroic young men, He didn't like it at all. Only after seeing the commander-in-chief, he was very happy, because the commander-in-chief knows how to repay his kindness and keeps his promises, and now he has seen the right person." Chen Cheng said: "The commander-in-chief Zhuge should feel that time is running out , Eleven prefectures in Shannan West Road, suppressing one end and raising the other end, lack of energy and insufficient strength. We must send foreign troops into the town and use thunder to wipe out the rebels."

Shao Shude was also taken aback after hearing this.

Marshal Zhuge has the grace of simplicity and cultivation for himself.These days, many ambitious people have no chance to get ahead.Are they unwilling to work hard?No, they can spare their lives, not only their own lives, but even the lives of their family members.Are they incompetent?No, many people are really amazing, but they just have no chance, and finally die in obscurity.

Being capable and ambitious is not enough!Someone has to appreciate, cultivate, and give opportunities.

Marshal Zhuge has been ups and downs all his life, Lin Lao gave himself a chance, and this kindness must be repaid.

"Take a good rest when you come back, and we'll talk about it after the first month." Shao Shude took a sip of tea, looked at the frost outside the window, and said, "I didn't give Yang Fugong a way out this time, and he couldn't do it even if he wanted to take it back. I guess In a few days, we will have to move again. Li Hang is still in Chang'an, and there should be further news when he returns."

"Marshal, when passing through Fengxiang Mansion, I saw the mobilization of soldiers. Some soldiers came from the direction of Qinzhou. Zhu Mei, I should also have an idea." Chen Cheng said again.

"Zhu Mei, we are old friends with Commander Zhuge." Shao Shude said, "Let's rest first, we will send troops next year!"

(End of this chapter)