Shuhan

Chapter 171 Xu Shu Xu Yuanzhi, Ma Zheng of Jingzhou
Ten days came in a hurry.

The first snow in 24 years in Jian'an has already started to fall one after another.

And it's getting bigger and bigger, just one night, the world is white.

Suddenly, like a night of spring breeze, thousands of trees and pear blossoms bloomed.

Wancheng.

Government office lobby.

Liu Chan sat on the main seat, he was dressed in sable fur, and there was a glass of hot shochu on the table in front of him.

In the lobby, a brazier had been raised long ago, and on top of the brazier, wine was being boiled over a charcoal fire.

gurgling~
The wine was boiling, and the aroma of wine was everywhere in the hall.

Beside Liu Chan, Guan Yinping was coming to serve Liu Chan with meticulous care.

Between movement and stillness, there is infinite scenery.

In front of Liu Chan, there was a middle-aged man in brocade clothes.

It was Li Ming, a merchant.

"Your Majesty, I greet Your Highness."

Li Ming was originally a businessman in the middle of the South, but when Liu Chan attacked Gaoding, he was willing to put all his family resources on it, and was finally reused by Liu Chan.

The son is now in the prince's mansion as a guest of the prince.

And he was originally a merchant in the middle of the south, and he suddenly had the background of the prince Liu Chan.

His caravan not only trades in Nanzhong, but also in Jingzhou and even in Yongliang.

At this scale, in fact, the caravan under him is no longer in his hands, but has been taken over by Liu Chan for his own use.

It is said to be a traveling merchant, but it has the attributes of an "imperial merchant".

"I called you here today because I have something to ask."

With a flattering smile on Li Ming's face, he bowed to Liu Chan and said: "Your Highness has any orders, you can speak directly, and I will definitely know everything without saying anything."

"it is good."

Liu Chan smiled slightly and said, "If I want to raise horses in Jingzhou, can you get a good breed of horse?"

Jingzhou raises horses?

Li Ming was taken aback, and said hesitantly: "If you want to raise horses, there are Shu horses and Dian horses in the Nanzhong and Wuling areas."

"Those are pony horses, useless, I want to use them as war horses."

Now in Kyushu, there are roughly three types of horses.

One: Wuhuan horse.

This kind of horse belongs to the middle-sized horse breed, and its production area is in Youzhou and Bingzhou.Gongsun Zan's "White Horse Yi Cong" is this kind of horse.

Second, the Huns horse.

This horse is a large horse, and its origin is in the Dawan and Xiayue areas of the Western Regions, which is the ancestor of today's Arabian horse.After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, this horse breed was introduced from the Western Regions, and it is generally produced in Liangzhou. The so-called "Xiliang Iron Cavalry" used this kind of horse.

Third, Nanma.

This kind of horse lives in the south of the Three Kingdoms and is distributed in Jingzhou, Yizhou and other places.It is short in stature and not suitable for use as a war horse, but it is hardworking and very suitable for use as a logistics pack horse.Shu horses and Dian horses all belong to Southern horses.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, horse gardens were set up in Sichuan and Yunnan.Southwestern horses are suitable for the ecological environment in mountainous areas, and there are many rare and valuable horses, but they are not as popular as northern horses for military use.

Not more than three feet high.

Like a Dali horse, it is short and compact in size and agile in action.With strong limbs and well-developed tendons, it is a dual-purpose pack horse breed.

Compared with the Western Region horses that tiger and leopard riders ride, they are like adults and children.

If the two meet on the battlefield, they are tall and powerful, and they can be condescending in battle, and their horsepower is stronger. How can you be an opponent?
His cavalrymen were all vying for the tall horse he snatched from the tiger and leopard rider!
"A horse is the foundation of a soldier, and the great use of the country. This matter is of great importance. Do you have a way?"

Li Ming knew Liu Chan's determination, so he had no choice but to say: "War horses in Yongliang's real estate can also get good breeds from the Western Regions, but if you want to be a stallion, you can bring a hundred horses here at most."

The main reason is that the land of Yongliang is not yet in the hands of Liu Chan, so it is relatively difficult to smuggle it.

Buy Qiang chieftains with a lot of money, and you can get some good breeds.

But if you want more, it is impossible.

"A hundred or ten horses is enough."

Although Nan Ma is short, it is not completely without advantages.

That is endurance.

It would be the best if Western Region horses could crossbreed with Southern horses to produce tall, mighty and endurable horses.

"Your Highness, since you want to buy a horse, you need to find someone who is good at horses, so as not to be deceived by others."

Liu Chan nodded slightly, and he said, "Don't worry, I have already made arrangements, and I have already found a descendant of Ma Yuan."

With the application of horses more and more widely, the industry of Soma came into being.

For example, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the mouth of the cold wind, the eyes of the Ma Dynasty, the front of the Qin Ya, and the queen of the King...

As well as the forehead of Yichangru in the Western Han Dynasty, the teeth of Zhongbo, the mane and lips of Xie, the figure of Jun Dingdu and so on.

Ma Yuan, who is the master of the horse, selected the research results of the predecessors, and concentrated the excellent shape of each part of a good horse on a horse, so that the shape and bone of this horse reached the most perfect state of a good horse. .

The person Liu Chan chose was naturally the true biography of Ma Yuan.

"If that's the case, the minister will be relieved."

With a horse tracker, you will not be cheated when buying a horse.

"His Royal Highness plans to raise horses in Nanjun?"

Liu Chan shook his head and said, "It's not in Nanjun, but in Wuling, Changsha, and Lingling, where we set up horse farms to raise horses."

Raising horses is not an easy task.

During this period of time, Liu Chan has a clear understanding of how to raise horses, the conditions and costs of raising horses from ancient books, or directly asking horse breeders.

The horse ranks first among the six animals. No matter in nomadic civilization or farming civilization, the horse is an indispensable helper for the ancestors, or the horse is a symbol of productivity.

Many people have a misunderstanding: Isn’t it all right for a horse to be fed grass?Isn't grass everywhere?Raising horses is easy.

In fact, this is very wrong.

Horses are very valuable animals.

First of all, it is true that horses are herbivores, but horses have a weak digestive ability, because horses do not regurgitate cud like cows.

It is impossible to feed a horse without eating several meals at a time.

There are also similar records in history: "On February [-]nd, the sixth year of Dazhong Xiangfu, the pastoral system was set up as an emissary, and Chunze was put in various horse prisons. Every winter, when the spring grass did not come out, the horses were in the wild, mostly due to the lack of grass. It will cause emaciation." But once the horse becomes emaciated, it cannot work.

Second, horses have big appetites.

A horse needs more than 3000 catties a year; while cattle feed is relatively broad, including wheat straw, sorghum stalks, and millet straw, which is close to [-] catties a year; although donkeys, like horses, do not chew cud , but a donkey needs two thousand catties of grass a year, much less than a horse.

Furthermore, horses can’t just eat grass, they have to be fed food, especially when doing heavy work, not to mention war horses, almost “three meals a day” have to be fed food, even beans that ordinary people can’t eat .

The cost is too high.

"It may be possible to set up a horse farm in the three counties."

Nanjun is densely populated. If good land is used as pasture, isn't that a waste of resources?

"Your Highness may let the people raise horses, and then the government buys them at a high price, which may reduce the cost."

On the side, Guan Yinping also nodded.

"This method is good. If everyone raises horses, there will definitely be no shortage of war horses in the army in the future."

It's a beautiful idea.

"This plan may be impossible."

What Li Ming and Guan Yinping thought, the Song Dynasty also did it in later generations.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty lost the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun. Like Liu Chan now, there is no major horse producing area.

"Song History" records: "In the spring of the third year of Yuanfeng, at the request of Wang Gongchen, an edict was issued to Kaifeng's prefectures, Jingxi, Hebei, Shaanxi, and Hedong Lu prefectures and counties to count their assets, horses, Fang Guo's property, and [-] mins and villages. Those who have five thousand coins, Ruofang Guocun Tong, and three thousand coins or more will raise one horse each, and the same goes for horses that double.”

Obviously, an urban household must have three thousand guan and a rural household of five thousand guan to be able to afford horses.

This requirement is obviously relatively high, and ordinary farmers simply cannot afford horses.

Want to promote it?

Are they still alive?
The family raised an old man, so the horse didn't starve to death, but the man starved to death first.

"Horse raising is quite a family asset, and ordinary people can't afford it. What's more, a horse needs dozens of acres of pasture for grass. How can ordinary people have it?"

Liu Chan has learned that the horse garden set up in the Eastern Han Dynasty has more than [-] hectares of grassland, and can only raise [-] horses, and one horse occupies [-] acres of land.

And fifty mu of land is almost the level of an upper-middle-class family of five.

Therefore, folk horse breeding is limited to imagination.

"It's just that the caravan has a hundred and ten horses. When will we be able to supply good horses for the army?"

One or two years is simply not enough.

Liu Chan smiled slightly and said, "One year is not enough for two years, and two years is not enough for three years. This is a hundred-year plan."

Before getting a horse production place, they can only raise horses through their own means.

Either
It was the Northern Expedition to take the land of Yongliang.

But in a short time, I am afraid it will be difficult.

After fighting too many battles, it took a year or two, or even longer, to recuperate, and the people's strength could not be recovered at all.

And during this period of time, Liu Chan didn't want to wait.

Besides
Breeding horses in Jingzhou, if they can breed good breeds, they may not be as good as BMWs in the Western Regions.

"I will leave the matter to Li Jun."

Li Mingcheng was terrified, and quickly got up to salute Liu Chan, and said: "Since His Highness has already made plans, I will not say any more. It may take a year and a half at most, and at least three months. These hundred and ten good horses Horse breeds must be sent to Jingzhou."

"it is good."

Liu Chan nodded slightly.

"The subordinate bid farewell."

After Li Ming left, Liu Chan said to Guan Yinping: "There are many copper mines, silver mines, and iron mines in Yizhou County, so send people to mine them as soon as possible. Also, there are also iron mines produced on the iron mountain on the west side of Juancheng." Mine, let Dong Yun take charge of this matter, let him make more farm tools."

Jingzhou is full of waste, and there are too many things that require him, Liu Chan, to do.

"Feng'er knows."

Guan Yinping has almost become Liu Chan's little secret now.

The saying goes well.

It's okay for the secretary to do something
cough cough.

In Kunyang City.

The government office in the city.

In the temporary garden of Wei Wang Cao Cao.

"Cough cough cough."

Cao Cao clutched his handkerchief, his face was pale, his eyes were dull, and his whole body exuded a weak breath.

His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, dripping on the towel, forming a faint wet mark.The wrinkles on the forehead deepened, and the skin on the face was pale and lost its former glory, looking haggard.

Cao Cao covered his mouth, coughing, and the towel was stained with bright red blood.Every cough made his body tremble violently, and his breathing became short and difficult.

"Your Majesty."

Cao Hong, who followed all the way, showed concern on his face.

He frowned tightly, feeling very anxious in his heart.

In the past ten days, Cao Cao's body has deteriorated day by day.

The rapid loss of vitality caught him off guard.

If the king dies in the army.
Do not!
No!

This kind of thing must never happen!
"It's better to reply."

Cao Cao shook his head, he put down the bloody handkerchief, and his voice became weaker.

"Is Xu Yuanzhi here?"

Cao Hong nodded and said, "I will wait in the hall."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, and said, "Let's meet him here, separate the curtain, and don't let him see the lonely appearance."

"promise."

Withdrawing from Ye County and finishing the follow-up, everything has been arranged, but Cao Cao is still worried.

He wanted to see Xu Yuanzhi again before leaving.

Xu Shu?

You must be ecstatic to be able to go to Liu Xuande's tent today?
Soon, a curtain was raised in the room, dividing the room into two halves.

squeak~
The door opened, and Xu Shu, who had been waiting outside for a long time, walked in slowly.

"My lord, pay homage to the king."

Xu Shu's face was well-defined, with soft and well-proportioned lines.Although the years have left some fine lines, it still maintains a relatively youthful demeanor.

His figure is well-proportioned and straight, revealing a graceful and confident posture.Wearing a simple robe, it shows that he does not pursue secular ornate style, but pays more attention to inner cultivation and quality.

At this moment in the room, through the curtain, Xu Shu couldn't see Cao Cao's appearance at all, but only saw a figure half lying on the bed.

And
There was a strong smell of herbs in the room, and there was a faint smell of blood in the smell of herbs.

Is the body of Wei Wang Cao Cao corrupted to such an extent?
Xu Shu narrowed his eyes, but lowered his head even lower, and buried it toward his chest.

"Yuan Zhi, haven't seen you for many years?"

When Cao Cao learned of Xu Fu's name, it was when Liu Bei was in Xinye, and he ruined him several times.

Fortunately, he led an army to catch up with Changbanpo in Dangyang, and he also captured the man's mother. In order to protect his mother, Xu Yuanzhi said goodbye to Liu Bei and went to Cao Ying.

Unfortunately.
Mother Xu died after all.

So much so that this great talent was unable to give him advice, not even a single word.

"It has been many years."

Xu Yuanzhi was unwilling to offer advice to Cao Cao, so naturally he did not stay by Cao Cao's side to advise military affairs.

Cao Cao casually dismissed Xu Shu as a powerless idler, out of sight and out of mind.

But now being mentioned by the Crown Prince of Hanzhong, we still have to see each other again.

"The Crown Prince Liu Gongsi of Hanzhong wants you to exchange for my General Wei. Your life is really valuable!"

Xu Shu just said: "It's just a broken body, and I've exhausted my intelligence and thinking. I'm afraid I can't offer advice to the Crown Prince of Hanzhong."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao frowned slightly, and his tone became a little cold.

"It's true that you haven't contributed a single plan under my account, but when you arrive in Jingzhou, that's not necessarily the case."

Xu Shu naturally felt the murderous aura emanating from Cao Cao.

"The crown prince of Hanzhong is a genius. I, Xu Shu, are far inferior to him. He called me this time because of old feelings. I have lived in Wei Guo for a long time. If your majesty has any doubts, please let me stay." In Wei State."

The wisdom of Liu Gongsi is indeed not inferior to Xu Shu.

"Never mind."

Cao Cao coughed lightly and continued:

"There is a friendship between you and me as a monarch and a minister. After going to Jingzhou, I hope I will never forget the old relationship. Although you have changed to a new master, I, Cao Mengde, boast that I have never done anything wrong to you."

Isn't the revenge of killing one's mother counted?

A cold light flashed in Xu Shu's eyes, but his tone was very calm.

"I will go to Jingzhou, but I will be alone for a lifetime. As far as I am concerned, there is not much difference between being in Wei State or Jingzhou."

I hope so.

"If you are not happy in Jingzhou and want to come back, you are welcome at the gate of Wei State at any time. Your eldest son has been ordered by me to be the follower of the eldest son. When we part, there will be rich and beautiful women to send us. I hope you don't refuse. That's considered it." It is worthy of a relationship between a monarch and his ministers."

Detain my eldest son as a hostage?

Sending me money and Meiji, wanting to drive a wedge between me and the Crown Prince of Hanzhong?
Xu Shu frowned slightly, but still nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."

If he doesn't agree this time, he wants to go to Jingzhou?
I'm afraid it's impossible.

However, in the curtain, Cao Cao's pale face and those tiger eyes showed even more murderous intent.

Did not refuse?

It seems that Xu Shu is determined to marry that Liu Gongsi!

Want to assist that Liu Gongsi?
See if you have this life!
Before Xu Yuanzhi got Cao Ren in exchange, of course nothing would happen.

But after the replacement, it's not necessarily the case.

(End of this chapter)