Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 372 Triumph Avenue
A new road was built in the north of Ziling City.

This avenue is one hundred steps (150 meters) wide and ten miles long. The entire avenue is paved with large bluestones, and a large number of flowers and giant trees are planted on both sides. The Wuwei Gate in the north of the city is connected to the wharf by the Wujiang River at one end, and a huge archway was built at the northern end of the avenue, with the words "Kaixuan Avenue" written on it.

If Xiang Zhuang saw it, he would definitely be dumbfounded, so he inadvertently told Xiang He about the Suzaku Avenue in Chang'an City in the prosperous Tang Dynasty and the Arc de Triomphe in France. As a result, Xiang Ta built a triumphal avenue for him.

However, through this triumphal avenue, one can already get a glimpse of Chu's strong economic strength.

The entire avenue took only three months. Almost at the same time when Xiang Zhuang left Ziling with his cavalry army, the construction of Kaixuan Avenue officially started. In order to build Kaixuan Avenue, Xiang recruited more than 2 craftsmen and 10,000+ civilians. , Also spent a lot of money to buy millions of large bluestones.

This can be regarded as a huge project, but it hardly damages the national power and people's power of Chu State.

There is only one reason, that is, the economic strength of Chu State has expanded to an unimaginable height, and even Xiangzhuang, the instigator, can never imagine it.

There is such a view in the historical circles that China before the Tang and Song Dynasties, due to low productivity, did not have the conditions for large-scale development of industry and commerce, because the development of industry and commerce would inevitably lead to the release of strong labor force, and the loss of strong labor force coupled with productivity If it is low, it will inevitably lead to a reduction in food production, which will lead to severe famine.

It was out of such considerations that Shang Yang formulated the national policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business, and it lasted for nearly a thousand years!

In fact, Shang Yang's worries are completely superfluous, and the followers of later generations are even learning to walk in Handan and standing still.

The development of industry and commerce will indeed lead to the flow of strong labor to the industry and commerce field, because it seems that labor will come in faster, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in farmers and food production, but this is only temporary, because the market will adjust itself. A reduction will inevitably lead to an increase in food prices, and an increase in food prices will inevitably prompt handicraftsmen to go back to farming!
In addition to the market self-regulating the number of farmers and handicraftsmen, the development of industry and commerce can in turn promote the rapid development of productivity.

The reason is obvious. When farming is no longer to maintain their own food and clothing, but becomes profitable, farmers will try their best to increase the yield of the farmland. When farmers have this demand, blacksmiths will try their best to provide better farm tools. If you want to provide better farm tools, you have to find ways to improve the iron smelting process!
This formed a virtuous circle. In the end, the development of industry and commerce not only did not lead to food shortages, but promoted the rapid development of productivity. Unfortunately, ancient China did not enter such a virtuous circle.

But in the West, it has entered into this virtuous circle. It is precisely because of the development of industry and commerce that the use of ironware in the West is a full 1000 years earlier than that in China; I have never seen a large-scale famine in the Roman Empire because of this!
It can be seen that the development of industry and commerce will not lead to famine, but will promote the rapid development of productivity.

However, due to the crossing of Xiangzhuang, the state of Chu has now entered a virtuous circle. Handicraft industries such as iron smelting, ceramics, textiles, wine making, and shipbuilding have flourished, and agriculture has also developed greatly. The improvement of farm tools has made deep plowing possible. The application of technology has greatly improved the yield per unit area of ​​crops, and now the yield per mu in Chudi has exceeded three stones!

The development of industry and commerce has had a profound impact on Chu's economy, culture, military and other aspects. Among them, the young people in China are the most influential. In the real history of China, the ideal of young people is to learn literature and martial arts. The emperor's family, that is to say, the only ideal for young people is to be an official and a general, and to have a wife and son.

But now, the situation has fundamentally changed. Being an official will still be the highest ideal of young people, but working and farming are no longer the choices that make them scoff, because in the state of Chu, businessmen, farmers and craftsmen The status is not low, as long as you can do a good job in this industry, you can also get a title and become a prominent nobleman.

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The sides of the newly built Triumph Avenue are already crowded with people.

There are already crowds of people outside the city, but there are still people pouring out of the city. There are scholars with e-guanbo belts, warriors in short clothes, craftsmen in green clothes and short jackets, young ladies wearing double-breasted skirts, and old women and old men. , and countless children walked through the crowd, bustling and bustling.

Today is an auspicious day for the king and the squadron of the Xiao cavalry army.

Everyone has their own thoughts, old women and old men mostly want to welcome their sons, women want to welcome their men, scholars and warriors want to see the demeanor of the cavalry army, as for those young girls dressed up in fancy clothes The lady, but it was to find a good husband from among the triumphant soldiers of the Xiaocai Army.

Before the army arrived, the Kaixuan Avenue was already extremely lively.

"Auntie Wang, are you here too?" The old man who asked the question looked respectful and used your honorific title.

"Our family's three dogs are back, why don't you come to pick him up?" The old woman who answered raised her head slightly.

"Grandma of the Wang family, I'm afraid the third son of your family will be promoted to the fifth doctor this time?" The old man became more and more respectful.

"That's needless to say, an official came to our house yesterday and said that San Gouzi has made meritorious service again, and he will be promoted to a rank in the next day, and he will become a fifth doctor. By the way, we have to give the plaque on the gate to him later. Changed."

"Grandma Wang, you are so lucky to have such a good son."

"The fourth child of your family is not bad. Although he is still a soldier in the government, he will become a public servant after he has made meritorious service."

"Grandma of the Wang family, you see that the third son of your family has not married yet, why don't you marry the second daughter of our family?"

"Your erya? She is in good shape and has the strength to work." Wang's grandmother was a little moved. Before becoming the mother of the fifth doctor, the old man was also used to living a hard life, so this concept can't be changed at once. I always want to marry a strong daughter-in-law, so that the family can have more strong laborers.

"Don't even think about it, old man of the Lu family. With the appearance of your second girl, can the third son like it?" Soon another old man jumped out to disrupt the situation, "Grandma of the Wang family, our fourth girl's grandma Big waist and thin looks good, your third son will definitely like it when he sees it, the key is that the fourth one has a big butt, and he will have a son in the future."

"That's right, I have to find someone who can give birth to a son." A woman from the Wang family hesitated.

The old man of the Lu family quit and yelled: "The old man of the Cao family, isn't your fourth girl engaged?"

"Who says we're engaged? Who says we're engaged?" Cao's old man said unhappily, "Our eldest married a farmer, our second married a craftsman, and our third married a businessman. I also want to find a general, the lady of the Wang family, or just settle? I don’t want you to share half of the dowry, but the old man will give you 20 taels of gold as a dowry, will it work?”

While speaking, there was a commotion in front of him suddenly, and then word came from the front, the army has arrived!
The lady of the Wang family was a little anxious, because she was short and couldn't see the situation on the triumphal road ahead, so the lady of the Cao family gave the small bench she brought from home to the lady of the Wang family, stepped on the stool, and the woman of the Wang family Finally, I saw the situation on the Avenue of Triumph clearly, and as expected, a group of well-armored cavalry had already stepped on neat horse steps and slowly drove over.

At that time, the cavalry was strong and tall, with a short beard on his lips, thick and straight, and his majesty was extraordinary. The golden armor on his body shone even more under the sunshine, which made people unable to look directly at him. Needless to say, this must be the king of Chu. The Chu people who were watching on both sides suddenly cheered like a tsunami.

Following closely behind the King of Chu was a group of soldiers from the Xiaocavalry Army.

The soldiers lined up in rows, fifty riders in each team, all riding on tall horses, their armors, helmets on their heads, scabbards around their waists, and riding boots on their feet were all polished. Wa Liang, the lance in his hand and the copper nails on the horse ornaments gleamed under the sunlight, making the knight on horseback extraordinarily majestic.

The little ladies on both sides of the avenue screamed one after another, all of them blushing with excitement, wishing to throw themselves into their arms and embrace them now, and find these handsome and promising knights as their husbands-in-law. The pretty lady, who was already on good terms with the generals of the Xiaocai Army, ran after the horse team, calling out to her sweetheart repeatedly.

However, the soldiers of the Xiaocavalry Army were very reserved and ignored this scene.

Originally, with their noble status as Knights of the Valiant Cavalry Army and their titles, wouldn't it be easy to find three or five beautiful women?As long as they are willing, pretty girls who are willing to marry them can really line up a long line.

Among the crowd, the old lady of the Wang family finally found her son, and immediately waved: "Three Gouzi, Gouzi..."

In the cavalry, a burly and imposing knight turned his head when he heard the sound. Seeing that it was his mother, he quickly apologized to the general, then left the brigade and came to Wang's grandmother, got off his horse and asked, "Mother, why are you here?" ?”

Looking at the handsome and tall son, the grandma of the Wang family was so happy that her eyes were dazzled and she smiled. After a few words in her mouth, she suddenly remembered the business. She pointed to the little boys who gathered together and were secretly looking at him not far away. The lady said: "Sangouzi, my mother told you about the daughter-in-law, that little lady over there, the one with the prettiest appearance and the biggest butt."

San Gouzi looked in the direction of Aunt's finger, and the pretty faces of those little ladies blushed immediately, but each of them still held back their shame and winked wildly at San Gouzi, and San Gouzi saw it at a glance The prettiest girl in the middle with the thinnest waist and the biggest buttocks, immediately said happily: "Sure, it's her."

(End of this chapter)