warring states careerist

chapter 169

When Shi returned to Shangqiu again, nearly three years had passed since he left.

This city, where Song and Chu struggled for hegemony, still maintains the appearance of a mighty city in the world, and its tall and broad walls are not weaker than the capitals of other great powers.

The people of Chu State are familiar with the hills and waters near Shangqiu, besieged the city several times, and even signed the first covenant of the military elimination meeting under the city.

The city has been besieged several times, but it has not been broken. This is the limit that Jin and Chu can reach in the Eastern Front.

In the city, there have also been tragedies of changing children and eating, breaking bones and cooking.

Shangqiu people have extreme confidence in the city wall that protects them, and the construction of the city wall has always been a matter that the officials of the Song Dynasty have always attached great importance to.

He tried his best to promote the first military elimination meeting, got into the bed of Sima Zifan of Chu and forced Zifan to persuade the king of Chu to retreat. Hua Yuan, the powerful minister who once supported the Duke of Song, also presided over the construction of the city wall.

At that time, when the people of Shangqiu were powerful, facing such powerful ministers, the people of Shangqiu built the city wall and mocked Hua Yuan, who had been captured by the Zheng people: his eyes were bulging, his stomach was swollen, he looked like a toad, and he threw away his helmet and armor. escape back.

Hua Yuan has a high position and power, and he still had to choose to scold the farmer in the car back then, but found that two mouths could not hold more than ten thousand mouths, so he had to run away in despair.

Although they were cursing Huayuan for asking farmers to build the city wall during the busy farming season, the Chinese in the city also knew that the city wall of Shangqiu was their greatest reliance, so they worked extremely hard when building it.

Nearly 200 years have passed, and the people of the country have been powerless and dare not scold the high-ranking officials, but the city walls of Shangqiu are still majestic.

The Mohist's arrival is like a door bolt made of ten thousand catties of iron, which makes the people of Shangqiu more at ease.

Whether it is because the upcoming defense battle requires the full support of the Mohists, or because new things such as wheat planting and mills have gradually become popular outside Shangqiu in the past few years, the people of Shangqiu spontaneously came to the city gate to welcome the Mohists. return of the

The former son of a shoemaker is now standing among the Mohists without riding in a carriage, but he is already famous and does not need a carriage to show his status.

Shi's elder brother, a shoemaker in Shangqiu, Ji Ji, the owner of Shangqiu's first wheat flour noodle shop, and Shi's sister-in-law squeezed together in the crowd.

Because he had to be busy with other things first, he waved at them from a distance, grinned a few times with some playmates he remembered from childhood, and followed Mozi into the city first.

Mo Zhe has many rules and has an excellent reputation, so after entering the city, no one felt any discomfort.

Mozi wanted to go directly to see Liuqing and Song Gong, so he summoned Shi and said, "You don't have to go to see the princes and ministers. It's better to talk to them."

Shi hummed, and asked, "Sir, are you sure you got the Tiger Talisman?"

Mozi said loudly: "This matter is not difficult. Song Gong wants to defend the city, and Sicheng also wants to defend the city. Even if some people don't want to, since the Mohist has come, they have to agree. This is a lever. Originally Balance, we Mohists have joined in again, it is already different."

"Shi, you go around the city, take the people from the Xuanyi Department, and ask everyone in the city what they think. You have also learned a lot about defending the city. Although the learning time is short, you learn it very quickly. You I also know what is the key to defending the city. You have to do this. Go home and have a look."

More than a dozen Mohists from the Xuanyi Department and several swordsmen of the guards broke away from the Mohist team and followed Shi Shi.

Mo Zi took the few disciples who often came and went to the court to say goodbye, and asked the rest of the Mozi to rest near the workshop, not to move around for the time being, and to sort out all kinds of weapons.

When Shi brought people back home, Dean, who was used to being silent, ran over and hugged his younger brother. His sister-in-law greeted the rest of the Mohists to sit down in the courtyard and brought all kinds of food. It can be seen that this day is over. Much better than it was three years ago.

Since they entered their own home, the Mohists were not polite, they only ate and drank there.

Appropriately, I asked about the situation in Shangqiu City. Mohist basically understood the movements of the upper strata, but the movements of the lower strata needed to be inquired carefully.

Shangqiu already knew about the sending of troops from Chu, and the army of Chu had arrived in Shashui. Sicheng came forward to promise that Sanjin would come to rescue, so that everyone could feel at ease; he also said that Mozi would return to Shangqiu to defend the city, which made everyone feel at ease .

A lot of land outside the city has already begun to try to grow wheat, using the method of two-season crop rotation, but the tax has also increased a lot.

The artisans in the city will grow stronger, and the reputation of the Mohists is getting stronger and stronger in Shangqiu. It can be said that everyone in the city knows everyone.

Even if you don't want to know, those ink carts, those double-wheeled carriages, those ink carts next to the free market, those wheat flour soybean oil... It can be said that it is impossible for people to plug their ears and close their eyes.

After asking a few more questions, the dull deer muttered: "If I want to defend the city, I don't want to go. It doesn't matter if the Chu people come or the Jin people come, it doesn't make any difference."

Shi thought about the situation in history, and said with a smile: "There is still a difference. When the people of Chu come, I am afraid they will ask you to build Yuguan City; "

Ji just laughed there, and said, "Then we craftsmen are not good. When the people of Chu come, we have to do hard labor, and when the people of Jin come, we send out the army and armor... Brother, since Mozi is here, the city I think it can be kept, but food is expensive now... Thanks to the two-season method you have come up with, there is still more food these years."

Shi Xin said that Song State is indeed in a mess, Chu people have already arrived in Shashui, and food price control has not yet been implemented here.I am afraid that the nobles in the public office are also powerless, they do not have a strong ability to govern, and it is just delusional to want to control food prices.

Thinking of Mo Zhe's technique of defending the city, I know that the price of food is not a problem.

Once Mozi got the Tiger Talisman and took over the defense of the entire Shangqiu, the first thing he did was to collect food for ration and make long-term plans.

When Mo Zhe was defending the city, he would not be so tender and affectionate, so many people would inevitably fall to the ground.

Speaking of food, Shi's sister-in-law also came over and said, "Nowadays, wheat is no longer food for sluts. The price is comparable to corn. There is more food in the family. It is enough for the family to eat for many years..."

Shi persuaded: "Sister-in-law, if Mozhe defends the city, he may collect grain. It is only forcibly collected at a par price, and what will be repaid in the future is also grain. I am Mohist, and it has nothing to do with you. I just want to say that if the time comes ..."

Before he finished speaking, his sister-in-law gave him a gouged look, and said angrily: "It's outrageous. It sounds like you are with Mohist's family, but not your brother's. Since you are Mohist, we will donate the food we collect, don't you?" What else do you want to say that you are the Mohist and we are not like this?"

Shi's face was slightly red, thinking of his sister-in-law's angry face when he first came here, he smiled and said: "That's not the case, I'm just talking about the truth of Mohist..."

The sister-in-law snorted and said: "You giants came here back then, and you never heard him talk about these things with us. Now you really only know how to reason with others, but you forgot how to talk to your family. It is said that you both love ink and ink. If you love people all over the world, isn’t this family just like everyone else?”

A few words with a gun and a stick, the words were appropriate and I was too embarrassed to answer, my sister-in-law took out a set of leather armor from the house while scolding, and said, "Try wearing it, your brother made it, and it uses high-quality leather armor." Skin, and two more sets are also given to you Mohists."

He took it smoothly, tried it on and it fit right, without saying a word of thanks, he asked, "How many people come to buy wheat cakes and tofu nowadays?"

The sister-in-law nodded and said, "There are more and more. The craftsmen in the city already buy grain, and the craftsmen association has done a good job in the past few years. Many of them bought ink carts and double-shaft carts."

"There are more wheat and beans harvested outside the city, so the artisans have more work; the artisans have more work, and they have more money to buy food. In addition, there are many more merchants in Shangqiu, or they come to buy the oil you extract, which is prosperous. "

Maybe thinking of what the right year said, the sister-in-law said again: "It's not that I can't afford silk clothes now, but your brother said that he couldn't wear them for work, so he didn't buy them for now."

This is what the appropriate year promised, and Shi himself may have forgotten it, but he doesn't want his sister-in-law to remember it, so he can't help but smile when he mentions it.

I asked about the monthly sales and judged the development of commodity exchange in the city. It seems that it has indeed increased a lot compared to three years ago.

The situation in the city can be seen from a wheat flour bean food shop. The development of the grain industry has driven the development and exchange of handicrafts in the city.

This is not Taoyi, and it is estimated that the changes in Taoyi may be greater than here. After all, Shangqiu is a city with more military significance than economic significance.

After asking a few more things, I got up and said goodbye: "I still have something to do that the giant told me to do. I will take people away first. Sister-in-law can prepare some more wheat cakes. Mo Zhe brought food, and it will be exchanged at that time."

"Maybe I won't come back at night, the giant should have something to do. Mohist's rules for defending the city..."

Before he finished speaking, his sister-in-law said: "We know the Mozhe's rules of guarding the city better than you. Who in Shangqiu doesn't know? Needless to say, we will abide by Mozhe's prohibition."

Seeing this, he didn't say much, knowing that Shangqiu was the original base of the Mozhe after all, and the Mozhe who defended the city had participated in several besieging the city.

When turning around to lead the people away, the sister-in-law couldn't help asking from behind: "I heard that you are considered a high-ranking Mohist?"

Shi was startled, didn't know how to answer, thought that sister-in-law had something to ask for himself, and when she was about to explain, she heard her sister-in-law say: "I heard that the Mohist guards the city, even the giant will come in person, the higher the position, the more important it is to rely on it." Before. Don’t dislike the heavy armor, wear it when you need it, and don’t take it off easily.”

After that, he took out a small price similar to an animal bone from the side, let him put it on his neck, and said with a smile: "Mohists value ghosts and gods, and they are the best at offering sacrifices. God will protect you."

Hearing the normal but awkward God at this time, Shi Shi laughed, but did not take off the amulet around his neck, and left with the crowd.

(End of this chapter)