The Three Kingdoms Voyage

Chapter 292 Pirate Empire Australia
Xia Hourong didn't answer Xiahouhui immediately, he drank the porridge slowly while thinking, until he finished eating the porridge in the bowl, then raised his head to look at Xiahouhui: "I want to visit Funan, I don't know if it's convenient. "

Xia Houhui smiled and nodded: "Of course, everything in Funan is new, if you can give some good advice, that would be the best."

"Also..." Xia Hourong seemed a little hesitant. He took a towel from the maid and wiped his mouth, then cleaned his hands, and then said slowly: "There is also a shortage of people in Guanzhong. If you want to prepare food for the Western Expedition There are too many shortages of reserves and household registration, so it is not easy. I have heard that the country of Yue is also sparsely populated, but you have plenty of food. We don't quite understand it, and I really want to get some inspiration from you. This... convenient?"

Seeing Xia Hourong being so frank, Xia Houhui was a little surprised. She thought for a while: "I want to ask the king about this matter."

Xia Hourong smiled understandingly.He knows that this matter can be big or small, if you think about it in depth, it is also spying on the secrets of the country of Yue, it is really hard to say whether Sun Shao can agree.Sun Shao is generous. He has cooperated with the three countries after the East China Sea Alliance. It can be said that he is quite generous. However, he did not show any of the thunder and steam engines he demonstrated in the East China Sea. Everyone can understand this. After all This is the murder weapon of the Yue Kingdom. If it is easily taken out, what else can he use to deter the other three countries?Thinking about it from another angle, any country that has such a killer weapon will not share it.

Xia Hourong didn't have much hope for this, but he had to say it, so he could only convey it through Xia Houhui. Even if he was rejected, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.

But he didn't expect that Sun Shao quickly agreed to his request, and Sun Shao said to him face to face: "If you want to see Funan, of course there is no problem, except for the Weapons Supervisor, you can see whatever you want."

Xia Hourong was overjoyed, he never expected to go to the weapon surveillance, he didn't even need to think about that, he was already very surprised that he could watch other things.He thought for a while, and couldn't help asking: "Is the steam engine subordinate to the Weapons Supervisor?"

Sun Shao's mouth twisted. He knew that it would not be so simple for Xia Hourong to come here. Of course, the purpose was to see the development of Funan, but it was definitely not the most important purpose. The thunder and steam engine were the most important.But Zhentianlei is a killer weapon, he can't give it to them, and the steam engine is still a semi-finished product, it can be used to scare people, but there is still a long way to go before it is practical, but Sun Shao has another idea, the purpose of this technological innovation is to apply it, if it cannot be applied , has been immersed in development, the investment will be very considerable, which does not conform to the objective laws of technological development. If we want to make technological progress, we must innovate in applications and let more people and capital participate in it.He asked Cao Zhang to mine in Bingzhou. In mining, drainage and coal transportation were needed, and steam engines could be used for these.Although the current steam engine is not very stable and the power is not satisfactory, it is obviously much better than manpower, and now that there is a shortage of manpower in all countries, the desire to use machines is stronger, and it is a good time to promote steam engines .

Xia Hourong proposed it on his own initiative, and of course he couldn’t wish for it. However, he still put on a look of embarrassment, touched his chin and hesitated for a while, until Xia Hourong was about to be disappointed, and he reluctantly smiled: “Although the steam engine It’s not considered a weapon supervisor, but it was developed by the technicians of our art academy, you can take a look, but it must be kept secret.”

Xia Hourong was overjoyed, nodding his head in haste.In the next period of time, according to Sun Shao's arrangement, Xia Hourong first visited Yue County.Yue County attracted a large number of people from Wu, and also attracted many Shanyue from the mountains to settle down. Although the population density is not as good as that of the Central Plains, it is considered dense.Xia Hourong looked at a few places and admired secretly, no wonder farmers from all over the world went to Yue country, Yue country really treated farmers so favorably.Although the State of Yue pays more attention to industry and commerce than to agriculture, in fact farmers are the most comfortable.Compared with these populations, the country of Yue has a lot of arable land, and one man and one hundred acres are not a problem at all.A family usually has two laborers, and it can be divided into about [-] mu. The amount of labor is not small, but the government bought a large number of cattle from Liaodong, coupled with local cattle, and basically achieved a family with one cow, even if it was a little bit worse. Yes, it is also possible for two families to share one cow. Coupled with the large-scale promotion of new farm tools, it is no longer an impossible task for a family to plant two hundred acres of land.

If there is more land, there will be more food production. Even if you pay off the credit owed for cattle and farm tools, there is still a lot left. The rent and tax of Yue State is very low. It is based on the ancient system of thirty one tax. Low tax. Since the Han Dynasty, although the court has often reduced taxes, it is actually very rare to actually collect taxes at the rate of [-] to [-], but now Yue is actually implementing this standard.Two hundred acres of land, the normal harvest can be five or six hundred shi, and there is still a lot of surplus after paying the tax. These savings can be kept for oneself to prepare for famine years, or sold to the government. The price is based on the market price. The consumption is large, and the price of grain is more expensive than that in the Central Plains. It is about [-] to [-] yuan per stone. When it is expensive, it can reach [-] yuan. Farmers sell surplus grain in exchange for oil, salt and daily necessities, and most of them still have some surplus. Get some wine, eat some meat, and buy some new clothes during the Chinese New Year.Although it was hard work, it was very peaceful.

In addition to the light taxation in the Yue Kingdom, there is also a very popular phenomenon, that is, the application of various machinery is very extensive.Waterwheels and mills can be seen on almost every river.Xia Hourong inquired curiously, and only then did he know that some of these waterwheels and mills were built by farmers themselves, and some were built with the help of the government. No matter who built them, they have brought great benefits to farming and life. convenient.For example, mills, driven by water power, are worth the labor of fifty people, which greatly reduces the burden of work.Another example is the waterwheel. With the tireless operation of the waterwheel propelled by water, even the highlands with inconvenient water transportation can grow food without consuming too much manpower.

Xia Hourong really felt the benefits brought by the machinery. He thought of Guanzhong. There is a large area of ​​cultivated land in Guanzhong, but irrigation is a big problem. Because of the war, many water conservancy facilities have been abandoned. It takes a lot of effort to restore them. .If there is no water, growing wheat is a big problem. If more water tankers can be built like Yue, the water problem in Guanzhong can be alleviated to a certain extent.

Feeling the real benefits, Xia Hourong took it more seriously. He was not ashamed to ask his subordinates, mingled with ordinary Guizhou heads, and asked them about various things.While the farmers told him about all kinds of new machines, they also conveyed their happiness from the bottom of their hearts to Xia Hourong unmistakably.On the one hand, Xia Hourong was happy, but on the other hand, he was frightened.Yue’s preferential treatment of farmers cannot be learned from the other three countries. If the current way of exploiting the people cannot be changed as soon as possible, more and more people will focus on Yue, and the gap between them and Yue will also be widened. It gets bigger and bigger.It is obvious that if Wei State is attacked by Yue State, the people of Wei State will certainly not be as active in fighting as when Wei State attacked Yue State. The reason is very simple. The people of Yue State are protecting their own good life. And the people of Wei State are just working hard for others.

Xia Hourong was surprised and delighted.

About two months later, Sun Shao was about to set sail southward, and Xia Hourong also finished his visit in Yue County and set off with Sun Shao.This time Sun Shao left Yuejun and moved the capital of the country from Qiantang to Funant Mucheng at the same time, so not only officials and facilities from various temples and temples, but also a large number of official family members followed. Fortunately, Yue Kingdom now has a lot of ships. , there are nearly [-] large and small boats, the mighty ones can't see the end at a glance, taking advantage of the strong north wind all the way to the south.

At Qiantangkou, East China Sea Superintendent Su Chugui and the newly appointed Superintendent Shi Bao bid farewell to Sun Shao.This time in the East China Sea, Sun Shao and Su Chugui got together for more than three months. They discussed a lot of things. Su Chugui heard some gossip. Guarding the East China Sea, Su Chugai was planning to attack Sanhan. When he heard the news, he immediately became anxious. After thinking about it, he asked Sun Shao to send a supervising army to help him manage the East China Sea.Sun Shao listened to his worries, and agreed, and made a clear distinction between the rights of the two. Shi Bao was in charge of civil affairs, and Su Chuleg was in charge of conquest. The two should cooperate with each other and focus on the overall situation.At the same time, Sun Shao asked Su Chugao to transfer the Donghai Governor's residence to Sanhan after taking down Sanhan, so as to make preparations for further capturing the Wa Kingdom.Sun Shao said that although the Japanese kingdom is not powerful, it is best used for military training. The navy cannot be idle. The best way to maintain combat effectiveness at all times is actual combat. Even if there is no war, let them escort and strike The pirates along the way, in a word, can't let them rest, once they rest, no matter how sharp the knife is, it will rust.

Although Su Chugui had some opinions on Shi Bao's arrival, he was full of joy after hearing Sun Shao's words. His biggest regret was that he had not been able to follow Sun Shao in the conquest, and there were not many opportunities to make meritorious deeds. He has arranged so many tasks, he estimated that he will have a few years of comfortable life, no need to covet Cui Qian, there will always be a chance to go out.

Su Chugui and Shi Bao said goodbye to Sun Shaoyi and sailed away.Before he came, he had already made preparations for the expedition, and set up the forward position in Danzhou (now Jeju Island). This time, he did not return to Lianyungang, but crossed the sea and went straight to Danzhou, preparing for the war.According to the scheduled plan, after he took down Sanhan, he would go north from Lelang County and Daifang County, echoing Cao Zhang's Northern Expedition from the side.In order to ensure the superiority of the troops, and at the same time to train the team, the right general Chen Hai and the rear general Yue Hai went with him, with a total force of 5000 people, 27 large ships, nearly 200 medium-sized warships, baggage ships and accompanying merchant ships. There are more than [-] ships, which makes people's heart beat at first glance.

Halfway through the journey, Sun Shao and Guan Feng parted ways. Guan Feng took a large number of merchant ships and cargo ships to the south, and returned to Funan first. Yi County patrolled for more than a month, and after replenishing fresh water and food, they took advantage of the wind and headed south, entering the jurisdiction of Haizhou.The Governor of the South China Sea, Deng Ai, had already received the news, and he led the [-] South China Sea Fleet to meet him. After rendezvous with the South China Sea Fleet participating in the military parade, he also met Zhang Cheng, the long history arranged for him by Sun Shaoxin.

Deng Ai was very polite to Zhang Cheng, and asked Zhang Zhao's situation first when they met.Zhang Cheng knew that Deng Ai was Sun Shao's confidant, so he didn't dare to be negligent, so he told Zhang Zhao's situation. sorry.Deng Ai was also very happy, and personally introduced the situation in the South China Sea to Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng had already learned a lot about the situation in the South China Sea from Zhang Zhao, and now that he heard Deng Ai say it again, he felt more confident.

Xia Hourong followed Sun Shao all the way, saw the dotted islands, saw the aborigines in different shapes, saw many rare birds and animals that were never seen in the Central Plains, and the legendary precious wood, he was full of emotion and enjoyed it.One day, when he was leaning on the railing, blowing the sea breeze, and looking at the sea beyond sight, Lu Ji walked over and said with a smile, "Youquan, is there anything unusual?"

Xia Hourong hurriedly bowed and saluted, he didn't dare to put on the airs of a celebrity in front of Lu Ji, a master of Yi studies.He thought for a while, and said with a smile: "The size of the sea and territory of Yue State is really beyond my expectation. Although I have heard that the sea area of ​​Yue State is close to the Central Plains, and there are many rare things, but seeing it with my own eyes this time, it is still the most beautiful place in the world." Very surprised."

"Hehehe..." Lu Ji stroked his beard with a smile, shook his head, stretched out a finger and pointed upwards: "I didn't mean this, I said yes."

"This?" Xia Hourong looked up in surprise, the sky was blue and the clouds were white, but was that what Lu Ji wanted to say?
Seeing that Xia Hourong was at a loss, Lu Ji reminded again: "Youquan, haven't you noticed that the position of the sun is a little strange?"

Xia Hourong blinked his eyes, and then suddenly realized. After thinking for a while, he immediately saw something strange.It is now July, and it should be when the sun is at its highest and its shadow is also the shortest. But no matter how short the shadow is, in the Central Plains, the sun is always to the south, but now, the bright sun is clearly to the north of him, and it is very far Li bad, stretching his shadow southward.

"This?" Xia Hourong was puzzled and didn't know what to say for a while.During this period of time, he only focused on looking at the ground, and never noticed any changes in the sunlight. He was suddenly reminded by Lu Ji, and he felt very incredible.

How could the sun go to the north?

Lu Ji smiled calmly.

Xia Hourong thought hard, but he couldn't figure out the reason. According to his thinking, no matter how far he went to the south, he could only let the sun be at the top at most, and it was absolutely impossible for this situation to happen.But this unbelievable thing just happened, which shocked him unceasingly.He thought for a while, and then tentatively said: "Could it be...we really live on the same ball?"

"Have you read Xuan Ye Shuo?" Lu Ji nodded approvingly.A child prodigy is a child prodigy, and he can figure out the key points so quickly, but he had been unwilling to believe Sun Shao's statement at the beginning, even when he saw the sun appearing in the north for the first time, he refused to believe it, and it took a long time before he accepted it. this fact.

"I have read it." Xia Hourong smiled: "I have read all the articles published in the communiqué by Mr."

"Hahaha..." Lu Ji smiled smugly.He published some articles on astronomical phenomena in the Dahan Gazette, each of which aroused great repercussions among scholars studying Yi.Yang Xiu's family biography is a Shangshu, but he is also familiar with Meng Shiyi, and he usually prides himself on himself, but this time when he saw Lu Ji, he admired him and called him a master, saying that his interpretation of astrology was unprecedented.Yu Fan, a master of Yi Xue, was also very envious of him. He said sourly that he didn't want to be a royal doctor, but he liked the scholars of Zhuya Academy because they were well paid and had light burdens, making them suitable for learning.

"Since you have read it, then I don't need to babble with you." Lu Ji pointed his finger at the blue sky like a piece of jade: "If you think about it slowly, you will soon find that there are many seemingly correct ideas in the past. They are all wrong, maybe it will help you understand the current situation of my big man."

After Lu Ji finished speaking, he walked away slowly with his hands behind his back.Xia Hourong stood with a bow, watched Lu Ji leave, then bowed his head in thought.Although he thought of Xuan Ye's theory, he still had a hard time accepting the fact that the earth is round, and his thoughts fluctuated for a while, and he couldn't help himself.

Sun Shao sat on the flying hut, while Deng Ai, Zhang Cheng and others sat aside, and they could clearly see the conversation between Lu Ji and Xia Hourong.Sun Shao laughed and joked, "Xiahou prodigy is going to faint this time."

"It's not surprising." Zhang Cheng, who had already fainted, said with a smile, "Xunzi has a saying. It's better to climb a height to gain insight than to look at it. If you can't travel thousands of miles after reading thousands of books, you're a bookworm, and your knowledge is limited after all. of."

Sun Shao turned his head and glanced at Zhang Cheng, stroked his palms and smiled: "Zhongsi, I think you are not talking about Youquan, you are talking about yourself, right?"

Zhang Cheng smiled: "Exactly. This time, I traveled across the oceans with the king, and my eyes were wide open. I have never seen it in the sage books before, and I have never even heard it. Now it seems that Tai Shigong said the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Even if it is a book of vain, if he sees these strange things, he must not be able to finish writing seventy volumes."

"It's really rare for Zhong Si to say such a thing." Sun Shao scratched his nose and said with a smile, "My teacher, even after living in South China Sea for more than a year, would never say such a thing."

"In fact, my father already believed it, but he refused to say it." Zhang Cheng also laughed, and he told Sun Shao what Zhang Zhao and he said.Sun Shao listened quietly, nodding his head from time to time.The reason why he recommended Zhang Zhao to Luoyang to be a captain was not that he thought Zhang Zhao was troublesome. In this point, he was different from Wu and Shu countries. In the big world, it is more convincing for him to guide the thinking of Luoyang's monarchs and ministers. If possible, he may become the teacher of Prince Liu Xing. If he teaches Liu Xing, he will definitely be better than those who study hard and read dead books. Confucianism is much better.If the prince can broaden his horizons and no longer only know the square sky above his head like the previous emperors, it will be a good thing for the big man.

"Your Majesty, from here to the south, there are still about a thousand miles to reach the border of our Haizhou." Deng Ai pointed to the south, and said in a calm tone: "However, I just got accurate information that it is only five or six hundred miles from the border. In the distance, there is a big island, the vastness of its territory and the variety of its objects, I am afraid it is no less than that of the South China Sea."

"Really?" Zhang Cheng was surprised.

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as an island?" Sun Shao was not surprised. He knew that Australia was located above this sea, but he also knew that although Australia is a big place, it is not very suitable for people to live in. Now It might still be virgin territory.Ordinarily, he should go to occupy this place now, but after careful consideration, he decided to take a slow step.Firstly, Australia is there, no one can snatch it away anyway, he can go there whenever he wants, secondly, he is already worried about the lack of population, and there is no one to move when he takes Australia, so he can only leave it abandoned.For him, the immediate priority is to increase the population, stabilize Funan, and actively prepare for the war against Tianzhu.Rome is too far away, and the Romans are too busy to take care of themselves now, and there is no real threat to him, but Tianzhu is not the case. He controls Borneo and takes all the Spice Islands into his pocket, which is equivalent to robbing the wallets of Tianzhu. I have been here a few times, and asked him to let go of the trade, hard or soft.The reason why he has been procrastinating and not replying is that on the one hand, the situation in the Central Plains is not stable, and he must solve this problem first; In Tianzhu, the problem cannot be solved by defeating one or two countries.Unlike solving the Funan issue, going to war with Tianzhu requires a proper long-term plan.

Deng Ai glanced at Sun Shao, but he was not surprised. Although he stayed with Sun Shao for a long time, he still couldn't understand Sun Shao. Sun Shao seemed to know many things without learning, and he had no teacher for many things. Tong, there are too many surprising things, if he has known the island for a long time, Deng Ai doesn't think there is anything strange.

"Shi Zai, Zhong Si, think about it, how can we double or even triple the number of my Han Chinese in the shortest possible time?"

Deng Ai and Zhang Cheng glanced at each other and immediately understood what Sun Shao was thinking about.Yue State is now divided into three parts, one is Yue County, Nanhai County, plus Zhuya County, the other is Yi County, and the other is Taizhou. The area of ​​Taizhou accounts for more than half of Yue State, and the total population exceeds half. , but the population of Taizhou is dominated by Funan people, and Han people now account for at most [-]%. This population structure is obviously not a long-term stable structure. If the Yue Kingdom can develop in Taizhou, the most important problem is to increase the number of Han people.

"Increase births." Zhang Cheng thought for a while, and said cautiously: "On the one hand, the oral tax can be reduced, and on the other hand, the number of slaves and concubines must be controlled. The most important thing here is the latter. In my opinion... we must be cautious. .”

Sun Shao narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything, but he knew that Zhang Cheng had something to say.Reducing the oral tax, that is, poll tax, can indeed increase the population, but in this way, I am afraid that the population growth of the Funan people will exceed the growth of the Han population.The latter item is mainly aimed at the Han people, but it is mainly aimed at the rich Han people. It is the wealthy and powerful rich who marry more wives and concubines, making a large number of poor people unable to marry wives, thus hindering population growth.The reason why Zhang Cheng said to be cautious is because of this. Such a situation is not only in the state of Yue, but also in Wu and Shu. However, everyone dare not do it lightly, because the risk of going against all the rich is too great.

After a long time, Sun Shao said slowly: "Zhongsi, write a detailed memorial and send it to the Prime Minister's Mansion. I want to discuss this matter with the officials and see if I can come up with a good idea."

(End of this chapter)