In August, the grassland was all yellow and withered, and everyone in King Yong's camp was mowing the grass day and night.
Because Hou Jun gathered, Yin Kaishan, and Li Shiji captured a lot of cattle, sheep, and horses, but they did not capture many prisoners, so all the cattle, sheep, and horses needed to be supported by the Tang Dynasty itself.
And since the grassland will enter winter at the end of August, it is necessary to prepare the fodder required by all cattle, sheep and horses before winter arrives, otherwise the cattle, sheep and horses will die in large numbers.
So Li Yuanji personally took everyone in the camp and started to go to the fields to cut grass and store fodder.
After cutting hundreds of acres of land and cutting out several grassy hills, he asked the Army Sima and was told that less than one thousandth of it had been completed. Li Yuanji suddenly missed alfalfa.
If the grass on the grassland is alfalfa that has strong vitality, grows very fast, and grows very tall and lush, then mowing the grass does not need to be so tiring. One scythe will make a bundle, and then the guillotine will be mixed again.
Add something else, enough to feed a horse for a day.
Unfortunately, although alfalfa has been introduced to China, it has not yet been widely promoted, so everyone can only cut the grass on the grassland that is less than a person's leg and wrist for storage.
"Chu Suiliang!"
After Li Yuanji cut another handful of grass, he was too tired to cut anymore, so he immediately summoned Chu Suiliang.
After Chu Suiliang heard the call, he hurried to Li Yuanji with his sickle in hand and saluted solemnly: "I'm here!"
Li Yuanji directly ordered: "Send an order to Li Jing, Su Dingfang, Wang Xuance, Xue Shou, Yu Zhining, Han Liang and others to start stocking up fodder as soon as possible with their subordinates, people, prisoners, and slaves.
All taxes north of the Great Wall will be waived for this year and next, and each of them will be asked to hand in ten bundles of fodder. If more than ten bundles are turned in, a sheep will be given for each additional ten bundles turned in, and a sheep will be given for each additional fifty bundles turned in.
If a cow is given, a bad horse will be given for every eighty bundles turned in. If a total of 150 bundles are turned in, a good horse will be given.
If you hand over two hundred bundles, all the above rewards can be stacked!"
Chu Suiliang was overjoyed when he heard this. He looked like he should have been like this a long time ago and bowed in agreement: "Here!"
Li Yuanji straightened up, thumped his waist, and greeted the others who were still immersed in mowing the grass, "Okay, take it all away. Let's go back and have a rest. We won't have to mow the grass again."
After saying this, Li Yuanji waved to Chai Lingwu, who was competing with Gao Kan not far away.
Chai Lingwu immediately abandoned his friend and rushed to Li Yuanji.
"Uncle, are you looking for me?"
Li Yuanji nodded and ordered: "Take Gao Kan and go to Yin Kaishan and Li Shiji so that they don't have to send captured prisoners, cattle, sheep and horses here, and let them set up a gathering place nearby.
They settled nearby and mobilized all the prisoners to prepare fodder for the winter.
After winter comes, let them stop all fighting and run their gathering places under their respective autonomy with peace of mind."
Chai Lingwu nodded and asked a lot, "What if they didn't prepare winter fodder before winter?"
Li Yuanji rolled his eyes at Chai Lingwu and said, "Then let them feed on cattle and sheep, and make their own winter clothing from cow and sheep skins."
Chai Lingwu's eyes rolled and he said garrulously: "What if they can't eat it?"
Li Yuanji looked at Chai Lingwudao with a smile on his face: "Then let them kill all those who deserve to be killed. Freeze those who can be frozen. Those who cannot be frozen will either be burned or buried on the spot."
Chai Lingwu suddenly became excited when he heard this, his eyes flashed and he said: "Including people?"
Li Yuanji was stunned for a moment, and then waved to Chai Lingwu very amiably.
Chai Lingwu felt a chill from his uncle's smile. He immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly ran back.
However, before he could even take two steps, he was captured by Gao Kan and another Yongwang guard officer who were closest to him.
Chai Lingwu was held upside down by Gao Kan's arm. His eyes widened and he shouted at Gao Kan, "I regard you as my brother, but you actually betrayed me?"
Gao Kan grinned and said, "I'm doing this for your own good!"
Chai Lingwu scratched his neck and shouted: "What are you doing for me?"
Gao Kan smiled but did not answer, and escorted Chai Lingwu to Li Yuanji.
Li Yuanji viciously kicked Chai Lingwu on the buttocks and cursed angrily: "How can humans be compared with beasts? If that day you feel that there is no difference between humans and beasts, then remember to come to me, I will
It will definitely make you remember it for a long time!”
Chai Lingwu kept shouting that he didn't dare anymore, but Li Yuanji could clearly feel that he didn't listen to his words.
Immediately, Li Yuanji said to Gao Kan: "He will be a soldier under your command from now on. Please help me teach him what it means to be a human being."
Gao Kan cupped his fists without hesitation and said, "Here!"
Li Yuanji nodded and said: "When I go to Yin Kaishan and Li Shiji's army this time, you will be the leader and he will be the deputy. If he doesn't listen to you, you will whip him!"
When Gao Kan heard this, he almost grinned down to his back molars. After winking at Chai Lingwu, he responded loudly: "Here!"
"Why! Why should I become a soldier under his command? I joined the official service earlier than him and have made more achievements than him. He should be a soldier under my command!"
At this moment, Chai Lingwu was covering his buttocks, grinning and moaning at himself.
Li Yuanji glanced at Chai Lingwu coldly and said: "Just because I am your uncle, and just because of your official position, I can give it to you if you want, and take it back if you want to. Do you have any objections?"
Of course Chai Lingwu had some objections, but he didn't dare to say anything. He could only cover his buttocks and droop his head, but Gao Kan still dragged him away.
After Gao Kan took Chai Lingwu away, Li Yuanji took a long breath and fell into self-doubt.
Are the people in the Tang Dynasty abnormal, or am I abnormal?
Why don't any people in the Tang Dynasty take human life seriously? Everyone seems to take life and death lightly, and regard people of other races as cattle and horses.
It is estimated that in their hearts, they don't mind being regarded as cattle and horses by other races.
Is this a feudal dynasty?
So cruel, so realistic?
…
After Li Yuanji mobilized everyone north of the Great Wall to start stocking up on fodder, and after a large number of cattle, sheep, and horses were promised to go out, the fodder in various gathering places and various baggage accumulation areas increased day by day.
In order to get the cattle, sheep and horses rewarded by the imperial court, the people worked hard and took their whole families to cut grass.
The Tang people in charge of each gathering place whipped almost all the slaves to cut the grass day and night.
Then, the fodder needed by the imperial court was almost collected after only half a month.
According to Li Jing and Su Dingfang, who were patrolling various gathering places, they worked overtime to cut grass and lost tens of thousands of slaves this time.
Most of them were tortured to death by the Tang people in the gathering place.
It was the Turks who tormented them before, but now they have become the masters. They have also begun to torment the Turks in the same way that the Turks tormented them. Some people's methods are even more extreme than the Turks.
Both Li Jing and Su Dingfang felt that it was not right for them to continue like this, so they suggested that Zhongshu issue a decree to make the Tang people in various gathering places restrain themselves and not easily humiliate their slaves, let alone kill their slaves easily.
After Li Jing and Su Dingfang's suggestions were sent to King Yong's palace, Li Yuanji directly forwarded them to the Zhongshu Province.
Since what Li Jing and Su Dingfang want is a decree from the Zhongshu Provincial Department, it can be handled by the Zhongshu Provincial Department without him having to worry too much.
Anyway, the imperial court pays a lot of salary to various officials in Zhongshu Province every year. When it is their turn to do things, they naturally have to be put to use.
Otherwise, why would the imperial court support them?
"call……"
When a cold wind blew from Western Turks to Lingzhou, winter entered the grasslands overnight.
The heavy snow fell without warning.
The scene described by Cen Shen in "Bai Xuege Sends Magistrate Wu Back to the Capital" is true. Hu Tianzhen really started to snow in August, and it rained very hard. The wind was more like a knife slashing, and it was surprisingly cold.
.
It was in such weather that Li Yuan arrived in Lingzhou with almost half of the nobles from Chang'an City.
After Li Yuanji learned that Li Shentong did not stop Li Yuan and allowed Li Yuan to come, he was helpless. He led everyone to the official road outside the camp early in the morning to greet him. He waited until evening before Li Yuan and his party came.
Appear on the official road.
The team of Li Yuan and his entourage was very large. Standing at the front, you couldn't see the back. How many people Li Yuan had brought with him would be difficult to figure out if you didn't count carefully in the team.
However, those conspicuous dragons, conspicuous kings, and conspicuous king flags can be easily counted.
In addition to Li Yuan's Dragon Banner and Dragon Banner, there are more than thirty King Banners, more than thirty King Banners, various banners of the generals of the marching roads, as well as various gold melons, copper hammers, and axes.
, sword troupe, drum band and many other honor guards.
"Look at this posture, are you bringing everyone from Chang'an City here?"
Chu Suiliang was young and had never seen the emperor go out "fully armed", let alone the emperor with a bunch of princes and all the ceremonial guards.
So he was deeply shocked by the posture put up by Li Yuan and all the princes. His mouth was opened very wide, as if he had eaten several toads, and his eyes were very wide, as if he was seeing the world for the first time.
.
"Where is this? It's not enough!"
Li Yuanji smiled calmly and commented.
The scene Li Yuan staged was big, grand, domineering, and exciting, but it was not a big scene. He had seen even bigger scenes.
It's more majestic, more domineering, and more exciting than this.
Therefore, the battle arrayed by Li Yuan could not scare him.
If Li Yuan could recruit tens of thousands of troops and hold a grand military parade, then he would be a little shocked.
After all, there was no steel jungle military parade. For him, who had seen the steel jungle military parade, it was really not that shocking.
