The county seat of Wudu County is not in Wudu County, but in Xiabian County.
Because Xiabian has the largest valley plain in Wudu, and the rivers flowing down from the remaining Qinling Mountains bring abundant water, it is known as the small granary of Longyou.
Therefore, it is the most important grain-producing area and population gathering area in Wudu.
How important is it?
Controlling this place is equivalent to controlling Wudu.
This is very similar to the entire Longyou.
The Longyou area may seem large, but in fact, the main grain-producing areas are concentrated in Tianshui County.
Controlling Tianshui County is equivalent to controlling more than half of Longyou.
Several counties around Tianshui serve as guards to protect the core of Tianshui County from intrusion.
Of course, due to the improvement of farming tools and farming level, the area from Pingxiang to Zuli in the north can also be used as a reclamation area.
This is also the reason why Feng Yong set the seat of the Qiang Protector's Office in Pingxiang.
In addition to being convenient to support the Longshan Pass to the east, threatening Liangzhou to the west, and being supported by the Longyou Dudufu to the south, it is also convenient for farming and alleviating the pressure on food transportation.
However, this land reclamation area can only be maintained for daily use by the Qiang Protector's Office.
During wartime, the need for food and grass increased sharply, and we still had to rely on the rear.
Although dry food has been widely promoted in the military, although Dongfeng Express has higher transportation efficiency than this era.
But no matter how much we change, it cannot change the limitations of the times.
If others can transport grain thousands of miles and get one point out of ten, Dongfeng Express only raises one point to three or four points.
Therefore, in the past two years, the pressure of transporting grain has always existed.
It is a very important task for Longyou to achieve self-sufficiency as soon as possible.
Wudu County connects Longyou and Hanzhong, and Xiabian County is a small granary, so it is naturally the target of vigorous reclamation.
However, the location of the debate is a bit special.
The West Han River does not pass through Xiabian, which means that Xiabian County is not on the main transportation route between Hanzhong and Longyou.
On the other hand, Wudu County, named after Wudu, is not the county seat of Wudu County, but it is located right on the waterfront of the Western Han Dynasty.
After passing Wudu County, the rest of the journey is along the mountain road formed by the Xihan River, which is the most difficult to walk.
Therefore, Wudu County can be regarded as the most important transfer station between Qishanbao and Hanzhong, so Dongfeng Express will naturally establish a warehouse here.
When Feng Yong and his party arrived in Wudu County, they did not stay in a post house, but in the Dongfeng Express stronghold.
This time it rained continuously, and there was no clear day at all. After the heavy rain fell, the sky was still gloomy, and the light rain continued sparsely.
When God had enough rest, the light rain turned into heavy rain again.
Xu Xun was afraid that Feng Yong would continue to move forward forcefully, so he found an opportunity and roped in Li Yi to persuade him together.
Feng Yong, who had changed into dry clothes, sat casually on the floor, looking at the rain outside the window with a leisurely expression. The ginger tea on the low table was steaming.
Seeing Xu Xun and Li Yi arriving hand in hand, Feng Yong was a little surprised:
"We are all tired after traveling such a long way in the rain. Why don't Wenxuan and Yuande take a rest? Sit down and drink some ginger tea to ward off the cold."
With that said, he personally poured a cup of tea for each of them.
It is now the end of summer, approaching autumn, and the temperature has begun to drop compared to midsummer.
In addition, it rained and I was still a little chilly after getting wet.
The two of them followed the instructions and knelt down opposite Feng Yong.
Xu Xun had a little worry on his face:
"Brother, I have walked this road no less than ten times in the past two years, and I know this road very well."
"According to my experience, in this kind of weather, if you continue to walk forward, the mountain road will be too muddy and difficult to navigate."
"Especially if it rains continuously now, there will be rockslides and landslides on the mountain, so I think it's better to wait until the rain stops and send someone to check first."
"If you make sure there's nothing going on ahead, brother, it's not too late to start again."
Hearing this, Feng Yong understood the intention of the two people and smiled slightly: "Yuan De is interested."
As for mudslides, Feng Yong naturally knew the dangers involved.
Seeing Feng Yong's expression calm, Xu Xun thought that Feng Yong didn't care about what he said, and was a little anxious at the moment:
"Brother, don't underestimate the mountain road landslide. This is more dangerous than a flood. Once a person encounters it, it is impossible to escape."
"Brother has a body worth thousands of dollars and is connected with countless connections, but he still puts safety first."
Feng Yong nodded: "I know what Yuan De said. But I haven't thought about moving on in the past few days."
Having said this, he looked in a certain direction, "Yuande knows, how is the road condition going from Wudu to Xiabian?"
Xu Xun was relieved when he heard that Feng Yong had no intention of forcing his way, but he was surprised when Feng Yong suddenly brought up the argument again.
"Brother, you want to go to Xiabian? But if you want to go to Hanzhong from Xiabian, not only do you have to take a long detour, the distance is much longer, and it's even more difficult."
Two years ago, Cao Cao's bandits entered Sanguan and took the old route to Hechi County. They were blocked by General Zhao at Lueyang and were not allowed to go any further east. This was precisely because the terrain when entering Hanzhong from Hechi County was extremely dangerous.
Cao's thieves finally had to turn west, hoping to capture Xiabian in an attempt to cut off the food route for the Northern Expedition's army. Unexpectedly, the prime minister had already set up an ambush in Xiabian and wiped out all 20,000 of Cao's thieves' elite troops.
If we were to transfer from Wudu to Bian, we would have to go through Hechi County, then from Hechi County to Lueyang, and finally from Lueyang to Hanzhong.
Compared with traveling directly from Wudu County along the West Han River to Lueyang, it takes more than half a month to go around.
On the other hand, Li Yi, who was on the side, was thinking faster and immediately interjected: "Brother, do you want to argue something?"
Feng Yong glanced at Li Yi appreciatively and said, "I do have something to discuss with Prefect Liao when I come here this time."
The governor of Wudu was none other than Liao Hua.
After hearing Feng Yong's words, Li Yi and Xu Xun looked at each other with doubts in their eyes.
I had never heard of any serious interaction between my brother and Liao Hua before. What's more, my brother was a prince at this time, with a distinguished status and real power. How could he take the initiative to discuss matters with Liao Hua?
Feng Yong did not deliberately conceal it, he just explained:
"Some time ago, when the Nanxiang engineering team was building the official road between Xiaben and Wudu, they discovered a treasure."
"As a captain protecting Qiang, I cannot easily go anywhere else except the area under my jurisdiction, let alone go privately to find the governor of another county."
"So I just took this opportunity to meet Prefect Liao and talk to him about this matter."
Hearing Feng Yong's words, both Li Yi and Xu Xun's hearts skipped a beat.
Anyone who can make his brother say the word "baby" must be a big baby!
"But I don't know what the treasure my brother is talking about is?"
"Lead Mine."
As soon as these words came out, Li Yi's eyes widened.
Xu Xun was even more exaggerated. He couldn't even close his mouth. He couldn't hold back his saliva. A trace of sparkle hung down from the corner of his mouth...
"Chiliu"!
Xu Xun sucked back his saliva, then his throat moved, and he came directly in front of Feng Yong and asked eagerly:
"Brother, the lead I'm talking about is the lead used to make copper coins? How much is it?"
Feng Yong smiled, "There seems to be only one kind of lead in the world, right? The amount of lead in Xia Bian is very large."
Minting currency itself is an extremely profitable business.
The so-called copper coins are not only made of copper, but also mixed with other metals.
For example, iron.
It's just that the density of iron is smaller than that of copper. The more iron is mixed in, the lower the quality of the copper coins and the lower the value of the copper coins.
Although this method allows the government to plunder a large amount of wealth in a short period of time, it does so at the expense of the country's economic potential and the government's credibility.
The so-called fraud is fun for a while, but will be cremated afterwards.
The loss of credibility of the government, the unwillingness of the people to use legal tender, and even the consequences of hyperinflation and people's livelihood will only backfire on the entire country.
If you want to maintain the quality of copper coins while maintaining huge profits, with the current level of casting, it is best to add lead.
Because lead is much denser than copper, and lead is soft and easy to process.
As long as you control the ratio well, you can get the maximum profit.
It can be said that in this regard, the value of lead is second only to copper.
"Brother, what are we waiting for? Hurry up and get someone to dig it!"
Li Yi was also breathing rapidly and blurted out.
Feng Yong saw the two men's gaffes and smiled helplessly.
When I told old demon Zhuge about the copper mine, the prime minister, who was as steady as an old dog, couldn't sit still.
When Li Yi and Xu Xun heard that there was a lead mine in Xiabian, it was not surprising that they had this reaction.
He shook his head, and then nodded to two more people:
"Now the imperial court is implementing a monopoly on salt and iron. What do you want to do?"
Feng Yong's words were like pouring cold water on their heads, making them calm down.
With the current situation of the Han Dynasty, unless they want to rebel, this treasure underground can only be dug up by the imperial court.
"But brother, only the prime minister can make the decision on this kind of matter. I'm afraid it will be useless to talk to the prefect of Wudu County..."
Xu Xun said hesitantly.
Li Yi had followed Feng Yong for so long, and his horizons were much higher than Xu Xun's. After being reminded by Feng Yong, he immediately reacted and interrupted Xu Xun's words:
"Yuan De's words are wrong! If this matter is reported to the authorities, won't the Prime Minister have to have someone dig it out in the end?"
"How to allocate manpower, equipment, transportation, etc.? Can the imperial court alone take care of it all?"
A large mine can make a place prosperous. Once the place is prosperous, there will be more things to do.
Nanxiang is the best example.
Whoever can take the first step can take advantage of it.
Xiabian County is the county seat of Wudu County, so establishing a good relationship with the county governor will be beneficial without any harm. It would be even better if a beneficial relationship can be formed.
Xu Xun also reacted. He couldn't help but clasped his hands together:
"I see! We can't get involved in the lead mine in Xiabian anyway, so we might as well tell the news to the prefect of Wudu County."
"Let him share some of the credit. In this way, his relationship with us will naturally become closer!"
Li Yi once again refuted Xu Xun's words:
"Prefect Liao of Wudu County has a close relationship with the Guan family. If my brother informs Prefect Liao of this news in person, it will not just be to close the relationship. In the future, Xinghan will act in Wudu, and it will have nothing to do with Yuexun.
the difference?"
After the fall of Jingzhou, the Guan family was overthrown by the people in Shu. Most people hid from the Guan family as if they were avoiding the plague. Liao Hua was one of the few exceptions who had contact with the Guan family.
The reason is also very simple. Liao Hua was Guan Yu's boss back then.
Moreover, Liao Hua was born into a wealthy Jingzhou family and was a member of the Jingzhou faction in Sichuan. After the Battle of Yiling, he was transferred to the Prime Minister's Mansion by Zhuge Lao Yao to join the army.
Therefore, during the most difficult years for the Guan family, Liao Hua was of great help to the Guan family.
For Guan Ji, she has always regarded Liao Hua as an elder.
As Guan Ji's husband, Feng Yong now had the opportunity to help Liao Hua, so he naturally had to do his best.
Therefore, whether it was for the interests of the Xinghan Society or as the son-in-law of the Guan family, it was necessary for Feng Yong to talk to Liao Hua first.
Otherwise, when Feng Junhou returns to the house, he may be kicked out of bed by Mrs. Junhou.
Xu Xun finally understood it completely and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes!"
At the same time, he was thinking in his heart, who doesn't know that his brother is, well, very affectionate towards his sister-in-law. No wonder his brother deigned to go to find Governor Liao in person.
Feng Junhou naturally didn't know what his younger brother was thinking, so he asked:
"In the past two years, I heard that the reclamation in Xiabian has been progressing well, and it has attracted a lot of Di and Qiang people?"
"Brother, it's true."
As a qualified manager, the importance of Wudu to Dongfeng Express's Hanzhong to Longyou line is self-evident, so he naturally has to master the basic situation of Wudu.
"During the Battle of Longyou, Chief Hu forcefully gathered the Qiang and Di people from Wudu and Yinping in order to respond to Cao's thieves. Unexpectedly, he was ambushed and defeated by the Prime Minister."
"This battle not only eliminated the barbarians in Wudu and Yinping, but also moved many tribes to Xiaben for cultivation."
Well, familiar recipe, familiar taste.
The old demon Zhuge did the same thing when he conquered Nanzhong.
First, he pretends to be confused, making the other party think that there is a great opportunity, and takes the initiative to gather the scattered tribes, and then KO them all at once.
As Xu Xun spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and burst out laughing.
"Speaking of this, there is another interesting anecdote. I wonder if my brother has heard of it."
"Oh, tell me."
Feng Yong said with great interest.
In the past two years, I have been focusing on the affairs of the Hu people in Longyou and Liangzhou. The only news I paid attention to in Wudu County was the lead mine in Xiabian. As for other news, I had never paid attention to it.
"That's right. Originally, the Qiang and Di people in Wudu and Yinping were forcibly moved to Xiabian for cultivation. Some people even thought of escaping."
"Unexpectedly, later on, I found out that I could actually get food while working there, and my life was more prosperous than before. The news spread, and some tribesmen came out of the mountains and wanted to go to Xiabian to find food to eat."
"Now the barbarians and barbarians who are cultivating in Xia Bian can't be driven away with whips. Do you think it's strange or not?"
Hearing this, Feng Yong also laughed.
"These people are actually the same. When they live in this world, the first thing they do is think of ways to fill their stomachs so that they don't starve to death."
"You also need to dress warmly and avoid freezing to death. Only if you survive can you think of other things."
Feng Yong sighed, "Liu Liang passed the news from Xiping. In winter, it is common for Hu people to trade their wives and daughters for wool and wine in order to avoid freezing to death."
Xiping County is actually the Qinghai area in later generations. According to Feng Yong's previous experience in the northwest, the temperature in that area in winter is basically more than ten degrees below zero.
In addition, now is the Little Ice Age, the temperature will only be lower, freezing to death is common.
Spirits are still expensive in Longyou, but they are even rarer in Xiping.
Some barbarians in Xiping, in order to get a jar of strong liquor, gave away not only their wives but also their daughters without blinking an eye.
It would be a great blessing for the Hu Yi who were moved to Xiabian to be able to eat.
Although this meal is sometimes filled with bran, it is still much better than starving to death and freezing to death in winter.
After all, you can't expect everyone to be compassionate Feng Langjun, working tirelessly to improve the living standards of the Hu Yi brothers.
In the era of Han chauvinism, the fact that the Han people could shout out the slogan of unity between Han and barbarians, allowing the Han people to live in peace with the barbarians, and proactively integrate the barbarian brothers with a gentle attitude, is already a great progress.
"Since the land reclamation in Xiabian has been very effective, I think there should be grain in it. If there is a chance, I would also like to buy a batch of grain from Prefect Liao and transport it to Pingxiang nearby."
No matter how small the mosquito meat is, it is still meat, and there is no need for too much food.
Because of changes in the methods of governing the Hu people, the newly established Qiang Protector's Office was used as a testing ground by the Han Dynasty Prime Minister.
It only limited the upper limit of the number of troops in the Qiang Protector's Office, the taxes that needed to be paid every year, and the five-year governance time limit.
Everything else, such as the shortage of troops, as well as food, weapons, armor, etc., must be figured out by the Guards and Lieutenants of Qiang.
It seems to be letting Feng Yong free his hands and feet, but in fact the fundamental purpose is to accumulate experience for the Han Dynasty to govern the surrounding barbarians in the future, which is a bit like "one country, two governance" and "special zone".
So if Feng Yong really had a way to buy grain from Liao Hua, it wouldn't be considered a violation of the rules.
But Xu Xun was a little confused: "Brother, why do you suddenly want to buy food? If there is a shortage of food, just tell me, the food in Shu is quite abundant now."
"It's too far, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time."
This was the second time Xu Xun heard Feng Yong say the word "too late" in the past few days. He really didn't understand why his brother was so anxious.
At this time, someone suddenly came to report: "Your Majesty, Governor Liao is here to visit!"
This time, even Feng Yong had a look of surprise on his face: "Why is Uncle Liao in Wudu at this time? Invite him in quickly."
Li Yi pondered for a moment and speculated: "Could it be that Prefect Liao knew that his brother was going to pass by, so he came here in advance?"
"It's very possible!" Feng Yong laughed, "This will save a lot of trouble!"
ps: I'm back! With tears streaming down my face, I can finally work and rest normally! But I always feel a little uneasy when I withdraw from the battlefield at such a critical moment.