Chapter 542: There is food at home, so I dont feel panic
At this time, Zhao Kuo didn't know that so many great things had happened in the Central Plains. He immediately left Hexi County and headed north along the official road, arriving at Hetao not long after.
In fact, you can also travel by water. Except for the section from Longmen to Hukou Waterfall that is not navigable, other sections of the Yellow River are basically navigable.
The Yellow River runs through the Loop, and the most convenient transportation in the Loop is water transportation, which is more convenient than the official road.
However, there was no large ship in Hexi County that could accommodate the carriage, and Zhao Kuo could not leave the carriage behind, so he still took the carriage.
"This place is almost the same as the Central Plains. It is not as desolate as imagined." An stared at the endless Hetao Plain, with the river passing through it, nurturing the people on both sides.
Pieces of neat farmland are spread on the ground like blankets, and golden wheat ears are like rolling waves of a golden ocean.
The Tian family has few free months, but in May people are even busier.
It's the harvest season, and the fields are full of people. They don't care about the scorching sun and hot weather. They lower their heads and keep waving the sickles in their hands. The dust is mixed with sweat and drips into the fields. Everyone's faces are
There was a happy smile on his face.
I have been busy all year just for these few days.
It's hard work, but as long as the whole family can have enough food and clothing, it's all worth it.
"Three years ago, it was still very desolate. At that time, apart from Yunzhong County, there were only a few small towns in the entire Hetao, and the west of Jiuyuan fell into the hands of the barbarians. Today's prosperity is the result of the hard work of the people of Zhao State.
"." Zhao Kuo pointed to the grassland at the end of the farmland and said, "Have you seen it there? Three years ago, all these farmlands were like that. They were all grass. They were very suitable for feeding cattle, but people would suffer from indigestion if they ate grass.
It’s better to eat grain, so we cultivated the land.”
An Ning and others have become accustomed to Zhao Kuo making random remarks from time to time.
After Zhao Zheng and Po Nu heard this, their eyes lit up and they felt very fresh. They secretly stuffed a handful of grass into their mouths, chewed it twice, spit it out, and looked at Zhao Kuo with a depressed look.
.
"Why aren't those wastelands reclaimed?" Zhao Ji asked.
"The manpower is too busy, and there is also need to leave pasture in the Hetao. The pastures have to go to the Hetao to spend the winter," Zhao Kuo said.
Anyway, both Hetao and Monan are now in the hands of Zhao State. When thinking about where to spend the winter, it is natural to choose Hetao which is more suitable for wintering.
"When are we going to the ranch?" An Ning said happily.
"After inspecting the Hetao, we will go to the ranch. In fact, there is a ranch here, and you can also ride horses." Zhao Kuo said, "Let's go there and have a look first, and then go to the ranch."
Two quarters of an hour later, Zhao Kuo finally found an old man sitting on the edge of the field and resting. As for the others who were busy farming in the field, he was really embarrassed to disturb them.
Interfering with others' harvesting of food at this time is no different from being an enemy.
"Old man, how is the harvest this year?" Zhao Kuo sat down next to the old man in a familiar manner, casually pulled a grass core from the side and put it in his mouth.
"A few of them are from other places, I guess." The old man glanced at Zhao Kuo and said.
"Yes, we are from Handan." Zhao Kuo nodded.
"From Handan? Are you surprised to see these?" The old man pointed at the harvest crops in front of him and said with pride.
"It's really surprising. This was a grassland a few years ago. I didn't expect it to turn into large tracts of farmland so quickly." Zhao Kuo said that the Loop was even better than he imagined. Lifu and others must have spent a lot of effort.
"The weather has been good this year. The yield per mu of some of my land has reached one stone and a half, which is higher than before we moved to the Hetao. We can plant as much land as we want. Although the government stipulates the number of acres per household and divides it according to population. But as long as you can
After planting, the government will actually not take care of it."
The old man pointed to the wasteland in the distance and said, "Have you seen that piece of land? It belongs to whoever reclaims it. But we already have enough land and we can't manage it if we reclaim it, so we just threw it there. Although the government won't care about you.
If you cultivate a lot of land, but if it is registered but is not cultivated and becomes wasteland, you will be fined."
"What about tax collection?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"There is no agricultural tax now. The government said it will be tax-free for five years. After five years, the tax will be collected according to normal farmland. There will be no more or less tax," the old man said.
"So, there will be a lot of food surplus this year," Zhao Kuo said.
"There is definitely a surplus, but it won't be too much. Only a few fields can produce one and a half stone per mu, most of which are only about one stone. There are also some fields that were just cultivated this year, with only a few bushels per mu. Wait until next year, and the surplus will be
There will be more food." The old man said with a smile.
"It's good to have a surplus. I have food at home, so I don't feel panic." Zhao Kuo also became happy.
"Young man's words are very pleasant." The old man stood up and walked towards the farmland, "Okay, I have rested enough and it is time to work. I won't chat with you anymore, old man."
The old man obviously knew that he and Zhao Kuo and others were not from the same group. Even if Zhao Kuo and others did not farm, they could still live a good life. Occasionally walking in the fields was called experiencing life.
He farmed for survival.
If you don’t farm, you will starve to death.
So the time was almost up, and the old man returned to Tianzhong consciously.
"This is a wise man." Zhao Kuo turned around and said to several people, and continued walking forward.
According to custom, every summer or autumn harvest, the monarch must harvest together with the people, just like plowing every spring, to show that he attaches great importance to agriculture and does not forget his roots.
Zhao Kuo was not exempt from vulgarity. The next day he took three little guys to a public field and taught them how to cut wheat.
Bin had cut his fingers before and was fairly skilled. Zhao Zheng and Po Nu cut their fingers as expected, but Zhao Kuo still insisted on letting them cut a small piece of land.
After it was over, Zhao Ji and An Ning held their children and blamed Zhao Kuo.
"Po Nu is still young, can't he wait until he grows up to learn?" An Ning said angrily, not to mention the king of a country, but an ordinary family, which father would be cruel enough to let his child cut wheat at the age of three or four?
"It's not about letting him learn to cut wheat, but it's about letting him know the hard work of farmers and the hard-earned food. Only when you are young will the impression be profound. As for cutting wheat, it doesn't matter whether he can learn it or not." Zhao Kuo shook his head.
Although this can be done in the future, the effect will be better the younger you are, and it will not have much effect when you grow up.
"Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from Handan. The State of Chu has sent troops to attack the State of Lu." At this time, Liu Ping came over from outside holding a piece of information.
"Why did Xiong Wan suddenly become male again?" Zhao Kuo said strangely.
"Princess Chu gave birth to a son for King Chu and was named the prince by King Chu," Liu Ping said.
"No wonder!" Zhao Kuo suddenly realized.
Although the King of Chu was in high spirits for a period of time before, this wise state only lasted for about a year, and then gradually began to decline.
Now he has lost his normalcy and become wiser than before. His whole person has taken on a new look, as if he is possessed by the aura of a king.
If it is said that the King of Chu has an heir, all this can be explained.
For a man, especially a monarch, whether he has children or not are two completely different states.