Hanhou

A hailstorm covered most of Yunzhong County.

After the natural disaster, there was no need for an order from the prefect's office. The county's middle agricultural officials had been assigned to various townships to survey the acres with the stingy husband and Li Tian, ​​record the extent of the damage, and then organize it into a book and send it to Yunzhong City as quickly as possible.

Shaling and Yangshou counties were the hardest hit, with field yields reduced by more than [-]%.Other counties have also been affected, and the production reduction is basically [-]% to [-]%.

The disaster situation in the border counties was reported to Chang'an, and the emperor quickly decreed that the land tax of the affected counties and counties would be exempted.

A notice was posted in Yunzhong City, and the old man He Litian was called to the official temple to convey the imperial court's order.As everyone returned to the village to gather, the news spread quickly, and most of the dark clouds weighing on the frontier residents finally dissipated.

"For every mu of land in Shaling County, no land rent will be paid this year."

Litian rushed to Zhao's village, gulped down a whole bowl of cold water, and told everyone the news of the exemption of the land tax. Before he had time to stop, he hurried to the next village.

"No matter how little the field produces, you can harvest some millet, graze more diligently, hunt more wild animals, and you can always survive this winter."

After Litian left, the old people gathered the villagers and told every household to take good care of the fields.

"Before the autumn harvest, people should be guarded at the edge of the fields, and we must be careful of birds and small animals so as not to hurt the grain. The livestock at home must be carefully handled, and children must go together when they go out to herd sheep. !"

"Last year's snow disaster, there was no one who died of hunger and starvation in a radius of more than ten miles. This year, there will be another natural disaster, and the millet will not stop producing. We will survive this with one heart!"

The old man's words were sonorous and powerful, and his slightly hunchback was straightened when he spoke.The surroundings are silent, no young women speak a word, and the children are restrained by the elders, they are not allowed to be naughty at this time.

Only after the old man finished speaking did Qing Zhuang say, "Don't worry, Mr. He, we will not slack off waiting!"

Nowadays, it is very difficult to see idlers in Zhao's village.Not long ago, He Zhong's family was expelled from the gate, which sounded the alarm for everyone.

Some villagers have been neighbors with him for several years, and they couldn't bear to see He Zhong's family leaving the village with dejected faces.Unexpectedly, the next moment he saw He Zhong spat hard at Tu Yuan, cursing Zhao Jia would never end well, his wife was also swearing, without any remorse or shame.

Seeing this scene, everyone's expressions changed drastically.Thinking of Heizhi who was expelled before, he hated himself for being blind, why didn't he remember the lesson, and made friends with such a person.

"Lang Jun gave him wages, but he still hasn't returned the millet borrowed by his wife! Such an unbearable heart, really shouldn't be kept!"

"Just drive him away!"

He Zhong pretended to be pitiful, and turned his face too quickly. As a result, all the villagers who had been sympathetic before all looked angry and drove them away as soon as possible.

"Shame on the company of such people!"

"Idiot! Don't let me see you again!"

"Come on!"

The story of He Zhong's family quickly spread, and the reaction of everyone in Zhao's village was different. There were mixed opinions on the matter in the county.

The latter point of view just verified Zhao Jia’s previous thinking: the world sympathized with the weak, and if he sent someone to take back the borrowed corn, even if it was reasonable, he would be regarded as a bully and be accused by these people.

They only saw that Zhao Jia had a lot of money and that He Zhong's family was struggling, and they didn't even think that these millets didn't belong to the latter, and Zhao Jia had already settled He Zhong's wages, and he didn't owe him a penny at all.

Some rumors spread to Wei's village, and Wei Qing'e came to find Zhao Jia specifically, saying that if Zhao Jia didn't do well, she would solve the source of the disaster.

Zhao Jia was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, expressing that the matter hadn't reached that point yet.

"It's heartwarming to have my sister care so much."

Hearing Zhao Jia's words, Wei Qing'e laughed heartily, and when he took Wei Xia and Wei Qiu away, he stood in front of the door with his backlight on, and said to Zhao Jia: "My brother protects me, I protect my brother, isn't it right?"

As He Lao and others came forward to refute the rumors, the rumors did not last long after all.

He Zhong's family originally wanted to watch Zhao Jia's excitement, but they didn't see it. Instead, he became the target of public criticism. With the name of an ungrateful villain, let alone finding a livelihood, he could hardly gain a foothold in Shaling County.After spending three thousand dollars, he had no choice but to leave Shaling disheartened and head to Yangshou County in the south, where he continued to work as a farmer incognito.

After this incident, everyone in the village became more united. Even if they had some small thoughts before, they disappeared at this time.They finally understood that Zhao Jia was not blindly tolerant, and would be ruthless when necessary.Even if he doesn't act cruelly, the people around him will do it for him.

Without any extra thoughts, the old people gave instructions on plowing and grazing, and everyone listened very carefully.No one dares to be negligent when it comes to whether his family has food to eat and whether they can survive the cold winter in the frontier fortress.

After the old man finished speaking, the villagers dispersed one after another. Zhao Jia invited He Lao to his home, saying that he had something important to discuss.

"What's the matter, sir?" Sitting in the room, He Lao held up a bowl of warm water, with a smile on his old face, and the drooping corners of his mouth were not as severe as before.

"How much does Elder Jiawen know about grasslands?" Zhao Jia picked up a piece of steamed cake with chopsticks and brought it to Elder He.

The steamed cake is wrapped in honey, picked by Zhao Xin, Gongsun Ao and others.Because of this, Mrs. Sun even slapped her.But teenagers and children didn't care at all, thinking of the taste of bee pupae and honey cakes, they would pay attention to wild bees every time they went out, always hoping to find a few more wild bee nests.

"In the early years, I was conscripted, and I went out with my relatives to the court of the Huns." He Lao drank warm water, picked up steamed cakes, and ate them with relish.

Zhao Jia didn't urge him either, and when Elder He finished eating the cake, he picked up another piece and put it in the wooden bowl at his hand.

"Elder ever joined the marriage team?"

"It was still in the time of the first emperor, more than 20 years ago." He Lao picked up the wooden bowl, drank the warm water, wiped the water stains on his beard with his backhand, and recalled, "I remember it was Ding Maonian, and he died that year. A Xiongnu chanyu, the new chanyu sent envoys to Chang'an, and the emissary team passed through Yunzhong County. Later, the court restored the marriage and sent the old man to the Huns to become the Chanyu Yan family."

In the year of Dingmao, more than 20 years ago, Zhao Jia calculated silently in his heart, and it is roughly certain that this should be the early years of Emperor Wen, that is, the period of the old Shang Shanyu.Then, the dead Xiongnu Shanyu should be Maodun.

"There was an eunuch in the marriage team that time, who turned his back on the Han and defected to the Xiongnu. After that, he helped the Huns and harmed the Han people a lot!" He Lao said angrily.

"Eunuch?" A flash of light flashed in Zhao Jia's mind, "But Bank of China said?"

"The Bank of China said?" He Lao thought for a while, shook his head and said, "I don't know very well, I only know that he was an eunuch, married with the Lord Weng, and then went to the Xiongnu. It has been more than 20 years, and I don't know if he is dead or not."

Hearing Helao's narration, Zhao Jia became more and more certain that the eunuch he was talking about must be Bank of China.

Thinking of what Bank of China said and did, Zhao Jia clenched his fingers unconsciously.He wasn't sure whether Bank of China said he was alive or dead, if he was dead, forget it, if he was alive... This was the first time he wanted to kill a person so much.

What Zhang Tong wanted was the life of Zhao Jia alone, but Zhongxing said that he had a personal grudge and spared no effort to harm the border people of the Han Dynasty, and the harm would last for decades!

"Lang Jun asked why the grassland is?" Realizing that the topic was a bit far-fetched, Old He put down the wooden bowl and asked.

"It's raining and hail this year, and the yield per mu has been reduced. Although the imperial court has exempted the land rent, the grain price in the border counties will remain high." Zhao Jia said in a deep voice, "Even if the prefect's mansion issued a strict order, the grain price may not be able to drop much. Therefore, I want to buy more cattle and sheep, and when the caravan from the south arrives, I can exchange them for millet, in case the price of grain is too high and everyone in the village has no corn to eat."

"Lang Jun is so righteous!" He Lao looked solemn, and wanted to salute Zhao Jia.

Zhao Jia hurriedly supported He Lao, and said: "You don't need to do this."

He Lao was so strong that he insisted on saluting before saying to Zhao Jia: "Since your lord wants to sell cattle and sheep, there are Hu merchants in the city."

"Hu merchants know that the border county is hit by disasters and grain production is reduced. Even if they don't take advantage of the fire and plunder, the prices of cattle and sheep will not be low." Zhao Jia shook his head and said, "I learned before that there are other tribes of the Xiongnu nomadic in the north, and there have always been enmities among the tribes. , killing each other, and keeping some of the stolen cattle and sheep, and exchanging salt, sauce and cloth with the caravan, the price is much lower than that in the city.”

"Lang Jun, you mean to buy it from a barbarian?"

"It is true. So I asked He Lao how the situation outside the Great Wall is. Is there any familiar caravan?"

"To tell you the truth, I haven't been out of the fortress for 20 years. I really dare not say whether the road I know is feasible. As for the caravan, I have no contact." He Lao said solemnly.

"About the grassland, how much can the elder remember?"

"I remember when I went out of the fortress, I passed an ancient city after half a day. The city was dilapidated, and it was said that it was built in the previous dynasty. There was a stream flowing in the center, and there were large fields of wild millet. The team went up along the stream, and there were two abandoned beacon towers. It is a vast grassland, and I have never seen a city building again."

"It took another two days before people began to smoke."

"On the way, I met more than a dozen tribes of Huns, big and small. One tribe was good at driving. The wheels were half a head taller than a human. There were servants who could speak Hu, and they called this tribe a tall chariot."

high car?

According to the records that Zhao Jia saw in the prefect's mansion, Ding Ling originally belonged to the Chile people. He was also known as a tall cart because he was used to using a cart with tall wheels.

If He Lao's memory is correct, then the tribe he mentioned is probably the other tribe of Xiongnu mentioned by Zhao Xin and Zhao Ponu.As for the ancient city of the previous dynasty, the two did not mention it, so it is not surprising. In 20 years, exposed to the wind and the sun, it is likely to have become a few inconspicuous mounds.

"Elder, wait a moment."

Zhao Jia stood up, rummaged on the wooden shelf by the wall, and brought out a thinly tanned sheepskin, spread it out on the low table, then picked up a brush, and drew on the sheepskin.

"Elder, traveling from the border, the team is going due north?"

The King's Court of the Huns is located in the north of Yunzhong County, but due to the Huns' habit of living by water and grass, Shanyu's big tent will also move with the seasons, and will not stay in one place for a long time.

"It should be to the west." He Laoyi sat next to the short table, carefully recalling in his mind when Zhao Jia picked up the sketch.It's a pity that too much time has passed, and the details that can be remembered are very limited. Fortunately, Zhao Jia asked Xin Zhao and the two long ago, and only then did he outline the general route.

In fact, there is a map of the grassland in the prefect's mansion, especially the area where the Xu Bu family often moves. After hundreds of scouts scouted, the hills, rivers, and forests are all clearly recorded.

The problem is that in ancient times, maps belonged to war resources.Zhao Jia's name was Wei Taishou's guest, but in reality it was just a name to take shelter under Wei Shang's wing and concentrate on developing his farming and breeding plans.

In this way, he has no reason to touch military resources such as maps, let alone borrow them for a closer look, and he is not even qualified to glance at them.If he speaks recklessly, Wei Shang will not treat him like that. In the eyes of others, it is inevitable that he will think that he does not know the depth, and he will use up all the good impressions he has accumulated before.

In addition to the prefect's mansion, there is another option, which is the caravan to and from the border counties.

But here comes the problem again, if you don't give me any benefits, why should they lend you the food?

These caravans roamed the grasslands and border counties, and they had to face the threat of Hu tribes and bandits at all times. The most effective way to deal with them was power besides profit.

Zhao Jia is still in the stage of hugging his thighs. It is not impossible for a fox to pretend to be a tiger, but if he has no strength, once the tiger's skin is leaked, the consequences will be quite serious.

After much deliberation, the safest way is to do it yourself.

living comfortably without anybody's help.

Putting the last touch, Zhao Jia looked at the simple lines on the sheepskin, and really didn't want to call this thing a "map".

He Lao stared at the sheepskin on the low table, his expression became more and more serious.

"Lang Jun, don't show this thing to outsiders easily."

"I know." Zhao Jia nodded.

He didn't think that with these few thick lines, even the approximate distance could not be determined, and he could fly all the way to the court of the Huns.But there are no absolutes in the world, he can't do it, what if someone can do it?

In history, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing did not have accurate maps. Didn't they also break through the Shanyu royal court and beat the Huns to their knees and sing conquest?

After the map was drawn, He Lao said goodbye and left.

Zhao Jia sent him to the front yard, and Uncle Hu sent him out of the gate, and walked with He Lao for a while before turning back.

"What did Uncle Hu say to Elder He?" Zhao Jia asked curiously.

"My servant told him not to tell others about what your lord asked today." Hu Bo said.

"What did He Lao say?"

"You just nodded and agreed." Hu Bo laughed, "Your Majesty, don't worry, there is a servant watching over this matter, and there is nothing wrong with it. Besides, his two sons and eldest grandson are both working in the livestock farm, and the third daughter is married to Grandma's second son. He will keep his mouth shut about today's matter."

The translation is that He Lao and Zhao Jia are already a community of interests. If Zhao Jia is good to him, he can't escape even if Zhao Jia is unlucky.

Zhao Jia turned back and walked into the house, looked at the sheepskin on the low table, and said, "Is there any old man in the village who has been to the outside of the Great Wall?"

"This... this servant is not very clear. When Uncle Xiong returns, Mr. Lang can ask him."

"Uncle Xiong knows?"

"The servant once went out with the master to fight the Xiongnu, but did not go deep into the grassland. Uncle Xiong was a scout in his early years, and his knowledge is far better than that of the servant."

"Well, I'll go to the livestock farm tomorrow and ask in person." Zhao Jia said.

"Does your lord care about the candidates for going out of the fortress?" Hu Bo said.

"There are a few candidates for the time being, but we need to send someone to Yuanyang City to ask the third son before we can make a final decision." Zhao Jia sat behind a short table, took out the wooden sign he carried with him, and stroked the patterns on it with his fingers .

Sending people out of the fortress is not a trivial matter, if you are not careful, you will never return.

However, risks often mean opportunities.

Zhao Jia had a premonition that if this event was successful, it would not only bring back a large number of cattle and sheep, but also take the opportunity to collect information and survey the terrain for future preparations.It's just that he only has a vague concept at present, and it will take some time to sort it out.

"Lang Jun wants to cooperate with the third son?" Hu Bo hesitated.

"I have this plan." Zhao Jia put the wooden sign on the table, "Going out of the fortress is not a trivial matter, and it needs to be reported to the prefect's mansion. If the third son nods, the matter will be much easier."

Both the Wen and Jing dynasties made peace with the Xiongnu and passed through the city.The imperial court prohibited the import of copper coins and ironware to the grasslands, and the trade of cattle, sheep and silk was not prohibited.However, we must be cautious in organizing caravans to go out, not only to prevent being robbed by barbarians and bandits, but also to avoid inadvertently breaking the boundaries.In addition, it is also necessary to consider whether the Hu tribe will be willing to do business directly with the Han people.

The best way is to find an agent, Wuhuan people are good.It's a pity that Zhao Jia doesn't have such contacts, and he may not be able to control the other party, so he can only ask Wei Yue for help.

These are Zhao Jia's ideas for the time being, whether it is really feasible or not, we still need to wait for Wei Yue's reply.

"I will go to the livestock farm tomorrow, and I will send Wei Tong to Yuanyang City." Zhao Jia said.

Wei Yue trained in Yuanyang City, and it took several days to come and go.

Fortunately, this matter is not in a hurry. Zhao Jia's current focus is still on the fields. It will take two months to make the real preparations and organize the caravan.

Knowing that Zhao Jia had been preoccupied, Hu Bo didn't say anything, got up and left the room.

Zhao Jia relaxed, supported his chin with one hand, and played with the wooden sign with the other. Thinking of sending someone to deliver a letter to Wei Yue, he couldn't help but think of the saddle and stirrup that he said to Wei Yue.

"Forget it, it's not something I should be thinking about right now."

If the imperial court really wants to arm the cavalry, it will do so secretly and will not disclose any information to the outside world.If he can hear the news in the countryside and know what the imperial army is doing, then it will be a real joke.

Just when Zhao Jia spread out the wooden slips and was preparing to write a letter to Wei Yue, three fast horses were leaving Chang'an. The knights were carrying the will of the emperor, and they were galloping all the way to Yunzhong County.