bullyxtreme Chapter 5 Each with their own thoughts
Chapter 5 Each with their own thoughts
"Reclaiming wasteland and restoring cultivation."
Li Zhao took a sip of wine and spoke calmly.
Zhang Mao held the wine but didn't drink it; his triangular eyes narrowed slightly.
"Replanting?"
"That's right. That wasteland in the southeast of the city is about 700 mu. Two years ago, when the Yellow Turbans passed through, the tenants fled and no one has cultivated it since."
With the number of displaced people increasing daily, if they are not resettled, trouble is bound to arise sooner or later. Clearing wasteland for farming and providing work relief is a win-win situation.
Zhang Mao hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.
"What the Ming court said makes sense. There is only one thing that I cannot understand."
"Speaking."
"It's already mid-March. Even if we start work today, digging ditches, turning the soil, sowing seeds, and irrigating, the earliest we can sow the seeds is the end of April."
Millet takes at least four months to grow, and the autumn harvest won't be until at least August or September.
"That is to say, there are a full five months between now and the autumn harvest."
In May, those clearing land needed to eat, and those distributing porridge also needed to eat. How would the Ming court accommodate them?
The question was asked calmly and deliberately, yet it hit the nail on the head.
Li Zhaoxin understood.
Zhang Mao kept going around in circles, still trying to figure out his background.
"What you are worried about is also what I am worried about," Li Zhao said calmly. "But don't worry, Mr. Zhang, the matter of supplies will be taken care of."
Zhang Mao waited for two breaths, but received no further response.
"You have your own plans?"
"Um."
Li Zhao stopped talking.
Zhang Mao stared at him for a moment, then turned away.
"General Zhao," Zhang Mao raised his cup to Zhao Yun, his smile earnest.
"This old man offers a toast to the General. Your arrival in Pingyuan with the Ming court was surely at the behest of General Gongsun, wasn't it?"
Zhao Yun took the wine and drank it all in one gulp.
"The clouds came of their own accord."
Zhang Mao's smile remained unchanged: "General, you are too modest. General Gongsun has many fierce generals under his command, and the fact that he sent you to Pingyuan to oversee the area shows how much he values this place."
Zhao Yun did not respond to this.
"I've heard that the fighting in the Panhe area has become intense recently. Does General Gongsun intend to reinforce the rear? Pingyuan County is in a strategic location. If the General has any plans..."
"Lord Zhang," Zhao Yun interrupted Zhang Mao, "I am only in charge of leading troops, not in charge of supplies and administration. These matters should be addressed to Li Mingting."
One sentence was enough to choke Zhang Mao to death.
Zhang Mao's gaze swept back and forth between Zhao Yun and Li Zhao.
One is meticulous and leak-proof, the other is impervious to reason.
Zhang Mao pondered for a while.
He lived for sixty-two years and had seen more officials than he had eaten salt.
The previous magistrate had put on airs when he arrived, but he was won over with money within three months.
But this young man in front of me is different.
They don't care about money or face; they only talk about refugees and grain, and can even conjure up good rice of dubious origin out of thin air.
He's either a complete idiot, or he definitely has powerful backers.
Zhao Yun's presence made Zhang Mao lean towards the latter.
Gongsun Zan's general personally accompanied him to Pingyuan County; Zhang Mao would not believe it if he said it was without authorization.
With the Battle of Panhe now at this point, Gongsun Zan certainly needs to secure his rear.
What if Li Zhao really is a pawn in Gongsun Zanbu's scheme...?
After thinking about this, Zhang Mao finally relented.
"Your Majesty, what I said just now was not meant to be difficult. It's just that that land has been abandoned for two years, the ditches are silted up, and weeds are growing everywhere. It won't be easy to cultivate it in a day."
Li Zhao nodded without interrupting.
"However, since the Ming court is trying to find a way out for the people, as the elder of this county, I have no reason to stand idly by."
"The Zhang family can temporarily borrow that piece of land."
"Zhang Gong was a man of great integrity and righteousness."
Li Zhao stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and showed just the right amount of gratitude on his face.
Zhang Mao returned the greeting: "I dare not accept such praise. However, I have another matter I wish to discuss with the Ming court."
"oh?"
"That wasteland needs to be cultivated, and we'll need plows, hoes, and picks." Zhang Mao looked at Zhang He, "Zhang He, go to the storeroom and count how many old farm tools we have left?"
Zhang He answered immediately.
"Your Majesty, there are still more than thirty plowshares, several hoes and picks, and two tipplers. Although they are a bit old, they can still be used after some repairs."
"Send them all to the county temple," Zhang Mao said to Li Zhao with a smile, "It's a token of the Zhang family's goodwill."
Li Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and thanked him with his hands clasped in gratitude.
Farm tools aren't worth much. Zhang Mao's actions were twofold: first, to do someone a favor, and second, to infiltrate his own informant into the land reclamation team.
But Li Zhao wasn't afraid of being seen.
What he feared was that no one would come.
"You're very kind, Lord Zhang." Li Zhao sat down again.
"Tomorrow I will issue a proclamation to recruit refugees to reclaim wasteland. As for the farming tools, I will trouble you, Lord Zhang, to take care of them."
Zhang Mao raised his glass and offered a toast from afar.
"May the Ming court succeed."
They each drank a cup, their understanding unspoken.
After several rounds of drinks, the table was cleared away.
Li Zhao and Zhao Yun bid farewell, and Zhang He saw them off at the door.
The night breeze was cool, and the long street was deserted.
Zhao Yun walked for a while, then suddenly spoke.
"He believed it?"
"I believe about 30% of it." Li Zhao tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked at a leisurely pace.
"He's gambling on the remaining 70%. He's gambling that I really have Gongsun Zan backing me up, and that if he's right, he can get a good position by showing goodwill early on."
Zhao Yun thought for a moment, his brows furrowed.
"If he sends the document to the army, this matter will likely bring great trouble."
"No rush."
Li Zhao didn't stop walking, his words filled with certainty.
"Even if Zhang Mao wanted to submit the documents, it would take a long time."
Li Zhao stopped at the alley entrance and turned around.
"Zilong, think about it, how many days would it take for a fast horse to deliver this document from Pingyuan to Jixian?"
"Three days."
"How many days will it take for the clerks of Ji County to receive the documents, verify them, and then report to General Gongsun?"
Zhao Yun thought for a moment: "It will take at least three days, and at most five days. General, you are currently at the front line of Panhe and are busy with military affairs. Such a small matter in the rear may not be dealt with immediately."
"That's right. From the time Zhang Mao submitted the document to the time General Gongsun actually inquired about the matter, it took at least ten days and at most half a month."
"These two weeks should be enough for me to incorporate more than a thousand refugees into the military farms. By then, General Gongsun will have received news that Pingyuan County has resettled more than 10,000 refugees and reclaimed 700 mu of wasteland for military farms, thus stabilizing the rear."
Zhao Yun stood there stunned for a moment.
"Isn't Zhang Mao's document just a way for you to claim credit?"
"That's why I say it's better."
Zhao Yun's lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh, but he held it back.
His elder brother is truly cunning.
The proclamation was posted on March 17.
"All able-bodied displaced people who wish to join the garrison will be provided with two meals a day, and land will be allocated after the autumn harvest. Ten people will be organized into a 'shi' (a unit of ten), and one hundred people into a 'tun' (another unit of one hundred). Registration will begin immediately at the South Gate intersection."
Once the news spread, a long queue formed at the entrance of Nanmen Street starting at Chenshi (7-9 AM).
Zhao Yun, accompanied by six county soldiers, sat behind a table to register.
By noon, 427 young and middle-aged people had registered.
When Zhao Yun delivered the bamboo slips to the county temple, Li Zhao was in the backyard.
"Four hundred and twenty-seven." Zhao Yun placed the bamboo slips on the table. "More than I expected."
"Some of them were originally blacksmiths or similar people, and I have already divided them into separate volumes."
"Thank you for your hard work, Zilong. Those refugees still need to be kept under close watch; they cannot be neglected."
Li Zhao flipped through the bamboo slips, and then heard Zhao Yun speak again.
"The Zhang family's farm tools have also arrived. They sent a steward to accompany the cart, saying they were afraid the refugees would be too rough and damage the tools."
"Let him see."
Zhao Yun was taken aback.
"Give him a room to stay in, and make sure he has enough to eat and drink. Let him see whatever he wants, don't stop him."
Zhao Yun pondered these words for a moment, then didn't ask any further questions.
Li Zhao understood the situation perfectly well. Zhang Mao sending people to keep an eye on him meant the old man was still hesitant.
If Zhang Mao hesitates for another ten days, the game will be won.