Fang Xiaoyu was shocked when he heard this: "No way, am I so famous now? How come I don't know? Who gave me this nickname? It's also 'Empire Strong City'. It's so ugly." Xia Yushang said:
"You have spent almost a year just to develop your territory. You must have stayed at home and didn't know much about the outside news. I heard that it only took you one year to eliminate all the banditry in Tongshan County.
Wow, it’s really amazing.”
Fang Xiaoyu smiled strangely, reached out and pulled out the Lanting Type 1 lever-action rifle from the holster on his horse and said: "I told all the troops to replace them with this kind of rifle, but the production is insufficient, so we can only replace it slowly. Who will fight the bandits?"
Whoever has the most merit will be given a new costume first, how can they not work hard?"
Xia Yushang took the rifle in surprise, tried it and said: "This gun is so good, what is the range and power?" Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "This gun is not outstanding in terms of range and power. The most outstanding thing is
His rate of fire." Fang Xiaoyu said, took the gun, and quickly fired all thirteen bullets into the sky. Xia Yushang was stunned. Then under Xia Yushang's gaze, Fang Xiaoyu fired the bullets one after another.
Press into the tubular magazine from the loading port, and it only takes half a minute for thirteen rounds to be loaded."
Xia Yushang took the gun again while stroking it and exclaimed: "Good guy, it's such a good gun. With a gun like this, one person can use it for a whole class."
Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "About the most skilled shooter, the firing rate of a breech-loading gun is only twelve rounds per minute. The best shooter with my gun can fire more than forty rounds per minute."
Xia Yushang smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It would be great if my army had such a gun, but it's a pity that I still use muzzle-loading guns." Fang Xiaoyu said in surprise: "How is that possible? The regular troops have all changed their equipment, how could you do this?
so slow?"
Xia Yushang said: "Why is it so slow to change clothes? I don't have the money to change clothes at all. My area seems to be quite large, but the population is not large. In addition, desertification is getting more and more serious. A lot of cultivated land has been abandoned and is now being transported by sea."
A lot of tax revenue has been taken away, and my annual surplus is getting smaller and smaller, and there are so many places to spend money. Now I am so poor that I have trouble eating. Where can I find money to change my clothes? "
Fang Xiaoyu asked strangely: "Marshal Xia's weapons workshop is so profitable, why don't you subsidize it?" Xia Yushang said: "My father always wants me to be self-reliant and does not allow the family to give me money. In fact, with such a large territory, even if the family is willing
I can’t afford the subsidies, so I can only find a way on my own.”
Fang Xiaoyu thought about it and said: "I have a new type of Populus euphratica tree there, which has a very good effect on the desert. If I give you some Populus euphratica saplings, I believe I can control the desertification in your place within a few years."
"Is there such a magical thing?" Xia Yushang said in surprise: "That's great. If the environment there can be improved, I can open more farms and grow more food, and I will have money.
Fang Xiaoyu said: "If Third Uncle can trust me, don't plant food."
"Don't grow food?" Xia Yushang was a little surprised. More than 70% of the cultivated land in Lanfang Empire is used to grow food, because in this world, the yield of food per mu is low due to seed problems. Food is always in short supply, and people like Fang Xiaoyu
Before the rich man became obvious, the people at the bottom were very short on food, and the slaves only had one meal a day. The reason why the Lanfang Empire still has the remnants of slavery and the inability to increase food production has a lot to do with it. This is
The so-called production relations are subordinated to productivity.
Xia Yushang asked: "If I don't grow food, what should I grow?" Fang Xiaoyu said: "Cotton." Fang Xiaoyu knew that Loulan County has long sunshine hours, high temperatures, and relatively drought, which makes it an excellent area for growing cotton, especially in the most remote areas.
Good long-staple cotton can only be grown in such a place.
Of course, the low yield of long-staple cotton is only suitable for weaving high-end clothing materials. However, Fang Xiaoyu also has a silong cotton plant cultivated by Xiaofeng that has strong adaptability, high yield, and is only slightly worse than long-staple cotton in quality. However, he has never found a suitable one.
Planted locally. Cotton cultivation has always been controlled by the Cheng family or needs to be imported. Therefore, even the Fang family has a small number of cotton textile workshops. But it is different now. As long as it is planted in a large area in Loulan County, there will be
With enough raw materials, Fang Xiaoyu can start building a large number of textile factories.
The cotton spinning industry will be a very profitable industry for a long time. After all, individuals have to wear clothes. The first industrial revolution in the UK started with the cotton textile industry, and Japan after the Meiji Restoration
It has also relied on profits from the textile industry for a long time to support the construction of the country and the army.
Fang Xiaoyu said: "Uncle Third, as long as you grow cotton, how about I buy it all at a high price and provide you with enough grain at a low price?"
"This?" Xia Yushang was very moved when he heard that, but putting food in other people's hands is equivalent to giving others power. It will be difficult to deal with Fang Xiaoyu if he is disadvantageous in the future. But then he thought that Fang Xiaoyu would become his niece and son-in-law.
That's a family, not to mention that Fang Xiaoyu bought cotton at a high price and had money in his hands. As long as he had money, he couldn't buy food anywhere.
After considering all the pros and cons, Xia Yushang gritted his teeth and nodded: "Okay, I will listen to you. As long as you buy it, I will plant all the cotton. From now on, we will be allies. Third uncle can rely on you."
Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "That's for sure. I can also support Third Uncle with some breech-loading guns."
We are most afraid of collusion with foreign vassals, so we can't give it to others, but I can sell it to you at a low price."
Xia Yushang nodded: "Then what price do you plan to sell it for?" Fang Xiaoyu said: "One hundred yuan a piece." Xia Yushang said in surprise: "Is this a low price?" Fang Xiaoyu said: "This is for outsiders to hear.
The price of one hundred yuan a piece is true, but I sell one and get forty-nine for free."
"Ah? Is this okay?" Xia Yushang immediately understood Fang Xiaoyu's intention to avoid suspicion. He immediately smiled and said: "You are so cunning, I like you more and more." Fang Xiaoyu said with a smile: "Cheng Rang,
Chengzheng. I will not scheme against my third uncle, we are our own people." The two of them looked at each other while riding on the horse and laughed.
The two were chatting about the territory's development plan on the road. Fang Xiaoyu selectively revealed some information to Xia Yushang to enhance his confidence in cooperating with him. Fang Xiaoyu's development plan was quite huge, and Xia Yu was shocked even if he only revealed a part of it.
Shang was dumbfounded. The two talked about their experience in developing the territorial economy. Xia Yushang also greatly praised Fang Xiaoyu's methods and became a confidant for a while.
As they chatted in speculation, the road ahead seemed particularly short. After more than ten days, they finally arrived in the capital. Having arrived at their destination, Fang Xiaoyu and Xia Yushang said goodbye to each other. Xia Yushang returned to Xia's house, and Fang Xiaoyu went first
Went to Lanting Villa.
Nowadays, Lanting Villa is quite empty. Only Guo Cheng, Sun Huaizong's former deputy, is managing it. Many workers have moved to Tongjiang Mansion, and the number is less than half of what it was in its heyday. Seeing Fang Xiaoyu return, everyone hurried out to greet him.
Fang Xiaoyu naturally encouraged him. After settling Einstein here temporarily, Fang Xiaoyu first went to the Fang family’s old house in the capital. When he returned home, Fang Xiaoyu was naturally warmly welcomed by the three grandfathers. Fang Xiaoyu brought out many
Grandpa distributed the special products to his family, and even the servants in the family received their own gifts.
After not staying long in the front yard, Fang Xiaoyu, who missed his mother, quickly came to his mother's courtyard. "Mom, I'm back." Fang Xiaoyu called and walked into the house. Xiao Yunting, who was drinking tea in the house, raised her head and was surprised.
Looking at Fang Xiaoyu, he opened his hand and said: "Xiaoyu, you are back, come here and let mom take a good look."
Fang Xiaoyu stepped forward quickly, threw himself into his mother's arms and said, "Mom, I missed you in the territory, but I couldn't leave without being summoned, so I had to endure it until now to see you." After fifteen years of upbringing, Fang Xiaoyu said to
Xiao Yunting's feelings are very deep. Although Fang Xiaoyu has the memory of his previous life, it has to be said that Fang Xiaoyu has regarded his mother in this life as important as his mother in the previous life.
I remembered that when I lived in the study to study, my mother moved to live next door to the study in order to take care of me nearby. She served me tea and water every day, made myself soup to nourish myself at night, drove away mosquitoes for myself in the summer, and handed me a hand stove in the winter.
Mother does everything a person can do and takes care of herself meticulously.
Over the years, his father has been leading troops abroad, and it was not until last year that he returned to the capital to serve, while he went to work as a lord in another place. His mother was always worried about the father and son, which made Fang Xiaoyu feel very sorry for his mother.