The army began training again, and Shao Shude went to the farmland to check the growth of wheat.
Because of the unique environment, Turpan's agricultural solar terms are somewhat different from those in the Central Plains.
In the early years of the former Tang Dynasty, if winter wheat was not planted, spring sowing of wheat in the Gaochang area usually started in early February (lunar calendar, Gregorian calendar is early March, the same below) and harvested in late July.
Barley is sown in mid-to-late February and harvested in May and June. After harvesting, a season of miscellaneous grains such as corn, millet, sorghum, etc. are planted and harvested in September.
If you plant winter wheat, it is usually sown in October of the previous year and harvested in April of the following year. After harvesting, you can plant another season of miscellaneous grains.
As time went by, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the planting and harvesting time was delayed, and there was generally a one-month deviation from the early Tang Dynasty.
Generally speaking, the soil quality in Gaochang is good. If there is enough agricultural water for irrigation, the yield is quite good. Overall, there is no problem in achieving three crops in two years, not inferior to Henan and Hebei.
Among various food crops, overwintering wheat has the highest yield. However, because there is no snow in Gaochang in winter, wheat is easily attacked by low temperatures, and if wheat aphids are more severe that year, barley has the highest yield.
Winter wheat was sown in many fields in Gaochang last year, and it will be harvested around the end of April. In June, there will be barley to harvest, spring wheat and miscellaneous grains will be harvested in August, and another wave of miscellaneous grains will be harvested in September.
The sown area of land has also been expanded, with an additional one or two hundred hectares. The military settlements run by the bodyguards and soldiers, with winter wheat and miscellaneous grains, can provide about 20,000 hu of grain, which can only be said to be better than nothing.
However, after a winter of preparations last year, the area sown this spring has increased by more than 300 hectares, and by autumn there will be more than 20,000 hu of dendrobium for the army.
The foundation is being laid down bit by bit, although the speed is really a bit slow.
"These wheat and barley in Gaochang, I suspect, are unique local varieties." Shao Shude looked at the wheat that had already headed and said: "Sinong Temple, you can send people over to see if they can expand the area planted with large crops.
In some cases, wheat still consumes a lot of water, and in some cases there is a lack of irrigated fields, so it may be possible to plant more crops to increase grain production."
Dahe is sorghum.
According to Guangzhi written by Guo Yigong of the Western Jin Dynasty, "Big crops, more than ten feet high and with seeds as small as small beans, came out of the Sogdian country" - Sogdiana is not its origin either. Sorghum originated in Africa and was introduced through the Silk Road.
The crops in the Turpan Basin were later proven to be early-maturing varieties adapted to the local climate. It can only be said that nature is wonderful. Even if you import very common and standard crops from the outside world, after a few hundred years, they may become
Evolved into different branches - plants mutate faster than animals, and artificial breeding accelerates this process.
"I obey the decree," Cui Cui, the former secretary Lang and now the governor of Xizhou, responded immediately.
The current secretary, Lang Cuimiao, also responded. He would have to draft an order and exchange official letters with Zhongshu about this matter.
After being transferred to Secretary Lang, he has been observing silently in the past few months.
The emperor, the lord of the world and commanding an army of hundreds of thousands, spends most of his time busy with farming. It sounds unbelievable, but it is a fact.
This is what an invincible commander who knows how to win a war does.
He knows very well what the focus of every war is, and devotes a lot of energy and resources to it. The outcome of victory or defeat is often half decided at this time.
"Gaochang is just like this." After inspecting the farmland, Shao Shude looked to the west with a look full of expectation.
It should be said that compared to the Kangxi, Yongzong and Qianlong dynasties during the Qing Dynasty's Western Expeditions, he was luckier.
After the war, there are still more than 10,000 people in Yinzhou, and after replenishing immigrants, Xizhou will exceed 80,000. This number of household registrations was only reached during the Guangxu period of the late Qing Dynasty, and that was already the people led by Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang. The results of the overhaul of the karez.
The supply conditions have improved a lot, which means he can do more things. This is an advantage that cannot be ignored.
The Anshi Rebellion was, in a sense, a turning point in Chinese history.
This rebellion directly reduced the Huanghuang Celestial Dynasty to pieces, and it has not been rectified for a thousand years since then.
In the late Qing Dynasty, was the population of Liaodong as large as that of Bohai? Far less.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the population of the northwest was as large as that of the Gaochang Uighurs, but in the Khotan era? It was also far less.
Not to mention the huge changes in the spirit of the people.
The importance of reshaping one's spirit is no less important than superficial domination of the world.
The virtues of self-confidence, tolerance and humility cannot be lost from the spiritual world of the Chinese nation.
Just over a hundred years have passed since the Anshi Rebellion. All forces in the Central Plains, Grasslands, and Western Regions are still in a period of refractory conditions, and everything can still be saved.
******
On the eighth day of March, Shao Shude summoned Master Li Sheng in the palace.
"It's time for the Master to leave." Shao Shude looked at the fat monk and said.
Compared to a few months ago, the mage has become much more lively, which makes people laugh a bit.
The Emperor of Central Plains came over, and his attitude towards the monks was not very good, but Master Li Sheng ate well and slept well, and it turned out that Buddhism was profound.
Mrs. Lian poured a bowl of tea for Master Li Sheng.
The master was flattered. This was the Queen Mother of Gaochang, with a distinguished status, so he immediately stood up to thank her.
Mrs. Lian returned the gift and sat back beside Shao Shude.
Master Li Sheng glanced at the bulging belly of Queen Mother Lian, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he remembered what kind of person the emperor in front of him was.
This is a warrior who kills decisively and has no taboos!
Not satisfied with unifying the Central Plains, he also sent troops to attack and destroy the Khitan, Bohai, Changhe, and Gaochang kingdoms. Now he has set his sights on the Great Uyghur Kingdom. He is indeed a true warrior!
"Where does Your Majesty want to go?" Master Li Sheng asked softly.
Shao Shude's eyes were a little erratic, as if he was recalling something. After a long time, he sighed and said, "I remembered an old friend."
"When he was in Lingzhou, he was the envoy of the Han family and came to my camp to beg for surrender." Shao Shude continued: "I can't remember some things clearly. But I still remember something I said to him back then, Master
Maybe it can be encouraged."
"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions." Master Li Sheng said with his hands clasped together.
"The bliss of the Western Heaven is like the Buddhist Kingdom on earth..." Shao Shude said.
At that time, there was Longxing Temple in Lingzhou, and its abbot was Master Biancai, who once went out of the city to lobby for Han Lang.
After Shao Shude captured Lingzhou, he gave Master Biancai two choices: first, take the monks and tribes with him and go west; second, go to the grassland to preach. This sentence was uttered in this context.
Master Biancai later chose to hand over Longxing Temple to his disciple Zengren, and took a group of monks to preach in Dijinze to "resolve the hostility of the party", but he did not go westward after all.
At this time, Master Li Sheng heard these words, but his reaction was not as big as that of Bencai. He just remained silent for a long time.
Shao Shude stopped looking at him and drank tea leisurely.
Mrs. Lian sat beside me obediently, thinking about things silently.
Her only son had been sent to Luoyang, but at the age of forty, a new life was born in Jiu Kuang's body. This feeling was so complicated that when she woke up in the middle of the night, she often felt uncomfortable.
reality.
Montessori, who was in the same situation as her, gave birth to a daughter in the twelfth month of last year.
If Montessori was still pretty before giving birth, her color suddenly changed a lot after giving birth, which made Ms. Lian feel a little scared.
Compared with them, the daughter-in-law Hao is young, beautiful, and pretty, which is really enviable.
However, Mr. Hao was a bit stubborn and lost his mind by reading Chinese poems and books. After being favored by the saint, he cried to cleanse his body and said silly things like pouring all the water from the hot sea, but he could not wash away the poison in his body.
.
You’ll be honest when you get pregnant!
"I will obey your Majesty's will." After weighing it for a long time, Master Li Sheng finally made up his mind, but his expression was so helpless that it made people laugh.
"Master can figure it out, that's great." Shao Shude said: "If the property in Gaochang should be sold, just sell it. With the money you get, you can buy more supplies and hire more people, and the court will also have money.
Extra reward. Just go to Kucha. I will give you a piece of land to build a temple and a farm. From now on, you can enlighten all living beings and prevent them from going astray."
"Please also ask Your Majesty to personally give the name of the temple." Master Li Sheng said.
"Oh?" Shao Shude became interested. After thinking about it, he said: "The name of the temple is 'Tongguang'. From now on, every prefecture in the Western Regions, as long as it is under the rule of Daxia, will build Tongguang Temple."
To save all sentient beings. I will give you the privilege of tax exemption, and you can also raise your own troops, but you need to report to the monks for approval."
He pronounced the Buddha's name in a low voice, seemingly delighted.
"Remember, I support you. If you have any difficulties, just report them directly, and whatever can be solved will be solved." Shao Shude said again: "Be sure to tighten the fence and don't let unscrupulous people in."
"Your Majesty means..." Master Li Sheng hesitated.
"Whoever treats you the cruelest is your enemy." Shao Shude said cryptically.
Master Li Sheng understood clearly.
Today's words confirmed his guess last year, and he was indeed pushed to the front line. But he seemed to have no other choice. He had heard about all the tragic situations west of Congling, even as far away as Gaochang.
Everyone else can surrender and have a way out, but they have no way out!
******
"The purpose was drawn up, with Fu Cunshen as the administrative envoy of the North Courtyard, and Zhu Jin as the deputy envoy. With Qingzhen as the rationale, he recruited the scattered people and resettled the immigrants. If the expedition failed, he would guard the flank of the North Courtyard for me."
"Place the Rehai Governor's Mansion and Rehai Prefecture, with Ba Saiqian as the Governor and Sunong as the Governor. They will not be replaced by hereditary officials."
"Set up the Qiuci Economic Envoy's Office, with Yang Liang as the economic envoy and Li Siyuan as the deputy envoy. We should stock up on grain, grass and ordnance as soon as possible in preparation for the army to move south."
"Urge Shazhou to speed up the transfer of grain and grass."
On March 12, a series of orders were issued from the Gaochang Palace and flown everywhere.
Anyone familiar with the situation knows that after a whole winter of preparations, the Western Expedition Camp is about to enter wartime status again.
Fu Cunshen is a veteran general on the battlefield, with rich business operations, and has never been defeated so far. He is the governor of the military and political affairs of Beiting, which only shows that the saint's military focus this year is in the south.
Yang Liang and Li Siyuan are both brave and vigorous, which further proves this judgment - thinking back to the time when the saint attacked Lanzhou, Yang Liang was accidentally hit by an arrow, and directly threatened not to pull out the arrow until he killed the person who attacked him.
Then he charged and beat hard, and finally beheaded the culprit, which shocked everyone present.
This is a madman, a life-threatening madman!
On March 14, Shao Shude left Xu Hao as Gaochang's guard and led his army westward to Yanqi Prefecture, starting a new year's journey.
