After arriving in the plains, Wang Yu said goodbye to Gongsun Zan and returned to Qingzhou. It was already May.
It was still early spring when I left, but it was already midsummer when I came back. I just crossed the Yellow River, and what I saw and heard was like being in two worlds.
The fields in Qingzhou are a busy scene. The farmers ignore the scorching sun above their heads, bending down and concentrating on the farm work in their hands. This is what they look forward to for the year.
Both men and women, old and young, were mobilized. Men worked in the fields; old people took their children to the mountains to pick wild vegetables and fruits; women were organized by field officials to work in the newly opened salt fields.
It has to be said that human beings' ability to self-recover is amazing. Just a year ago, Qingzhou's dilapidated scene was even worse than that of several counties in the east of Jizhou. However, in just a few months, it recovered as if nothing had happened.
Same thing happened.
Of course, the traces left by the disaster can still be seen everywhere.
Whether it's the bones or fragments of weapons that can sometimes be seen in the grass on the edge of the fields; or in the villages, the rooms are five feet high, have no windows, and the door is just a handful of wheat straw. They are so densely packed that you can't see the end of them.
Thatched shacks are silent reminders that the disaster in the past is not too far away, and hope and despair will alternate again at any time.
The habit of bandits is that after kidnapping people to join the army, they will burn the houses of the new recruits. This is regarded as a sign of surrender, which means that they have cut off their escape route.
Although Qingzhou's policy of farming is good governance, after all, it was only implemented for a short time. With relatively limited manpower, there was no time to rebuild people's houses. If Qingzhou wants to truly restore its vitality and provide support for Wang Yu's struggle to dominate the world, there are two things to say.
Three years later.
What he heard and saw made Wang Yu deeply alarmed.
The destructive power of war is too great, especially the repeated tug-of-war. My current strength is not enough to completely reverse the inertia of history, but I must protect everything in front of me.
Protect the existing ones, and then slowly expand the scope of influence. Once you have established a territory, you will be able to stabilize it. You must not repeat the mistakes of the Three Kingdoms in the previous life and consume too much of China's essence in civil war.
"The people under my rule in Qingzhou are already much better than those in the surrounding areas." Xu Huang didn't know what his lord was thinking. Seeing Wang Yu's eyes lingering in the fields, he thought he was paying attention to the progress of the farming, so he sighed with emotion.
:
"People in the adjacent plains, Jibei and Lu, have heard the news. Especially in Jibei, after it was occupied by those moth thieves who escaped from Mount Tai, the situation in Jibei has become worse day by day. In the past few months, alone
There are more than ten thousand people going north from Licheng, and there will only be more people entering Mount Tai."
"Oh?" Wang Yu looked at Xu Huang with interest. Although he kept the yellow scarf that was wrapped in his arms, Qingzhou's population still dropped a lot, which has advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage is that there are many fields that have lost their owners, and a lot of wasteland is waiting for people to reclaim it, which avoids the risk of Wang Yu falling out with local powerful people and breaking the rules of the era; the disadvantage is of course the lack of manpower.
Just the reclamation of wasteland has consumed most of Qingzhou's young labor force. Coupled with the newly opened salt farms along the coast, the expected manpower needed for mining, and the manpower needed for handicrafts such as papermaking and casting, Qingzhou has a manpower gap.
It's not that big.
Wang Yu originally thought that he would have to wait until the farming was successful and restored to a certain level to attract people from other places to flow into Qingzhou, just like Jingzhou in history. He never thought that the immigration wave would begin to take shape so quickly.
"Before my lord, although the Central Plains is huge, how can there be a place for ordinary people to live in peace? The places that have been devastated by wars are like purgatory. Even in places that have not been devastated by wars, the people have suffered greatly. They have to pay taxes and food, and are drafted into the army.
, we have to endure extortion from subordinate officials and skyrocketing food prices. In other words, our Qingzhou has wiped out all bad policies!"
Xu Huang said with a proud smile: "With the protection of my lord, Qingzhou is as peaceful as Mount Tai, and there are many good governance, so what if the people don't come? Just last month, people from Dongjun have traveled hundreds of miles to come. After this year's autumn harvest,
, there will only be more people coming here because of its reputation.”
"Is there someone coming from Dongjun too?"
Dongjun is on the edge of the Yellow River. The rushing Yellow River nourishes every handful of soil here to produce oil. With sufficient nutrients and warm weather, even in winter, there is no lack of oily green in the fields.
Therefore, this place has always been the richest place in Yanzhou. Some people fled to Qingzhou from such a place. Just listening to it made Wang Yu feel proud.
"Yes, when I first heard about it, the general was also shocked, but then people kept coming, so it was no surprise." As a military general, guarding one side is Xu Huang's ambition, and now he has it under his rule.
It looks like a paradise on earth, and of course he is in a good mood.
"However," Xu Huang frowned and changed the topic: "After May, there are fewer people entering the country. I wonder if it has something to do with Cao Cao's imitation of Qingzhou and the implementation of the farming strategy. But, I don't know what the general knows.
, Dongjun’s farming policy is far from being as good as our Qingzhou’s good governance, at most it just feeds people... I’m afraid there’s something weird about this.”
Wang Yu nodded, Cao Cao was a man with great ambitions. In fact, he was the first person to implement farming in the Three Kingdoms era. It was precisely by relying on the policy of farming and fighting and promoting talents from poor families that Cao Cao was able to survive in the tragic Central Plains.
Stand out in the battle.
Seriously speaking, you should learn from Cao Cao yourself.
From this person's point of view, he should not just watch the population loss under his rule. He might join forces with Liu Dai to set up checkpoints or something. But, can setting up checkpoints alone prevent local people from escaping?
Things may not be that simple, and there may be other mysteries.
Although he had doubts in his heart, Wang Yu had no intention of delving into it. There were too many things to do when he came back this time, and he really had no time to waste more time on these details.
Nowadays, the situation in the world is changing rapidly. As the general guarding Qingzhou North Road, Xu Huang of course cannot leave his post without permission. It is okay to see Wang Yu off, but if he sends him off too far, the risk will be too great.
Through Xu Huang's words, he had a certain understanding of the progress of the field. Wang Yu did not have to do much in the rest of the journey. He rode along the official road and returned to Linzi, his other administrative post, in a few days.
Linzi's popularity has increased a lot compared to before Wang Yu left, mainly because the college officially started operations.
Cai Yong, Kong Rong, Guan Ning and other celebrities, just one of them has extraordinary appeal. The sensational effect caused by gathering so many celebrities together can be imagined.
Not only did it cause a sensation in Qingzhou, but also in Xuzhou and Yanzhou, many people came here to study. Not to mention the troubled times, even in the peaceful years, such an opportunity was unique. It would take a year just to visit these celebrities.
I have been on a study tour for half a year, sitting and discussing Taoism with all the great scholars. This kind of opportunity is unimaginable.
Of course, Wang Yu's reputation also played a very important role in this.
The invincible commander-in-chief, the powerful princes, farming, raising scholars, and many policies were implemented, but no matter how you look at it, he looks like a man with great ambitions.
There will never be a shortage of smart people and speculators in this world. The emerging forces in Qingzhou are still in their infancy. If you join at this time, you can easily occupy a relatively high position. Once the speculation is successful, it will be a hugely profitable business.
.
What's more, when recruiting talents, Qingzhou still adheres to the principle of teaching without discrimination.
Whether they are businessmen, craftsmen, thieves or criminals, or even women, as long as they have a skill, they will have the opportunity to show off their skills in Qingzhou. Although the champion is young, his courage in employing people is definitely first-rate, compared to that
The overlord of Western Chu was a hundred times more powerful, and only heroes like the Great Ancestor Liu Bang and Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu could surpass him.
Those who wanted to get ahead had no chance, and those who had the opportunity but couldn't get ahead, took the academy as an opportunity, and all kinds of talents gathered in Linzi. For a time, Linzi, the ancient capital, seemed to turn back time, back to nearly a thousand years ago, when Qi State was the king.
The heyday of the world.
The power has grown, but the momentum to welcome Wang Yu's triumphant victory is far less than before.
First, Wang Yu came back too quickly. He only brought a few hundred light cavalry with him this time. He traveled so fast that he almost outpaced the messenger sent by Xu Huang.
Secondly, most of the important people in the governor's mansion were not at home. Except for Jia Xu and Xu Shu who had just returned, only a few female relatives came out. Even Lao Wang Kuang was busy in the academy and could not notify him in time.
Fortunately, Wang Yu didn't care about these red tapes. After going through a series of battles, it was enough to know that everything was fine with his family.
Xu Shu seemed to have something important to say. After a few pleasantries, he impatiently wanted to speak, but was pulled away by Jia Xu on the side.
Wang Yu couldn't care much for the moment, because from the moment they met, those three pairs of autumn-like eyes were fixed on his face, warm and full of affection, faintly filled with resentment, and faintly
There was also a hint of relief.
Wang Yu was a little puzzled. This was not the first time Diao Chan and Cai Yan had seen him go out to fight. Why were they acting so strangely this time? They seemed particularly worried. Could it be because the opponent was Yuan Shao? That's not right. He knew Yuan Shaoqiang because
With the relationship between the two lives, it is impossible for the two girls to regard Yuan Shao as a stronger enemy than Xu Rong, right?
Diao Chan's expressions were always more enthusiastic. When she saw the long-awaited figure appearing in front of her eyes, she hesitated for a moment and flew into Wang Yu's arms like a bird.
Before Wang Yu had time to change her clothes, the smell of blood and sweat entered her nostrils. She raised her face and wrinkled her nose, slightly surprised. In the blink of an eye, she put it on again without hesitation.
Go up and hold Wang Xun's waist tightly with both hands, fearing that he will lose it if he lets go.
Wang Yu hugged Diao Chan with a smile, feeling that his chest was getting wet little by little.
For more than a few months, what he felt was the joy of traveling on the battlefield, and the tragic farewell of life and death. He had a deeper understanding of war, and the game mentality when he first came to your land was getting farther and farther away from him.
There has never been a moment when his heart was as soft as it is now, filled with happiness and satisfaction. This is his home, his woman, the place he wants to protect for the rest of his life. Before he left, he didn't feel so concerned. It took several months.
After missing, I gradually discovered the weight of home and realized what attachment is.
"You, are you back?" Diao Chan burst into tears, her nose and tears rubbing onto Wang Yu's chest, re-moistening the dust and blood on the shirt, and staining her face.
Wang Yu smiled softly and did not respond. His big, calloused hands slowly passed between the other party's silky head. From root to tip, he felt indescribably comfortable. It was as if he had relaxed the situation, like Diao Chan and a kitten.
Nestled in Wang Yu's arms, his breathing gradually became thinner, as if he had fallen asleep.
Wang Yu looked down, then raised his head in surprise, and met another bright tearful eye in the air, feeling the same emotion.
"Yan'er, what happened?"
"It's good that my husband is back. There are some rumors outside. After my sister heard about it, she was very worried. She hasn't slept well for a few days." Cai Yan's way of expressing feelings was always subtle, but the fluctuations in his words made Wang Yu listen.
Got to feel even more distressed.
"Rumor? About the Battle of Jieqiao?" Wang Yu's heart moved, and he understood a little. He turned to Xu Shu and Jia Xu, and the two counselors nodded affirmatively.
Is this...well, a war of public opinion?
Wang Yu raised the corner of his mouth and revealed a sneer. When dealing with a person like Yuan Shao who is good at conspiracy, he really cannot be careless. If he is not careful, he will be taken advantage of. However, Yuan seems to be too young to play a public opinion war with his brother.
That’s it! (To be continued. Please search Piaotian Literature, the novel will be better and updated faster!)