Daqin Engineering Corps

"But now large tracts of Guantian are all high fields due to the lowering of the water level."

"Manpower is needed to fetch water for irrigation... I'm afraid it will be difficult to sow the seeds as scheduled."

In fact, Yang Duanhe said this lightly.

This is more than "difficult", it is as difficult as climbing the sky.

Most of the official fields assigned to the army are high fields, and the few low fields are in the hands of the common people...

This is not because the officials who win the government or allocate farmland are sympathetic to the people, but because of their interests.

You must know that official land is garrisoned by the army, while private land is garnered by the common people.

The biggest difference between army farming and civilian farming is that the former is to complete the task while the latter is for survival.

In order to complete the task, it is natural to seek more, faster, and less effort.

In order to survive, it is to seek refinement, excellence, and high yield.

Because high production is directly related to the vital interests of the people, after deducting the grain tax, there is more production and less production.

Therefore, it only makes sense to allocate good land to the common people, and it is almost a waste to allocate it to the army.

As a result, there are very few irrigation systems in the official fields that can flow normally.

In this way, the problem was handed over to Wang and Yang:

How do you farm this field?

Use clay pots to fetch water one by one?

I'm afraid that one tenth of the progress will not be able to catch up, especially since it doesn't make much sense to do so...

It is impossible for the army to fetch water for the fields all day and all night, right?

The army has to drill and there is always a time to go out to fight, right?

If you go out for ten days and a half months and come back to find that the wheat seedlings have died of drought... then what kind of fields are there?

So Yang Duanhe thought about it and suggested:

"The subordinates believe that there is no need to rush to sow seeds for the current plan."

"I will major in irrigation this year, and I will consider planting and harvesting next year or the year after..."

There is some truth in what Yang Duanhe said.

In the current situation, it is almost impossible to sow as scheduled, and it is expected that there will be no good harvest if the sowing is barely done.

In this case, give up sowing altogether, and fix the irrigation system down-to-earth first, and then consider other things.

However, before Yang Duanhe could finish speaking, Wang Jian vetoed it.

"This is the king's order." Wang Jian said: "But it is not something you and I can change at will."

Yang Duanhe nodded yes.

After a pause, Wang Jian sighed again, and continued:

"General Yang, do you know why your majesty is eager to farm in Zhao Guo and strive to sow seeds this year?"

Yang Duanhe replied:

"Subordinates don't know."

Wang Jian cast his eyes on the dry land in front of him, and said thoughtfully:

"General Yang, do you still remember the scallion pancakes?"

Yang Duanhe suddenly realized.

Whether the seeds can be planted this year will directly determine whether Zhao will have grain next year.

Whether Zhao State has food will directly determine whether Qin State has the ability to send troops to attack the city in the coming year.

……

Therefore, the king will not easily change this strategic direction and give up planting.

If Shen Bing heard this, he would probably slap himself several times.

The fucking scallion pancakes are just scallion pancakes, what kind of rationale do you put on a good Longmen array?

How is it doing now, with a pile of dry land in front of you, can you still expect it to grow crops next year?

Encouraging production should also be done slowly, right?

Historically, it took four years to regain strength and destroy Wei, but you are a small sample and want to do it in one year!

Just when Wang Jian and Yang Duanhe looked at the field and sighed, they saw a cavalry galloping towards them and presented a bamboo slip.

"Your Majesty's warrant, please take a look at it, General."

Wang Jian respectfully took it with both hands, opened it, and couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"It turns out that the king has already made arrangements."

"He has appointed Xu Yingwei to govern Su Nei Shi and came to Handan to help me wait for the fields."

"Tell me to meet you tomorrow."

Hearing this, Yang Duanhe also breathed a sigh of relief, saying:

"Your Majesty Yingming."

"With Xu Ying coming to help me, why worry about no water to farm?"

No wonder Wang and Yang are so relieved.

This Xu Ying is the descendant of Xu Xing, the founder of the peasant family among the hundreds of scholars. The development of Qin's agriculture depends on the guidance of Xu Ying and his students.

At this time, Yingzheng sent him to Handan to manage it, as if he had sent a timely rain.

The next day, Wang Jian personally led a group of people to the city gate to greet him.

The "group of people" brought by Wang Jian is not a random "group of people", but an "elite" he has painstakingly selected.

Professionals like Xu Ying came to handle the agriculture in Handan, so Wang Jian couldn't just find some people of the highest rank to follow him, right?

Even if artisans, scholars, or merchants come, it is useless!

What Xu Ying said was the principle of farming, and it was urgent at the moment, so of course he had to be more cautious.

Therefore, Wang Jian first transferred two masters.

After thinking about it, I felt that it was not enough, so I added two more spares.

They were responsible for writing down what Xu Ying said, word for word.

Then all the county lieutenants, county guards and censors from the newly established three counties were invited.

The county lieutenant is in charge of the people, the county guard is in charge of the military, and the censor is in charge of supervision.

In this extraordinary period, no matter the people, the army or the supervision, all must engage in agriculture.

So there's nothing wrong with it, come and listen to Teacher Xu Ying's lecture.

Only when you understand and understand, will you know how to solve it later, and you will be able to teach your subordinates how to solve it.

In addition, Wang Jian also summoned several lidians as representatives of the people... (Note 1)

Wang Jian knew very well that this was farming, and there were many difficulties and problems that people in high positions could not understand or imagine. There must be someone familiar with farming to interact with Teacher Xu Ying.

Coupled with the guards, handymen, servants, etc., hundreds of people gathered in the bustling city, which was very lively.

Chapter 83 Farmhouse

They waited left and right but couldn't wait for Xu Ying. When everyone was wondering, they saw a cavalry galloping to report:

"General, the internal history of millet has arrived."

"However, Nei Shi insisted on inspecting the cultivated land outside the city first, and asked me to report to the general."

Wang Jian and Yang Duanhe looked at each other, secretly thinking that Xu Ying was reliable, knowing that time was running out and the farming season waited for no one.

Wang and Yang were right, Xu Ying's trip didn't take a quarter of an hour.

Xu Ying was in Pingyang (now Linfen, Shanxi) when he received the order from Yingzheng.

Without saying a word, he just took a few disciples to get some food and then got into the carriage and drove to Handan.

The style of the farm is minimalist. They usually demand themselves as ordinary farmers, so they don't have much luggage.

Pingyang is [-] miles away from Handan, and they finally arrived at their destination on the third day after traveling starry night.

The soldiers that Wang Jian came to meet were already waiting ten miles away, so it stands to reason that Xu Yingying would go back to the city first to have a formal ceremony before having a meal to cleanse the dust.

But Xu Ying said to the soldiers:

"Please be sure to tell the general."

"The farming season is approaching and the people are eagerly waiting for it. Xu Ying dare not delay."

"This trip will not go into the city and go straight to cultivate the land."

"Apologize to the general later."

So they went straight to the farmland without even entering the city gate.

When Wang Jian and his entourage tracked down and caught up, Xu Ying was already standing by the farmland frowning to observe the drought.

Wang Jian, Yang Duan and Lao Yuan got off the carriage, and led the crowd to respectfully salute:

"I have seen the internal history, and I have been far behind. Please forgive me the internal history."

Xu Ying hurriedly returned the gift and replied:

"It's because the subordinates are not polite. Please, the general, the general, don't have the same knowledge as the subordinates."

Wang Jian was polite again, and asked with some worry:

"As seen in the internal history, the drought in the three counties was so severe that it was impossible to irrigate the farmland."

"Is there a way for Nei Shi to divert water?"

Xu Ying didn't say a word, walked to the river and watched for a while, then shook his head and replied:

"If there is time to dam the river, the water level can be raised to irrigate the farmland."

"But at this time, the farming period is only one month away, and it is too late to build the dam."

"Moreover, if it takes one or two years to build the dam, how many people will starve to death."

"No, no..."

Wang Jian quickly replied:

"What the internal history says is true."

"Building a dam can't quench the thirst of the near."

Xu Ying walked all the way along the river bank, and everyone followed along.

The two masters were holding a pen in one hand and holding bamboo slips in the other. There were several servants beside them, some were carrying bamboo slips and some were holding ink trays, their expressions were very nervous for fear of making any mistakes.

It's no wonder they behaved like this, even the general Wang Jian had to be careful.

Agriculture may not have a high status in modern times, but in ancient times it was everything.

Life or death depends on agriculture, whether a country is strong depends on agriculture, whether it can conquer east or west depends on agriculture.

Therefore, agricultural masters like Xu Ying can almost be said to be a kind of faith in this era.

For example, now, if Xu Ying can solve the irrigation problem...then don't know how many lives will be saved.

Xu Ying seemed to be used to all this, he continued to walk ahead and said:

"For the current plan, there are only two methods that may be feasible."

"First, we can connect the ditches along the high level of the water source to the low level."

Everyone couldn't help but "oh".

This is really a good way.