Seiwa

Meng Qinghe walked out of Baihu's office, his footsteps were a little wandering, he rubbed his numb knees, and made up his mind that he must walk around Shen Baihu as a last resort.

The two soldiers outside the door looked at Meng Qinghe's strange movements, then at his grinning expression, looked at each other, closed their mouths tightly, and didn't say a word.

Before returning home, Meng Qinghe went to the experience department again. The frontier soldiers of the guards were granted a piece of land, [-] acres, and they had to add more or less to be promoted to a small banner.

The commander of the Kaiping Guard is in charge of farming. The officers and soldiers of the guard station have to go through the relevant procedures to receive the granted land, farm tools, and seeds. The painting and drawing, the signature and signature, a complete set of regulations, without any omissions.

The fields were obtained without any loss, seeds and agricultural tools were used as appropriate, and the cattle were ignored intentionally or unintentionally.

Meng Qinghe rubbed his chin, but did not raise any objection.

For the sake of fellow scholars, Liu Jingli kindly told Meng Xiaoqi that the Kaiping frontier is sparsely populated, with abundant arable land but insufficient production.Of the [-] mu of land allocated to him, there are not many farms. After the annual tax, the remaining money is not a problem to support the family rations.

In short, barely enough to eat, if you want to eat well, it depends on your ability.

"Oxen are not available, but horses are also available."

Thanking Liu Experience, Meng Qinghe walked out of the Experience Department, thinking about the future livelihood issues all the way.

There are three young men in his family, apart from himself, the appetites of Meng Hu and Meng Qingjiang should not be underestimated.As the saying goes, a half-child eats a poor old man, well, this metaphor is not appropriate, he always wants to call the two a cousin, but the words are not rough, and it is really difficult to feed three people with the fields in their hands.

When they got home, Meng Hu and Meng Qingjiang had already set up the wooden bed. The boards and frame of the bed were solid, but the wooden thorns at the corners had not been smoothed, and it was much better to spread straw than to sleep on the ground.

This bed was for Meng Qinghe, who had experienced the fight outside the city, not to mention Meng Hu, even Meng Qingjiang, who had been tricked by Meng Qinghe, looked up to him.

"Fourth cousin, fifth cousin."

Meng Qinghe greeted the two with a smile, and informed them of the assignment of the fields. At the same time, he asked the three frontier soldiers behind him to send the seeds and farm tools into the main room, and then took out a few pancakes and three big bowls of meat from the stove. Soup, thanks for that.

The three frontier soldiers were just assigned to Meng Qinghe's subordinates yesterday, and it was nothing to help carry the seeds and carry a few hoes.

Seeing that Meng Qinghe did not seem to be lying, the three of them were not polite, took the cake immediately, picked up the bowl, and ate it with big mouthfuls.

In frontier fortresses, copper coins and treasures are not as good as food and cloth, especially the benevolent soldiers sent to guard the border. Most of them are of literati background. Farming and guarding the border are not "jobs". Wielding a knife and a hoe is more embarrassing for them than writing beautiful articles .

The implicated fellow clansmen were also full of anger, they sat at home, the disaster came from the sky, and they only hated the criminal officials for implicating them.Those who were resented retorted, if it wasn't for their own official robes, how could the clan's land tax be avoided?Could it be that the land left by the clansmen flew down from the sky?

Of the ten men under Meng Qinghe, five are Enjun. Now, among the three squatting by the door, eating cakes and drinking soup, two of them are implicated by their own clansmen. Because of their background, their attitude is unavoidably close to each other.

In any case, it's better to be under the hands of scholars than to be shouted and shouted by soldiers who can't read big characters, right?

Meng Qinghe expressed his understanding of these people's thoughts, and once he understood, he didn't point it out.

Everyone has self-esteem, and it would be too cruel to pierce the last soap bubble in these people's hearts now.But he doesn't guarantee that he will never do anything, only by facing the reality earlier can he survive here, just like himself.

"I'm really a kind person."

Putting away the big bowl that had been licked like water, Meng Twelve Lang sighed.

The movements of Meng Hu's subordinates stopped, and the hammer almost hit their hands.Meng Qingjiang's face was filled with astonishment, and his eyes were full of disbelief.

"Why does fourth cousin look at me like this?"

"Too surprised."

"Why?" Meng Qinghe was puzzled.

"..."

Meng Qingjiang was speechless. In fact, he was a fool.

The dinner for the three of them also consisted of pancakes and broth. The soup was made from broken horse bones and boiled over a high fire.

Without the many seasonings of the later generations, only a little salt was added, but Meng Qing and the three of them ate nothing left. Meng Qingjiang and Meng Hu were so full of enthusiasm that they almost chewed the small pieces of bones.

Meng Qinghe raised his thumbs up in admiration, his teeth are so good.

After the meal, the three cousins ​​sat around the simple fire and discussed their future livelihood while warming up.

Now that they have arrived at the frontier, no matter whether it is Meng Hu or Meng Qingjiang, no matter how big their dissatisfaction is, they have to put aside. Living here has become the most important issue before them.

Meng Qinghe's performance also impressed the two of them. This Twelve Lang, who has no strength to restrain a chicken and was almost regarded as a fool by his tribe, can go into battle and kill the enemy. What's wrong with them?

"Twelve Lang, I've read it, and this seed is not enough. Besides," Meng Hu paused, "it's not a good seed either."

"I know." Meng Qinghe rubbed his hands together and tightened the looped jacket on his body.The treatment of soldiers in the early Ming Dynasty was not bad, not only the fields were divided, but also the farm tools and seeds, and the cattle were another matter.In addition to the looped jackets, shoes and trousers needed for the guards to go out, winter and summer clothes are also issued, mostly cotton cotton and summer cloth.

Meng Qinghe was under Shen Baihu's command, so it was no problem if he missed the day of receiving cotton coats, and he could reissue them.However, there are fixed rules for the types of food, and the guards are short of food, so no one who is brave enough dares to accommodate in this matter.

"I'll figure out a way about the seeds." Meng Qinghe said, "The two cousins ​​think, besides wheat, what else should I plant? It's best to grow fast and produce a lot."

Asked a word, both Meng Hu and Meng Qingjiang frowned deeply.

Ask Meng Hu and the two because Meng Qinghe really can't think of a charter.

When talking about drought-resistant and cold-resistant high-yielding crops, the first thing that comes to mind is potatoes and sweet potatoes.Thinking about it doesn't mean it can be done. It is still a century before Columbus discovered the New World, and it is impossible to plant it.

Leaving aside the Portuguese and Spaniards 100 years later, there is a saying in later generations that during the Yongle period, Zheng He's fleet discovered America before Columbus, and it is said that there are records about native Americans.It is a pity that the relevant materials of Zheng He's fleet voyage, including the emperor's imperial edict, fleet establishment, list, and logbook, were all destroyed in the hands of a military doctor named Liu. Whether they were hidden or burned, It has always been a mystery.

However, such "feats" as Liu Langzhong, I am afraid that ordinary people really can't do them.

Leaving aside the status of the frame doctor, the only Zheng He fleet Meng Qinghe could count on would not set sail until the third year of Yongle.Before that, Emperor Yongle had to negotiate with his nephew about who would sit on the throne.

Counting with your fingers, there are at least five or six years left!

So, he had to keep going.Even so, it may not be possible to get what you want.

Even if he wanted to vote for Yan and wholeheartedly follow King Yan to rebel, the unwavering Jing Nan would not be so difficult.

A small flag, according to the military establishment of later generations, at most one infantry squad leader, not to mention King Yan, those generals under his command, who knows who Meng Qinghe is?

Rushed up and said that he would count his fingers and know for 500 years?I am afraid that Monk Daoyan and a group of capable people around King Yan will destroy him first.

Grab the family's job?Who do you kid think you are?

Or go the other way?For example, Shen Baihu...

Thinking of this, Meng Qinghe shuddered, feeling overwhelmed, absolutely!

"Twelve Lang?"

Seeing that Meng Qinghe kept shaking his head and sighing without speaking for a long time, both Meng Hu and Meng Qingjiang felt strange.

"I'm fine." Meng Qinghe raised his head, looked at the roof at a 45-degree angle, his eyes were bright and sad, "I'm just at a loss, the road ahead is long, the future is uncertain, even if you are talented, you have nowhere to start. Life is really lonely Like snow."

Meng Hu: "..."

Meng Qingjiang: "..."

In the end, Meng Qingjiang suggested that it is better to grow some buckwheat.

Meng Hu nodded, and Meng Qinghe naturally had no objection.

"I'll figure out a solution for the seeds, and I'll trouble the two cousins ​​for the rest."

Meng Hu and Meng Qingjiang didn't ask what solution Meng Qinghe could come up with. After getting along with Meng Twelve Lang for a long time, they should understand a truth: silence is golden.

The next day, Meng Qinghe woke up early, dressed neatly, hung up his waist badge, and walked out of the house in high spirits.Starting today, he and ten of his subordinates will move to a watchtower outside the city.

The pier was built on a hill ten miles north of the city. It was once captured by the Northern Yuan cavalry, and none of the frontier troops on the pier survived.

Climbing to the top of the mountain, overlooking from a high place, you can have a panoramic view of grasslands, dense forests, quietly flowing rivers, and the horse farm of the frontier army.

The scenery was beautiful, but Meng Qinghe didn't care about it. He asked people to check the surroundings, and immediately ordered everyone to build a house with stones and trees.

Please transfer here to guard, not here to die.

The existing earth pits and earth walls can't stop the Tartars at all. To realize the next plan, you must first protect your own life.

Everyone was puzzled, apparently feeling that Meng Xiaoqi's order was unreliable.

Meng Qinghe grinned, and leaned against the dirt wall, "Everyone, don't put on such a picture, you have to pursue something, don't you?"

Everyone: "..."

"This is the front line of the battle, killing the enemy and serving the country, no one came to snatch it from us."

Everyone: "..." Please take the initiative to be transferred to guard the watchtower. Is it really a disease of the brain?

Seeing that everyone's eyes were distracted and they obviously didn't believe what he said, Meng Qinghe could only give up the code of conduct of "convincing others with reason", and then said: "Meng told you the truth, he definitely didn't bring you to die! You guys are looking for a way to get ahead and make a fortune."

Everyone remained silent.

"Leaving aside other things for the time being, do you have enough food for your family? Do you want to eat meat every meal? Do you want to marry a wife?" Meng Qinghe paused, "Do you want to live a better life?"

The slack gaze began to shine, and the sound of swallowing saliva continued one after another.

Even the group of people headed by the former arsenal secretary doctor could not help but concentrate.

Meng Qinghe smiled kindly.

While Meng Twelve Lang encouraged his subordinates to build large-scale construction projects, seven or eight frontier soldiers who had been beaten to pieces collapsed to the ground like dead dogs in front of the Hundred Households Office in Xicheng.

Shen Xuan stood in front of the two with his hands behind his back, his face was as deep as water, his voice was not high, but his words were like thunder.

"Those who pretend to be military exploits, kill! Those who help hide, twenty sticks!"

After the words fell, two bloody heads were thrown on the ground, and the blood-stained face was terrified and distorted.

Hearing the news, Zheng Qianhu sighed, recalling the news from Beijing, and then thinking about the secret letter in the box, shook his head, and only told the reporter that there was no need to ask more about this matter.

After today, Shen Baihu will be Shen Fuqianhu.