Chapter 152: The Hunt

Harnessing the Yellow River is by no means something that can be completed overnight, nor is it a beginning, and you can wait if you run out of money. It can't be like the moment of the spring festival in the cave room, you can't say that you will pay 500 gold first, and then pay another 500 gold when you have eased up. The reason why Chen Cheng said that he would only consider it if he obtained the consent of all important ministers was just a prevarication. In the end, he was unwilling to make great efforts to harness the Yellow River.

However, Xu Chao could clearly hear the perfunctory meaning, but he didn't care, but showed a happy smile on his face. To get such an answer has far exceeded his best expectations. If other princes heard such unreasonable demands, they were afraid that they would either be angry or disdainful.

Looking at Xu Chao's distant back, the smile on Chen Cheng's face gradually dissipated. Everything is most afraid of comparison, Xu Chao is so glorious that he can't help but start to reflect: he used to see the people suffering, he would be unbearable, and he once laughed at those officials who didn't want to work for the welfare of the people at all, and if something happened, they would only cover the lid, and when they couldn't cover it, they would throw a few scapegoats out.

But now that you're starting to become bureaucratic? Isn't it a deception to say anything that other important ministers will only consider if they agree? One of the things he hates the most is lying, and it is annoying for others to lie, and it is even more annoying for him to lie himself. Only if you are not strong enough, only if you need to compromise with this world, you will need to use lies.

However, that is to control the Yellow River! It takes up to 100,000 manpower, countless money and food, and a long time....... He was going to go back to Luoyang in a few years. Now although Mr. Dong has been driven to Bingzhou, He Jin has not been able to suppress the situation in Luoyang City, and it is estimated that he will soon usher in the opportunity to move westward.

If all the manpower and material resources are invested in the management of the Yellow River, we will inevitably miss out on such a good opportunity.

Thinking of this, Chen Cheng shook his head and sighed. On the floor in the hall, there was a light sound of footsteps, and Liu Qian's crisp voice sounded on the side, "Master, why are you sighing again?" ”

Chen Cheng followed the prestige and saw Liu Qian and the guards behind him, so he put down the problem and said with a smile: "Class is out so soon today?" ”

Liu Qian took off her shoes and walked up to the classroom wearing long white socks, she said with a smile: "The second period this afternoon is physical education, and there are other teachers to substitute for the class. Master, are you too busy to get dazed? ”

Chen Cheng once ordered people to send orphans under the age of thirteen in Shuofang County and Wuyuan County to Linrong and be raised by the government. Later, this order was extended to Beidi County and Wuwei County, and the location was changed to Lian County. So far, there are more than 200 male and female orphans under the age of 13, of whom the ratio of men to women is about 1 to 2.

In this era, both the Xiongnu and the Han and Qiang had the habit of keeping slaves. Unless it is a child who is too young, it can be regarded as property. Boys are especially sought-after, and as long as they grow up, they are good laborers and soldiers. In times of difficulty, it is certainly not the boys who are the first to be abandoned, which is why there is a huge disparity in the proportion of men and women among orphans.

After these orphans were brought to Lian County, Chen Cheng placed them in Yacheng, where he taught them some words and arithmetic while letting them do what they could. Although most of these orphans have not gone to school before, they are very able to endure hardships and learn quickly. In just a few months, several people have been able to recognize more than 100 words, and have learned addition, subtraction, multiplication and division within 100.

Liu Qian was sent by Chen Cheng to Yacheng a month ago to teach these children some arithmetic. She was still young and didn't usually have any playmates of the same age, but after going there once, she liked it, and often ran to the city, and made several friends in it.

Hearing Liu Qian say this, Chen Cheng patted his forehead and said with a smile: "Aren't you dizzy?" Someone asked me to control the Yellow River. ”

Liu Qian didn't know what it meant to govern the Yellow River, she sat on a chair and said crisply: "Then go and govern it." ”

"I also know that it is a great thing to control the Yellow River," Chen Cheng spread his hands and said, "But there is no money, food, and no manpower!" ”

He said to Liu Qian: "Forget it, let's not talk about this, is there something to do today?" ”

"Can't you come if you're fine?" Liu Qian said: "Master said before that he would take me hunting, and it's been many days." ”

Chen Cheng was stunned and said, "Did I tell you that?" Impossible, right? ”

After thinking about it carefully, it's so busy these days, where is the time to take people hunting? It's time to shoot now, but .........

Chen Cheng stared at Liu Qian and narrowed his eyes, and said, "It's not impossible to go hunting, but I don't remember that I ever promised you such a thing." Princess, maybe I forgot before, but it's not too late to teach you now, lying is not a good quality. ”

But then he thought of the conversation with Xu Chao just now, although it was not intentional deception, but the facts would not change because of the words, so he added, "Unless it is a last resort, you can't say anything." ”

When there was no longer a smile on his face, the so-called kind eyes turned into indifference and cruelty. Liu Qian's heartbeat sped up a little, but she said with a smile on her face: "Then the master said that he was going to take me hunting?" ”

Chen Cheng snorted, looked at the sky outside, and said, "Prepare tomorrow, and go hunting the day after tomorrow." ”

He pushed away his chair, stood up, and said; "Now come with me, I'm going to check if your martial arts have improved. If you don't make progress, but you regress, don't go. ”

Behind Chen Cheng's back, Liu Qian breathed a sigh of relief, then stuck out her tongue, and said in her heart: Master is really terrible when he is angry! It's like cannibalism!

Fortunately, although she hasn't spent a lot of time practicing martial arts these days, she doesn't know why, her martial arts haven't regressed at all, but have made some progress.

Liu Qian followed Chen Cheng to the courtyard, picked up the hunting bow, and shot at the arrow target. In a short time, a bag of twenty arrows was fired at a target twenty paces away. Dense arrows stuck near the bull's-eye, it looked like a patch of grass had suddenly grown.

Liu Qian put down the hunting bow and said with a smile: "Master, I'm okay shooting, right?" ”

Chen Cheng's hands were clasped in front of his chest, he pondered for a while, and said: "It's okay to practice to this extent, in the next two years, just keep the feeling, and the main energy is still on learning cultural knowledge." ”

The corners of Liu Qian's mouth rose, and she said crisply: "I have finished learning that book of "Elementary Mathematics"!" ”

"Hey, where is that? After finishing "Elementary Mathematics", there are also "Intermediate Mathematics" and "Middle School Physics", and after these two books are completed, there are also "Advanced Mathematics" and "Principles of Geometry," Chen Cheng's face showed a meaningful smile, "Zi said: There is no end to learning." Where does learning come to an end? Rest assured, even if you finish all of this, there are still "Chemistry", "Physical Chemistry", which are guaranteed not to make you bored. ”

Liu Qian's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Master, you are scaring me, right?" ”

Chen Cheng snorted and said, "Remember, don't lie until you have to." ”

Liu Qian walked over, grabbed his arm, shook it a few times, and said, "I know it's wrong, it won't be in the future, Master, don't be angry." ”

Chen Cheng's face softened at this time, and said, "Tomorrow, check the horseshoe, saddle, stirrup, as well as your bow and arrows, short knife, and cloth bag, and we will go hunting the day after tomorrow." ”

"Yes!"

Chen Cheng looked at her and said thoughtfully, "Did someone call you to remind me that it's time to start this year's autumn hunt?" ”

"Huh? This one.... That ........"

"Hmph," Chen Cheng waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I won't ask who it is, you go back and prepare." ”

Hunting wasn't all about fun, there were still many uncultivated places in the wild in this era, and there were wild beasts and poisonous snakes everywhere. Large-scale hunting is partly to replenish the meat, but also to clear the vicinity of predators, so that they do not break into the village and hurt people when they are hungry in winter.

Of course, large-scale hunting is also a way to train troops. Not only the Central Plains have such a custom, but the nomadic fishing and hunting people also have this habit of using hunting to train soldiers. Until the Qing Dynasty 2,000 years later, hunting also played a role in training troops. In many cases, the enemy army that is surrounded and chased is no different from a wild beast.

Classmate Sun once said: Autumn is high and horses are fat, just to fight for recreation. Chen Cheng's capital is too small now, and he can't afford to play a money-burning game like war, and hunting is also good.

This year, the wind and rain are smooth, the herdsmen on the Mobei grassland can still get by, and the Lu Fang is well guarded, and there are not too many things to plunder in the south, so many local and nearby generals have joined the hunt with their troops and hunting dogs.

To the west of Lian County is Helan Mountain, which stretches for hundreds of miles, and there are many fierce beasts in the mountains, and there are wild beasts that hurt people every year. If you are alone, you are likely to encounter danger in the mountains, but if you go out with thousands of people, it is a different matter entirely.

Ever since humans learned to use spears and bows and arrows, there has been no species in this world that can threaten humans. Although the tiger and leopard have the advantage of claws, how can they compare with a sharp spear? As long as you wear heavy armor, normal humans ..... Well, it's still difficult for normal humans to take on a tiger alone, even if they wear heavy armor.

For the last few thousand years, humanity's only enemy has been humanity itself. For thousands of years to come, humanity's enemies will still be themselves. In the conceivable future, there is no other species that can truly pose a threat to humanity.

Near Lian County, along with many garrisons and heroes in Lingzhou on the other side of the Yellow River, they all participated in the hunt. They took bows and arrows, horses, hunting dogs and goshawks, and gathered them outside the west gate of Lian County first. The army marched westward, paying respects to the victims of the previous Hun invasion on the terraces in the mountains, and then went deep into the mountains to drive the fat and strong gifts from all corners.