Cold Zone?!

Listening to Xu Qilin's narration, General Niu's thoughts swirled, and he felt that there was a mystery in his words.

For His Majesty Li Er's grand ambitions, many ministers are aware of it. The First Emperor of the Ages is obviously the highest pursuit, and taking a step back, surpassing the Qin Emperor and Han Wu is also the small goal of His Majesty Li Er.

For example, in this expedition to Gaochang, His Majesty Li Er told the generals that it was not allowed to kill too much, and that it was necessary to show the royal demeanor of the Tang army.

To the average person, it sounds like a routine instruction and may not be taken seriously. Which army does not boast of its strict discipline, but when the Tang Army fought abroad, it was not carried out in the same way as beheading, plundering and replenishing funds.

However, Niu Jinda realized that this expedition was unusual, because His Majesty Li Er did not seem to have said this to the generals before the battle.

And looting in foreign wars is an incentive to improve combat effectiveness for government soldiers who do not pay salaries. Because of this, in the early Tang Dynasty, there was a phenomenon that the soldiers were happy when they heard the war.

The government soldiers provided their own horses, equipment, and even food, and all they enjoyed was the reduction and exemption of land rent. And going out to fight has become an opportunity to make money and make a fortune.

So, why did His Majesty Li Er go out of his way to explain? According to Niu Jinda's understanding, this is to win the hearts and minds of the people and pave the way for long-term occupation after the conquest of Gaochang.

That is to say, after the occupation of Gaochang, it will not be restored as it did to the Eastern Turks, but it is very likely that it will establish a county and establish a state, and Gaochang will be included in the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking about it further, His Majesty Li Er's meaning will be obvious. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu and built the Western Regions Protectorate to unify the Western Regions. We are the Khan of the sky, can't we do it yet?

After the Western Regions are done here, His Majesty Li Er will be able to surpass the Han Martial Arts? Of course not, the homeland of Liaodong, the four counties of the Han Dynasty, is now in the hands of Goryeo.

In fact, His Majesty Li Er's hatred of Goryeo is not a secret.

After defeating the Eastern Turks, Goryeo sent an envoy to Fenghe to present the Goryeo fiefdom map. His Majesty Li Er also sent Changsun Shi to Goryeo, and destroyed the Jingguan built by Goryeo with the fallen soldiers of the Sui Dynasty.

This is a relatively obvious signal, which shows that His Majesty Li Er has not forgotten that Liaodong is the homeland of the Central Plains. From then on, Goryeo recruited a large number of people to build a huge Great Wall from Buyeo City to the coast, and prepared to resist the Tang army.

Even the people of Goryeo know His Majesty Li Er's "heart to die", how can the ministers of the court and the central government not know about it? It's just that there are a lot of things, and according to the national strength of Datang, it has to be done one by one.

It's just that the time for the conquest of Goryeo may be greatly advanced. This can not only conquer Gaochang, but also rebuild the Daming Palace, His Majesty Li Er doesn't seem to be very bad.

Xu Qilin finally finished talking about the great benefits of cotton, and picked up the teacup to moisten his throat.

Niu Jinda blinked his eyes and asked a little abruptly: "Can Linzhang County plant cotton?" ”

Xu Qilin was stunned for a moment, where is Linzhang County, he really doesn't know.

Niu Jinda looked at Xu Qilin's appearance, and added: "Linzhang was called Ye in ancient times, and now belongs to Ye County, Xiangzhou, Henan Province, which is very close to the ancient city of Handan. ”

Oh, I get it when you say that. Yecheng, Cao Cao's hometown, and the story of Ximen Leopard Zhiye, is also a very famous place!

Xu Qilin nodded and said, "It should be feasible to plant cotton in Hebei Province and Henan Province. To tell the truth, a certain has already been played in the imperial court, and this year has been planted in two ways, and it will be known after the autumn. ”

Hebei Province: roughly equivalent to the area south of the Great Wall of present-day Hebei and most of the area north of the Yellow River in Henan and Shandong provinces;

Henan Province: It is roughly equivalent to the area south of the Yellow River in present-day Henan and Shandong provinces and north of the Huai River in Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces.

In Xu Qilin's view, most of the two areas are suitable for growing cotton.

But for the sake of prudence, he just went to the imperial court and asked Dayingku to observe the growth cycle and the specific yield in more than ten acres of cotton in more than ten acres of land in these two provinces.

This guy is amazing, Niu Jinda's eyes lit up, and he looked at Xu Qilin thoughtfully.

In the conquest of Goryeo, if Hebei Province and Henan Province can become logistics bases and supply grain and grass materials, like Gansu and Suzhou, victory can be expected.

And cotton, as a good product to keep out the cold, if the quantity is sufficient, can be an additional layer of protection for the soldiers of the Tang Army who fought in Liaodong.

Thinking of this, Niu Jinda arched his hand and said: "If cotton is promoted and planted in Henan Province, I hope that Xu Cheng will take care of Linzhang County, where there is a certain hometown father." ”

Xu Qilin couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praised: "General Niu doesn't forget the old man, which makes a certain admirer." ”

After a pause, he promised: "If this year's harvest is gratifying, someone will go to Linzhang next year to teach cotton planting skills." ”

"Thank you, Xu Chengcheng." Niu Jinda was overjoyed and thanked him.

Xu Qilin returned the salute and said with a smile: "With a gesture, wouldn't there be no reason for the general to benefit Sangzi?" ”

After a pause, he continued: "I heard the general talk about Handan, and a certain family teacher said that there seems to be coal and iron there, and if it can be developed, it will drive local development, or even faster. ”

"Immortal Lu Yu, I have heard it a long time ago, and I admire his golden mantra." Niu Jinda said: "It's a pity that I can't see it, and I regret it for life." ”

I can't see it! Xu Qilin smiled, changed the topic, and talked about the matter of continuing to borrow government soldiers to carry out infrastructure construction in Gansu and Su Prefectures after spring ploughing.

The government soldiers are usually farmers, so there is no problem with farming, and there is no difficulty in digging ditches and building roads.

Niu Jinda agreed, anyway, there are still two months before the army can come. The soldiers are idle, do some work, Xu Qilin is still paid!

It's just that Niu Jinda expressed some doubts about the preferential policies Xu Qilin said, thinking that this seems to be a suspicion of poaching people, oh, it is a suspicion of poaching soldiers.

In this regard, Xu Qilin was unimpressed, and explained with a smile: "General Niu is too worried. A certain self-thinking government soldier stayed in Gansu and Su to settle down, but it was not now. After the conquest of Gaochang, the government soldiers unloaded their armor and returned to the field, and at that time they were willing to come, and a certain was warmly welcomed. ”

After a pause, he added: "Moreover, the policy is not only for the government soldiers, but also for any immigrant who is willing to settle here, will enjoy it." ”

Niu Jinda nodded and said with a smile: "Xu Cheng really took great pains to attract the people of the narrow countryside to migrate!" ”

Xu Qilin picked up the teacup, drank it gently, and said with a smile: "After Gaochang is defeated, at least 10,000 people will come to settle in Suzhou, and it can alleviate the problem of few people and wide land!" ”

"Ten thousand? I'm afraid it's more than that. Niu Jinda understood what Xu Qilin was referring to and said with a smile.

Ju Wentai's crime was not only to fall to the Western Turks, but also to attack the pro-Tang forces in the Western Regions with the Turks; It was not only the blockade of the borders, which forbade Tang caravans and envoys from entering the territory of Gaochang; He also detained Han Chinese who had fled from the Western Turks.

The new immigrants Xu Qilin refers to are not only the Han people who will be rescued, but also the forces of Gaochang's pro-Ju Wentai. These are also Han Chinese, and there must be more than 10,000 people in total.

Since His Majesty Li Er wants to include Gaochang in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, it is certain to deal with these unstable personnel. Xu Qilin also went to the imperial court and requested that they be placed in Gansu and Su Prefectures to solve the shortage of labor.

There is a precedent for this disposition, when the Tang army destroyed the Southern Dynasty and unified the whole country, it exiled the princes and nobles of the Southern Dynasty to Dunhuang.

Therefore, as long as Gaochang is captured, Xu Qilin's recital will also be approved by His Majesty Li Er.

Xu Qilin also knew that if His Majesty Li Er wanted to firmly occupy Gaochang, he would not be able to relocate his people in large numbers, and the population that was most lacking in Gansu and Su Prefecture would have to be solved from other places.

Here they had a good conversation with Niu Jinda, but the people who were still eating and drinking there were even more indulgent. Xu Qilin had already heard Fang Er's shouting, and couldn't help but shake his head.

Niu Jinda also smiled and said: "I have suffered a lot in the Gobi, and let them indulge once." After a pause, he asked again: "Fang Erlang wants to join the army, Xu Cheng must know, right?" ”

Xu Qilin nodded and said, "General Niu must be inconvenient to accept, leave this matter to so-and-so, so as to save him from annoying you all the time." ”

Niu Jinda smiled bitterly and said, "Fang Erlang is not lacking in martial arts, but his background-" shook his head again and again, as if he sighed with some regret.

Xu Qilin is also very sympathetic, maybe he can help Fang Eryi, and let him not follow the old road in history. Moreover, as long as the scumbag Li Zhi is not allowed to ascend the throne, cuckolding is a trivial matter, but it will not rebel, right?

……………

The breath of spring has already come to her face, and the tender green on the grass does not make Xu Hui feel comfortable and comfortable walking in the garden, but looks at it a little anxiously from time to time.

"The little lady is late today." The palace maid next to her guessed Xu Hui's thoughts, and said, "Chongrong Niangniang, why don't you send someone to take a look?" ”

Xu Hui waved his hand and said, "Wait a little longer, don't be so eager." ”

said that she was not in a hurry, but Xu Hui was a little cranky in her heart, it didn't matter if she skipped class, she was afraid that her little sister would have other accidents.

After a while, the palace maid said again: "I don't know that your jacquard cotton dress is worth hundreds of dollars on the market!" ”

Xu Hui was slightly surprised, and blurted out: "It's so expensive? ”

The palace maid smiled: "It's so expensive, and it's rare to buy." Even the inner palace only has a small amount of offerings, and few nobles in the palace can wear it. I heard that after the weaving of Dayingku, most of them were sold to Hu merchants. ”

That's the light of the little brother!

Xu Hui smiled, knowing that there was more time to get wet. First the fragrance, then the woollen and mirror, and now the worsted muslin, I am afraid that it will make people blush again.

In this regard, Xu Hui is naturally proud. His little brother's ability is great, how can he be disgraced?

Not only these novel and exquisite luxuries, but also the official position of the younger brother is amazing. I am afraid that he is the youngest assassin in the Tang Dynasty, and he is also in charge of another state, and he also has a large Yingkukucheng.

Not only does it manage two states, but it is still running very well, which makes His Majesty Li Er twelve points satisfied. In ordinary contacts and conversations, Xu Hui knew this very clearly.

Xu Hui sometimes thinks about it a little strangely, isn't it a relative who relies on the harem and the chicken dog ascends to heaven, how did he come to himself, but the other way around?

Coupled with teaching Xiao Zhao, Jinyang and Xincheng, His Majesty Li Er's favor for himself is more and more stable. After thinking about it, I found that there was also the shadow of the younger brother in it.

Could it be that the younger brother is planning everything and helping himself? Xu Hui had to think of these and felt strange and confused.

Maybe it's the guidance of his master, Daoist Lu Yu, after all, in terms of social experience and life experience, no matter how smart the younger brother is, it is impossible for him to be so precocious.

"Chongrong Niangniang, it's the little lady who is here. There are also two princesses. The palace maid's words interrupted Xu Hui's thoughts.

Not far away, Xiao Zhao and Jinyang and Xincheng walked with a smile, and the accompanying palace people were still holding a box and pushing a cart, no need to guess, it must have been Xu Qilin who sent the items again.

Although he was late, it was not because he was sick or anything, and Xu Hui was also relieved. With Her Royal Highness the Princess by her side, she can also scold her little sister.

"Sister-" Xiao Zhao hurriedly ran a few steps, and his mouth screamed sweetly.

Xu Hui didn't want to keep his face tight, so he had to smile and ask, "It's late today, don't allow it next time!" ”

Xiao Zhao stuck out his tongue, stepped forward with a smile and took Sister A's hand, and said, "It's all my fault for the second brother, the things sent will only arrive in the morning." I'll send it to Her Royal Highness the princess and to my sister, so I lost time. ”

That's whether you are anxious about whether you are good or not, but you push it to others. Who knows when it will be delivered from a long distance, and whether it will be able to calculate the time?

Xu Hui didn't poke it out, but just reached out and tapped the little sister's head, and greeted the two little princesses with a smile.

When everyone entered the hall, Xiao Zhao was in a hurry to ask the palace people to open the box for Sister A to appreciate.

"Jade carving—" Xu Hui's eyes widened, looking at these light green, emerald green, dark green, yellow, and red jade objects.

Xiao Zhao took out the manual attached to the box and explained to Sister A with a smile: "This was found by the second brother in Suzhou, named Jiuquan Jade. This is a carved sample, give it to us first. In a short time, there will be sales in Chang'an. ”

Jiuquan jade, also known as Qilian jade, is produced in the Qilian Mountains. Because of its rich color, it is also known as "Qilian colored jade".

But in essence, Jiuquan jade is serpentine, which is the same as Xiuyan jade, but the jade color is different from Xiuyan jade.

The four famous jades in Chinese history are Lantian jade in Shaanxi, Hetian jade in Xinjiang, Dushan jade in Henan and Xiuyu in Liaoning. Jiuquan jade was mined late, and it did not have the fame and high price of the four famous jades.

But Xu Qilin knows that commodities lie in speculation and in controlling output and quantity. Although Jiuquan jade is to be mined and the output is very large, he will not launch it in large quantities.

Create an illusion that the goods are low and the price is high, and some people hoard them, and some people regard them as treasures.

Moreover, even if the price is lower, the stone can be sold for money, and it is definitely a good way to make a fortune.

Xu Hui picked up the delicate jade products one by one, and he felt that he couldn't put it down.

And these jade exemptions, birds and beasts, pendants, Kun rings, New Year pendants and other ornaments, rich in color, lifelike, there is an intriguing evocative beauty of natural art, which also shows the creation of heaven and earth, the magic of nature, breathtaking.

"Sister, isn't it very good-looking." Xiao Zhao said with a smile: "There is a big one in the car outside, which was dedicated by the second brother to His Majesty's housewarming to the new palace as a landscape stone. ”

……………