Leaving Liangzhou, Li Kuan did not return south, but turned east and went to Yanzhou, which was the famous natural salt producing area Yanchi in later generations. In fact, Qinghai's salt pond is closer to Liangzhou, and the reserves are also larger. But at present, this area is still in the hands of Tuyuhun, so in order to avoid arousing the vigilance of those turtles, they did not harass them.

The salt in the salt pond is a natural salt formed by the movement of the earth's crust for hundreds of millions of years, and it can be eaten directly without any processing. Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it has been a famous salt producing area.

Unfortunately, due to the backward scientific and technological level of agriculture and animal husbandry, the mining of salt ponds has been in its infancy. Although all dynasties have regarded this place as an important strategic resource, in fact, the salt that has really been mined for people's livelihood is very small, which makes people speechless.

When he arrived at Yanchi, Li Kuan found that there was still a city wall that was still intact, which should be the handiwork of the Sui Dynasty government. But not even a single figure could be seen. Good strategic resources are so wasted by these turtles.

With the current population of Datang, there are more than a dozen salt ponds here, large and small, which are enough to pull casually. But this area has not yet been included in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, otherwise Li Kuan would not have to bother himself at all.

If Datang wants to use troops against the grassland, it must be taken here as soon as possible. With the salt pond in hand, it can not only relieve the salt shortage in Datang, but also liberate the manpower that has worked hard to refine with bitter salt mines.

Li Kuan stayed here for a whole week, and every day, in addition to digging some salt, he cooperated with Da Fei and Xiao Fei to redraw the map of this area. Occasionally, the little boy and the two eagles will catch a few beach sheep to make tooth sacrifices. In later generations, the mutton here was known for its good taste.

On the eighth day of the lunar month, the map was drawn, and Li Kuan left Yanchi and returned south.

Along the way, he saw many small scattered villages gathered among the barren fields. That is a sign that the Han people who have returned to the south have returned to their homeland.

He saw a patchwork of shantytowns on the ruins of a ruined village. And those people who returned south who shivered in the cold wind were not only not knocked down by this cruel reality, but all smiled and worked hard for their new lives.

This is the homeland complex, this is the life of hope. They have suffered, but they have not been defeated by suffering. Now, they have returned, back to the land where they were born. The barren fields are about to come to life again from their hands.

The Chinese people are the most industrious, simple, and strongest people on the planet. Some have been exiled to the Northland for 20 years, but they have not given up hope of returning. Finally, they waited for the day. The regime of the Central Plains has risen again!

Along the way south, Li Kuan occasionally stopped in the villages he passed through. His image has long been spread all over the people, and when they see the tiger riding villain from afar, the people who find him will call their friends and gather around to watch, and take out the only food at home to thank him.

Li Kuan couldn't refuse such enthusiasm, so he could only learn the posture of the leader in his previous life, ask a few high-sounding questions, and comfort a few words.

Fortunately, in this year, the officials of the Tang Dynasty still have a bit of a spectrum, and according to the orders of the imperial court, all the people who returned to their hometowns have distributed enough supplies for the winter. Each village was also given a different number of large and small animals, and taxes were exempted for three to five years. It is foreseeable that as long as it is hard for two or three years, life will get better.

If he was lucky, Li Kuan would distribute a little salt to those villages passing by. Anyway, he dug for seven or eight days, and there was a lot of salt in the space, and it was estimated that the whole Tang Dynasty people might not be able to eat it for several years.

I originally wanted to do something with this thing, but now I can't care about it so much. It was the only thing he could come up with to help these poor people at the moment. Occasionally, if the condition is too bad, a few kitchen knives or daggers will be given, but that's all. Long knives are controlled weapons, and not only do they not help, but they can cause trouble.

In the face of the gratitude of these bitter haha, Li Kuan will always take the trouble to throw out his own set of slogans.

"No need to thank anyone! You owe none of you! It is this country that owes you! You can hold out until the Central Plains is pacified and you can return to your homeland. That's also your own fight! If there is no belief in returning to their homeland, who wants to stay in that kind of bloody and barbaric place for a few years or ten years? If you have a stronger temperament, you don't want others to kill, and you have found a short-sightedness! We thank our ancestors for giving birth to us. But we have to thank ourselves even more! There has never been a savior in this world, and it is better to rely on no one than on yourself......"

This is a speech he made to the returning farmers in front of a group of cavalry soldiers who came from Wonju when he encountered a group of bitter people using rudimentary tools to encircle and suppress wild beasts and entire ancestral tombs in the cemetery outside the village.

Li Kuan pointed with his hand, and the old well that had been abandoned for many years around him was shining brightly, and the soil turned out of the well by itself and turned into a smooth well platform. Finally, a column of water rose from the well, washing the nearby more than ten zhang clean.

In the reverent eyes of the villagers and soldiers, Li Kuan made a reel platform by the side of the well platform, and even the rope chain was complete.

"Don't believe in those ethereal gods and Buddhas! There is no God in this world! Even if there were, it was us! ”

Li Kuan completely ignored his own "miracles", but firmly propagated atheism: "We pray to God and worship Buddha, and we are dedicated to goodness." In exchange for what? The Turks broke our homes, looted our belongings, and slaughtered our loved ones. Where are those gods and Buddhas? Did they control us? No! In their eyes, we are just like the weeds on the side of the road, the mosquitoes in the grass, and we are not worth paying attention to at all! The only thing we can trust is ourselves! ”

"Why do we pay our taxes willingly? Because the tax can be used to feed the soldiers, shed blood and sacrifice to protect our homeland! Because the adults in those temples will guide our lives and make our lives better. But what do we get in exchange for offering to gods and Buddhas? No! Nothing! ”

"If those who are officials and soldiers will only blindly ask for it, and will not protect us. Then we will rebel against him! Overthrow his court! Change someone who can make decisions for the people to be the Son of Heaven! But if the gods and Buddhas ignore it, what can we do? We can't do anything! They were offered our incense in vain, but they had no regard for our feelings. Is this reasonable? ”

"From now on, we will no longer worship God and Buddha! We only believe in ourselves! ”

A group of bitter haha respectfully saluted goodbye, and the cavalry soldiers who were ordered not to follow were extremely painful. I don't know if I should believe what I just said, and whether I should report it.

Li Kuancai doesn't worry about those things, he believes that after being tossed by his inconsistent words and deeds, the people will make their own choices. Among the thousands of people in the dozens of villages he encountered, although he could not find even a literate person, he never underestimated the survival wisdom of human beings. Especially the people who were once enslaved, the yearning for peace and freedom will make them make their own choices.

After the city of Wonju, the crowd gradually became dense. However, the few villages, dotted on the vast land, still seem thin and weak.

The age of agriculture is so sad, no matter how hard it is accumulated, a natural and man-made disaster can waste the hard work of generations. During the heyday of the Sui Dynasty, the country's population exceeded 13 million households. During the Wude Zhenguan period, there were only more than two million frightening households left. Even if there is a double of the hidden Ding and twice the number of escapes, such data is still creepy.

Yang Guang, a little expert in death, inherited the powerful Sui Dynasty. In order to provoke the family gate valve and unify the imperial power. I thought that it was enough to consume the strength of those thousand-year-old families, and then easily pinched it in the palm of my hand. Unexpectedly, his mind had already been seen through, and then his set was completely passed on to the people at the bottom.

Yang Guang's idea completely failed, not only failed to consume the strength of the family, but because the people at the bottom were unbearable to oppress, they made a lot of smoke and chicken feathers. The miserable Yang Guang could only go to Jiangnan to pretend to be a turtle.

Faced with the devastated thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, Yang Guang helplessly laughed at himself: "Who should cut off a good head?"

The famous traitor Yu Wenhua, who was pardoned by him several times, raised his hand: "Your Majesty, Weichen wants to try ......"

Later, this speculator who wanted to use the emperor's head for a better future for himself was cut off by Dou Jiande and used it to exchange some benefits for Jieli.

In just over ten years, the Central Plains has been full of smoke and misery. Not one in ten people remained, cities and villages were reduced to ruins, and fertile fields were once again barren.

Li Tang was also a speculator, but after all, he nominally unified the Central Plains and laid the foundation for the people of the Central Plains to resume their livelihood. Moreover, after Li Shimin came to power, he did realize his initial political retribution. No matter how many people he pitted in order to ascend the throne, judging from the fact that he became emperor, he was indeed more suitable than others.

Of course, Li Kuan knows how much this cheap dad values the power in his hands. For the sake of power, he did not hesitate to put down his body, endure being the prince's brother, endure the Jieli under the army, and endure the person Jing Wei Zheng who sprayed in front of him...... Later, those who were endured by him were all scolded by him for eternity.

But Li Kuan is not worried about this, because this paranoid father has an Achilles' heel: he wants to be the first emperor of the ages! For this title, he won the title of "The First Actor of the Ages". piggybacked, and also let the cheap old lady be the "first sage (shadow) queen of the ages".

has the reputation of killing and retreating with a single horse, plus killing Liang Shidu, recovering the jade seal of the country, and claiming back the exiled people, even if Li Shimin is unhappy with his status as the "reincarnation of the gods", he can only endure it. Not only will he endure, but he will also use this power to give himself the benefit of desperately.

When Li Kuan entered the territory of Sanyuan, he was very relieved to learn that some of the villagers who had returned to his hometown who had been helped by him were ready to set up an ancestral hall for him.