"What's so urgent?"

"Senior brother, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info I looked at this piece of land in our Dingbei County, it hadn't rained for more than a month, and the crops in the field had already been drought. We can't just rely on manpower to carry water and water the ground. "This is the time when the crops are growing, and if there is no rain for more than a month, the drought will be more severe, and it will definitely affect the harvest in the field. For more than a month, he ran outside every day, Li Deyi saw it in his eyes, was anxious in his heart, and his voice became louder unconsciously when he spoke.

Hearing this, Medical Officer Xiao Liu hurriedly stretched out his hand to cover his junior brother's mouth, and said in a low voice: "Don't make a noise about this matter, go, wait until you get to the master's place, and then discuss this matter." Don't shout loudly yet, lest the people listen to it and make people's hearts unstable. This year's food is the most important thing, and there must be no loss. Li Deyi closed his mouth tightly, glared and nodded, and rushed to the master with his senior brother.

When the brothers and sisters arrived at the master's courtyard, they didn't have time to salute as soon as they entered the house, so they talked about the matter first. As soon as the old doctor Sun heard this, he knew that this matter was not trivial, so Li Deyi hurriedly ran away again and invited the three generals.

After a while, the three generals arrived one after another, the Weibei battalion recently had a military training under the management of Medical Officer Xiao Liu, and Li Deyi, a farmer, was busy, and the three generals were actually rarely idle, and they all gained weight, and their complexions looked a lot better. The most comfortable is Mr. Li, he is old, and because he was seriously injured when he was guarding Dingbei County, he finally picked up a life before the ghost gate was closed, and he cherished this rare period of leisure, so during this period, he lived the most leisurely.

When the old doctor Sun saw that everyone had arrived, he glanced at the little apprentice, and after a while, Li De got up and told him again about the drought he had found when he walked between the villages below. The three generals are all experienced veterans, and of course they know how important food is to the Weibei camp now. What's more, they all survived the bitter days of starvation and cold in those years, and they are more concerned about food than anything else.

The most fatal thing is that this year's Weibei Battalion is in a critical year for the expansion of the army, and the grain harvest this year is extremely important, and it is even directly related to the future success or failure of the Weibei Battalion. When the three generals heard Li Deyi say that this year's grain production might be reduced by drought, they all immediately became nervous, and their hands unconsciously clenched the table tightly, and the green tendons on the backs of their hands flared up. There was no other nonsense, and several people immediately began to discuss countermeasures.

The six of them discussed urgently for a long time, and finally unanimously decided to immediately organize people to fight the drought, but the three generals were stunned at each other on what to do

Eyes. There's no way, I've been busy fighting and earning my life all day long, and I'm still having a hard time every day haha, I really don't have time to study this kind of thing like drought fighting. Old Medical Officer Sun mentioned a few words, but he was good at military strategy and had a little involvement in these agricultural affairs, but he was not good at it. Just when he was at a loss, Li Deyi opened his mouth.

"I think we should organize the military and the people to fight the drought together. I have been running around our county for more than a month, and I have figured out two ways. The first is to dig deep wells to fight drought, but for a while, we can't find so many craftsmen who know how to dig wells. Even if it is found, it is still interesting whether it will be possible to drill enough deep wells in a short period of time. Second, let's bring in ready-made water from elsewhere. The closest water source to us is the Qingyuan River in the north. But the Qingyuan River does not flow through our Dingbei county, but is closer to the grassland in the north, which is the territory of the Tuliao people, if only the people are sent to dig ditches to divert water, I am afraid that it will attract the Tuliao people to attack, so we must send soldiers and horses to protect the people who are working. ”

After Li Deyi finished speaking, he looked at everyone with his eyes, and saw that the master was looking at him with approving eyes, and the three generals also looked at themselves with a shocked face, seeing that they had stopped, and looked at themselves with their eyes, which was obviously expecting them to hurry up and say it.

Cheering himself up, Li Deyi continued: "Although this drought is a big test for our Weibei camp, I feel that this is also an opportunity. Haven't we been thinking about making these homeless people and the people of Dingbei County turn to us recently? If we do a good job in fighting drought this time, it will help us to grasp the hearts and minds of the people. We can't just let the people work hard in vain like the previous Pingzhou court, we have to pay them on time. Besides, I have also roughly estimated that now that the crops have been planted, there is not much work to be done in the field except watering. So this time, we can recruit 3,000 people at a time, and we don't have to worry about delaying the work in the field. This time, the people were recruited to dig ditches to divert water to fight drought, and each person was given a silver coin every three days, and he was in charge of one meal a day. ”

Han was used to living a poor life, and when he heard that he had to give money for recruiting people to fight drought this time, he was a little unhappy, and couldn't help but interject: "Three thousand people are strong, give a silver coin in three days, if you work for a month, how much does it cost?" Old money, you can help you do the math! Otherwise, we just need to have a meal, and the salary will be paid. At that time in the Qianping Zhou Dynasty, not only did they never give money, but they also didn't care about food, and even those lowly officials took the opportunity to extract money from the mouths of the people. ”

didn't expect that Mr. Qian didn't pay attention to his words, but said: "Didn't you listen to what the little medical officer said, this time we can take the opportunity to gather the hearts of the people in Dingbei County in our hands." Lao Han, are you living a stupid life, you can't tell which one is important? Don't mess around, little doctor, you go on, my old money thinks what you said is reasonable. Lao Han is a brainless rough man, so he knows that he is staring at that little money and living his poor life, so you don't pay attention to him. ”

"Everyone knows that when the Pingzhou court was still there, the people were conscripted to serve in forced labor every year. That's no money, no food, and if you slack off, you'll be whipped. This time, we sent troops to help the people fight the drought, not only to give them wages, but also to take care of a meal, which is a good thing that has never been done before. When the time comes, we will really send the wages to them, and compared with the court of the former Ping Zhou Dynasty, we are still worried that the people are not willing to us? As long as we have this popular will, if we want to recruit troops in the future, we can directly recruit from the good people of Dingbei County, and as for other benefits, there are countless others. ”

Speaking his thoughts in one breath, Li Deyi looked up at everyone's reactions.

Mr. Li took the lead and said: "My old Li is fed up with the days of wandering everywhere before, if I can take root and settle down in this Dingbei County, it would be great." Anyway, we have to spend a lot of money to fight the drought ourselves, and spending so much more money can make the hearts of the people here yearn for us, which is no cheaper. I totally agree with the little doctor's approach, and just do it. ”

Mr. Qian naturally nodded in agreement, and the two generals agreed, although Mr. Han felt sorry for the money, he had to nod his head in agreement. Not to mention Medical Officer Sun Lao and Medical Officer Xiao Liu, they fully agreed with Li Deyi's method from the beginning.

After the three generals left, the old medical officer Sun and Li Deyi discussed the details of recruiting people to dig a diversion ditch.

Li Deyi took the opportunity to say: "Although most of the people in our county are hardworking and capable, recruiting so many people, there may be that lazy scoundrel who takes the opportunity to sneak in and cheat on food and drink." It is important for us to recruit people to fight the drought this time, but it is even more important to win the hearts of the people in Dingbei County. Therefore, it is better not to punish such scoundrels, and we can find some skillful soldiers in the army to form a propaganda team to write down the names of those hard-working people, and publicize them everywhere to make a name for them. For those lazy scoundrels who get in to cheat and cheat money, and also raise their notoriety, when the time comes, they don't need to do it in Weibeiying, and the spittle of the villagers will be enough for them. When this work is done, these scoundrels and lazy people will be quietly picked up again, and the food in our Weibei camp will not be eaten for nothing. ”

As soon as Li Deyi said this idea, Old Medical Officer Sun naturally applauded and asked, "These skillful soldiers should have a name, what do you say they are called?" Li De didn't think about it for a while, and said: "It's okay to call it the art team, or the propaganda team." When the old medical officer Sun heard this, he laughed out loud: "The soldiers use martial arts to treat people. You don't use your hands, you move your mouth, and you use literature to govern people, you really look like a scholar, hahaha. The art team said it well...... "Master, it's not the skill that your old man said."

Doctor Liu next to him was also amused by his junior brother's words, and couldn't help laughing. The three of them discussed until the time of the lantern, and finally figured out the regulations for fighting the drought, and then Li De drafted the notice overnight and posted it early the next morning.

As soon as the notice was posted the next day, it immediately attracted a large number of people to watch, and for a while everyone on the street was talking. Originally, when the Pingzhou court was there, they were never given money to recruit them to serve, and they were required to bring their own tools. Now the notice says that this time the recruitment of people to dig the diversion ditch by hand will not pay the salary, but also take care of the meal. Such a good thing, everyone couldn't believe it for a while. Is there such a good thing in this world? This was the first reaction of the people and displaced people in Dingbei County after hearing the content of this notice. The people of Dingbei County, since they can remember, have lived for most of their lives, and the loess is buried to their necks, and they have never heard of such a good thing.

In the hearts of the people of Dingbei County, now that the Pingzhou court is gone, the county prince has long been out of sight, and in the face of this great drought, they can only carry their own water and endure hardship. I never thought about it, and I didn't dare to think that Weibei Camp actually picked up the burden of drought resistance. Not only did they pick up this burden, but they also had to pay their own money to organize everyone to fight drought, not only to pay for it, but also to take care of your meal every day. In the past, when the Pingzhou court was there, the county organized drought fighting, and it was all for you to work for nothing, not to mention, you had to bring your own meals. Those officials in the county are always looking for your stubble and squeezing some oil and water out of you. This comparison between the front and back is simply a heaven and an earth, and the people can't believe what they hear with their ears at all.

Next to the notice, a table was set up in Weibei Camp, and two people sat next to the table holding paper and pencils, asking those who wanted to sign up for the drought recruitment to come and register their names and leave their handprints. A total of fifteen notices were posted in the county, and fifteen tables were set up for registration.

There was a young and bold young man who came over and asked: "Why do you have to register your name and leave your handprint when you are recruiting workers to dig the aqueduct this time?" "As soon as Li De left the house this morning, he told them about this. So, whenever you encounter a similar issue. The soldiers of the Weibei battalion who were in charge of registration would reply seriously: "This is to leave a voucher, so that I can issue you a silver coin according to this voucher in the future." As soon as these words came out, they immediately caused a sensation among the people, and many people who were not willing to believe it at once immediately believed the statement on the notice, and stepped forward to report with a try-and-see attitude, and pressed their own handprints.

In two days, 1,500 people were recruited, and the remaining 1,500 people, Li Deyi and Master discussed yesterday that they would be selected from among the displaced people controlled by the Weibei camp. The people who worked were all recruited, and Medical Officer Xiao Liu took Minzhuang to take the first step and went to the Xiaoqing River in the north. This section of Qingyuan River in the north of Dingbei County belongs to the upper reaches of Qingyuan River, the water flow is small, according to the name of the local people, this section is called Xiaoqing River.

At home, Li De first gathered the carpenters of Weibei Camp and the homeless people who knew how to work as carpenters, and made 3,000 wooden plaques together1, each of which was engraved with a complex background pattern, and then divided into two pieces, "concave and convex". Both of them are written with the names of the people recruited this time, and the handprints they have made.

Li took the 2,000 foot soldiers of the Weibei Battalion out of the city early, set up camp in the section of Xiaoqing River closest to Dingbei County, and planted the banner of the Weibei Battalion. Qian led a team composed of some elite veterans and recruits, crossed the Xiaoqing River, and went deep into the grassland for a ten-day journey, in order to see if there were any tribal gatherings of the Tuliao people nearby, and if there were small tribes, they would be dispersed, and those who refused to leave should be wiped out on the spot, so as not to leave future troubles.

In fact, in these years, the Weibei camp has to go to the northern grassland every autumn to sweep once, and the small Tuliao tribes on both sides of the Jinshui River in the north have long been swept away, and the larger tribes have either gone away to other places, or they have gone to the east to defect to the Tuliao people. Qian always led his troops deep into the grassland, just in case. Now from Dingbei County to the north, all the way to the Jinshui River on the grassland, as long as the Yiren tribes in this area see the banner of Weibei Camp, they all flee in the wilderness, and they dare not make trouble at all, there is no way, those who dare to make trouble have already been wiped out.

At dawn on the third day, on the construction site next to the Xiaoqing River, Li De called all the recruited people together, shouted their names one by one to the front of the school platform, and asked them to press their own handprints on the wooden signs, and after comparing the previously registered handprints, they handed over the "concave" shaped wooden plate to this person. I was busy until noon, and finally handed out all 3,000 wooden cards. Li Deyi stood on the platform and said to these people: "In the future, when you receive wages, you will claim them by cards, and you will not recognize people, as long as the concave brand in your hand matches the convex brand in my hand, the salary will be issued immediately!" Keep this wooden sign when you go back! Lost or damaged by mistake. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences. It's almost noon now, and according to the rules that were promised at the beginning, you will have a meal first, and then go out to work after the next day! ”

Taking care of a meal before I even got to work is a good thing I've never heard of. After this meal, the recruited Minzhuang praised the rules of the Weibei camp as good and credible. The homeless people also had a great affection for Weibeiying, and some of the new homeless people even shed tears on the spot.

After eating, Li De took his own students, brought tools to these people, and then organized them to start work. Old Doctor Sun and a few old men with gray hair were already waiting here in Li.

In the past two days, the old doctor Sun has not been idle, and has visited the old people in the county who have participated in the river repair work of the Pingzhou court, and asked them to go out of the mountain to help repair the aqueduct. This matter is already beneficial to all the people in Dingbei County, not to mention that the old doctor Sun also gave a lot of gifts, so he naturally invited these old people out of the mountain. In the past two days, Dr. Sun took these old people to plan the location of the aqueduct, drew drawings, and marked the place where the construction would start with stones on the ground.

As soon as Li De came with Minzhuang, he started work vigorously. When the wages were settled for the first time three days after the start of work, the people received a silver coin from the handout, and they were happy. On this day, the pork in Dingbei County sells particularly well, and the two grain shops in the county are also rare to sell a lot of white noodles.

Those who had received a silver coin returned home happily, and immediately took it out of their pockets, slapped it loudly on the table, and asked the mother-in-law of the family to immediately go out to drink and buy meat, and buy half a catty of white noodles, and shouted that they should have a good meal today, so that the children could also see the meat. The spicy mother-in-law turned her face on the spot, and shouted angrily: "It's easy to get a silver coin home, and this will be spent?!" I'll tell you, don't think about it! The man who had been digging in the mud for a day immediately said with a smile: "Don't worry, listen to me." In the future, I will receive a silver coin every three days, and as long as I am not lazy, I can receive this money properly. It is estimated that when the work is finished, at least a dozen silver coins can be brought home. We haven't seen meat in our family for a long time, and the dolls are hungry, so you go buy some to satisfy your hunger, anyway, there are more than a dozen silver coins to receive in the future. When the pungent daughter-in-law heard this, she turned her anger into joy again, and went out into the street with the money.

When he was working these days, Li Deyi also began to publicize the skillful soldiers he found, and when he saw those who were working diligently and really making great efforts, he went up and asked for the names of the people, and then wrote them down on the paper.

At this time, the life of the common people was still very monotonous, and suddenly they heard someone singing the lyrics, and they all listened carefully. The people are also simple, and when they hear that they are singing about those who work hard, many people are also secretly holding back their energy in their hearts, and they begin to work hard, hoping that they can also be made up into the lyrics and sung everywhere. As for Li Deyi's words and phrases, they were just forcibly copied from the book given to him by the master, and then the names of the people were added to them, barely agreeing. But this is already very beautiful for the people who rarely hear the lyrics. Moreover, the rough and hoarse voices of the soldiers in charge of propaganda were in harmony with the fierce folk customs of the northwest. Therefore, these lyrics are very popular with the people, and within a few days, the people of the whole county will sing them. The Minzhuang and their families, who were included in the lyrics because of their hard work, didn't know which leg to take first when walking on the street these days, and they couldn't wait to jump and walk.

In the month when Weibeiying organized the people to dig canals to fight the drought, many major events happened in the world.

Not only was Weibeiying affected by drought, but since the spring of this year, not a drop of rain has fallen in the entire Shuangshui River and north of Zhongshencheng, and there has been a drought in various places. In order to prevent the reduction of grain production, the Weibei camp paid its own money and people to organize drought fighting.

The warlords in other places, the Jiedu envoys, and the strong are not as kind as the Weibei Battalion. They all have their own unique methods of fighting drought, and they have all regarded this drought as a great opportunity to expand their strength. In order to prevent themselves from starving because of the reduction in grain production, these powerful warlords took the opportunity to loot grain everywhere and cut their mouths. The war in the world is even worse because of this. Villages, towns, prefectures, and provincial capitals were breached, and the little food that kept the people alive was looted. In order to have a stutter and survive, young people were also forced to become soldiers of warlords everywhere.

After this great drought, the unlucky people are still only the ordinary people in the world. The powerful and powerful in various places, warlords, and jiedu envoys all took the opportunity to eat a lot of money. There are even several powerful people with more than 100,000 troops. Death, the people are miserable, miserable. Compared with them, the people of Dingbei County are probably the only healthy people in the world.

Taking advantage of this great drought to weaken the power of the local clans, the Shangjin Ho Ancheng garrisoned, and Li Sinai, with his own Li family's troops, finally preliminarily pacified the province of Shangjin. He has been operating for many years as early as Shangjin, and he has a good relationship with the local Haoqiang through marriage. Now take advantage of the trend, and it doesn't take much effort to have a province. Besides, Shangjin is the majority of the Li family, and there are branches of the Li family in various places, and they are all naturally easy to talk to. Shangjin Province, fertile fields for thousands of miles, millions of people, Li Si is to get this land, the future is limitless.

It was not until this time that Li Sinai, who pacified the Shang Jin, seemed to remember that he still had a son and a daughter who were protons in Luodu City, so he wrote a letter to inquire. This letter was obtained by Guo Erde, who was arranged by Medical Officer Xiao Liu, and it was sent to Weibei Camp in turn.

At this moment, the letter has been left intact and delivered to Li Xiuming. When Li Xiuming received the letter, although she tried her best to calm down, her white hands still trembled uncontrollably, and she tore it several times before tearing the skin. After being a stranger in a foreign country for a long time, when I received this letter, my mother's eyes naturally overflowed with tears because I missed my mother. Trembling and opening the letter, Li Xiuming read it carefully word by word.