Then he said: "The reason why I arranged it this way is that there are not many people available under my command, and secondly, this cavalry is mainly composed of soldiers from the fifth battalion of the Gezuo, who have been fighting for many years and are familiar with cavalry tactics, and arranging Ma Bo to lead them can stabilize the team. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 Of course, this is only a temporary arrangement, and it will change as the situation changes. As for fearing that they will cause trouble, I am prepared. ”

The heart of defense is indispensable, he has already installed the original volunteers in the cavalry corps and the third corps, as long as Ma Bo and He Yilong and others have bad deeds, they will be unceremoniously taken.

"Guohua, if you think about it like this, you can't say that it's inappropriate, it's just that so many people have to eat and drink every day, and they have to pay military salaries, how can you maintain such a big expense?" Xiong Wencan asked.

"That's why I'm here to find an adult." Zhao Guohua said with a smile.

Hearing his words, Xiong Wencan hurriedly said: "Guohua, the old man is also poor, more than 100,000 people under his command are pointing to the old man to pay salaries, to eat and drink, you have made a great contribution to the old man, the old man can't treat you badly, and he will provide you with 10,000 taels of silver every month, and more will not work." ”

In order to implement the strategy of "four positives, six corners and ten sides of the net", Yang Sichang transferred 140,000 troops and increased the salary by 2.8 million taels. Although he still has a large amount of silver in his hand, it was privately given by Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and others, and it belongs to Xiong Wencan's own private property, and he will not use his own money to fight for the imperial court.

"My lord, to be honest, this little bit of silver is not enough for our army's food expenses." Zhao Guohua smiled bitterly.

"10,000 taels of silver, not enough for your food? Is this true? Xiong Wencan asked in surprise, and Liu Wencai also looked at Zhao Guohua in surprise.

Looking at the two of them, Zhao Guohua said: "My soldiers have a salary of one tael or two cents a month, eat rice and white flour steamed buns every day, and eat meat twice a month, and each time they eat no less than a big bowl of meat, so that a soldier needs to spend at least two taels of silver a month." The whole army has to pay at least 200,000 taels a month for training and logistics."

"Huh? Your expenses are too scary, like you, the old man can't last for three months. Xiong Wencan smacked his lips and said.

With a faint smile, Zhao Guohua said: "My lord, my biggest expense is food, so I plan to grow my own food and eat it myself." ”

"The idea is good, but there are many mountains around Dabie Mountain, and the land is barren, even if you grow grain, there is not much harvest, how can you grow and eat yourself?" Xiong Wencan asked with concern.

After a pause, Zhao Guohua said: "My lord, have you heard of potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes?" ”

"Potatoes? Corn? Sweet potato? What is this? What does it look like? Liu Wencai asked curiously.

"This is what it looks like...... Zhao Guohua said to the two of them with a gesture The shape of the three crops of potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes.

After Xiong Wencan and Liu Wencai listened, they thought carefully for a while, Xiong Wencan shook his head regretfully, but Liu Wencai looked thoughtful. After a while, Liu Wencai said: "I am from Anhui, in our hometown, I have seen the corn that Brother Guohua said, this thing is indeed resistant to barren land, but I heard that this thing does not taste very good, so it is only occasionally planted." ”

Hearing this, Zhao Guohua didn't understand why he said that corn didn't taste very good, there were more than ten varieties of corn in later generations, such as sweet and crispy corn, waxy corn, fruit corn, etc., he hadn't eaten corn for a year and a half, thinking of the sweet and refreshing taste of fruit corn, he still swallowed his saliva. But looking at Liu Wencai's serious appearance, it doesn't look like a lie.

After thinking about it, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind and he understood the crux of the problem. The corn of later generations has been improved for hundreds of years, so the taste is so good, and at this time, corn has just been introduced to the Ming Dynasty, and it has not been improved, so the taste is naturally not as good as that of corn in later generations.

"People can't eat it, but animals must be okay if they eat it." Zhao Guohua said. He knows that corn is also a good feed, and cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens like to eat it.

After hearing this, Liu Wencai said with a smile: "Brother Guohua, since you said so, then I will go to a letter and ask the people in my hometown to inquire for you, and I will inform you as soon as there is news." ”

"Then thank you, sir." Zhao Guohua said happily.

Instead, he said to Xiong Wencan: "My lord, these things are not original to my Ming Dynasty, they are all brought back by maritime merchants, I want to ask you to recommend a few maritime merchants to me, I want to send someone to Fujian to contact and buy seeds for these crops." ”

"No problem. The old man can still help with this little thing. Xiong Wencan said with a smile, then sat behind the desk, took out a piece of stationery, picked up a pen and wrote.

Xiong Wencan quickly wrote the letter, read it, dried the ink, sealed the letter, handed it to Zhao Guohua with a smile, and said: "Guohua, after your people go to Fujian, hand the letter to Chen Sihai, the largest maritime merchant in Fuzhou, and Chen Sihai will try his best to help you after seeing the letter." ”

Hearing this, Zhao Guohua was overjoyed, he bowed down and said respectfully: "Thank you for your kindness, but in the future, when you have a prosperous day, you will not forget the kindness of your lord." After that, he took the letter and was about to leave.

"Guohua, please stay." Xiong Wencan stopped him

Turning around, Zhao Guohua looked at him and asked, "What else do you have to say?" ”

Haha laughed, Xiong Wencan said: "Guohua, I know you are busy, you rarely come here, just accompany the old man to have a few drinks before leaving." ”

"This ...... I won't delay the affairs of adults......" Zhao Guohua said inquiringly.

Liu Wencai said with a smile: "Brother Guohua, since the adults sincerely invite, you can stay and have a few drinks with the adults." ”

"The elder gave it, and he didn't dare to resign. Then disturb the adults," Zhao Guohua said, and laughed.

In the back hall of Xingyuan, the wine and dishes are quickly arranged, thick sauce seafood wings, oolong tea fragrant shrimp, chicken stewed vermicelli, chicken stewed vegetarian chicken, tea fragrant stewed pork belly, juicy cowboy bones, rich family portrait, steamed large yellow croaker, a radish pork rib soup, wine has bamboo leaves and green jujube set wine, Xinghuacun Fenjiu three kinds.

"Pour the wine." Xiong Wencan instructed a few maids.

After pouring the wine, the three of them began to drink.

"Good wine! Wine! Sure enough, it is worthy of Xinghua Village Fenjiu" After taking a sip of Fenjiu, Zhao Guohua praised repeatedly.

Xiong Wencan twisted his beard and said with a smile: "Guohua, do you know the allusion of this Xinghua Village Fenjiu?" ”

"I don't know, but please give me advice." Zhao Guohua said with a smile. He really didn't know that the allusions to this Xinghua Village Fenjiu were in later generations, all kinds of wines, famous wines, national wines, etc., there were so many of them, he couldn't remember the names of so many wines, not to mention the allusions to wine.

"I don't dare to give advice, I just think it's to help the wine." Xiong Wencan said with a smile.

Liu Wencai said with a smile: "I know that adults are erudite, and I will have a long time to see when I say it." ”

"Fenjiu comes from Xinghua Village, Fenyang County, Shanxi Province, and is a Daqu fragrant liquor, which is famous for its clear and clean, elegant and pure, sweet taste, long color and fragrance. Fenjiu has a long history, 1100 years ago during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Fenjiu as a palace liquor was highly respected by Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and was recorded in the history of the Twenty-fourth, making Fenjiu famous in one fell swoop. According to the "Book of Northern Qi", the great poet Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty "borrowed to ask where the restaurant is, and the shepherd boy refers to Xinghua Village" The eternal swan song of Xinghua Village and Fenjiu made Xinghua Village and Fenjiu famous all over the world, and women and children knew it. "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty", "Beishan Wine Classic" by Zhu Yizhong of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Wine Spectrum" by Dou Ge, "Wine Name" by Zhang Nengchen, "Wine History" by Song Boren of the Yuan Dynasty, and "Wine" by Wang Shizhen of this Dynasty all have records about the fine wine of Xinghua Village. Xiong Wencan said with a smile.

Then, Xiong Wencan pointed to Zaoji wine and said: "This Zaoji wine also has a great origin, Zaoji Town is a famous traditional wine town, and it is the birthplace of Lao Tzu, the originator of Taoism." Its wine-making history is long, it can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the wine produced was designated as "palace tribute wine" by Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong, and there are beautiful sentences of "God-given famous wine, earth-given famous springs, jujube collection wine, and the name is worthy of it". The Confucian patriarch Confucius asked the Taoist patriarch - Lao Tzu, Lao Tzu offered the wine brewed by the jujube set to entertain Confucius, and Confucius left the ancient saying that "only the wine is immeasurable and chaotic" after drinking. Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng in the auspicious fu seven years in Luyi worship Lao Tzu, overnight in front of the old monarch "Mingdao Palace", drink jujube set wine before thinking big, ordered to write down the "congenital queen mother praise monument" standing in front of the Taiqing Palace, and ordered the local tribute of 20,000 catties of jujube wine every year for the use of the court. ”

After listening to Xiong Wencan's introduction, Zhao Guohua praised with a smile: "The adults are erudite, and even the allusions to this wine are easy to come by, and I really admire the lowly position." ”

Haha laughed, Xiong Wencan twisted his beard and said: "It's just a small skill of carving insects, it's not worth mentioning, it's not worth mentioning." After speaking, he said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, you love to drink bamboo leaf green wine, this bamboo leaf green is up to you." ”

"Since the adults let me say it, then I will be ugly." Liu Wencai said with a smile.

After a pause, Liu Wencai began to say: "Zhuye Qingjiu has enjoyed a good reputation since ancient times. At that time, it was a blend of rice wine and bamboo leaves. Emperor Xiao Gang of Liang Jianwen has the verse of "Lan Shame Recommends, Bamboo Wine is Clear", and the Northern Zhou Dynasty writer Yu Xin has the poem "Two Springs Clutch" poem: "Three Spring Bamboo Leaf Wine, a Song of Kun Chicken Strings". "Water Margin" wrote: "Ximen Qing said...... That wine was given to me by a minister." It can be seen that bamboo leaves have become the imperial wine of the palace a long time ago. Zhuye Qingjiu and Fenjiu are both produced in Xinghua Village, Fenyang, the color of the liquor is golden and transparent with a slight green, with a unique aroma formed by Fenjiu and medicinal herb infusion, aromatic and mellow, sweet and slightly bitter in the mouth, mild, no irritation, endless aftertaste. ”