After inspecting the counties of Shanyang Prefecture, Zhao Xun and others came to Boping County again. Boping County is the northern defense line of Shanyang Province, and it is the first checkpoint to resist the southward invasion of the Tang army. In addition to Boping City, Zhao Xun also built two dock forts on both sides of Boping City, echoing Boping City.

The construction of the dock fort was still very fast. After all, no matter who knows, if the Tang army is allowed to kill him, no one will be able to escape from the land of Boping.

Looking at the men, women, and children outside Boping City, all holding hoes, dustpans, and baskets, digging and picking up soil around them, building walls, and building dock forts. made Zhao Xun have some thoughts of directly letting people go to the north to transport cement. Nowadays, most of the city walls are built with green bricks or boulders after the soil is laid inside the city wall, and the outside is wrapped with green bricks or boulders, of course, it is not impossible for the city walls to be built with boulders or green bricks, but the cost of that is too great, except for some heavy cities, ordinary places cannot afford it. However, if you use cement mixed with gravel, it is much faster, and you don't need to be afraid of rainwater soaking. Of course, with the quality of the cement in Zhao Xun's hands now, the city wall built may not be much stronger than the original, but after all, it is much faster.

It's a pity that this kind of thinking is just thinking about it in my heart, and I deliberately transported cement for the sake of these two dock forts? Not cost-effective. Not to mention that Zhao Xun can't directly expose the relationship between the Shanyang Army and the Xiaoguo Army now, even if the north governs the river, it also needs a lot of cement. Naturally, it is impossible to deliberately make cement for the sake of a small dock fort.

Therefore, Zhao Xun focused his attention on the surrounding villages and fields. Because the Tang army besieged Liaocheng and Boping for several months, and took the land of Liaocheng, the villages and towns around Boping were destroyed. Now, what needs to be done is to restore local production.

Riding a horse and walking along the township path, Zhao Xun watched the condition of the land outside Boping City. In fact, the soil quality of these lands is not bad, but due to the disrepair of water conservancy, inconvenient irrigation, and because of the war, the local people have fled to the city, and the fields have become barren. Of course, it is also related to the fact that many fields are occupied by large clans. These great tribes occupied the land, and would rather leave it barren than give it to the people. In addition, it is also related to the severe drought in the world in recent years, drought and lack of rain, agriculture depends on irrigation, where there is water for fertile soil, where there is no water for desert, the dependence on irrigation system is great.

In fact, there are not no rivers around this Boping, there are no big rivers, and there are many small rivers. After all, people need water wherever they live. Therefore, there are many rivers passing through the fields for miles and tens of miles. It is only because of the war that the water conservancy here has fallen into disrepair, so that the surrounding land has no water to irrigate, except for the proximity to the river, so that the original fertile land has become wasteland.

Zhao Xun is now in Zilin Town, thirty miles east of Boping City, of course, in the past, this should have been a big town, but now, I am afraid that it can only be regarded as a village. And the surrounding fields are also a lot of barren, but because of the New Deal, many fields have their own owners, and these owners have also begun to busy their fields.

Walking slowly along the road, you can still see the traces of the ditches that were originally built to irrigate the farmland, but now these ditches have been abandoned, and only the faint appearance of the ditches remains.

Looking at these abandoned lands, Ling Weizhong of Boping County, who accompanied Zhao Xun to inspect the situation around Boping, said with some distress: "Two adults, these lands used to be good and fertile fields, but now the capital is like this." It's a pity to be so wasted, if you can bring the river water here, you can turn these thousands of acres of wasteland into fertile land! ”

Looking at Wei Zhong who was distressed on the side, Zhao Xun looked a little sideways, after all, this Wei Zhong is also from a big family, so it would be a pity for these fields to arrive?

As if he understood the meaning of Zhao Xun's gaze, Wei Zhong said in a deep voice: "General, although the lower official is from a big family, he also relied on the fields to live in the past. For the sake of the people and for myself, I don't want these fields to become barren. In the past, our Wei family also dug many deep wells in Shizhu Town in the north for tenant irrigation. It's a pity that in the end, there were very few corresponders, and in the end, because of the attack of the Tang army, it was completely abandoned. ”

"If the two adults want to organize people and act in unison, the lower officials agree with both hands. Now there are also displaced people from the north, so they can support their families at that time. In addition, if these fields become fertile land, the income of my Boping County will be high, and I don't have to live a miserable life like now, waiting for the grain allocation from Shanyang Mansion. ”

Zhao Xun sighed lightly, the kind of deep masonry wells and water conservancy for irrigation that can be used for irrigation are not something that can be dug by casual people, and the manpower and material resources to be invested in it are huge. If it's just one place, it's all the fields that need to be irrigated.

Of course, if you let the government organize manpower to re-dredge and repair these canals, you can make this area a fertile land.

Zhao Xun glanced at Wei Zhong, calculated with Feng Ziming slightly, and said: "How long will it take to dredge the water conservancy of the entire Boping County, and how much will it cost?" Do you have a total number? ”

Wei Zhong estimated in his heart and replied: "If you want to divert water from the river and connect it to various villages and towns, it will take at least 5,000 manpower and at least 100,000 silver coins. However, if we add the matter of Boping taking in the homeless, it is feasible to use the homeless people as a worker. ”

Zhao Xun heard nothing, but Feng Ziming frowned slightly, paused, and said: "If it was on weekdays, it wouldn't matter, but now it's ......" Feng Ziming thought about it, but still didn't say much.

Zhao Xun understood that Feng Ziming had thought of entering Yanzhou Mansion and fighting against the Wuwei Army. By that time, the armies were at war and the logistical pressure was enormous. If Boping does any more infrastructure construction, it will bring heavier pressure to Shanyang Mansion.

Zhao Xun thought for a while and said, "That's it, let's start step by step, starting from a place with a large population." Let the people who have been allotted the land also contribute, after all, it is also for their good. As for the displaced people, they must be broken up and arranged, and they must not be gathered together. For those who are young and strong of unknown origin, we will move them to the southern counties, and we will send people here from among the displaced people from the south to the north. ”

Wei Zhong's heart moved, and said, "The general is worried about the Tang Army?" ”

Zhao asked: "Be prepared, it's better to prepare for everything in advance than to come to an end." Now the land of Yanzhou is in chaos, and we can't be careless. In this matter, I will let Wei Chen, the commander of the Zuodu, assist you. ”

Wei Zhong nodded and said, "Xiaguan understands!" As long as we can gradually dredge these barren fields into rivers and reopen some of them for cultivation, then there will be no shortage of food next year. "Boping is located in the front-line defense place, not to mention the people, that is, the army is stationed with 10,000 people, and the logistics of grain and grass are extremely heavy, but these need to be supplied by Shanyang Mansion, in addition, because of the war, the magistrate of Boping County also needs Shanyang Mansion to provide a large amount of food for it. If the fields in Boping County can be reclaimed and developed, it can also provide great help to the logistics of Shanyang Prefecture.

"By the way, in the future, we will set up inspection departments in various townships and towns to be responsible for local security, anti-theft, defense and other affairs. I don't want to see that between the townships and towns, it is still those big clans and some village elders who stubbornly make their own decisions. On our turf, what I need is total control. Master Wei, do you understand what I mean? Zhao Xun said in a deep voice.

Wei Zhong was stunned and said, "Xia Guan understands that Xia Guan is already preparing for this matter. ”

"That's the best! In addition, the household registration of all localities must be newly drafted, and those large households and the people in the county should be told that if there is no new-style household registration, any special circumstances in the future will be dealt with according to the enemy spies, and there will be no forgiveness! Zhao Xun said coldly, "I know that in the homes of the big clan and some people, there are many hidden households who have zài, and this situation is not allowed." But I found out that the punishment was severe! In addition, those who do not have a new-style household registration are not allowed to participate in the academies and scientific examinations run by the government. ”

Wei Zhong said in a deep voice: "When the lower official goes back, he will post a notice to announce this matter." ”

"This is clearly the code of conduct and policy in the territory of the Xiaoguo Army, and they are indeed a branch of the Xiaoguo Army, the overlord of the north. Although the clan has lost a lot of benefits, what is more important than saving one's life in the midst of turmoil and strife? Besides, as long as I rely on the Xiaoguo Army and do errands honestly, I can climb up sooner or later. Wei Zhong secretly thought in his heart, "However, what are they doing on their own?" Want to take Yanzhou? But why don't you just let the army of Xiaoguo go out, or reveal your identity? That's it, these things are not something I should think about, let's govern Boping County first. ”

After inspecting Boping County for a day and a half, the situation around Boping County was clearly inspected and arrived at the intersection of Boping and Siyang County. Of course, the two places intersect and are more than 80 miles away from each other, which is reserved as a buffer land. Besides, there are no people who want to live in a place where the two armies are fighting.

"Wei Zhong, on the two mountains in the northeast and west, repair two beacon towers! This is already the forefront of our army, and with the beacon tower, as soon as the Tang army moves, we will be able to know, and the rear will be prepared. Zhao Xun pointed to the two peaks and said to Wei Zhong.

Wei Zhong looked at the two terrains, nodded and said, "The lower official has received the order, and it won't take five days for these two beacon towers to be built!" ”