After the New Year, there was another heavy snowfall in Guanzhong, which made all parts of Guanzhong become a snow-capped world again, although the river froze and the land solidified, but these unfavorable factors could not stop the enthusiasm of the people of Guanzhong to build water conservancy, and groups of peasants could be seen everywhere on the land of Guanzhong dredging the river, digging canals, and huge waterwheels were also standing up by the river.

On this morning, on the official road south of Xianyang City, a team composed of 2,000 cavalry drove from a distance, the banner in the team was waving, the momentum was magnificent, and there was a huge carriage in the ranks, under the strict escort of the cavalry, slowly moving on the official road.

In the carriage sat Liu Jing, the king of the Han Dynasty, and his son Liu Zhi, who made a special trip today to inspect the progress of the winter repair of farmland and water conservancy, as a matter of fact, the construction of farmland and water conservancy began after the harvest last autumn.

After the Han State captured Guanzhong, it attached great importance to the agricultural construction of Guanzhong, and dredged the almost deserted Zhengguo Canal in the year of Chang'an, the capital of Dingdu, and successively invested a lot of manpower and material resources, and carried out a comprehensive repair and transformation of the old irrigation system in Guanzhong every year, these efforts were not in vain, Guanzhong almost every year obtained a bumper grain harvest, and even in the 20-year drought of Jian'an, which was not encountered in a century, Guanzhong also defeated the drought demon by virtue of the advantages of water conservancy, and kept the grain output.

The people of Guanzhong have tasted the sweetness of building water conservancy, and less than half a month after the New Year, another wave of water conservancy construction has set off on the land of Guanzhong.

Liu Zhi sat in the carriage and silently watched the farmland and the busy people by the river in the distance through the window.

He is only thirteen years old this year, but he has a maturity and thinking that his peers do not have, which he slowly formed in the two years of getting along with the Xiangguo, and he knows the profound meaning of the country people-oriented, which does not refer to all the people in general, but specifically refers to the yeoman farmers, who grow food and pay taxes, so that the country can be strong, so that the Han society can be passed on from generation to generation.

He can understand the importance that his father attaches to agriculture in his bones, and many people are because his father prefers businessmen, but he understands that businessmen are just a kind of political tools of his father, and farmers and agriculture are the foundation of the country that his father values.

"Zhi'er seems to have something on her mind?" Liu Jing sat on the side and asked with a slight smile, from the time he got in the car to now, his son has hardly said a word.

Liu Zhi hurriedly bowed down and said: "The child has no worries, the child is just thinking, seeing that the war is imminent, why didn't my father inspect the barracks to boost morale, but instead came to inspect the water conservancy?" ”

"And do you think of why?" Liu Jing asked with a smile again.

Liu Zhi nodded silently, "The child has already realized a little." ”

"Then tell your father what you have in mind?"

"The child felt that his father was actually thinking about reconstruction after the war, and that his father's thoughts had already crossed the war."

Liu Jing was a little interested, "Keep talking!" ”

"After the end of the war, a large number of displaced people will gradually return to their homeland, the population of Guanzhong will decline, if the population loss is too much, it will inevitably affect the agriculture of Guanzhong, in this case, only perfect and powerful water conservancy facilities, can make up for the impact of population decline on agriculture, for example, a person can only plant fifty acres of land, but the water conservancy is perfect, a person may be able to plant a hundred land, I don't know if the child is right?"

Liu Jing was surprised, his son actually had such a deep idea, was this the idea of a thirteen-year-old boy?

"Did you think of it yourself?"

"Half yes, half not, when the Xiangguo held a meeting in the political hall, they mentioned that the problem of population return in Guanzhong will affect the agriculture of Guanzhong, so the child thought that the development of farmland and water conservancy may be a countermeasure."

Liu Jing nodded and said, "Although you are not comprehensive, I am really pleased that you can think so far-reaching." ”

"Then can the father sue the child, what else did the child not think of?"

Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Actually, you are thinking too complicated, war is important, agriculture is equally important, my father came to inspect water conservancy today, it doesn't mean that my father won't inspect war preparedness, in fact, I came out to inspect today, the focus is not on water conservancy." ”

"It's about the child!" Liu Zhi suddenly understood.

Liu Jing touched her son's head pitifully, "You're right, I came out to inspect for my father today, in fact, I want you to care about farmland and water conservancy." ”

"The child understands, the child should come out and inspect it himself."

"That's not necessary, you can follow the prime ministers to inspect in the future."

The father and son were talking, when the carriage slowly stopped, and Li Qing, the leader of the guards, rushed up and said, "Your Highness, it's here!" ”

Liu Jing looked out the window of the car, the carriage stopped in front of a farmland, hundreds of miles away was a small river, there were many peasants gathered by the river, there were thousands of people, including more than a dozen officials.

Liu Jing nodded, took his son's hand and smiled, "Let's go!" ”

The father and son got out of the carriage, and at this time, two officials ran from the river, bowed and saluted: "See Your Highness!" ”

These two officials, one of them is Ma Jun, the commander of the ordnance superintendent, and the other is Song Nan, the Ministry of Industry, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Has it started?" ”

"Back to Your Highness, I've already tried it once, and I'll wait for Your Highness to officially open it."

"Then let's go check it out!"

Liu Jing's father and son walked through the ridge under the escort of hundreds of guards, and walked quickly towards the river, Liu Zhi was still confused, he didn't know what his father took him to see? It seems that it has been planned for a long time.

Soon, he saw a long and narrow waterwheel beside the river, which was very different from the one he usually saw, and seemed to be more narrow and light, like a probe drawing water from the river.

Liu Jing waved his hand to the people around him, said hello, walked to the waterwheel again, patted the waterwheel and said with a smile: "Is this the keel waterwheel made by Ma Gong?" ”

Ma Jun hurriedly said: "It's it, but Weichen is just improving." ”

At this time, several old farmers who participated in the experiment next to him said excitedly: "Your Highness, there is more than improvement!" In the past, a waterwheel required at least a dozen adults to push and draw water, but now this waterwheel can be operated by a seven or eight-year-old child, saving a lot of manpower. ”

Liu Jing saw that the ice in the river had been broken, so he smiled and said, "You might as well operate it!" ”

Ma Jun hurriedly found a little girl who could operate, about ten years old, and said to him, "Let's start!" ”

The little girl was light, quickly climbed onto the waterwheel, held the railing with both arms, and began to step on it, and soon, the waterwheel began to move, and countless farmers were nervously looking around, and suddenly someone shouted: "The water is out!" ”

I saw the river water gushing out of the waterwheel, as the little girl moved faster and faster, and more and more water came out, the river gurgled into the ditch between the ridges, and thousands of people around immediately cheered.

Countless farmers jumped with excitement, and no one could better understand what it meant than them, a little girl could operate a waterwheel, how much labor could be saved! It will solve the problem of water use in the farmland as much as possible, which is also the problem that bothers them the most.

The little girl trampled for a quarter of an hour, not tired at all, Liu Jing smiled at her son Liu Zhi and said, "Do you want to give it a try?" ”

Although Liu Zhi is more mature than his peers, after all, he is a teenager, he is also full of curiosity about new things, he has been watching the little girl's movements, and found that the operation is actually very simple, the key is to pay attention to body coordination, there will be no problem, even if he steps into the air, his arms are also supported on the railing, he nodded, "The child is willing to try!" ”

Hearing that the prince of Han was going to step on the waterwheel, countless people around him exclaimed, Ma Jun wanted to dissuade Liu Jing, but Liu Jing waved his hand, "Let him experience farming, it won't be harmful." ”

At this time, more and more peasants came from all directions, more than 10,000 people, and the banks of the small river were full of dense crowds, all of whom originally came to see the new waterwheel, but at this time they were attracted by the prince of Han.

I saw a young man deftly climb on the waterwheel, Liu Zhi has followed the guards to learn martial arts for the past two years, and his body is much stronger than before, both toughness and dexterity are far better than ordinary teenagers, which is also the reason why Liu Jing is relieved to let him step on the waterwheel, he knows his son's details, and several guards who want to help Liu Zhi saw that he was very flexible and did not need help, so he retreated.

The little girl standing on the waterwheel smiled, "Let me teach you, is it okay?" ”

Liu Zhi nodded, he learned from the little girl to step on the pedal with both feet and put her arms on the wooden railing, "Step on it slowly like this, don't start fast, right.... Slow down, right! That's it. The little girl patiently taught him.

The two stepped together, the waterwheel began to spin, gradually increasing the speed, Liu Zhi slowly became proficient, the faster he stepped on, the river flowed out of the tank in a hurry, and tens of thousands of people around him resounded with cheers again.

Liu Jing laughed, the prince personally stepped on the waterwheel, it will inevitably become a beautiful talk, he hopes that his son can be more deeply involved in agricultural labor, Liu Jing turned around and beckoned Li Qing, the leader of the guards, to call forward, and whispered to him: "After the spring plowing begins, the prince will also participate, and arrange the guards to take care of him." ”

"Your Highness, rest assured, the lowly will personally take care of the prince!"

Liu Jing nodded, but unfortunately it was time for him to go on the expedition again, he looked up at the gray sky, today is the fifteenth day of the first month, and in ten days, early spring will come.