Changes can be seen everywhere in the base areas, and even the newly occupied areas have taken on a new look like spring.

In spring, the earth wakes up from the cold of winter, and the young shoots are drawn out from the old hawthorns that have been cut down by people.

They don't need to be cultivated manually, they grow under the caress of the wind and rain and the sun.

Everywhere is a sea of green that cannot be seen, set off with red, white, yellow, and purple ...... All kinds of wild flowers, a moist breeze blows, and the rich smell of pollen and grass goes straight to people's hearts.

No matter who you are, you will subconsciously open your mouth wide and breathe deeply, feeling intoxicated and refreshed as if you were drinking nectar.

"This is our field." The old grandson opened his small half-pulled padded jacket, pointed to a piece of cultivated land in front of him, and beckoned his family, "Come to 30 acres this year, and then apply for it next year depending on the situation." ”

As spring approached, the people began to claim land and start farming.

Farm tools and seeds are registered and distributed by the government, and the people can receive rations from the government at the rate of one pound of miscellaneous grains per person per day, which are considered to be borrowed from the government.

In the villages, the army was sent to help with farming, and some mules, horses, and livestock were also recruited to be used uniformly to improve production efficiency.

In short, the purpose of reducing or postponing all kinds of taxes is to give the people a period of relaxation, stabilize social order, and reduce the financial burden as soon as possible.

Of course, while the government has launched various policies to benefit the people, there are also various hard regulations. What crops to plant is decided by the government; For every 10 acres of land, half an acre must be planted with alfalfa, and after the alfalfa matures and dries, it will be used as this year's field endowment.

In the Juzhou area, ten acres must be planted with five acres of potatoes, and in the second half of the year, the whole base area will be promoted to plant and prepare resources.

Under such rigid regulations, not only could the people have food and clothing, but the reserve of war horse forage also began.

The standard of living is improving step by step. The government has done its best to eat well before eating well.

For the people of the newly reconstituted area, these policies are enough to relieve them from their suffering.

Having their own land is the greatest hope and dream of farmers.

And the peasants were precisely the largest social class of that era. The war destroyed the original order and ownership, and in the time of redistribution, the survivors naturally enjoyed the benefits of victory.

"It's not ours yet!" The old woman liked it in her heart, but she deliberately twisted it and said: "I borrowed it from the official government, and I have to pay taxes for several years, so this field will be returned to our family!" ”

"That's not that hard!" The old grandson glanced at the old woman and said, "Don't forget, we are military dependents, and now there are ten acres of land belonging to our family." The others don't pay much in taxes. ”

"Dad, I think our family has applied a little less." The boss looked around, saw the problem, and pointed and said: "I want to apply again next year, but it won't be a piece, maybe it will be arranged to a far place, and it will be troublesome to cultivate." ”

It is the government's unified plan to first transport important areas and the surrounding areas of large and medium-sized towns, and then gradually resettle them to remote areas.

You claim one, I claim one. Naturally, it is impossible to reserve vacant land around the field for later claims, and the boss is indeed right.

"Well, that can't be helped." Lao Sun shook his head, what kind of harvest this year is, no one knows what it is. If you want more, you will pay more.

Nothing can be perfect, so that the people have their land, and there is hope and hope for the restoration of life as soon as possible, and no government in history has done better than now.

You know, this is a policy that was introduced while the war was still going on.

It can also be seen from here that Meng Jiucheng's thinking on governance has completely changed, and he would rather delay the war than do a good job internally.

And his vision, his vision, his knowledge, often comes up with ways that others can't think of. Moreover, he thinks long-term and thinks scientifically.

For example, cotton is definitely not enough to protect against the cold in the past winter, and down jackets are produced as short-term warm clothing.

Why is it short-term, because Meng Jiucheng can't make high-end fabrics and can't solve the problem of drilling.

Well, for the people who are shivering from the cold, who will find fault with this? Even if the feather content is larger, it is not warmer than a single coat. What about later. There is more cotton, and it is still necessary to eliminate this unqualified "down jacket".

In addition to wearing, there is also the problem of eating. Whether fighting in cold regions or training with a lot of exercise, soldiers need high-fat, high-energy foods.

Even for the sake of improving people's lives, more meat is better. In times when food is not abundant. Duck farming, sheep farming, and fishing seem to be the lowest-cost sources of non-staple food.

But Meng Jiucheng was not satisfied with this, he had already set his sights on the bigger guy, and he didn't have to raise it himself.

Whaling, an activity that dates back to prehistoric times, when people in the Arctic used stone tools to hunt whales.

The Basque Country was one of the first Europeans to engage in commercial whaling, braving the wind and waves to travel long distances to the coast of Newfoundland and Iceland. Such a voyage across the Atlantic began as early as 1372. In the 17th century, both the Dutch and the English formed large whaling fleets.

Whales in Chinese waters are mainly found in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, with a small number in the Yellow Sea and less common in the Bohai Sea.

When the navy was established, or when the whaling fleet was jointly organized by merchants, Jeju Island and Ryukyu were used as bases to conduct training at sea and whaling operations on the other.

A whale has tons of meat, tons of fat, and even baleen and whalebone, which is very commercially valuable. But China's whaling has historically been very small, with only occasional hunting of cetaceans near shore.

Meng Jiucheng took a fancy to Jeju Island, if there was such a base. The whaling ship can then haul the killed whales to shore as quickly as possible for processing.

For example, whale fat is refined into oil, and whale meat is made into bacon, air-dried meat, and bacon. for long-term storage.

In fact, this idea is not far away, with the continuous investment in the navy, in another year or two, Meng Jiucheng believes that he will be able to eat whale meat as tender as veal.

In three years, with the mastery of whale-infested waters and the maturity of whaling technology, there will be more and more whale meat. Supplying the army first, and then entering the homes of ordinary people, is not an unattainable fantasy.

In fact, as far as the current war itself is concerned, the Jin army has no chance of winning. It is a matter of time before it shrinks to Henan. The Red Turban Army was facing the pressure of logistical materials, and the same was true of the Jin State, even more difficult than the Red Turban Army.

What Meng Jiucheng has to consider now is whether the Red Turban Army has the ability to heal the wounds of war and restore and rebuild the occupied areas after the Jin Army shrinks, so as to stabilize the place; On the one hand, face a more vicious enemy - the Mongolian army.

Judging from the current trend of financial operation, Meng Jiucheng is still very confident.

Maritime trade is growing, commercial taxes are increasing, arable land is expanding, and factories are building production.

As long as there are no unexpected situations, Meng Jiucheng believes that he has established a relatively reasonable operating mechanism and mobilized the enthusiasm of the people.

The increase in economic strength will lay a good foundation for upgrading armaments. For example, muskets, the barrel of which is made of wrought iron to make the most primitive arquebus, is already technically possible.

It's just limited to the speed of production, Meng Jiucheng focuses on the production of artillery, whether it is a flying thunder cannon, a meteor cannon, or a tiger squat cannon, supplemented by Wuhan Iron and Steel vehicles and infantry crossbows, in order to have an advantage in the current war.

In addition to equipment, in addition to training, in addition to the military academy that is being established, Meng Jiucheng also implemented a medal system in the army and gave medal recipients a fairly high social status.

If it is a real hero, it will usually be spontaneously admired and worshiped by the people, such as Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang, Yu Qian, and so on.

They are historical, eternal, and the spirit is eternal. Their existence will form a kind of value values and morality, which will lead to the tendency of the social value system.

In the war years, propaganda of heroes is necessary and deserved, this is a political mission, and it is also the demand of the times. Through recognition, awards, and publicity, its social impact is also immeasurable.

But in feudal society, heroes mostly had to consider another factor, rank and position. In other words, there are very few heroes from the bottom of society, or from a lowly position.

Therefore, when the first batch of soldiers were awarded the "Silver Medal of Loyalty and Courage of the Third Class" by Meng Jiucheng, and it will be hyped through the official media, so that their popularity among the people will suddenly rise to almost generals, the sensational effect will inevitably occur.

The highest position is a banner officer named Tang Zhong, and the rest are just big-headed soldiers, but it is these grassroots who were once as unknown as thousands of soldiers, and the image of brilliance and courage has been established at once.

And this kind of "grassroots" hero from the bottom can be more accepted by the common people and the vast number of officers and soldiers, and has been widely recited and unanimously praised by the whole society under the impetus of the official.

According to the regulations, the "Medal of Loyalty and Bravery" is divided into three levels, of which it is divided into gold, silver, and bronze, the gold is for senior generals, and the silver is for middle-level officers.

Moreover, whether it is gold, silver or bronze, as long as you reach the third level, you can lead the salary for life.

In other words, Tang Zhong and others are retired as civilians even now. Not to mention the distribution of gongtian, relying on military salaries alone, you can also have no worries about food and clothing, and you may even be able to support your family.

Of course, the treatment is good, but the honor is even more exciting.

"In order to reward Tang Zhong and others for their bravery, a 'Third-Class Silver Medal of Loyalty and Bravery' was awarded."

Meng Jiucheng personally awarded the medal, and before the westward advance, the meaning of encouraging the soldiers could not be more obvious.

"Your courage in the face of death is really a model in the army, and I hope you can make persistent efforts to bring glory to our army."

"Marshal Xie, the villain is waiting to knock on you......" Tang Zhong's experience since he was born suddenly prevailed again, and he subconsciously bent his knees. Then you will kneel down and kowtow in thanks.

"Yuan ...... The marshal ...... "The other soldier was wrapped in a cloth on his head, and only one eye remained, and his voice trembled so much that it was almost out of tune, and he put the medal on his chest with his left hand, and said in a stumbling voice: "The little one should carry it every day, and wear it outside the armor, so that everyone can see it!" ”

"As it should be." Meng Jiucheng smiled and nodded.

After putting the silver medal on Tang Zhong and the others, Meng Jiucheng took two steps back, and the first one began to applaud, and the generals behind him also began to applaud and shout.

Thousands of officers and soldiers on the ground. They all held their weapons in their arms, and slapped their palms loudly. Whether it is an officer or a lowly-ranking soldier, they also look forward to the day when they can receive such an honor in public.

And the precious medal was thus awarded to a few obscure low-ranking officers and soldiers, and in their opinion, this ideal was not unattainable.

"In addition, in the place where the warriors of our Red Turban Army fought or buried their bones, they must erect monuments and build shrines, so that every martyr will be famous in history. Remembered by future generations, the spring and autumn deserve to enjoy the sacrificial ......"

The living have honor, and the dead must also be remembered.

At this point, Meng Jiucheng is still doing a very good job. The local governments have already received an edict, and only when the finances are a little more abundant, monuments and shrines will be erected, and they will become places for people to remember the martyrs and feel the hard-won stability.

The war is destined to end, but what to remember, what to reflect on, what to admire...... Could it be that the sacrifices of countless Han family sons and daughters will not leave anything but a testament?

Not only the soldiers who fought on the battlefield and shed blood and sacrificed, but also thousands of ordinary people, with their labor and dedication, gathered into a powerful force to support this war.

Praise the people, who are the creators of history and wealth; Trust these ordinary people, they are the strong backing of the army and the country; Ask your elders for help, and if you can get their support, you will be invincible!

Although Meng Jiucheng didn't say that, he thought so and was doing it.

"Meng Shuai." Wang Min stroked his beard and said appreciatively: "After this award, the morale of our army is high, and this westward advance is bound to be a victory." ”

Meng Jiucheng smiled and said, "I am the most relieved to have Wang Junshi praise the painting with the army." ”

Wang Min shook his head and said humbly: "With the equipment of the Red Turban Army, this strategy is secondary. In addition, Meng Shuai also grasped the timing of this westward expansion. Liu Erzu will be defeated but not defeated, the Jin army is firmly contained, our army will not encounter a strong enemy, how can it be unwinnable? ”

If you are not defeated, you are about to lose. Meng Jiucheng felt that his judgment would not be wrong, although because the news was transmitted slowly and the information was not accurate, he did not know what was going on now.

"As long as our army can occupy Qingshi Pass, the goal has been achieved, and it is already a victory." Meng Jiucheng was still a little uneasy, and asked: "As for expanding the results, it will be a matter of the second half of the year. ”

The Jin Army's operations have already shown the characteristics of lack of stamina, and it is necessary to take a break after fighting a battle. It is not only the replenishment and recuperation of personnel, but more importantly, the procurement of materials.

Wang Min nodded and said, "My subordinates understand. Occupy the Qingshi Pass and do not continue to go deeper. ”

…………