In the main hall of the outer courtyard of the Shule Governor's Mansion, Li Siye frowned and listened quietly to the two of them.

The truth was much the same as he had guessed. The uncontrolled expansion of the herdsmen's livestock herdsmen in Shule Town and even in the surrounding prefectures has overwhelmed the limited area of pasture, and the fire in the forage field in the city has only made the contradictions and wounds more and more prominent, and also made the herdsmen's lives more cruel and difficult.

"How did you do it when you had a pasture like this that couldn't handle the expansion of the herd."

Pei Guoliang spread his hands and said: "What else can I do, I can only come forward by the Governor's Mansion and forcibly slaughter some livestock." In the cold winter, raw meat can be stored for a longer period of time, so there is not much waste. ”

"It's too simplistic and crude." Li Siye pinched his chin and said, "Actually, there is a better way." ”

When Pei Guoliang and Zhao Chongjun heard this, they both raised their eyebrows to express surprise, how is this possible? They have been half-farming and half-pasting people in Shule Town for several lifetimes, and they haven't thought of a better way to deal with it, you can just come up with a thought? What's in your brain?

"We'll talk about this later, and solve the current problem first." Li Siye put his hands behind his back and said, "Stop the slaughter, just kill those and forget it." The Shule Governor's Mansion had to produce a public notice, explain the situation to the entire Shule area, and post a conscription order, requiring all units and individuals that had hoarded pasture, including the Tang Army, to mobilize one-tenth of their own forage and rush to the aid of Shule City. Those who refuse to carry out the conscription order of the Metropolitan Government shall bear the consequences. ”

Pei Guoliang nodded solemnly: "I'll write a requisition order." ”

"Wait," Li Siye said to him again: "After the rescue forage is delivered, don't be in a hurry to distribute it to the herdsmen, first stock it up and estimate the quantity, and then order each family to report the number of cattle and sheep available, and distribute the grass according to the proportion." These actions should be fast, not muddy. ”

Pei Guoliang nodded: "I naturally know this, but now the cattle and sheep have been cut off, and I'm afraid I won't be able to wait for the grass to come." ”

"What's there to worry about!" Li Siye said categorically: "There are also many people in Shule City whose pasture has not been damaged at all, and they are also among the recruits, so let them provide some forage first. Until the relief fodder arrives in the rest of the country, the herders who have lost their lives are given a daily ration system. ”

"What is this one-day ration system?"

"It is the Governor's Mansion that distributes a small amount of pasture to the losing households every day to ensure that the existing sheep do not starve to death."

Li Siye solemnly arched his hand towards Pei Guoliang: "I also ask Pei Dudu to announce the results of our new discussion to the herdsmen to stabilize people's hearts." ”

"Why me?" Pei Guoliang asked, pointing to his chin.

"Of course it has to be you, you are the chief official of the Shule Governor's Mansion, and our Tang Army is only in charge of garrisoning and financial revenue, and we don't care about administration."

……

The herdsmen stood in a long line on the side street in front of the governor's palace, anxious and eager. The Tang army stood in front of them with spears.

The side door of the Governor's Mansion creaked open, and the herdsmen rioted briefly, pushing forward to ask what was going on. The soldiers held their guns across their hands and held them back.

"Go back! No noise! ”

Pei Guoliang walked in front of everyone under the support of several personal guards, raised his hands and said loudly: "Everyone be quiet!" After discussing it with Envoy Li, he had already thought of a solution. We will no longer slaughter your livestock, and we will send out notices to raise food and grass to help you tide over the difficult times! ”

"But what do we do now! Our cattle and sheep have stopped! What to eat without grass? ”

"The roof of my house has been stripped off, and all the thatch on the roof has been fed to the sheep!"

Pei Guoliang said loudly: "The Governor's Mansion will issue a small quota every day, and each family will send one person to collect it in front of the Cangcao Gate of the Governor's Mansion!" ”

Under Pei Guoliang's persuasion, the herdsmen dispersed. Li Siye also ordered Zhao Chongxuan to concentrate on the disposal of the carcasses of the livestock that had been killed, and nearly 5,000 dead sheep were piled up outside the sheepfold in the south of the city.

The affected herders have no intention of caring about the dead sheep, and the sheep that are alive and waiting to be fed are enough for them to be tired, and they are so distraught that they don't have time to think about the reason for the loss, but just hold on to what is left and are full of fighting spirit.

On the afternoon of the second day, Li Siye rode around the city, and due to the fodder panic caused by the fire, the whole city of Shule was in an anxious atmosphere. In front of the gate of the cangcao in the governor's mansion, the herdsmen pushing carts to get the grass pushed and made a noise, and each household received a very small part of the quota.

Pessimistic herders crouched in front of their homes and allowed their flocks to gnaw down the sheepfolds, and the hungry sheep began to gnaw at the walls of their dwellings. In the process of ramming the earthen walls of the city, grass stalks will be added to increase stability, and it has become an impeccable food at this moment. The hungry sheep licked the earthen wall with their tongues, pulled out the blades of grass mixed in it and gnawed them off, some of them swallowed the earth, and in an instant the wall collapsed, killing one of the sheep that could not dodge, and the remaining sheep crowded up and began to gouge from the adobe.

This scene is really a bit scary, if there is not enough pasture, if left unchecked, these hungry sheep will not eat the entire city of Shule.

Zhao Chongxuan rode a horse and followed behind Li Siye and said: "This is nothing, these docile beasts must be really hungry and thirsty, and even their eating habits can be changed, and their subordinates have seen the sheep eat the lambs and ewes after childbirth, which is more cruel than those carnivorous beasts." ”

He believes that Li Siye can not solve the current predicament, the reserves of winter forage in Shule are already scarce, even if he orders all Shule to carry out requisition, the collection can not solve the herdsmen's plight, it is only November, and until March next year, the new forage can grow, a full four months, how much forage is needed to fill this bottomless pit.

In his opinion, slaughtering is the best way to solve this winter's problem once and for all.

On the third day, under the high-pressure policy of the prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Governor's Office and the Tang Army, the grass mobilized from all over Shule began to enter Shule City.

As soon as the ox cart full of grass entered the cave gate, the herdsmen guarding the city gate rushed over, jumped on the ox cart and dragged the hay in bundles one by one, as agile as a humanoid monkey.

The Tang soldiers, who were escorting the forage, angrily drew their horizontal knives from their waists.

"Put it all down!"

"The Governor's Mansion disaster relief pasture, there are those who dare to rob, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

One herdsman argued: "Isn't this grass here to help us!" Isn't it for us! ”

"There is an order from the peak!" The officer raised his knife and said: "All the forage must be delivered to the Governor's Mansion, and the Governor's Mansion will distribute it uniformly. Don't make it difficult for us, everyone! ”

The herdsmen had no choice but to put the fodder back on the ox cart with their heads down, and obediently stepped aside, watching as the piles of grass were carried down the straight street to the Shule Governor's Mansion.

Although they were anxious, their hearts were at last full of hope, and the Governor's Mansion had collected fodder, which would sooner or later be distributed to them, and it would be enough for them to survive until the coming of tomorrow spring.

……