It's three months.

It's about to be autumn.

At the end of the dynasty, natural and man-made disasters alternately came, making the people miserable. The imperial court was already in extreme decline, the people were already extremely poor, and the natural disasters made it impossible for more people to survive, so more people rose up, forming a vicious circle. So the dynasty collapsed, and it couldn't hold on.

Since the summer, there has not been a drop of rain for two months, the fields are dry, and the people are panicking. This incident gave Cao Mengde quite a headache.

Even if Cao Mengde's political ability is ninety-nine, even if Chen Gong is also a first-class strategist, he is helpless in the face of natural disasters.

On this day, Cao Mengde called left and right and asked, "What is Mr. Zhao doing these days?"

During this time, Cao Mengde was busy reassuring people's hearts, although Zhongmu was only a place for him to settle down temporarily, and Cao Mengde could completely turn a blind eye, but it was not. He's here, and he's going to do what he can, after all, he has a big heart. I didn't have time to go to Zhao Yu's house.

Left and right: "I only heard the jingling in Mr. Zhao's courtyard, and I don't know what I was doing." ”

When Cao Mengde heard this, his heart couldn't help but turn a few times, and he planned to go to Zhao Yu's house to have a look.

It happened that Chen Gong came to see him.

"Ming Gong, the land outside the city is cracked, the grains will be harvested but dried to death, the people are howling, heaven and earth should not, what can be done?" Chen Gong, as the head of Zhongmu County, tried his best to maintain the city. Although he was still in the midst of war and couldn't take care of it too far, he didn't give up around the city.

Cao Mengde sighed: "Is there an eyebrow for the matter of diverting water from the big river?"

"Far water does not quench the thirst of the near. Chen Gong shook his head: "What's more, it is not easy to attract the water of the great river. If you want to make a water conservancy, you have to work for several years. For the sake of today's plan, we still want to find a way to purchase grain from Jizhou and Xuzhou to temporarily appease the people. Otherwise, the people will not reap the harvest, and I am afraid that it will be..."

Cao Mengde lamented: "How difficult the people's livelihood is!"

Then he said: "You and I sent a message to Wei Zhen, so that he could quickly bring back the grain, and continue to buy it, the more the merrier." ”

"Yes, Ming Gong. ”

"In addition..."Cao Mengde pondered for a moment: "If the water source is scarce, the people must be summoned to dig a few more wells, so as not to have enough water." ”

"Wow. ”

"I'm glad you're sorry, Gongtai. ”

Chen Gong smiled: "This public platform is also lucky. ”

After saying that, he was about to deal with the matter, but Cao Mengde stopped him and said to the county officials who were accompanying him: "You have heard what I said to the public station, and go down to act, I still have important things to do with the public station." ”

"Wow. ”

When the county official went, Cao Meng dragged Chen Gong and said, "Let's go, go to Mr. Zhao's place, and ask him if he has any ideas." ”

When the two of them arrived outside Zhao Yu's courtyard, they heard the clanging in the courtyard, and they didn't know what Zhao Yu would do again.

The two glanced at each other, Cao Mengde quietly pushed open the courtyard door, walked in to take a look, and saw Zhao Yu wearing a short coat, rolling up his sleeves, holding tools in his hand, and knocking on a huge wheel-shaped thing.

Zhao Yu saw the two of them come in, put down the tools in his hand, and said, "Which door don't knock?"

Cao Mengde grinned: "I, Cao Mengde, am also." ”

"I knew it was you. ”

Zhao Yu smiled and greeted Chen Gong: "Brother Gongtai is also here." ”

"You've come just in time. Zhao Yu said again: "I have almost finished this thing, and I am planning to invite Brother Meng De to take a look." ”

Cao Mengde and Chen Gong raised their heads and looked at the wheel-like object that was two or three feet high, with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Cao Mengde asked, "What is this?"

Zhao Yu invited the two of them to sit down at the stone table on the side, and then said slowly: "It is said that the Han Dynasty declined to eunuchs, naturally, there are eunuchs. But among the eunuchs, there are not no powerful characters. ”

The two listened inexplicably.

Zhao Yu said with a smile: "There was Cai Lun papermaking before, and many readers benefited from it. My waterwheel, the prototype of which also comes from eunuchs. ”

"Oh, the waterwheel?"

"Yes. Zhao Yu said with a smile: "When Emperor Ling was in power, there was a permanent servant Bi Lan who made a rollover in order to please Emperor Ling. Presumably, Meng De may know this. ”

Cao Mengde heard this, thought about it carefully, it was true. He nodded, "That's true." Then he said, "Could it be that your waterwheel is overturned?"

Zhao Yu stroked his palms and nodded with a smile.

Zhao Yu knew that the earliest record of the waterwheel was the overturned car built by Bi Lan that he just said. It's just used to please the Son of Heaven, but it has never been used for people's livelihood. According to records, Ma Jun later improved the overturned car and used it for irrigation, which was the original waterwheel.

However, Ma Jun has not yet debuted at this time, so this waterwheel has not yet been officially used in agriculture.

Moreover, the improved waterwheels of the horses require manpower to step on. But the waterwheel that Zhao Yu is making now is something hundreds of thousands of years later, which can be driven by water power or cattle and horses, liberating manpower and greatly increasing efficiency.

"My waterwheel can be driven by water power or animal power, and different ways can be chosen according to different terrains. Zhao Yu carefully explained: "The waterwheel in front of me, in order to facilitate the production, I made a smaller one. The waterwheel can be six or seven zhang large, and one waterwheel is enough for irrigation of hundreds of acres. ”

"Good thing, good thing!" Cao Mengde shouted, almost jumping for joy.

Zhao Yu poured cold water on him: "Don't be in a hurry to be happy. ”

Zhao Yu said: "The waterwheel must also be attached to the water conservancy facilities to be effective. However, now that the drought has become a reality, it is not a matter of time to build water conservancy. I'm useless with this waterwheel. The most important thing at the moment is to buy food from elsewhere and get through the difficulties. Brother Meng De, you buy grain, practice the method of work-for-relief, while you can relieve the people from hanging upside down, and at the same time start water conservancy, how much can be repaired. Although Zhongmu is only a temporary place to stay, if the people can read you well, they will have their own benefits in the future. And this waterwheel, when you become the Taishou of Dongjun next year, the manpower and material resources of a county can be used at will, and then you will come to Daxing Water Conservancy, and then you will not be afraid of any drought. ”

Cao Mengde nodded again and again when he heard this: "What Mr. Zhao said is true." ”

Zhao Yu said: "The production method of this waterwheel, I will sort it out and give it to you tomorrow." ”

"Anytime. Cao Mengde said: "No hurry, no hurry." ”

"If you say you are not in a hurry with your mouth, you must be in a hurry in your heart. Zhao Yu was not polite at all.

Cao Mengde smiled.

Next to him, Chen Gong was quite envious.

Like Zhao Yu, being able to joke with Cao Mengde at will, and the relationship between teacher and friend is indeed enviable. But here in Chen Palace, he can't do it. The difference between kings and ministers is an inherent thinking. In this era, few people can cross this hurdle.

The three of them were talking, and someone outside came to report: "Cao Gong, there is a general Xiahou Yuan who wants to see Cao Gong." ”

When Cao Cao heard this, he immediately got up, with a look of surprise on his face, and shouted, "Quickly bring people here." ”

While saying to Zhao Yu and Chen Gong: "Miaocai has arrived!"

Then he explained: "Miao is my brother, named Xiahou Yuan." ”

Of course, Zhao Yu knew the name of Xiahou Yuan, this famous Xiahou Miaocai, who was famous for his rapid marching and thousands of miles of attack.

As for the clan brother, speaking of Cao Mengde, he is still a member of the Xiahou clan, because Cao Teng is a eunuch, and without a queen, Cao Mengde's father Cao Song inherited from the Xiahou family to the Cao family. And the Xiahou family and the Cao family have been related by marriage for generations, and they are connected by blood.

Cao Mengde said: "I ordered Yuan Rang and Miaocai to go to Yangzhou to recruit troops, and they could only return at the end of the year, but I don't know how to return at this time, and I was about to ask him." ”

After a while, the attendant strode in with a man with a long figure and a face that looked a little like Cao Mengde.

I won't mention it next.

The first impression of Xiahou Yuan was completely different from his style of rapid marching. On the contrary, it is slow and logical, with some elegant temperament.

After seeing each other, Cao Mengde asked him, "Why did you come back now?"

Xiahou Yuan said: "Because I am worried that the eldest brother is here, and I am waiting to recruit two thousand people, Brother Yuan Rang will let me return first." The elder brother gathered another three thousand after him, and then returned. ”

"Good, good, good to come back. Cao Mengde stroked his palms and laughed: "I'm worried about the lack of troops, and you came back just in time." ”

It is said that in the past three months, Cao Mengde has announced the recruitment of soldiers, but there has been basically no result. In the vicinity of Zhongmu, there are very few young and strong people, and he is now weak and not attractive enough, so until now, the emperor has recruited a total of less than five hundred people.

Coupled with the original more than 1,000 soldiers and horses, it will pass 1,000 and a half.

What is the use of this little soldier and horse, if it is as Zhao Yu said, at the beginning of the year, Yu Fuluo and others will loot Dongjun, and the combined army of Fuluo and Black Mountain thieves will be less than 10,000 or 20,000. Without five thousand people, it is impossible to defeat ten thousand thieves, even if it is a rabble.

I was afraid that the thieves would come early, and Xiahou had not returned. So at this time, Xiahou Yuan returned with 2,000 men and horses, which was right in the middle.

Subsequently, Cao Mengde asked Zhao Yu to dismantle the waterwheel built by Zhao Yu and move it away, carefully hide it in the warehouse, and set up a banquet in the county government office in the evening, and then returned to their respective homes.

In Cao Mengde's study, a little oil lamp was on and off.

Cao Mengde sat opposite to Xiahou Yuan and Cao Hong.

first asked Xiahou Yuan whether the recruitment was smooth, and learned that Chen Wenwen, the assassin of Yangzhou, and Zhou Xin, Danyang Taishou, helped him, and Cao Mengde was happy in his heart.

Xiahou Yuan said: "Chen Tingshi and Zhou Taishou are both kind to each other, before leaving, Zhou Taishou also said that the eldest brother advocates righteousness, and he will do his best to help." It's just that he has to recruit 10,000 soldiers for the eldest brother one after another. ”

Cao Mengde sighed with relief: "Zhou Xin and I have an old relationship, and I have known Yuan Benchu and Zhou Xin for a long time. He helped me, and I was very comforted. ”

Then he said, "It would be great if you could recruit 10,000 soldiers for me." Danyang elite soldiers, but the world is famous. ”

However, Xiahou Yuan had some doubts: "Big brother, you need money and food to raise soldiers." I thought 5,000 was the limit. ”

Cao Hong laughed: "I don't know if it's a wonderful talent, the eldest brother is not short of money now." ”

Cao Mengde also laughed and said: "Brother Wei lacks everything now, that is, he does not lack five baht." ”

He said: "You are in Yangzhou, and you are in a hurry all the way back, and you have probably never heard of glass mirrors and soap?"

"Glass mirror, soap, what is this?" Xiahou Yuan really hadn't heard of it.

Cao Mengde explained them one by one, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhao gave me these two treasures, Zilian summoned craftsmen to study, and it was able to be initially mass-produced in half a month." I entrusted it to Wei Zhen, the son of Wei Zi Xu, to sell, and now, the trade road has been paved to Guanzhong and Hebei, and it is favored by the powerful families, and has made tens of millions of profits. ”

Xiahou Yuan was shocked: "There are such huge profits!?"

"Yes, yes. Cao Mengde said: "Mr. Zhao handed over such a treasure to me free of charge, treat him sincerely, and Miaocai will never be rude to him in the future." ”

Xiahou Yuan surrendered happily and said, "If you treat each other sincerely!" In March, he made a profit of tens of millions of dollars, this is not treating each other sincerely, what is treating each other sincerely?

"With the help of this Mr. Zhao, the great cause of the eldest brother will be successful!"