Cao Gang returned to Pingcheng from Dongmugen Mountain.

Comparing the two, I still prefer Pingcheng.

They are both grasslands, but the differences are huge.

The grass in the north grows too sparsely, and there is a lot of sand exposed between the grass. Only the riverside and the foothills grow better, and there are not many farmlands here.

The pasture here in Pingcheng is much denser. After it blooms, it even gives people a pleasant feeling, with bees flying around and busy.

People from the Shanyu Protectorate even helped Yunzhong County train a large number of beekeepers.

Honey has always been one of the main specialties of the grasslands. In the past, we mainly relied on collecting wild honey, but now artificial bees are kept.

This technology is also relatively advanced in the Central Plains.

Beehives were recorded by Zhang Hua of the former Jin Dynasty in a book called "Natural History". They appeared only a short time ago. It was probably only when people tried to capture wild bees. Before that, they were mostly released in the wild.

A large amount of honey and beeswax have appeared in Pingchengdong City. The price is definitely much higher than that of grain, meat and milk, but compared with the price of honey from the Central Plains, it is not worth mentioning.

Today, Cao Yi met Xu Chengzhi who personally escorted a large number of livestock, slaves, leather, bird feathers and honey to Pingcheng.

Xu Chengzhi was a native of Dongguan, Xuzhou. He worked in the administration of Xuzhou and served many Xuzhou rulers.

The master of the house changed frequently, but he continued to work in charge of the affairs.

He belongs to Wang Yan, and it was Wang Yan's arrangement to serve as the great farmer in Liangcheng. It has been almost a year now.

"Young Prisoner." After seeing Cao Ning, Xu Chengzhi took the lead in saluting.

Theoretically, the great farmers of the Liangcheng Kingdom have no rank. They have the official rank of the Dai Kingdom, which is not the same system as the Central Plains. However, after several years of cultivating the three counties of Yunzhong, Mayi and Liangcheng in the Shanyu Protectorate, from the Dai Kingdom

Starting from the time when the Duke concurrently served as deputy governor, several people successively held concurrent posts as shogunate officials.

For example, the shogunate was divided into left and right chief historians. The left chief historian was still He Lun, and the right chief historian was Wang Feng, the deputy minister of the country.

For another example, the shogunate was divided into left and right Sima. The left Sima was Sun He, and the right Sima was Yule, the general of Daiguo Zhenxi.

Under the two of them, there is one person each who joins the army, works as a lieutenant, and is a supervisor.

This purpose is, firstly, to blur the boundaries between the Shanyu Protectorate and the Imperial Court of Daiguo, and secondly, to allow Dai people to share power and enter the system to better mobilize the resources of Daiguo.

They are not acting as dukes. As long as they hold an official position, they still control the power of the place. No matter who is above you?

At the beginning, you may not be able to adapt to it psychologically, or you may miss old friends, or you may think that there is a difference between Hu and Han, so it requires a process of adaptation.

The reforms of Emperor Daliang have always been gradual, rather than complete in one step, leaving ample buffer time for you.

Therefore, the position of Liangcheng Daunong has an official rank under the unspoken rules: the sixth rank, which is two levels lower than the Shaofu Shaojian (the fifth rank).

"Hongdao, given the relationship between you and me, why do you need to do this?" Cao Ning helped Xu Chengzhi up and scolded.

Xu Chengzhi's eyes brightened, and he asked in a low voice: "Master Tian" - "Hey, let's not talk about the past anymore." Cao Yi coughed, feeling a little embarrassed.

Tianshi Taoism has always been suppressed and was scorned by Putin as a "monster thief". What was the difference after the founding of the Liang Dynasty?

When I was a general minister today, I brutally suppressed the rebellion of Tianshi and Taoist disciples.

Xu Chengzhi's uncle, Xu Ning and Xu Anqi from Dongguan, was a disciple of Bao Liang.

Bao Liang was proficient in the art of corpse dissection. During the Yongjia period, he moved south with a large number of disciples, disciples and their families, as well as Xuzhou wealthy Xu Ning and Zang Kun, and opened a museum to teach alchemy and corpse dissection.

A few years ago, Bao Liang saw that Ge Hong had "extraordinary Taoist skills", so he married his daughter Bao Gu as his second wife, and the couple studied alchemy and medicine together.

Old father-in-law Bao Liang is still studying autopsy because he is getting older and has to think about how to transcend the world after death.

Xu Chengzhi did not follow him south, but he was indeed a serious disciple of the Celestial Master.

Cao Xin didn't know if he had opened a restaurant privately to recruit disciples.

Don't let a bunch of Tuoba Xianbei learn Taoism. If a strong wind comes on the battlefield, wouldn't it be ruined?

So, he said earnestly: "Hongdao, I will collect the raw mouths and beeswax of the animals you brought, as much as you can. You will be an official in the future, so don't mess around. I think you are quite capable and thoughtful."

We should keep it on the right path. Wouldn't it be good to protect the people and make them live and work in peace and contentment?'

"I have transcended the world, but I cannot transcend myself, alas." Xu Chengzhi was a little reluctant to hear this.

To be honest, he almost wants to run away to Jiangnan. Taoism makes me happy.

"I don't like the Tao of the Heavenly Master today." When Cao saw it, he warned in a low voice: "He is a Taibai star spirit with extraordinary magical power. You can't defeat him."

Xu Chengzhi was shocked.

How powerful the Taibai Star Spirit is, it is indeed impossible to defeat it. However, it would be great if a divine kingdom was built in the past. Wouldn't it be much easier to rule the world than it is now?

Seeing that Xu Chengzhi had been shaken, Cao Yi said no more, but looked at the men and women squatting under the wall and asked: "Where did the child come from, and why is he so thin?"

"It was presented to Mrs. Wang after the tribes returned from the Western Expedition. Mrs. Tai was spending the summer in Liangcheng, so she ordered me to bring people to bring the lives of 1,200 people here. I heard that some of them were killed on the way and refused to be sacrificed.

The nobles of the cattle and sheep tribes were all killed, and the tribes were divided into several places. These 1,200 people came from three different tribes." Xu Chengzhi said: "After a long journey, aren't you very thin?

In fact, they are all hungry and not sick."

Cao Yi nodded and said, "It depends on their fate. If they are still alive when they reach Puyang, they can survive."

"How come the young master also buys slaves? But there are not enough official slaves?" Xu Chengzhi asked.

Official slaves cultivated official fields, which was an important part of official income. The sources were firstly captives and secondly criminals.

"What does the gardeners of the Shaofu cultivate the fields have to do with the servants of the officials?" Cao shook his head and said, "This is for grazing and farming."

The Shaofu is the emperor's purse. It provides various supplies for banquets and sacrifices on weekdays. During festivals and festivals, it provides some grain, meat, fruits and vegetables to the officials to provide benefits, and their salaries are not paid by them.

"Where to farm?" Xu Chengzhi asked.

"Huaishang."

"How many people will die?" Xu Chengzhi was shocked.

"The young master wants to share the emperor's worries." Cao Zhengse said: "Huaibei has been invaded many times and is sparsely populated. Huainan is newly acquired, and it is even more vast and sparsely populated. This kind of fertile land can be used for pasture and farming. I told you not to spend all day

If you are obsessed with Taoism and still don't listen, what is the way to be an official? Do you understand?"

"What's your idea?" Xu Cheng subconsciously asked Cao Yi's room, and said with a smile: "You still know Hongdao very well. The young master Yu Gong has reported to the emperor, please build a garden on the Huaihe River, and give five thousand tenants to graze cattle and horses.

Plowing the farmland. I was about to go back, but there was nothing I could do.

So I stayed a few more days to buy some raw meat."

"If the barbarians go there, half of them will die within two years," Xu Chengzhi said.

Cao Yi smiled when he heard this and said, "I don't think you are very strong, you freshmen, how much do you plan to price them for?"

"Two pieces of silk and one person, regardless of gender, age or child." Xu Chengzhi replied.

"I brought Hanoi silk and Qinghe silk, one by one. I bought them all," Cao Yi said.

Xu Chengzhi calculated it and found that Hanoi silk and Qinghe silk were indeed more valuable, so he nodded and said, "Okay.

But you have to ask for permission."

"Mrs. Tai," Cao Yi corrected.

"I have to ask Mrs. Tai for instructions." Xu Chengzhi immediately corrected his slip of the tongue.

Cao Yi smiled with satisfaction and said, "Look, it's just a piece of silk beard, so what if you die? Just buy it again."

The strong ones will stay in the north and resell them to officials and private people, and the winner will make up for the loss, even if they want to, they won't be able to do so."

"Let the barbarians know that the price will increase next time," Xu Chengzhi said.

"Whatever." Cao Xin waved his hand nonchalantly.

One household in Henan, which has been operating for many years, only received four and a half bolts of silk. There was a lot of silk, but not so much food.

But he quickly thought of something and asked: "I have collected so much silk for you, how can I use it?"

"Nowadays, people also like to enjoy themselves, and there are many people wearing silk clothes." Xu Chengzhi said: "Moreover, there are Hu merchants from the Western Regions who accept this."

"What? Hu Shang? Where did he come from?" Cao Yi was a little surprised.

"They came from the grasslands in the north." Xu Chengzhi said matter-of-factly: "Cao Gong wouldn't think that Hu merchants only go to Liangzhou or Hezhou, right? As far as I know, once the roads between Liangzhou and Hezhou are blocked, there will be Hu merchants who go to the grasslands.

, and even as far away as Buyeo and Goguryeo.”

"That's it." Cao Ning said with emotion.

"You can only get two bolts of silk by selling your mouth on behalf of someone. But these silks are resold to Hu merchants from the Western Regions, and their profits greatly increase. As for how much they earn, I don't know." Xu Chengzhi said: "And the Hu merchants from the Western Regions

learned

After Dairen had a large amount of silk and sold it relatively cheaply, more and more caravans were traveling to the northern grasslands in the past two years. Mr. Cao, you will know after you go to the summer palace. There are many treasures in the palace, which are not as good as

A wealthy family."

"Summer palace?"

"It's Liangcheng Palace." Xu Chengzhi said: "When the summer heat is hot, Mrs. Tai and her father-in-law went to Liangcheng for inspection.

The various ministries of the assembly visited the Changchun Palace in winter when the snow fell heavily. There was a warm soup there, so it was also called the Winter Palace."

Cao Yi nodded.

Unknowingly, Dai Guo was able to steadily sell silk. According to Xu Chengzhi, the Hu merchants in the Western Regions "are stupid and have a lot of money." The Xianbei people must have earned more than the imperial court. Of course, no one in this trade chain was
To be continued...