Li Xiao quickly read the letter from the leader of the Taiwan Tuoxian Group Ding Zuo, and his face was filled with thought.

In the letter, Ding You briefly introduced the process of the Tuoxian Group's departure for Taiwan since May 15 this year.

In the letter, he told Li Xiao that because the Zheng army's return ship was traveling against the south wind, all the colonial personnel finally arrived in Taiwan after nearly a month of sailing at sea.

After arriving in Taiwan, Li Dingguo quickly led the Taiwan dispatch troops to receive the various guardhouses and military forts that were originally stationed by the Zheng army. Ding You, Ma Huaxing, deputy commander of the Tuolian regiment, and a group of civil servants replaced the original Zheng army's office and began to formally follow the plan set by Li Xiao. Like Chi Fengwei, he formed the Civil Affairs Department, the Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Department, the Money and Grain Department, the Commerce Department, the Supervision and Supervision Department, the Security Department and other departments, and began to officially operate.

Ding You told Li Xiao that due to the long-term bumpy boat ride on the sea and the fact that he was not accustomed to the water and soil of the first arrival in Taiwan, about 700 of the more than 20,000 immigrants were either on the way or when he first arrived in Taiwan. The remaining nearly 20,000 people were successfully settled in Taiwan.

Because the number of people was still small, Ding You concentrated them all around the Dadu area where the government was located, and mixed with the remaining 5,000 Fujian immigrants who had originally lived.

He hopes that in this way of living in a mixed place and intermarrying each other, the scale of formation of clan forces can be reduced as much as possible, making it more convenient for grassroots organizations to manage.

In the letter, Ding You reported to Li Xiaohui in a joyful tone that among the nearly 20,000 immigrants, there are about 5,000 households who have been assigned to each household for five acres of wasteland. So far, more than 22,000 acres of wasteland have been initially reclaimed, plus more than 1,000 acres of rice fields immigrated from Fujian, and about 23,000 acres of rice fields have been reclaimed. In this way, when late rice is harvested, nearly 5,000 stones of tax grain can be collected at the standard of two dou per acre.

Of course, this amount is still too small. Ding You said in the letter that according to the investigations he received from Dadu, Erlin and Nanshe, the three places alone, it was estimated that there were more than 1 million acres of wasteland that could be reclaimed, so he hoped that Li Xiao could send more refugees to further accelerate the progress of pioneering.

After reading Ding You's letter, Li Xiao quickly made a decision after pondering for a while.

Now, because the Qing Tartars entered the pass and burned, killing and looting, a large number of refugees were generated from Xuanfu North Road, East Road, and Shuntian Prefecture, so Li Xiao could recruit a large number of refugees without any effort.

So Li Xiao ordered Chen Zilong and Xu Xiuqing to see that within a month, they would recruit at least 200,000 refugees from these areas and transport them to Taiwan for colonial development.

If there are more than 200,000 immigrants and nearly 50,000 families passing by, Li Xiao believes that these refugees can reclaim at least 250,000 acres of rice fields. In this case, after the next year, they will be collected at five dou of tax grain per mu, which is a fixed tax grain of 250,000 s.

This is just Li Xiao's tentative plan. Li Xiao planned to wait until the rice fields in Taiwan reached the output of nearly 3 stones per mu when Zheng Chenggong opened Taiwan during the Yongli period, he would use eight dou of tax grain per mu to collect twice a year, and then he would be a prescribed standard. In this way, with the existing more than 20,000 acres of cultivated rice fields, more than 440,000 tax grain can be produced in nearly 280,000 acres of rice fields.

Now, in Li Xiao’s army, Shan County, Chifengwei, and Marine Island, there are a total of 1.58 million mu of arable land. Based on the number of two dou per mu, there are a total of 630,000 stones of tax grain.

In this way, there is a total of more than 1 million tax grain per year, which is calculated based on the amount of 3.5 stones of rice grain required for a normal adult a year (considering waste and loss), which is enough to supply the living expenses of nearly 300,000 people.

Now, the battalions of soldiers, factory workers, government personnel, as well as various labor-reform prisoners, construction workers, etc., which need Li Xiao to provide food, can be calculated based on a total of 160,000 people. The existing grain supply is already more than enough. In addition, it can be seen that even if the current grain supply is maintained, it is enough to support Li Xiao’s next military expansion plan.

If you have enough money and food in your hands, I have it all over the world. If you have enough money and food, Li Xiao's ambition will no longer be restricted.

The two of them were very happy when they heard Li Xiao’s magnificent immigration plan. They agreed loudly and promised Li Xiao that they would complete the task smoothly.

Chen Zilong even smiled and said, "Mr. Li, I can find a way out for these refugees who are struggling on the brink of death. As soon as this news comes out, I am afraid that many refugees will come."

After the matter of recruiting refugees was decided, Li Xiao immediately sent a letter to Zheng Zhilong Feige, hoping that he would comply with the agreement set last time and send at least 500 ships to Taiwan again to transport the more than 200,000 refugees recruited by Li Xiao to Taiwan.

Five days later, Zheng Zhilong received a letter from Li Xiao and was shocked by Li Xiao's big move. After sighing, Zheng Zhilong had tasted the sweetness last time and wrote back to Li Xiao very readily, saying that he had immediately ordered Zheng Cai and Zheng Lian brothers to bring 600 ships of all sizes and sizes to Chifengwei immediately to transport refugees and supplies, and also buy goods.

After learning that Zheng Cai and others were going to lead a team to Chifengwei, many of the immigrants in Taiwan had relatives and relatives in Shandong and other places. They either wrote letters or asked for a message to inform their relatives in the north about their recent situation or simply reported their safety. Many people begged Zheng Cai's fleet to bring some Taiwanese specialties to their relatives in Shandong as gifts.

After communication with the Taiwanese colonial leader Ding You and Zheng Cai and others, Zheng Cai finally agreed to help these immigrants bring back these letters and gifts. However, considering the load and inconvenience of ship load and transport, Zheng Cai asked that he could only transport small gifts.

After receiving the news that Zheng army ships heading north could bring letters and small gifts, Zhao Wencai, the civil servant in charge of the Second Cavalry Team, was very happy.

After returning to his own bamboo and wooden house in the military camp that day, Zhao Wencai immediately lit the oil lamp, spread the letter paper, and wrote to his elder brother Zhao Wenhuan who was in Chifengwei, Shandong.

The two brothers Zhao Wenhuan and Zhao Wencai were both children from Huang County. Because Kong Youde launched a war in Shandong that day, his whole family was killed, and only the two brothers sneaked into the mountains and were able to escape.

Later, both brothers were recruited into Li Xiao's army to work. The older brother Zhao Wenhuan was originally a clerk in the Civil Affairs Department of Chifengbao. Later, after Li Xiao merged with Zhaoyuan and Huangxian, his older brother Zhao Wenhuan was appointed as the deputy director of the Civil Affairs Branch of Anyuan Township, Zhaoyuan District.

Zhao Wencai has always served as a civil servant in the Military Supervisor's Office. In May this year, his Feiyazi Cavalry Team was selected into the Taiwan dispatch army, and Zhao Wencai naturally followed the army to Taiwan.

From crossing the sea that day to settling in Taiwan now, Zhao Wencai felt a lot of emotion. Under the jumping and flickering oil lamp, he bought ink and wrote, and soon wrote several sheets of paper.

In order to facilitate readers to view, the content of Zhao Wencai's letter is now displayed as follows in half-vernacular form.

I am honored by my brother, and I am foolish, wishing the whole family good luck.

Since May this year, I came to Taiwan from Longkou Port of Chifengwei. It has been nearly four months since then. I am in Taiwan. Everything is fine. I hope I will not miss you.

My brother Yu set off on May 15th and sailed on the sea for nearly a month. He finally arrived in Penghu successfully. Then he took a boat to the big beard in central Taiwan to get ashore.

Because the boaters were all northerners, and they were not used to ships, and there were many seasick people. My foolish brother was not used to it. He vomited for days and couldn't eat rice. He gradually adapted to the sea storm after a few days. However, we are young and strong, but we can still hold on. Among the immigrants, the elderly and weak are even more difficult. Since leaving Shandong, the elderly and weak have died of seasickness and illness. Because the weather is hot, in order to prevent the attack of plague, the body is not allowed to be retained and they are thrown into the sea to give up. I see that my family is sad and holding the hull number is also pitiful.

After arriving in Taiwan, our Taiwan dispatched troops, and handed over to the Zheng army stationed in the army and took over the guardhouse of his military camp. The second team of Feiyazi Cavalry where my brother was located was first stationed along the coast of Dadu, and then transferred to the nearby mountain area to prevent the local indigenous people in the mountains.

Brother Zun, the landscape and climate of this place in Taiwan are very different from Shandong. The place is very humid and hot, with huge trees and lush grasses coming from the mountains. The more miasma and smoke are more close to the natives in the mountains, the more the sea breezes are bleak every day, and heavy rains often come. It is difficult for us northerners to adapt to such hot and humid weather for a while. I was lucky enough to have not gotten sick yet. However, most of the people with illnesses are heatstroke, fever, or diarrhea, and many elderly and weak immigrants who are not accustomed to the water and soil have passed away, which is really sad.

However, when Confucius came, he would be at peace. Since Taiwan was already the land of Lord Li, we were responsible for defending the land. But we had to live in the small house made of bamboo and wood like those Fujian immigrants. We still had to chat about relieving the heat and keeping our lives.

Later, fortunately, the doctors who came with the army cooked medicine and distributed them every day, which made most of the immigrants gradually disappear and became accustomed to the environment in Taiwan.

Subsequently, Lord Ding, the head of the Taiwan colonial colonization group, began to give each immigrant a share of land, and one household gave five acres of wasteland to cultivate and cultivate on its own. Even the original 5,000 Fujian immigrants, if there were less than a certain number, would be given five acres of land for their land reclamation and cultivation.

According to the government arrangement, northern immigrants and Fujian immigrants got along in a mess, living with each other, and separated from each other, and they seemed to have become one. Later, all immigrants were classified into several townships, and each township had a civil affairs branch. From then on, the public security was peaceful and there was nothing wrong in the countryside.

According to Lord Ding, General Li of Chifeng, protects the people and gives each farmer free rice seeds, and promises to pay it with taxes one year later. In addition, ten households, including Fujian immigrants, all of them were given free oxen purchased from Penghu, and iron farm tools produced in Tielong City. They also agreed to pay the price with taxed grain in the future. Therefore, the households were very happy and praised Lord Li for his kindness.

Because of Lord Li's good governance, a group of Fujian immigrants were extremely moved and spontaneously came to help us and northerners immigrate to teach the techniques of planting rice. When I looked at the scene, I sighed in my heart. The old saying goes, "It's raining only if the spring breeze sows. Now the two immigrants are kind to each other, but what is the saying of this."

From the perspective of my idiot, although the climate and environment of this land in Taiwan are not very good, its land is very rich and suitable for growing rice. After only a month, it is newly opened rice fields. Looking at the rice seedlings from afar, it is as green as a painting, which makes people happy to see.

Brother Zun, since then, all the immigrants who went south have been completely settled. However, although our immigrants are safe, many local natives have come to harass the guardhouses where our army is stationed.

According to General Li Dingguo's plan, our Taiwan sent troops to implement a strategy of cracking and slaughtering the natives who came. Any Taiwanese natives who maliciously wanted to attack our army's immigrants, steal wealth, loot livestock, or even injure people were killed without mercy. Their heads were cut off and they built a Jingguan at the entrance passages of each township to achieve justice.

Brother Zun, there is a local king named Dadu King in the deep forest of Dadu Creek. This man has always been brave and fierce, and has subdued many local villages nearby. He has coveted many immigrants and wealth in our army. He came to various townships of our army to attack and abduct, and most of the people were their subordinates. At the beginning, because of their fierceness, our army was unprepared, and many people were poisoned by them. Later, General Li Dingguo designed to take advantage of the fact that he led hundreds of troops to come for a large plunder, and intercepted them in a canyon, and the officials attacked and killed them together. Poor the big king and his troops who had been scattered for a lifetime, and hundreds of elite troops were killed by our army, without leaving any armor. Hundreds of heads were transported back to the front of the government office by our army and built a capital temple.

After the power of this battle, our army was in Taichung, and its reputation rose greatly, and the natives were shocked. Since then, there have been almost no natives who came to various townships to steal. I sighed that since ancient times, the barbarians feared power but did not have virtue. Looking at it now, it is not a special saying.

Those natives who just wanted to exchange property with our army and purchase materials to help them live, and our army comforted them with soft care. After discussion with Lord Ding, General Li Dingguo set up a piece of open space at the bend of Dadu Creek as a deliberation site, and agreed with such natives to exchange goods for the last two days of the first, middle and late months of each month, that is, a total of six days.

After the opening of the site, my brother Yu also visited it. On the day of the site, our army was strictly guarded outside to prevent malicious indigenous people from causing trouble. In the site, our army set up many business stations to sell transported sea salt, wool velvet, ironware and other items. Most of the indigenous people set up stalls along the road, selling deer skin, ox horns, coconut wine, pearls, jade and other items. After the stalls were set up, a large number of Han people and indigenous people entered the site and purchased goods respectively.

Brother Zun, don’t you know that these Taiwanese natives live in extremely poor lives, almost everyone is ragged and shaped like a dove. They are extremely interested in our army’s products. Every time they discuss, the merchant goods provided by our army are basically bought out by them. They are particularly happy to get our army’s iron tools. The kitchen knives, hatchets, kettles, iron buckets, iron pots, shovels, shovels and other items made by our army are often the first to be snatched away.

My brother took advantage of the opportunity of the military vacation and wandered around the venue twice. He also bought some indigenous merchant goods, bought a piece of deer skin, a big buffalo horn, twenty sea pearls, and several bottles of coconut wine.

Now, I have asked the deer skin in the village to make a vest, which is extremely warm. Shandong is extremely cold in winter, so I just let my brother Zun wear it to keep the cold. I also give my brother two bottles of coconut wine. This wine is made of coconut meat. It tastes sweet and mellow and has a very good taste. I will also give it to my brother Zun for a taste.

As for the buffalo horns, my brother Yu had asked a craftsman to make a fine comb. It is said that it has the effect of hair care and warm skin, so he gave it to his sister-in-law. He also asked a craftsman to make a necklace. It looks quite good, so he gave it to his sister-in-law as a gift.

There is another happy event. I also want to tell my brother Zun that I have learned a local immigrant woman from Fujian by someone who is very gentle and peaceful. I like it. I want to marry her as a wife and settle down in this Taiwan. I think my marriage is a big deal, so I especially ask my brother Zun to be sure in this letter.

Brother, I think my brothers and I hid in the mountains that day to avoid the rebellion of Confucius, and never thought that I would have such a stable life today! However, although I am living a stable life now, I only think of my parents and relatives killed by Confucius, and I feel sad every time I think of my love. I want to raise my son but my parents are not here, and I sigh deeply.

The paper is short and the love is long, so I don’t say much. I only want to respect my brother and family and live in Shandong well. If I have the fate to gather together in the north and south in the future and the whole family is reunited, I will be very happy.

After writing the letter, Zhao Wencai carefully put it in the envelope, sealed it with wax mud, and then brought the gifts that had been wrapped, and walked towards the postman outside the military camp who was collecting letters and gifts.
Chapter completed!