Chapter 49 Officials and Business

Yuan Shu was destroyed. Cao Jian, Liu Bei and Sun Ce almost got what they wanted. The summer of 198 A.D. was very beautiful. Of course, after the share of the stolen goods, all parties are still chicken feathers.

Take Xuzhou as an example, after the collection of Yuan Shu's surrender and the seizure of Huainan, the problems they faced are also a lot. At present, there are a total of 18 counties under the rule of the government, namely six counties of Xuzhou, six counties of Yuzhou, Taishan County in Yanzhou, and Shouchun County and Nantong County that have just been taken. Among them, the population of Xuzhou is about 2.2 million, Yuzhou is about 900,000, the population of Taishan County in Yanzhou is less than 100,000, and the total population of Nantong and Shouchun counties is more than 800,000, with a total population of more than 4 million!" In Xuzhou City, Changshi Chen Qun reported to Liu Bei one by one.

"4 million people?" Hearing this, the senior officials in Xuzhou also exclaimed: I didn't expect so many people to gather at once. Zhao Feng knew that the population of the Three Kingdoms fell sharply, from 50 million at the beginning to less than 20 million when the Three Kingdoms returned to Jin. Although there are natural disasters, [***] is also one of the important factors leading to the sharp decline of the population. Think about how you come from future generations and avoid such a tragic tragedy. Therefore, I tried my best to improve the method of growing food, and let Lu Hao make a water truck 20 years in advance, in order to prevent problems before they happen.

Zhao Feng doesn't know the exact number of people now. However, it is estimated that Lao Cao's Yanzhou, Yongzhou and Sizhou are added together, which is probably at most 4 million. As for Yuan Shao, he occupies the four states of Youzhou, Bingzhou, Qingzhou and Jizhou, of which the population of Bingzhou is less than one million. Both Youzhou and Bingzhou are only more than one million, but Jizhou has a population of more than 3 million. It is conservatively estimated that Yuan Laoda should have a population of nearly 7 million. Of the remaining princes, Liangzhou has always been desolate. It is estimated that Ma Teng and Han Sui add up, and the Han people under him are only about 600,000. Of course, with the Qiang tribe living there, it should be able to make up 1 million. The population of Liu Biao in Jingzhou is the largest in each state, with about 4 million. Sun Ce's Yangzhou is just over 1 million, while Liu Zhang in Yizhou has nearly 3 million, but half of them are southern barbarians. It is estimated that the remaining Jiaozhou of the various ethnic groups will only have a population of about one million. According to the full calculation, the population of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty is just over 20 million.

Now there are 4 million people under Liu Bei's rule, accounting for nearly one-fifth of them, which is not easy. How is the situation in the army? Liu Bei asked again, after all, the army is the most important in troubled times.

"In addition to the county soldiers and field soldiers stationed in various places, there are 220,000 troops in Xuzhou, 120,000 in Yuzhou, and 10,000 horses in Taishan County. Among them, the 200,000 troops in Xuzhou, 100,000 are the foundation of the old Xuzhou, and the other 120,000 are the troops of Yuan Shu, many of which can only be used as county soldiers and field soldiers. As for the 120,000 horses in Yuzhou, only 50,000 of them are elite soldiers, but the rest are the collected yellow scarf or Yuan Shu's surrender. Chen Qun said in detail.

"It's not bad!" After listening to this, Liu Bei also has a general understanding of his current situation, and the next focus of work will be easy to arrange. The first is the training. Although there are many troops in Xuzhou, after a series of wars, the old foundation has also been seriously damaged. Although the Huainan soldiers who captured Yuan Shu can make up for the gap and even strengthen it, their combat effectiveness is really not optimistic. For this reason, Liu Bei even sent nearly 40,000 of the hundreds of thousands of prisoners to the field.

In addition, all the princes nearby are not good at stubble. Sun Ce in the south is now busy calming Jiaozhou and can't take care of this side. In Qingzhou in the north, there are Yuan Shu's generals Zhang Yi and Gao Lan guarding him, and they will also make some trouble from time to time. It seems that the generals in the north of Xuzhou need to sit in order to respond. Pay.

"Who would like to go to Dongguan to block the high view of the jaw?" Liu Bei looked around at the generals under the account and asked slowly. Everyone has known each other for a long time, but Zhang Fei came out and said, "Brother, I'd better go!"

"Zhangjiao Gaolan is known as the four pillars of Hebei, which is invincible. The third brother is willing to go, but he needs someone to help him. Liu Bei muttered. Lord, the palace is willing to help the three generals station in Dongguan to block Zhang's high view. Chen Gong also volunteered to be brave. At present, Liu Bei decided that the two would lead 30,000 elite soldiers to garrison in Dongguan to prevent Zhang's jaw.

"Lord, why don't you take the opportunity to beat Qingzhou so that we don't have to worry about it?" At this time, Song Xian suddenly said that everyone looked at him with an idiot's expression when they heard the words. Qingzhou is Yuan Shao's territory. Today, Yuan Shao's army is no less than 700,000, and it is very unwise to fight with him. Liu Bei also said with a wry smile. As for the proposer Song Xian, he has been a little embarrassed by 700,000 yuan.

So in the next day, everyone began to be busy. Zhao Feng rarely intervenes in civil affairs now. After all, what he knows is how to farm scientifically, and this has long been told Chen Qun that all he can do is to design more advanced waterwheels and other agricultural tools with Lu Hao. Zhao Feng is mainly in charge of training the army now. Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Chen are not there. Zhao Feng and Gao Shun are basically responsible for the training, while Zhao Yun only trains the cavalry.

"General Gao, your 800 trap camp should be able to be expanded, right?" On this day, looking at the new army becoming more and more interesting in training, Zhao Feng also proposed. It's true that I'll make a decision after I've been to the master. Gao Shun did not object. It was said that there were only 800 people in his camp. Of course, it was because the camp had high requirements for soldiers' combat effectiveness, but it was more because Lv Bu was not willing to give him military power. The next day, Gao Shun proposed the matter to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei also agreed and allowed him to go to the army to choose the right person. So Gao Shun picked out more than 2,000 people, and finally gathered 3,000 camps. At present, Chen is not here, and Bai'er's elite soldiers are also trained by Gao Shun. When it comes to the training of the army, Gao Shun is not as good as Zhao Feng; but Zhao Feng sighs that he is not as good as the training of elite soldiers. After all, he was not a professional soldier in his previous life, and it is not easy to understand the two military training. Sometimes Zhao Feng even sighed: If he had known that he would travel, he should have been a Marine Special Forces in his last life!

Day by day, day by day, Zhao Feng, the governor of Pengcheng, should also have a good taste. However, when he was training the army that day, suddenly the servant of the family came to report that someone had sent him a gift.

"It's just a gift. Do you have to come to the campus to tell me? Isn't your wife at home?" Zhao Feng was a little funny about the servant's movement. He didn't want someone to come but handed him a gift list. Zhao Feng was immediately stunned.

"Three hundred good horses, five thousand taels of gold, five thousand pieces of silk and satin, and ten thousand catties of fine iron!" Zhao Feng looked at the gift list and finally understood why the servant came to him. Gold and satin are all over, but there is no place for the iron and horses in their own home.

"Who sent it?" Zhao Feng's heart can not only be described as surprised. The gold, silver and satin are nothing, but the iron and horses are not what ordinary businessmen can get.

"The person who came only said that he was a general's old friends and came to repay his kindness. If the general wants to find out, he just needs to go to Pengcheng Zuixian Tower. The servant replied honestly.

"So that's it!" Zhao Feng vaguely guessed who was so generous, but hundreds of horses were not a small number. At present, Zhao Feng asked Gao Shun to take charge of today's training and ordered people to bring horses and iron to the army, but he went to explain to Liu Bei first. After all, these hundreds of horses, tens of thousands of catties of iron, are not a joke. Don't make people think they want to rebel.

"So that's it. Bo Tao really met a rich man." Liu Bei was also shocked to hear such a generous handwriting. When he started the army, he was funded by two horse dealers, so he gathered 500 villagers. But compared with today's generous gift, the funding of those two people is dwarfed. After a pause, Liu Bei also sighed, "This Zhen family, known as the richest man of the Han Dynasty, really lives up to its reputation. However, since it is for you, Bo Tao can't donate it all to the military. Well, you bring all the iron, and keep the satin, gold and silver for your own expenses. As for the horses, you can choose some good ones to stay, and send the rest to the army!"

"Thank you, Lord!" Zhao Feng was also secretly relieved. But he didn't know this, but Liu Bei also reassured him a lot. Originally, Zhao Fengping said that he was a fan of money. This time, he didn't care about iron and horses, but he accepted gold, silver and silk, which was enough to show that he was a person with little ambition. Although such a person's character is not very good, the leader is more reassured about this kind of person.

When they returned home, Zhao Feng and Diao Chan checked the gift and blocked an empty house in the backyard. As for the horses, the stables in Zhao Feng's house were full, leaving more than 50 horses, and the rest were sent to the army.

"Husband, who gave this generous gift?" Diao Chan asked in surprise. . She has seen the world, but such a generous gift is rare. Who else can it be, the Miss Zhen we met last time? Zhao Feng waved his hand.

"Is it her?" Diao Chan couldn't help but be a little stunned.

"A rich man!" Zhao Feng also sighed. Zhao Yu, his cheap eldest brother, has also made a lot of money since he listened to his advice to dry salt. However, as far as family property is concerned, it can only be regarded as the richest in one state, and there is still a gap between it and the rich people at the national level like the Zhen family.

"How is the husband going to deal with it?" Diao Chan put on a blouse for Zhao Feng and asked.

"What else can I do? Let's talk about it later." Zhao Feng replied without hesitation. I remembered the encounter outside Guangling City, but I couldn't help but feel a shake in my heart.

"If that's the case, husband, go early and come back early!" Diao Chan was a little sour. Huh?" Zhao Feng realized that Diao Chan's tone was not right, and quickly asked, "Madam, won't you go with me?"

"It's not good for me to show my face. You'd better go by yourself." Diao Chan smiled reluctantly. I thought you were so generous, woman, alas!" Zhao Feng couldn't help but have a headache, so he had to pat her on the shoulder to comfort her before going out.

All the way to the agreed Zuixiang Tower with several guards. As soon as Zhao Feng got off the horse, two young men came up to lead the way for him. When he came to a relatively secluded small room on the second floor, the guide opened the door for him. Zhao Feng walked in step by step, only to see a woman in pink waiting for him, and the table in front of him was actually arranged with wine and vegetables.

With a dry smile, Zhao Feng said, "Miss Zhen, it's been several months for Guangling. It's really a pleasure to meet you today!"

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