Chapter 154

"Brother Huaiting, Brother Huaiting, hahaha, I tried what you gave me today..." Zhou Du's laughter was filled with shock and madness, and he scared Lin Shuge before he even entered the door.

Lin Shuge and Xu Yu were checking accounts in the house. Xu Yu came here not only for grain seeds, he also brought the share of the restaurant and the storybooks. When he heard the news about potatoes and cotton, he also wanted to introduce them to Ganzhou County.

"What are you talking about?" Zhou Du rushed in, "Brother Huai Ting, I...I have to hide this weapon."

"What weapon?" Xu Yuqi asked.

"Didn't you see the lethal weapons yesterday?" Lin Shuge replied to Xu Yu, then looked at Zhou Du, "Erlang, have you recovered?"

Zhou Du scratched his head, "Anyway, you guys haven't done anything to harm the world. Apart from the fact that Wei Zhongxuan is a man, he doesn't have any flaws. He's good at martial arts and has a promising future. If he's a woman from some family, she'd be a perfect match for you. Anyway, it's already like this, so I can only hold my nose and accept him as my sister-in-law... Oh, no, let's just leave it like this."

The expression on his face was so interesting that Xu Yu couldn't help laughing, "Master Zhou, you are really..."

"What is it? Mr. Xu, have you known about it a long time ago?" Zhou Du looked at him sinisterly. No wonder he always felt that he always smiled meaningfully every time he met Lin and Xie.

"What do you know? I know nothing. I'm just a small businessman. I dare not interfere in the affairs of you big shots." Xu Yu said nonchalantly while keeping accounts.

"Good for you Xu Yu..."

"Stop, stop, stop. Stop talking. Erlang, how about weapons? Can they be used for self-defense?" When Lin Shuge heard that the two were about to fight again, he quickly changed the topic.

"That's awesome. But this weapon is not easy for most people to use. I just tried it and my arm was numb. I still need to practice my spear skills well. Can I hire one of your Wei Zhongxuan's soldiers for a while and let him teach me more?" Zhou Du had just scolded Xie Chen a few days ago, and now he had to use someone else's people again, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Of course, I'll tell him." After Lin Shuge finished speaking, he felt Zhou Du staring at him, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"Nothing, I just think life is really wonderful. Oh, by the way, my brother asked me to buy cotton seeds from you, but since you said they are gone, I will go back and ask him to come to you in person next year. Anyway, he has been traveling all over the country in the past few years and has not come here."

Zhou Yuan has made great progress in the cashmere business in recent years. After hearing about the cotton matter, he naturally would not miss this way to make money.

"Erlang, there may not be enough seeds in the next two years. I promised the people that I would give priority to Qingquan County. I will introduce seeds to other counties after two years when there are enough seeds. Cotton planting is not like potatoes. It is difficult to take care of and prone to disease. I will introduce it to Ganzhou after the plants are stable in the next two years. I just talked about this with Xu Yu. Let's wait for one or two years. After one or two years, let your brother come over and I will help him collect the seeds myself."

Zhou Du thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. Potatoes were important food for the people and had high yields and abundant seeds, so there was no difficulty in planting them in other places. However, cotton was difficult to grow and the seeds might be wasted.

"Also, the cotton produced here can be sold to Ganzhou. Qingquan Textile Factory doesn't have as much as Ganzhou, and its technology is not mature enough. When there is more planted, I will be the one to make the connection, and Boss Zhou and Boss Xu will just take over the cotton."

Ganzhou County has the foundation built up by Lin Shuge in the past, and its textile industry is much better than here. It can take over the cotton textile industry in the early stages of cotton planting.

"Okay, I'll go back and tell my brother."

"Wait, Lord Lin, since the cotton business can't be done, I want to try the spicy hot pot you mentioned. I tried it yesterday and it tasted good. I have plenty of chili peppers, and I think the method is simple. I can just boil various dishes." Xu Yu tilted his head and thought for a while.

"Whatever you say." Lin Shuge yawned and chatted with the two for a few more words. Then a voice came from outside the door.

"Brother, I'm so tired today, let me..." Xie Chen knocked on the door and came in. He made eye contact with the three people in the room, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Captain, are you off duty?" Xu Yu said with a smile.

Xie Chen's eyes were stern. He nodded to him and Zhou Du as a greeting. When he looked at Lin Shuge, his eyes softened instantly. "Brother, why did you get off work so early today? I didn't see you when I went to the county government office just now."

He strode over, and Lin Shuge replied, "I made an appointment with Boss Xu to come here to settle accounts today, so I left early. Have you had dinner?"

Xie Chen nodded, "We've already eaten in the military camp, brother, have you not eaten yet? I just asked the dining hall to prepare a few dishes, and they will be delivered to you soon."

Zhou Du saw that the atmosphere between the two of them seemed to be unable to blend in with other people. He rubbed the goose bumps on his arms and said with disgust, "Hey, you two, there are two living people sitting next to you. Can you please consider our feelings?"

Xu Yu tilted his head and looked at Zhou Du: "Master Zhou, you don't understand this."

Zhou Du thought to himself, don’t you understand? He stood up and said, "Brother Huai Ting, we'll take our leave first."

"Aren't we going to have dinner together?" Lin Shuge asked.

"No, no." Zhou Du ran as fast as last time, but Xu Yu slowly saluted the two of them before retreating.

Lin Shuge laughed and shook his head. Zhou Du's temper was still the same as before, and Xu Yu was the same, like a smiling fox.

"Brother, the Duwei Mansion has already taken action." Xie Chen suddenly said.

Lin Shuge looked at him in surprise, "Why so fast?"

"Captain Zhao got gunpowder and muskets, and he started to attack the Xiongnu. They were facing the subordinates of the Xiongnu King Zuoguli. The two sides met at Wulan Mountain. The Yan soldiers used muskets in the first battle, which made the Xiongnu soldiers flee in panic. They captured a thousand people, including a captain." Xie Chen said.

"Really? That's good, that's good."

"So don't worry, brother. With good combat weapons and defensive armor, and the never-slackened training at the Duwei Mansion, the soldiers' combat effectiveness will naturally improve." Xie Chen chuckled.

"Zhongxuan, how much do you know about the Xiongnu King Guli?" Lin Shuge asked.

"King Zuoguli is the younger brother of the previous Chanyu and the uncle of Muxie Chanyu. He was also one of the four tribes who first pledged allegiance to him after seeing that Muxie Chanyu had the potential to unify several tribes. However, Muxie Chanyu killed the old Chanyu to take the throne, and later destroyed King Youguli and King Youxian. King Zuoguli's choice can be regarded as a wise bird choosing the right tree to roost in." Xie Chen's brows were somewhat serious.

In addition to the Xiongnu royal court, there were also the Left Wise King, the Right Wise King, the Left Guli King and the Right Guli King. Collectively known as the "Four Corners", each of them had its own territory and subjects. At the same time, these four are all sons of the Chanyu and have noble status.

"King Zuoguli is good at fighting, but he is cruel and bloodthirsty. Muxie Chanyu is able to suppress him, so he does have some ability." Xie Chen said again.

"Which subordinates of King Zuo Guli are you fighting against this time?" Lin Shuge asked. There are many large tribes under the four corners, which are called the "Twenty-Four Chiefs". These twenty-four commanders are capable of dispatching 10,000 cavalrymen. They usually go to war and are considered the ministers of the four corners.

"I have never dealt with the Left Head Hu Yanlu. The Xiongnu tribe that invaded Zhonggu Tunnel that day was under the command of the great noble Lan family."

Xie Chen sighed and continued, "Captain Zhao chose Zuo Guli King as his target. First, he was the first Xiongnu leader to surrender to Mu Xie Chanyu, so he could act as a deterrent. Second, Zuo Guli King's fiefdom was closest to Dingyuan County, so he could dispatch troops the fastest."

"Although the Huns are strong, our soldiers of Great Yan are also very brave. We are not afraid of fighting them face to face, but we are afraid that we will lose their trace in the vast grassland. Zhongxuan, how is the interaction between the Qiang tribe and the Huns?" Lin Shuge said as if he suddenly remembered something.

"There was contact. The Shaoliang tribe once wanted to conspire with the Xiongnu. Brother, do you mean to ask the Qiang people for help?"

Except for the two tribes destroyed by Xie Chen, most of the Qiang tribes, such as the Huawei tribe, surrendered to Dayan. Some small tribes were unwilling to surrender and continued to migrate westward to the plateau.

"Yes, the Xiongnu, like the Qiang people, live by following water and grass. When the famous generals of the previous dynasty fought against them, they also used many Xiongnu people. After determining the location of their tribe, they defeated them in one fell swoop." Lin Shuge said slowly.

Xie Chen also nodded, thought for a long time and said with a smile: "Okay, brother, let Captain Zhao worry about these things first, let's eat first."

Lin Shuge thought to himself: It is indeed useless to think too much, it is better to eat, "I am indeed a little hungry after talking for so long, you should eat something too."

He opened the door and went out to bring in the food. "Today we have your favorite fried alfalfa with meat, salad cucumber, braised meatballs, and a bowl of fermented glutinous rice soup."

"Is there still alfalfa in this season?" Lin Shuge asked as he picked up a piece of emerald green alfalfa with chopsticks.

"Thinking that my brother would like it, I had someone plant a piece of it in the greenhouse. Today, seeing that it was growing well, I gave it to the cook to cook." Xie Chen spoke in a gentle and considerate tone, looking at him and smiling.

"Housekeeping? That's a way to make money."

"I knew my brother would say that. It was just a few charcoal fires in the house. I usually grow leeks, onions and ginger. The cook in the barracks encouraged Lao Zhang to do it." Xie Chen smiled helplessly.

"Wouldn't it be possible to make some money by growing some more green vegetables to sell in the winter? Unfortunately, firewood also costs money, and ordinary people can't afford it." Lin Shuge took a bite and sighed.

Vegetable greenhouses in later generations ensured that people could eat fresh vegetables even in winter. Unfortunately, with today's technology, not to mention plastics, even the glass produced by glass manufacturing technology can only be used as jewelry like gems. Lin Shuge has never seen the technology for making large pieces of glass.

"The brick kiln merchants in the county should be able to supply firewood, and ordinary people can grow bean sprouts like last year." Xie Chen took the initiative to speak when he saw that he was frowning.

"It is autumn now, and the grass and trees on the mountain are withering. I saw many people going up the mountain to rake leaves and use them as firewood to heat the kang. The kang is burning and the house is warm. A few charcoal basins will be enough." Lin Shuge's eyes lit up, "I will ask the merchants in the county to try it immediately."

"Brother, why are you in such a hurry? It's getting dark. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Xie Chen looked at him with amusement.

After hearing what he said, Lin Shuge looked out the window and found that it was already dark. "The days are short in autumn and winter, and it's already dark."

Xie Chen propped his chin up with his hand, "Brother, did you tell County Magistrate Zhou about us?"

"Yes, Erlang is my good friend, and I don't want to hide it from him." Lin Shuge said, and then looked back at Xie Chen and found that his expression was a little obscure and difficult to understand.

"What's that expression on your face? Are you happy or unhappy?" Lin Shuge said, holding his face.

"Of course I'm happy." Xie Chen raised the corner of his lips, put his arms around his waist, and hinted to him meaningfully.

"No, I have something to do tomorrow, you can play by yourself."

"My brother is so heartless. He said he would give me a status, but now I have a status but it is just a name without substance. It is neither legitimate nor reasonable..."

Lin Shuge listened to his twisted logic and said, "Shut up and don't blaspheme the words of the saints." He stopped him from chattering, and Xie Chen contentedly took the lead.