Chapter 206 Zheng State
Zhao Yuanxi took him to the map and asked, "Does Zheng Shuigong know the topography here?"
"I dare not say I understand. I have only seen the map."
Zhao Yuanxi pointed to a corner of the map and drew a line. "The terrain here is high in the north and low in the south. The river flows through from the north. Zheng Shuigong personally designed the Zhengguo Canal, so he must be familiar with this terrain."
The Zhengguo Canal uses the condition of the Weibei Plain, which is high in the west and low in the east, to achieve direct current irrigation, which is similar to the purpose of this area.
"I want Zheng Shuigong to build a canal here as well, bringing in river water to irrigate this land."
"I will do my best."
Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "With Zheng Shuigong's help, I'm relieved. In the next few days, General Meng will take you to survey the terrain here. I hope you can plan the most suitable plan as soon as possible."
Zhao Yuanxi handed the canal construction task over to Zheng Guo, while she herself devoted herself to farming.
Zhao Yuanxi came to the Qiantao part of the Hetao region, which covers an area of about 12,000 hectares. The reason why he came here first is that this is the part of the Hetao region that is easiest to develop. The amount of engineering work required for excavating canals is the lowest, the rainfall is the most abundant, and the soil is fertile enough to maintain the development of farming while taking into account grazing activities.
The land Zhao Yuanxi has currently chosen are all river valleys close to water sources, so as not to delay farming before the canals are built.
In ancient times, land reclamation was an extremely arduous project. The scope of reclamation had to be determined in advance, and the ground vegetation had to be cleared. Relying on axes, hoes, and plows, tens of thousands of people reclaimed endless fields in this area.
The cut grass and trees are taken back and dried to be used as fuel, and the ash is evenly spread back on the ground.
There were a lot of horse dung cakes at the horse farm, some of which had already been composted and fermented. Zhao Yuanxi asked someone to bring them over and crush them and mix them into the soil.
Since the large-scale water conservancy project had not been completed, Zhao Yuanxi led them to build some short canals and dig wells nearby to get water.
The 50,000 laborers worked together in groups of five, with ten teams of five each. They planned the land they wanted to reclaim. Some Qin soldiers would patrol everywhere on time. If anyone was cheating or slacking, they would be reprimanded at the very least, and punished by not having dinner that day at the worst.
In fact, everyone was busy as if they were injected with chicken blood. Perhaps because they knew that these lands would belong to them in the future, they worked extra hard.
As for the other 50,000 elderly, weak, sick and disabled people, Zhao Yuanxi asked them to be responsible for their food and clothing. In the same way, some people took care of the food and drink, as well as various logistical issues for the corresponding people.
Although it was a bit chaotic, it could still be considered orderly, and there were no major disputes.
The high-quality seeds from Xianyang have also arrived, and along with them came some farmers from Xianyang. Most of them came from Yongcheng. When they heard that the empress dowager needed someone to guide them in farming, they immediately volunteered to come here.
Zhao Yuanxi personally met these Qin people from Yongcheng. Seeing that they were all dressed simply, he said, "I am truly grateful that you have come all the way to see me. However, my family is missing you. Are there still people to cultivate those fields?"
Although I can earn some wages by coming to her place, it is estimated that this amount of money is not much more than the travel expenses. In addition to the days of running around, it is actually better to stay in Yongcheng and farm well. This is not a cost-effective deal. If no one is farming the land at home, it would be a huge loss.
"Don't worry, Queen Mother! We all have people at home, so those fields won't go to waste. Moreover, since we defeated Zhao, the king has graciously allowed many Qin people to return home to rest. Those men are all very strong and will farm much faster than us old men!"
Zhao Yuanxi nodded with a smile, "That's great."
She asked some more questions about Yongcheng.
I heard that Yuanxi College has doubled in size and has accepted a lot more students. Some of them are now studying in the college.
They also heard that the cloth and clothes made in Yongcheng were famous, so merchants from other vassal states flocked to Yongcheng to buy these cloth and clothes, and they also made a lot of money.
They brought good news, and Zhao Yuanxi was very happy to hear it.
Finally, Zhao Yuanxi gave a few more reminders, "Most of the people here are from Zhao. Although they have surrendered, they still have some resentment towards our Qin State. If you hear something unpleasant, don't argue with them."
"Don't worry! Queen Mother, we are not stingy people."
"That's right, we Qin people are open-minded and don't bully others. They have been forced to come here, so what's the big deal about listening to a few complaints?"
Zhao Yuanxi: ...
Why does it feel even more unsettling?
These people were assigned to guide farming. Zhao Yuanxi was worried that they would fight, so he specifically ordered the Qin soldiers to double the number of patrols.
On this day, Zhao Yuanxi was instructing those people on how to ferment fertilizer. When he saw a group of Qin soldiers hurriedly passing by, he immediately had a bad premonition.
She had a soldier stop her, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
The Qin soldiers stationed here had all seen the Queen Mother Zhao these days and naturally recognized her. They immediately explained, "Your Majesty, there's a fight going on up ahead between the Zhao and Qin troops."
Zhao Yuanxi's eyelids twitched, and it really happened.
"Take me with you."
Before he got close, Zhao Yuanxi saw the two sides in confrontation. The Zhao people were numerous, and several Qin people were surrounded by Zhao people. Fortunately, the Qin soldiers appeared in time and separated the two groups of people.
Even so, the two sides continued to curse at each other! Their faces were red and their necks were thick, and they even cursed their ancestors! It even escalated to regional attacks!
They were all holding stones and axes in their hands, and were about to fight.
Zhao Yuanxi shouted, "That's enough! Stop it!"
Neither side was convinced by the other, but they still turned around with dark faces and looked at Zhao Yuanxi unconvinced.
Zhao Yuanxi patiently asked, "Tell me! What's going on?"
A Qin man stepped forward and said, "Empress Dowager, these people are not only disobedient, but they also insult you. We are dissatisfied and have argued with them for a few words."
Another young man from Zhao retorted, "Nonsense! It's you Qin people who are bullying us too much. You are mocking our Zhao State for being so weak. We didn't insult you at all."
"You call my Queen Mother of Qin your Princess. Isn't that an insult? Your King of Zhao was so useless that he was imprisoned by our King! And his legs are broken!"
"You, you Qin people are nothing but barbarians! Bandits and robbers who only know how to plunder!"
“…”
“...........”
The two sides started arguing again.
Zhao Yuanxi sighed, "Alright! Stop arguing!"
Those people were cursing so hard that they completely drowned out her voice. Seeing this, Li Mu swung his spear and stood between them.
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