Chapter 376: Binding Horse Pass (Seeking votes and subscriptions)
Although the output of the current papermaking workshop is far from meeting the needs of printing books, movable type printing is also an extremely time-consuming job. After all, all Chinese characters need to be engraved, and there are more than one set, which is a considerable workload.
As for the reason for more than one set, it is of course for printing needs, because an article is only within one page, and the same character will appear multiple times. In such a situation, if each character is only engraved once, it is impossible to use it for printing.
Moreover, there are different sizes of fonts, and each character must be engraved with several large and small printing plates.
In addition, there is one last difficulty, that is, writing reverse characters. As we all know, in fact, movable type printing plates are no different from seals, and if you want to print the handwriting in the right direction, the seal must be reversed. At present, this work cannot be completed by anyone except Luo Chong.
But this work is still a problem for Luo Chong. Originally, his writing level of brush calligraphy is average. Writing in the right direction is okay, but writing in the reverse direction is simply terrible. It is also difficult to copy with anything, because writing with a brush originally puts little pressure on paper.
So Luo Chong thought about it and decided to use the kind of rice paper that can penetrate ink to write the correct characters first. When the paper is thin, the ink will penetrate the back of the paper, and then practice according to the handwriting on the back.
So he gave the lame man a task again, asking him to make light brown mud ingots with a ratio of 7 to 3 of clay and kaolin. First, grind the soil finely, mix the two evenly, and then knead them into mud. Finally, make rectangular mud embryos of different specifications, and then dry them for use. After the characters are engraved, they will be fired uniformly, at most half a furnace.
After making these arrangements, Luo Chong freed up his hands again. He sat under the pavilion built in the yard and began to think about the current construction plan. He has spent three winters in this world. When it comes to autumn in a few months, he will usher in the third year of traveling through this world. The plans made before have changed due to various factors, so he also needs to adjust the construction direction appropriately.
Judging from the current situation, the Han tribe has no territory at all. Although the tribe members can go anywhere, there is indeed no clear mark where the territory of the Han tribe is, so it is time to enclose the land.
The benefits of enclosure are obvious. As long as the territory is clearly divided, these land resources can be used more effectively. Whether it is military defense or farming and grazing, the utilization rate of land can be enhanced. It was not done before. First, there were not so many people at that time, and second, there was no need. If there were not many people, it would be impossible to develop so much land.
But now it is different. The population of the Han tribe will soon exceed 20,000, and even more next year. It is no longer appropriate to use this tribal management method, so it must be changed.
The construction project of Hanyang City is nearing completion. It is expected that by early autumn at the latest, the last school and mansion will be fully completed, and then only simple decoration tasks will remain. At that time, in addition to daily farming, most of the labor force of the Han tribe will be freed, which will give Luo Chong the opportunity to enclose land. Only when there are people in hand can work be done. We must always keep in mind the principle of "people-oriented" governance. Well, that's it.
It has been planned before that the Han tribe will expand outward by establishing strongholds, and then build villages in the "territory" formed by the connection of the strongholds to maximize the use of land instead of locking everyone in the city.
As the population increases, there will be more and more houses and farmlands. In places far from the river, the Han tribe can also grow wheat to ensure the utilization rate of these lands, instead of relying solely on the river as it does now.
Especially with the addition of the two tribal alliances next year, the Han tribe will gain another 4,000 people. Luo Chong has already made up his mind about the resettlement of this group of people. They will be the first nail to be inserted into the Han tribe, and it will also be the beginning of the transition from public ownership to private ownership.
These 4,000 people are equivalent to the resident population of Hanyang City. Obviously, it is impossible to continue to cram them in Hanyang City, so they will become the first step for the Han tribe to enclose land outside. Luo Chong plans to set up the first base at the entrance of the valley north of the back mountain on the north side of Hanyang City, which is the place where the cannibals were ambushed for the first time and wild horses were rounded up there.
That place can be said to be a naturally formed pass, with high mountains on both sides and a narrow valley in the middle, the narrowest part is only about 700 meters. If a rammed earth wall is built there and a village of 4,000 people is placed behind the wall, then these people, relying on advanced weapons, can block any enemy coming from the north and form a solid barrier for Hanyang City.
In this way, if the enemy wants to invade the Han tribe from the north, they can either break through the wall, or go along the waterway, or take a long detour from the northwest to the west of the Han tribe, but it is impossible to drive straight in.
In addition, the distance from the valley to Hanyang City is only two or three days' journey, but this is the distance measured by foot. If riding a horse, it is only one or two hours. If a solid road is built, the round-trip time between the two places will be shortened again. If a hard road for a carriage can be built, it is possible to drive a carriage to the valley within an hour.
It doesn't sound very far, but the span between the two places is at least about 50 kilometers. Such a large area will be directly included in the "territory" of the Han tribe. Whether it is used to settle residents or for farming, it is a safe area that can be protected by the valley and Hanyang City on both sides. If it is used to settle the population, even the city wall is not needed.
Moreover, the various resources in this mountain forest will be better developed, such as forest resources and animal resources. In addition, the hanging thorn man-eating tree, which is extremely important to the Han tribe, is also within the scope of this territory. After the village is built, it will be completely incorporated into the back garden of the Han tribe, and the Han tribe will no longer have to worry about the man-eating tree being destroyed or used by the enemy.
Luo Chong even thought of the name of the valley village. Just like "Tuoguling", it was named after what happened in the local area. In addition to its specific function, Luo Chong decided to name this place "Bi Ma Guan".
One is because wild horses were once rounded up there, and the second is because it is a pass used to defend against enemies, so it is more appropriate to name it "Bi Ma Guan".
The last point, which is the first step of the transformation from "public ownership" to "private ownership" mentioned earlier, will also start from this place.
(End of this chapter)
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