Chapter 266 Too Many Surprises
"Oh, by the way, aren't you going to Guangzhou Port and Quanzhou Port? Next time you go, look for seeds of the plant called Baidiezi." Su Ying suddenly remembered.
In addition to being introduced from the Western Regions, cotton was also introduced from Southeast Asia via Hainan Airlines.
"Bai Diezi? What is that?" Hu Erlang was about to be defeated by Su Ying.
Even though I have seen so much, I am still not as good as the girl who lives in the mountains.
"It is also called Jibei and Kapok. It is somewhat similar to the cotton you have seen, but it is a plant with flowers in white, yellow, pink and other colors. The fruits are clusters of white fibers with seeds in the middle." Su Ying introduced.
Fu Zhong, who was standing by, looked at Su Ying in horror when he heard this. How could she know that?
This thing is grown in the palace nursery in a special greenhouse. It is a rare item. How could she, the daughter of a low-ranking official, know so much about it?
"Oh, I'll look for it next time. What is that thing used for? It comes in many colors, so I think it must be a great ornamental item." Hu Erlang said with a smile.
Women all like colorful flowers, and Aying is no exception.
"No, it's very useful! If you can find it and grow it, you can spin it into yarn and weave it into cloth, which is better than hemp and kudzu. It can also be used as filling for bedding to keep you warm.
Promoting planting can help people all over the world wear cotton-padded clothes to keep out the cold." Su Ying said surprisingly.
"Spinning and weaving! Making quilts and cotton-padded clothes to keep warm!" Hu Erlang exclaimed.
Fu Zhong even stood up and rushed to Su Ying, "Miss Su, how did you know this? Are you serious?"
"Mr. Fu, have you seen Bai Diezi?" Su Ying asked instead of answering.
Mr. Fu's expression was too anxious, and there was no surprise or shock at all. He must have seen it before!
"Miss Su, I can get some white cloth. Can you tell me if it's really possible to spin it, weave cloth, make quilts, and wear cotton-padded clothes to keep warm?" Fu Zhong asked again.
"Of course, if we can get it, we'll try to get as much as possible. After the trial planting is successful, we can vigorously promote its planting in Henan, Hebei, and Jiangnan. The collected cotton can be transported to Jiangnan for spinning and weaving." Su Ying said.
"Why do people gather in Jiangnan to spin and weave?" Fu Zhong and Hu Erlang asked at the same time.
"The weather in the north is dry, so cotton yarn breaks easily and is difficult to form into thread. The climate in the south of the Yangtze River is mild, so cotton yarn does not break easily. The yarn is also very elastic, so the woven cloth is strong and breathable."
Su Ying felt that Fu Zhong must have seen it, so she naturally had to let him know the benefits of cotton.
Even if the seeds are found, Lingnan is not the best place to grow them. They still need to be promoted to Henan, Hebei and Jiangnan through the Sinong Temple.
"It turns out it's so useful! It's a pity that it has been hidden in the greenhouse as an ornamental object!" Fu Zhong muttered to himself.
The words "Let the people of the world wear cotton clothes to keep warm" deeply touched him. During those years of suffering in the palace, it was really hard for the low-level eunuchs. They had nothing to keep warm, let alone charcoal for heating. They had to rely on their bodies to endure. Those days were too difficult!
If cotton were really popular, the poor people in the world would not have to worry about winter!
Fu Zhong's heart was burning with excitement, as this trip had so many surprises.
"Well, actually there is another place that is also suitable for growing cotton, and the cotton fibers there are the longest and the cotton quality is the best!" Su Ying added fuel to the fire.
"Where?" Fu Zhong grabbed Su Ying with an anxious look in his eyes.
"Western Regions! The area around present-day Gaochang Kingdom has long sunshine hours and a large temperature difference between day and night. Cotton fibers are long and fluffy, making them top-quality for spinning, weaving, and making stuffing to keep warm! Unfortunately..."
"What a pity?" Fu Zhong was so anxious that he wondered if he could finish his words at once.
"It's a pity that the imperial court didn't pay much attention to the Anxi area. They only set up military operations and didn't pay much attention to agriculture. If we could station troops and cultivate farmland in Anxi, we could not only harvest large tracts of land and grow cotton, but also integrate the locals into the Tang Dynasty instead of making them dispensable."
Speaking of this, Su Ying recalled the story of the Anxi Protectorate Army holding their ground alone, which was both tragic and desolate.
In the 14th year of Zhenguan, the Anxi Protectorate was established to govern the four towns of Anxi.
During the Anshi Rebellion, Emperor Suzong of Tang Dynasty continuously mobilized troops from the northwest to support the emperor in order to suppress the rebellion.
The Anxi soldiers have been fighting for control of Anxi with the surrounding ethnic groups for many years. They are fierce and brave, and have been transferred to the interior in large numbers.
The Anxi troops played an important role in suppressing the Anshi Rebellion, but they also greatly weakened the Tang Dynasty's influence in the Western Regions.
Tubo launched several large-scale attacks, and many areas under its control in Anxi were occupied by Tubo. Tubo used peace talks as bait and asked the Tang Dynasty to redivide the border.
After several wars and struggles, Anxi eventually became the last enclave of the Tang Dynasty, with no manpower or food supplies.
In the winter of the third year of Yuanhe, Guo Xin (nephew of Guo Ziyi), who was in his seventies, led thousands of remaining soldiers in a life-and-death battle with the 100,000-strong army led by Songtsen Qozan.
All the Tang soldiers in Anxi were killed in the battle, and Anxi, which had been isolated in the western desert for 42 years, was declared fallen.
When Songtsen abandoned hunting and cleaned up the battlefield, he discovered that all the Tang soldiers had gray hair!
These Tang soldiers who guarded Anxi for decades never received any food or salary, nor were they given pensions or posthumous honors after their death. They were nameless and submerged in the long river of history.
All the later generations know are these few words: Anxi Protectorate Army!
Fu Zhong looked at Su Ying in confusion as she went from joy to depression.
He could get the Bai Die Zi, but he had no right to advise! He didn't understand politics, and he wouldn't know about the tragic and heroic decisive battle in Anxi a hundred years later!
But she kept in mind what Su Ying said.
"I will have someone deliver it as soon as possible, but the planting season has passed this year. If you want to see the results, you can only wait until next year." Fu Zhong said regretfully.
"It's okay, I have a lot of things to do!" Su Ying smiled.
During these few days, we have to plant beans, dry silk cocoons, reel silk, spin silk, weave silk, and make winter melon candy.
"Yes! I have to go back tomorrow! I'm afraid there are so many things to do at home!" Mrs. Hu also said, "Luckily, I have a few more helpers, otherwise I would be exhausted!"
"Helper? What helper?" Hu Erlang was surprised.
"The village school has selected a few smart girls who are good at abacus and well-educated. They are just right to help me share the chores. They are all imitating your father and others!"
Mrs. Hu showed off.
"Abacus?" Hu Erlang felt dizzy again. He had only been away for a few months, and so many things appeared here that he had never heard of before?
"Come, let me show you! Ah Lu, show us your skills!" Mrs. Hu said with a smile.
"Yes! Madam!" Su Lu came in with an abacus.
"Hey, this is called an abacus?" Hu Erlang took it and looked at it. He felt that it was very similar to something and wanted to grab it but couldn't.
"Yes, it's much more convenient than counting sticks! It's very fast!" said Mrs. Hu.
"Oh, I see! I was wondering why there are two on top and five on the bottom!" Hu Erlang suddenly realized, isn't this how counting rods are used?
It's just that stringing beads into columns like this is more convenient than counting sticks, and it has more digits for calculations.
"Did you do it?" Hu Erlang asked Su Ying.
"Not really! It's used in the Imperial Observatory to calculate time and calendar. I just use it to calculate daily accounts!" Su Ying said with a smile.
"I went out and traveled thousands of miles, thinking that I would gain a lot of knowledge, but I didn't expect that things here are changing so fast, and I missed a lot." Hu Erlang was depressed.
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