Chapter 402 Main Business
Kaocheng is a very small county town.
There is only one street in the city, and you can see it all at a glance. In this narrow and crowded city, some houses have a front yard in addition to a back garden, and even a little vegetable garden.
Shao Xun squatted beside the vegetable patch, digging out vegetables with a small shovel.
“Is this grown from small crops?” Shao Xun said while shaking the mud off the lettuce.
Lettuce was introduced from Central Asia during the Han Dynasty. It was called "lettuce vegetable" in Ge Hong's "Behind the Elbow". However, cultivation was not common at this time. It would not be until the Sui and Tang Dynasties three hundred years later that lettuce would truly become a commonly cultivated home dish.
"The ones planted before and after Chunshe are harvested in ninety days, but they are pretty much the same." Concubine Pei leaned on the bed, her belly bulging high, as a new life was about to be born.
“Do you like eating it?”
“Yes.”
“I will plant some during the Autumn Society and make pickles for you to eat after the frost.”
"Perhaps you are at war."
"Then I will plant some while the army is in action and bring them back to you."
"Will they all be dead by the time we get to Kaocheng?"< br>
“You’re not afraid when it’s marinated.”
The two of them were talking to each other, seemingly meaningless words, but as they talked, the corners of their mouths All turned up.
Concubine Pei did not ask Shao Xun about marrying a wife, and Shao Xun did not take the initiative to mention it. The two of them avoided Yu Wenjun in a tacit understanding.
After digging the lettuce, Shao Xun washed himself at the well.
Concubine Pei looked at him quietly, occasionally moving her body with difficulty with the help of her maid.
This child is her burden and her treasure.
She hopes that the child will be able to see his father after he is born.
"Wow!" Shao Xun dried the lettuce stems in water over and over again, then took a knife and cut them piece by piece.
"The three cities of Heyang are not that simple." Concubine Pei said slowly: "Once the city is successfully built, the Huns will invade in large numbers."
"I think during the city building, they will attack "Here we come." Shao Xun said, "Liu Cong will not sit idly by if he has any brains."
Concubine Pei sighed, but said nothing.
Men, they fight over and over again, either for power or for women.
Some people like both power and women. Her man is that, and so is Liu Cong.
"Why are you in such a hurry to get the three cities of Heyang now?" Concubine Pei asked: "Many counties in Henan and Yan are just returning home on the surface."
"Everything is done in advance, not in advance. It's a good time now, but when the Xiongnu suppresses Guanzhong, there won't necessarily be this time." Shao Xun said: "Let's build it first, and then we will go to the north in the future. That's enough. When the territory becomes bigger, we will naturally be able to return home."
"How about the shogunate?"
"I don't care much about small things," Shao Xun said, "I'll take care of the big things. Shi, Sima, and Zhonglang sent it to Xuchang to inform me that the successor king has not been messy recently and is very stable."
"Have Puyang, Xingyang, and Dongping been robbed again?"
"The Huns just came here illegally." Shao Xun said: "I can't guard against thousands of miles of river defense. These few days Most of the fields in this county are indeed deserted, and we have to allocate food for relief after this autumn harvest."
"Didn't you go to the Xiongnu to cause trouble?"
"Their cavalry is ten times more than mine. Above, even if only a small number of people are recruited, it will be enough to prevent me." Shao Xun said: "Unless you fight me face to face like Gao Ping, you won't be able to harass me."
"No wonder you. "To get involved with the three cities of Heyang," Concubine Pei said, "It may not be a bad thing to attract all the thieves."
"Hua Nu has more knowledge than many men." Shao Xun said with a smile. .
Concubine Pei glanced at him angrily, but quickly frowned again.
Shao Xun quickly wiped his hands, walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"The child was sleeping and turned over just now." Concubine Pei loosened her wrinkled breasts He frowned, caressing Shao Xun's face, and looked at him with a gentle smile.
The man's first reaction was how she was, not the child, which made her feel very happy.
Such little bits of care and love in life, accumulated over many years, are very considerable and can be used to offset some unpleasant things.
"Come inside and lie down for a while." Shao Xun lifted Concubine Pei up and let her lie on her side on the couch in the bedroom.
Concubine Pei lay down for a while and felt uncomfortable again.
Shao Xun patiently helped her sit up.
The maid has already gone to cook, and Shao Xun is sitting next to Concubine Pei, reviewing official letters from Xuchang, Chenjun, and the Yanzhou shogunate.
Concubine Pei's eyes were half-opened and half-closed. When she saw that Shao Xun was always beside her, she finally closed her eyes with peace of mind.
The room was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of paper turning.
His style of governing the shogunate is quite distinct, and seeking truth from facts is the most basic thing.
Therefore, officials from various places reported to their assistants, and then their assistants submitted the seals presented to him. Basically, there was nothing too nonsense.
Silver Gun Zuoying has begun to pull back.
After Yinqian Youying escorted Yu Wenjun and others back to Xuchang, they have been training near Xuchang.
The Yi Congjun moved to Xingyang Pu Tianze to start training.
Many people think that the three cities of Heyang might become a fuel tactic, and Shao Xun also has this worry.
But for now, it is impossible for him to send all his troops there. It would be too stupid and a waste of money. This year Yanzhou’s harvest has been affected again.
The 20,000 troops guarding the ferry worked in the fields every year and had poor harvests every year. They relied entirely on the salaries of Chenliu, Jiyang, Jiyin, Gaoping and other places to maintain.
To be more precise, it all depends on the money and food provided by the nobles and powerful Wubao commanders.
When the world has reached this point, normal taxation no longer exists. The yellow household register is completely nonsense and has no use at all.
Money and food still have to be provided by local snakes. This is the strength of their bargaining.
Fortunately, I can save whatever I can on eating from the imperial court this year.
After Shao Xun read it, he felt that there were only a few days until the expedition, and he wondered if he could leave after the child was born.
The south wind blew open the window, and Concubine Pei gradually opened her eyes.
Shao Xun filled a basin of water and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a cloth.
"Is it hot?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want to change into a gebu shirt?"
"Okay."
Shao Xun brought a Gebu two-crotch shirt, placed it on the couch, and then took off the green jacket from Concubine Pei's upper body.
Some places looked more and more majestic. He couldn't put it down and played with it a few times, making both of them breathe a little.
"It's been a long time since I vented my worries." Shao Xun said in her ear.
"You have a new wife to vent your anger on, so how can you remember the old person?" Concubine Pei said angrily.
"It's different." Shao Xun said: "When I got you for the first time, I almost lost my soul. I have never felt so comfortable."
"This body Seventy percent of his skills are used to coax women." Concubine Pei looked at him with a smile.
But when I said this, I was still very happy in my heart.
Women, no matter what time of year, like to compare.
Who a man likes more is the focus of the competition.
Concubine Pei is a rational woman, but she also has irrational aspects, especially as she gets older.
After putting on the Gebu shirt, my whole body felt much cooler.
"This is a gift from Yiyang County." Shao Xun said: "Henan Province is short of silk and silk. Fortunately, those counties over there produce kudzu."
"Princess Xiangcheng Mentioned that Jiangdong has not had any of these items in the palace for a long time. "Fei Fei touched the clothes on her body and said with emotion, "I don't want to wear them."
Kudzu is a perennial herbaceous vine that is soft in the shape of a rattan. Its stem bark fibers can be used to weave cloth or make paper.
Picking Ge Ge is an ancient activity. It is recorded in the "Book of Songs": "He is picking Ge Ge. If you don't see him for a day, it will be like March."
In this era, Ge Ge is a plucking flower. Mainly produced in the south, Yiyang and Anfeng counties in Yuzhou also produce some, and are generally used to make Gebu.
Because Gebu is thin, light, soft and breathable, it is very comfortable to wear in summer. Since ancient times, there has been a saying of "Lin fur in winter, Geyi in summer".
The cultivation of Gebu has experienced several migrations.
In the "Book of Songs" era, it was very common in the north, and then slowly disappeared, and the south flourished. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it slowly increased in the north, and then receded again, which was very strange.
But overall, this is an excellent summer textile.
"What does it matter to me if the emperor doesn't have Ge Yi?" Shao Xun said: "I only care about whether the people I care about can wear it. This year, there are also people in Runan and Qiao State who are planting hemp and Ge. If you have enough, send another batch to the palace to coax the emperor."
Concubine Pei sat in his arms, leaning her head gently on Shao Xun's chest, and said: "Ten years ago, I could not have imagined this day. "
"Isn't your man powerful?" Shao Xun said with a smile.
"You didn't marry me, what kind of man and woman are you?" Concubine Pei rolled her eyes at him.
“The child is about to be born, and he’s still not your man?” Shao Xun pretended to be angry and said, “After my son is born, you will have another baby for me next year.”
“ You have so many women, which one will give birth to you? I think Princess Xiangcheng is quite willing to give birth to you." Concubine Pei sighed.
“I really haven’t touched her.” Shao Xun exclaimed.
Concubine Pei covered her mouth and chuckled, saying nothing.
“Hold me, I’m sleepy again.”
“Isn’t it hot?”
“It’s hot, but you still have to hold me.”
"Okay."
Shao Xun gently placed Concubine Pei on the couch, then held her waist until she fell asleep.
This is what the ancient Greek god in charge of yellow hair should do.
Fighting and killing are not my main business.
When Concubine Pei fell asleep, Shao Xun was also a little confused.
I don’t know why, but he actually thought of Brother Cong...
(End of this chapter)