Chapter 238 On Horses Eating Willow Capsules
Listening to what Shi Xiu said, Zhao Zhen couldn’t help but ask about the situation of the Liao Kingdom, and Shi Xiu did not mince words, saying: “Officials, the Khitans and the Han people in the Liao Kingdom are not the same. Those who live together are separated. Jizhou, where I live, belongs to the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. After Shi Jingtang of the Later Jin Dynasty, it was ceded to the Liao Dynasty. Nowadays, most Han people there no longer recognize the Zhao and Song Dynasties. The number of sheep and horses in each household determines the wealth and poverty. Poor."
"The official system is divided into the north and the south. The sixteen states of Yanyun are still governed by the county system, and the Han people are governed by the state and county system. The tribal system governs the Khitan people."
"The majority of livestock are sheep and horses, followed by cattle and camels. From April to August, the pastures are luxuriant, which is the golden season for grazing. In winter, the livestock are driven to flat sandy areas with sunshine and leeward. My uncle and I went to the north to buy The sheep stayed there for some reason.”
“The Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun is quite different from what we are waiting for here, but the difference becomes even greater as we go further north. There are thousands of horses in each group. They are only two or three people. They chase water and grass without any restraint. When there is a need, they can drive and use it. They can gallop all day long without getting tired. As the saying goes: One point for feeding, three points for riding. "
After hearing this, Zhao Zhen said: "According to what my brother said, there is no shortage of Khitan soldiers there who are good at fighting, and there are also Han-made armors and sharp blades. There is no shortage of meat for herding cattle and sheep, and there is no shortage of farming and weaving. No wonder the Song Dynasty did not dare to Qingqi Zhanduan."
"Brother Shi Xiu, do you know someone well in Jizhou? Can you get the war horse through him?"
Shi Xiu said: "Master, I am here. Jizhou also got acquainted with a good man named Yang, who had a strong martial arts and a yellowish face. He was known as [Biguansuo] and was currently serving as the jailer of the two hospitals and the executioner of the city. "< br>
"My acquaintance with Brother Yang Xiong was by chance. He was originally from Henan Prefecture, but others saw that he was a foreigner. His uncle who was the prefect passed away, so many local people bullied him."
“One day, after the execution, Zhang Bao, a local soldier who [kicked and killed the sheep] gathered a group of idle men and snatched his red satin horse. I bumped into him. I was angry for a while and stepped forward to beat him. Run away from this gang and become brothers.”
Zhao Zhen said: "Brother, we are not in a hurry. At this time of year, horses in the North are not necessarily easy to buy. Since my brother is sworn in with Yang Xiong, why don't you get a job from him?"
Shi Xiudao: "Brother Yang Xiong has a father-in-law who is also a butcher. Because he saw that I can also slaughter animals, he wanted to open a slaughtering workshop with me. But I saw that his wife was not a responsible person, so I hesitated for a while. I happened to hear that high officials were recruiting here. A hero, I thought that Jizhou was not the Song Dynasty after all, so I declined and came all the way."
Zhao Zhen said: "It's good to come back. It's not the Song Dynasty after all. I also heard that the status of the Han people there is far inferior to that of the Khitan. People. The Fan clan only gave cattle and horses to the dead of Han people. "
Shi Xiu said: "Yes, the Han people are inferior to the Khitan people, but cattle, sheep and other livestock are much cheaper than those of the Song Dynasty. If you really want horses, I would like to go to the Northland for a trip."
Zhao Zhen said: "It's not urgent. I'll ask my brother to go to the Northland to buy horses again in the autumn."
Shi Xiu said: "What the officials said is true. Spring and summer are the breeding seasons, and herdsmen are often willing to sell their livestock in autumn. However, the shape of the Khitan horses does not match the appearance, and the hoof hair is not trimmed. People there believe that horses follow their nature. It will breed and multiply.”
“Khitan horses are small, generally weigh less than 700 kilograms, have a curved body, a slender neck, large hips, low bones, poor load-bearing capacity, and are not fast in charging. It has good endurance, tolerates rough feeding, and has good adaptability. I have many contacts with herdsmen in Jizhou. The weight of this horse is only about 140 kilograms, and the horse is mostly wearing leather armor."
Zhao Zhen sighed after hearing this. "Brother, I don't know, but this horse is also very good. There are only a thousand war horses in the county, less than half of them are tall horses, and more than half of the rest are Khitan horses. Even so, there is nowhere to buy them."
Shi Xiudao: "I heard that Liaodong Jurchen horses are taller and stronger than Khitan horses. Unfortunately, I have only seen a few of them at the Yamen Master in Jizhou, and there is no way to talk about them."
Jiao Ting also said. : "I have seen Western Xia horses, and they are also tall horses, but there are often battles there, and this horse is not easy to transport."
Bao Xu asked: "Is it better than the horses brought back by the officials from the outside world?"
Jiao Ting said: "Although it is slightly inferior, the difference is not big." After hearing this, Shi Xiu asked: "What else is there in the county?" Do you have such a good horse?"
Zhao Zhen said: "These horses are big horses from the Western Regions. Unfortunately, they are not easy to buy and the price is expensive. One horse costs 80 yuan, so you need to be careful. "Take care of it."
Shi Xiudao: "A Khitan horse that can go on the battlefield is no more than thirty horses."
Several people were talking, and they didn't realize it was time to apply for a license.
Good guys from all over came one after another, and Zhao Zhen introduced them to Shi Xiu one by one. At the end of the application process, everyone came. Zhu Fu came over and asked, "Officials, do you want to have a banquet?"
Zhao Zhen nodded and said, "Let's have a banquet."
After that, Zhu Fu led the people to have a meal. After a while, the table was filled with cooked sheep, cooked chickens, geese and other items.
Everyone sat down, and as Zhuang Ding put down a bowl of cold willow sprouts in front of everyone, Zhao Zhen raised his glass and said: "Brothers, now that spring has begun, there will be fresh vegetables to chew in the future. The two of the villagers There are many willow trees growing in the sky, and today we use them to entertain all the brothers for their hard work last year. Even Shi Xiu came to throw them in, and he also brought blessings to his brothers. ”
After everyone heard this, they all raised their glasses.
Throughout the winter, in addition to all kinds of meat and eggs, the most eaten vegetables are pickled vegetables and dried vegetables. The only fresh ones are bean sprouts, and the raw Weixian radish is very popular. Although it is delicious, after eating it for a whole winter, I am a little tired of it. Not only Zhao Zhen, but also everyone in the hall looked forward to eating fresh vegetables as soon as possible.
Today, a plate of cold willow sprouts was served in front of everyone. Although it was slightly bitter, it was warmly welcomed by everyone. Adding attributes to spiritual objects is only the second priority. Being able to eat vegetables and change the taste becomes the first priority.
Of course, like Bao Xu, he ate the willow sprouts in front of him in three strokes, five by two, and then started eating and drinking the meat, wine, and radishes on the table.
Speaking of [Weixian radish], it is indeed a good thing. As the saying goes: If you eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, you won’t have to worry about the doctor prescribing medicine.
Lao Pu said: There are four kinds of radish in one species: in spring, it is called earth cone, in summer, it is called summer growth, in autumn, it is called radish, and in winter, it is called earth crisp.
"Erya" says: "Kui, reed." The name is radish, also known as Hailtu. Those in the north are extremely brittle and have no taste when eaten. In the Central Plains, there is Duicheng, which is white in quality and pungent and sweet in taste. It is especially suitable for eating raw and can relieve facial toxins. The seeds can be used as medicine to lower qi and eliminate grains. Planting can be done at any time of the year, but it is not as good as late autumn and early autumn. After the armor is broken, it can be eaten.
Therefore, Huangshan Valley said: The soil of Jincheng is as crisp and pure as clay, which is why it is clean.
Zhao Zhen was still inexperienced. He did not expect that at this stage, the vegetables stored were insufficient, resulting in basically only fresh radishes left to eat.
On that day, everyone drank and the guests and hosts had a great time.
(End of this chapter)