Chapter 661 Catching Life
When I was a child, I went to the countryside of Dangtunliu.
In early spring in March, everything revives, and birds, animals and insects chirp in the mountains and forests. They wake up from a winter's hibernation and begin to look for food.
Suddenly, a burst of heavy horse hooves disturbed the forest. For a moment, the birds and animals panicked and fled in all directions.
In the cavalry, Bao Cai hugged the neck of his horse tightly and followed the warriors on horseback with difficulty.
He was from Tunliu and his family was poor. He sold himself to Taiyuan as a slave. Afterwards, the Taishan Army regained Taiyuan and liberated the entire city into civilian households.
However, a large number of powerful slaves only served people for a long time and had no production capacity at all. Once they were liberated, they fell into the dilemma of having nothing to do.
At this time, the grassroots officials of the Taishan Army began to play a role. After they organized households and people according to the Shiwu system, they began to conduct manpower surveys of each people, and then allocated work according to different situations.
Because Bao Cai was from Tunliu, he was sent to the army as a guide by the local government.
This time You Yi of the army wanted to investigate Lu Bu who was stationed in Tunliu, so Bao Cai was brought out.
But this journey has been difficult for Bao Cai. He is the bowl slave of the Wang family in Qixian County. He waits at his master's house every morning with a bowl.
You asked Bao Cai to carry a basin all day long, and he didn't feel tired at all. But now he just followed those wandering horses for half a night, and his whole frame is about to fall apart.
If you look at those Taishan Army soldiers, you don't know how they practice their equestrian skills. They look like they are growing on the back of a horse.
Thinking of this, Bao Cai felt envious in his heart.
Nowadays, the world is in chaos. The skill of riding a horse can change your destiny. No matter how difficult it is to run away, it will be convenient.
However, the skill of Duan Yu, which I had spent a lot of effort to master, became useless. What if the basin is held steady and flat?
Besides, the route of the Taishan Army is also different from other places. According to the chief, the Taishan Army is not interested in serving people.
Bao Cai didn't understand that noble people didn't need anyone to serve them, so how could they dress and wash their faces?
This world is changing so fast that I can’t understand it. But one thing is always true, that is, learn more trades and more paths.
Thinking of this, Bao Cai also began to pay attention to those Youyi and wanted to learn how to ride a horse.
But this look caused a warrior to look askance.
In the dark night, this man was shining white and extremely handsome. But when he looked over, the murderous aura made Bao Cai's body get goosebumps.
Bao Cai quickly retracted his eyes and led the way without squinting.
When working as a slave, it is instinctive to observe people's words and emotions. Because for others, it may just be about progress, but for this group, it is like air. If you leave it, you will die.
Bao Cai saw at a glance that the handsome white warrior was not Han. Although these people wore their hair in Han buns and even dressed the same as Han people, Bao Cai was sure that the people in front of him were not Han people and their taste was different.
In fact, neither Taiyuan nor Tunliu are considered inner counties. They actually have some contact with the Hu people, but Bao Cai is a slave of the Wang family in Qi County, and the manor built on the bank of the Fen River is his entire estate. world.
Therefore, while being disdainful of the barbarians, it is inevitable to regard these people as barbarians who lead beasts and cannibals.
At this moment, Bao Cai still dared to say anything.
At this time, a Han warrior in front suddenly turned around and said to Bao Cai:
"Cai, how long are we until Natunliu?"
Seeing that it was Ambassador You Yi who was asking, Bao Cai hurriedly replied:
"It's too dark at night, so there's nothing recognizable. But we've been walking for so long and haven't seen any frozen water yet, which means we haven't arrived yet."
After saying this, Bao Cai reacted and added:
"The frozen water is just north of our Tunliu. When we see the frozen water, Tunliu will be there."
You Yishi didn't say anything, nodded, and continued to lead You Yi and others along the mountain road.
Over there, after finishing his reply, Bao Cai let out a careful breath, fearing that he would be killed for not doing his job well just now.
In this wilderness, people will definitely not bury themselves. I am afraid that the beasts will be full by then.
But in fact, Bao Cai's caution is unnecessary.
Not to mention the strict military discipline of the Taishan Army, Bao Cai himself was also a resident of Taiyuan. His household registration was directly affiliated with Taiyuan, not the army.
In other words, Bao Cai was lent by the Taiyuan branch to the army for camp, and he would be allowed to return home when the time comes.
And if this person cannot be found and there is no explanation by then, then these Youyi will definitely be sued. Although during the war, the local government could not control the local military officials, but the military law officers could, and they were even more strict.
But Bao Cai didn't know this, and still treated others with his usual slave experience, giving people a timid feeling.
Which of these Youyi envoys is not an elite in the army, and which one is not a decisive warrior? For a character like Bao Cai, it would be a waste to say even one more sentence.
But putting aside these personal perceptions, Bao Cai's role as a guide this time is actually very important.
These You Yi belong to the elite of the Chinese army. This mission was personally ordered by the king to go to Tunliu to explore the movements of Lu Bu's army.
They separated from the army at Xiangyuan and ran directly south. In order to hide their journey, they could only take some inaccessible mountain roads.
In this case, a guide is essential.
Just now, why did the leader You Yishi come to ask this question? In fact, it was because they were walking and found that the nearby mountains and forests were all the same, and they almost thought they were lost.
It is cruel to say that these tourists themselves are also good at geography, but they are still a little confused when trying to annihilate Taiyue Mountain.
The team continued southward for an unknown length of time when suddenly the sound of running water came from the darkness in front of them. The You Yi messenger asked Bao Cai to confirm whether it was freezing water.
Bao Cai didn't dare to neglect, so he jumped off his horse and ran forward.
Then, a turbid river appeared in front of everyone, flowing slowly from west to east.
Bao Cai quickly replied:
"General, this is frozen water. Look at that dark place, that's where we camp!"
You Yishi stared in the direction pointed by Bao Cai.
Different from what Bao Cai saw, what You Yishi saw were clusters of fortresses and wooden villages, and in the distance, the dark shadow of a city wall loomed in the background.
It seems that this is Tunliu.
When You Yishi was confirming, other You Yishi were also watching. Their eyesight was also very good, and what they saw was almost the same as that of their own generals.
In fact, among this group of people, only Bao Cai, who was born as a slave, had the worst eyesight. Although he was a slave of a wealthy family, he only had enough to take care of. How could he eat meat, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables like these military officials? These things are purchased by the army from along the road. Although the quantity is not large, priority is given to these elites who often have to fight at night.
However, according to those in the Logistics Department, these things will be supplied to the military on a large scale in the future, just like fried rice and pickles. This is not a boastful statement made by people from the Logistics Department.
With the foundation of the Taishan Army in Jizhou, Youzhou, Pingzhou and other places, these areas are gradually recovering and recuperating under the leadership of various experts from the Taishan Army.
For example, fruit grafting technology and large-scale collective planting allow fruits such as apples, peaches, and pears to be supplied to the army on a large scale.
Another example is that herders in the Pingzhou area have established pastures, which can provide a large amount of meat and milk to the mainland. Lishes located in three places encourage every household to raise chickens.
Its slogan is:
"Chickens lay eggs, and eggs lay chickens. If you raise a chicken this year, you can sell a nest next year."
This policy was promoted by Zhang Chong.
In fact, he has long discovered that this generation is very backward in the breeding industry. Although there are also owners of large estates who breed, there are not many of them in the vast countryside.
So this changes the problem of eating meat from how to struggle to eat meat to having no meat to eat at all.
But most of the breeding industry is still too heavy a burden for Guizhou leaders. Although the lives of ordinary people are much better than in the past with the parallel development of farm divisions and collectives, they still cannot afford the risks of raising large livestock.
Chicken raising is different. It is a good industry with small capital, quick start, quick and long-term profits. It is especially suitable for the non-important labor force in the family, such as women and children, who are at home all year round and are suitable for raising chickens.
Moreover, the cost of raising chickens is low. You only need to build a chicken coop, and the free-range chickens will forage on their own. In addition, chickens can also lay eggs, which can ensure that children in rural areas can eat one egg a day and improve their physical fitness. And the excess can be sold to the countryside to improve the family.
At the same time, the countryside can also sell eggs to the army. The army's logistics department will purchase them and then transport them to the front line to supply the army.
In addition, the fact that the army can eat these meat, eggs, milk and vegetables is also thanks to the invention and promotion of a technology.
Zhang Chong, who came from later generations, certainly understood that the best technology for food storage was canning, but unfortunately that thing was too advanced for this era, so he relied on the wisdom of local talents.
He established a "Goldsmith Award" a long time ago to encourage craftsmen's inventions and creations. Among them, a huge reward of three thousand gold was offered to whoever could solve the problem of storing fresh food during the march.
You must know that a meritorious service that can lead to the title of great military minister is only worth ten gold rewards. And the amount of this reward is three hundred times that of the former, which shows what a huge wealth it is.
At the beginning, many people did come to ask for money, but they could not meet the marching requirements. Until recently, news came from Yecheng that a cook won the bonus.
The cook invented a method, which is to first process the food, then stuff it into a thick-walled earthenware urn, then put it into a large pot and boil it for half an hour, then seal the mouth of the urn with a cork while it is hot, and then Wrap it with thread and seal it with mud.
Using this method, it is said that the taste of the food is indescribable, but it can be stored for less than half a year, which can be supplied to the army.
In fact, the difference in physical condition between these Youyi and Bao Cai also profoundly reflects the current distribution system of the Taishan Army.
Although Taishan Army has been vigorously developing productivity and striving to improve the overall welfare level of society. But inevitably, the allocation of supporting the army first is still a reality.
Because this is an era of war, an era where war determines the survival of forces. Only when the army wins the battle can everything that follows have the foundation and conditions.
But don’t forget that behind the food and clothing of the army, there are still countless people like Bao Cai who are afraid of the civilians and break open the eight petals with a drop of sweat to save money and save money.
At this time, looking at the black shadow in the distance, You Yi made an order:
"All dismount and cross the river on foot."
So, everyone found a forest to tie up their horses, then picked up their trouser legs and waded through the freezing water.
Ahead is Tunliu City.
……
Tunliu City is nestled in the north embrace of a branch extending from Taiyue Mountain. The terrain is high in the south and low in the north. It is bordered by frozen water in the north and Gangchuan River in the south.
Gangchuan is the commanding height of Tunliu, from which you can overlook everything in the city and the east, west and south.
Therefore, when Lu Bu led the Bingzhou army to Tunliu, he specially set up the Chinese army's camp in Gangchuan. Then various armies were stationed to the north of Tunliu and within the city.
The one placed in the northern camp by Lu Bu was Wei Xu.
Among the eight strong generals, Wei Xu was not the bravest, but he was certainly the most trusted by Lu Bu. Because Lu Bu's mother was Wei Xu's aunt, the two were related to each other.
But this time, the Youyi people of the Central Guards' target was Wei Xuzhi's camp, and they wanted to catch him alive.
The so-called capture of life is to capture prisoners to extract information. This is also the special skill of You Yi.
The capture general, or You Yishi, in this operation was Tai Shi Ci.
The king attached great importance to Lu Bu who was staying in Tunnel, and specifically asked Taishi Ci, who was born in Youyi, to lead the troops south again. Going south with Taishi Ci, there was also a 50-man Youyi team, which was a complete military-level configuration.
After Taishi Ci asked the generals to dismount, he separated ten people to stay alone. They were responsible for protecting the guide Bao Cai and guarding the horses. Then the remaining people quietly waded through the freezing water after checking their equipment.
It was dark at night, and the enemy troops were not patrolling near the frozen water, so the forty Youyi warriors immediately sneaked towards the southern barrier after changing into clean clothes.
In early spring, dense green grass began to appear on the riverbank that had been silent all winter. Taishi Ci and others stepped on it, their footsteps light and silent.
At this time, in the darkness, except for the bright moon hanging high in the sky, there was no light. The soldiers were as fast as the wind, and after a while, they disappeared from the sight of the You Yi who stayed behind.
The guide Bao Cai was secretly speechless, and suddenly he recognized the Taishan Army more.
It seems we have to learn how to ride a horse.
……
At the end of the darkness, there is a sentry.
On the sentry post, there was a Han Army sergeant dozing off against a log. Every time his body was about to slide off, he would wake up and look around, then fall asleep again against the log, and then repeat the process again and again.
When Tai Shici and others in the darkness saw this situation, they became even more cautious and even suppressed their breathing.
Seeing that the sentry fell asleep again, Taishi Ci waved his hand, and then four You Yi came out.
They took the daggers and divided them into two groups. One group crawled forward first, bypassing the sentry and going deep into the darkness, while the other group quietly climbed under the sentry.
Suddenly, a muffled groan came from the darkness, and the sentry, who had not slept deeply, suddenly woke up. Just as he was about to get up, a pair of hands behind him covered his mouth and nose, and then a cold wave hit him, and then Just a heartbreaking pain.
After neatly dealing with the surrounding Minggang and Dark Sentries, Taishi Ci and others got up, bent over and quickly advanced towards the darkness in the distance.
There is the camp of Bingzhou Army.