Chapter 757
The time flies is three months.
It seems that autumn is approaching.
At the end of the dynasty, natural disasters and man-made disasters alternated, making commoners miserable. The imperial court had already fallen to the extreme. The commoners were already in great distress. Coupled with natural disasters, more commoners could not survive, so more people rose up and formed a vicious circle. So the dynasty collapsed and couldn't hold on.
Since the summer, there has not been a single drop of rain for two months, the fields are dry, and the commoners are panicking. This matter gave Cao Mengde quite a headache.
Even if Cao Mengde's political ability is ninety-nine, and even Chen Gong is a first-class adviser, he has nothing to do in the face of natural disasters.
On this day, Cao Mengde called around, and asked, "What is Mr. Zhao doing these days?"
During this time, Cao Mengde was busy calming people's hearts, although Zhongmu was just him. Cao Mengde can turn a blind eye to the place where he temporarily settled, but it is not the case. He is here to do what he can do, after all, he has a big mind. There is no time to go to Zhao Yu's house.
Left and right: "I just listen to Mr. Zhao's clinking in the courtyard, I don’t know what he is doing."
When Cao Mengde heard this, he couldn't help turning a few times and planned to go to Zhao Yu. Take a look at home.
At the same time, Chen Gong came to see him.
"Ming Gong, the land outside the city is cracking, and the grains will be harvested but dried up everywhere. Commoners howl, Heaven and Earth shouldn't, how should they do it?" Chen Gong is a county in Zhongmu Long, trying to maintain this city. Although he was still in the chaos of war and couldn't take care of too far, he did not give up on the periphery of the city.
Cao Mengde sighed: "Is there any eyebrows about diverting water from a big river?"
"The distant water does not quench the thirst of the near." Chen Gong shook his head: "What's more It is not an easy task to attract water. If you want to make water conservancy, you must have several years of contributions. For the current plan, I still find a way to buy grain from Jizhou and Xuzhou, temporarily soothing the people. Otherwise, the commoners will never harvest, I am afraid..."
Cao Mengde sighed: "The people's livelihood is so difficult!"
then said: "You and I will send a letter to Wei Zhen, so that he can quickly transport food back and continue to purchase, the more the better. "
"Yes, Ming Gong."
"In addition..." Cao Mengde thought about it: "There is a lack of water, and the commoners must be called to drill a few more wells to avoid insufficient drinking. ."
"Here."
"Fortunately, you, the public platform."
Chen Gong said with a smile: "This public platform is also fortunate. "
finished speaking, he was about to deal with the matter, but Cao Mengde stopped him and said to the county official who was with him: "You have heard what I said and what the public platform said, let’s go down. When the county officials go, Cao Mengdra said to Chen Gong: "Walk, go to Mr. Zhao, ask him if he can do anything about it."
When the two arrived outside Zhao Yu’s courtyard, they heard the ding ding dong dong in the courtyard, and I don’t know what Zhao Yu would do anymore.
The two looked at each other, Cao Mengde quietly opened the courtyard door, walked in and saw Zhao Yu wearing a short coat, rolled up his sleeves, holding tools in his hand, facing a huge wheel Something that looks like it's beating and beating.
Zhao Yu saw the two come in, put down his tools, and said, "Which door did not knock?"
Cao Mengde laughed: "I'm Cao Mengde too."
"I knew it was you."
Zhao Yu laughed and said hello to Chen Gong: "Brother Gongtai is here too."
"You just came here. "Zhao Yu said again: "I have almost done this stuff, and I am planning to invite brother Meng De to see it."
Cao Mengde and Chen Gong lifts the head and look at this one. A wheel-like object as high as two or three feet tall, with a look of doubt on his face.
Cao Mengde asked: "What is this?"
Zhao Yu asked the two of them to sit down by the stone table, and then said slowly: "They all say that Han is declining to eunuchs. , Of course, there are eunuchs in it. But among the eunuchs, it is not that there are no powerful roles."
The two listened to unfathomable mystery.
Zhao Yu said with a smile: "There was Cai Lun Papermaking before, and scholars have benefited from it. My waterwheel, its prototype, also comes from an eunuch."
"Oh Waterwheel?"
"Yes." Zhao Yu said with a smile: "When the Spirit Emperor was in power, Bi Lan, a regular attendant, made a rollover to please the Spirit Emperor. This must be the case. , Meng De may know."
Cao Mengde is hearing this, after thinking it carefully, it really is. He nodded and said: "That's true." Then said: "Could it be that your waterwheel came over from a car?"
Zhao Yu nodded with a smile.
Zhao Yu knows that the record of the earliestest of the waterwheel is the rollover made by Bi Lan as he just said. It's just used to please the emperor, but not the people's livelihood. According to records, later horses were modified to roll over and used for irrigation. This was the first water wheel.
However, Ma Jun has not made his debut at this time, so this waterwheel has not yet been officially used in agriculture.
Moreover, Ma Jun’s improved waterwheel requires manpower to step on it. However, the waterwheel currently manufactured by Zhao Yu is something hundreds of thousands of years later. It can be driven by water power or beasts and horses, liberating manpower and greatly increasing efficiency.
"My waterwheel can be driven by hydraulic power or animal power. According to the different terrain, I choose different methods." Zhao Yu explained carefully: "This waterwheel in front of me, for the convenience of making it, I will make it. The one is smaller. The waterwheel can be as large as the six-seven zhang, and one waterwheel is enough to irrigate hundreds of acres of land."
"Good things, good things!" Cao Mengde shouted. Almost jumped up happily.
Zhao Yu poured cold water on: "Don’t be eager to be happy."
Zhao Yu said: "The waterwheel has to be attached to water conservancy facilities to be effective. However, now, the drought is over. It’s not a short while to build water conservancy projects. My waterwheel is useless. The most important thing at the moment is to buy food from other sources and get over the difficulties. Brother Meng De, you buy food and you can work on behalf of workers. The method of relief is to help the people hang upside down, while working on water conservancy, how much can be repaired. Although Zhongmu is only a temporary place to stay, if the commoners can recite you, it will benefit you in the future. And this waterwheel will wait until next year. As the prefect of the East County, a county can use manpower and material resources at will, and then come to Daxing Water Conservancy, when the time comes, you will not be afraid of drought."
Cao Mengde hearing this repeatedly nod: "Mr. Zhao said Yes."
Zhao Yu said: "I will sort out the manufacturing method of this waterwheel, and I will give it to you tomorrow."
"Anytime." Cao Mengde said:" No hurry, no hurry."
"If you say you are not in a hurry, you must be anxious in your heart." Zhao Yu is not at all polite.
Cao Mengde hehe smiled straight.
The Chen Gong next to him is quite envious.
Like Zhao Yu, who can joke with Cao Mengde at will, the relationship between both teacher and friend is indeed enviable. But in Chen Gong's place, he couldn't do it. The difference between monarch and minister is inherent thinking. In this era, few people can cross this hurdle.
The three were talking, and someone outside came to report: "Gong Cao, there is a General Xia Houyuan who wants to see Gong Cao."
When Cao Cao heard this, he stood up immediately, with surprise on his face Zhi Lu exclaimed: "Bring people here quickly."
While saying to Zhao Yu and Chen Gong: "The wonderful talent is here!"
Then he explained: " Miaocai is my younger brother, named Xiahouyuan."
Zhao Yu certainly knows the name of Xiahouyuan. This famous Xiahou Miaocai is known for his rapid march and rushing thousands of miles.
As for the clan brother, Cao Mengde is still the clansman of Xiahou, because Cao Teng is an eunuch, and there is no queen, Cao Song, the father of Cao Mengde, adopted from Xiahou Family to Cao Family. The Xiahou Family and Cao Family have been related by marriage and bloodline.
Cao Mengde said: "I ordered Yuan Rang and Miaocai to go to Yangzhou to recruit soldiers. He was only able to return after his new year. I do not know how to return at this time. I am about to ask him."
Not long after, the attendant strode in with a tall man with a face quite similar to Cao Mengde.
The following is an introduction without mentioning it.
The first impression Xia Houyuan gives to people is completely different from his style of rapid march. On the contrary, it is slow, with a somewhat refined temperament.
After seeing each other, Cao Mengde asked him: "Why are you back now?"
Xia Houyuan said: "Because of worry, brother, here is waiting to recruit 2,000 people. Brother Yuanrang So I came back first. My elder brother was at ease and raised another three thousand before returning."
"Okay, okay, good return." Cao Mengde laughed with his palms: "I'm worried about the lack of troops." , You came back just right."
In the past three months, Cao Mengde announced the recruitment of soldiers, and there was basically no result. Near Zhongmu, the young man is few and far between. In addition, he is weak and not attractive enough, so until now, this Emperor has only recruited less than five hundred people.
In addition to the original more than a thousand soldiers and horses, only one thousand five will be passed.
What's the use of this warrior? If, as Zhao Yu said, in Fuluo and the others at the beginning of the year, we will looting the East County, the coalition of Fuluo and the Black Mountain bandits. 20,000. There is no 5,000 people who want to defeat thousands of thieves, even mob, it is impossible.
I was afraid that the thieves would come early, but Xiahou Dun did not return. So at this time, Xia Houyuan returned with 2,000 men and horses.
Afterwards, Cao Mengde asked him to dismantle the waterwheel built by Zhao Yu and move it away, carefully hide it in the warehouse, and set up a banquet at the county office in the evening before returning to each house.
In Cao Mengde's study, a little oil lamp is on and off.
Cao Mengde and Xia Houyuan and Cao Hong are sitting on their knees.
First, I asked whether the recruitment of Xia Houyuan was going well, and learned that Yangzhou Provincial Governor Chen Wen and Danyang Prefect Zhou Xin were helping, and Cao Mengde felt happy.
Xia Houyuan said: "Chen Provincial Governor and Zhou Taishou are both good. Before leaving, Zhou Taishou also said that his brother advocated righteousness, and he will give his help. Only Dao will continue to recruit 10,000 soldiers for his brother."
Cao Mengde sighed with relief: "Zhou Xin and I have old times. At the beginning, I had known each other with Yuan Benchu and Zhou Xin. He helped me, and I was so relieved."
then said: "If you can recruit 10,000 soldiers for me, that would be great. Danyang is an elite soldier, but he is famous in the world."
Xia Houyuan was a bit suspicious: "Brother, you need money and food to raise soldiers. I think 5,000 is the limit."
Cao Hong laughed: "Miaocai doesn't know, brother is not short of money now."
Cao Mengde also laughed heartily and said: "Brother now lacks everything. , There is no shortage of five baht."
He said: "You were in Yangzhou, and when you came back, you rushed all the way. You probably never heard of glass mirror and soap?"
" Glass mirror? Soap? What is this?" Xia Houyuan had never heard of it.
Cao Meng Decai explained one after another, said with a smile: "Mr. Zhao gave me these two treasures. Zilian called the craftsmen to study, and the preliminary mass production was possible within half a month. I entrusted them to Wei. The son of Xu’s son, Wei Zhen, has been sold. So far, the commercial roads have been paved in Guanzhong and Hebei. Many of them have been favored by the Aristocratic Family. They have made tens of millions of dollars in profits."
Xia Houyuan was shocked: " Such a huge profit!"
"of course." Cao Mengde said: "Mr. Zhao handed this treasure to me free of charge, and treat each other sincerely. In the future, a brilliant talent absolutely cannot be rude to him."
Xia Houyuan’s heart-warming acknowledge allegiance, and said: "It’s true to treat each other!" In March, he made a profit of tens of millions of dollars. This is not to treat each other with sincerity. What is to treat each other with sincerity?
"With the help of Mr. Zhao, the big brother will succeed in his great cause!"