Chapter 132: Collecting Grain Nearby
In Tongguan, Gan Ning felt the distinct autumn weather for the first time.

The temperature difference between day and night is obviously different.

As usual, there were only a hundred heavy infantrymen on duty in the city. He led the remaining soldiers of his unit and Liu Xiong's thousand-man team assigned to him to dig trenches and build earthen ramparts in the southwest of the city relying on the mountain terrain.

More than 1,600 people built an arc-shaped composite defensive fortification of low earth ramparts and trenches in just over ten days.

This thing is not as good as the combination of horse-proof fences and trenches, but it can be used to ensure a stable defense for low-trained troops.

Behind this curved anti-horse fence is a row of small camps made of rammed earth fortifications.

In order to ensure that each small camp has defensive capabilities, the border army city-building method was adopted.

In Black Bear's opinion, this is a primitive courtyard house with only a low doorway and two-meter-high earthen walls on all four sides.

Therefore, he designed the blueprints, and the outer wall was still two meters high.

The size of the building is square, with a side length of twenty meters; the houses inside are low because they are built on local soil.

After construction, the roof was about 145 feet high.

In this way, when defending, soldiers standing on the roof can shoot and defend against the enemy calmly.

The doorway is still preserved, and holes are opened in the houses on both sides of the doorway so that enemies inside the hole can be stabbed during defense.

In order to simplify house construction and winter heating, the houses built against the side walls are shaped like the Chinese character "目", with fire walls in the middle and a large kang as a bunk bed.

The four corners are warehouses for storing firewood and fuel.

A well-built camp can usually garrison more than a hundred soldiers, and can also accommodate two or three hundred in times of war.

This is a permanent garrison, but the first step in its construction is to find a water source.

Black Bear’s plan was to dig a well first, and then start construction with the well as the center of the camp.

Therefore, we did not expect that the "small single-story quadrangle buildings" would be arranged neatly. In fact, if they were staggered, they would have a stronger defensive advantage.

But when he took a detour from Bashangyuan to the hillside of the earthen plateau south of the construction site, he saw that the east-west horizontal lines of the camp on the Ganning construction site were neatly arranged.

Is there abundant groundwater under the loess layer here?
That’s right, these camps are only about four or five miles away from the Yellow River, and the terrain in the south is high and can accumulate rainfall.

As this rainwater seeps downward, it washes out shallow water veins like pores in the earth and moves to lower areas.

So it is not surprising that there is abundant underground water in the camp.

He watched for a moment, found Gan Ning's battle flag, and rode closer.

The new and old soldiers who were digging the earth and building walls along the way saluted, and Black Bear simply raised his hand in response, signaling them to continue working.

When we arrived at Gan Ning's battle flag, Gan Ning was wearing a short shirt that revealed his chest muscles, and his skin was covered with a layer of fine oily sweat. He was taking the lead in digging the earth and digging a well.

But for various considerations, he did not go down the well, but just pulled soil from the ground.

Seeing the black bear coming, Gan Ning handed over the work at hand: "Commander Qu."

The black bear pointed at the surrounding dirt piles and asked: "Why dig a well here?"

"This is not a well, it's a tunnel shaft."

Gan Ning pointed to the construction sites on both sides and said: "The geology here is easy to dig, and the earth caves are stable. Soldiers from Guanzhong suggested digging two layers of tunnels. The upper tunnel is used to transport soldiers and food, and the lower tunnel can be used as a culvert. It is said that the Weibei Jinghe Canal has an underground culvert for irrigation."

The black bear then stuck his head out to look at the soil in the excavated pit, and he always felt that there was a risk of landslide.

The upper tunnel is about 1.5 meters underground, while the lower culvert is even deeper.

Black Bear thought for a moment and said to Gan Ning, "Don't dig the underground canal anymore. The distance between the underground tunnel and the underground canal is too close, and the soil is prone to collapse. Instead, use underground tunnels to connect the fortresses. After the tunnels are built, we can dig wells. If there is no well water, we can lay pipes from the tunnels to transport water."

Gan Ning listened with doubt, but did not ask any further questions. He said, "I think the tunnel is very good. Do you want to dig two more tunnels to connect to Tongguan?"

Black Bear looked at Tongguan City in the distance and nodded: "We can connect, but it's not necessary. Tongguan will only be defended a few times in the future. After that, we will attack others instead of defending."

Even the small fortresses built around here will be demolished in the future, leaving some for the people to live in and farm nearby.

Gan Ning felt that what Black Bear said made sense. Their strength was increasing rapidly, and the only limitation was food.

The more food you have, the more people you can attract.

Then, Black Bear said, "There are also those who are not suitable for military service and the elderly in the army. You should select the weak and the old soldiers. The weak ones are mainly based on their physique and character, and the old soldiers are based on the age of 30. Now when we build fortresses, you should let these two groups of people study the fortress building technology carefully. When I have a firm foothold in Guanzhong, I will promote fortresses and let the people, soldiers and civilians live in such fortresses."

Black Bear was very familiar with this type of fortress. Although it was the current method of building cities for border troops, the Ming army had too many large and small fortresses on the border.

The most important thing in the lives of northern people is winter heating, so they build this kind of low fortress, dig a basement inside, and build two-story houses on the ground.

With current farming technology, a fortress can accommodate about a hundred households.

Such fortresses were built in various places in Guanzhong, as well as in Shangjun and Xihe Commanderies in the north.

Even if their side is destroyed in the future, the people of Guanzhong, who are accustomed to life in a fortress, will become a tough nut to crack for all parties and the various Hu peoples.

Arm the grassroots people with more mature fortresses and make the powerful lose the advantages of their fortresses.

The strongholds of the powerful can not only defend against military attacks, but also protect them from attacks from civilians in their daily lives.

They can go out and bully civilians without fear of retaliation.

If the common people also have fortresses, they will naturally dare to attack the powerful and their minions, making it so that the powerful will not dare to wantonly infringe on the interests of the common people.

Productivity is limited, and people fight for a little every year. Over the years, a situation is formed in which the powerful dominate and the common people lose the courage to resist.

Seeing Gan Ning deep in thought, Black Bear continued, "The dangers of mountains and rivers are certainly not as good as the loyalty of people, but people's hearts will inevitably be pierced by swords. In the future, under my army's rule, everywhere will be a fortress, and we must put on a layer of armor for the people's hearts. In this way, I don't need to build walls. I will use people as the city and the wall."

Of course, since the people under the rule now have a fortress, the cost of ruling for those who come after them will be increased invisibly.

The people have a fortress, and it will be difficult for officials to impose heavy taxes in the future... What does this have to do with me?
Not only in rural areas, but also in cities in the future, such quadrangle buildings will be used to form wide streets.

It should be fun to watch the government troops fighting the mobs in the streets.

Black Bear is a person who lacks garden art and prefers an orderly architectural style.

Gan Ning always felt that something was not right. The people everywhere had fortresses, so what if they united to resist taxation?
But he thought that he would not face such an embarrassing question in his lifetime, so he simply did not ask. Instead, he asked: "General, the food stored in the camp is less than three months. Hongnong outside the pass is collecting autumn grain. Should we send troops to attack and kill the powerful families and seize their stored grain?"

"That's too much. When two armies are fighting, how can you only rob them of their food? Without food, how can your family survive the winter?"

Black Bear tilted his head and looked at Gan Ning: "Find a good time and send someone to inform me, I will come to support. Capture more people, there are many projects here, don't worry about them eating."

"Yes."

Gan Ning smiled and said, "If the food and fodder promised by the Inspector General of the Capital does not arrive within three days, I will send troops to Hongnong."

"Well, I came to you for food. I will go see Zhong Yao later. If he keeps making excuses to delay, you and I will break through Huayin in three days. The Hongnong Yang clan is enough to fill the granary in Tongguan. We can capture at least two to three thousand people this time."

Black Bear walked towards his horse and said to Gan Ning who followed him, "I have found a way. In two days, the Zhonglei Camp will come from Bashangyuan around Mount Li. This way, we can avoid Weibei's surveillance and succeed before Zhong Yao reacts."

Gan Ning watched Black Bear mount his horse, and felt somewhat envious at his back and the dust raised as he galloped northwards under the protection of Lu Bu.

If you have a magic horse given by the Lord of Mount Tai, which can travel a thousand miles a day and eight hundred miles a night, that would be unimaginable happiness.

The world is so big that you can travel around it in your lifetime.

Gan Ning fantasized about it and always felt that the day would come sooner or later.

The infinite endurance of the Yin Gan horse gave Black Bear enough mobility. As his riding skills became more and more proficient, he could travel around all the counties under the jurisdiction of Weinan after having breakfast with Zhen Mi throughout the day, and then have dinner and play games with Zhen Mi in the evening.

This is a terrifying monitoring capability.

Before noon, Zhong Yao's camp was conducting training, the cavalry was training outside the camp, and the infantry was practicing square formations inside the camp.

Zhong Yao was also poor, and could barely ensure that the recruited infantrymen had spears, shields and ring-handled swords. As for bows and crossbows, they could only be equipped to the elite guards on a small scale.

After Li Jue and Guo Si, the manufacturing technology and productivity related to military equipment in Guanzhong had been discontinued; it was impossible for Cao Cao to transfer official craftsmen from the Central Plains to him, and Cao Cao was also nervous.

Zhong Yao, wearing a blue-collared robe and armor, stood on a wooden platform and walked back and forth to inspect.

Suddenly, his chief secretary Hedong Wei Ji came quickly. Wearing two layers of armor and with a broad build, Wei Ji walked steadily, making creaking sounds as he stepped on the wooden platform.

Zhong Yao turned around and saw Wei Ji with an unnatural expression on his face, holding a silver seal in both hands: "Mingsir, General Huya is outside the camp."

"How many people came?"

"Only the historian Wen Gong is with you. I invite you to come out of the camp and talk with me."

"How dare you..."

Zhong Yao frowned and wanted to mobilize the cavalry trained outside the camp to surround and kill the two bandits who pretended to be General Hu Ya.

Wei Ji's heart was also pounding, but he was afraid that he would not be able to kill the other party, which would lead to the complete breakdown of the fragile alliance with the other party.

Zhong Yao frowned repeatedly, and Wei Ji did not dare to express his opinion or make a decision on his own.

Finally, Zhong Yao took a deep breath and stopped struggling. He smiled at Wei Ji and said, "This little thief thinks I am slow in transferring grain. How can he collect grain during the autumn harvest?"

This is Guanzhong, and we have to collect grain slowly.

Wei Ji suggested: "Since General Huya does not appreciate your kindness, then we should allocate the old grain to him."

"Yes, I thought he would help the court, so I wanted to raise new grain for him. In this case, I will go out of the camp and explain to him, and let him choose."

After saying this, Zhong Yao walked towards the steps, and Wei Ji also waved to the carriage waiting not far away.

Soon a carriage covered with a green umbrella arrived in front of them, and Zhong Yao got on. He was nearly eight feet tall, and after putting on armor, he looked quite heroic.

When the carriage left the camp, they saw that about sixty or seventy steps from the gate, a black bear had spread a strange black and white leather on the ground and was sitting cross-legged on it, eating lunch.

As the carriage approached, Black Bear raised his hand to wave away the non-existent dust, picked up chopsticks to eat the cold venison, and grabbed a wheat cake with the other hand.

While eating happily, Zhong Yao picked up the last thin piece of venison the size of his palm and put it in his mouth. He then dipped the remaining wheat cake in his hand into the soup and put it into his mouth to chew.

He closed the food box, took out a handkerchief to wipe his lips, and looked at Zhong Yao with a smile: "When will Mr. Yuan Chang send troops to me?"

It's also very impolite to ask too directly, without even a normal greeting.

When you say "I hope you are doing well" you are more charming than ever, and I will be more friendly and reminisce with you.

Fortunately, Zhong Yao did not bring any military officers with him, they were all his trusted people from Yingchuan.

He lowered his brows and looked at the hide on which the black bear was sitting, and thought it was very ugly.

He also stepped forward, took off his leather shoes, and knelt down in front of the black bear: "General, you came to me just for these 5,000 infantrymen?"

"It's one thing to urge the troops, but is Hongnong still under your jurisdiction? If so, please send me an official document and I will go to the counties of Hongnong to collect grain and soldiers. If not, I will fight the bandits myself."

Black Bear pointed in the direction of Tongguan and said, "Tongguan has been short of food for less than half a month. I just appeased Gan Xingba, who is unruly. If we delay the rice and food supply any further, I'm afraid he will act on his own."

"Humph."

Zhong Yao smiled and looked at Black Bear: "Guanzhong is not my Guanzhong alone. Tomorrow I will dispatch 2,000 infantrymen to Lantian, and the remaining 3,000 will be divided into two groups to follow. I will send a military governor to lead the team, and you must also be ready to receive them."

Seeing Black Bear nod, Zhong Yao said: "I have left Hongnong and will no longer be involved in Hongnong's affairs. In the future, this Guanzhong area will still rely on the general."

"You help me, and I'll help you."

Black Bear pointed at Hebei and said, "Yuan Shang and I are like this. We have a good understanding of each other. And Prince Liu Qi of Jingzhou, we are all good friends."

Then he raised his hand and patted the food box in front of him: "Look, I can only eat this much in one meal. If you come earlier, I will definitely give you some."

Zhong Yao nodded slightly, his expression relaxed: "I wanted to mobilize this year's new grain for you. If it is insufficient, I will mobilize a fleet tomorrow to transport grain to Lantian. As for Tongguan, you can replenish it nearby and collect grain from Hongnong."

"Okay, when the five thousand infantrymen enter the camp for training, I will send someone to invite Mr. Yuan Chang to come to Lantian to inspect the appearance of our Tiger Fang army. Then, you can rest assured."

As Black Bear spoke, he reached out to take the Tiger Tooth General Seal that Zhong Yao handed back to him. He could refuse this thing, but Zhong Yao had to give it to him.

In Black Bear's eyes, there was no longer any Inspector of the Imperial Guards, only Mr. Zhong Yao and Mr. Zhong Yuanchang. He hoped that this man could figure it out.

(End of this chapter)