Chapter 488 Debut
South of Wuyuan, on the Qinzhi Road.

Liu Bao and Ma Teng travel together. No matter whether it is the September Chrysanthemum Banquet or the athletic meeting held in Chang'an this year, they will lead the athletes under their command and in the tribe to participate in the competition.

Most of the Hun warriors who accompanied them were in a relaxed mood, with feelings of yearning and longing.

Their status meant that they had nothing to do with the chrysanthemum banquet, but the Chang'an athletic competition was a great opportunity for them to publicize their riding skills and their reputation in horseback archery.

Whether they use this opportunity to enter the shogunate or return to the tribe with fame, it will have a very good impact on their future.

This sentiment within the team made Liu Bao deeply worried.

The Huns worshipped the god of war, and although many of them were killed by Sima Qian, the entire tribe was destroyed along with these unfortunate people.

There was already competition among the various Xiongnu tribes over nomadic pastures, and over the years, there was also hatred between the tribes.

The most important thing is that although the Grand Marshal killed many Huns, he did not kill those who were alive.

On the grassland, there was a white disaster and a plague. How many people would die?

There was a lack of medicinal materials in daily life, and companions and children were dying of illness all the time. Therefore, for the vast majority of the lower-class Xiongnu people, the most important thing was how to survive.

The bitter, cold and difficult life makes them less sensitive to death.

Besides, there is really nothing to say about being killed on the battlefield because of being inferior to others in skills.

If the Xianbei or Qiang people could really achieve the same military feat as Da Sima, they would never tolerate the current Xiongnu tribes, and even the name Xiongnu would be erased.

The current situation can be considered as exceptional tolerance and kindness to the Huns.

At least before the Great Sima suffered a defeat, the Huns' gratitude for life and yearning for the shogunate would not have changed much.

Along the way, Ma Teng chatted with Liu Bao and discussed the newly discovered coal mines in the Helan Mountains in the Hexi region.

Ma Teng was very happy about this. The emergence of this extra-large coal mine meant that there would be sufficient fuel in the future winters.

Fuel is the key resource that restricts the development of cities.

Especially in the bitterly cold border areas, it is impossible to guarantee the winter heating needs of large cities.

Only small towns can barely survive the cold winter by relying on the winter dung of wild animals as fuel.

Most Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes would move inland to change pastures during the winter to avoid the severe cold.

So when they set out, the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes had already changed their pastures. The reserved pastures in the south had not been grazed throughout the summer, and the grass was four or five feet high.

Before the heavy snow covers the ground, herders are rushing to cut grass and dry it so that they can feed the herds during the heavy snow in winter.

Before the discovery of coal, cities built outside the Great Wall were in urgent need of fuel. The dry dung from the grazing beasts around them was simply not enough, so they had to rely on logging.

Border cities during the Han Dynasty were all built along rivers and near dense forests. Over the years, many dense forests disappeared, and even the name Linhu disappeared.

The discovery of coal means that large cities can be built in border areas. The larger the city, in addition to the larger scale of conventional mobilization, it can also have a profound economic impact on herders.

If there were big cities, herders would ride their carts to the big cities to go to the market and buy daily necessities in their spare time, instead of shopping during the general meeting in June every year.

By building several large cities in succession, they could become trade hubs in the border areas, thereby seizing the trade monopoly of the various Hu nobles, suppressing them economically, and reducing the herdsmen's dependence on them.

Therefore, Ma Teng planned to build a vehicle manufacturing plant in the border county. How much coal could the ordinary horse-drawn carts of herdsmen carry?

Only by building sturdy carts and having plenty of animal power on the grasslands, the animals can also find food along the way to replenish their energy.

For ordinary herdsmen, hauling coal a few times a year would make the entire winter much more comfortable.

Even forming a fleet to sell coal to cities was a good way to make a living.

But Liu Bao only felt that the war against the Eastern Xianbei was getting closer, and coal mining was a hard and dangerous job.

There was a shortage of manpower everywhere under the shogunate's rule. If the shogunate wanted to mine coal at low cost, the best way would be to launch a punitive war against the Xianbei in the east.

Acquiring about 50,000 slaves at a time could meet the coal supply in Hexi and Shuofang areas.

If ships are built and transported downstream along the Yellow River, the coal demand in the Wuyuan area can also be met.

Of course, it is also possible to dig new coal mines in the Wuyuan area.

The more coal mines there are, the greater the damage to the original living traditions of the various Hu tribes.

Liu Bao could only watch and silently promote speech, forcing the Xianbei people to migrate westward first.

In such an atmosphere, this team of more than 700 people drove more than 10,000 cattle and horses and nearly 100,000 sheep slowly southward along the straight road.

Behind them were the Xianbei people led by Budugen, who also drove herds of beasts as an annual tribute. There were also many vehicles accompanying them, transporting goods that needed to be traded to Guanzhong.

Things like cowhide, mink fur, ginseng, etc., as long as they think they are precious and not necessary for life, can be traded.

Even if they are replaced with clay pots, hard pottery tableware, or other daily utensils, they can be sold to other herders at a premium after returning to the tribe.

Last year the chrysanthemum banquet was cancelled due to the war, but this year the scholars in Guanzhong are particularly enthusiastic.

Many scholars who were qualified to attend the meeting headed for Ganquan in advance, and Ganquan could only expand its southern area.

There was no time to build so many houses, so they could only open the arsenal and set up military tents in the southern area. When Black Bear looked south from Ganquan Mountain, it looked like a field military camp.

This year, a Ganquan Terrace has been rebuilt on Ganquan Mountain by ramming earth on the solid ruins of the original abandoned palace.

There are forked roads on both sides of the road below the stage, leading to small flat areas. Curtains are used as walls here to form small venues for banquets.

Black Bear stood at the highest point, looking out and observing the distance. Under the platform, Wang Lian was also leading people to inspect various places and arrange the order of serving dishes and wine in detail.

He purchased wine from Hanzhong and transported back to Guanzhong, totaling a thousand carts, with very little damage along the way.

The reason was that Wang Lian took the initiative to reduce the purchase quantity, and all the purchases were made on wheelbarrows, each carrying two jars of wine. The vehicles were light and easy for the soldiers to control.

He did not take credit for himself. In addition to storing part of the wine in the cellar, nearly 800 carts of it were used to make this year's chrysanthemum wine.

Including the wine brewed in Guanzhong this year, this chrysanthemum banquet is enough to get a lot of people drunk to death.

Ganquan South Township, on the hillside beside the road.

Zhang Song climbed up to a height to look around, wearing a dogwood branch and a chrysanthemum headband, with his hands behind his back, and said to Qin Mi who was traveling with him: "This is the scene of a prosperous era."

Almost overnight, layers of curtains were built on Ganquan Mountain in the north.

From a distance, it looks as if a red, yellow, blue and white curtain covers most of the mountain, which is very gorgeous.

Ganquan Mountain in the north is opposite the road. To the northwest of Ganquan Mountain is Jingshui River, which leads to Xixiang and Qixian. To the northeast is Dongxiang and Baie Valley.

The emergence of this Nanxiang now means that starting next year, manpower will be gathered here to start building houses and fortresses.

The four townships of Ganquan developed very rapidly. The only pity was that the land was strictly controlled. Without the permission or order of the shogunate, others could not occupy the land for wasteland reclamation and build houses at will.

Only in the planned wastelands are refugees allowed to reclaim wasteland, but there is an upper limit on the amount of land they can reclaim, and the location of their residence has already been selected.

In Guanzhong today, people are no longer allowed to settle in the wilderness. Anyone who wanders into the wilderness will be treated as a bandit and eliminated upon passive discovery.

Just as Zhang Song and Qin Mi were chatting, there was a sudden troop movement at the southern end of the straight road.

When everyone on the slope turned around to look, they saw teams of hundreds of people wearing leather armor, leather helmets with goose feathers on their heads, plain cloaks, holding spears and swords, marching in a line.

Each team of 100 men had five drummers. When they marched, they beat waist drums, and the soldiers in the team stepped to the beat of the drums, so that their steps were in sync and their footsteps made a rustling sound.

One team after another, with no end in sight, continued to pour out from the bends of the straight road.

Zhang Song was distracted, looking at the young men and young soldiers passing by at the bottom of the slope, their faces covered with dust. He couldn't help but wonder, "Could these be the Qinghua Guards?"

Qin Mi had never seen the appearance of the Qinghua Guards before, so he nodded slowly with a gloomy face: "That's right."

Qin Mi also discovered that all the Qinghua guards passing by at the bottom of the slope, regardless of whether they were military officers or clerks, wore a pair of leather boots.

Zhang Song's face gradually turned pale, and he raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose with his sleeve. As the Qinghua Guards marched down the slope, smoke and dust rose up and rolled in front of him.

Not only them, but also the scholars on the nearby slopes and roadsides all had changed expressions.

With so many strict and orderly Qinghua guards, their careers are bound to be bumpy.

Future official positions and good women may be snatched away by these younger generations.

Some smart scholars have been surrounded by a strong sense of crisis.

Each team of Qinghua guards was thirty steps apart. They just moved forward following the drumbeats, paying no attention to the scholars watching on both sides of the road.

After long-term closed-camp training, marching in formation has become a life instinct for them.

Not far away on the slope, Minister Pei Mao was watching the Qinghua Guards marching in formation. He was not surprised by the neat and orderly formation, but said to his youngest son Pei Jun who was following him: "The Tiger Guards of Han are no more than this!"

"My Lord, are you saying that this is the method of training Tiger Soldiers?"

"Ah."

Pei Mao responded, but when he saw the wind change direction and the smoke and dust were about to blow towards him, he raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

And on Ganquan Mountain in the north, looking from afar, a dragon of smoke and dust was slowly pressing along the road.

Many people have stopped their work, standing facing south, watching this rare sight.

Cai Zhaoji and Wang Can, who were also waiting to be summoned on Ganquan Mountain, saw this scene. Wang Can said with emotion: "The Grand Marshal's ability to train troops is unparalleled in the world."

Cai Zhaoji said nothing, but just flipped through the copy of the Book of Han compiled by her father.

Whether it is Caixue, Luxue, or Zhengxue, there is currently a huge problem, that is, the inconsistency with the attitude of the Grand Sima towards the powerful.

Suppressing the powerful and eliminating the wealthy was the verbal political correctness during the Han Dynasty.

But in actual application, since the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, how many people dared to propose to the court to eliminate the powerful?

Therefore, if Cai Xue wants to obtain deep support from the shogunate, he must maintain consistency with the shogunate on fundamental grounds.

Cai Zhaoji had no opinion on this. What she was worried about was that the arrow that Cai Xue shot at Hao Jie would hit her own forehead in the future.

(End of this chapter)