Chapter 19: Family members

In early May of the first year of Tiance, Zhang Mai returned to Liangzhou City from Guzang Grassland. Important messages came from both sides of the east and west. The border tax entry of Jincheng continued to rise on the east side, while on the west side, Zhang Mai's focus was on agricultural harvest.

The fourth and fifth months of the lunar calendar are the season for winter wheat harvest. Even if it is not yet fully enough to be harvested, the basic harvest is almost certain. The Anlong prefectures have successively returned, but the situation is not much different from last year's expected: although various remedial measures have been taken after the retreat of Viga last winter, Gaochang has indeed ushered in the Great Wilderness Year that has not been seen in ten years, and Yizhou is a small Wilderness Year. With Luofu's efforts, Kucha and Yanqi have been able to protect the peace year - Zhang Mai gave Luo on the credit book of credit for this matter

I just remembered a great contribution. Shule, Shazhou, Suzhou, Liangzhou, Lanzhou and others were also in the past year. In more than a dozen states, one place was beyond everyone's expectations - Ganzhou had a good harvest! The situation in Shanzhou, Guzhou and Hezhou was quite special. The Tiance Army only controlled the central towns of these places and had not yet fully controlled their common affairs. Therefore, most of these three places still rely on autonomy, and the harvest was due to the Tiance regime, and the Tiance regime could not be conquered, but just let it be self-sufficient.

Among the Anlong prefectures, Gaochang, Kucha and Shazhou are both major agricultural prefectures in the Western Regions. As long as these three places have to maintain peace year, they will have surplus grain. Gaochang is a great desert and Shagui can transfer grain from Shazhou and Kucha to save Gaochang. Therefore, as soon as the harvest of the states were reported in mid-April, Zheng Wei breathed a sigh of relief and knew that the first food crisis encountered by the Tiance-Chief regime after the National People's Republic of China had basically passed.

The unexpected bumper harvest in Ganzhou has greatly relieved the grain budget in Hexi. Ganzhou is located in the middle section of Hexi, and it is very convenient to transfer surplus grain from east to west. Ganzhou's bumper harvest will make some construction in Hexi a year ahead of schedule.

"In previous years, some of the grains in Shazhou were supplied to Guazhou, and the ones who were sent to Guanan Jinchang City were raised to garrisons and garrisoned rations. The ones who were sent to Guabei were in the form of rewards to buy the loyalty of the Guabei tribe." Zheng Wei reported to Zhang Maihui: "But now I plan to export all the grains to Gaochang. With this batch of wheat, it is probably enough to support Gaochang for two months. If the support from Kucha is added, it should help Gaochang support the harvest of spring wheat."

Zhang Mai asked: "What about Guabei? Without the help from Shazhou, will the herdsmen in the Hundred Treasures survive?"

Zheng Wei said: "The Hundred Tents have not had a war for more than 20 years, and they have received supply from Guazhou. Dingkou reproduces very quickly. Compared with the aquatic plants in Guabei, it is actually a bit overwhelming. In previous years, Shazhou often needs relief. Although some strong people joined our army this time, they were also incorporated into the Hundred Tents after we destroyed the Baowenshan tribe and moved them from the forest area in the north to the grassland near the Daze of Guazhou. One decrease and one increase is actually just offset. If they rely solely on their livestock production, they can still support it in autumn, and it will be very difficult after autumn."

Zhang Mai said: "The affairs of the Hundred Entrance Department must be handled with caution. Although the Hundred Entrance Department's relationship with us is no longer the same as their previous relationship with the Cao family, their obedience to us is much higher than that of Cao Yijin. But we cannot slaughter them randomly just because they are willing to obey. The Hundred Entrance Department is a person who has made meritorious people. They cannot live a harder life after joining us. That will make them resent and feel that they have been deceived by us, which will also affect the morale of the Hundred Entrance Department's soldiers and generals in the army."

The military source contributed by the Hundred Treasures Department is the backbone of the military source in western Hexi. The loyalty of the herdsmen of the Hundred Treasures Department to the Tiance regime is also one of the most loyal ethnic groups under the Tiance regime, so Zhang Mai has always taken great care of his relationship with the Hundred Treasures Department.

Zheng Wei said: "So I have a proposal of the best of both worlds. I have discussed it with the various departments and wait for the marshal to decide."

"What's the claim?"

Zheng Wei said: "Guabei is only 100% or 20% wider than Beiting. Because the land is close to the desert, the fertility of the water and grass is far less than that of Beiting. Now, the Beiting tribes have gone east and Gelan Xitou have gone six or seven times, which has become more and more wider and sparsely populated. If the herders of Guabei are moved to Beiting, then it can not only strengthen our control over Beiting, but also reduce the burden on Shazhou."

Zhang Mai was overjoyed and said, "Good idea, good idea! I just don't know if the people in Guabei are happy."

Zheng Wei smiled and said, "I have been visiting this. If we promised them to move north, it would be like a thin exchange for fat and a narrow exchange for wideness. How could they not be willing to do it? Moreover, the Guabei Hundred Tents are originally semi-settled and semi-nova. When they really want to leave, they can pull up their tents and leave. They can drive the sheep and horses to the ground on Beiting and grazing everywhere. They don't have to abandon the old land like a farmer, and they have to reclaim their new homes."

Zhang Mai said: "If this is true, then act."

He immediately sent Jiangshan, Xue Yunfei and others to Guabei, and told the elders of all surnames of the Hundred Treasures that the elders informed the tribe that the news had been leaked when Zheng Wei visited. These tribes had heard that the Tiance army had just built a vast and vast grassland of thousands of miles on the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, and had already been waiting for their necks to grow. Before they were sure of it, they were afraid that other tribes would take the lead. When they heard that the Grand Marshal really made a promise, they cheered and started to pack up their tents without waiting for the official order and prepared to move north.

In addition to the Hundred Tents, the Uighurs in Beiting and Shabei who moved south last winter, some herdsmen in Yizhou were also migrating. It is much easier for herdsmen to migrate than farmers to migrate. This is only a land-based herdsman migration. From Guabei to Beiting, you only need to pass through one Yizhou. As for from Yizhou to Beiting, it is only a crossing state. It is expected that it will be completed between mid-June and July. The scale of the entire migration is more than 30,000. If the original herdsmen in Beiting who have moved back, the Beiting herdsmen under the control of the Tiance army will be close to 50,000.

After receiving the government order, Murong Chunhua also began to cut the ground on Beiting to resettle the upcoming tribes. The new distribution pattern of these Tiance herders will expand outward around Beiluntai City. With these 50,000 herders, the meat supply they generate will be able to solve the supply and demand of a considerable number of garrisons. Since the soil and soil conditions near Beiluntai City can actually be carried out in military farming, if the Tang army in Tiance can arrange military farming in the next year, it will be entirely possible to raise Beiting's troops with Beiting's land.

These are all later stories. After Zhang Mai made this decision, he returned to his home in Liangzhou. Guo Fen brought Fu'an to the door to greet him. Zhang Mai watched Fu'an's body grow thicker, and hurriedly jumped down from the horse to help her, shouting: "Why are you coming out? Be careful of getting angry!"

Fu'an smiled and said, "How can you get angry so easily? I heard that my sister rode in and out when she was pregnant."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "How can you compare with her? She practices martial arts, but you are also practicing dance - just dancing."

Fu'an laughed when he heard this. The maids and mothers who were serving beside him also helped laugh. Fu'an was supported by Zhang Mai to go back to the house, and looked at her husband while walking, saying, "Husband, you have lost weight and are black."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "Black is black, but not thin - it's strong. Those recruits fucked them for a month, and I only fucked them for a month. The fat and fat before became like stones. If I had changed a month ago, I would definitely not have jumped so quickly at the door."

Fu'an smiled and said, "It's better to let you stay in the military camp." As he said that, he showed a little resentment: "It's just that when you were in the military camp, I thought of you again. Alas--" This sigh really sighed out the contradictions in my heart.

The two met again after a long time, and they seemed to be speechless. At this time, Zhang Mai's eldest daughter ran out of the house, but snuggled at Guo Fen's feet. Looking at Zhang Mai, she felt apart. Zhang Mai suddenly remembered that she had not said a word to Guo Fen after meeting, and couldn't help but apologize. She wanted to say something to break the embarrassment. Guo Fen smiled faintly and said, "You guys talk, I'll go to the kitchen to have a look."

Zhang Mai hurriedly grabbed her and said, "Just let Brother Guo Lu's family go like this, why bother?"

Guo Fen said: "It's better to go and watch it myself. If others look at it, there will always be some discomfort." He still went there.

Fu'an asked his servants to go outside to pick them up and whispered: "How did you talk to me just now? My sister is unhappy."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "It's okay, Fen'er is very open-minded."

Fu'an said: "Then you shouldn't do that."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "I didn't mean it just now. I just looked at your bulging belly, and somehow I forgot everything else."

Fu'an lowered his head and said, "You didn't mean it, maybe my sister would get even more angry." He stopped and said, "Tonight I'm heavy and can't serve you, so you can go to my sister's room and talk well, so don't make my sister angry. You are not here this month, thanks to my sister's careful care, I will never want my sister to meet me because of today's incident."

Zhang Mai laughed, but responded, and said, "I listen to you."

The two of them were hiding in the room, but the sound of chopping boards in the kitchen was thumping. Fortunately, they were far enough away and they didn't hear each other. Ma Xiaochun noticed both sides and was so scared that she stuck out her tongue.

Zhang Mai and Fu'an talked a lot of gossip, and some of them were involved in government affairs. Fu'an said: "I heard that you want to transfer Ma Jirong to Liangzhou, is that true?"

It turned out that as the Tiance Army became increasingly powerful, the dependence of Khotan on the Tiance Army became more and more obvious. The Tiance regime has not interfered in the internal affairs of Khotan so far, but some people in Khotan have already arrived in Shule and Liangzhou to serve as officials. Khotan is a sandbank in the east and Shule in the west, and Tubo in the south is divided and not in trouble. At this stage, it can be said that it is completely under the protection of the Tiance Army. The country is prosperous and the people are safe and safe. Some ambitions are more inclined to join the Tiance Army in order to be promoted. Among them, Ma Jirong went to Liangzhou to serve as an official influence. He suddenly became an important subordinate of the Tiance Army as a minister of Khotan. Moreover, before the Ma Jirong's people arrived in Liangzhou, Zhang Mai and arranging a very important position were waiting for him, and it seemed that they were completely ignored by the ministers from Khotan.

Li Shengtian handled such things very cleverly - he was very low-key to the country, neither suppressing the families who remained in the country, nor commending them. However, in his private letter to Zhang Mai, he expressed his pleasure in the occurrence of such things, believing that this was a manifestation of the intimacy between the two sides. Zhang Mai was very grateful for his handling method, believing that this was a rare open-mindedness for those who are small and big. Only by seeing the current situation very clearly and grasping Tian's positioning very accurately can such a decision be made, fully reflecting a kind of wisdom of a small country.

In order to repay this ally and father-in-law who knew the current affairs, Zhang Mai made a fuss to his subordinates, telling them not to take the initiative to dig out the corners of Yutian: "Everything will go with the flow. We must have a "hundred-year friendship" between us and Yutian. We must not affect the friendship between us because of some short-term interests."

He cherished his friendship with Khotan, not only because of Fu'an's relationship, but also because since he arrived in Shule, Khotan has provided too much help and support. Yang Yi, Guo Shiyong and others said more than once: "It is really a blessing for our Tiance Army to have allies like Khotan!" These founding generals and Zhang Mai had an unspoken idea: as long as the Tiance regime exists for one day, the Kingdom of Khotan will be maintained.

At this time, when Fu'an mentioned it, Zhang Mai said, "General Ma is your fellow villager. After he came to Liangzhou, you have another person who can speak."

Fu'an smiled and said, "I'm not lonely here. I love you and my sister at home. Although my parents' home is far away, I feel like I have a family with my uncle."

Zhang Mai was stunned and said, "Uncle." He couldn't remember that Fu'an was the granddaughter of Cao's clan in Shazhou. He slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, by the way, Yuanshen and Yuanzhong have also arrived in Liangzhou. Do you have any contact with them?"

"Of course, seeing my uncle is like seeing my mother." Fu'an said: "As soon as my uncle arrived in Liangzhou, he would come to see me immediately after his official duties. I am pregnant this month, and you are not here. My uncle and aunt come to accompany me almost every day. Since their arrival, I feel much more at ease."

Zhang Mai smiled and said, "Will you feel uneasy if they don't come? Don't spread this to Yutian, otherwise your father-in-law will have to be mean to you for me."

"No," Fu'an said: "You men's family will not understand that the feeling of having a family by your side and not a family by your side is different. It's not that you treat me badly, but when my uncle and his uncle had not arrived in Liangzhou, I still felt empty. As soon as they came to walk around, the place in my heart felt at ease."

Zhang Mai was a little stunned when he heard this. Suddenly he remembered Guo Fenlai. His long-standing wife traveled with him thousands of miles, from Xinshuyecheng to the present, she worked so hard but had no complaints. However, her brothers were far away in Shule. Although Guo Luge and others were by his side, they were servants after all. Although Guo Shiyong and others were nearby, they were far away. When it comes to close relatives, they were far away from thousands of mountains and it was difficult to meet for years.
Chapter completed!