At this moment, it is already the season of spring flowers, and if this day is in Kaifeng Mansion, it is a good day for talented people to go out to play. Those manors scattered around Kaifeng Mansion are surrounded by green trees and flowers. From time to time, you can see the wild pavilions and pavilions on the waterside of the forest to raise a brocade curtain, put on the wine and fresh fruits, there are romantic talents, beautiful green buildings, gather over there to watch the scenery, a good group of literati are free, it is easy not to change for a prince.

But at this moment, in Aojiazhuang outside Jiehe City, there is no bit of comfort and elegance. What was once a pasture for sheep grazing is now fenced off by a wooden fence through which an unknown stream flows. Leaning on the creek, I don't know when a red mansion covering an area of about ten acres has been built - it was also built with red bricks "invented" by Huang Shilang.

The courtyard had not yet been completed, and when Wu Haogu and the others arrived, a local Cangzhou foreman was directing a dozen small workers to plaster the wall outside the courtyard - a good red brick wall, which had to be disguised as a rammed earth wall, which was really a bit speechless.

Seeing Lin Wancheng coming first, the foreman walked forward quickly and sang: "Little Fenger, I've seen Lin Daguan." ”

Wu Haogu followed the voice and looked at it, only to see a dirty Chinese character, I don't know how old he was, his beard and hair were messy, his skin was black and red, and he looked like he was tanned.

Lin Wancheng pointed to the man who called himself Feng Er and turned back to Wu Haogu and said: "Dong Weng, he was originally a man who fished on the Jiehe River, and the fishing village was bought by the Jiehe Chamber of Commerce, so he worked on the construction site, learned to build walls and plaster, and now he is also a craftsman." ”

Feng Er patted his chest when he heard this, "I'm the apprentice of Master Huang from Kaifeng Mansion, and the brick wall is strong." ”

"Master Huang? But Huang Shilang? Wu Haogu asked curiously.

"Where can it," Lin Wancheng said with a smile, "Huang Shilang is a big man, how can he teach him to build walls?" That Master Huang was originally a slave who worked for Huang Shilang's family, but now he has also gone up and become a master craftsman. ”

The so-called "slave", in fact, is indentured slavery, which was a very popular employment model in the Song Dynasty, and is not really a slave.

"Do it well, in the future, such a Zhuangzi will have to be repaired countless times." Wu Haogu encouraged Feng Er, and said to Olga, "Ao Niangzi, reward him." ”

"Whoa."

Olga threw a string of copper coins, and then rode into the courtyard with Wu Haogu. It's a four-in, four-out yard. The outermost yard method is used to raise horses, and a circle of stables was built along the fence, and several of them also kept a few small ponies, which should have been brought by Feng Er and others.

"That's a lot of stables." Gao Yu turned off the horse and counted roughly, "I can raise thirty or forty horses." ”

Wu Haogu said with a smile: "Knight Zhuang should have given birth to horses...... A really good horse has to be raised like this. ”

If the knight's village wants to maintain its vitality for a long time, it must be supported by industry. And the industry that Wu Haogu can think of now is animal husbandry and grain production - if the 1,500-mu Zhuangzi adopts the rotation of three nurseries, it should be able to produce a lot of grain, and at the same time maintain a herd of about 20 horses, and may also raise some cattle and sheep.

And among these outputs, the most profitable is undoubtedly horse breeding. Because of the inefficiency of the Song Dynasty's horse administration and the blockade of the Liao State and Western Xia, the price of good horses in the Song Dynasty was very high. A first-class war horse with a shoulder height of four feet seven was 300 taels that was the state purchase price. If the Jiehe City Bosi can buy the war horse at this price, it will be credited!

If Wu Haogu's horse farm in Jiehe can be successful and provide horse breeds to the knights' manors in Northern Cangzhou, then a herd of 20 horses (mainly mares) can produce three or four first-class war horses a year, which is a thousand yuan of income!

If there were 1,000 knights' estates, it would not be a problem to provide the imperial court with 3,000 first-class war horses every year. Then the hapless herd supervisor will be able to close his doors......

Gao Yu smiled: "Do you know how to raise horses again?" ”

"Dong Weng is right," Lin Wancheng said helpfully, "The little old man knows a little about raising horses...... To raise a good horse, it must be bred and protected, and it is most forbidden to raise free-range. These tens of millions of horses are mixed together, and if they are allowed to mate themselves, there is no way to talk about horse breeds. ”

"But aren't the horses of the Han and Tang Dynasties all herdsmen?" Gao Yu asked, "Isn't it also very good?" ”

"The Han and Tang dynasties also talked about horse breeding," Wu Haogu said, "Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also fought with the Dayue clan for sweat and blood." The Tang Dynasty introduced a large number of good horses from the Western Regions to improve horse breeds.

In addition, the Han and Tang dynasties not only had Ma Zheng, but also a large number of private manors. It is the cooperation of herd herding and manor fixed grazing, and it can also obtain good seeds from the Western Regions. Therefore, the herds of the Han and Tang dynasties can raise a large number of war horses, but they will not be able to do so in our dynasty. Good breeds are hard to find, and the horses of the herdsmen are getting smaller and smaller. ”

The horses of the herd supervisors were largely unintervening and adopted the method of grassland herding – horse officials in the Northern Song Dynasty generally believed that the grassland horse breeding method was better than that of farming, and that wild horses were better than domestic horses.

Therefore, under this method of raising horses that simulate the wild environment as much as possible, the horses raised by the herd herds of the Song Dynasty are smaller and smaller from generation to generation - in fact, small horses are more adapted to the wild environment, and the tall war horses eat too much, which is too difficult to serve, and it is difficult to survive after being released into the wild.

Gao Yu was a little dazed by Wu Haogu's words, but Wu Haogu smiled, and then turned back to talk to Olga, "Olga, I told you last time that I wanted to give you the knight's manor, how is it here?" Still satisfied? ”

"This is for slaves? OMG, great! Olga was stunned, an expression of ecstasy appeared on her gorgeous face, and then she opened her arms and pounced on Wu Haogu despite the people around her.

This foreign girl is unrestrained! And it's pretty exciting!

Being hugged and kissed by a blonde female knight, Wu Haogu's thoughts also rippled...... The taste of Rose cats is not bad, right?

Why don't you just eat her tonight......

……

At the same time, Lu Jiawen had just come out of the Chongzheng Palace, and it was now past noon.

The sky was overcast, and the clouds were rolling, revealing an oppressive atmosphere.

Lu Jiawen stopped outside the gallery where the Hanlin Painting Academy was located, and exhaled a breath of turbidity. I don't know why, it's the season of spring flowers, but it always makes people feel suffocated. When he was an official in Hanoi County, Lu Jiawen always looked forward to returning to Kaifeng Mansion, the best city in the world, but when he really returned to Kaifeng Mansion and became the Taifu Temple, he met a villain......

Many, many villains!

The villain is already difficult to raise, and now he has to demolish the villain's house!

Lu Jiawen suddenly felt that he was going to be planted in the demolition of the camp in the north of the state.

This house can't be demolished, and it can't be dragged out - the imperial court has issued an edict announcing that a forbidden army competition will be held in October next year, and all soldiers of the forbidden army can participate, and the Xiang army and civilian warriors can sign up to participate...... That's a house to take!

But now that the camp in the north of the state can't be demolished, can the house still be built?

"Looking at it, why is it not so interested?"

Zeng Bu stood beside Lu Jiawen and saw that he was depressed, so he couldn't help but ask.

Lu Jiawen sighed and smiled bitterly: "Zixuan, aren't you knowingly asking?" ”

"Or ...... Please, right? Zeng Bu frowned and said, "How about I recommend Cai Yuanchang to be the Taifu Siqing?" ”

Cai Jing really escaped the "catastrophe" of Jiangning Mansion in the south, and today Zhao Ji spoke in the Chongzheng Palace, and he wanted to leave Cai Jing in Kaifeng Mansion. So Han Zhongyan and Zeng Bu are thinking about arranging an official position for Cai Jing - although Cai Jing is the boss of the New Party, he has always been capable and unprincipled, and he took refuge in Sima Guang when Yuan You was changed.

So Han Zhongyan and Zeng Bu both wanted to win over Cai Jing...... However, Zeng Bu was unwilling to let Cai Jing be the ruler, Cai Jing was too good at flattery, and he had a good relationship with Zhao Ji. let him enter the political hall, and Zeng Bu's second phase was knocked out by him.

And the "hot" dispatch of Taifu Temple just gave Cai Jing a headache.

"That's not going to work!" Lu Jiawen shook his head resolutely, he had only come back with great difficulty, how could he easily hand over the dispatch again?

Zeng Bu and Lu Jiawen were talking, and they had already walked to the political hall. There's another big headache to discuss in the political hall!

Zeng Bu sighed and asked Lu Jia: "Wangzhi, if you think about it carefully, you must think of a proper method." But you can't delay it too long, and if it's not too long in the summer, let's ask the county early. But don't wait until October next year to get the house out of the house, then we'll all be in trouble. ”

"Zixuan, I'm measured, don't worry."

"Okay." Zeng Bu nodded, didn't say anything, and walked quickly into the political hall.

At this time, in the political affairs hall, Han Zhongyan was discussing with Fan Chunli, Li Qingchen, and Wen Yi (that is, the gloating guy) who had just worshiped Shangshu Youcheng (that is, the competition to divide the house).

However, the few of them were not discussing how to divide the house, but were worried that no one would come to participate and would be cold - if no one came, Lu Jiawen would be very happy.

"Fifty pounds of heavy armor, plus a spear, a straight knife, a large shield, 50 crossbow arrows, and a crossbow, plus three days of military rations...... How heavy should this be? ”

"One hundred and fifty pounds...... At least one hundred and fifty pounds! It's almost a person, and he's still a fat man. ”

"I have to march 100 miles in half a day...... It's good to be able to walk with so many things, how can you march 100 miles in a hurry? ”

"Xianggong, this is how Wei Wushu was selected......"

"I know, Cai Yuanchang must have been confused when he watched "Xunzi Discussion of Soldiers", but it was the Warring States, how could there be such a strong man now? If the forbidden army could find a large number of warriors like Wei Wushu, Yan Yun would have been swept away long ago, and Western Xia would have been wiped out long ago. ”

"But isn't it, the requirements are so high, and no one else will come at that time, won't it make the world laugh?"