Li Yi opened a volume of documents, which was the letter of Ding Li, the Taishou of Wei County. In his letter, Ding Li explained in detail the many benefits of promoting intensive farming.

Ding Li wrote in his letter: "In the current situation of the continuous influx of displaced people into Jizhou, the land will become more and more tight, and intensive cultivation can not only solve the problem of overpopulation, but also effectively increase the yield per mu and increase the total amount of grain in Hebei." If the general agrees. I can try it out for a year in Wei County and the Tuntian District of Wei County to see how it works. ”

Li Yi replied and asked Zhong Xuan to discuss the matter with Ding Li immediately, and he could consider implementing intensive cultivation in some areas with relatively concentrated populations to increase grain harvests.

Ding Li also said one more thing, which attracted Li Yi's attention.

The prefectures and counties along the Yellow River have not had rain for nearly three months since April, and the peasant households have tried their best to get water to irrigate their fields, but with little effect; if it continues to rain, the drought situation this summer will be very severe, and it will also affect Hebei's grain harvest today.

In this regard, Ding Li suggested digging ditches to connect the Qinghe, Zhangshui, Hutuo and Xishui rivers that run through Jizhou, so as to help improve Jizhou's irrigation water system, to facilitate the transportation of materials, and to temporarily resettle the displaced people who continue to pour into Jizhou.

The excavation of ditches to connect several major rivers in Jizhou will indeed contribute to the development of Hebei. From Li Yi's memory, the major rivers of the North China Plain in later generations were indeed connected to each other.

But this is a major event, which requires overall planning and requires a lot of human, material and financial resources in Hebei, which is difficult for Hebei to bear today.

There are many displaced people in Jizhou now, and as long as these people can survive and have a full stomach, they are willing to do anything. Let them dig ditches and provide them with food, and of course they will do it.

However, the key question is, can Hebei's financial endowment be supported?

Li Yi planned to talk to the courtiers about this matter.

Da Situ Yang Biao, Da Sikong Zhenju and Da Honglu Zhu Jun and other ministers believed that the six counties of Xiliang, including Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye, Wuwei, Zhangye and Zhangye Juyan, were too far away from Jicheng in Hanyang County, the seat of the Liangzhou Thorn History Department, and the contact with Chang'an was also blocked by robbers, and the territory of the six counties might be completely lost in the near future, so the ministers asked the Son of Heaven to divide these six counties out of Liangzhou, and set up another state, named Yongzhou, and recommended Chen Liuren Handan Shang as the Yongzhou Thorn History. He was in charge of the military administration of the six counties of Yongzhou.

The general is involved in the affairs of Shangshu, and such major events in the establishment of the state, according to the custom, must be notified in advance before the performance to the Son of Heaven.

Li Yi shook his head and smiled bitterly.

The twelve prefectures and counties of Xiliang are now almost all controlled by Han Sui and Ma Teng, and in order to weaken the power of Han Sui and Ma Teng, the ministers of the imperial court actually want to carve out six counties from Xiliang at this time to build another Yongzhou, isn't this nothing to do? Although Dunhuang and other six counties are located in the northwest of Xiliang and are adjacent to the Western Regions, if Yongzhou is built separately, it can directly threaten the safety of Han Sui and Ma Teng, so the two will not agree anyway, and they will not expose their backs to the enemy.

Now that these six counties are basically under Ma Teng's control, how is it possible for you to let Ma Teng give it up?

Li Yi thought about it for a long time, put pen to paper and made annotations, suggesting that the implementation of this proposal should be suspended, and wait for the situation in Guanzhong to stabilize before speaking, if Han Sui and Ma Teng were angered at this moment, the war in Guanzhong would inevitably break out again.

The curtain suddenly opened, and Shi Xunyu, the head of the general's mansion, came in worriedly, and reported: "Lord, Chang'an has an earthquake again." ”

………………

On the second day of the Lunar New Year in June, an earthquake occurred in Chang'an. On the third day of the first lunar month, there was another earthquake.

The Son of Heaven hurriedly issued an edict and ordered the general Li Yi to do his best to relieve the disaster in Guanzhong.

Li Yi convened the staff of the General's Mansion overnight to discuss the matter.

"How many people are there in Guanzhong?" Li Yi looked at Zhuge Jin, the chief bookkeeper of the General's Mansion, and asked, "Since the Son of Heaven moved west to Chang'an five years ago, disasters have continued in Guanzhong, and the people of Guanzhong have either died or fled to Yizhou, Jingzhou or Hedong. How many people are there now? ”

Zhuge Jin pondered for a long time, and said slowly: "When the population of the three counties in Guanzhong was the largest, it was about 600,000, and after five years of wars and disasters, it would be good to have 300,000 left. ”

Li Yi nodded, turned his head to look at Zhong Xuan and asked, "Yuan Chang, if you go all out for disaster relief, can Hebei's grain reserves support the autumn harvest?" ”

"At present, there are many places that need relief, first of all, the desert and the border counties. This year, Dadesert and border counties once again encountered a rare heavy snowstorm, and if it were not for last year's lord ordering some Hu people to move south, it is estimated that the losses would be even more heavy. Zhong Xuan frowned and said with a bitter face, "There are also the displaced people in Jizhou." The wars in the Central Plains have come and gone, and the displaced people are endless, although the governments have done their best, how can they settle so many displaced people? After all, Jizhou is not a vast land in northern Xinjiang, and the land is limited. One of the important reasons why we were anxious to appease Liu Yu and Liu Bei to control Qingzhou and to cross the river to the south to attack Yanzhou was to move the displaced people south. So ......"

Zhong Miao looked up at Li Yi and arched his hand and said, "Lord, let's be perfunctory about the relief matters." Hebei's grain must meet the needs of the army in order to ensure the smooth progress of the army's war in the Central Plains. ”

Li Yi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "How many displaced people in Jizhou have not been resettled now?" ”

"There are still more than a million people who have not been resettled." Cao Pengshi Sima Lang, the head of the General's Mansion, replied, "According to the estimates of the county governors, the state ministers, and the Tuntian government offices, there are at least 2.5 million households in Jizhou, with a population of 6 million to 8 million. ”

"Is it eight million or six million?" Li Yi was taken aback, at the end of the year before last, there were only about five million people in Jizhou, why did more than a year pass, so much?

Sima Lang thought for a moment and said in a very affirmative tone: "According to my estimates, it has exceeded eight million. If we add the population of Bingzhou, Youzhou, Liaodong and Damo, the population of Hebei should be about 32 million. ”

Li Yi looked at Sima Yi's eldest brother and asked, "Are you so sure?" ”

"Recently, the governments of Jizhou are compiling households, verifying the population, and preparing for the implementation of 'counting and dictating fields' in the future." Sima Lang said, "In October, the lord will be able to see the specific figures. ”

"Brother Yuan Chang is right, the top priority is to immediately take Qingzhou, Yanzhou and Xuzhou to relieve the population pressure in Hebei." On the side, he interjected, "Jizhou's population was only more than 6 million at its peak, and now it has exceeded a lot, and the land will be seriously insufficient, which will leave a great hidden danger to Hebei's stability." ”

Li Yi discussed with everyone for a long time, and finally decided to allocate a batch of disaster relief money and grain to Guanzhong to limit the scale of the war in the Central Plains. First stabilize the territory that has been occupied, and no more attacks in the near future.

………………

In mid-June, Cao Cao led an army to attack Shanyang County, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun led an army to attack Jiyin County, and Cao Ren led an army to attack Renchengguo.

Lü Bu, who was stationed in Ren Chengguo, hurriedly led his army to meet the battle, and he led an army of 8,000 to attack Cao Ren. Cao Ren had only 5,000 men, his strength was weak, he lost two games in a row, and then fled into the city of Gongqiu in Peiguo, and defended the city.

In late June, Cao Caohe, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahoudun, Cheng Yu and others joined forces in Chengwu County, south of Jiyin County, and confronted the Northern Xinjiang Army stationed in Liangqiu City, northeast of Chengwu.

In early July, Cao Cao and Li Yi, who had just arrived in Yanzhou, fought fiercely in the vicinity of Chengwu and Liangqiu.

In mid-July, Cao Cao attacked the grain and grass camp of the Northern Xinjiang Army at night, but was besieged by Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei and Zhang He led by Li Yi and other northern Xinjiang generals. Xu Chu protected Cao Cao and fought desperately to get out of the encirclement.

In late July, the local powerful clans in Changyi City used counter-plots to lure Cao Cao's army into Changyi City. Zhao Yun and other generals in northern Xinjiang led ambushes to kill on all sides, and Cao Cao was defeated.

In the scuffle, Zhao Yun's subordinate Cao Xuan captured Cao Cao. Fortunately, Cao Xuan didn't know Cao Cao, who had the same surname as him, and Cao Cao was covered in blood, and he couldn't tell that he was an officer, so Cao Xuan asked, "Where is Cao Cao?" ”

Cao Cao said: "The person who escaped on a yellow horse is Cao Cao." ”

Cao Xing abandoned Cao Cao and led the army to chase away. Cao Cao was thus able to escape from the city of Changyi.

………………

In early August, a locust plague broke out along the Yellow River. The southern counties of Jizhou, the northern counties of Yanzhou, and the northern counties of Qingzhou were all affected, and the field crops were all destroyed by locusts.

The general Li Yi had no choice but to lead the army to retreat from Changyi City to Puyang in Dongjun to avoid a fierce battle with Cao Cao, and temporarily concentrate on disaster relief and relief.

Qingzhou was affected by the disaster, the hungry people were like a tide, and Liu Bei, the plain guard, was forced by the situation and promised to be appeased. Huwei general Tai Shici led his army across the river and stationed in Gaotang, completely occupying Pingyuan County.

………………

In August, Cao Cao led a large army to attack Dongjun, intending to force Li Yi and the Northern Xinjiang army back north of the river.

The disaster in Hebei was serious, unable to supply the needs of the army, and the army's food and grass gradually ran out. And Cao Cao's grain and grass were gone, and the soldiers first killed the horses, and after the horses were killed, they ate wild vegetables, and then began to eat the captives.

With the help of the later generals Yuan Shu, Danyang Taishou Zhou Xin, and Wujun Taishou Sun Jian, Xuzhou Mu Taoqian reorganized his army and launched a counteroffensive against the three counties of Donghai, Xiapi, and Pengcheng. Li Dian, Li Quan, and Le Jinbing were outnumbered, and their food and grass were scarce, and they were defeated and retreated one after another.

In early September, the locust plague became even more serious, sweeping almost the entire north-central counties of Yanzhou, and groups of hungry people abandoned their homes, helped the old and the young, and went all the way to the Yellow River and Jizhou.

For these victims, Hebei is undoubtedly a place of hope for their survival.

Li Yi looked up to the sky and sighed, originally thought that this was a good opportunity to lead the army to recover the Central Plains, but man is not as good as heaven, and manpower is so powerful in front of nature.

At this moment, Li Yi experienced another moment, Zhuge Liang besieged Sima Yi in the gourd valley, and when he was about to burn him to death, it suddenly rained heavily, and the bitter taste in Sima Yi's heart when he fled.

If it weren't for the locust plague that suddenly swept both sides of the river, would it be possible for Cao Cao to survive this time? Li Yi felt that this was extremely unlikely.

Li Yi announced that he would lead a large army to retreat to Hebei, and instead devote all his efforts to relief and resettlement of the hungry. (To be continued.) )