Late Han Zhao Tang

Sun Quan accepted Fa Zheng's strategy and ordered Xu Kun to lead troops to Zitong to join forces with Sun Ben, stationing them at Jiange to defend against the Tang army. He also ordered Wu Jing and Sun He to lead troops north to Langzhong to prevent the Tang army from advancing south via the Micang Road.

To prevent the Tang army from focusing on its southern campaign, Sun Quan sent Fei Guan as an envoy to Liu Bei and Cao Cao, requesting that they launch a northern expedition to distract the enemy.

In the third month of spring, when the armies of the two sides gathered and war was about to break out, Zhang Yu, who was stationed in Chang'an, led a hundred officials to the fields to encourage farming.

In the fields outside Chang'an, Zhang Yu, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, whipped his oxen and plowed the fields. The older princes also worked in the fields. The emperor and the crown prince were both diligently performing their duties, and the accompanying civil and military officials dared not watch, so they all stayed in the fields.

With oxen to plow the field and guidance from an old farmer, Zhang Yu quickly finished plowing an acre of land. Afterwards, with the help of the prince and officials, he quickly completed the rice transplanting.

Under the shade of a tree, Zhang Yu and his companions sat on the ground, chatting idly while pointing at the fields.

"A family without oxen can only cultivate forty mu of dry land a year; a family with oxen can cultivate one hundred mu of dry land a year. If it is paddy field, the difference is three times that of those without oxen." Zuo Fufeng Sima Zhi said, "Therefore, the fortunate thing for a family is to have one hundred mu of land, a wife and children, and oxen to plow the fields!"

Zhang Yu looked at Du Ji and asked, "Do you know the number of oxen used for plowing?"

Du Ji hesitated and said, “Forgive me for my shortcomings in governance, as I am unaware of the number of cattle for plowing in the country. However, according to my rough knowledge, the northern border imported more than 10,000 cattle and more than 1,000 camels into China last year. However, the supply of cattle could not meet the demand, and the price remained high. Judging from this, the people of the Central Plains are in dire need of cattle for plowing.”

Previously, Zhang Yu vigorously introduced camels and developed the habit of camel farming in Bingzhou, but camels did not become widespread. Firstly, the number of camels was small, and secondly, cattle were more suitable for farming.

After more than a decade of warfare, the number of oxen used for draft animals declined along with the population, as oxen served as a source of sustenance. Therefore, in addition to a shortage of people, Chinese prefectures and counties also suffered from a shortage of oxen. As mentioned earlier, if every household had oxen, it would alleviate the labor shortage to some extent.

Zhang Yu said to those around him, “Although I allow people to engage in commerce, I have not forgotten that agriculture is the foundation of the nation. Peace throughout the land is my greatest wish. When China is unified, the people will have land to cultivate and oxen to work the fields, which is another of my greatest wishes.”

"Your Majesty's benevolence and love for the people is truly a blessing for them!" the crowd exclaimed respectfully.

Zhang Yu waved his hand and asked, "Loving the people should be put into practice among the people. Now that there is a shortage of oxen for plowing, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Where is the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, who is in charge of the nation's livestock?!"

"Chen is here!"

Zhang Ji stepped forward from the crowd, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, if you wish to increase the number of oxen, I believe that animal husbandry is more important. The northwest and the Hetao region are fertile with water and grass, making them excellent for raising cattle and horses. Currently, most of the oxen introduced into the country are raised by nomadic herders and then sold back to China. Therefore, it would be better to restore the old system of the Qin Dynasty and establish pastures specifically for raising oxen.”

"Furthermore, the Qin Chuan cattle and Baihe cattle have always been famous throughout the world. Now that Your Majesty wishes to establish pastures, they can be set up in Guanzhong and Nanyang, and given equal importance to Long, Dai, and You. With dedicated herding, in a few decades, draft cattle will become prevalent in China."

The success of Shang Yang's reforms in the Qin state was due not only to the unity of the ruler and his ministers, but also to the abundance of oxen in Qin. Northern China primarily produces yellow cattle, which are found in the Qi-Lu region, Guanzhong Plain, Nanyang, and the agricultural-pastoral border areas. The Qin Chuan cattle produced in Guanzhong are easy to raise, have strong draft capabilities, and are considered very high-quality draft cattle.

During Shang Yang's reforms in the Qin state, special institutions were established for cattle, such as the Grand Stable, the Central Stable, and the Palace Stable. There were also positions like Cattle Chief and Steward, specifically responsible for raising oxen and overseeing a series of regulations to assess their care. The Xihe cattle bred by Cui Jun in Xihe County were Qin Chuan cattle.

As for the Baihe cattle, as the name suggests, they are yellow cattle that live in the Baihe River area of ​​Nanyang. They are famous for their strength, speed, and adaptability. The rise of Nanyang Prefecture during the Han Dynasty and its continued prosperity in subsequent dynasties were not only due to its geographical location, but also largely due to the abundance of Baihe cattle.

When Liu Xiu first raised his army, the ox he rode was probably the Baihe ox.

Zhang Yu asked, "What are the views of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?"

“Your Majesty, it is feasible to establish pastures to raise cattle, but I believe that our dynasty may take this opportunity to implement a cattle registration system.”

Du Ji said, "Order local prefectures and counties to investigate the number of draft cattle in their jurisdictions, record the color and age of the cattle in official documents, and mark them on their bodies so that they can be traced. By recording draft cattle according to the people's register, the changes in draft cattle can be known every year. Furthermore, by comparing the people's register with the cattle register, the ratio of people to cattle can be known!"

"What does the Prime Minister think?" Zhang Yu nodded in satisfaction and asked.

“Lord Du is learned and knowledgeable. I believe that establishing a cattle ranching supervisor and a cattle registration system is feasible!” Zhong Yao said.

Registering cattle is simpler than registering people. People may be subject to taxes, but cattle are not.

Zhang Yu said, “I have heard that people in Jiangnan live by slash-and-burn agriculture and rarely use oxen for plowing. If Jiangnan wants to become prosperous, it must have an abundance of oxen. Therefore, we should establish an ox-breeding bureau and implement an ox registration system. We need to think about this for Jiangnan and prepare for any eventuality.”

"promise!"

Compared to the north, where yellow cattle were used for plowing, the Jiangnan region used water buffalo. Water buffalo were not abundant in Jiangnan to begin with, but due to the Three Kingdoms period and the migration of people from the south, who brought Central Plains technologies, water buffalo were bred and popularized. The widespread use of water buffalo directly boosted productivity in the south, enabling the cultivation of more fields simultaneously.

Therefore, to develop the South, it is necessary not only to spread advanced agricultural techniques but also to breed a large number of water buffaloes in order to achieve rapid development of productivity in the South. Thus, the consideration of water buffaloes in Jiangnan is a preparation for the future development of the South. "Father, raising cattle is a long-term plan. Now that the country is short of cattle, why not find a strategy to solve the problem of households without cattle?" Zhang Zhang said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's interest was piqued, and he asked, "Do you perhaps have a brilliant plan?"

Seeing everyone looking at him, Zhang Zhang blushed and said, "It's not a good plan, but when young people are studying, if someone is temporarily short of writing materials, I will lend them some. So, there are households that raise cattle and households that don't raise cattle. Why not let households that raise cattle lend their cattle to households that don't have cattle, and the households that don't have cattle repay them by hoeing the land?"

"As for households without oxen, those with able-bodied men should hoe the fields more often, while the elderly and weak should hoe less. The government should take charge and order large families to lend out their oxen, and the lending should be included in the examination of the imperial examinations. Those who lend oxen will have priority over those who do not."

Upon hearing this, the officials present nodded in agreement, expressing their approval of Zhang Zhang's proposed strategy.

“The young King of the North is wise. This is a policy that benefits the country and its people. If it is implemented now, it can alleviate the shortage of oxen for plowing!” Cui Yan agreed.

Zhang Yu was secretly amazed. He hadn't paid much attention to Zhang Zhang, and he hadn't expected Zhang Zhang to be so intelligent. He subconsciously looked at Li Song, suspecting that Li Song was advising Zhang Zhang, but seeing the surprise and joy in Li Song's eyes, he put aside his suspicions. After all, it was he who had suddenly brought up the matter of the oxen.

Zhang Yu remained calm and said, "Young man, your suggestion is reasonable. Lord Du can discuss it with the other officials later to see if there is anything feasible."

"promise!"

Seeing his younger brother stealing the spotlight in front of everyone, the young Zhang Luo showed displeasure on his face, but fearing that his father would be displeased, he had no choice but to keep it to himself.

During a casual conversation between the emperor and his minister, Xun You handed over a military report.

"Your Majesty, news of victory has arrived from Hanzhong!"

"What victory report is this?"

"Guo Huai seized Baishui Pass under the guise of welcoming a bride, and Lady Sun is currently being escorted to Chang'an. Xu Huang has also ordered Zhao Ang to lead the Wudu County troops to Baishui Pass, and Wang Ling is leading troops south to Micang Road as the vanguard of the detachment," Xun You said.

"it is good!"

After reading the letter, Zhang Yu was very satisfied and said, "Baishui Pass is the gateway to fortune and misfortune in Bashu. Now that we have broken through Baishui Pass, it will not be long before our troops enter Bashu!"

"Jiameng Pass has a unique terrain, being the confluence of the Bailong River and the Jialing River, which allows it to coordinate with Baishui Pass. Now that Baishui Pass has fallen, Jiameng and Jiange are the reliance of the Shu people. If Jiange can be captured, then the proclamation of Bashu can be issued."

Jia Xu stroked his beard and pondered, then said, "But I have heard people say that the danger of Jiange is extraordinary; one man can hold the pass against ten thousand. Xu Huang is leading his army south, and the Shu people have stationed heavy troops in this strategic location. I fear our army will suffer a setback at Jiange."

Zhang Yu pondered for a long time after receiving the letter, and said, "Gongming and Bo Ning want to enter Shu through the Jinniu and Micang routes. However, I fear that when the people of Shu hear that I am launching a southern expedition, they will surely send all their elite troops to block Jinniu and occupy our territory. The enemy will think that the terrain is dangerous and that our army will have difficulty reaching us. If we can take them by surprise and drive straight to the gates and break through the pass, then the people of Shu will collapse on their own."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu paced back and forth in thought, and then instructed, "If Xu Huang's army reaches the area between Jiameng and Jiange, then divide your forces and head east to clear the dangerous Micang Mountain pass so that Man Chong's army can enter Bazhong. If Man Chong reaches Bazhong, then break through Ba County, head west to Guanghan, and directly take Shu County. If neither army can advance, then order Xu Huang to dispatch 5,000 elite troops to take the Pingyin Trail, capture Jiangyou, and drive Chengdu."

"As ordered!"

Strangely enough, ever since Deng Ai opened up the Yinping Trail to conquer Shu, successive Central Plains regimes have mostly used the Yinping Trail to conquer Shu. For example, when the Mongol Yuan Dynasty conquered Chengdu, they divided their forces at Yinping; when the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Ming Xia Dynasty, the Ming army made a surprise attack from Yinping.

As for Zhang Yu, although he favored Deng Ai's strategy of conquering Shu via the Yinping Trail, he also knew that the key to Deng Ai's success in conquering Shu was that Zhong Hui's army held back Jiang Wei at Jiange, and that the Shu troops' subsequent attempt to seize the strategic location failed.

Therefore, in his strategy for the southern expeditionary army, he ordered Generals Xu and Man to launch a preemptive strike to disrupt the Shu people's defenses as much as possible. When the time was right, he would divide his forces and launch a surprise attack from Yinping to Chengdu.

Zhang Yu said to his attendants with a smile, "Although I am not in Bashu, I know that this battle will surely destroy Sun Shu."

Seeing Zhang Yu's confident demeanor, all the officials were astonished.

"What proof does Your Majesty have?" Zhong Yao asked curiously.

"Let's observe the military situation!"

P.S.: In Chapter 260, the names Wang Su and Zhang Su were mixed up. Please allow me to contact the editor to correct it! (End of Chapter)