Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 367 Heading East!

Three days later, in the back hall of the regional prefecture in Jinchuan County.

The sandalwood incense rose gently from the bronze incense burner, its wisps twining around the carved wooden beams, yet it could not dispel the somber atmosphere in the room.

Commissioner Zhao Zhanpeng leaned back in the bearskin chair, the jade paperweight in his hand rubbed until it shone with warmth, as he carefully examined the dark-skinned young man in front of him.

Lei Zhensheng stood straight and tall. Although his woolen uniform was a bit old, it was starched very neatly, which made his figure look even more upright.

The uniform sleeve slipped down unintentionally, revealing a hideous arrow scar on the back of his hand, like a lurking centipede, silently telling the story of past dangers.

"Do you know what's in the East?" Zhao Zhanpeng suddenly asked, his voice deep and powerful, echoing in the quiet room.

"Your Excellency, I have consulted some local legends." Lei Zhensheng said respectfully, taking out a birch bark map from his robes. The map had jagged edges and some resinous spots, clearly indicating that it had been obtained with great difficulty.

"...Beyond the Eastern Kunlun Mountains (Rocky Mountains), there are said to be vast grasslands, as well as countless rivers and lakes, which should be the fertile land that Xinhua desires to acquire."

"Hmm, not bad, you've done some research." Zhao Zhanpeng nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. "But what I want to tell you is that the fertility of that vast land in the East far exceeds your imagination. Moreover, it contains countless minerals and treasures. If Xinhua were to occupy it, it would not only lay the foundation for the nation's century-long and millennium-long prosperity, but would also bring blessings to future generations."

"..." Lei Zhensheng's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and a fanatical expression gradually appeared on his face.

Land, endless fertile land!

There are also endless mineral deposits!
Perhaps, there are also gold and silver mines there that drive people crazy!
"Once you cross the East Kunlun Mountains, you will see a boundless and vast fertile land, which has the world's most fertile black calcareous soil, with an organic matter content of over 10% (actually between 8-15%), and its natural fertility far exceeds that of any other country or region."

Zhao Zhanpeng suddenly stood up, walked to the window, looked into the distance, and said in a voice full of longing and anticipation, "Do you know what this means?"

“This means…” Lei Zhensheng’s heart tightened, and after a moment of pause, he said in a deep voice, “This means that Xinhua will have a large area of ​​fertile farmland that can feed countless people, and it also means that Xinhua’s agriculture has extremely broad development prospects.”

“That’s right!” Zhao Zhanpeng turned around abruptly, his eyes gleaming with fervent light: “This land is so vast, so favorable, and so rich in water resources that it can rival the Jiangnan region of the Ming Dynasty. The black calcareous soil was formed ten thousand years ago after the glaciers retreated, and no one has ever cultivated it on a large scale. Its surface is covered with grass roots that form a green carpet that is up to two meters deep.”

"Compared to the clay soil of Qiming Island and Xinhua Bay, the soil of these lands is looser and easier to cultivate. They can even be planted with just a single plow. If we take over all of them, we can support tens of millions of people."

"What's even more remarkable is that the area is all grassland, which is completely different from the dense forests of Qiming Island and the Jinchuan River region. There is no need for large-scale logging and deforestation for reclamation and land reclamation, which greatly saves the reclamation costs of 'slash-and-burn' agriculture."

Zhao Zhanpeng paused, then slowly walked up to Lei Zhensheng, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously yet eagerly, "Besides the land, there is another extremely precious treasure there. What do you think the existence of vast, fertile grasslands would attract?"

"What do you think the existence of vast, fertile grasslands would attract?"

“Cattle and sheep!” Lei Zhensheng blurted out, “...and even a large herd of wild horses!”

“No, there are no wild horses or sheep there.” Zhao Zhanpeng shook his head with a smile. “However, there are countless bison herds there! Well, conservatively speaking, there are at least ten million bison on that vast grassland (some studies say the number of bison is as high as 3000 million).”

“When a single herd of cattle migrates, it can stretch for thirty to fifty miles from head to tail. In other words, there are mobile meat depots and tanneries there, taking whatever they need.”

"..." Lei Zhensheng's breathing became rapid, and his eyes flashed with excitement.

Ten million bison!
Good heavens, how much beef will this provide for Xinhua?

A single bison can conservatively produce four to five hundred kilograms of beef, enough to feed three hundred people for a day.

Not to mention, the complete hide from the bison can make 6-8 pairs of military boots.

If we could tame all those bison (according to research, bison cannot be tame), then we could provide tens of thousands of people in Xinhua with an ox each, no, it should be a dozen or even a hundred!
Huh, how come this commissioner knows so much about that place?

It was as if he had been there before.

However, this thought only flashed through my mind and did not cause much of a ripple. I continued to listen attentively to the Commissioner's explanation.

"In addition, there are large open-pit coal mines, as well as gold mines and salt lakes, which are all mineral resources needed for the industrial development of Xinhua."

"Therefore, the land of the East, Xinhua will surely take it!" Zhao Zhanpeng clenched his fist, his voice firm and powerful.

Located in the Prairie Provinces of what would later become central Canada, it can be described as a combination of North America's Ukraine and Texas.

If agriculture is developed, wheat and soybeans in the black soil belt can be produced at three times the yield of 18th-century Europe without the need for any fertilizer.

If animal husbandry is developed, the bison resources and vast grasslands are enough to support a huge livestock industry, as well as a leather industry with a continuous supply of raw materials.

If the mining industry is developed, the abundant coal and salt reserves, as well as oil, would be sufficient to establish a perfect regional self-sufficient economic zone.

In addition, there is another crucial point: relying on the network of rivers and lakes there, a waterway leading to the Atlantic Ocean can be built.

Following the North Saskatchewan River, you can reach Hudson Bay directly.

By traveling along the Red River and then through several other rivers, one can connect to the Great Lakes region (this requires the excavation of artificial canals and the construction of locks).

At this time, the French influence should not have extended beyond the Great Lakes region (French explorer Jean Nicolet had only reached Green Bay in Wisconsin in 1634, but had not yet entered Lake Superior), and the immigrant population was extremely small, posing no threat whatsoever to Xinhua's exploration of the East.

Despite the fact that even if Xinhua were to discover the geography and routes of the Eastern Grasslands, given its current strength, it is estimated that it would be unable to carry out large-scale migration and colonization in the next 10-20 years.

But this did not stop us, the new Chinese, from setting up boundary markers and declaring our sovereignty over that area early on.

It's important to know that back then, the French, with only a hundred or so fur traders, crossed the Great Lakes region and then headed south along the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. While hunting countless furs, they also seized millions of square kilometers of territory in one fell swoop.

Tsarist Russia, relying on a group of Cossacks, explored and conquered eastward from the Ural Mountains, rapidly expanding its territory to Siberia and eventually reaching the Pacific coast.

Naturally, we, the new Chinese, also followed the successful model of these European colonists, sending out expedition after expedition to extensively claim land in the vast plains of the east, setting up "ancient" markers, establishing a certain military presence, and thus occupying those "unclaimed territories".
-
As night fell, "Zhang Da Tavern" was unusually noisy. The murky air was thick with the smell of alcohol, mixed with the charred aroma of grilled salmon and the sour smell of sweat, condensing into a thick, sticky mist under the dim oil lamp.

The noise inside the room was occasionally broken by the laughter of drunkards and the sound of bowls being smashed.

Lei Zhensheng pushed open the door and entered, frowning slightly. After his eyes gradually adjusted to the dim environment inside, he then stepped inside.

In the corner, two men who had been drinking silently looked up alertly when they heard footsteps.

Their faded gray guard uniforms were worn white, with many patches that were particularly glaring. On the leather scabbards of the short knives at their waists, dark red old bloodstains, like dried wounds, seemed to be silently telling the story of the cruelty of the past.

Lei Zhensheng took a deep breath, stepped over the wine jar lying on the ground, pulled over a creaking bench, and sat down heavily.

"grown ups……"

The two men made a gesture to stand up and bow, but Lei Zhensheng stopped them by raising his hand.

He picked up the wine jar on the table, took a ceramic bowl, and poured himself a full bowl.

The earthenware bowl clattered on the table, which was covered in wine stains. The spilled yellow wine meandered through the wood grain like a river, gleaming eerily in the dim light.

"Do you two still have the courage?" His voice was steady, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

The bearded man on the left slowly raised his head, his lips twitched a few times but he didn't make a sound, only a hint of confusion in his eyes.

The scarred, skinny man on the right looked conflicted, staring at Lei Zhensheng as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, his gaze fell on the bowl of wine, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"Glug, glug..." Lei Zhensheng picked up the wine bowl, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, appearing bold and magnanimous.

“Sir…” The scarred, skinny man pushed the plate of grilled fish on the table toward him, “Have a couple of bites to calm your drunkenness.”

Surprisingly, no one noticed that this young man could drink such a large bowl of liquor without changing his expression; he truly had a heroic air about him.

"Sun Da, how have you been doing since you were dismissed from the gold mine security team?" Lei Zhensheng asked softly, a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Uh, what do you mean by that, sir?" Sun Da's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he deliberately avoided the other party's gaze, his hands unconsciously tightening their grip on the wine bowl.

"Yang Fushun, I heard you've had another baby, and your wife is weak after childbirth and needs a lot of nourishing and conditioning to recover. The many expenses around the house must be giving you a headache, right?"

Upon hearing this, the bearded man's expression darkened. He sighed, picked up the wine bowl on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and then fell silent, only gently stroking the rim of the bowl with his hand.

"Because you committed a crime, your land was taken back, and you were reduced to dockworkers, sometimes eating a meal and sometimes not. Life must be very hard for you, right?" Lei Zhensheng stared intently at the two men.

“My lord…” Sun Da and Yang Fushun exchanged a glance, their eyes full of doubt, and asked in a low voice, “My lord, if you have any orders, please tell us in detail. This… this filth, we are truly…”

Lei Zhensheng did not answer, but instead took out a crumpled and hastily drawn map from his pocket and unfolded it.

Under the dim light of the oil lamp beside it, one could vaguely see some blurry lines and symbols marked with charcoal and cinnabar on the map, which looked very rough.

“There are large tracts of unclaimed land to the east, and the authorities have offered a high reward for scouting them.” He pressed his finger heavily on a large blank area on the map. “I need guards who can hunt wild beasts in the mountains and jungles, and warriors who dare to fight the natives of the Shengfan with bayonets.”

He paused, staring intently at the two men, and said, “I heard that you two were famous in the Jinsha River for your bravery and ruthlessness in the gold mine guard team. You even once used a dozen guns to defeat several native tribes and kill more than a hundred fierce natives.”

"I wonder if you are willing to use your courage to exchange for a bright future?"

"How much can we get?" Sun Da was startled upon hearing this, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes, before cautiously asking.

“Each person will receive fifty silver dollars.” Lei Zhensheng looked at the two men with satisfaction. “If they hunt any furs or find anything valuable along the way, it will belong to them.”

They didn't ask at all whether the trip was dangerous; instead, they were concerned about how much bounty they could get.

Yes, this means they were willing to travel east to explore, just because they were eager to earn some money to supplement their family income.

"How long will this trip take?" Yang Fushun asked cautiously, frowning.

“If everything is ready, we will set off in ten days and return before the heavy snow closes the mountains.” Lei Zhensheng estimated and said, “It will probably take about six to seven months. We need to find a passage across the East Kunlun Mountains and reach the eastern grasslands.”

"As the commissioner also said, this eastward expedition is only for exploration, and our expedition team does not need to stay in the warehouse for too long, nor do we need to establish settlements. This task should be relatively easy for us."

“I… I’ll do it!” Yang Fushun nodded heavily, his eyes revealing a resolute determination.

“I’ll do it too!” Sun Daye nodded in agreement, clenching his fist as if he could already see handfuls of silver dollars beckoning to him.

Suddenly, the sound of porcelain shattering came from the second floor of the tavern, accompanied by the drunkard's laughter and curses, and the waiter's attempts to comfort him.

Lei Zhensheng acted as if he hadn't heard him. He took out a handful of silver coins from his pocket, counted them roughly, and scattered them on the table. The metallic clinking sound was crisp and pleasant. "This is your advance payment. Make sure you settle your families first. In a few days, I will send someone to find you and we will set off."

Sun Da slowly extended his right hand, his calloused fingers just touching the silver coin, when the tavern door was suddenly kicked open.

Four native hunters, wrapped in deerskin coats, stood at the entrance. The necklaces of animal teeth hanging from their waists jingled with their footsteps, and their eyes revealed vigilance and curiosity.

Lei Zhensheng turned his head and looked over, a smile immediately appearing on his face.

"Yes, perfect timing! Let me introduce you to a few colleagues in the same field!"

As he spoke, he got up and walked towards the native hunters, his face filled with even greater anticipation.
-
(End of this chapter)