My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 375 Awarding the Twelfth Rank of Merit

Qingzhou, within Dongyang City.

Gao Huan and Wang Sizheng have already left.

Erzhu Rong could send troops to Hebei at any time, so Gao Huan cannot stray too far from Xiangzhou and other places.

The agreement he reached with Gao Yu in private also needed to be announced to the world through Yuan Xiu's name and by imperial decree. It was to be sent to the Tian Ce Mansion through the official channel of the emperor's decree and the affixing of the imperial seal.

It's December 21st now.

After Yuan Xiu goes to Qinghe County, Gao Yu will also lead his troops north to Qinghe County to pay homage to the new emperor.

It's not really suitable to go through all this trouble in the dead of winter, but news kept coming back from Luoyang that Erzhu Rong was constantly assembling a large army and requisitioning provisions, and that he could send troops north at any time.

Troops, money, and provisions from Yan and You were also being transported in a steady stream to Hejian County in Yingzhou.

Erzhu Rong clearly did not intend to give the Gao brothers much time to prepare.

As the stronger party.

He could use such a 'wasteful' method to force the Gao brothers to participate in an 'arms race' with him.

Gao Yu had a better financial background, having operated in Shandong for two years.

How long has Gao Huan been in Hebei?

That is, they looted Xiurongchuan and accumulated some wealth.

But it can't withstand such turmoil.

Clearly, Erzhu Rong had once again employed his hunting tactics.

Back then, he left Ge Rong stranded in Hebei for three months, allowing his troops to become arrogant, before launching a swift and decisive attack from Fushui, thus deciding the fate of the nation in one battle.

What about Gao Huan now?
They employed a strategy of exhausting the enemy, constantly putting pressure on Gao Huan and keeping him in a state of constant anxiety.

It was freezing cold outside, but warm and cozy inside.

Jia Sixie is reporting the results of his work over the past year to Gao Yu.

"The first batch of farmers who used curved plows and compost saw a significant increase in their autumn harvest. The harvests of the government-subsidized fields and the fields allocated to the soldiers were also quite plentiful. The people in the surrounding villages and the government soldiers all learned of this news and were willing to use compost the following year."

"As long as the weather is favorable next year, we're sure to have another bumper harvest!"

Jia Sixie had a smile on his face.

In terms of promoting the technology, Gao Yu was not too aggressive.

In ancient times, with such low productivity, farmers had extremely low, if not nonexistent, ability to withstand risks.

A natural disaster is enough to bankrupt many farmers.

After going bankrupt, one can only rely on powerful families and become their hidden heirs.

They can't withstand too much trouble, and we can't expect them to know anything about composting that can increase the harvest from the fields right away.

Instead of sending people to make grand pronouncements, it's better to conduct experiments and promote the technology on a small scale first, and then show the results to those around you. If the results are proven to effectively increase grain yields, farmers will naturally come to learn from them.

This is also true.

Gao Yu did not even force the promotion of new technologies within the Fubing (military) system, but instead used these technologies first in Xutian (relief fields) and Lutian (land grants).

"Yes, that is indeed good news."

Gao Yu also laughed.

An army marches on its stomach; the war is essentially a war of logistics.

No matter how brave the soldiers are, if the logistical support cannot keep up, their morale will collapse.

Sufficient food is essential to support large-scale military operations. Fortunately, Gao Yu has not been recklessly increasing his troop numbers, so he is not currently facing significant food shortages.

Moreover, in the past two years, the money he sent Liu Taozhi to the Southern Dynasty to earn was basically all converted into grain and transported back. His strategy was to build high walls, stockpile grain, and delay declaring himself king.

"I'll have to trouble Zhixing again later."

"General, why speak like this? This is my lifelong wish. If I can ensure that no one in this world goes hungry again, it will be a great achievement."

Gao Yu saw the brilliance of an idealist in Jia Sixie.

Jia Sixie is truly good.

Unlike the "white leftists" who merely talk about compassion, he is genuinely willing to take action for his ideas.

Although he was only slightly older than Gao Yu, he looked no different from a farmer in his forties in the fields, and did not seem like a noble young master from a prominent family at all.

After seeing Jia Sixie off.

Gao Yu got up and went to find Cui Jie and the others.

These days, he has been having Cui Jie and his team develop the ultimate weapon he has prepared.

In essence, it was modeled after the Qin state's 'military merit' system, providing ordinary soldiers with a stable path to advancement simply by fighting bravely on the battlefield.

The Qin state built an invincible army by relying on its 'military merit' system.

After becoming Liu Bang's Grand General, Han Xin, the military genius, immediately established and standardized a merit-based promotion system.

Now, Gao Yu also wants to follow Han Xin's example and clearly give his soldiers a "sky-high" promotion path!

………………

"I heard that my husband was going out to war again? He just returned..."

"Stop nagging! What do you, a mere woman, know?"

Wang Xuan frowned and scolded.

But when he looked at his delicate wife, who was heavily pregnant, he couldn't help but sigh, "If it weren't for the war, how could I be where I am today? The general has treated us with the greatest kindness, and we should fight bravely to repay the general's kindness!"

"Haven't you heard that the general is discussing with the chief clerk, the registrar, and others the idea of ​​allowing us military men to become officials?"

"Once I have rendered meritorious service, and if I can become an official in the future, I will naturally not need to go out to fight so frequently."

The news has already spread among the soldiers.

Gao Yu had no intention of hiding the news at all.

The main problem is that the soldiers have been through a lot in the past few months. First, they went north to seize Qizhou and Jizhou, and then they went south to seize Xuzhou. The back-and-forth torment must have made the soldiers resentful.

They wouldn't get much rest before having to follow Gao Yu north again.

Such news must be released to counteract and dispel the soldiers' resentment, and also to give them extra motivation.

"I know that, but on the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes... If it were my husband..."

"Can't you wish me well for once?"

Wang Xuan frowned, but he knew that his wife was ultimately thinking of him. He said, "The general has treated us with great kindness. If something happens to me on the battlefield, we have land at home, and the families of the fallen can go there every year to receive grain and cloth."

“My father and mother are getting old. After I go to war, you will be in charge of everything at home…”

Wang Xuan glanced at his wife's slightly protruding belly.

"If a son is born, he can inherit my mantle and continue to serve the general when he grows up!"

"If it is a daughter, she may also marry the son of another soldier."

Gao Yu actually used the system to completely eliminate the soldiers' worries.

This allows the soldiers to focus solely on killing the enemy on the battlefield!
Killing the enemy earns merit, which leads to promotion and higher status, and better treatment.

Even if someone were to die on the battlefield by accident, their family members would not starve. The existence of the relief fields was a guarantee for those who died on the battlefield!
(End of this chapter)