Tiger Owl

Chapter 91 The Foundation of Military Morale
Gan Ning, accompanied by Lu Su, Jiang Wan, and a group of officials, arrived at the dilapidated house in Qingshui Lane. There, they saw a thin woman cooking noodles at the door, with three children squatting beside her: two boys and a girl. The oldest child was about seven years old, and the youngest was only four. They were all dressed in cloth clothes that were about 70% new.

The three of them gathered around their mother, their eyes fixed longingly on the noodles in the broken earthenware pot.

Suddenly, so many people arrived. The three children hid behind their mother in fright. The woman asked timidly, "Who...who are you looking for?"

"Your husband's name is Wu Sanfu, right?"

The woman nodded and whispered, "He's dead!"

Gan Ning looked at the dark house and the dilapidated doors and windows, and felt a pang of sadness. If his husband were still alive, he would never have let his wife and children fall to such a state.

"I am your husband's lord. I apologize to you for not taking good care of you!" Gan Ning bowed deeply.

The woman was at a loss for words, and Gan Ning said sincerely, "From today onwards, your children will be raised by the government with money and grain until they come of age. I will also allocate you twenty acres of land and three new houses. Your husband died for me in battle, and I cannot let him shed blood and continue to shed tears in the afterlife."

The woman silently shed tears, and after a long while she choked out, "It is Wu Lang's honor to die for a lord like you, and it is also the honor of our family."

Leaving Qingshui Lane, Lu Su asked, "What about their previous twenty mu of military farmland?"

Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said, "Send someone to investigate. If his brother still wants to support his parents, then don't pursue the matter. If he doesn't, then take back the military land."

"I understand!"

"In addition, we will establish a Fallen Soldiers' Compensation Office to investigate how many other families are in similar situations and provide timely assistance to the families of fallen soldiers who are facing difficulties."

"Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly handle it well!"

Gan Ning sighed softly, "The morale of the army! It's not something we can boost with a few nice words. Only by putting these details into practice can we build the foundation for our invincible victory."

With the establishment of the Soldiers' Compensation Office, investigations into the circumstances of the families of fallen soldiers began, and at the same time, the military farm system was implemented.

More than 16,000 families of surrendered soldiers who migrated south from the north bank of Jiangxia County, as well as families of soldiers living in Wuchang County, have successively received military land and food subsidies. The surrounding counties of Wuchang County have begun to busy themselves with plowing and fertilizing the land in preparation for the upcoming winter wheat planting.

In mid-September, the autumn harvest season arrived, and farmers in Yuzhang, Luling, and Wuchang prefectures began to get busy, with soldiers also going to the fields to help harvest the rice.

Government officials also had to go to the fields to harvest rice.

That morning, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, wearing straw hats, followed Gan Ning to the rice paddies. Of course, they couldn't harvest the rice, but going to the fields was a gesture of goodwill, showing that their lord valued the autumn harvest and had brought his family along.

Xiao Qiao has switched to the pet industry and retired from the world of martial arts. The influence of the Purple Fairy Demoness is also gradually fading. She no longer wears purple shirts and skirts, but instead wears a yellow blouse and a red silk skirt. Her hair is styled in a double-looped "Looking-at-the-Fairy" bun, and her beautiful eyes look left and right. She is still an extremely beautiful and lively elf.

Da Qiao wore her hair in a drooping bun. Although she was still a virgin, she already considered herself a young wife. She dressed herself up as a young married woman, appearing somewhat mature. Her fair and smooth skin, her carefully made-up face, and her beautiful eyes, as clear as autumn water, made her even more stunningly beautiful.

The appearance of the two sisters attracted a lot of attention. Many people realized that the two sisters had unparalleled beauty. No wonder the lord regarded them as his concubines. Even the wives of other officials who participated in the autumn harvest felt ashamed of themselves.

Four formidable female guards followed closely behind the two sisters, never leaving their side. Anyone who tried to sneak a closer look was intimidated by the guards' sharp gazes.

The two fairy sisters kept their eyes fixed on their husbands, paying no attention to outsiders.

Gan Ning was dressed in short peasant clothes, wearing a straw hat and holding a sickle. Although he was dressed as a farmer, his tall and upright figure and imposing demeanor far exceeded the limitations of peasant clothes. Wherever he went, he could make those around him pale in comparison.

The two young women were truly infatuated with their husbands, constantly serving them tea and water and wiping away their sweat.

Gan Ning sat down in the shed, and Da Qiao handed him a wet towel, saying, "Husband, we can't be of much help, would you like to find us something to do?"

Gan Ning knew that the two sisters were too conspicuous, and the officials stood at a distance, too embarrassed to approach. At this moment, Gan Ning regretted bringing them along. Gan Ning smiled and said, "That's about enough. You should go back first! I might have to go directly to the government office later, so I might not be able to take care of you."

"But we didn't do anything!"

"It's not necessary to go to the fields to harvest rice. Those families didn't go to the fields either. The key is that people came to the fields. This is an attitude, showing that we care about the autumn harvest. I'm the same. I only harvest rice from one acre of land. Do you understand?"

Xiao Qiao muttered under her breath, "All that talk was just for show!"

Gan Ning chuckled, "Even if it's just for show! You guys can go back now!"

Da Qiao pulled her sister and said, "Husband, let's go back first."

Seeing that she couldn't really help, Da Qiao took her sister's hand and walked back to the main road. The two waved to their husbands and got into the spacious carriage. Four female guards followed them into the carriage, and a hundred cavalrymen escorted the carriage back to the city.

After the two sisters left, the surrounding officials came over one after another. Jiang Wan jokingly said, "Your Majesty is very fortunate!"

Gan Ning chuckled and said, "Chiang Kai-shek has sons and daughters, a virtuous wife, and a harmonious family. That's true happiness. My happiness hasn't even begun yet!"

Lu Su smiled and said, "My lord, your development is so rapid, perhaps Cao Cao will be tempted to marry his daughter to you. Will you marry her or not?"

Gan Ning was stunned for a moment. It was indeed possible. He didn't want Cao Cao's daughter.

Seeing their lord's embarrassment, everyone burst into laughter.

As noon approached, the dozen or so demonstration fields were finished being harvested, and the officials began to return home with their families.

From afar, Gan Ning saw Li Zhuan squatting on the edge of the field, discussing something with several farmers, so Gan Ning walked over.

Li Zhuan quickly rose and bowed, "Greetings, my lord!"

"What are you discussing?"

"Your Majesty, several old farmers have said that the straight-shaft plow currently in use is very heavy, difficult to turn, and inconvenient to operate. They hope I can think of a way to improve it."

"Have you thought of any solutions?" Gan Ning asked with a smile.

Li Zhuan shook his head, "There's no good solution yet."

Gan Ning thought for a moment and said, "I have a suggestion you can refer to. It's like when we lift things. If we lift the top of the heavy object, we can't exert any force and it's very tiring to lift it. If we lift the bottom, it's much easier. The same goes for a straight plow. Because the shaft is too high, it is more difficult for people to control the plow."

But if the plowshare is positioned downwards, parallel to the oxen's feet, the plowshare itself moves downwards when the ox pulls the plow, and the person only needs to hold the plow handle, making turning very easy.

Li Zhuan drew a diagram on the muddy ground, pondered for a long time, but still couldn't figure out how to shift the force of the shaft downwards. Gan Ning, standing to the side, pointed out the key point: "Just turn the straight shaft into a curved shaft."

Gan Ning's words struck Li Zhuan like a bolt of lightning; he suddenly realized that if he changed the straight shaft into a curved shaft, the shaft head would be at the bottom.

"I understand! By changing the straight shaft to a curved shaft, the power of the shaft head is located below! I understand! I understand!"

Li Zhuan jumped up excitedly, bowed to Gan Ning, and ran towards the city gate.

Gan Ning merely offered a slight reminder, and the curved plow, which only appeared in the Tang Dynasty, was born four hundred years earlier.

(End of this chapter)