Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 180 Rubber
Rubber grass.

Its official Chinese name is rubber grass, which is simple and clear.

Because its roots contain natural rubber, it is listed as one of the world's three major rubber-producing plants, alongside the Brazilian rubber tree and the silver guava.

It is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and salt-alkali resistant, and has great economic value.

The quality of the natural rubber it produces is in no way inferior to that of rubber trees and silver chrysanthemums.

In Zhang Xian's memory, the yield of latex from this thing was only about 10 to 20 jin per mu, which sounds very small, doesn't it?

It does seem a bit low, but compared to rubber trees that take fifteen years to tap and silver chrysanthemums that take four years to produce latex.

Rubber grass has an advantage that other plants cannot match: it is an annual plant.

As its name suggests, it can be planted and harvested in the same year as traditional wheat and beans.

Combined with its cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and salt-tolerant characteristics, this crop is perfectly suited for planting in Bingzhou's climate and terrain.

Planting them in saline-alkali land where other crops cannot grow not only improves the soil but also yields the rubber that Zhang Xian needs, which greatly surprised Zhang Xian.

The importance of rubber needs no further explanation. Before the advent of synthetic rubber in the industrial age, oil and rubber were two indispensable engines of growth.

Even in an era where synthetic rubber is widely used, natural rubber still holds an irreplaceable position.

Zhang Xian wanted to liberate the workforce, and the emergence of rubber would undoubtedly help him to a great extent.

The manufacturing of steam engines is much simpler, as they do not require integral casting and can utilize rubber as a sealant.

Even with rubber, and even in its crudest form, crafting it into tires and other items can greatly alleviate the problem of transporting heavy supplies.

This makes transporting grain much simpler.

After just one glance, Zhang Xian used his ability to identify herbs to conclude that this was what he wanted, and immediately closed the wooden box.

It's a good thing; he can't wait to plant it in his homestead to ensure the safety of the germplasm.

He opened the other wooden box and looked inside. It contained plants from the Western Regions that were not found in Han China. They were neither particularly rare nor useful, but he collected them for the time being.

Seeing the way Bu Er was carefully scrutinizing him, Zhang Xian nodded slightly.

“I really like these rare items. Brother Boer has done a good job, so I will give you fifty jars of Taoyuan wine. When you return to Han land next time, you can bring me some more rare plants.”

"A generous reward is assured!"

"Your Excellency is kind and benevolent! I, Bur, will certainly search for and gather the necessary supplies for you!"

Boer was happy and grateful; having already done the liquor business once, he knew this.

These fifty jars of Taoyuan wine are quite a lot. A single jar of Taoyuan wine sold wholesale contains about 100 jin (50 kg) of wine, so fifty jars here would be about 5,000 jin (2,500 kg).

Last time in Taoyuan, several merchant caravans joined forces and only managed to acquire 100,000 jin of wine, costing a thousand taels of gold. This time, the magistrate has sent 5,000 jin, which is quite generous.

After expressing his gratitude repeatedly, Bull took his leave and was led away to get the drinks.

Zhang Xian also handed over his official duties to Xun Yu and went to his hometown's agricultural and pastoral area.

Rubber grass belongs to the genus Taraxacum in the family Asteraceae. Like dandelion, its seeds are also dispersed by the long beak and white pappus at the top of the plant. The seeds are extremely small and light, and a single rubber grass plant can have hundreds or even thousands of seeds.

Fortunately, Bu Er was careful in collecting the plants, placing the entire plant in a well-sealed wooden box. The few rubber grass plants in the box alone were enough to meet the planting needs of one acre of land.

He plans to cultivate the land on his farmland while also selecting a piece of saline-alkali land for experimental planting.

With homes and fields to cultivate, these rubber grasses are destined to take root in Bingzhou.

It's a pity it's not planted in the Western Regions. In other places, rubber grass yields only 10 to 20 jin of latex per mu, but in Xinjiang it can yield 60 to 70 jin or even more.

However, Zhang Xian is satisfied as long as he can guarantee a latex yield of 20 jin per mu. A lower yield is not a problem. Bingzhou is sparsely populated and has a large area. If each mu yields 10 to 20 jin, then 10,000 mu would yield 100,000 to 200,000 jin.

Unlike rubber trees, which require an initial investment of more than ten years, or silver chrysanthemums, which require three or four years of cultivation, rubber grass can produce fruit the same year it is planted!

He cleared out twenty-seven planting spaces, roughly three square meters in size, and carefully planted twenty-seven tiny seeds, dug shallow pits, and covered them with fine sand.

His knowledge of herbs had already told him about the advantages, disadvantages, and uses of rubber grass. One of the disadvantages was that the seeds were small, and the planting holes could only be two or three millimeters deep. If they were too deep, the seedlings wouldn't sprout, and if they were too shallow, the seeds would be blown away by the wind.

After putting in a little effort to plant the seeds, water them, and fertilize them, Zhang Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the remaining growth time float up [239 hours and 59 minutes].

Once it enters the homestead and the remaining growing time is up, it's done. No matter how difficult it is to grow or how hard it is to survive, as long as it's in this jar, it's his to keep.

The first batch of crops will be harvested in ten days from the farmland, but we should come earlier. Dandelion seeds are too difficult to collect. If we wait until they are fully ripe, the wind will blow and we'll be searching for them all over the place.

After leaving his home in the agricultural and pastoral area, Zhang Xian immediately went to the Agricultural Office and asked several officials if there were any saline-alkali lands around Jinyang.

After receiving the reply, he had someone take him there.

As with any other land reclamation, he had oxen and plows brought in. After clearing away the stones and tree roots from the land, he had people cultivate an acre of saline-alkali wasteland.

Actually, he didn't know whether he should cultivate the land or not, but he figured that cultivating the land and planting crops would be better than not cultivating it at all, so he simply let people cultivate it.

Fortunately, the demand is not large, and it is currently in the experimental stage. It would be best if it could be grown successfully, but if it cannot be grown successfully, there is still the homestead farmland to provide a safety net, so we can proceed with confidence.

Moreover, if the planting is successful, it can improve a large area of ​​land in saline-alkali soil over several years or even decades.

In short, the advantages are significant. Apart from the difficulty in collecting the seeds and the additional steps required to extract the rubber, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Zhang Xian can accept even if the yield per acre is lower than expected.

After all, the rubber grass of later generations has been cultivated, while what he has now is probably still the original species.

But he's not worried about breeding or changing varieties?
What technological means can compare to his science fiction and fantasy methods that create things out of nothing?
Perhaps after several or even dozens of rounds of planting and production, he could obtain a variety with an even greater yield than the rubber grass of later generations!

In just two hours, an acre of saline-alkali land was completely reclaimed.

The soil was loose and there wasn't a single pebble in it. When the agricultural official came to him, he immediately began planting.

Just like in the fields, the planting pits were shallow. Once a seed was placed in the ground, barely visible, it was covered with a handful of fine sand. He didn't even dare to cover it with soil, fearing that the wind would blow the seed away.

This acre of land can be said to be the one that Zhang Xian has worked the hardest to cultivate since he came here.

He didn't trust others to do it, so he had to do it himself.

After planting one acre of rubber grass, Zhang Xian gave a few instructions to the agricultural official to pay attention to the experimental field, and then returned to the Jinyang County government office.

Spring planting is almost over.

The 1.3 million mu of farmland in the fifteen counties of Taiyuan Prefecture has entered the final stage.

Once the existing fields are planted, each county will enter a busy period of land reclamation.

The oxen that came from Qiangyin immediately found a place to go: oxen for plowing and oxen for pulling carts. Under Zhang Xian's instructions, Xun Yu was able to effectively allocate resources so that the people of each county could benefit. In addition to reclaiming wasteland and increasing arable land, the people of Jizhou also needed to be appeased. This was the educational work led by Wang Lie.

Organizing more gatherings for them to vent their grievances and strengthen their sense of belonging to Bingzhou is the top priority besides land reclamation.

Sometimes, comforting someone doesn't have to be complicated; a good cry together can bring solace to many already struggling refugees.

In addition to the above-mentioned government orders, the renovation of the new road has also been included in the planning.

Last year, the road from Jinyang to the Taihang Mountains was optimized.

This year, the first major project will be headed south.

The five counties of Qixian, Jingling, Zhongdu, Wuxian, and Jiexiu form a main road.

These five counties were originally on the same road in the original Taiyuan official road system, so optimizing the road was simply a matter of renovation and widening.

A new road was renovated using rammed earth as the main material to improve the flow of information and goods within the county.

The decision to build roads was not only to improve the flow of information and goods, but also primarily to create jobs.

After hundreds of thousands, or even more, of refugees poured into Jizhou, it was imperative to provide them with a way to make a living.

Fortunately, the ancient environment and infrastructure were like a sieve for time travelers; there was always something to repair, so there was no need to worry about not having enough work in a short period of time.

Road construction, land reclamation, and water conservancy projects all require a large amount of labor.

Just like Mother Yellow River will not let go of any dynasty that does not protect her.

Natural disasters will not spare any unprepared county or district.

The pond and reservoir model of Luchi County can be promoted throughout the county, which can cope with drought and solve small-scale floods.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, which was approaching the Little Ice Age, any abnormal weather could occur, so Zhang Xian could not afford to be careless.

In April, the Jizhou Plain should have been a time of spring wheat sprouting and mulberry and hemp turning green, but it was shrouded in boundless bloodshed.

The wind swept across the scorched fields, carrying not the fragrance of soil, but ashes and a faint stench of decay.

The once fertile land, crisscrossed by paths, is now riddled with ravines, strewn with broken spears and halberds, discarded and shattered shields, and corpses gnawed beyond recognition by wild dogs, left uncollected.

Guangzong, the main camp of Lu Zhi's Northern Route Army.

The continuous camps were filled with fluttering banners and a forest of spears and halberds.

But the atmosphere in the camp was as oppressive as an impending storm.

Inside the central command tent, Lu Zhi, still in full armor, was deep in thought, frowning as he faced a huge sand table.

On the sand table, the earthen mound representing Guangzong City is tall and sturdy, surrounded by densely packed small yellow flags symbolizing the Yellow Turban Army.

"Report!" A scout rushed in, covered in dust, and knelt on one knee.

His voice was hoarse: "General! The four gates of Guangzong are still tightly closed! The bandit leader Zhang Jiao is hiding in a turbid shell and will not come out! The city walls are heavily guarded, with piles of rolling logs and stones! Our army has launched several feint attacks to test the waters, but to no avail!"

Lu Zhi looked up from the sand table: "How's the tunnel project progressing?"

A captain in charge of the fortifications immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Reporting to the general! Three tunnels have been dug! However, the enemy seems to have noticed this and has dug deep trenches and erected huge logs inside the city, and poured boiling water into them. Our army... our army has lost two tunnels and dozens of engineers! The third tunnel has not yet reached the base of the city wall and is progressing slowly!"

The tent was completely silent.

Guangzong, Zhang Jiao's stronghold for many years, was fortified with high walls and deep moats, with ample food supplies, and was defended by hundreds of thousands of believers who were bewitched by the Yellow Heaven's faith and were fearless of death.

Although Lu Zhi's troops were all elite soldiers from the five schools of the Northern Army and the best cavalry from Hedong and Hanoi, and their ability to attack fortified cities was unparalleled among all armies, the cost of a strong attack against such a fortified city and its fanatical defenders was still too heavy for Lu Zhi to bear.

"Surround them!"

Lu Zhi's voice was resolute.

"Dig deep trenches and build high walls! Cut off all their external supply lines! I don't believe Zhang Jiao can really live on air and dew!"

His eyes flashed with a cold light: "Order all units to harass the defenders in shifts, exhausting them! Also, send fast horses to Luoyang again immediately! Urge them to supply the city with provisions! Urge them to pay their wages! The city's failure to fall is not due to a lack of fighting spirit, but rather to the shortage of provisions and the hunger and exhaustion of the soldiers! If the officials in the court continue to turn a deaf ear, don't blame me for the harsh words in my military report!"

He was burning with anxiety.

The few batches of grain sent by Zhang Xian were like a drop in the ocean, barely keeping the army from collapsing, but unable to sustain a protracted siege.

The allied camp of Changshe, Yingchuan, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun.

Unlike the somber atmosphere on Lu Zhi's side, the atmosphere at Changshe camp was filled with a suppressed excitement on the eve of a major battle.

Outside the camp, as far as the eye could see, was a scene that sent chills down one's spine.

The main force of the Yellow Turbans in Yuzhou, led by Bo Cai, was far larger than the combined forces of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun!

Unlike Zhang Jiao, who fortified his city, they moved like migrating ants, setting up countless simple camps on the rolling hills and sparse woodlands of the Yingchuan Plain.

There were no strict barriers between the camps, but they were connected to each other and stretched as far as the eye could see.

"The enemy's strength... is so formidable!" The young Cao Cao, clad in fine armor, stood atop the camp gate tower, his hand on his sword, gazing at the boundless yellow tide in the distance. Even with his extraordinary courage, he felt a slight tightness in his chest.

He was ordered by General He Jin to lead several thousand newly recruited soldiers to provide reinforcements.

Zhu Jun, the Right General of the Central Army, who was known for his fierceness, also looked extremely grim. He pointed to several hills and gentle slopes in the distance.

“Bo Cai is cunning! He deliberately set up camp among withered reeds and rushes! It's April, the weather is dry, and if our army rashly attacks, we'll be trapped. If the bandits attack with fire, then…”

Huangfu Song stood with his hands behind his back to one side, his face calm and composed, except for his deep eyes, which were fixed on the boundary line where the Yellow Turban camp met the withered grass, and the sparse trees on the plain in the distance.

He unconsciously twirled a few withered grass stems in his hand.

"Wenwei is absolutely right."

Huangfu Song's voice was deep and calm.

“Bo Cai is no fool. This traitor is using this as an obstacle to both obstruct our view and secretly plot a fire attack. If our army launches a frontal assault, it will play right into his hands.”

"What does the Left General of the Household mean...?" Cao Cao asked.

Huangfu Song cast his gaze at the slightly gloomy sky, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Wait for the wind, wait for a strong enough wind! They want to use the fire to trap me, so I'll give them a taste of their own medicine! Send the order down: each unit should select its best warriors and prepare plenty of flammable materials, soaked in oil and bound with hemp! Also, order the archers to prepare plenty of fire arrows! When the wind rises..."

He clenched the withered grass in his hand tightly, crushing it into dust, and said in a resolute voice, "I want these hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels to be annihilated!"

A chilling killing intent spread across the watchtower as he spoke.

(End of this chapter)