Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 233 Strategy
In the tenth year of the Gregorian calendar, the first month of the lunar calendar marked the beginning of the new year.

Beijiwu also had to handle some official business during the Chinese New Year holiday.

The young eunuch Teng He walked in and placed a half-meter-thick official report, resembling a workbook, on the table.

After carefully placing the necessary reports, Teng He quietly stepped aside and stood still.

Teng He was a young boy who had been castrated before entering the palace; the Wan family was the ones who committed this sin.

Like Fujiwa, many other children suffered tragic fates. During the war, Beijiwu took in many orphans.

They actually created very few orphans themselves. Before the establishment of the Mountain Farmer Kingdom, most of the soldiers did not have offspring.

Countless poor people were drafted into the army when they were teenagers, and it was common for people to serve in the army for others.

Good men don't become soldiers. Back then, soldiers were indeed a bunch of bandits and scoundrels who were afraid of death.

Good people don't last long in the army.

Beijiwu never regretted killing people, and no one ever talked about it.

For many people in this era, Arctic martial arts are not gods of death, but saviors.

He did kill many people, but whether they were orphans from Luoyang or Tongzhou, no one would say it was a blood feud for killing their father.

Millions of people were killed by Arctic Wu, but tens of millions were saved by him.

Teng He and other teenagers like Si Jiu Ba, who would have died from natural disasters or man-made calamities, were able to grow up smoothly only because of Bei Ji Wu's existence.

Even if Arctic warfare is bad, it is still part of the order.

The world is now at peace, all under the control of Arctic Wu.

Beiji Wu was also a saint in everyone's eyes, the head of the family who was the one who could not afford any accidents.

“Wheat yield in Europe is only 50 jin per mu, but in fertile areas it can reach 150 jin. If developed properly, it could be a very good place.”

Beijiwu spoke to Prime Minister Li Chengren and more than ten officials, who all stood four or five meters away listening attentively.

"That place is not a barren land. It has beautiful mountains and clear waters, a mild climate, warm winters and cool summers, and there are many cultured people at your beck and call."

“If I didn’t have things to do these past two years, it would be nice to go there for a vacation.”

Beijiwu smiled as he looked at everyone.

Li Chengren and the others were terrified and dared not answer.

The benefits of being a high-ranking official in the capital are self-evident. Li Chengren had only been prime minister for a few years and hadn't had enough of it yet.

The other officials were the same; why would they give up their good positions in the capital to go to Europe, which had just been conquered by barbarians?
Why would someone reject a gentle, sensual woman and instead prefer a short-haired woman who talks like a ghost?

Why forgo a well-regulated life with traceable medical care, accommodation, travel, and shopping, and instead go to the countryside in Europe to be a lord?

No one wanted to be a powerful county magistrate or prefect in Jiangnan; they only wanted to do things in Luoyang.

The railway has only just reached Lanzhou, and it's still a long way from the Western Regions, let alone Europe.

After a year of arduous horseback riding to reach Europe, one might very well die on the battlefield.

Moreover, Luoyang now has supermarkets, southern fruits, an inexhaustible supply of ice and charcoal, and travelers and envoys from all over the world.

This isn't the first time Luoyang has driven people away in recent years, and those who leave are often unhappy with their lives.

Luoyang will only get better and better, and no one wants to leave Luoyang to become a hereditary lord.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Beijiwu said directly, "The land I bought is also land of the Shannong Kingdom. If no one governs these places now, they will inevitably become chaotic sooner or later."

“Someone must go there to spread knowledge and educate the local people and be responsible for keeping the area running.”

"Now is the time for you few to dedicate yourselves to the cause until your dying breath."

"I won't let you all leave. You can step back and discuss it yourselves. I won't force you. I just need six capable people to go to the Nordic Plain to manage agricultural land and be responsible for establishing Beiping Prefecture together."

The Nordic Plain, also known as Beiping Prefecture.

"Go down and give me the list after you've discussed it. We'll recall them in about ten years, and their benefits will be increased by one level."

"If we can't decide by tomorrow, or if someone changes their mind, then we'll go together."

Arctic Martial Arts does not give these people a chance to refuse, letting them choose the volunteers themselves.

Of the eleven high-ranking officials, six must be selected to volunteer for business trips to other places.

This is not a discussion, it is an order.

Li Chengren and others were bent over by this heavy pressure, and even during the New Year, they began to worry.

"I will obey your orders!"

Even though they were extremely unwilling, the eleven people still respectfully took their leave.

Arctic Martial Arts doesn't care what methods those people choose to extract people from.

Over the years, it has been discovered that there is not much difference in the quality of officials. Most of the time, becoming an official is just about following procedures and does not require much ability.

Even a scoundrel can hold onto his official position securely.

The most important thing for an official is opportunity; ability is not the most important factor.

Having ability is certainly a good thing, but as the saying goes, all the officials in the court say that the rank of an official depends on connections and seniority.

Having clearly understood this point, Beijiwu also gained a new understanding of the generally accepted system of primogeniture.

For a peaceful and stable country, a stable succession of power is indeed necessary.

Arctic Martial also no longer respected his subordinates as he had in previous years. These people could be replaced at will, and were inexhaustible resources.

However, rules cannot be changed arbitrarily. Whoever becomes an official must abide by the rules and do things step by step.

In recent years, not many officials have been killed, but the number of positions and posts appointed and established has increased.

It's not that we're doing things haphazardly, but rather that the land is getting bigger and the population is expanding.

Detection, monitoring, statistics, patrols, stationing, research... all sorts of branches need people to manage them.

Whether it's good or bad, the priority is to relinquish power and establish a stable order.

Many positions are created out of necessity, not blindly created by Arctic military personnel.

Even if they don't create this official position themselves, someone will hold the position concurrently, and a dedicated person will be in charge of it.

Newly purchased land must be managed, and even if there is a risk of rebellion, people must be sent there.

In places far from the emperor's reach, things can easily spiral out of control, but if no officials are sent there, the situation will only deteriorate faster.

Bei Jiwu's early plan was to let his children live ordinary lives, and not to embarrass themselves if they lacked ability.

But now I'm gradually not wanting to do that anymore.

Every place will inevitably give rise to various powerful and wealthy individuals; even a small county town will produce various hereditary upper-class groups.

If that's the case, why not give it to my son?
If Europe and Central Asia are bound to get out of control in the future, why not give it to outsiders instead of to your own son?
Although many emperors in history granted fiefdoms to their sons, these fiefdoms were often destroyed in the course of history, and there were very few instances of mutual assistance between them.

But that's something that happens after I'm dead.

It's fine to give it to outsiders; Beiji Wu wouldn't mind taking over a place like Annam, where Liu Jingshun is located.

Since the rest of the place was bought, it should be given to my son.

If there is someone whom several generations have found agreeable, it is acceptable to grant a title to someone of a different surname.

Apart from Liu Jingshun, Beijiwu has not yet found an outsider qualified to be king.

The world was conquered by the Arctic Martial Army itself. Even though the Arctic Martial Army did not personally go to fight in places like Nanzhao and Xiya, the nominal master there was still the Arctic Martial Army.

Even the bravest warriors on the grasslands would not dare to be arrogant in front of Arctic Warriors.

Even if they conquered a territory larger than the Shan Nong Kingdom, it would still be insignificant to the Shan Nong people and even the men and women of their tribe, not even worth a hair of King Wu.

Arctic Martial can give those lands to whomever it wants.

My sons are too young now, so it's hard to tell what abilities they have.

Beiji Wu is in his prime, and the future is uncertain. For now, he should focus on his interests and enhance his happiness.

The plan was to give Liu Jingshun only a 10,000-household rank, and the rewards would be given little by little.

If we grant them the title of king now, it will be difficult to bestow rewards upon them later.

Liu Jingshun is too young, about the same age as Beijiwu.

Annam has complex terrain, making it difficult to conquer even in the age of airplanes and artillery. If any of his sons are willing to go there in the future, it wouldn't be bad to grant several kings to each region. Arctic Martial is not worried about foreign rebellion because science and technology will always remain in the hands of the Mountain Farming Kingdom.

As long as the empire suppresses other regions and prohibits scholars from conducting research in those regions, it can certainly control the direction of science.

Only science supported by the state can develop.

This is something history has proven, and it is also an inevitable trend.

If a ruler does not allow a region to develop science, then it certainly will not develop.

Even if the steam engine and internal combustion engine were developed, if the rulers did not allow their promotion, they could not be promoted and there would be no further development.

It is difficult for one person to develop a system, open a factory under blockade, or make a profit.

As long as a mechanism is established that allows only outstanding talents to go to the capital, then a rule lasting more than a century can be easily achieved.

The certification of rural farmers is one of the core components of this mechanism.

Arctic military forces allow geniuses to emerge from various regions and provide these frontier geniuses with opportunities for advancement, allowing them to remain within their jurisdiction to engage in scientific research and application.

The same applies to Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia today; the technology for mass-producing guns and metalware simply does not exist.

They didn't need that many iron tools either. Maintaining rule was something every local ruler would do by default. No matter who was the governor, they would reduce the number of civilian weapons and firearms to prevent their subordinates from rebelling and killing people.

Swords and spears bring chaos. The stability and order we maintain today are not due to the perfection of the system or the benevolence of the emperor.

The main reason is that no force can provoke the Shan Nong Kingdom, and no one dares to provoke the Shan Nong Emperor, Bei Ji Wu.

Even the most benevolent and magnanimous country will never lack enemies.

People like Beiji Wu, who kill anyone who disagrees with them, actually have very few enemies.

Envoys, nobles, and kings from various countries all presented gifts and tributes, bowing their heads in submission.

Japan and Korea both willingly became subordinates, so subservient that even the Northern Warlords were too lazy to fight them.

As the patriarch, Beijiwu didn't want to leave trouble for his sons.

Knowing that food and space problems would inevitably arise in the future, Arctic Wu acquired sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn early on to prepare for population issues twenty or thirty years from now.

Arranging for people to go to Europe in advance was also to ensure that Europe could be governed well within two or three decades, thus providing a good destination for future immigrants.

It takes many years to govern a place effectively, and it also requires the construction of various water conservancy facilities, city walls, and residential areas in advance.

Arctic Martial Arts needs to develop various plans for the Mountain Farming Kingdom to prevent its people from taking detours and wasting time.

After reviewing more than a dozen pages of reports, Arctic Martial pondered the lessons of success.

My impression is that the older generation ate so much sweet potato that they developed a physical aversion to it, which is enough to show that sweet potatoes can solve the food problem for most people.

In the West, potatoes were the main crop, and the widespread famine caused by potato disasters is enough to illustrate the importance of potatoes to Europe.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are both high-yield crops, and they both have a clear advantage over early corn.

So why do the East and West emphasize different crops?
Beijiwu pondered why, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the two high-yield crops in his memory.

Dongfang: The imminent population crisis requires a crop that can maximize the heat output per unit area of ​​land to "make a living," and sweet potatoes are the perfect candidate.

The explosive growth in population, coupled with limited arable land (especially fertile land), has led to a severe conflict between population and land.

Traditional rice and wheat were often insufficient to feed a large population, leading to widespread famines in the event of natural disasters.

The ultimate advantage of sweet potatoes: they produce more calories per unit area than any other major food crop, allowing them to feed the most people at the lowest cost.

With extreme tolerance for growing environment, sweet potatoes are very drought-resistant and have very low requirements for soil. They can be grown on "marginal land" such as hillsides, sandy land, and dry land where rice and wheat cannot be grown.

The West: Agricultural crises and wars necessitate a crop that provides balanced nutrition, is easy to store, and ensures food security, while also supporting the military and urbanization; potatoes are the better solution.

The biggest advantage of potatoes is their balanced nutrition.

It is rich in vitamin C (which can effectively prevent scurvy), potassium, and its protein content and quality are much higher than those of sweet potatoes.

Europeans can use potatoes as their sole staple food source (as in Ireland) without the risk of malnutrition that can result from eating only sweet potatoes.

Potatoes are very easy to store and can be kept in cellars throughout the winter, making them an ideal supply for armies and urban populations.

After comparing the advantages and disadvantages of potatoes and sweet potatoes, Arctic Wu pondered for a moment and then formulated a specific agricultural strategy.

Sweet potatoes are suitable for planting in areas with high temperatures and high sunlight. They are tolerant of poor soil, and the ideal planting area is the mountainous area in the south.

Potatoes prefer cool climates, require more water, and are suitable for cultivation in the plains and the Hetao region of the San Nong and Guai Nong provinces.

Sweet potatoes are suitable for the expanding population in the south and for small-scale farming economies.

Potatoes are suitable for farms on the Great Plains and for supplementing the food supply in industrial cities in the North.

For the future urban population of the North, which will also experience explosive growth, potatoes, which have stood the test of time, are very suitable as a staple food for ordinary people in the industrial age.

Rice continued to be grown in the south, while sweet potatoes were grown in the barren mountainous areas.

Wheat continues to be grown in the Great Plains of the north, while potatoes are grown in barren areas and beyond the Great Wall, especially in eastern Liaoning and Siberia, which are good places to grow potatoes.

As the emperor of the Mountain Farming Kingdom, Beiji Wu used his absolute power to reduce the chances of making mistakes and also to reduce the waste of human and material resources.

With a single annotation from Beijiwu, people in several regions, both north and south, began preparing the land for potatoes and sweet potatoes.

After resolving the planting areas for potatoes and sweet potatoes, Beijiwu suddenly realized that corn was also a possibility.

After calmly reflecting, I gradually realized why corn could be compared to potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The eldest of the three brothers was initially sweet potato, but as the industry matured, corn became the eldest.

Sweet potatoes provide a minimum guarantee of survival in the most barren lands. They are the king of calories, the ultimate famine relief crop, and a stabilizer for population explosion.

Potatoes offer a more nutritious alternative in cooler regions. They have the highest requirements for soil quality among the three, but still lower than wheat and rice. They are the king of nutritional balance, serving as both a vegetable and a staple food for both military and civilian use.

Corn provides more diverse yields in slightly better dryland conditions, has a very wide range of adaptability, is the king of energy, and plays an important role in feed and industrial deep processing, serving as an energy source for animal husbandry and industry.

Together, these three elements filled the agricultural ecological niches that rice and wheat could not cover, pushing the land's carrying capacity to its limit.

Their future development paths will also differ.

Sweet potatoes were most prominent in the famine relief efforts, but their importance declined as the food crisis eased.

Potatoes have been transforming towards a "quality lifestyle" and becoming a staple food, serving as a supplement to vegetables and snacks.

Corn has undergone the most thorough transformation, transcending the realm of "human consumption" and profoundly changing its own positioning by supporting animal husbandry and industry.

Starch, sugar, monosodium glutamate, alcohol, fuel ethanol, pharmaceuticals...

After a moment's thought, Beijiwu quickly ordered the hereditary lords in various regions to start planting corn in the next two or three years, which would be purchased by the imperial court, regardless of the amount planted.

We don't have enough seeds right now. After planting two batches in fertile fields this year, the resulting seeds will be ready for large-scale planting.

I spent half an hour dealing with European issues, another half hour on food strategy, then an hour dealing with annoying New Year's greetings, and then my two-hour workday was over.

Being an emperor doesn't require being constantly busy with state affairs; Beijiwu simply didn't want to be idle all the time.

If you're always idle, you won't experience the joy of being idle.

Many of the strategies of the Mountain Farming Kingdom were formulated when the Arctic was not being taken seriously.

The strategic policy of potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes had its impact on agriculture, industry, commerce, and the political landscape of the north and south of the mountainous country so casually determined.

From a strategic perspective, there is absolutely no problem; Arctic Wu has a very accurate understanding of the three crops.

But the South has no shortage of food...

There is no shortage of food in either the South or the North, so people in both regions don't want to farm.

The population explosion isn't happening now. We can grow sweet potatoes, tea, and mulberry trees in the mountains, and if all else fails, we can mine and quarry.

Now that King Wu is working across the country, anyone with a little strength is thinking about going out to work instead of staying home to farm.

Whether they are bureaucrats or ordinary citizens, everyone is only concerned with the present and no one is willing to suffer and take risks for future generations. They only act when forced to.

Fortunately, Beijiwu had production teams and bureaucratic groups to do things, and he never treated some people as his own.

Anyway, when there's not enough food, you'll know what to choose.

Right now, it's just a promotion, a transitional phase, providing enough seeds and a social environment conducive to understanding. There are still 20 to 30 years before the population explosion, enough time to gradually promote it.

Beijiwu wasn't doing this for his own grand ambitions; he simply didn't want to leave a mess for his sons.

The foundation for industrial technology and fuel has been laid, civil and military officials are basically in place, and the world has been largely unified.

Work is work, and hobbies are hobbies. Beijiwu is busy designing a wonder again, planning the layout of an Emperor Mountain.

(End of this chapter)