Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Want to explore the Hexi Corridor?

It's impossible to rely entirely on grain transported from Guanzhong.

We must solve part of the food and fodder problem in the border regions.

The Hehuang Valley is of paramount importance.

This place is extremely suitable for agricultural production.

Emperor Huizong of Song did a good job at the beginning of his reign.

It provided Tong Guan with a large amount of military provisions for his campaign against the Western Xia.

But in the last ten years or so,

Things took a turn for the worse.

All the civil and military officials are bastards.

The civil affairs department is in a complete mess.

Soldiers and civilians forcibly relocated by the imperial court.

Overwhelmed by the burden, they fled.

The local Han Chinese and ethnic minorities,

Of course, they can't escape rampant exploitation either.

The number of taxpayers has plummeted.

Grain production has also been declining year by year.

Let alone conquering the Hexi Corridor,

Given the current state of agriculture,

They can't even afford to support the troops stationed in the Hehuang region!

Zhao Yuan sent Li Mida to serve as governor.

To put it bluntly, it's about restoring people's livelihoods.

Li Mida arrived in Lanzhou last month.

The first decree issued

This means that taxes in all the states under its jurisdiction will be halved.

Furthermore, it abolished most of the exorbitant taxes and levies.

They also encouraged the people to reclaim wasteland.

Only three consecutive years of cultivation are required.

Then you can go to the government office to collect the land deed.

We are not afraid that large landowners will take the opportunity to seize land.

Because the abandonment situation is too serious.

Moreover, the agricultural population is too small.

Even if large landowners seize land, they still cannot recruit enough tenant farmers.

Moreover, there aren't any truly wealthy families here.

Large-scale land reclamation still required government organization.

They were also organized into a system of mutual support and cooperation.

Be prepared at all times for ethnic minorities in the mountains to come out and plunder.

The ancestors of those ethnic minorities,

Hundreds of years ago, many of them were Han Chinese!

Once the Han Chinese settlers have established themselves in the reclaimed land,

Li Mida would appease ethnic minorities.

They were guided to leave the mountains to cultivate the land and become registered households.

The premise of all these policies

However, they fought two fierce battles.

And you have to win beautifully.

Only by winning the war against Western Xia

Only then can the prestige of the government be established.

Only then can we give the people confidence.

Otherwise, they would worry about an invasion by the Western Xia.

Fearing that officers and soldiers would be sent to war to forcibly requisition grain.

With such an uncertain future, who would want to farm in peace?

If we capture He Nanjun Sicheng and Zhenwu City this time,

Both river valleys will be used to resettle immigrants and cultivate the land.

We will strive to ensure that we can support the garrison troops of the two cities in the future.

They'll give you land as soon as you arrive.

Moreover, taxes are waived in the first year.

After traveling for more than ten days,

The vanguard of Yao Gu's army arrived at Zhenwu City.

They sent someone back to report that the other side seemed to be unprepared.

Yao Gu, who was originally feeling uneasy,

Overjoyed

He immediately ordered the entire army to speed up.

Yao Pingzhong led several thousand troops,

Abandon all baggage and march hastily.

Then they discovered... Zhenwu City was empty.

"They've already taken Zhenwu City?"

Yao Pingzhong could not believe it.

A key military town repeatedly contested by the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty.

The place where the blood of people and soldiers of both countries was shed,

They returned without losing a single soldier.

The Wu brothers were in Yao Pingzhong's army.

They also felt that things were outrageous.

Wu Lin asked, "Why did the Western Xia soldiers run away?"

Wu Jie guessed, "The Western Xia people are probably in big trouble with the Southern Army Command."

Zhenwu City (Ancient Bone Dragon City) was captured by the Western Xia last year.

They simply lacked the capacity for immigration and land reclamation.

Western Xia could only station troops temporarily.

As a bridgehead for invading the Hehuang region,

All military rations had to be transported from the rear.

Chapter 1707 Deceiving People into Farming

I heard that the Southern Army Commandery was surrounded.

Moreover, the inner city has already fallen.

The people of the Western Xia region have gone mad.

All available troops were transferred there.

Only a little over a thousand people remained to guard Zhenwu City.

A few days ago, the garrison commander discovered that Yao Gu was leading a large army.

He immediately led his troops to abandon the city and flee.

Anyway, there's still Rendo Spring City behind us.

That was the Western Xia's military base.

Having enough people to cultivate food.

As for Zhenwu City...

Not very important to the Western Xia.

It is extremely important to the Han people, though.

Yao Gu led the main force to arrive subsequently.

His face was all wrinkled from smiling.

He loved this situation.

There are military merits to be gained from capturing a city.

And without any risk.

Soldiers and laborers

More than 40,000 people were mobilized this time.

It seems like a huge mobilization and a waste of supplies,

It's just that there's now an empty city.

But these laborers can forget about going back.

They were tricked into coming to farm.

From now on, we will reclaim land in the Haomen River Valley.

Those who wish can also bring their families here.

Zhong Shidao, Li Mida, and Yang Zhi discussed it for a while.

They believed that only through deception could immigrants be persuaded to settle and cultivate the land.

Due to the various questionable actions of the Song Dynasty

Ordinary people would never want to settle down here.

The waves of immigration in recent years,

Those who didn't escape are all dead.

He was not killed by the Western Xia soldiers.

He was forced to his death by the civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty.

Yao Gu announced the news of immigration.

Let the civilian laborers who accompanied the army settle down first.

They chose a day to select farmland in the valley.

Three thousand soldiers will also remain to guard the area.

This statement caused an uproar among the military and civilians.