It had to be said that Fang Jun was indeed a born general. Few people could withstand his monstrous strength. Even Cheng Chumo had to admit defeat in front of Fang Jun.
The pressure well was like a toy in his hand. He shook it for a long time without flushing or panting.
"Official Fang, your son's body is really like this. If he doesn't join the army, it would be a pity."
Li Shimin looked at Fang Jun's bulging muscles and exclaimed in admiration. When he was young, he fought all over the world, and also had a good body. Unfortunately, after pacifying the world, the comfortable life had gradually made his body fat, and was no longer the same as before.
"My son doesn't like to study and prefers to practice martial arts. Your Majesty, please don't laugh." Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly.
In the Fang family, Fang Xuanling was most worried about Fang Jun. The eldest son, Fang Yizhi, was the eldest son of the first wife. He had a calm personality and would inherit Fang Xuanling's title and the Duke's household in the future.
The second son, Fang Jun, had nothing. Originally, Fang Xuanling wanted to ask the Emperor for a marriage and let Princess Gao Yang marry Fang Jun. This way, even after Fang Xuanling passed away, Fang Jun could live a rich life.
Unfortunately, Meton's book not only ruined the marriage of the Zhangsun family, but also ruined Fang Xuanling's wishful thinking. Zhangsun Wuji saw that it was impossible to marry Princess Changle and let Zhangsun Chong marry the favored Princess Gao Yang. Fang Xuanling was not reconciled, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he was not as close as Zhangsun Wuji.
Unfortunately, Fang Xuanling did not know the future development. If he knew that Princess Gao Yang had caused the Fang family to be so miserable, he would not have this regret. He did not even know how to feel about Meton.
Soon, the water from the pressure well became clear, which meant that the well was done. Fang Jun breathed a sigh of relief and handed the pressure well to one of Mo Jiazi's younger brothers and walked over with Mo Da.
"Greetings, esteemed guests and Young Master!" Mo Da ran over and bowed to Meton. Although he did not know Fang Xuanling and Li Shimin, he knew that they must be important people who could be accompanied by the Young Master.
"Young Master, should we continue to dig the well?" Mo Da asked Meton.
"Yes! Not only to dig the well! But also to water all the experimental fields......................
...... to....................... but.....................................
..... to............................... However, if they continued to dig the well slowly, half of the crops in the experimental field would have died by the time the well was finished. The Mo Family would become the laughingstock of Chang 'an City immediately. However, the Mo Family's village was really short of manpower. It needed manpower to build the waterwheel and the artificial hatchery. Moreover, the Mo Family's village also needed a lot of manpower. Therefore, the large Mo Family's village was suffering from artificial starvation.
"If we don't have enough manpower, we will hire people to solve the drought in the shortest time. Not only must we water all the experimental fields, but also all the dry fields in the Mo's Village must be watered by wells."
Meton said firmly. What a joke! The Mo Family's village only sold water wheels. If their own fields suffered from drought, how could they sell water wheels? It was like a butcher who couldn't afford to eat pork.
"Dig wells and water them all?" Mo Da immediately felt immense pressure. The Mo Family Village had a lot of dry land, accounting for about 80% of the total land. The number of people needed for that would be a terrifying number.
"Meton, I'm afraid you're making things difficult for him. How could Mo Da possibly recruit enough people in such a short time?" Fang Jun couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up for Mo Da.
"Yes! Doesn't that mean we have a lot of free manpower? " Meton looked at the people worshipping the Dragon King on the official road. Nearly two hours had passed, but the number of people worshipping the Dragon King did not decrease. On the contrary, more and more people were worshipping the Dragon King. The entire official road was almost blocked.
Li Shimin and Fang Xuanling looked at the audacious Meton speechlessly. They didn't expect that he would even think of using the Dragon King. However, they didn't stop Meton. With Meton's irrigation method, it didn't matter whether the Dragon King was angry or not.
Mo Da's eyes lit up. It was indeed a good idea. As for whether it would anger the Dragon King or not, it was not within Mo Da's consideration. After all, if all the fields in the Mo's Village had been watered, who would care whether the Dragon King was angry or not?
"The Mo's Village is hiring workers to dig wells. The salary is 50 coins a day!"
On the official road, Mo Da shouted loudly. Immediately, everyone was shocked.
50 coins was a high salary in the Tang dynasty. The price of goods in the Tang dynasty was much lower than that in the future. 50 coins was enough for an ordinary family to spend for a week.
"Has the Mo's Village always been so extravagant?" Fang Xuanling asked. As the Prime Minister, he certainly knew the price of goods and the average salary in the Tang dynasty. 50 coins a day was more than the salary of most people in the country.
Such a high salary was offered by a servant. What's more, Meton took it for granted. Fang Xuanling couldn't help scolding him.
"Uncle Fang, you misunderstood me. The Mo's Village has its own set of rules for the salary. Digging wells and pumping water are all heavy physical work. 50 coins a day is not a loss at all. What's more, if the fields in the Mo's Village can be watered in the shortest time, the loss of the fields can be minimized. Only when the fields in the Mo's Village are watered in the shortest time, the tools and water wheels of the Mo's Village can be sold well. In this way, the salary of 50 coins a day is not a loss at all. "Meton explained.
"Profiteer!" Li Shimin heard that Meton didn't hide his intention. He glanced at Meton contemptuously. Was this guy so poor that he only cared about money?
However, the more frank Meton was, the less Li Shimin wanted to blame him. After all, the Mo's Village didn't steal, rob or hoard.
"50 coins!"
Many people who prayed for rain were excited. At present, the drought was raging. If it didn't rain, the grain yield would be reduced or even lost. If they took this opportunity to make more money, they might be able to survive this year's natural disaster. Suddenly, many people were excited and involuntarily moved to this side.
"Don't move. Aren't you afraid of offending the Dragon King?!" The leading old man shouted when he saw that people were excited.
"Dragon King!"
The people who prayed for rain couldn't help but look at the clay statue of the Dragon King in fear. In this era, ghosts and gods were very popular. Otherwise, it wouldn't attract so many people to pray for rain.
"Do you think the Dragon King will rain if you offer a few pig heads?" Mo Da snorted.
"If we offend the Dragon King, I'm afraid there will be no peace in Guanzhong. Can the Mo's Village bear this responsibility?" The old man said coldly.
"You are afraid of offending the Dragon King, but the Mo's Village isn't. The Mo's Village has already made irrigation tools for dry land. Anyone who comes to recruit workers, after the irrigation, we will sell them to you at half price." Mo Da retorted.
Mo Da's last sentence was the last straw that broke the camel's back. One was the illusory Dragon King. Even if they prayed for rain, it might not happen. On the other hand, it was a real fact. The sound of Mo Da digging the well had already alarmed everyone. When the well was being washed, the water from the well directly flowed onto the official road. Comparing the two, it was not difficult to choose.
"Let me do it." A strong man stood up and walked towards Mo Da.
"Zhang Wu, you … Do you know the consequences of offending the Dragon King?" The village head looked at the strong man in front of him in shock and anger. He could not believe that these people really dared to betray the gods.
"Village head, I know you mean well. Four years ago, I remember you also led everyone to pray for rain. But if the Dragon King is really alive, then the drought four years ago would not have starved my mother to death. I don't want to go through the same thing again." Zhang Wu, who was like an iron tower, said with tears in his eyes. Thinking of his hungry wife and children, he walked to Mo Da's side without looking back.
"I'll go too!"
"I won't pray for rain either!"
…
Soon, the team that prayed for rain dispersed, leaving only a few diehards around the village head.
In the battle between the Mo's Village and the Dragon King, the Mo's Village had won by a small margin.
Meton did not have the slightest doubt about the success of the well killing experiment. The well-digging equipment was produced according to the standards of mass production from the very beginning. The Mo Family Village had already built a lot of well-digging equipment and was ready to take it out from the experimental field. Now it was just the right time to use it.
A set of well-digging equipment for every four people was more than enough. Under the command of Mo Da, dozens of well-digging teams started working together. The scene was shocking.
The workers worked very hard because they knew that the sooner they finished, the sooner they could buy the cheap well killing equipment and water their own fields.
"In two days at most, 100 acres of experimental field will be completely watered! From then on, this experimental field will be as good as having good weather and a good harvest every year. "Meton said with satisfaction. Meton never hid or was modest about the success of his own efforts.
"What a pity! If this kind of irrigation technology could be promoted a month in advance, the drought would not be a concern. Now it's too late! "Fang Xuanling said regretfully as she looked at the water coming out of the wells one by one.
Although Mo Jiazi had already found a way to defeat the drought, by the time the well-digging equipment was built and the wells were dug, most of the crops in the Guanzhong area would have died due to the drought.
"Brat, you only know how to show off. The people of Guanzhong are going to starve, and you still have the mood to show off." Li Shimin thought of the coming drought, and a feeling of wanting to do something but lacking in strength rose in his heart.
There was clearly a peerless prescription right in front of him, but he was powerless due to the lack of time. This kind of feeling made Li Shimin go crazy. Unfortunately, the smug Modun became the bird that stood out, becoming Li Shimin's punching bag.
Meton immediately covered his head and ran away. He could not help thinking of the famous crab effect in the future.
In an open basket, a crab could easily climb out, but if several crabs were placed together, the result would be that none of them could climb out, not for any other reason than the fact that the crabs would drag each other down.
Meton suddenly realized a problem. The Mo Family Village was likely to be the only crab in the basket that escaped. It could be imagined that if all the farmers in Guanzhong were to suffer, and only the Mo Family Village had a good harvest, the harvest of the Mo Family Village would not be envied, but angered by countless people. Even the image that the Mo Family Village had painstakingly built would collapse.
This had nothing to do with right or wrong, but the human heart.
No, he could not put the Mo Family Village in danger. Meton's mind turned quickly, trying to find a way to break out of this situation.
"The Minister has a plan to solve the problem of the drought in Guanzhong." Meton hurriedly said in a loud voice.
"What?"
Li Shimin and Fang Xuanling could not believe their ears. They stared straight at Meton.
"Brat, what did you say? Do you know that if you talk nonsense, you will be guilty of deceiving the emperor? " Li Shimin stared at Meton with red eyes. Li Shimin was desperate. Even if there was a slight possibility to stop the disaster in Guanzhong, he would not let it go. Fang Xuanling also looked at Meton with hope.
But Meton cupped his hands to Li Shimin and said, "Here, the Minister wants to impeach Uncle Fang for the crime of inaction."
"Inaction?" Fang Xuanling was confused. Was there such a crime in the law of the Tang dynasty?
"Meton! Don't you dare slander me! "When Fang Er heard that Mo Dun was actually accusing his father, he was instantly enraged and roared.
"Hahaha! Meton, you want to impeach my Prime Minister. If you can't give me a reason, I will punish you for both the crime of deceiving the emperor and the crime of false accusation. "Fang Er sneered. Who in the world would call the impeacher uncle?
"In the drought in Guanzhong, the Mo Family Village developed a new water wheel and well pressure. The people of other villages organized to pray for rain. Although it was useless, they did their part. What did the government do in this drought?" Meton asked with a sneer.
Fang Xuanling was stunned.
Yes! What did the government do? After thinking about it, he suddenly realized that the government did nothing.
"This is a natural disaster, a disaster that ordinary people can't resist. The last thing they can rely on, the imperial court, did nothing." Meton snorted.
"Then what do you think the government should do?" Fang Xuanling asked humbly.
"It is not difficult to make the new well drilling tools and well pressure. Uncle Fang ordered a large amount of steel and all the craftsmen in the Guanzhong area to work overtime to make the well drilling tools and well pressure. "Merton said.
Fang Xuanling nodded and said, "It is not difficult. The Old Man thinks he can do it. But even if he can, he can't have as much labor as the experimental fields in the Mo Family Village. "
Well drilling was a physical work. Usually, four people worked at the same time to drill a well. In the entire Guanzhong area, there was no way to take care of all the fields and wells.
"As far as I know, there is a place in Guanzhong that has a lot of idle labor. It depends on His Majesty whether he is willing to use it. "Meton said meaningfully.
"Brat, you want the 16th Guard. Do you know what the 16th Guard's duty is?" Li Shimin instantly understood Meton's meaning. The 16th Guard was Li Shimin's elite troop to guard Chang 'an. There were about 200,000 people.
Meton said proudly, "Of course I know. Soldiers are supposed to protect the country. But there is a drought in Guanzhong. Countless families will be separated. Don't these families need to be protected?"
Meton remembered that every time there was a major disaster in the future, there would always be a large group of the most lovely people rushing to the front line. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but say excitedly, "This is a crisis. There is both danger and opportunity. The government can take this opportunity to promote the new irrigation tools. In the future, the land in Guanzhong will not be so unprepared in the face of a disaster.
At the same time, for the 16th Guard, this is a show, a show of drought. But it is not a show. It is a show of real work for the people. It is a show of His Majesty's benevolence and love for the people. It is a show of the relationship between the army and the people. "
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