Chapter 14 Military Food Development After listening to Jia Xu's report, Tian Ze was extremely satisfied. Sure enough, it was a wise move to spend so much effort to "invite" Jia Xu over. If it weren't for Jia Xu's proper governance, how could all this have gone so smoothly. If I were someone who has high expectations but poor skills, I would probably find it difficult to achieve this even in half a year. Little did he know that Jia Xu also admired him deeply. In Jia Xu's opinion, more than 90% of the credit for the current results lies entirely with Tian Ze himself, and he is just the icing on the cake. An ordinary county magistrate in his position would also be able to do a good job. The resources provided by Tianze were too many, and there was no shortage of money, food and supplies, so they could spend them at will. Moreover, these people were mostly docile and talented, so they were easy to manage. "Everyone, what Wenhe just said was very detailed. I'm sure you all understand it." "The foundation of Changxing Island has been initially laid. What we need to do next is to recruit people and expand the army." Tian Ze's eyes were full of excitement as he looked at Han Dang, the only water general under his command.
"Lord Yi, you will still have to work hard in the future. You should take a short break during this period. After that, you will lead five ships to Qingzhou to recruit refugees." "Yes!" Han Dang responded without hesitation. Looking at Han Dang, who had become tanned due to being busy recently, Tian Ze couldn't help but sigh in his heart. There just aren’t enough talented people, so Han Dang has to work hard every time. There has been no peace in the past six months, and I don’t think there will be much chance to rest in the future. I have to recruit another water general. I can't always exploit one person. Most of the generals are not good at naval battles. Although Guan Yu has certain talents, in Liaodong, cavalry is more important than the navy. Tian Ze does not intend to let Guan Yu come into contact with the navy now to avoid distracting his attention. "The rest of the generals, recruit guards as soon as possible. Each of you should increase the number of guards to 50. Once the first batch of refugees arrive, increase it to 100." "Yes!" Guan Yu and others' eyes were full of excitement. Finally I have waited for this sentence. Seeing Han Dang leading a hundred people in such a majestic manner, they had long been envious. But before, due to the limited population, they had no way of expanding their team. Now they are finally about to get what they want. …… “Steam it first.” "Add some bean powder and dried vegetable powder." "Keep frying until the flour turns gray." "Okay, the fragrance is coming out." "Add some sesame seeds, sugar and salt, and pay attention to the proportions!" "Let it cool."
In Komura, Tian Ze is watching the workers experimenting with making fried noodles. When marching and fighting, logistical support is crucial, especially military rations during the march. The military rations of this era were mainly millet, with at most some pickled vegetables, which were not convenient to eat. Tian Ze wanted to improve this situation, and based on the principle of being easy to eat and carry, and rich in nutrition, he chose to develop fried flour. As a simple military ration that has been tested countless times in later generations, although it also has some defects, in Tian Ze's opinion, it is indeed the most suitable choice for military rations in this era. On the huge stove, workers were stirring a two-meter-wide pot with a shovel. The golden and crispy fried noodles gradually exude a rich aroma. After the last step was completed, Tian Ze walked forward and tasted it himself. It's a bit dry, but it tastes okay. It's even better if you add water to it. Seeing the satisfied expression on Tian Ze's face, Han Dang also took a bite and nodded slightly. This thing tastes good and contains plenty of oil and water, making it very suitable as a supply for forced marches and long-distance marches. "My lord, this fried noodles is much more convenient to eat than corn, and it is perfect as military rations. If it can be mass-produced, it will be much easier to supply our troops in the future." Tian Ze nodded, but then sighed and said, "This fried noodles still has some shortcomings. It is nutritionally unbalanced and cannot be eaten for a long time. It can only be kept for a few months." Jia Xu, who was standing aside, had a blank expression on his face, but was secretly speechless in his heart. Have you heard what people say? If this fried noodles were placed in Liangzhou, it would definitely be regarded as a sacred weapon, and countless Xiliang cavalry would fight to the death for it. How many soldiers and civilians couldn't even get enough food to eat, but Tian Ze actually complained that fried noodles, which were convenient, delicious and filling, were not nutritious enough. "Zhang Chen, follow this recipe. Organize a production plant and assign people to be responsible for the production. You can continue to try to improve it in your spare time. Remember, the quality of the fried noodles must be ensured. If they are burnt or undercooked, feed them directly to the dogs to prevent the guards from getting sick." "Yes!" said Zhang Chen, the head of Village A happily. You know, working in these production factories can earn you extra pay. Because the land is fertile and there are sufficient oxen and water conservancy facilities, the villagers on Changxing Island do not need to spend much time working in the fields, and working can provide them with extra income. Although the village already has many projects such as salt drying and wine making, not many villagers have the opportunity to participate because Tianze controls production and uses hydraulic equipment to save a lot of manpower. Considering the subsequent population expansion of each village, the things produced by Village A are precious but do not require much manpower. In order to provide more villagers with a livelihood, Tianze handed over the fried noodles to Jiacun. Zhang Chen knew that Tian Ze’s next population recruitment plan would recruit at least tens of thousands of refugees within a few years, and the demand for fried noodles would definitely be huge. "Wenhe, do you think there is any other way to produce military rations with a longer shelf life and easier to eat?" Tian Ze asked Jia Xu beside him. In this era without plastic, the canning process required high technology and was too expensive, so it was simply unrealistic. After Tian Ze made the fried noodles, he was still worried that the shelf life was not long enough. Jia Xu's mouth twitched slightly: "My Lord, apart from corn and pickles, I really can't think of anything else. But corn needs to be cooked, and it takes some time to eat." "Hmm." Tian Ze hesitated for a moment: "How about beef jerky?" Jia Xu forced himself to suppress his inner turmoil and took a deep breath.
My lord is really "smart". If you are not from a noble family, you can't say such words. Everyone knows that beef jerky is good. It is said that it was popular for a short time when the Qin Dynasty conquered the six kingdoms, but it is just a rumor. If it is not a special situation, who would be willing to eat beef? What's more, using beef jerky as military rations is such a wasteful act. "My lord, it takes about two years for a cow to grow to adulthood, and it can only produce six stones of meat. It is estimated that less than two stones can be made into dried meat, which is only enough for a soldier to eat for two months. The cost..." At this point, Jia Xu saw Tian Ze's clear and puzzled eyes and couldn't help but sigh. Well, this cost is indeed acceptable to Tian Ze. After all, who would have thought that there would be high-quality grassland that would automatically return to its lush state every ten days. You don't even need to let the cows graze, just put a stick and a rope in place, and you can achieve the effect of careful breeding at zero cost by letting them graze. Jia Xu was no longer surprised by Tian Ze's abilities. The natural salt pond next to Jia Village is still there. Who can believe that the smooth rock surface made of white marble is naturally formed, but it is so magical. "With our current breeding scale, if all beef is used to make jerky each year, it is estimated that it will only be enough for one thousand soldiers for two months. If we use pork jerky instead, the effect is similar, and perhaps we can afford it." "Oh." Tian Ze nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that we still need to expand the scale of breeding. This number of cattle and sheep is simply not enough!" Upon hearing this, Jia Xu couldn't help but hold his forehead and sigh. Very good and very strong! He has slowly learned to accept the wasteful behavior of Tian Ze, the stupid son of a landlord. After all, he had the confidence to do so, and with such abundant resources, it seemed like a good choice. But Jia Xu still couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. I grew up in Xiliang and was afraid of poverty. I have never fought in such a wealthy country. It feels unreal. "Lord Yi, please wait for another ten days. Once this batch of fried noodles is ready, go to Qingzhou to recruit refugees." "promise!" (End of this chapter)