Chapter 19 Self-Righteous Wen County is located at the throat of southeastern Liaoning, with the sea to the west and mountains stretching for thousands of miles to the east. The area is long and narrow, with a plain only a few miles wide from east to west. As long as we hold this place, the southern part of Liaodong, including Pingguo and Dashi counties south of Wen County, and the Liaodong Mountains that stretch for thousands of miles in the southeast will be under control, and there is no need to worry about the invasion of the Hu people. However, although this area is vast, there are not many good farmlands and only ten thousand people live here, so it is regarded as useless. We can only provide a small amount of money and food steadily, which is better than nothing. But in Tian Ze's view, this place is a majestic paradise comparable to Yizhou, and it is also the key to his plan. On the east side of Wen County there is a winding river called Daqing River. The river originates from the steep mountains deep in the hills, flows from east to west, through Wen County and into the sea. Tian Ze and Gao Shun, protected by fifty guards, sailed eastward in a few small boats. There are hills, gullies, valleys and lakes along the way, with scarce vegetation and animals, and extremely serious soil erosion.
Tian Ze looked at the desolate scene around him and did not feel lost or surprised. If the land here was fertile, the village would have been built long ago, and there would be no need to wait for him to come. Tian Ze was in awe of the wisdom of his ancestors. "Zhang Da, how long will it take to reach the source?" Sitting on the boat in the middle, Tian Ze looked at the countless hills and soon felt a little bored. "County magistrate, it will probably take another two days to arrive." Zhang Dalue said somewhat flatteringly. He was originally a small yamen runner in Wen County. Since his generations had lived here, he was very familiar with the area around Wen County, so he was selected by Tian Ze to be a guide. Having witnessed Tian Ze's ruthless methods, he was very nervous on this trip, fearing that he might say something wrong. "County magistrate, the Daqing River is nearly a thousand miles long, surrounded by overlapping mountains, high mountains and steep slopes. There is a lot of silt in the river, and even in the middle and lower reaches where we are now, there is a lot of quicksand, making it difficult to sail, so few people come here." "This place is so dangerous. If we want to seal it off, can we do it?" Tian Ze asked. "County magistrate, this matter is simple. This area of mountains is endless and full of gullies. The Daqing River is the only navigable river around it. We just need to block the Daqing River and no one can enter." Zhang Dadao. Tian Ze nodded. This was exactly the kind of dangerous place he wanted. Although this mountain range is desolate, it meets Tian Ze's two needs very well. One is that it is large in area, and the other is that it is hidden and difficult to access. The existence of Daqing River not only facilitates the casting of spiritual rain magic, but also makes the surrounding transportation very convenient. It will serve as an important lifeline and the key to his conquest of this land. "Where do you think the ban should be placed?" "County magistrate, not far ahead is Duanque Cliff. The waterway there is narrow, and except for a small piece of mudflat, there are cliffs all around. You only need to arrange three or five yamen runners to guard the mudflat, and no one can enter the mountain." Although Zhang Da didn't understand why Tian Ze had such an idea, he still answered truthfully. Tian Ze looked at Zhang Da with admiration. Although this man was slick, he did have certain abilities. The Daqing River is so remote that the other party must have come here only a few times, but he still knows it very well. His cleverness is really remarkable. “Are there any other waterways around here?” "The nearest river is the Haicheng River, about 200 miles to the north. There are no other rivers around. Even if there are rivers in the mountains, they have never flowed out of the mountains, so they are unknown."
"You know it very well? How come you have been to Haicheng River too?" Tian Ze asked curiously. He just asked casually, but he didn't expect Zhang Da to actually give an answer. You know, Zhang Da is just a yamen runner. His knowledge of Daqing River is reasonable, and he even knows the situation of the surrounding rivers, which is obviously unusual. Zhang Da sighed, "To be honest with you, County Magistrate, although I am afraid of death, I also had the heart of a knight-errant when I was young." "You are well aware of the situation in Wen County, County Magistrate. The land is too barren. Even so, most of the land was previously controlled by the local big families. Many people starved to death every year. The situation in the surrounding counties and villages is similar." "It was only because of your coming that the villagers found a way to survive." "It's just that when I was young, I didn't meet a good official like the county magistrate, so I thought about whether I could find a way to survive in the mountains, so I stayed in the mountains for a few years." Hearing this, not only Tian Ze, but even Gao Shun couldn't help but look at Zhang Da differently. "I have inspected the surrounding waterways and terrain. It took me more than a year, but in the end I found nothing." Zhang Da showed a bitter smile. "Because of the erosion of the river, the surrounding land has become extremely barren and cannot be cultivated at all." "Moreover, the climate here is cold, with insufficient sunlight and little rain concentrated in summer and autumn. Even if there is suitable land in the mountains, it is still impossible to cultivate without rivers around it." Zhang Da laughed at himself and said, "Now that I think about it, I was really naive. If there really was such a good place, our ancestors would have settled here long ago." Tian Ze also sighed secretly in his heart. Yes! If there is no other choice, with the farming skills of the Han people, they can go anywhere. He was once as naive as Zhang Da, and once thought that the Northeast Plain was a fertile land that only he knew about. No one else knew about it, and it was just waiting for him to take it over. As long as he could gain a firm foothold in Liaodong and march north to attack Goguryeo, he would be able to take this fertile land into his possession and vigorously develop agriculture. But later, from the books of the clan, Tianze realized his own stupidity and self-righteousness. The land around Liaodong has long been clearly understood by our ancestors. The vastness and fertile land of the Northeast Plain were discovered as early as the Warring States Period. Even the Yan State and the Han Dynasty had attempted to develop it, but unfortunately they all ended in failure. It is not because of the cold climate, but because of the terrain surrounding the Northeast Plain. From the south, the Liaoxi Corridor had not yet appeared at this time. Due to the obstruction of Yanshan Mountain, to enter Liaodong from the north, one had to take the water route or cross the mountains. The transportation of population and materials was extremely difficult and costly. More importantly, in the northwest of the Northeast Plain, the upper reaches of the Liaohe River are the junction of the Yanshan Mountains and the Greater Khingan Range. There happens to be a large gap connecting the Mongolian Plateau and the Northeast Plain. It was basically wishful thinking to want to block this gap, because that was the base camp of the Hu people, and tens of thousands of cavalry could rush in at any time, so there was no place to defend! So even though we knew that the land in the Northeast Plain was fertile, it was impossible to develop it. Unless you have the power to defeat and completely stop hundreds of thousands of Xianbei cavalry and the northern fishing and hunting tribes, farming here is simply making wedding clothes for others. You know, this kind of strength was difficult to achieve even at the peak of the Western Han Dynasty. Moreover, the Hu people and the surrounding tribes are mostly nomadic cavalry, and they are so poor that they have nothing left but their lives. Those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. Without food, you will die, so why not try your luck at "zero-yuan shopping"? If you are unlucky, you will die quickly, but if you are lucky, you won't have to worry for a few years. As long as the Hu people are still poor and have not died out, they will inevitably face endless harassment once the Northeast Plain is developed.
Only a thousand days to be a thief, how can a thousand days to guard against a thief? Whenever he thought of this, Tian Ze sighed for his arrogance and ignorance. It's such a close place, how could the Han people not understand the situation with the farming instinct engraved in their genes? There are many smart people in this world, but there are even more smart people. "It's okay. Everyone was naive when they were young. What you did may not be meaningless. At least it is very important to me now." Patting Zhang Da's shoulder, Tian Ze comforted him, as if he was comforting his former self. "County Magistrate, I don't know what you want to do, but you have seen the situation here. It is a completely barren land. There are not even a few wild animals. It is not suitable for farming or fishing. I hope you will consider it carefully." Zhang Da was a smart man. He had already vaguely guessed Tian Ze's thoughts. Seeing that Tian Ze was so easy-going, he couldn't help but give him a few more words of advice. Tian Ze smiled slightly: "I understand what you mean. I'm just out for a stroll this time. Please continue." (End of this chapter)