Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

Northland County.

Inside the city's tavern, news of the Han army's victory over the Xianbei spread like wildfire. On a table.

"The Han army is mighty! I never thought that the Xianbei army would have such a day!" A civilian said excitedly, with a proud smile on his face.

"Yes! It is said that our army defeated 20 Xianbei troops and won countless victories!" Another bystander echoed, his eyes full of admiration.

"Not only that! I also heard that our army captured a lot of Xianbei soldiers." The third citizen rushed to say, with a hint of surprise in his tone.

"So many Xianbei soldiers? What's the point of keeping them? It's better to kill them directly." The first one waved his fist and said viciously.

"It would be such a pity to kill them! I heard that General Suo sent them to plant potatoes." The second citizen said with a smile, a cunning look on his face.

"Ah? There is such a new thing?" The fourth citizen opened his mouth in surprise.

"Of course. In this battle, young General Suo Chao, old General Huangfu, and General Lu Bu all performed brilliantly!" The second citizen gave them a thumbs up and praised them highly.

Another table.

"It seems that the court's reward is coming soon. I'm so looking forward to it!" A man in gray rubbed his hands and said excitedly.

"What do you expect? He's not your relative!" Another old man in black rolled his eyes at him and said disdainfully.

"I know General Suo Chao. He cured my mother's illness!" said the man in gray proudly.

"That's it? The young general has many patients, how would he know who you are?" The old man in black curled his lips and said disapprovingly.

The gray-robed man was furious, but he couldn't argue. The old man's words were true. Suo Chao had treated many people in Beidi County.

In the Luoyang Imperial Palace, Liu Hong sat upright on the dragon throne.

There was an important matter to discuss today, so he had to come to court.

Grand Marshal Xu Yu bowed respectfully to Emperor Ling of Han and said, "Your Majesty! Victory has arrived from the north! Generals Huangfu, Lü Bu, and Suo Chao have defeated 20 Xianbei troops in the battle of the north!"

"We have annihilated one hundred thousand of the enemy, and captured seventy thousand. We have captured over ninety thousand horses and countless baggage. Our army has suffered over fifty thousand casualties."

Upon hearing this victory, the entire court, both civil and military officials, was stunned and perplexed. This victory was too brilliant to be true. Liu Hong also harbored doubts. The Xianbei had become quite powerful in recent years, and the court had repeatedly launched military campaigns against them, but with little success.

"Oh! Commander? This matter has been verified clearly."

At this time, Sikong Zhangji stood up and stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this is also reported in the report of Bingzhou Governor Zhang Yi. The capture of 7 Xianbei soldiers is likely true."

"They're actually planning to set up a bunch of prisoner camps in the North. What should we do?"

"Oh! We've captured so many Xianbei soldiers. This is truly a headache to find a place to put them. What advice do you have, my dear ministers?"

Taiwei Xu Jian's eyes flashed with ferocity, he made a gesture of wiping his neck and said in a cold voice.

"Your Majesty, it's really difficult to deal with so many prisoners. It's better to kill them to prevent future troubles."

"Right, right, right. Those who are not of my kind must have different hearts."

Si Tu Chen Dan, who was in charge of civil affairs, bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, this matter has been resolved."

Liu Hong, who was sitting on the dragon throne, became interested when he heard this.

There are nearly 100,000 captives. Killing them would damage the majesty of heaven, and continuing to support them would cost money. Letting them go easily would lead to endless troubles.

Chen Dan saw what Liu Hong was thinking and continued:

"Your Majesty, General Suo Chao has discovered two new crops. These Xianbei captives will remain in the north to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes."

"Oh, this is so interesting! Letting the enemy grow food for us is a wonderful idea!" Liu Hong said with a smile.

"Situ, I wonder what the yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes is per mu?" Liu Hong asked curiously.

"Your Majesty, if planted properly, the yield of these two crops per mu can reach about 100 dan (about 6000 jin today)." Chen Dan replied.

"What? How much did you say?" Liu Hong asked in surprise.

"Your Majesty, according to General Suo Chao's report, the yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes per mu is conservatively estimated to be around 100 dan. He also donated planting techniques," Chen Dan repeated.

Liu Hong glanced at Wang Min, the Minister of Agriculture, and asked:

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, is this true?"

"Your Majesty, this is indeed true. We have carefully studied some of the planting concepts and found them to be indeed desirable." Wang Min stood up and replied.

"Oh? Why not tell me about it!" Liu Hong said.

Wang Min sorted out his thoughts and said:

"The first method is to select high-quality varieties that are suitable for the local climate and soil. The north is dry and rainless, with cold winters, and the climatic conditions are quite harsh. The climate in different places varies throughout the year. Choosing the right time to plant is crucial."

Many officials have a lot of land and are familiar with the common sense of spring plowing and autumn harvest.

"That's right. It's important to grasp the farming season. If you miss the best time for sowing, the crops are likely to fail." Liu Hong nodded in agreement.

"As for the quality of soil, it can be divided into two types. Some land is fertile, with high crop yields; some land is poor, with low crop yields. Fertile land is scattered in Liaodong, the Guanzhong Plain, Bashu, Yangzhou, and other places, while most of the northern land is poor, cold, and barren."

Liu Hong narrowed his eyes, calculating secretly. He had a lot of fertile land. If these planting techniques really worked, his land would surely yield a bumper harvest, which would be a considerable income for him. Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Liu Hong's face.

"No need to discuss this, Grand Minister of Agriculture, just tell me about the other methods." Liu Hong waved his hand and said.

"The second method is to provide good soil conditions to ensure soil fertility and air permeability." The Minister of Agriculture continued.

"The third method is to carry out reasonable cultivation management, including appropriate planting density, fertilization and irrigation."

"The fourth method is to pay attention to the prevention and treatment of pests and diseases and take timely measures to control their occurrence."

"The fifth method is to inspect the fields regularly to identify and resolve problems promptly."

Liu Hong was bewildered as he listened to the Grand Minister of Agriculture's words. However, in order to prevent his thoughts from being seen through, he still gritted his teeth and pretended to have suddenly understood.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, these methods are good. You can go to the Royal Farmland Bureau someday and ask for guidance on this planting technique." Liu Hong said.

"By the way, remember to go to the north to ask for some potato and sweet potato seeds," Liu Hong added.

"Yes!" said the Minister of Agriculture.

"Is there anything else? If not, let's stop here today." Liu Hong said.

Upon seeing this, Grand Commandant Xu Jian stepped forward and reported, "I wonder how Your Majesty will reward the four generals?"

Liu Hong looked at Zhang Rang beside him and said, "Father Rang, issue the edict."

"Appoint Huangfu Song as General of Chariots and Cavalry," Zhang Rang announced.

"Appoint Lü Bu as General Protector of the Qiang, replacing the late Protector of the Qiang Captain Zhang Huan."

"Appoint Suo Chao as the General Guarding the North, and continue to be in charge of the affairs of the North."

"Appoint Ding Yuan as the Governor of Bingzhou. Zhang Yi is transferred back to Luoyang and appointed as the Registrar."

Liu Hong had long been aware of the battle reports from the north. Empress Song lavished praise on Suo Chao in his ear, praising him to the skies. Liu Hong also learned that the products in the Empress's four stores were Suo Chao's masterpieces. Emperor Ling of Han also had a favorable impression of Suo Chao; who wouldn't like the little god of wealth?

Suo Chao was so outstanding that Liu Hong was willing to promote him based on his talent. He temporarily appointed Suo Chao as the General of the Northern Frontier to see what else he could accomplish in the north.

Afterwards, other generals also received different rewards.

In the tent of the Xianbei king in Mobei, Tan Shihuai's hair stood on end, his face filled with rage. Two hundred thousand strong troops were vulnerable and suffered a crushing defeat.

The 100,000 Xianbei troops in Liaodong learned that their main force had been defeated, and fearing a pincer attack from Liu Yu, they abandoned the idea of ​​marching south, like frightened birds.

"He Lian, He Lian, are you a pig? Even if these 200,000 troops were just 200,000 pigs, if they were thrown onto the battlefield, the enemy would never be able to kill them all at once!" Tan Shihuai roared angrily.

He Lian didn't dare to look up, but he was muttering in his heart.

"You can never kill all the pigs. But people are not pigs. If they can't win, they will surrender. I heard that the Han army treats prisoners well!" He Lian muttered to himself.

He Lianke didn't dare to say this out loud and could only confess his guilt.

"Khan, forgive me! The enemy took advantage of our unpreparedness and attacked our main forage camp and our vanguard camp. We were attacked from both sides and suffered heavy losses."

"That's just an excuse for your incompetence." Tan Shihuai was so angry that he overturned the table in front of the tent, and the wine and barbecue rained down on the ground. His angry eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

He Lianze was trembling with fear, like a frightened deer, and could only kneel down and admit his mistake.

"Kuitou, Fu Luohan died in the battle. Why don't you die together?" Tan Shihuai's voice became louder and louder, echoing in the air, as if to tear the world apart.

How humble He Lian was! If he wasn't Tan Shihuai's son, he would probably be dead today.

Tan Shihuai, like an enraged lion, vented his anger for a long time before his mood slightly improved. He roared fiercely, "How many men and horses do we have left now?"

The sound was deafening and chilling.

"Reporting to the Khan, our troops now are less than 30,000." The person who answered was trembling with fear and his voice was shaking.

"He Lian, you are a prodigal son! You deserve to die!" Tan Shihuai was furious, and his eyes seemed to be spewing fire.

"Khan, please forgive me! I am willing to atone for my sins." He Lian said.

"Forget it. What about Budugen? Where is he now?" There was a hint of fatigue in Tan Shihuai's voice.

"Report to the Khan! General Budugen is injured and is recovering in his tent."

"Bring him here quickly, as long as he is not dead." Tan Shihuai said.

……

In the Han army tent, the generals were laughing and talking happily.

"Old General, this battle was a great victory. It was all thanks to your wise command." Ding Yuan said with a smile.

"You're too kind! Such an achievement cannot be achieved by one person alone. It is the result of everyone's concerted efforts!" said the old general modestly.

"Without your all-out efforts and dedication, how could we have achieved what we have today? Everyone's contribution in this process cannot be ignored. It is because of this that we can achieve such brilliant results!" said Huangfu Song.

After the troops from each county divided the spoils, they returned home like birds returning to the forest.

……