Lu Bu: My wife comes from two thousand years later

Beneath a large willow tree by the field, Jia Xu sat on a rock, took off his straw hat and fanned himself. "It's so hot out here!"

Duan Wei recovered from his surprise at seeing his old friend, sat down beside him, and asked, "Did Lü Fengxian send you here? What are you doing here?"

"The war is coming, and the locusts are starting to wreak havoc." Jia Xu pointed to the busy figures in the fields. "There's so much millet and wheat, but it's too late to harvest them."

Duan Wei smiled bitterly, "We'll take whatever we can."

"I came here a few days ago and saw that your farming is developing very well. You must have put a lot of effort into it over the years, right?"

"There's nothing we can do. Dong Zhuo is robbing, Li Su and Li Jue are robbing, and the people in Guanzhong are living in dire straits. If we don't find a way to grow more food, we'll just have to eat dirt."

Jia Xu nodded in appreciation and said, "Duan Zhongming, I've discovered that you're much better at farming than leading troops in battle."

Facing Jia Xu's teasing, Duan Wei smiled a little embarrassedly. "When I was little, I thought that if I could become a county magistrate one day, I would dig many canals and ponds, and no longer worry about droughts or floods. In recent years, Huayin has indeed been drought-free and flood-free. Even if there is a severe drought this year, my harvest will not be completely lost. It's only this insect plague that is beyond human control."

"It's not completely uncontrollable." Jia Xu shook his head and chatted with him about family matters.

"There are fewer insects in Hanoi than here. The people of Hanoi have been dispersing to dig for insect eggs for a month now. Recently, they've been setting off thick smoke screens near the border near the Yellow River to keep out insects from flying in from elsewhere. In a few days, once the millet and wheat are harvested, even if more insects arrive, it won't be a big deal. It's just that Hanoi was hit by war this year, and much farmland was destroyed. Spring plowing was also delayed in many areas, but overall, the harvest is still better than yours."

"Is it true? Insects can be controlled?" Duan Wei looked at Jia Xu in disbelief.

"You'll know whether it's true or not if you go to Hanoi," Jia Xu continued to show off. "Not only can the insects be controlled, but Bingzhou also has a waterwheel that can lift water from low places to high places. This way, the land doesn't need human irrigation, saving a lot of labor."

"There is such a magical weapon in the world?" Duan Wei's cognition was refreshed again.

"Also, Bingzhou has a curved plow, which is smaller and lighter than a straight plow and can be turned without removing the oxen. There's also a pedal rice thresher that can thresh the ears with a simple step. An acre of rice can be threshed in less than an hour. The rice is harvested and threshed immediately, and the straw is spread directly in the fields to dry before being transported back, saving a lot of manpower and animal power."

Duan Wei was stunned. Jia Xu looked at him with a foxy smile, "Duan Zhongming, do you want to go to Bingzhou to farm?"

Duan Wei came back to his senses from his thoughts, "Are you here to persuade me to surrender on behalf of Lü Fengxian?"

Jia Xu nodded, opened the lid of the water bag and took a sip of water. He continued, "Huayin is a great place. It's bordered by the river to the north and Mount Hua to the south, straddling the gateway to Chang'an. Such an important place is only possible because of your ability, Duan Zhongming, and your ability to protect yourself. Your Majesty, when you leave Chang'an, you will surely fall into the hands of Bingzhou. My master will represent the court from now on, and Hongnong and Henan will soon be recovered. Naturally, the gate to Huayin must be controlled by Bingzhou's own people to ensure peace of mind."

"My master has been wanting to deal with that traitor Li Su for a long time. After taking His Majesty away, he will definitely settle accounts with him when he has time. Even if you can protect yourself this time, what about tomorrow?"

"Also, Guanzhong suffered a great disaster this year, and Li Su and Li Jue are short of food. Will they unite and attack you?

Duan Wei's face changed. These two officials had been leaving him alone in Huayin. It was not because they could not capture him, but because they did not want to start a war. After all, he had nominally surrendered to the court and was not their enemy. But if they had nothing to eat, they would spend a huge amount of money to capture Huayin, unless he was willing to supply them with food and grass.

Jia Xu said, "I know you are skilled in farming and enjoy it. If you surrender, the agricultural affairs of Hongnong and Henan will be handed over to you. When my lord unifies the country one day, he will appoint you as the Minister of Agriculture, in charge of the agricultural affairs of an entire state. Wouldn't that be better than guarding this small place like Huayin?"

Duan Wei remained silent. Jia Xu glanced at him and continued, "We have a long history. To be honest, your fighting skills are far inferior to your farming skills. In these troubled times, simply being a civil servant will help you survive longer than being a military commander. If you do a good job farming, your contribution will be no less than fighting on the battlefield. Duan Zhongming, listen to me. I will never deceive you. You will have a bright future following my master, and he will not mistreat any meritorious official."

Duan Wei understood what Jia Xu meant. Lu Bu's next step was to manage Hongnong and Henan. Huayin had to be guarded by Bingzhou's trusted generals. He now had two options for himself: either surrender to Bingzhou and give up his military power to become an agricultural official, or continue to stay here and wait for Bingzhou to attack in the future. By then, he would definitely not end up well.

Duan Wei did not think that he could defeat Lu Bu. Even if he, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou joined forces, they were still far from being able to defeat him. Not long ago, Lu Bu had defeated the coalition forces of Yuan and Cao with his own strength, and directly wiped out half of the troops in Jizhou. Cao Mengde was also beaten and fled in a panic. How could Duan Wei, with only 10,000 soldiers under his command, fight against him?

Duan Wei looked around at the busy soldiers. Giving up his military power meant that he would never be able to command them again. His eyes fell on the farmers again. From now on, they would be his subordinates. He would lead them to open up more wasteland and plant large tracts of millet and wheat, so that the people of Bingzhou and even the world would have enough food and clothing.

"I'll trust you for once. When this war is over, take me to Bingzhou to see those waterwheels, curved plows, and ear-threshers you mentioned. If you're trying to deceive me, I'll pluck out every last hair on your head."

"Haha, how dare I lie to you? Even though I have become a civil servant, I was once a general who fought on the battlefield. If I lie to you, I will be asking for a beating." Jia Xu laughed and twirled his beard.

Duan Wei snorted, took out the troop mobilization token he carried with him and handed it to Jia Xu, "I have 10,000 soldiers under my command, 2,000 of whom were elite soldiers from Xiliang who served with Prime Minister Dong. They are also considered Fengxian's old subordinates. From now on, I will hand them over to him for deployment!"

Jia Xu took the order and said, "No hurry. These troops will stay in Huayin for now. When His Majesty's carriage comes over, you will greet him and await the Lord's instructions."

"I understand!" Duan Wei clasped his fists in agreement, then asked, "Aren't you afraid that I might regret it?"

Jia Xu raised the talisman in his hand and said, "Can you? Besides, even if you regret it, Bingzhou will not suffer any loss. It will just be one more battle."

Duan Wei curled his lips. Indeed, once he handed over the token, he would not be able to regret it. Although he did not need the token to mobilize the soldiers in the city, it was a symbol of his status.

However, he has no intention of regretting it. He can achieve success and do what he likes, without any life-threatening danger, and can be with his family. Why not do it?