The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 197

Xu Tian was in Ningcheng on the border at this moment, looking at the green sprouts on the ground.

Now, the wheat seedlings have completely entered what he considers a safe period, meaning he no longer needs to worry about them, and apart from some external factors, he doesn't have to worry about them suddenly dying.

Xu Tian smiled, feeling even happier about the growth of these seedlings.

But a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Although these wheat crops are growing very well, it's uncertain whether the yield will be enough to feed the people of Ningcheng.

Putting aside the scarcity of usable land, Ningcheng alone has a population of at least a thousand people, and the large-scale planting of wheat is probably far from enough.

Xu Tian was immediately stumped.

In the end, the wheat was planted, but there wasn't enough land available, so the yield naturally couldn't be increased.

This is not the Tang Dynasty, and water conservancy projects do not involve this area. It's as if it has been forgotten; there's nothing here. Only outdated, primitive farming tools and a sparse patch of land remain.

Seeing the troubled look on his face, the border general was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Tian snapped out of his reverie. Seeing that the border general had asked, he replied, "I've noticed that although the wheat has been planted well, there's too little land, and the yield isn't keeping up. I wonder if there are any other farmlands in other parts of the border region?"

The border general, who had been stationed on the frontier for several years, thought about it carefully upon hearing this, then shook his head slightly and said, "It seems there isn't any left. Besides the farmland in the army, which is already planted with many crops, it's only enough to feed the soldiers in the camp."

"I see..." Xu Tian pondered.

"Why don't we plant some potatoes in Ningcheng as well?" the border general suggested.

Xu Tian laughed, then shook his head after thinking for a moment.

Seeing him shake his head, the border general scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Why not?"

"It's because potatoes take up too much space. Although the yield is high, it's far less than that of wheat these days," Xu Tian said.

"This..." Upon hearing this, the border general was at a loss for what to do and was caught in a dilemma.

Xu Tian began to think seriously again.

Now, he does have a better solution.

He then said to the border general, "I need to take some men to the other cities on the border to see what the situation is like there. I'll leave the situation here to your soldiers to keep a close eye on."

“Of course, I see they have nothing to do all day, I wish I could give them more things to do.”

Upon hearing this, the new recruits who were carrying things and whose backs ached all stopped moving in unison, their faces turning particularly grim.

Xu Tian suppressed his laughter, but inwardly he was laughing uncontrollably.

"By the way, when are you setting off? Those cities aren't far from Ningcheng; you should be able to get there in about a day."

Xu Tian then said, "Tomorrow."

The next day, Xu Tian had already packed all his things and appeared at the gate of Ningcheng.

As he and his entourage prepared to board the carriage, a group of Ningcheng citizens suddenly ran out and hurriedly grabbed him, asking, "Grand Tutor Xu, are you leaving?"

“No,” Xu Tian laughed. “I was just thinking about looking for other fields to cultivate, because we don’t have enough of this kind right now.”

Those people were relieved upon hearing this.

Xu Tian is their pillar of support now, and if he really leaves, they might suddenly panic.

They had long since given up on living through years of famine.

Therefore, as Xu Tian boarded the carriage, they didn't forget to say, "Come back soon, and have a safe journey!"

Xu Tian was particularly helpless, but he still nodded in agreement.

In the afternoon, Xu Tian arrived in another city.

He went closer and found that the place was even more desolate than Ningcheng. The entire city was devoid of any usable farmland.

Xu Tian sighed, rested there for one night, and then left.