Tumeng: I am a national advisor in the Golden Family

After hearing what the civil servant said, Zhang Yong nodded. It was indeed as he said. Such large-scale breeding farms could only be established in places with rich pastures outside the customs.

And only one can be built in an area at most. After all, in winter, the consumption of fodder is huge.

It also requires the consumption of coal, wood and other fuels and a lot of manpower. This kind of breeding farm is very suitable to be established on the land in Xiliao outside the Guanhai Pass, but if it is in the Central Plains area, it is really inappropriate.

It is really unaffordable to build a breeding farm that can raise a few thousand livestock at most in the Central Plains. A giant breeding farm like this that can raise hundreds of thousands or even millions of livestock at a time is really unaffordable.

In the inland areas of the Central Plains, if you build such a large-scale breeding farm, it would be more practical to open up a few more pieces of farmland and let the people cultivate it.

Improving crop yields is the top priority.

"You're right. The Guanzhong area and the south are really not suitable for establishing such large-scale breeding farms. What's your name?" Zhang Yong asked, looking at the young civil servant student in front of him.

What a talent this man is! The idea he dared to put forward in front of him, the king of Guanzhong, was quite courageous, and what he said was also reasonable.

"Reporting to the prince, the student's name is Hu Yunpan." When Hu Yunpan heard Zhang Yong ask his name, he immediately said excitedly.

It is a great blessing to be remembered by the King of Guanzhong.

"Yes! I have written down your name." Zhang Yong nodded and said.

"Your Majesty, the student has discovered something and wants to report it to Your Majesty. I don't know whether to tell him or not?" Hu Yunpan paused and asked.

Seeing that after expressing some of his thoughts about the breeding farm, he won the approval of the King of Guanzhong.

Hu Yunpan, a student from the north, immediately wanted to express another idea of ​​his.

"You said that as long as it is a good suggestion, I can adopt it." Zhang Yong said.

"Your Majesty! Such a giant breeding farm may be established on a small scale. For example, it may only breed a few hundred livestock, not more than a thousand.

In this case, only about ten people are needed to manage it, and some cattle and sheep can also be raised in the Guanzhong area.

If the prince is in the nearby area, he can also raise pigs in this way to replace some open pig toilets. "The liberal arts student said.

"It is feasible to establish some small farms in the Guanzhong area. There are many mountains and forests in the Guanzhong area, and some small farms can still afford it.

But I have also thought about raising pigs, but in the end I found it was not realistic. But do you have any ideas? "Zhang Yong said.

I have thought about the idea of ​​setting up a small cattle and sheep farm before, but I haven't had time to implement it yet. Since you are interested, let me leave it to you.

As for raising pigs, Zhang Yong also had some ideas about raising pigs locally not long ago.

But after learning about some actual local conditions, I gave up this idea. It is indeed not cost-effective to raise pigs, very uneconomical.

why? Because the pig breeds in the Central Plains at this time did not produce much meat, and were far inferior to the large white pigs of later generations.

The amount of meat produced is very small, only about 160 kilograms, and it basically takes more than two years to produce meat.

And pigs are not bred on a large scale because there is not enough food. Pigs have a mixed diet and will eat anything.

But there will also be food conflicts with people. When people don’t have enough to eat, how can there be food for your pigs to eat?

After Zhang Yong captured Guanzhong, he learned about the local pig farming situation.

After learning about the way pigs were raised in this era, I had an extremely nauseating feeling.

In this era, when people in the Central Plains raised pigs at home, they always built a toilet, commonly known as a pig toilet.

The hut is the pigsty.

As the name suggests, what pigs eat in this era is basically human excrement, and there is no other food.

Pigs in this era can't eat any leftovers, because many people don't have enough to eat, and there will be no leftovers at all.

Eating some excrement all year round has caused these pigs to not grow fat at all, and the meat quality is extremely poor, and the taste is very strong. Moreover, due to the consumption of excrement, the pigs raised in this way have serious diseases.

Generally speaking, in some noble families, the dignitaries will not eat pork, and even ordinary people rarely eat it. Eating mutton is the most expensive thing in Guanzhong.

This is also the case in many other places. Only the extremely wealthy south will give pigs some feed. Raise some quality pigs.

If you want to set up a large-scale breeding farm to raise pigs, the food consumed every year is enough to raise an army, and the amount of meat they produce is not proportional to the food and feed consumed.

It takes more than two years to produce a pig weighing about 120 pounds, and it consumes more food than a person. In this case, raising pigs is really uneconomical, and there are no suitable cattle or sheep.

Cattle and sheep are a kind of food that can’t be eaten by wild grasses and weeds, which are converted into meat. This is very in line with the wishes of the local people.

Therefore, Zhang Yong was a little surprised when this northern student civil servant proposed a pig-raising plan. After all, there were some things that even he couldn't solve.

I can make grains increase yields, but these grains increase yields.

The local people don’t want to use it to feed pigs! They don't have enough to eat.

"Your Majesty! Wheat is abundant here in Xixia. After the wheat husks are ground, a kind of bran can be produced.

This is a kind of coarse grain, and generally poor people will eat it as food. However, if there are other staple foods, they will not want to eat it, but pigs can eat it. "Hu Yunpan said.

It has been almost five months since I came to Xining Prefecture, except for managing this large livestock farm.

He also walked around the farmland near Xining Prefecture. The grain yield here is still very abundant. After the wheat husks are ground into bran, the yield should not be low.

That's why he suggested to Guanzhong Wang Zhangyong to breed some pigs nearby, and to breed some appropriately if the wheat bran production was sufficient.

It can also provide a kind of meat to the local people.

Zhang Yong also knows about bran feed. What is left after wheat is hulled is bran. After being mixed with hot water, it can be fed to pigs.

I also thought about this method at the time, but later gave up.

To be honest, people in this era would rather regard this kind of food as their staple food. After all, they are afraid of hunger, and as long as it is edible food, they cannot waste it.

"Sir! If the annual output can maintain this number, then raising two to three thousand pigs should not be a problem.

Moreover, pigs are easier to manage. There is no need to send them out to graze in spring, summer and autumn. They only need to be kept in pig pens, and the manpower required will be greatly reduced. "Hu Yunpan said.

"Your idea is good, but let me ask you, will these local people hand over the bran? In the eyes of these people.

These bran are also grains. After paying the 20% tax, the 20% of the bran will be collected.

For them, it means an increase in taxes. If I pay for it, it also increases the cost in disguise.

It takes two years for a pig to grow up. Do the math. "Zhang Yong said.

This kind of meat-to-material ratio requires only a little calculation and the actual result will be obtained.

The idea is good, but the actual implementation is not that easy, but only after the local people become rich.

In two or three years, when every household no longer wants to eat coarse grains like bran, they can use it to raise pigs.

"What the prince taught you is that the students are confused, and it is indeed inappropriate now." Hu Yunpan nodded and said. King Guanzhong was right, but his own ideas were still a bit immature.

“It’s a good thing to have ideas. If you have any ideas, you can tell them. Even if they are wrong, I won’t say anything.

Your idea may be realized in a few years, when people become rich.

When wheat and other grain crops are enough to eat, coarse grains like bran will not be eaten. "Zhang Yong patted the other party's shoulder and said.

Nowadays, when everyone is extremely poor and ordinary people cannot have enough to eat, pigs really have no food to feed them.

"Yes! Your Majesty! It is true that students have taken these things too hastily." Hu Yunpan said.

It seems that the King of Guanzhong listened to his opinion, but it is not suitable for use now. When the people are rich in a few years, they can set up some large-scale pig farms.

"In a few years, I will give you the responsibility of this large pig farm. You have planned all this. Now, first build some small farms as you mentioned. Every farm in the Guanzhong area will Just raise no more than a thousand cattle and sheep." Zhang Yong said with a smile. "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your trust," Hu Yunpan said.

Zhang Yong nodded.

After chatting with the remaining two officials for a few more words and inspecting the inside of the farm, Zhang Yong returned to the residence arranged by the officials late that night.

Next, I have to go to Xuanhua Mansion to pick up my other wife.

Zhang Yong inspected Xining Prefecture for a total of seven days. He met with local herdsmen and some Tibetan lords who came to see them, and learned about each other's situation.

After that, he immediately diverted and set off for Xiliang Prefecture. He also inspected Xiliang Prefecture for a few days and learned about the local people's livelihood, taxation and government affairs. After seeing that there were no major problems, he diverted to Xuanhua Prefecture. .

The distance between Xiliang Mansion and Xuanhua Mansion is not far, probably less than a hundred miles away, so they set out that morning, and in the evening, Zhang Yong and his party arrived at Xuanhua Mansion.

Chahan and his son have already greeted Zhang Yong outside the city gate. In the past half a year, Zhang Yong has been prosperous!

"Hahaha! The last time we met, you were still a military advisor. This time, you are already a prince. Congratulations." Chahan said.

"Brother Chahan, you are too polite. Aren't you also banned from ten thousand households by the Great Khan? In fact, you are not much worse than me."

"After all, the King of Guanzhong has been granted the title of king, and there is already a status gap between him and us. Our family will still need more care from you in the future." Chahan's father, Qu Chiye, stepped forward and said.

Sure enough, he was right. This boy named Zhang Yong was indeed a popular person around Genghis Khan. He was still trying to seize the position of King of Xixia! He has become the king of Guanzhong.

Chahan, you must learn from this young man. Don't just know that you need to have some political acumen to fight a war.

"Father-in-law, you're welcome!" Zhang Yong said.

After all, I came here to marry someone else's daughter, so I couldn't do anything about etiquette.

The three of them exchanged greetings for a while, and then Zhang Yong was invited into the city by the father and son.

After entering the city, Chahan and Quchi Yefa, father and son, immediately held a sumptuous banquet for Zhang Yong and Xiaoyun. Chahan's wife was also accompanying them, and they chatted happily with their mother at the banquet. .

"Come on! Brother Zhang Yong, let me toast you and congratulate you on becoming the King of Guanzhong." Chahan raised his glass and said.

"Thank you, Brother Chahan!" Zhang Yong immediately responded.

"It is our family's blessing to marry you this time. I hope you can take good care of my little sister in the future," Chahan said.

"Brother Chahan, don't worry, that's natural."

The father and son looked at each other, nodded, and clapped their hands.

A girl of seventeen or eighteen years old came out from behind the screen. She looked to be more than a year older than Xiaoyun.

Her facial features are very delicate, her skin is wheat-colored, and her figure is relatively tall. This woman is wearing a Western Xia dress and bows to Zhang Yong.

"I have met the King of Guanzhong."

Zhang Yong nodded and nodded to the girl in front of him.

"Brother Zhang Yong! This is my sister. She has the same father as me. She was born to one of my father's concubines. Her name is Quchi Yexian. I hope you can treat her well in the future."

"This is natural! From now on, your sister's status in my family will be second only to the daughter of the Great Khan and the daughter of Ogedai." Zhang Yong said.

No matter who he marries, his status will not be as high as these two women, so Zhang Yong has to make it clear in advance.

"Of course I don't dare to compare with the princess. It's fine as your third husband." Chahan said.

Zhang Yong nodded in agreement.

"You don't have your parents around, so we will follow the etiquette of Xixia. You present me with a betrothal gift and then hold a banquet. It is considered a marriage." Qu Chiye said.

"Then everything will be decided by the father-in-law alone." Zhang Yong said with a smile.

It wasn't until late that night that Zhang Yong and Xiaoyun returned to their residence together. In the next few days, Zhang Yong and Qu Chiye's daughter got to know each other first, and then held a Xixia and Han wedding.

Zhang Yong sent hundreds of cattle and sheep to the Chahan family, as well as a large amount of gold and silver jewelry as betrothal gifts, and officially married Quchi, the daughter of the law of Ye, as his third wife.

"Son-in-law! Our two families have formed an alliance. Please help Chahan more in the future! Let him be promoted in the future." Qu Chiye said.

His biggest dream now is to have his son be crowned king by Genghis Khan and gain the right to rule the entire Xixia.

When Zhang Yong heard this, he immediately understood what his new father-in-law meant. Chahan's current status in Mongolia was ten thousand households, and he had his own fiefdom.

But theoretically speaking, you have actually climbed to the top of the Mongols. Even if you are the adopted son of Genghis Khan, you cannot be divided into kings.

After all, Chahan followed Genghis Khan to conquer the world, rather than surrendering to the king of Genghis Khan, so his current status is the highest in Mongolia.

It is basically impossible to go further.

It turns out that this is what I had in mind when marrying myself! My cheap father-in-law wants to be the king of Xixia! But Xixia is a hard place to say.

Genghis Khan has been very good to your family, including the three states in the northwest of Xixia, plus Xuanhua Prefecture.

Also, when the people of Zhongxing Prefecture were moved here by you, Genghis Khan turned a blind eye. Now if he wants the entire Xixia, Genghis Khan will not give it to him.

The main reason is the issue of identity. After all, there is still a certain gap between Zhang Yong's identity and the name of the Golden Family.

It is simply unrealistic to want to be king of the entire Xixia.

At this time, Genghis Khan had sealed off a lot of the land in Xixia, most of which were the main generals and princes of Mongolia. They would not hand over the land occupied by these people.

"Don't worry, my father-in-law, you will definitely have more to eat with me in the future. Brother Chahan, we will definitely help each other in the future." Zhang Yong said.

I can't refuse openly, but I can't agree either and just pretend to be confused.

"My dear son-in-law, just understand what I mean. I hope you will take more care of our family in the future." Qu Chiye said.

"Absolutely, I will definitely help with this matter and take good care of Brother Chahan." Zhang Yong said with a smile.

Seeing that Zhang Yong agreed, Quchi Yefa was very happy.

Little did he know that the other party was joking with him and didn't express anything clearly at all.

Old man, don’t even think about becoming the King of Xixia. Your family will definitely have prosperity and wealth in the future, but let’s not be the King of Xixia!

After staying at his parents' house for a few days, Qu Chi set off with Zhang Yong and Xiaoyun first, returning to Jingzhao Mansion, ending his trip to Xixia.

At this time, in Zhang Yong's territory, the autumn harvest has begun, and there is a busy scene everywhere.

There were a large number of farmers everywhere, harvesting wheat in the fields. After seeing Zhang Yong's royal family, all the people stopped their busy work and began to kneel down to Zhang Yong.

In this atmosphere, everyone returned to Jingzhao Mansion.

As soon as he sent his Xixia wife Quchi into the harem, Tu Lanlun found Zhang Yong.

"Master, we have guests coming," Tulan Lun said.

"Guest?" Zhang Yong asked doubtfully.

"Well! Envoys from Brother Chahetai, Brother Wokuotai, envoys from Batu, and envoys from the kings of the Western Mongolia have been arriving one after another in the past few days," Tu Lanlun said.

"Are they here to congratulate me on being crowned king, or is there something else?" Zhang Yong asked.

"I said I came to congratulate you on becoming the king, and I brought a lot of gifts, but actually I want you to help build a breeding farm." Tu Lanlun said.

"Oh, I know about this. I promised my father-in-law and Dahan before.

This breeding farm was to be tested on the territory of the kings of the West Road. Since it had been successful, it was natural to fulfill the promise. "Zhang Yong said. (End of Chapter)