Three Kingdoms

Pingyang City.

Today's Pingyang City seems to have become a torch held high in the north of the Fen Plain. Whether it is the red Pingyang City Wall or the torch lanterns it lights at night, it attracts countless businessmen, refugees, poor families, and even the children of the gentry. Like moths flocking to a flame, they gathered here.

As the old Pingyang channels with good irrigation in the surrounding area were dredged one by one, the agricultural potential of this area was quickly tapped and developed. Although the output of each piece of land still has to pay taxes and rent, but Because on the one hand, horses or retired war horses are provided to accumulate energy for deep plowing, and on the other hand, due to the continuous improvement of farming technology in Zaozhi during these times, the yield per mu is much higher than that in other places. few.

Agriculture in the Han Dynasty was extremely backward, and the degree of backwardness was far beyond Fei Qian's imagination.

The average yield of the Han Dynasty is about three shi per mu, and good farmland can reach four to six shi. Of course, there are also bad fields, which can't even reach one shi per mu.

Han Mu was much smaller than the Mu in later generations. The mu in later generations was 666 square meters, while the mu in Han Dynasty was only about 465 square meters, which was less than 70% of the mu in later generations.

It seems to be good. Some unscrupulous bricklayers in later generations even said that the yield per mu in the Han Dynasty could be two to three hundred kilograms. Although I have clearly seen many ancient documents recording that food was made of dendrobium, either by buckets or by liters. unit, but I still subconsciously use the weight units of later generations to convert, so I have the feeling that the yield per mu in the Han Dynasty is almost the same as that in later generations at the end of the Republic of China.

So where did the one or two thousand years of agricultural evolution go?

But actually?

Han stone has two uses. One is used for weight, which is divided into baht, liang, catty, jun and stone. Twenty-four baht is liang, sixteen liang is jin, thirty jin is jun, and four jun is stone. Han Jin was probably less than half of the market weight in later generations, weighing in at more than 240 grams.

The other one is used for capacity, 龠, 合, liter, dou, and dendrobium. One dendrobium is equal to one stone. One is equal to two, and the rest are in decimal.

When used in grain, capacity units are most often used for calculations.

This habit has been maintained until later generations. Even during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, statistics were still based on capacity. It was said that an extra harvest of three to five buckets was harvested in a good harvest year, rather than an extra harvest of three to five kilograms...

Therefore, the productivity of the Han Dynasty was actually quite low.

If one mu of Han farmland must be converted into the weight unit of later generations for calculation, the yield per mu is generally only about 120 kilograms. For example, the area near Pingyang was already a fertile land as early as the Western Han Dynasty. , it is also recorded in historical records, "Through the canal to divert Fen, irrigate Pishi and Fenyinxia, ​​and divert the river to irrigate Fenyin and Pubanxia, ​​we can get 5,000 hectares. Therefore, after 5,000 hectares, the land needs to be abandoned to use up the river, and the people have to eat water. Herd its ears. If you irrigate the fields today, you can get more than two million dan of grain." Coupled with Zao Zhi's long-term efforts in mulberry farming, now the farmland near Pingyang can basically harvest one acre for future generations. About one hundred and eighty pounds.

Because of this, although to the people of later generations, the output of dozens of kilograms is nothing, but to the farmers in the Han Dynasty now, it means that they can have more than ten kilograms, or even just a few kilograms more. The food surplus, combined with wild vegetable bran, can be eaten for another month or two...

Therefore, Zao Zhi's status in Pingyang, especially in the minds of surrounding farmers, is even louder and nobler than that of Fei Qian.

However, this is naturally what Zaozhi deserves, especially when those farmers came outside the Pingyang government office with woven straw baskets, some fruits or some millet and other things, just to give these things to Zao Zhi, expressing his gratitude to Zao Zhi is enough to prove Zao Zhi's prestige in peacetime.

In Binh Duong, not only agriculture is developed, but also the development of commercial trade is promoted.

With the increasing number of commercial transactions, the trading markets originally located in the city were overwhelmed, so they were directly moved to the east and west of the city, and huge east and west markets were established outside the two city gates.

Pingyang East Market faces the east direction of the river and is also close to the city's original municipal administration, restaurants and other areas. Therefore, Pingyang East Market generally sells Han-oriented items, such as a wide variety of cloth, lacquerware, pottery, etc. Wait, there are also some luxury goods for sale, even if you want the best green salt from Qingzhou, the best tea bricks from Wujun in Yangzhou, and the brocade from Sichuan that is as precious as gold, you can see them all...

In the market square at the west gate of Pingyang, there are mostly Hu people. Naturally, they mainly buy goods from the Hu area. In addition to cattle, sheep, furs, etc., there are also some daily necessities such as clothes, candles, cakes, medicines, etc. This is the market where ordinary people most often go to purchase replacement items.

With the continuous development of trade, the hours during the day can no longer satisfy the increasingly large commercial system. As a result, the two-shift trade model first appeared in Binh Duong East and West Markets. During the day, there were scattered transactions and caravans. Bulk goods are negotiated and negotiated to reach an agreed time. In the evening, it is the time for loading and unloading goods to be counted and delivered. Because it is outside the city, it does not disturb the residents much, but it promotes the development of some lighting equipment.

It is precisely because of business and trade that the city of Binh Duong always wakes up very early. It seems that while the hustle and bustle of last night has not dissipated and is still lingering in my ears, a new day has arrived and a new busyness has begun.

Normally, people in the Han Dynasty had their morning meal between seven and nine in the morning, but due to the development of commerce in Pingyang County, caravans were already ready to set off as early as Mao, so even the first wisp of cooking smoke in Pingyang It comes earlier than other local cities.

Spring has passed quietly, and summer is coming one after another. On the streets of Pingyang, it seems that it has entered the ever-heating summer, and it looks prosperous.

As the first ray of sunshine shines in the morning, the flow of people on the street gradually increases. At the main neighborhood intersections, there are crowds of people with colorful sleeves. The shops along the street opened their curtains, and waiters or waiters stood outside, greeting them enthusiastically, and soliciting business. Farmers and woodcutters outside the city were carrying their own things, and they didn't know how to greet them. They just squatted on the roadside, looking silly. Smiling and waiting for customers to come; businessmen, whether fat or thin, all have the same expression, smiling and arching their hands to each other, and testing each other's words politely, cautiously and keenly...

For the nobles, things are even more complicated. Seeing that the temperature is getting higher day by day, it is time to put away the winter clothes, and take out the satin and silk clothes that were originally stored to blow air and incense; it is also time to dig out some of the ice cubes stored in the cellar last winter to save time. It takes a long time to wait when you want to use it; the days are gradually getting longer, so various summer banquet invitations are gradually being arranged in the summer afternoon. At the same time, you must also consider the distance between them and choose according to the changes in the government and the public. Give up or make some friends...

Several restaurants in the city are even more lively. The first floor is basically filled with city residents who have a little more money on hand. They wear Geyi, sit around long tables, sit on mats, and drink a bowl of thin wine. , eating two pieces of pickled cabbage, talking nonsense, just having fun, it is also comfortable.

The political battles in the court and the shadows of swords and swords seemed far away from them. What they were thinking about was the bowl of wine in front of them and the few notes in their belts. Most of the residents in these cities are the first group of people to migrate to Pingyang, and some of them are even the people who were brought by Bai Bo. For these people, the life in front of them is like heaven, beautiful and dreamy.

However, on the second floor of the restaurant, it is much cleaner. Businessmen of all sizes are scattered around. If someone wants to sell goods, they will bring some small samples and put them on the table. Interested businessmen can Naturally, they would come forward, and the two of them would negotiate in low voices, whether it was successful or not, with a friendly look on their faces, and it was rare to see someone jumping around and getting angry.

But on the third floor of the restaurant, what they were talking about was completely different. As the temperature gradually increased in summer, something finally came to light. General Fei Qian, who was originally in Pingyang, had once again won the title of Emperor. Enjiafeng is now the general of the Western Conquest, and he lives in Pingyang!

Although he is just a Tinghou, he is a real Pingyang hero!

The earliest Pingyang Marquis was Cao Shen, who inherited Xiao He's position and was one of the famous meritorious marquises in the early Han Dynasty.

The marquises of the Han Dynasty were generally divided into four categories: meritorious ministers, princely marquises, foreign relatives' enze marquis, and clan clan marquises. Among them, the princes and clan princes have the same surname, which is the blood of the Liu family. However, the clan princes usually make mistakes for some reason and are demoted from kings to marquises, so they are in the lowest series of marquises.

The Marquis of Meritorious Service and the Marquis of Enze, his cousin, both have different surnames, but the Marquis of Meritorious Service has a higher status than his cousin Enze Marquis, and is even more noble than the Prince and Marquis.

This kind of dignity is not only reflected in the person who is granted the title in this world, but can even extend to his descendants. Just like Cao Shen, the title of Marquis of Pingyang has even been extinct. He still has to find a person of adjacent blood to inherit it, and then after the heir is extinguished again, he can That's all in the end. This shows the specialness of the hero.

Therefore, when the news that Fei Qian was entrusted with the title of Conquest to the West and Pingyang Tinghou gradually spread, these gentry children and country lords from Hedong, Xihe, Shangdang, Taiyuan, and even Guanzhong could not sit still and got together with each other. There was a lot of discussion. Now that Fei Qian's army has returned from Guanzhong and is about to arrive in Pingyang, how should he, as a son of the gentry who has a relatively close relationship with the court, face the newly appointed Pingyang Pavilion? Hou has become a very real problem before them.

This problem is also extremely troublesome for Wang Chen...

The Wang family in Taiyuan has plummeted since the death of Wang Yun, the mainstay of the family. Under the worry, anger and grief of Mrs. Wang, who controlled the entire Wang family in Taiyuan, she could not withstand the invasion of aging and became bedridden.

As for Wang Yun's two sons, the eldest son followed Wang Yun and was buried in Chang'an. The second son, Wang Jing, was not in good health to begin with, but suddenly experienced a drastic change and became ill...

Taiyuan Wang family, such a large family that has been operating in Bingbei for more than a hundred years, will certainly not have no heir prepared, but this heir is Wang Hei, Wang Yun's eldest grandson, who is currently studying in the Academy. Wang Hei is currently young, so he asked Wang Yun's nephew Wang Chen to come to accompany him. However, the pillars of the Wang family's direct line have fallen over and over again, giving Wang Chen an excellent opportunity.

Now is the time to prove yourself.

Wang Chen looked at the thumb-sized earthenware bottle on the table, his eyes wandering a little. Even if someone discovered what he had done before, he could always turn it around, but the step in front of him was about to go out. There is just no turning back!

Wang Chen silently stretched out his hand and held the thumb-sized pottery bottle in his palm. He also knew that what he was about to do might not be very glorious, but since he had the opportunity, he couldn't give up so easily!

Just when Wang Chen made up his mind, suddenly there was a burst of noise outside the courtyard, and he only heard someone shouting: "Back! Back!"

Wang Chen shivered with fright, and when he loosened his grip, the clay bottle in his palm fell to the table and rolled to the edge. Wang Chen quickly pounced and grabbed the clay bottle in his hand, almost falling to the ground.

"What's back?" An excited voice came from the backyard. Wang Hei ran out, dancing and shouting, "Is General Zhengxi back?"

The servants outside just came to report that indeed General Fei Qian of Zhengxi was about to arrive. Even the soldiers in the school field in the north of the city were already lined up. Teams of soldiers were dispatched and began to line up in and outside the city to maintain order. …

"Uncle!" Wang Hei is now in his prime of life. It is the time when he admires heroes like Fei Qian who are fighting on the battlefield the most. When he heard that Fei Qian's class teacher was back, he immediately turned to look at Wang Chen, as if he wanted to go out and have a look. Beyond words.

Wang Chen pretended to be nonchalant and hid the small pottery vase in his arms, smiled a little, and said: "Okay... okay, let's take a look, you might as well take a look..."

Wang Hei immediately cheered and ran out with small steps. Several servants and guards of the Wang family hurriedly followed behind.

By the time Wang Hei arrived at the city gate, it was already overcrowded. However, the gentry children still had some privileges after all. An area was circled outside the city gate and guarded by the guards led by the gentry children. Several students from the academy in the circle recognized Wang Hei, and hurriedly waved to him, and made room in the circle so that Wang Hei did not have to squeeze in with Mud Legs.

Before Wang Hei could say thank you, he heard another commotion around him!

I saw layers of smoke and dust rising in the distance, and I saw that Fei Qian's troops were about to arrive!

In the blink of an eye, everyone suddenly became quiet, everyone stood in awe, waiting, waiting...

When a tricolor flag rose in the smoke and dust in the distance, when Fei Qian's figure appeared under the tricolor flag, outside Pingyang City, on both sides of the road, the people who came to wait for the welcome finally broke out. Waves of extremely high-pitched cheers, this sound was like layers of waves, surging and surging, rushing across Pingyang, rushing through Bingbei, spreading in all directions along the vast sky and earth, just like... It will continue like this until the end of heaven and earth!

The surviving documents on the output of the Han Dynasty are quite old and relatively less complex. In addition, ancient literati liked to use approximate numbers, so calculations are actually very inconvenient. The data in this article refer to Mr. Yang Jiping's "Re-Talk about the Production of the Han Dynasty" "Mu System, Mu Yield - Discussion with Mr. Wu Hui", Yang Jiping's article was published in "Research on Chinese Social and Economic History", Issue 2, 2000. Those who are interested can check it out by themselves.