It snowed heavily all night, and strings of icicles hung from the eaves.
The sky had cleared up, but the wind was getting colder. The wolves roaming outside the village were nowhere to be seen. About fifty steps away from the gate, there were two bulging snow mounds, all around them solidified into a dark brown color, with several frozen bones scattered around the edges, which were obviously the wolves' prey last night.
After the gate was opened, several young men came forward to check. Judging from the remaining head and a few pieces of broken fur, they concluded that it should be an antelope that ran from the north, not a livestock that had lost its way from the village.
"The snow is too heavy this year." The one-armed old man stood at the door, looking out at the endless snowfield, a hint of worry on his face.
In previous years, wolves would stop at the north of Yunzhong City and rarely go deeper. This year, wolves were even seen near Shaling County, which shows how wide the affected area is.
With this understanding, the old man couldn't help but feel fortunate that the Wei envoy was in charge, so that the Huns did not dare to easily set foot in Yunzhong County. Otherwise, with natural disasters coming at the same time, who knows how many people would be killed.
"Pick it up quickly and throw it far away to avoid attracting foxes and weasels."
The young and strong men agreed, picked up their wooden shovels and started shoveling snow faster. They piled the remaining antelope carcasses onto wooden carts and pushed them to a farther place for dumping.
As the sky brightened, voices gradually began to be heard from inside the earthen wall. Accompanied by the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs, the village, which had been silent all night, began to become full of life.
In previous winters, the young and strong men in the village would go out hunting together. If they were lucky, they could hunt a large wild animal and exchange it for corn and salt and sauce in the military market.
This year is slightly different.
When cattle and sheep were slaughtered in large numbers, they had to be transported to the city and guarded against hungry wild animals. Young and strong men were called up to take turns guarding the farm. Working for five consecutive days could earn a family of four half a month's worth of food.
Recently, the Xiongnu moved southward, and the border counties increased their military strength. Most of the young men over the age of 20 were called into the army. The people guarding the livestock farms were all old men in their 60s, and some women who could use bows and swords.
Evan Zhao had originally planned for the worst. Once the Huns broke through the defense line and entered Yunzhong County, he would immediately abandon the livestock farm and recall all the people back to the village or send them to Yunzhong City.
In short, human life is more important than anything else. You can raise cattle and sheep again if you lose them, but if you lose a person, you have nothing left.
Unexpectedly, none of the people guarding the livestock farm retreated. They patrolled day and night with bows and arrows and short knives, making it clear that they would fight to the death if the Huns dared to come!
"If we don't live, they won't live either!"
During the Warring States Period, Yunzhong was originally part of Zhao State, bordering on the Hu invaders to the north. Its people were notoriously tough and fond of hunting.
There are many heroes in Yan and Zhao.
This martial spirit is similar to that of the Qin State, but compared to the Qin State's emphasis on laws and rigid behavior, the warriors of the Zhao State value freedom more.
However, the two have one thing in common: they are never polite when encountering foreigners!
During the Warring States Period, Zhao's general Li Mu beat the Xiongnu to pieces, and they dared not go south for more than ten years. When the King of Qin conquered the world, he heard the words "the one who destroyed Qin was Hu", and Meng Tian immediately led his troops out of the border and cleared the grassland.
Unfortunately, with the death of Qin II, the world was in chaos and many heroes emerged. When the Han Dynasty established its rule in the Central Plains, the Huns produced Maodun, a ruthless character who killed his father. Emperor Gaozu of Han was besieged at Baideng. In the subsequent wars between the Han and the Huns, the Han Dynasty was mostly on the defensive.
This is not to say that there were no ruthless people in the Han Dynasty.
On the contrary, the governors of border counties such as Wei Shang and Zhi Du were able to make the Xiongnu bypass them. During the reign of Emperor Wen, a large army was assembled to fight the Xiongnu, but unfortunately, a rebellion broke out in the country and the plan was not realized.
The border counties were harassed by the Huns all year round. When the border residents mentioned the Huns, they were more angry and disgusted than afraid of them, and they wished they could sleep on their skin and eat their flesh.
There was a snowstorm this year and the fields had no harvest. Evan Zhao's livestock farm was everyone's hope for survival. Anyone who dared to destroy this hope must be killed, no matter who it was!
Understanding everyone's determination, Evan Zhao did not continue to persuade them, but privately instructed Henry Hu to give more food when delivering it, and to take out the sheepskins accumulated at home and distribute them to the old man and the healthy woman who were keeping watch at night.
Fortunately, what he worried about did not happen.
Before the Xiongnu returned north, they had not actually set foot in Yunzhong County. The young and strong men who were recruited returned safely, the military market and horse market were reopened, and everything began to get back on track.
When the market opens next time, we can buy a new batch of millet and beans, and we will be able to get through this winter. When the snow melts in spring, we can reclaim the fields, raise a batch of cattle and sheep, and put more plans on the agenda.
After breakfast, Evan Zhao prepared to visit the Wei family.
During the Han Dynasty, two meals a day was implemented. When Evan Zhao was in Yunzhong City, he always followed this rule. After moving out of the city, the rule was broken, and two meals a day was changed to three meals a day, with snacks in between.
Henry Hu had no objection to this.
As long as the man is good-looking, everything else is just a drop in the bucket!
In fact, because Evan Zhao started to grow taller and taller, he inevitably looked thin, which made Henry Hu very worried. He wished that Evan Zhao could eat five meals a day so that he could at least gain more weight.
Evan Zhao was also helpless.
In his memory, Victor Zhao was a tough guy who was eight feet tall and could wield a halberd on horseback. Given his current situation, he might be able to reach that height, but in other aspects, he could only think about it.
After all, he was the son of a military officer, so he couldn't wear a short brown coat when visiting someone else's house. He changed into a blue robe, tied a belt, put on animal skin boots, and put on a cloak, and then Evan Zhao prepared to go out.
When talking about the deep-collared clothing, we cannot fail to mention the crotchless trousers of the Han Dynasty.
It really was a gust of wind that exposed her.
Fortunately, this is a border county, and almost every man can ride a horse. Evan Zhao insisted on adding crotch to the trousers to make a modified version of the hakama, which would not look so different.
"There may be more snow today, so you should go early and come back early." Henry Hu reminded.
Evan Zhao nodded and said, "If Elder Ruhe sends someone to ask, just do as I said before."
"promise."
The strong servant was about to prepare the carriage, but Evan Zhao shook his head and went to the stable himself to lead out a group of large chestnut horses.
At that time, there were no high saddle stirrups or horseshoes, only a rope buckle for mounting the horse. Evan Zhao had never thought of making these.
The reason is simple. The Xiongnu would learn it. Their cavalry was huge, more than that of the Han Dynasty today. Stirrups and horseshoes were not very technical. If they were made hastily and the Xiongnu learned it before the Han Dynasty army could equip them on a large scale, it would undoubtedly be a disaster.
Evan Zhao started learning horse riding at the age of eight. Although he could fight on horseback, he had no problem riding a horse and whipping it.
After giving Henry Hu a few more instructions, Evan Zhao left with two strong servants and headed towards a village further west.
There were few people on the road, with only the crisp sound of horses' hooves stepping on the snow.
The cold wind blew in his face, lifting Evan Zhao's cloak. The hot air he exhaled from his mouth condensed into mist, and his eyebrows and eyelashes were soon covered with white frost.
After running for about a quarter of an hour, Tu Yuan's shadow appeared in front of them.
Ever since Evan Zhao proved that arrow tower earth walls can enhance the safety factor, nearby villages have followed suit.
Nowadays, there are similar buildings in the northeastern part of Shaling County, where people live in one township and ten pavilions, and they are beginning to spread to other townships. Even the neighboring Yangshou County has been affected, and some people have come here specifically just to see it with their own eyes so that they can build something similar when they go back.
Evan Zhao and his two companions arrived at the gate. The old man guarding the gate knew Evan Zhao and made way for them without saying a word, allowing them to enter the village.
The layout of the wall was similar to that of the Zhao family village, except that the tiles on the walls were more exquisite, and there were obviously more poultry. When Evan Zhao rode his horse forward for a distance, five or six reed chickens flapped their wings and flew past.
It’s definitely flying, Evan Zhao dares to swear to the sun.
Most of the villagers knew Evan Zhao and greeted him. Some even asked if the Zhao's livestock farm needed more help. They were all strong and not afraid of tigers or wolves.
"We will have to recruit people after the snow melts. If you are interested, you can go to Mr. He to register your name." Evan Zhao replied.
"My dear husband, I am grateful to you!"
"We all live in the same village, so we should take care of each other. It's good to do what you can, but the elders don't need to do that."
Seeing an elder bowing, Evan Zhao quickly dismounted. People gathered around him one after another, and it took them five minutes to walk a distance of less than a hundred meters.
When they arrived at the gate of the Wei family, a maid in a linen dress and a fur coat was already waiting at the door. Another strong servant opened the gate and invited Evan Zhao and his party in.
Walking into the courtyard, there is also a stable on the west side, with a row of fences next to the stable, and more than ten reed chickens are kept inside. On the east side is an empty cart and a bare mulberry tree.
Evan Zhao walked through the front yard and entered the main room for receiving guests.
A young girl in a green dress and with a jade-like appearance was sitting in the house.
In front of the girl was a stove with a copper frame on top and a clay basin hanging on the frame, in which hot soup was bubbling.
"Hodor, come and sit down."
The girl raised her head. Her face could not be described as beautiful, but there was a heroic spirit between her eyebrows and eyes that made people unable to take their eyes away.
Evan Zhao took two steps forward and bowed, causing the girl to laugh softly.
"Okay, sit down. There's no one else here, why are you acting like that?"
Evan Zhao grinned, sat down on the mat opposite the girl, took the bowl of hot soup, and waited for the girl to speak.
The girl motioned the maid to move the basin away, clasped her hands in front of her, and said calmly: "My father has been gone for three years, and I want to find a son-in-law."
"Finding a son-in-law?" Evan Zhao frowned.
What the girl meant by seeking a son-in-law was not marriage in the traditional sense, but seeking a son-in-law to live with her.
In short, marry a man.
The girl's name was Qing'e. Her father was a colleague of Victor Zhao. They had fought together in the past. After Victor Zhao died, she took good care of Evan Zhao. But like Victor Zhao, she was unlucky. Three years ago, she was killed in battle when the Xiongnu invaded the border.
The girl's mother had remarried and moved to Jiuyuan City with her husband's family, and the mother and daughter gradually lost contact. Even though there were fewer restrictions on women in the early Han Dynasty, it would be several times more difficult for a girl to support her family alone without brothers than it was for Evan Zhao.
Fortunately, the girl has a sharp eye and is as brave as the boy. When Evan Zhao opened the livestock farm, he invested nearly 10,000 yuan from his family. Now that the cattle and sheep are on the market, the cost has been gradually recovered. If the development goes smoothly, the future returns will definitely be considerable.
If you marry into your husband's family and meet the wrong person, you may face the risk of having your property taken away. But even so, it is not a good idea to have a son-in-law.
"Sister, don't rush to make a decision. There may be other ways." Evan Zhao said.
"Any other options?" The girl looked Evan Zhao up and down, and finally shook her head and sighed, "It's a pity that you are still young and can't have a child with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to worry so much."
Evan Zhao was drinking hot soup when he heard this, and the soup choked on his throat. He started coughing until his eyes turned red.
"This is no joke..."
"I'm not joking." The girl sighed, "In the previous dynasty, my ancestors had no clan name or surname, but they were awarded titles based on their military merits. I don't want our family to be forgotten by the public, so my son must have the surname Wei."
Evan Zhao stopped coughing and looked at the girl seriously.
"What should be done if the man who is to be married off has other thoughts?"
In the Han Dynasty, the status of a son-in-law was extremely low, even lower than that of a merchant. In addition to the mandatory labor service, he would be the first to be conscripted during wartime. If he was lucky, he would be a laborer transporting food and grass; if he was unlucky, he would be given a knife and become a member of the death squad.
With such status and position, no one would be willing to become a son-in-law unless it was to repay a favor or because he really couldn't survive. Anyone with some ambition would not be willing to become a son-in-law.
"I have loyal servants, and this is a border county, so it's easy to make someone disappear." The girl raised her eyebrows and chuckled.
Evan Zhao understood instantly.
For the girl, the purpose of marrying a son-in-law is to have a child. With a child, the father can just roll with the punches. If she doesn't want to be smooth, she doesn't mind giving him a push.
This is the Western Han Dynasty.
In the era when the Empress Dowager could be called "my emperor", the concept of husband being the head of the wife did not exist before Dong Zhongshu came on the scene.
What's more, Confucius and Mencius talked about moral concepts and norms, but Dong Zhongshu developed the theory of yang being superior and yin being inferior. If Empress Dowager Dou was still alive when he came on the stage, he would definitely be thrown into the wild boar pen like Yuan Gu, and no one would hand him a knife.
"There is one more thing." The girl put away her smile and said seriously, "The new county magistrate took office last month. Do you know?"
Evan Zhao nodded.
"The other day the village elders went to pay a visit and learned that the new county magistrate had been recommended by the acting prime minister."
Acting Prime Minister?
Evan Zhao’s mind began to race.
Among the princes of the Western Han Dynasty of the same generation, Liu Deng was basically an unknown person.
Not long after the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, most of the capable and confident princes had shown up in the rebellion. This man didn't even have a chance to make a cameo appearance and was completely forgotten in the corner.
Although the King of Dai had little presence, the Prime Minister of Dai was extraordinary. His surname was Guan and his given name was Fu. He made military achievements during the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms and was highly valued by Emperor Jing.
No impression?
Dou Ying, Marquis of Weiqi, was beheaded and thrown into the market, and this person was the instigator.
However, it was still nearly twenty years before this unlucky man met his end. Today, he is still an important official with a salary of two thousand stones. More importantly, Evan Zhao had heard from the chief clerk of the official temple that the Prime Minister of Dai and the governor of Wei had some conflicts.
Simply put, they don't like each other and are not the same kind of people.
The new Shaling County Magistrate was recommended by him?
This is not good news for Evan Zhao.
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