Chapter 410: When the Harvest Comes, Stockpile Grain in Tai Cang!

You issued an edict to establish extensive military colonies in Bozhou and Xuzhou.

A vibrant spring planting campaign began in full swing.

Those residents of the two states unwilling to be relocated and displaced were gathered again and settled on lands allocated in Xuzhou to begin farming.

Fertile lands once abandoned due to Northern Wind's policies were reclaimed and revived.

Roads damaged by neglect were repaired and reopened.

In Xuzhou, a new city was rebuilt, and granaries were constructed, named "Tai Cang."

Zhang Zhong led soldiers to build dams, open paddy fields, raise fish and shrimp, and pastured cattle and sheep across the vast grasslands of Bozhou.

The two hundred thousand troops also began internal competitions to see who could produce the highest yield per acre; the fields buzzed with activity.

Before long, autumn arrived.

The sky was high and clear, the air crisp and cool!

You and Lu Yu strolled beside the paddy fields of Xuzhou; the rice had grown to knee-height, heavy ears bending the stalks.

The plains of Xuzhou, famed as the Northern Wind's granary, had been meticulously divided into neat, orderly farmlands.

Golden rice ears stretched endlessly; wheat waves rippled; soldiers worked busily in the fields, their faces beaming with joy.

A scene of bountiful harvest!

Bozhou lay on the northern frontier, with vast grasslands; you established four major pastures there, relocated countless cattle and sheep from Yan, and dispatched merchant caravans to bring large quantities of tea for military and civilian needs.

Thus, fresh milk and rich tea filled the storehouses, all stored within "Tai Cang."

The two hundred thousand troops rotated in shifts: some worked the fields, others trained rigorously.

Six months passed in the blink of an eye.

You stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Yu, followed closely by Feng Haiping and Xie Ling.

An old farmer bent over his labor suddenly heard the Emperor's arrival; he hastily pulled his legs from the mud, ignored his filthy clothes, and hurried over in a run.

The dark-skinned farmer quickly said: "Zhang Zhong, pays homage to His Majesty and all the generals!"

He reached the field ridge and bowed respectfully.

You nodded with a smile, gazing at the scene of abundance before you.

It took five full days to harvest the rice on this plain alone—evidence of its extraordinary bounty.

Zhang Zhong contributed greatly; whether selecting seeds, sowing, or transplanting, he did everything himself.

"Zhang Zhong, your contribution this time is indispensable. What reward do you desire?"

The dark-skinned farmer wiped his muddy hands and immediately protested:

"No, no, no!"

"His Majesty has already given me more than enough."

"Since my great-grandfather's generation, our family has lived off the land. My grandfather was a tenant farmer; my father was a tenant farmer too—I nearly couldn't even find a wife. Now, in my generation, I've been ennobled! It's as if our ancestors' graves are smoking with auspicious vapor!"

As he spoke, the old man's dark face showed both fear and pride.

How many men have traveled thousands of miles seeking noble rank!

Yet here, a simple farmer, hoe in hand beneath the blazing sun, had achieved it.

You nodded, speaking gently: "Then I shall commission a biography of you, recording all your farming knowledge, so your name shall be remembered for generations."

The old farmer trembled with emotion, especially at the words "remembered for generations"—a dream beyond his wildest imagining.

He knelt instantly, voice choked: "Thank Your Majesty's boundless grace—I have no regrets in this life."

"Go back to work."

Zhang Zhong was naturally cautious; surrounded by high-ranking officials, he felt like needles pricked his back.

Hearing your order, he quickly took his leave.

Feng Haiping promptly handed you the recent Tai Cang reports: total grain reserves exceeded eighty thousand shi—a thrilling figure, still incomplete.

Warfare, especially long-distance campaigns, tests logistics above all.

"When raising an army of one hundred thousand to campaign a thousand li, the people's expenses and the state's expenditures amount to a thousand gold pieces daily; the entire realm is stirred, roads are clogged, and seventy Battalion Commander are unable to tend their fields."

This was no exaggeration: to mobilize one hundred thousand troops for distant campaign, seventy Battalion Commander must halt farming to supply the army.

Because the men and beasts transporting grain consume food en route, and must also carry rations for the return journey.

One civilian laborer, pushing a cart loaded with grain, consumes food both ways; only the remainder reaches the front-line soldiers.

The amount of grain a single laborer can deliver to the front is extremely limited—roughly twenty laborers are needed to supply one front-line soldier.

Thus, war ultimately becomes a contest of population and economy.

Fortunately, after this harvest, combined with existing grain reserves, cattle, sheep, and Bozhou's abundant aquatic resources, the army of four hundred thousand can endure the winter and hold through next spring.

With food secured, the next challenge is capturing Yuan Chong City.

Yuan Chong City housed fifty thousand troops; though they had stored grain, fifty thousand mouths consumed staggering quantities daily.

Moreover, the eight thousand troops sent by Qianyuan relied entirely on Northern Wind for supplies, further straining logistics.

Lu Yu suddenly flicked a pebble from his hand, striking a sparrow mid-flight.

He smiled: "Brother, look how fat this bird is!"

Sparrows love to eat rice—this one had clearly just feasted.

You smiled: "Autumn brings long days and plump birds—exactly so."

At that moment, Xie Ling asked: "Your Majesty, isn't it too obvious to store all our grain in Tai Cang?"

Northern Wind's grain was all stored in Tai Cang in Xuzhou; carts arrived daily, unloading grain into "Tai Cang."

Anyone familiar with military strategy knows: "Troops move first, provisions follow."

Provisions are the army's lifeline.

Northern Wind openly exposed its grain depot.

The intent was to lure Zhou Tiancheng out—but would such a simple ruse work?

You gazed toward Tai Cang, where supply wagons still streamed into the city.

"Warfare is deception!"

"Thus, when capable, appear incapable; when active, appear inactive; when near, appear distant; when distant, appear near."

The art of war lies in constant change and surprise.

When truly skilled in battle, feign weakness; when preparing to strike, pretend not to intend war.

"The false becomes real, the real becomes false. Our granary is in Tai Cang—this is undeniable, never concealed."

Feng Haiping silently considered: Northern Wind's main granary stood at Tai Cang, storing not only the provisions of Hu Hai's twenty thousand troops but also supplies transported from Yan.

If lost, the consequences would be catastrophic—this northern campaign would surely fail.

Though Xie Ling harbored some concern over such open exposure, the Prince's long-standing decisions and foresight had proven him infallible.

Feng Haiping couldn't help but worry about another possibility: "What if Zhou Tiancheng refuses to leave his walls? How do we respond?"

We have heavy troops guarding Tai Cang—would they dare to sortie?

For six months, the few thousand sentries stationed west of the irrigation canal have remained untouched, despite Zhou Tiancheng's inaction.

In fact, only a few mounted scouts have ventured out; no army, not even three thousand, has left the city.

Yan City, by contrast, saw frequent clashes between Qianyuan's Prince Wu Long and Hu Huan's forces.

Yuan Chong City, however, stood like an ancient tree—watching us plant and harvest for six months, utterly motionless.

You remained calm, gazing at the crops: "Seeds planted in spring ripen in autumn. Let them grow a little longer—they need time to mature."

You smiled, adding: "Or we could add a little fuel to make the situation burn hotter."

Faced with this situation, you decided…

1. Hold a military meeting every ten days among the eighty thousand troops in Tai Cang; all mid-level Northern Wind officers must attend. (Hint: Risk of catastrophic collapse and heavy losses!)

2. Do not hold meetings; let events unfold. (Hint: The northern campaign may be delayed until next year.)

3. Hold a military meeting every ten days among the fifty thousand troops in Tai Cang; all mid-level Northern Wind officers must attend. Secretly rotate officers away from meetings and return them to duty. (Hint: May accelerate northern advance.)

4. Participate personally. (3/3)

The great tripod trembled slightly; blue text appeared upon it.

Yu Ke studied the four options.

He eliminated the last option: participate personally.

He strongly advised: options that cannot be chosen should not appear.

As soon as Yu Ke entertained the thought, the fourth option vanished.

"So intelligent!"

He almost called out.

"A Ding, A Ding, are you there?"

Each simulation seemed to cause the ancient-looking tripod to evolve.

Looking at the remaining three options, he weighed them carefully.

If no meetings were held, the matter might drag into next year.

Resolving matters sooner was best.

If meetings were held, they must involve secret deployments—officers secretly rotated away and returned to duty.

Eliminate option one: risk of catastrophic collapse.

Only one option remained.

Yu Ke made no hesitation—he selected immediately.

3. Hold a military meeting every ten days among the eighty thousand troops in Tai Cang; all mid-level Northern Wind officers must attend. Secretly rotate officers away from meetings and return them to duty. (Hint: May accelerate northern advance.)

With your choice, the simulation continues.

【You gazed at Feng Haiping and said slowly: "Starting today, the military must hold a gathering every ten days within Taicang City."】

【"All battalion commanders in Yanbei Army with over a hundred men must attend. Let this matter spread quietly."】

【"As for the specific arrangements, handle them with care—entrust them to Shuiyin to oversee." You added.】

【Upon hearing this, Feng Haiping understood at once, even before you finished speaking.】

【Xie Ling's eyes flickered, revealing a look of sudden comprehension.】

【At that moment, Lu Yu idly flicked a pebble from his hand, striking precisely a sparrow carefully foraging for rice grains in the field.】

【He smiled and suggested: "Brother, how about we cook a pot of sparrow soup tonight?"】

【You gazed toward the direction of Yuan Chong City on Beifeng Plain and said slowly: "Fine. Let's cook a pot of sparrow soup then."】

……

……

Yuan Chong City, Governor's Mansion.

Another military meeting was underway in tense silence.

Six months had passed since the first retreat of Yanbei Army.

Recalling that time, Yanbei Army had split its forces on both banks of the Zhi River—a divine opportunity for Yuan Chong City to strike and disrupt their formation.

Yet!

Zhou Tiancheng and Tuoba Shuchao, among other high-ranking officers, chose not to pursue, fearing a trap.

Looking back now, it was a wasted chance.

Yanbei Army withdrew safely to Xu Zhou and Bo Zhou; soon after, intelligence arrived: Lu Chen planned to settle troops for farming in both prefectures.

At first, everyone thought it nonsense!

Yet, just one month later!

Yanbei Army actually began farming in full force, reclaiming the abandoned fields.

Though Bei Feng had ordered these farmlands abandoned three years prior and relocated the populace.

But Xu Zhou and Bo Zhou were northern granaries—vast plains with fertile soil; after only half a month of tending, they regained much of their former appearance.

In the blink of an eye, six months had passed.

Over these six months, Yanbei Army farmed and grew grain in Xu Zhou and Bo Zhou.

Meanwhile, Yuan Chong City remained like a crouching beast, watching, taking no concrete action.

Repeated meetings yielded only debate, never resolution—ultimately, they held their ground.

Now that autumn harvest was over, the farming season had ended; any chance for a surprise attack vanished.

They watched helplessly as Yanbei Army reaped full granaries, celebrating a bountiful harvest.

Inside the hall, troops remained in two lines: one side composed of Zhou Tiancheng's loyal generals, the other led by Tuoba Shuchao's "Du Cha" officials from Bei Feng's court.

At the main seat, Zhou Tiancheng sat like a mountain.

Zhou Yong rose to report: "General Zhou, we've just received word: this year's harvest from Yanbei Army will sustain them through the year, and even into next spring."

Upon hearing this!

An elderly general exclaimed in fury: "Xu Zhou produces enough grain annually via canal transport to feed the entire capital!"

"Bo Zhou is the most abundant aquatic region in Bei Feng—now Lu Chen has simply stolen it all."

Tuoba Shuchao, upon hearing this, fell into deep thought.

If the grain truly lasts until next spring, Yanbei Army will likely not withdraw this year; come spring, they can plant again.

In Yuan Chong City, each soldier consumes four catties of rice daily; with fifty thousand troops, plus eighty thousand elite soldiers from Yan City, daily grain and supply needs are astronomical.

All of this is the accumulated wealth Bei Feng has painstakingly built over years.

Brother Emperor Tuoba Shuyi, stationed in the rear, oversees national finances and logistics for Yuan Chong City—he knows that in the end, war is won by national strength.

Initially, we assumed Lu Chen's expedition would strain his supply lines, causing massive losses.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chen adopted the farming settlement strategy, solving the grain crisis in one stroke.

Lu Chen is truly no ordinary man.

Zhou Yong continued: "The forty thousand troops of Yanbei Army have stored all their grain in Taicang, guarded by eighty thousand elite soldiers on all sides."

"Supply convoys flow continuously to Taicang, stretching endlessly, with no end in sight."

(End of Chapter)