In Yarkand, there are many Gobi and deserts, pastures and arable land are scarce, and the population that can be supported is limited.According to the Book of Han - The Legend of the Western Regions, the population of the Western Regions is about 840,000.Over the past thousand years, although the technology of agriculture and animal husbandry has developed, since the Ming Dynasty, the ecological environment of the Western Regions has gradually deteriorated, so the population that can be supported in the Western Regions is still limited.After the Zhou army occupied Yarkand, Sun Kewang got the documents of the Yarkand Khanate and learned that the population of Yarkand was about 350,000 accounts and more than 800,000 people.For nearly a thousand years, the population of the Western Regions, constrained by resources, has fluctuated between hundreds of thousands and one million.In other words, the Western Regions can only feed so many people.In the past two years, Sun Kewang has cooperated with Hong Chengchou to successively send more than 500,000 people to Yarkand through various means.With such an influx of people at once, the Yarkand region is obviously unable to bear it, and the only way to feed these people is to increase the grain production in Yarkand and obtain grain from the outside.Therefore, after Sun Kewang accepted Yarkand, he purged the original nobles and sect leaders of Yarkand, distributed pastures and fields to the Yarkand people, and increased their enthusiasm for production, and on the other hand, organized the Han people who migrated over to dredge rivers, build water conservancy, and reclaim land at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains to increase Yarkand's grain production.However, whether it is to increase the enthusiasm of the Yarkand people or to reclaim the land, it is not immediately possible to produce more grain, cattle and sheep, and it requires a process.Sun Kewang estimated that if Yarkand could be developed, Yarkand should be able to feed 500,000 tents, about 1.5 million people, barely enough to meet the grain needs of the Zhou State.But how to survive and develop, it is necessary to obtain food supplies from Guan.For this reason, Sun Kewang established a granary in all counties in the Western Regions, ready to reserve 800,000 stone of grain, which was used to support the grain harvest at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, but the warehouse was built, and the grain in Guanzhong was not transported.The Ming army launched an attack in advance, completely disrupting Zhou's plans.Hong Chengchou was ready to transfer grain from Sichuan at first, but Sichuan quickly fell, and then prepared to transfer grain from Guanzhong, but found that Guanzhong was in short supply, so he could only look forward to the autumn harvest, but before the wheat could be cut, the Ming army came in.This caused Sun Kewang's 800,000 stone grain storage plan to be aborted, and the grain stored in the past two years was less than 100,000 stones.Wu Sangui has been a flock of sheep, a salt farm, and a piece of fertile land after reclamation, which makes him feel good and worried, and he doesn't want to lie to him.Wu Sangui asked with a calm face: "Then how much grain is stored now, and how long is enough for the army to eat?"
”Hong Chengchou looked at Sun Kewang, and only Sun Kewang knew the specific situation."
It's only enough for two months, and after two months, there will be a food shortage in the whole of Yarkand, and I'm afraid half of the population will starve to death."
Sun Kewang said.The muscles on Wu Sangui's face twitched, and Hong Chengchou and Sun Kewang also looked solemn.As former Ming Dynasty people, no one knows famine better than them.In the event of a famine, the hungry people will eat everything they can eat, and their livestock and grain will be eaten, which will lead to no harvest in the following year, forming a vicious circle, and eventually the whole society will collapse.If there is a famine in Yarkand, then not only the adult cattle and sheep, but also the breeding sheep and lambs, will be eaten, and there will be no lambs in the coming year, even if half of the people have already starved to death, the famine will continue.If Hermes-Epitek did not plant grain and sow seeds, it would also fall into a vicious circle, and at that time, without Zhao Zamao coming to chase and kill, Zhou Guo might die himself.Wu Sangui remembered the scene during the Chongzhen period, and felt the crisis like burning his eyebrows.The promise of starting a foundation like a stone turned out to be nothing more than a scam.Wu Sangui's eyes were red, and he gasped in a low voice: "Those two prime ministers, there is a solution!"
”Sun Kewang had already had a draft, and said in a deep voice: "There are only two ways to solve the crisis and avoid famine.First, it is necessary to develop production and increase grain output.The minister is already doing this, and these fertile fields that the king has seen are the results of the minister's work in the past year. ”"These distant waters don't quench their thirst, so the prime minister should think about what to do in two months!"
Wu Sangui said with annoyance.Sun Kewang continued: "The development of production is to fundamentally solve the problem, but it will take a while to be effective, so during this period, another method is needed at the same time. ”"What's the solution?"
Wu Sangui asked.Sun Kewang said: "Yarkand is short of food, so you can only get food from the outside world. ”Wu Sangui said: "The tribes on the grassland, even it is difficult to feed themselves, can they have extra food?"
”"There are still some.The minister had already sent a caravan to trade with the Yuzi people with blankets and iron tools, and he could get some cattle and sheep. ”Sun Kewang said: "Of course, this is far from satisfying our consumption. ”Hong Chengchou knew that Sun Kewang still had a way, so he asked: "Then what other way does Zuo Xiang have to solve the problem of food?"
”Sun Kewang said solemnly: "There is indeed a way, that is, like the Emperor Taiji back then, enter the customs and loot!"
”Wu Sangui looked at Sun Kewang like a madman, he had just escaped from Guanlong, and then went back to Guanlong to loot, wasn't he sent to death?
Sun Kewang explained: "Your Excellency can rest assured, the entry that the minister said is not to rob the Ming Dynasty. ”Hong Chengchou also had doubts, "The object of plundering must be relatively wealthy, if it is too barren, it may cost a lot, and the casualties will be heavy, but the harvest is very meager."
Around Yarkand, in addition to the wealth of the Ming Dynasty, who can feed more than 500,000 people at once by robbing?
”Hong Chengchou also has some understanding of the surrounding areas of the Western Regions, and the powerful Zungar was only more than 600,000 people in its heyday, even if the Zungar is destroyed, the captured may not be able to meet the needs of the Zhou State.Around the Western Regions, other small countries are also very weak, with a population of more than 100,000 people, and it is difficult to support the Zhou State.Sun Kewang looked at Hong Chengchou and did not answer directly, but said mysteriously: "The right minister doesn't know, after the Great Zhou occupied the Yarkand Khanate, the prime minister sent troops and horses to receive and inspect the Yarkand border.When the army arrived in the Kunlun Mountains, it clashed with a country to the south.The people of this country, acting arrogantly and with no one in their eyes, intend to pass through the Kunlun Mountains and occupy the source of the Yarkand River. ”Wu Sangui and Hong Chengchou were both attracted by Sun Kewang's words and asked, "Where did you come from in a small country, where is a certain non-Yelang arrogant?"
”"They are really not Yelang, they are indeed a very big country, called Mughal, and it is said that they have dominated Tianzhu!"
Sun Kewang said in a deep voice: "At that time, I saw that the Great Zhou had just occupied Yaerqiang, so he didn't want to cause more trouble, but just sent an envoy to warn, but the other party not only listened, but instead sent more troops and horses to provoke!"
”Wu Sangui asked anxiously, "What is the result?"
”Sun Kewang sneered: "The minister wanted to endure it, but in the end, the 10,000 Mughal army was defeated by Zhao Liangdong's 1,000 people, and he was directly driven out of the Kunlun Pass!"
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