When the two palaces in Qingshou Palace talk.

On far away Xihe Road, the situation has already undergone a qualitative change.

Wang Daxu, riding a horse and leading the men and horses under his hands, patrolled the kapok fields.

In Xihe in May, the sun shines directly on the earth.

The gurgling stream flows down from the mountains and merges into the Tao River.

A waterwheel has been set up in front of the canal that was just repaired this year.

In the spring of this year, Gao Xiang, two national relatives, took advantage of their connections and borrowed a large number of craftsmen from the Duzuo Temple from Yongxing Army, Luoyang and even Bianjing under the pretext of building Zisheng Zen Temple.

The arrival of these craftsmen brought a large amount of advanced technology from the Central Plains to Xihe.

One of them is this waterwheel.

As early as the Zhenmiao era, waterwheels, which had begun to appear widely in the Central Plains, first appeared in remote areas like Xihe.

The waterwheel, which is more than ten feet high, continuously draws river water from Taoshui to irrigate the kapok fields.

Wang Daxu liked to see this scene very much.

Because he also has a share of these kapok fields.

Not much though!

But it is the foundation for his livelihood.

"Wang Tiha..." Far away, Wang Daxu heard a familiar voice.

He followed the sound and saw a man in green clothes running towards him from the kapok field.

"Guo Gui!" Wang Daxu laughed: "What's the matter?"

Guo Gui smiled flatteringly and asked: "Tiha, why do you have time to come to the cotton fields today?"

Last year, Wang Daxu achieved military success by welcoming Ren Duo Baozhong and other party nobles into the country.

Moreover, because he is a subordinate of Xiang family.

Therefore, his merits were truly reported, and he obtained an official status from the Privy Council.

Now, he is a serious military minister.

Although he is only a minor envoy, he is also the lowest ranking among the minor envoys, borrowing his post from Class 3, Grade 9.

But in the Song Dynasty, this was a class jump!

How many unworthy military ministers would have to spend a lifetime just by grinding and training, before they could be favored by the court and gain the title of a third class loaner when they were old.

Forget about being sent.

Wang Daaxu is different!

Now he is not only a serious military minister, but also under the operation of his benefactor Xiang Zongji, he has received a serious mission from Xihe Road to appease the system and set up a department - Quan Fa sent Xizhou Didao to inspect

Envoy, this was his benefactor’s mission to Zongji.

Therefore, he deserves to be called a "discipline" by others.

"Today, I came to inspect Didao under the military order of the governor, and took a look at the cotton fields..." Wang Daxu rode on his horse and said to Guo Gui, and then he asked: "Last month, the Tubo leader Xi

How did the Tibetan hired workers sent by Bawen perform in the cotton fields?"

Not only Wang Daxu is paying attention to this matter now.

Many big shots above are also watching.

It is said that even literary stars like Mr. Jing Lue seem to attach great importance to this matter.

Wang Daxu didn't quite understand the thoughts of those big shots.

His idea was simple - Tibetan workers were very cheap, even cheaper than the Qiang and Dangxiang people in the past.

If they can use it, then some time later, Wang Daxu will also plan to go to the governor to seek connections, hire dozens of Tibetan workers, and arrange for his cotton fields.

Guo Gui reported with a smile: "Reporting to Tiha, those Tibetan people are a bit stupid. In the beginning, they even weeded with their hands and didn't know how to use iron tools..."

"But they are all quite honest and diligent..."

"Now, I'm slowly getting used to it!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the busy figures in the cotton fields: "Look at Tiha, these Tibetan hired workers can even do better than the Qiang and Dangxiang people now."

Wang Daxu looked around and saw countless figures busy in the vast cotton field.

The village leaders armed with whips and wooden sticks walked on the field ridges to supervise those people.

They were all really hard-working. Wang Daxu had been observing for a long time, but he didn't find anyone being lazy.

This really surprised him.

"Why is it so useful?" Wang Daxu was moved.

Guo Gui smiled and said: "Tiha doesn't know what kind of life these Tubo people lived in the past?"

"I heard them say..."

"They all used to grow highland barley for the Tubo nobles in Taozhou and Minzhou..."

"They are over there. Let alone being full, it is common for them to be hungry for five meals in three days!"

"In recent years, many people have starved to death due to drought..."

Wang Daxu was silent as he listened.

Since coming to Xihe, his three views have been refreshed again and again.

He originally thought that the evil-hearted workshop owners in Bianjing City were already the most evil people in the world - these people often owed money to their hired workers. When he was a child, the most he heard was that so-and-so owed others money.

No more, so-and-so took the whole family to XX's house and blocked the door to ask for wages.

But after all, the people of Bianjing are paid to start work.

Moreover, the price is not low.

One hundred or even one hundred and twenty dollars a day!

But here on Xihe Road, it doesn't matter if copper coins turn into iron coins.

A month’s wages are only three to five hundred cents!

If converted into copper coins, it would only be a few dozen!

As for this, both the Qiang and Dangxiang people are still willing.

Because, the cotton field manor of the Song Dynasty included food and accommodation!

Even though I eat rice cooked with bran, soybeans mixed with other whole grains and served with pickles, I may not be able to get a bowl of oily bone broth in a month.

We lived in a thatched house built of rammed earth, with seven or eight people often crowded into one room, and all they wore were old, patched clothes.

But those people are very satisfied.

He just likes to be lazy and cheat when doing things - the twenty or thirty Qiang people currently employed in Wang Daxu's cotton field will come every three to five.

Give him a headache!

Some people would even take the opportunity to negotiate terms with him.

I want to have a good meal, or I want some more pieces of peat for warmth.

Wang Daxu has a good heart. Under normal circumstances, as long as the trouble is not too much, he will agree to those people.

After all, people do work very hard.

But now, seeing the appearance of the Tibetan people in this cotton field, Wang Daxu felt that the Qiang people employed by his family were no longer good.

no way!

There are two types of Qiang people, one is cooked Qiang and the other is raw Qiang.

The Shu Qiang are people who are used to getting along with Han people and can speak Chinese, while the Sheng Qiang are those who hide in the valleys and herd sheep.

But now, there are not many living Qiang left.

If you look for it again, you have to go to Hengshan to look for it.

The familiar Qiang people are already very accustomed to dealing with Han people.

They were even led astray by Han sharecroppers and hired workers.

They all know how to bargain with employers, and have also learned Chinese skills such as laziness and pretending to be sick.

Wang Daxu’s employees are all familiar with Qiang, and they are all very shrewd!

Wang Daxu didn't take it seriously either.

Anyway, their price is not high.

One month, food and accommodation are provided, and three to five hundred cash in iron money is enough.

Compared with the wages in Bianjing, he only had to spend one-thirtieth of the wages in Bianjing, or even less, to hire a hired worker willing to work for him for a month.

Wang Daxu was already content!

But now...

Listening to Guo Gui's words, his heart was shaken.

He thought of his mother in Bianjing City, his wife, and even those children.

Wang Daxu swallowed his saliva.

He looked at the Tibetan people working diligently and thought to himself: "How much money will I save if I hire such Tibetan people?"
To be continued...