Castle of Black Iron

As grains supply was the principal task facing all the Weiji officials in the theater of operations, Zuoqiu Mingyue, his Weiji envoys, even ordinary people were paying special attention to it. Of course, Zhang Tie himself would treat it seriously. Thankfully, Zhang Tie had long prepared for it. He had started to make arrangements in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory since Taixia Country started to suffer a crop failure as a whole last year. Now, these arrangements would be available. Meanwhile, the bumper harvest in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory last year made Zhang Tie very confident. Besides, the over 100 million mu official fields in Ninghe Prefecture that he had taken over for less than 1 year also welcomed a big harvest.

The harvest of the over 100 million mu official fields in Ninghe Prefecture also shocked the entire Northeast Military Region. Because the other fields in Ninghe Prefecture continued to suffer a crop failure or reduction of crop production since the second half of last year; only the official fields that Zhang Tie had taken over registered a marvelous reversal, revealing a sharp difference with the other fields.

Under the multiple means of Zhang Tie, the over 100 million mu official fields under Zhang Tie’s name gained a bumper harvest of soybeans in late August since sowing them in June. The autumn wheat that was sowed in this September also grew well and was expected to make another harvest.

With such an experience and background and the relief from Fire-Dragon Territory and Ninghe Prefecture, Zhang Tie had long been confident about the grains production in the theater of operations.

Besides the resources that were available in the Northeast Military Region, the key to the grains production in the theater of operations still lay in the theater of operations. Therefore, after the banquet, all the officials in Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province and Military Province instantly left like sheep being whipped by Zhang Tie’s order.

Zhang Tie arrived at Kangzhou City on January 11. On the next day, over 200 provincial and prefectural Weiji envoys hurriedly left there and returned to their own official residence to preside over things. As there were only a bit more than 2 weeks left in January. On February 2 when the dragon would raise its head legendarily, according to the farming calendar, the earth would thaw and recover its vitality. All the plants would start to grow vigorously. The spring plowing almost started from February 2. As the new grains had been delivered to the 4 provinces, all the farming officials hurriedly returned to preside over spring plowing and seeds delivery.

If it was in peacetime, spring plowing was just a common work; the provincial and prefectural farming officials would not be so hurried and anxious about it.

However, it was different this year. Because the first order of Zhang Tie the Weiji General was “Order of Balancing Awards and Punishments”.

As for the order of awards and punishments, from this year on, the Peacewest Farming Administration would count the average grain production per mu official field within the 4 provinces. After that, they would determine whether to award or punish the provincial and prefectural Weiji envoys in the 4 provinces based on the average grains production per mu. If the grains production per mu official field of a prefecture or a province was higher than the average, the provincial or prefectural farming officials would be awarded in terms of monthly compensation, one-off payout or convenience in qualification assessment and promotion. By contrast, those farming officials whose official fields were lower than the average would be severely punished, even be chopped off their heads. When there wasn’t any natural disaster, if the grains production per mu official field under their governance was lower than 80% of the average for consecutive 2 years or 60% of the average that year in the theater of operations, the farming officials would be beheaded.

For instance, the average grains production per mu official field in the 4 provinces counted by the Peacewest Farming Administration this year was 3,000 kg, if the grains production per mu official field in a prefecture of Military Province was lower than 1,800 kg, the Weiji envoy of this prefecture would be beheaded; if the grains production per mu official field in a prefecture of Ningzhou Province was lower than 2,400 kg, the Weiji envoy of this prefecture would almost be beheaded. If the average grains production per mu official field in this prefecture next year was lower than 80% of the average grains production per mu official field across the theater of operations, the Weiji envoy of this prefecture would be beheaded for sure.

The same principle suited the provincial Weiji envoys of Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province and Military Province too. If the average grains production per mu official field of a province didn’t reach any requirement, the provincial Weiji envoy would be beheaded.

Soon after Zhang Tie released his order of balancing awards and punishments, besides some officials of Peacewest Farming Administration who were slightly relaxed, all the provincial and prefectural officials hurriedly left Kangzhou City after the dinner.

As Zhang Tie threatened these officials with the order of balancing awards and punishments, these officials also threatened the officials in farming agencies and farming centers. Therefore, all the officials in farming authorities across the theater of operations went into action and started to be busy preparing for the coming spring plowing.

…

On the afternoon of January 12, Zhang Tie was strolling on the ridge of the crisscrossed fields which covered 300,000 hectares outside Kangzhou City…

After hearing that there were 300,000-hectare official fields outside Kangzhou City, Zhang Tie became interested. He then appointed Lu Yanyu to make a field investigation of the official fields in the theater of operations. They didn’t take any airboat; instead, they just left Kangzhou City with some bodyguards by cars.

When they arrived here, Zhang Tie told the driver to pull over; after that, he got off the vehicle and started to stroll on the ridge of the fields, carefully followed by Lu Yanyu.

At the end of the year, there was small snow outside Kangzhou City. After slightly making up the earth, it soon disappeared. By mid-January, it was still a bit cold outside Kangzhou City. However, when the sun came out, it became a bit warm.

Zhang Tie was still fiddling with 3 walnuts. After ending the dinner last night, he had returned to his residence in Peacewest Farming Administration. Over last night, he ate another 17 fruits of redemption from the gratitude of golden uangs through his “illusory movement”. As a result, he increased 1,000 more kg strength. Therefore, he had to continue to adapt to his newly increased strength.

After Zhang Tie released his order of balancing awards and punishments last night, Lu Yanyu turned more silent today. If not being asked, this farming administrator of Peacewest Farming Administration would never utter a word.

There were two things in Lu Yanyu’s sleeve. He was pinching the corners of the two things and was considering whether to take them out at this moment. When people’s own interest was involved, they would always hesitate…