By this time, the ground was truly 'flat'. The trees had all been moved away, and the animal carcasses had been removed. The huge rocks had long since been broken up. From a distance, it could truly be described as flat.
However, there were still many flaws and defects. So, at this point, Yinglong started moving again.
It stretched out its long and powerful tail, raised it high, and aimed it at the uneven ground, slamming it down repeatedly.
Each time, it was accompanied by a deafening roar. However, after each impact, many of the protruding parts were naturally flattened, while the dented parts were smoothed out by the surrounding soil.
And just like that, the daytime work was completely finished. That's right, now it's time for the night's work.
Many mountain workers would reappear at this time, carrying buckets of kerosene, which they would then sprinkle on the ground. After all, even if the big trees were gone, there were still plenty of saplings and flowers.
With a loud boom, a fire dragon appeared.
Lin Yang knew that there was a scientific basis for setting fires. It could burn away many remaining flowers and plants. At the same time, it could also kill many pests and parasites. It was essentially a complete purification process, which was quite necessary.
This is the main process of reclaiming wasteland, which generally takes about a day and a night. Of course, sometimes, if the land is more scalding, it may take two or three days.
However, usually, a day and a night is enough! One Yinglong, plus a hundred Imperial Guards, plus a thousand Yue laborers, can completely develop an area of several square kilometers. Although, it's only preliminary development!
After the fire, this land can be used directly. Whether it's used to cultivate fields for crops or to build houses for people to live in, it's already considered adequate.
Before they knew it, two months had passed. During these two months, Lin Yang and his Wu Kingdom troops had carved out a plain of about eight or nine hundred square kilometers in this vast primeval forest.
It's important to know that Hong Kong Island in later generations only had a total area of 1,100 square kilometers, but it was home to more than 7 million people.
As for Linyang, it already covers an area of eight or nine hundred square kilometers. Although it cannot accommodate more than seven million people due to reasons such as resources and productivity, it can still accommodate more than seven hundred thousand people.
Unfortunately, at this time, the Wu Kingdom was extremely sparsely populated. The vast kingdom of Wu had only a little over 50,000 people. It is truly a tragic story.
"Over the past two months, we have opened up plains the size of several townships, and at the same time, we have also opened up 20,000 hectares of land (that is, 300,000 mu). We have also accumulated several million jin of meat, and produced a lot of canned meat. We have also tried selling it, and it is quite popular in major cities."
"In addition, over the past two months, a total of 80,000 villas have been built, each capable of housing a family of more than 20 people. Unfortunately, most of these villas are vacant and not fully occupied."
...
Listening to Guo Jia's introduction, Lin Yang couldn't help but frown. Overall, they had achieved quite good results over the past two months!
Once the 300,000 mu of land is fully cultivated and turned into fertile fields, it will be sufficient to solve the current food problem. More importantly, it will reassure the people and gradually win their hearts and minds towards the Wu Kingdom.
As for the small buildings, they are what we now call villas, except that they are built with bricks, tiles, wood, and stones. Each small building is three stories high, with several rooms on each floor. Each small building also has a courtyard with a well in it.
It can be said that Lin Yang, who suffered greatly from the real estate market in his previous life, is quite conscientious when it comes to housing. He gives away a house as a gift upon arrival, and it's a large house that can accommodate a family of more than twenty people.
Lin Yang felt that there was no ruler in the world more conscientious than him! But what was the result? How many people are left in the population now?
"Isn't our population far too small? We've been waiting for two whole months! Even if someone had family matters to attend to, or lived in a remote area, they should have received the news by now, right? Besides, the Wu Kingdom alone has a registered population of 500,000, but only a little over 30,000 have arrived so far. Why is that? Do you think I'm that easy to talk to?" Lin Yang said, frowning.
(Of the more than 50,000 people, 5,000 were veterans, and a little over 10,000 were craftsmen and young dreamers recruited by Lin Yang from the Central Plains. Therefore, only about 30,000 were native to Jiangdong.)
At the same time, a murderous intent was already creeping into his heart. Did these people think he was easy to bully? Or did they think they could renege on their debt to him, the Duke of Wu?
When they were taking advantage of the situation, everyone came to register. Now that Wu needs them, they've all disappeared. They're not even willing to come. Are they courting death? Or are they courting death? Or are they courting death?
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia sighed and said, "Actually, when they registered, many people didn't realize this issue; they were simply looking to gain an advantage. Now, they probably all regret it. Moreover, during this process, quite a few powerful families were secretly sabotaging things!"
"Then issue an order directly, in a serious tone, so that you won't say you weren't warned!"
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Chapter Seven: Lin Yang, the Nervous Son-in-Law Meets His Father-in-Law
This is a secluded courtyard, a frequent gathering place for the second generation of Jiangdong residents. Sometimes, the purpose of these gatherings is to discuss matters. Other times, the purpose is simply to have fun, connect with others, and cultivate friendships.
At this moment, another gathering of the second generation began! However, this time, the initiator was Xu Qing, the eldest son of the Xu family of Kuaiji County.
"Haha, don't say we didn't warn you! It seems our Duke of Wu doesn't have any good ideas either; at most, he can only say a few words in the newspaper," Xu Qing said happily.
“Yes, at first I thought the Duke of Wu was so powerful, but now it seems he’s all talk and no action. That makes sense, he’s just a young man without any real power base. It’s normal that he’s become so infatuated with a high position that he doesn’t know which way is up,” Liu Hui said with a smile.
Although Liu Hui's surname was Liu, he had absolutely no connection to the Han Dynasty's imperial family. He was simply a local tycoon from Jiangdong.
Hearing this, and listening to their discussion, Gu Yong frowned. Gu Yong knew that the reason they were saying this was mainly because the Xu family had lost a gold mine during their westward expedition, and the Liu family had lost a silver mine.
However, why can't we calm down and think about this properly? Just those seven Yinglong, who work all day long, are enough to explain a lot.
However, some people are always immersed in past glories and unable to see reality. Of course, some of these people are genuinely foolish, lacking intelligence, and truly cannot understand. But many more are pretending to be ignorant when they know the truth, or rather, they are testing the waters.
To test Lin Yang, the Duke of Wu, and see his reaction—whether he's easy to bully and whether they can gain an advantage—they also want to flex their muscles!
Even if you, Lin Yang, are the Duke of Wu, so what? Without the cooperation of local aristocratic families like us, how can you expand your territory? Why don't you hurry up and share some of the benefits?
"This can't go on, it's a path to certain death. They think the Duke of Wu is a nouveau riche, don't they? Always trying to tear a piece of flesh from him, aren't they afraid the Duke of Wu will really get angry!" Yu Fan said in a low voice. As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and took a sip of wine, as if to cover up his true feelings.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yong smiled wryly. Both the Yu and Gu families were prominent families in Wu County, with close ties to the Central Plains. Naturally, they were aware of the power of the imperial court and the might of the army.
The Xu and Liu families, on the other hand, were prominent families in Kuaiji Commandery. For a long time, they had not maintained close ties with the Central Plains. Furthermore, due to Xiang Yu's influence, the imperial court had not effectively governed Jiangdong for the past 20,000 years.
The result is that a large number of short-sighted and self-righteous local tyrants have been cultivated!
Now, these local tyrants are secretly sabotaging Lin Yang, spreading rumors that the Kingdom of Wu is dangerous and that going there will mean certain death. They are using these methods to mislead the people and prevent them from going to Wu.
“Alas, they’ve all been blinded by profit, like someone who’s pretending to be asleep. We can only act in secret. This time, even if the powerful families of Wu County and Kuaiji break ties, we can’t let them lead us astray!” Gu Yong said firmly.
As the foremost member of the second generation of the Gu family, Gu Yong had traveled far and wide, including to Luoyang. He even became a disciple of Cai Yong, so his knowledge and vision were naturally far superior to those of the local tycoons from Jiangdong. At least, he wasn't so short-sighted.
“Indeed, it should have been done long ago. But Yuan Tan, when do you plan to go and join the Duke of Wu? In just two months, 300,000 mu of land have been reclaimed; this is a sign of great prosperity. If we join now, we will certainly receive a hereditary noble title. Perhaps, we might even get a hereditary fiefdom!”
When the topic turned to hereditary titles, noble ranks, and fiefdoms, Yu Fan's eyes lit up. It was just too tempting, and Lin Yang was being incredibly generous!