Chapter 999 Zhang Xu's New Invention

After taking a shower and changing clothes, Yun Zheng went outside.

After Xin Sheng helped him bathe and change clothes, the relationship between him and Xin Sheng seemed to begin to become a little different.

However, Yun Zheng did not take the opportunity to eat the girl.

If he wanted to eat this girl, he could do so at any time. There was no need to do anything to her while she was bathing.

Seeing Yun Zheng coming out, Ye Zi couldn't help but give him a knowing smile.

Yun Zheng glared at Ye Zi with a smile, then walked over to Ye Zi and whispered, "Are you going to help me find a concubine?"

"No way!"

Ye Zi smiled, "You just came back, Luo Yan and I were busy arranging things in the mansion, so isn't it normal to ask someone to help you, the prince, bathe and change clothes?"

Her thoughts are completely different from Yun Zheng's.

In her opinion, this is the most normal thing.

If a maidservant helps her master bathe and change clothes, she will be taken into the room. It is estimated that the young masters of every wealthy family will have dozens of concubines.

If Emperor Wen thought like him, there would be countless more concubines in the harem.

Many of the palace maids who were favored by the emperor did not even have the lowest title.

"Well, I thought too much."

Yun Zheng smiled and asked, "Where's Zhang Xu? What is he busy with recently?"

"What else can he be busy with?" Ye Zi smiled, "Isn't he just busy making money and tinkering with the things you asked him to tinker with?"

This has always been Zhang Xu's hobby, and he is happy to do these things.

"Has he found a suitable assistant?"

Yunzheng asked again.

"I found more than ten of them before."

Ye Zi replied: "However, Zhang Xu's requirements are quite high. Sometimes he complains that others are clumsy, and sometimes he complains that others are stupid. Out of more than ten people, only three were left..."

Speaking of this, Ye Zi couldn't help laughing.

Although Zhang Xu usually appears to be laughing in front of Yun Zheng, he actually has a very weird temper.

As long as those people violated his taboos, he would not keep them no matter how useful they were.

Hearing Ye Zi's words, Yun Zheng also smiled knowingly.

Three?

That's a bit less indeed.

But it's better than having no one at all.

Anyway, these are all assistants found for Zhang Xu. Whether they stay or go is entirely up to Zhang Xu.

As long as he finds it convenient to use, it will be fine.

After a few brief words, Ye Zi told Yun Zheng about the situation in the Northwest Protectorate.

The situation in the Northwest Protectorate is indeed not good.

Even though they thought of many solutions, people still starved to death every day.

There are also people who make a living by hunting and killing others and eating their flesh and blood.

Those people also took out human flesh to sell, calling it rice meat, "Buxiyang sheep", etc.

There were even people who specialized in digging up the bodies of those who had starved to death or frozen to death and eating their corpses for a living.

Although Dugu Ce ordered people to investigate such incidents strictly, they still continued to occur.

In addition, there were often riots caused by hungry people there, but fortunately there were many troops stationed there, and those hungry people themselves did not have much combat power, so they were basically suppressed quickly.

In just these two or three months, the registered population of the Northwest Protectorate has dropped by more than 100,000.

If we include the unregistered population, the number would be even higher.

Ye Zi couldn't bear it, and originally wanted to squeeze in some more people from Shuobei and allocate some grain to help the hungry people. However, because Xiqu was established, she felt the crisis, so she forced herself to give up the idea.

Speaking of the Northwest Protectorate, Ye Zi couldn't help sighing.

Although she also knew that those starving people were not considered Daqian people, she still felt a little bit reluctant when she thought about the miserable conditions in the Northwest Protectorate.

But they have tried their best.

Although she sympathized with those people, she could not allocate military rations on a large scale to relieve the starving people.

Listening to Ye Zi's narration, Yun Zheng sighed silently in his heart.

Even though they tried every possible means, widespread starvation and death were still inevitable.

He is somewhat helpless now.

While sighing, Yun Zheng thought of Lou Yi again.

Damn it!

It’s all this bastard’s fault!

If they had not burned so much military rations when they were defeated, and had obtained the food themselves, and then sent some more food as support, even if there was a food shortage in the Northwest Protectorate, it would definitely only last for a short time.

And now, they have to grit their teeth and persevere for more than half a year.

But then again, this isn’t Lou Yi’s fault.

If he were defeated, he would definitely order his men to burn the food and supplies.

If you want to blame someone, blame that bastard for being too ruthless and excessive in order to fight the war.

"By the way, did we buy food from Xiqu?"

Yunzheng asked again.

Ye Zi: "Yes, but it's just a drop in the bucket."

Although the ordinary people in the original Moxi tribes had no surplus food, some princes and nobles still had some food stored up.

They paved the way with irresistible wine and exchanged some food from the princes and nobles, but the quantity was too little.

Taking into account the food and necessities for the people and horses in the caravan, there were only a few thousand dan of grain left.

Given their current predicament, what can this little bit of food do?

“It’s so damn hard!”

Yun Zheng rubbed his head with a headache and sighed weakly, "Let's do this for now! After meeting Su Zan, I'll go to Fuzhou again and think of a way to see if I can get some more food!"

After all, there is still more than half a year left, and we still need to find a way to solve the food problem.

As long as we can get through it, those who survive can all be labor force!

Once these people are put into production, both Shuobei and Northwest Protectorate will usher in rapid development.

If it really doesn't work, then it all depends on the luck of those people.

As the two were talking, they saw Zhang Xu and Mingyue walk in holding the child. Behind them, there were a few people carrying a big thing covered with cloth.

"Your Highness! Look what I brought you?"

Zhang Xu ran forward with a smile on his face, pointing at the big guy being carried by several people.

Looking at Zhang Xu's look as if he was seeking credit, Mingyue couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Although Zhang Xu has many shortcomings, this guy is still reliable.

"Is this your new invention?"

Yun Zheng looked at the big guy that was carried over by several people with great interest.

The thing Zhang Xu tinkered with should be pretty good, right?

"Correct!"

Zhang Xu chuckled, "Your Highness, please open it and have a look!"

Yun Zheng was curious, so he immediately walked over and tore off the cloth covering the big guy.

In an instant, a strange-looking object came into the eyes of Yun Zheng and Ye Zi.

Looking at the thing in front of him, Yun Zheng's face couldn't help but twitch.

What the hell!

Pedal thresher!

Isn’t this birdman’s execution ability too strong?

I just mentioned it when Zhang Xu was making a wooden train, and this birdman was made?

"This...what is this?"

Ye Zi came over with curiosity.

"It's called a thresher..."

Yun Zheng came back to his senses and looked at Zhang Xu with admiration, "You are such a genius!"

At this moment, a big word "admiration" was written on Yun Zheng's face.

Although he has not tried whether this thing can be used, but since Zhang Xu asked someone to bring it here, it must be a finished product that can be used!

"That is!"

Zhang Xu smiled proudly, "Didn't His Majesty say that I'm a freak? Haha..."

"What's the use of this thing?"

Ye Zi didn't understand what was going on and was still touching this strange thing.

"I teach you!"

Yun Zheng looked at the thresher with envy. He stepped on the pedal and the drum inside started rolling.

Because ball bearings have not yet been developed, the roller does not run very smoothly, but for simple rice and wheat threshing, it should be enough...