In ancient times, she gave birth to seven daughters and was divorced by her husband's family.

Chapter 966 The Jurchen tribes couldn't grow grain on their land, so they specialized in raisin

"Prince Shunyi!!"

"Long live the Great Wu Emperor!!!"

"His Highness the Prince of Shunyi!!!"

Shouts rose and fell, as they expressed their joy in the simplest of ways.

Many elderly members of the clan were so moved that tears streamed down their faces.

They seemed to already see their tribe freed from poverty and war, marching towards a future of peace and prosperity...

On the high platform, the newly crowned Prince Shunyi, Wanyan Zonghan, slowly turned around.

Looking at the kneeling clansmen below the stage and listening to the thunderous cheers of their support, tears welled up in his tiger-like eyes.

He suddenly opened his arms as if to embrace all his people.

This was the most glorious moment of his life...

It was also the most humiliating moment.

The glory lies in... using a title that is useless and cannot be eaten, to bring a peaceful and comfortable life to the people.

The humiliation stemmed from the fact that he had truly let down his Jurchen ancestors and had been forced to live in a subservient position.

Gu Liang stood quietly to the side, watching the grand scene.

He knew that from this day forward, the northern border of the Great Wu would usher in at least several decades of lasting peace...

Everything he did was worth it.

As night fell, hundreds of huge bonfires were lit on the grassland outside Pingzhou City.

The solemnity of the investiture ceremony during the day was replaced by a lively atmosphere at this moment.

The Jurchens are dancing.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted whole lamb and the mellow sweetness of mare's milk wine.

The hearty toasts, the rugged songs, and the laughter mingled together.

Wanyan Zonghan had changed out of his magnificent royal robes and put on a similarly exquisite but more practical dark-colored Jurchen garment.

He raised his wine cup high and moved between the various campfires, drinking heartily with his tribesmen, other tribal leaders who came to offer their congratulations, and officials of Dawu!

Gu Liang and Bai Lu, as honored guests, were seated in the most prestigious positions around the main campfire.

Both of them seemed a little reserved.

Gu Liang wasn't used to it; the people of Dawu were all very reserved.

Although Bai Lu was familiar with the situation, her current identity required her to maintain a certain demeanor.

After several rounds of toasts, a few bold Jurchen girls smiled and surrounded Gu Liang and Bai Lu, warmly inviting them to dance around the campfire in their still somewhat broken Mandarin.

"Lord Gu, Marquis Anguo, come on, let's jump together!"

Bai Lu glanced at Gu Liang and saw that he looked uncomfortable, clearly disapproving of such unrestrained dancing.

She couldn't help but smile and stood up to defuse the situation: "Lord Gu can't hold his liquor, so I'll dance with you."

As she spoke, she walked confidently into the crowd and, to the beat of the drums and music, danced joyfully with the Jurchen girls.

Although Bai Lu's dance was not as wild as that of the Jurchen girls, it had its own unique charm and elegance, which immediately drew cheers.

Gu Liang remained seated, his gaze following Bai Lu's figure.

Seeing her bright smile in the firelight, I smiled too.

After dancing a few songs, Bai Lu broke out in a light sweat and then left, returning to Gu Liang's side.

"Why don't we go together? It's a rare chance to relax." Bai Lu smiled and handed him a glass of warm water.

Gu Liang shook his head and said softly, "If I were to participate, I'm afraid I would only step on other people's feet."

The two exchanged a smile, and instead of returning to their seats, they left the noisiest campfire side by side and walked slowly towards the relatively quiet grassy area outside the banquet.

The grass underfoot was soft, but it felt somewhat unsteady when stepped on.

By the light of the fire, Bailu subconsciously bent down, pulled up a blade of grass from the ground, grabbed a handful of soil, and rubbed it between her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Gu Liang noticed her movement.

Bai Lu's brows furrowed slightly, and the smile on her face faded.

She handed the soil in her hand to Gu Liang.

"Gu Liang, take a look at this."

Gu Liang took it; it was a handful of dark brown soil that looked very fertile.

But when he examined it closely, he found that the soil was loose and contained a lot of sand and gravel, so much so that it was almost impossible to form a ball in his hand.

For a moment, both of them fell silent.

"This soil... isn't good." Gu Liang's voice turned somber.

"It's more than just not good." Bai Lu sighed, her tone tinged with worry. "This is typical black calcareous soil, with a very thin soil layer."

"Look, the grass here grows so lushly because its roots are shallow and adapted to this soil."

"Growing grass is fine, but planting crops, I'm afraid..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Gu Liang's heart sank.

He recalled the promise he had made to Wanyan Zonghan during the negotiations, and the farm tools he had personally added to the gift list.

His original intention was to help the Jurchens obtain a stable food source through farming, thereby completely breaking free from their dependence on nomadism and plunder and truly settling down.

This is the most important part of his long-term strategy for peace and stability in the North.

But now, a most fundamental and fatal problem has been presented to us—land.

"You mean, crops can't be grown here?" Gu Liang pressed.

“It’s not that it’s completely impossible to grow,” Bai Lu shook her head and analyzed, “but it’s simply impossible to grow the wheat that’s common in the Central Plains.”

"Wheat has high requirements for soil fertility. The barren sandy soil of this land simply cannot provide it with enough nutrients, and the yield will be so low as to be hopeless."

Gu Liang's brows furrowed tightly.

If they cannot cultivate food on a large scale, the Jurchens will still have to rely on the weather for their livelihood, and they will still fall into famine.

At that time, will this alliance, which was obtained through favorable conditions, still be able to restrain the starving herders?

The stable life he describes will become an unrealizable bubble.

what should we do?

“We can only plant something else.” Bai Lu seemed to see through his worries and said softly, “Some crops that can withstand poor soil and don’t need much water.”

"But I can't think of the specifics right now."

As Gu Liang gazed at the Jurchen people singing and dancing by the campfire in the distance, filled with boundless hope for the future, a heavy pressure welled up in his heart.

Gu Liang said, "Since I have promised to let them live and work in peace and contentment, I must find a solution."

Bai Lu nodded; she fully understood the weight of this promise.

This is not only a promise to Wanyan Zonghan, but also a promise to the northern border of the Great Wu for decades to come.

She pondered for a moment and said, "I know some Han Chinese farmers who have been farming near the Jurchen tribes for many years. They have lived here for generations and may have some experience in improving sandy soil."

"I'll take you to see them first thing tomorrow morning."

Gu Liang agreed.

At the same time, he also made another preparation.

That night, he returned to his official residence and wrote a detailed report, which he sent to the capital by express courier.

In his report, he described in detail the soil conditions of the Jurchen territories and implored officials of the Ministry of Agriculture (the department in charge of agriculture) to provide seeds of crops resistant to poor soil or strategies for improving the soil.

He knew that distant water could not quench immediate thirst, but he had to make the court realize the seriousness of the problem.

The next morning, before dawn, Gu Liang and Bai Lu left Pingzhou City with a small entourage and traveled a long, long way to several scattered Han Chinese settlements outside the city.

These settlements were mostly located in river valleys near water sources with relatively flat terrain, making them one of the few arable areas on this barren land.

They found an old farmer surnamed Zhao.

Old Zhao was over sixty years old, his hair was gray, and his skin was weathered and looked like old tree bark.

After hearing Bai Lu's purpose and examining the soil samples they had brought from the Jurchen grasslands, he simply sighed deeply.

“My lord, Lord Gu,” Old Zhao’s voice was hoarse, “this soil, we call it ‘water-running soil’.”

"It looks black, so it doesn't retain water or fertilizer."

"Planting grass and herding sheep is one thing, but getting it to grow wheat is harder than climbing to heaven!"

"Is there any way to improve this?" Gu Liang asked eagerly. "For example, by adding more fertilizer, or by mixing in river mud?"

Old Zhao shook his head and pointed to his pitiful few acres of land: "Sir, you see, our few acres of barren land were barely cultivated by generations of our ancestors carrying loads of river mud from the riverbank and mixing it with countless cow and sheep dung."

"With such a small plot of land, we need to water it frequently, and the harvest is barely enough to make ends meet."

"How vast are the grasslands of the Jurchens? They cover the entire mountainside, how can they be changed? It's impossible!"

The old farmer's words were simple yet cruel, like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing half of the flame of hope that had been burning in Gu Liang's heart.

Over the next few days, Gu Liang and Bai Lu traveled to almost every Han Chinese village near Pingzhou.

They visited more than a dozen of the most experienced farming experts, but the answers they received were all pretty much the same.

Some suggested trying to plant drought-resistant beans or millet, but the yield is extremely low and cannot meet the needs of tens of thousands of people as a staple food.

Some have suggested reclaiming the riverbank mudflats, but this is a massive undertaking, and the amount that can be reclaimed is only a drop in the ocean compared to the huge population.

They also pinned their hopes on some legendary "extraordinary person".

Bai Lu used the intelligence network of the Marquis of Anguo's trading company to inquire everywhere about whether there were any reclusive masters who were proficient in agronomy and had extensive knowledge.

However, the news we received was all disappointing.

In this era, most scholars focused on the classics and historical texts in pursuit of official rank and fame, while those who truly devoted themselves to the study of agriculture and sericulture were extremely rare, let alone in the harsh and cold North.

That evening, the two rode their horses back to Pingzhou from the last village.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, and the atmosphere was silent and oppressive.

Along the way, they saw groups of Jurchen herders driving cattle and sheep across the vast grasslands.

“We looked around and asked around,” Bai Lu said, pulling the reins back and stopping on a high slope, gazing at the distant grassland, her voice tinged with weariness, “and the result is... there’s simply no way to help.”

Gu Liang stood beside her, silent.

He was well-read and considered himself a man of great talent for governing the world, but when faced with this vast and barren land, all his knowledge and wisdom seemed so pale and powerless.

"Perhaps... I was wrong from the very beginning," Gu Liang said in a low voice, his words filled with deep self-doubt. "Living in peace and contentment is easier said than done."

"But without food, how can we have a peaceful home? Without a peaceful home, how can we have a happy life?"

Bai Lu turned to look at him.

She saw confusion and frustration in Gu Liang's eyes for the first time.

A pang of pain shot through her heart. She reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of his hand, wanting to offer him some comfort.

“No, you are not wrong.” Bai Lu’s tone became firm. “You are on the right track.”

Gu Liang raised his head and looked into Bai Lu's clear and firm eyes, and the turmoil in his heart calmed down a little.

But the problem remains, cold and real.

If even the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture are helpless, then what should be done?

Are we really going to stand by and watch this hard-won peace crumble little by little in the face of foreseeable famine in the future?

"Gu Liang, listen to me." Bai Lu's voice was clear and strong, breaking the silence of the evening. "Perhaps we've all been wrong."

"We've been thinking about how to make this land grow food."

"But what if...it wasn't originally designed to grow food?"

Gu Liang was taken aback by what she said, and looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

Bai Lu met his gaze, her eyes bright.

“Do you remember what Old Zhao said? He said this soil is ‘good for growing grass and grazing sheep,’” Bai Lu said, word by word. “Since it’s suitable for growing grass, why force it to grow crops?”

"Just like you can't force an eagle to learn to swim."

Gu Liang's brow twitched slightly, as if he had caught something.

Bai Lu continued, "So, if all else fails, we'll manage it by region!"

“Regional governance?” Gu Liang repeated the term.

“Yes!” Bai Lu’s mind suddenly cleared, and she spoke faster. “The Jurchens have been excellent herders for generations, and their land is the most suitable for grazing.”

"Then we won't plant them!"

"Let them simply focus their efforts on expanding the scale of cattle, sheep, and horse breeding!"

"They produce high-quality furs, meat, and warhorses, all of which are urgently needed by our Great Wu!"

She paused, then pointed south, towards Pingzhou City.

"While Pingzhou's land isn't exactly top-notch either, it's still much better than the Jurchen grasslands."

"The Han people here have a tradition and skills in farming. We can concentrate resources here, cultivate fertile land, and expand grain production."

She turned back, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Liang, and revealed the core of the entire plan:

"Then, we'll have Pingzhou and the Jurchens engage in trade!"

"The Jurchens used their surplus cattle and sheep hides to exchange for grain, cloth and ironware produced in Pingzhou."

“We could even have the government step in and set a long-term, stable exchange rate that is beneficial to both sides.”

Gu Liang was completely shocked by Bai Lu's words.

All his previous ideas were limited to how to make the Jurchens self-sufficient.

But Bai Lu broke out of this framework and proposed a grand idea of ​​division of labor, cooperation, and mutual exchange!

“In that case…” Gu Liang followed her train of thought, becoming more and more alarmed and excited as he thought about it, “If the Jurchens have a stable source of food, they will not cause chaos due to famine.”

"And we, the Great Wu, can also use the most basic commodity, grain, to exchange for urgently needed warhorses and strategic resources."

"This not only solved the survival problem of the Jurchens, but also greatly enhanced our national strength!"