Chapter 259 – Liu Mang The Genius

“What nonsense is this? House of Heroes?!” Said Lu Bu while reading the report from Liu Mang. Even though Liu Mang is already independent from Lu Bu, Liu Mang did not forget his roots and communicate with Lu Bu on tridaily basis also with Lu Bu himself assigned Lu Lingqi to report back to him daily. Lu Bu truly care for his son-in-law to the point that he is attack Shouchun together with Bing Province Wolf Cavalry and Formation Breaker. However, since Chen Gong suggested that he is to be independent and stationed in Shouchun, he dismissed the idea and really surprised when Shouchun fell in just one day. Now, since Liu Mang become a warlord of his own, he started lot of policy and those things really unorthodox and made his head really ache.

First of all, is regarding House of Heroes, it is written by Lu Lingqi in the report that he built House of Heroes in Yuan Shu’s Shouchun Palace, and he built a pillar with each of Black Flag and Urban Army’s deceased soldiers and the inclusion of Song Xian and Wei Xu’s tablets. When Lu Bu read of it, the only thing that he can do is shook his head, for the number that died during his campaign is uncountable and with Liu Mang rewarding plan now, everyone will want their name to be included in the House of Heroes. Also with the reward of 50-mu farmlands for veterans and one tael of gold for every veteran soldiers including those who severely wounded, made his head ache a lot. If Lu Bu approved this plan, Lu Bu will be bankrupt almost immediately.

Now, Liu Mang had pulled out that policy; If Lu Bu did not follow him, then what will everybody said? It is true, Lujiang’s nobility already extinguished by Liu Mang, Lujiang’s land had become fertile again. However, with this kind of incentive, wouldn’t it raise a new kind of nobility? Thus creating more trouble in the future. Thought Lu Bu silently

While Lu Bu is still holding his head, Chen Gong bursting in and said happily “Milord!!! This is really good, the construction of House of Heroes!!!” Chen Gong’s heart has been really excited when he read the copy of the report. Lu Bu just replied uncaringly “Oh, you read already?!” Lu Bu then put down his pen and said “Gongtai, should we follow this boy’s policy or not?!” Chen Gong just replied while smiling “Milord, what do you think about this?!” Lu Bu replied “Gongtai, the idea is good, but consider this Gongtai, how many people follow this Lu Bu? Almost half a million.”

Chen Gong replied “Yes, Milord is correct. But don’t forget Milord, those who followed you, basically had nobody and nothing to lose. It is because, you don’t want to pay compensation to their family right? Also, those who died in Xu Province, we did not need to compensate their families either as they are in Cao Cao’s domain. Chen Deng’s Guangling troops are already compensated by Chen Deng himself. All that you need to provide is those veterans from Bing Province Wolf Cavalry and Formation Breaker that numbered less than 50 person. For the other, Gong will do a census to collect their names and asked Hanyang to etched them in a pillar in House of Heroes.”

Lu Bu then think for a bit, and replied while his hand is playing like he is counting with abacus “So, Gongtai. Do you think we should follow his plan?!” Lu Bu now really like a storekeeper, everything must be cost-effective. Chen Gong replied “Absolutely!!!” Lu Bu then said “Very well, then. Gongtai, you are responsible to census those names and send them to Hanyang!!!” And return to his reading. Chen Gong replied “Yes, sir!!!” While smiling bitterly. Another assignments, oh Milord, why don’t you took some of them off of me. Thought Chen Gong who was swamped with works after works since they liberated Lujiang from Sun Ce.

Lu Bu then raised his head up and said “Oh right, Gongtai. Compose another letter to Hanyang. In that letter, tell Hanyang to add Chen Gui’s tablet in House of Heroes. Put my name and seal on it as an official request!” Chen Gong got confused and asked in angry tone “Milord, why Chen Gui? Have you forgotten what that old rebel did to us?!” Lu Bu then said it calmly “Gongtai, I never forgotten what Chen Gui did to us. But his son is in our employ right now and is a warlord in his own right. In order to receive his heart, it is prudent to do this!” Chen Gong smiled and satisfied with Lu Bu’s answer and excused himself. That question is just a bait, whether to see Lu Bu really had shifted his attitude or not. Now Lu Bu truly worthy to be called a warlord.

Now we go to Jing Province, to Zhuge Liang’s official residence. Right now, Zhuge Liang just returned from victory against Zhou Yu in Jiangxia. Right now, since Zhuge Liang had managed to do a turnabout victory against Zhou Yu; Wen Ping trusted him 100% and heard every single words that he said, and it is also backed up with those generals brought by Liu Mang is truly dependable as military commanders. Now Zhuge Liang is reading Liu Mang’s movement and truly amazed with the way he won Shouchun, the way he won against Pang Tong despite that he fell for his “borrowing arrows with stray boats” ploy. But, he little pitied Pang Tong for being insulted as Roast Chicken, as the insult not only slapped Pang Tong’s face but also Lord Pang’s face and when he asked about Lord Pang’s reaction, his reaction is just red with shame for his Pang clan was disgraced with Pang Tong’s incompetency.

But his shame was redeemed when Zhuge Liang, one of Lord Pang’s students, managed to score a victory against Zhou Yu, otherwise, Lord Pang’s name will be tainted forever. Zhuge Liang then read the next report, it is said that Liu Mang erected a House of Heroes, gave out 50 mu farmlands to veteran soldiers and even asked only 30% of grain tax from his fiefdom. Zhuge Liang just shook his head and thought Milord, this is too excessive giving and no gain in the future. This is good for one-time plan only, not in the long run. I believe Yuan Shao and Cao Cao will not be this generous toward his men. And that concluded the report from Liu Mang, but Zhuge Liang still has not stopped his excitement toward House of Heroes and thought, If my stratagem is a complete success, Kongming will have a statue and a temple reserved for him. Hehehe….

Now we go to Jiangdong. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had been reading the intel for Liu Mang, but Sun Ce just throw it down on his table and said “Oh, House of Heroes?! This is nothing more than a ploy to gain people’s hearts in order to do battle for him. So, what is a hero now, huh? Is working for Lu Bu is a hero and everyone else is a traitor?!” Zhou Yu then said “Bofu, calm yourself down. This plan and his incentive is really good, he will receive people support. However… Prince of Shu’s other policy is the one which will going to be the fall for him. His tax is only 30%, insufficient to do any battle at all. His land is lacking, which meant there will be internal rebellion from lacking of farmlands for reward. As well, there are many problems to ponder. Liu Mang of Yang Province will die in no time at all!!!” Sun Ce then nodded in agreement.

Now we go to Liu Biao in Jing Province. He is also reading a copy of the report, but just laugh it out loud and threw down the report as if it is nothing. Now we go to Cao Cao’s side; He just returned from Guandu’s hell and now reading report regarding Liu Mang. Regarding Liu Mang’s House of Heroes, he said “This is what I have been looking for!!! I can give memorials to those who fell in battle!!!” Cao Cao cannot wait to build his own House of Heroes and put Dian Wei, Cao Ang, Cao Chun, Li Dian and even Che Zhou into his House of Heroes. But regarding Liu Mang’s excessive policy, Cao Cao’s comment is “Hahaha, Prince of Shu, you are slashing your own tendon in order to feed yourself. I want to see, how long you last!!!”

While other warlords is amused at stupid maneuver Liu Mang did, Liu Mang continued to dished out more jokes. He advertised that commoners who came to his Shouchun will be given 1 mu farmland while children will be granted 0.5 mu farmland, all free of charge but it is only loaned for the real owner is Liu Mang’s government and when those people want to emigrate to other region, they can only sell the land to government at fixed price; An early socialist practice by Liu Mang. Liu Mang also advertised that he only asked for 40% of grain tax and will never raise the tax, and were laughed by all warlords as in their mind, he is stupid to the max. All of warlords thought that he is insane for 1 mu of farmland only able to produce 200 kg of paddies, and with only 40% of grain tax, he will not able to do war, let alone survive.

However, what Liu Mang planned to plant is not paddy, but those sweet potatoes that he brought from future. Sweet potatoes is very ideal with Huainan’s climates and will definitely produce a lot of results when planted in here. The details of the sweet potatoes is like this, this plant is a plant that can grow a year-long, their leaves is oval and the colors are white, pink and purple. It grows best at an average temperature of 24 °C. However the plant does not tolerate frost. If the temperature were to dropped to 15 °C, they will not grow at all. At 9 °C, they will start to rot by themselves. However on higher temperature, sweet potato can grow much faster, but up to 35 °C, they will also stopped growing. Huainan’s climates is around 22 °C – 24 °C, therefore it is very ideal place to plant sweet potatoes.

Regarding soil moisture, sweet potatoes needed at least 70% – 80% moisture in order to grow properly. In Shouchun, there is not much water body but with 4 dams around them for irrigation, Liu Mang’s issue is already solved. Sweet potatoes also need a lot of light in order to grow properly. If lacking light, sweet potatoes will just wither away and can reduce the potential of the crop at least 20% – 30%. It need a lot of light for at least 8 – 10 hours a day in order to reach their maximum potential and to just induce leaves to sprout. This also had been solved as Huainan had a lot of light. Also regarding the soil pH, it need at least around pH within the range of 4.2 – 8.3 and again this Huainan is an ideal place to plant sweet potatoes as soil with that kind of pH is distributed in China Yanjing, Shandong Linyi, Henan Province, Tianjin, Hebei Province, the three northeastern provinces, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei, Gansu, Anhui, Fujian and other places. Since ancient times, Huainan has been a fertile place but right now, Liu Mang needed a lot of sweet potatoes in order to provide rations for his army to eat. Such is the characteristics of ancient warfare, where one need to be full in order to fight.

Also, if all goes well according to the manual sheets in each plastic bags, they will yield at least 5,000 pounds per 1 mu farmland. However, since there is no fertilizer, Liu Mang have to make do with whatever he had now and helped to create compost later. But even without fertilizer, Liu Mang believed that his seed will yield at least 1,000 – 1,500 kg per 1 mu. Collecting 30% grain tax from it, surely will yield big amount right?