In the second year of Yongjia, Jie cavalry trampled the moon over the Central Plains, and piles of bones became the walls of fortified villages.
Chen Yan, a modern master's graduate in agricultural science, opened his eyes to find himself a destitute young scion of the Chen family in a fortified village in Hedong Commandery. He had only half a bag of roasted beans, two hundred high-yield wheat seeds, and thirteen mouths waiting to be fed.
To the north, Hu cavalry plundered the land. To the south, aristocratic clans migrated south. To the west, beacon fires burned over Chang'an; to the east, smoke from war rose over Qilu.
He used a curved-shaft plow to cultivate a thousand mu of fertile land, enriched the granaries with composting techniques, and forged sturdy armor and sharp weapons with primitive iron-smelting methods.
Refugees came seeking shelter? He gave them land and grain, taught them to read and calculate, and organized farming militias to defend their homes and country.
The Hu tribes invaded? He used scorched-earth tactics, ditches, and traps to shatter cavalry charges, raising the banner:
Rich in content, a promising new book.