37. Chapter 37

"none"

The nighttime literacy campaign also required preparation, and Qi You made all the necessary arrangements. After confirming the key points, Lin Yicheng and Master Xia took their leave and returned to their preparations.

The next morning, in the open space in front of the house, a pile of pens, inkstones, inkpads, and contracts lay on the central table. Wheat seeds and farm tools were stacked on either side.

The bondservants who had received the notice had already arrived, crowding the open space. Seeing the scene before them, they whispered to each other and discussed it.

As soon as Qi You walked out, everyone stopped talking and there was complete silence.

One step behind Qi You, Lin Yicheng and Xia Shiye also arrived, and came forward to greet him with Zhao Xiu, the clerk in charge of finances in the county government office.

Zhao Xiu was in his early forties, of medium build, neither fat nor thin, and looked honest and simple. Seeing Qi You's face beaming with joy, he greeted him respectfully, "Seventh Master, I have received an order from the county magistrate. Rest assured, Seventh Master, I will do my best to record every piece of stolen goods."

Qi You nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you, Degao. Take Zhao Xiu to find Ni Man."

Zhao Xiu said he didn't dare, and a smile returned to his face. He bowed and retreated, then bowed to De Gao and said, "Master De Gao, I'd appreciate your guidance."

Degao exchanged a few pleasantries and left Leng with Zhao Xiu. Qi You glanced at the two of them as they left, but ignored them.

Qi You looked at the crowd who were expectant and nervous, nodded to Lin Yicheng, and added a few words.

After hearing this, Lin Yicheng immediately stepped out, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Everyone, I'm sure you've heard what Seventh Master said yesterday. I've called you here to sign a land lease contract with you. Considering that your families don't have any surplus food, I'll initially lend you the seeds, farm tools, oxen, and other supplies for the autumn harvest. After the crops are harvested, I'll repay you gradually, and I won't charge you any interest."

He paused and raised his index finger. "But there's one thing. You must take good care of the farm tools and oxen. Anyone who intentionally damages them will be required to pay double the price. As for the oxen, they're assigned one per fifty mu of land, and they'll be taken care of by several households in rotation. They'll be provided with fodder daily based on the size of the land. The dung left by the ox during those days belongs to the household that's primarily responsible for the care."

Lin Yicheng added some details, then stopped talking when Qi You made a gesture and asked, "Does anyone have any questions?"

Farming requires oxen, farm tools, cow dung, and human feces. Farmers, needless to say, treat them like treasures and take good care of them.

Their concern was still the division of land. Land was divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The yields from upper-grade land and lower-grade land varied greatly, and rent could not be collected solely from the upper-grade land.

The crowd began to murmur, and some of the braver ones were nominated to stand up and ask.

Seeing Qi You nod, Lin Yicheng answered loudly: "The land will definitely be rented at different levels according to different grades. And it will be collected in proportion, not in equal amounts. Don't worry, the land has been divided up, with upper, middle and lower grades, and they are all matched. You should act according to your ability and rent the corresponding land according to the number of laborers in your family. Don't be greedy and do too much without careful selection. If you are too busy and just do it halfway, you will suffer and not only will you not be able to harvest much grain. If you have any extra energy, you can use it to do some odd jobs to earn money." Eat, build houses and roads, cultivate wasteland to grow vegetables and fruit trees, even flowers, and raise livestock. As long as you don't destroy the mountains or cut down trees indiscriminately, Seventh Master won't stop you, and he won't take a cut. All this is your own income. Shunyi is close to the capital, and if you grow good crops, this county magistrate will personally help you transport them to the capital to sell. Once you've planted a lot and become famous, merchants will come to buy. As long as you work hard, your future will be more prosperous!"

After Lin Yicheng finished explaining the different rents for different land classes, the crowd's chatter intensified. After a while, the person who had asked the question laughed and shouted, "I trust Master Qi. Master Qi is our savior. I'll put my handprint on this!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, the others, fearing they would miss out on the good land if they were late, rushed to shout, "Slave is willing too. I'll put my handprint right away."

Seeing them rushing forward, the guards rushed forward to maintain order, shouting, "We have everything, we have everything. You won't be left without land to farm. Don't crowd, line up and come one by one. Think carefully, don't be greedy, and don't be lazy. The Seventh Master can save you for now, but you'll have to rely on yourselves from now on!"

With the help of the guards, everyone lined up in an orderly manner. Qi You saw this and said to Lin Yicheng, "If there is anything you don't understand, please explain it carefully."

Lin Yicheng and Xia Shiye hurriedly agreed and sat down at different desks. They followed the yamen's household registration system and first registered the population. Then, based on the number of people in the family, they signed a land lease agreement and lent out farm tools, oxen, and seeds.

If someone was undecided, Lin Yicheng would kindly advise him, promising that he would be able to rent land and that he could come back after discussing it.

This way, the efficiency is much higher. The imperial farm has more than 3,000 acres of land, and by the time night falls, almost all of it has been rented out.

Today went so smoothly because Qi You had been in the imperial farm for a long time and was quite experienced. The bondservants basically listened to whatever he said.

Another point is that the land of the imperial estates did not need to be re-measured. The imperial estates around the capital were measured in a relatively standard manner during the imperial enclosure period.

If it is outside the Great Wall, the village's measurement is not standard, and the village head has more room to operate inside.

When Lin Yicheng and Master Xia followed Qi You to rest and have tea, although they were tired and their throats were hoarse from talking, they could not hide their excitement.

Master Xia said, "Tomorrow they can start tilling the soil and planting winter wheat. With one or two good years, these people will have a better life."

Lin Yicheng echoed this, saying with emotion, "I've never seen anything like this in my life. I've been wondering, Seventh Master, you added a few words earlier, allowing them to plant fruit trees and vegetables. Does Seventh Master have any new ideas?"

Economic development is a fundamental principle, but it doesn't apply to the current situation. They now have land to cultivate, and once it stabilizes, the next step is to consider population growth. Given the same total land area, the only solution is to increase food production.

Shunyi is a thousand-year-old granary, equivalent to the Jiangnan region in the north, and can produce rice and wheat. Qi You hopes to build a grain base here.

Just like Hokkaido in Japan, their farmers are researching Hokkaido rice seeds, and farmers in the Qing Dynasty can also do research in Shunyi.

It would take almost half a year or even a year for the students from Ryukyu to exchange letters with the Qing government. It was unknown when they would be able to arrive in the Qing Dynasty.

After all, they were forced by Japan to pay tribute and submit to the Qing Dynasty. Qi You also had some experience in Shunyi. Then, he would bring some Shunyi's farming experts and go to the black soil of the Northeast to slowly study it.

Qi You took two sips of tea, put down the tea bowl, and said frankly: "It's just an idea. The art of fruit tree grafting has existed long ago. Those with clever minds planted a few fruit trees and figured out the grafting technique to produce high-quality fruits, which can be sold at a good price. The nobles in the capital have orchards and vegetable gardens. They don't like ordinary fruits, and ordinary people can't afford them, so they can't sell them for much. Food is still important. It's hard to say whether you can make money by using good farmland to plant fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. Fruit trees can't be harvested immediately. If you use land to plant fruit trees, your food and clothing will be in trouble. When you can have enough food to eat, it's right to earn some pocket money. You can't put the cart before the horse.

Lin Yicheng thought about it and felt a pang of sympathy for the famine years when people had to eat grass roots and tree bark. He said, "Seventh Master is absolutely right. Farmers should focus on growing crops. Today has been really smooth. I just hope that things will be just as smooth in the future so that we can plant the winter wheat soon."

"Impossible." Qi You simply dispelled his fantasy and said, "Today, many bondservants from other manors came to watch the fun. You were busy and didn't hear what they said. But I did hear some of it. The farm tools of other manors are not like those of the imperial manor. Some of their plows have long been bent and are almost broken into pieces of iron, and they are still short of oxen. In addition to the wintering problem I mentioned yesterday, have you thought of a solution?"

Lin Yicheng and Xia Shiye exchanged a glance, then said with a bitter face, "Seventh Master, I've barely thought of two solutions. One is that my godfather still has some silver. I'm going to shamelessly ask him for some money, and consider it a charity. I can't hide it, but my godfather has seen what Seventh Master has been doing in Shunyi, and he's been having trouble sleeping. I'm afraid there will be changes at the horse ranch one day."

The horse farm belongs to Shangsiyuan, and Qi You has no time to take care of it. In his future plans, he plans to convert the horse farm into a cattle farm.

Oxen were in short supply, and even the imperial family was strictly prohibited from eating beef. Kangxi's ceremonial horses for his travels did not require such a large stable.

If it wasn't enough, he would just reduce the ceremonial standards. After all, Kangxi was his biological father, so he would not hesitate to trick Qi You.

Of course, he was happy to see his godfather Lin Yicheng bleed a little. He just raised his eyebrows and said nothing, "You continue."

Lin Yicheng gave a dry laugh and stole a glance at Qi You, "Hey, Master Qi, for this second one, I still need your help."

Qi You laughed and said, "Just go ahead and tell me."

Lin Yicheng mustered up his courage and said, "Seventh Master, I would like to ask you to come and calm the situation. The nobles have come here with their stewards because they saw that Seventh Master was in Shunyi and wanted to find out what was going on. I am not in their eyes and cannot speak."

Qi You smiled and said, "You have really thought about this. Don't be afraid of losing face and owing favors. If you can use your face to exchange for favors, it means that you are a good person. It is great that you can owe them favors. However, you still have to think more carefully in the future. For example, if you ask me for help, you have to think about how I can help. I can't just give orders and say a few words and expect them to willingly pay money to do good deeds."

Lin Yicheng was embarrassed, and Master Xia stood up unconsciously, listening respectfully and humbly, nodding in agreement.

Not only Lin Yicheng, but also Master Xia, Qi You's series of actions after coming to Shunyi had made them forget his age, and they unknowingly became dependent on, convinced of, and looked up to him.

During the time they have been with Qi You, what they have learned in terms of character, mind, vision, and way of doing things will be enough to benefit them for a lifetime.

Qi You had made plans long ago. The nobles had come to Shunyi and were exhausted from the long journey. As the "King of Shunyi" as Emperor Kangxi called him, how could he not come out to entertain them?

Most of those who own manors here are from the Jueluo clan, and they are all elders of the clan.

Qi You smiled and said, "I'm going to prepare a banquet and invite them to have a drink. It's just a family dinner, and you can come and join us."

Lin Yicheng breathed a sigh of relief and was filled with admiration.

In his initial thought, Qi You had been extremely tough when he came to Shunyi. Furthermore, since he was a prince and had Kangxi's support behind the scenes, he only needed to maneuver a few words, and those nobles, no matter how reluctant they were, would have to hold their noses and give him some money.

Upon hearing Qi You's arrangement, Lin Yicheng was immediately convinced. Qi You was soft but firm. The family banquet was different from other banquets, with a more intimate and easygoing atmosphere. As an elder, it was not appropriate to embarrass a younger prince like him.

From the next day, Lin Yicheng and Master Xia went to another farm to help sign contracts with the bondservants, while Qi You went to the official road to wait.

Whenever a procession of carriages and horses arrived from the capital, he would immediately greet them and greet them with courtesy and politeness, making them feel honored. Unconsciously, the slight dissatisfaction and resistance they had previously felt towards him faded somewhat.

The Duke of Zhenguo, Prince Jian and others came from the capital one after another, and even Prince Yu Fuquan came.

Fuquan was a fast horseman. He set out early in the morning and arrived in Shunyi before lunch time.

Qi You was surprised when he heard that his uncle was coming. Although Fuquan had tens of thousands of acres of land, he didn't have any farmland in Shunyi.

Qi You didn't have time to think about it, and hurried to the official road to greet him. When he saw Fuquan riding towards him, he stepped forward to greet him and shouted, "Second Uncle!"

Fuquan jumped off his horse, looked at Qi You carefully, and laughed heartily. "Seventh Prince is taller and darker than he was during the New Year. The emperor gave me a few horses as a reward and asked me to choose them myself, so I came to see you. I heard you were very busy. I hope I didn't disturb you."

Qi You smiled and said, "I'm so happy that Second Uncle can come. How can I bother you?"

Kangxi had rewarded Fuquan with horses, so why did he need to personally select them? It's likely that Kangxi had sent him to visit Qi You. Fuquan had a lot of land, so he came to investigate the changes in Shunyi Village.

Qi You had an open mind and nothing to hide. Thinking of Fuquan's wealth, Qi You couldn't help but smile.

Without further ado, he enthusiastically welcomed him into the manor: "Second uncle, the main courtyard of the manor happens to be empty. Since you are here, it is a good place for you to stay. Otherwise, Khan Ama will blame me for being ignorant."

Fuquan laughed heartily and said, "Okay, I just need a break. Hey, you came here by carriage?" He glanced at Qi You's left leg and changed the subject, "It's such nice weather, why don't you ride back with me? Come, ride with me."

Qi You smiled and said, "Second uncle, just give me a horse. I can ride it myself."

Fuquan had only heard that Qi You was extremely talented in studying and extremely intelligent. He also knew that he could ride a horse, but he had never seen it in person. After hesitating for a moment, he asked the guards to give him a horse.

Qi You walked to the right side of the horse, pulled the reins, stepped nimbly into the stirrups and mounted the horse. He smiled at Fu Quan and said, "Second uncle, let's go. I'll lead the way for you."

Fuquan had a complicated expression. When he saw his posture of mounting the horse and his relaxed and unrestrained look while sitting on the horse, admiration flashed in his eyes and he followed him with a smile.

After returning to the farm and arranging for Fuquan to stay and having lunch and a rest, Qi You returned to the yard.

Degao was busy for two days and finally finished counting all of Dachun's stolen goods together with Niman and Zhao Xiu. They had already put seals on them and were ready to transport them back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for storage early the next morning.

Qi You listened to De Gao's careful report, "Ni Man and the people he brought with him took inventory. Zhao Xiu was used to doing paperwork, so he remembered very quickly. Ni Man reported an item, and Zhao Xiu sang along. After verifying it was correct, he wrote it down. I watched from the side, and there were no omissions or mistakes."

After thinking for a while, Qi You asked, "Do they usually interact with each other?"

Degao thought carefully and said, "There wasn't much interaction. They greeted each other when they met, and when they rested and ate, they drank tea and chatted. I heard some of it, but it was all trivial matters, such as scolding Dachun a few times. Master, they said they wanted to report to you. Please see the specific accounts."

Qi You pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Go and call them in."

Degao left and led Ni Man and Zhao Xiu into the study. Ni Man handed over the accounts and said respectfully, "Thanks to Degao's help these past few days, and Master Qi's constant care, we've been able to move so quickly. Master Qi, here are the accounts. Please review them. If there's anything inappropriate, we'll verify and correct it immediately."

Qi You smiled and said thank you for your hard work, glanced at the account book, and praised: "Zhao Shuli's account is really well done."

Zhao Xiu quickly said modestly, "Seventh Master is the real master. I don't dare to show off my skills in front of you."

Qi You flipped through the account book casually and exclaimed: "He is really greedy. He actually took so much money. Come on, take me to have a look."

Ni Man was stunned for a moment, his expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at Zhao Xiu and asked, "Seventh Master, what do you want to see?"

Qi You smiled and said, "Of course we'll remove the seals, reweigh the gold and silver with a scale, and check the other jewels and vases one by one. It just so happens that my second uncle, Prince Yu, is here too, so we'll invite him along to see how daring these cunning slaves are!"

The author has something to say:

Note: I looked up the data and found that the Fourteenth Emperor's land holdings in Ningyuan Prefecture at that time amounted to over 39,000 mu. The 3,000 mu of imperial farmland Kangxi gave to Qi You is a figure I made up. It seems a lot, but in fact, it was not even a drop in the bucket for Kangxi.

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-10-07 19:28:18 and 2022-10-08 20:04:30~

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Bobo 1;

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 50 bottles of Mayfly; 5 bottles of Dandelion;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!