Kaifeng Prefecture governed sixteen counties, and Fengqiu, located north of Dongjing City, was one of the counties with the most grain production in Kaifeng Prefecture.
Back then, most of the fertile land in Fengqiu was in the hands of Prince Su.
After the case of Prince Su, all these fertile fields were returned to the imperial court.
During the new policies of the second year of the Jingkang era, the imperial court sold fertile land at low prices, and many fields in Fengqiu were bought by ordinary people.
Furthermore, due to the new policies that drastically reduced agricultural taxes and abolished corvée labor, ordinary people's enthusiasm for grain production exploded.
So when Zhao Huan left the capital city of Tokyo and headed north with his men, he saw smiling old farmers busy in the fields.
They grow a surplus of grain, which they sell, sometimes at the town market, where they usually manage to sell it.
However, many grain merchants in Tokyo would directly purchase grain from them, often in large quantities at a time.
These good days allowed the people of Fengqiu to feel the blessings of the emperor's new policies.
However, half a month ago, a major event occurred in Niujia Village, Fengqiu County. Someone spent lavishly to buy up large amounts of land in Niujia Village and hired the original farmers to farm the land.
The money I earn in a year is definitely more than what I would make farming myself.
Zhao Huan led his men to Niujia Village. In front of them were vast fields of fertile land, and a pond that shimmered in the early autumn breeze.
The wheat in the distance is almost turning golden, and when the wind blows, it seems to carry the fragrance of rice.
On the other side, however, some fields remained empty.
Ye Chong, the owner of Huaxing Trading Company, strode over and bowed, saying, "Sir, as you instructed, the seeds have been sown."
"How many acres did you plant?"
"Six mu (approximately 0.67 hectares). Once the vines are grafted, we'll expand the planting area."
Looking at the large entourage behind Zhao Huan, Ye Chong thought to himself: "Official Zhao's travels are quite impressive."
Ye Chong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sir Zhao, I have an idea, but I don't know if I should say it."
"Please feel free to speak."
"I received news this morning that the imperial court will support Zhu Qing's grain shop, and the price of grain in the capital city will drop. Would it be unwise for us to enter the grain business now?"
Zhao Huan said, "You don't need to worry about this. The things we grow grow quickly, taste good, and are not easily damaged. Most importantly, they are easy to store. This winter will be our time to make a fortune."
Ye Chong refused to accept it. Could those sweet potatoes possibly compete with Zhu Qing's?
He had received word that Zhu Qing was now backed by Xu Churen, the Grand Chancellor of the court, and had the support of the imperial court.
Once this news spread, grain merchants throughout Tokyo lost their sleep, appetite, and even their water supply.
Some even cried out in despair that the imperial court was trying to kill them.
For Zhao Guanren to enter the grain business at this juncture is, by all accounts, like throwing an egg against a rock.
Ye Chong didn't say much, since all the money came from Zhao Guanren. He expressed his concerns, but the final decision was still made by Zhao Guanren.
Li Qiu'e, standing to the side, said with some concern, "Master Zhao, I think we should just take over a shop first, since we've only just begun."
Zhao Huan, of course, knew their concerns and understood their worries, so he said, "No need. Let's take over five stores first. We can't apply for patents for what we grow. When business is good, many people will definitely come to grow it. We should sell as much as we can and first establish the reputation of Yongle Grain Shop!"
Li Qiu'e and Ye Chong exchanged a glance, also finding it hard to believe that the business would be particularly good after the sweet potatoes and potatoes went on sale, at least not as Zhao Guanren thought.
But Zhao Guanren was very confident in sweet potatoes and potatoes. He reported all the fields in Niujia Village and hired a lot of people.
If it doesn't sell, we'll basically lose everything.
Zhao Huan dismounted, walked to the field, and looked around. He expressed his satisfaction.
He had already decided to plant sweet potatoes and potatoes in these fields, since those crops are very resilient.
In winter, greenhouses are built; people in the Song Dynasty had the technology to build greenhouses.
Applying a layer of oil to silk makes it airtight, so that sunlight does not easily scatter. This technique originated in the Qin Dynasty and was quite mature by the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Huan did this not to make money.
He's the emperor, what good is it for him to make money by farming?
There are three types of reforms: top-down, bottom-up, and two-way.
The court is now being forced by Zhao Huan to reform from top to bottom, but after all, the court is a very large organization, and it is very difficult and inefficient to put things into practice.
What the imperial court can do is to control the macro level, formulate rules, conduct supervision and review, and weigh the overall situation.
But to actually produce something, to make rapid and effective changes at the grassroots level, we need to rely on the power of the people.
The Yong Sheng Trading Company was established for this purpose.
Yongle Grain Shop is now operating for the same purpose.
Grain prices need to be lowered further, so let Yongle Grain Shop stir things up!
Sweet potatoes are easy to manage, easy to grow, plentiful, delicious, easy to store, and can be used as a staple food.
After inspecting the place, Zhao Huan suddenly said, "Ye Chong, let's open ten stores, and add five more!"
"Sir Zhao, this..."
"Believe me, there will be a lot of people rushing to buy it and getting ready to count their money!"
"Sir Zhao, this might be... Alright, I'll go find a shop right away."
"No rush, no rush. Let's go to the pavilion in front and have some fruit first. I have something to tell you two."
Zhao Huan then led Ye Chong and Li Qiu'e to the pavilion in front, where fruits and tea were already laid out on the stone table.
Ye Chong and Li Qiu'e gradually got used to this official Zhao always bringing a large entourage wherever he went, and everything was arranged for him.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
