Chapter 3186 Questioning Politics
The emperor looked at the rice plant carefully and frowned. "This rice plant is not as good as the previous Dinghao. It is so short and the ears are not very long, but it looks full."
Zhou Dalang nodded, "But Li Zhong still wants us to plant, and he doesn't allow us to water too much, saying that some places are very short of water. If the Ding crop is too short of water, the yield will be poor, and it will be worse than the C crop..."
The emperor was shocked and pointed to another unharvested rice field in the experimental field and asked, "What about that one? I don't think it's growing very well either. Where was it cultivated?"
Zhou Dalang smiled innocently and said, "That's new seed. Manbao had someone send it over two years ago. It's numbered Gui. This is the second year of planting it. We'll have to wait and see what it's like. Some rice plants are particularly attractive to insects, while others aren't. Some have a soft and sticky texture, while others are hard. Manbao said there's a lot of knowledge involved in cultivating this kind of land. Even if you cultivate it well, the yield depends on other factors: some are drought-resistant, some are flood-resistant, some attract insects and some don't, some have different textures, and some even have different colors."
Seeing the emperor's amiable manner and the questions he asked about farming, Zhou Dalang accidentally spoke too much. "I heard from Manbao that there's a place where the millet is red inside. Manbao has always wanted someone to bring some back to try planting it, but he hasn't found anyone to do it..."
The emperor said, "Red rice. I remember it being found in the Lingnan area. I ate it once before. The taste was..."
The emperor thought about it for a moment and said, "I think we don't need to plant that rice."
Wei Zhi glanced at the emperor and asked Zhou Dalang, "Do you have any rice from new rice seeds in your house? We can try it too."
"Yes, yes, we planted a lot last year, and now we have it at home." Zhou Dalang said immediately, "I'll go back and cook, please wait."
Zhou Dalang turned around and ran back.
emperor:……
Everyone: ...
Mr. Zhuang was unable to stop him and could only watch him run away in a hurry. He had no choice but to act as the host and continue to introduce him to the emperor.
Fortunately, he knew a little about the experimental fields, so he wasn't completely clueless. However, it was impossible for him to provide more details, so he said, "Your Majesty, if you were to say who knows the most about the experimental fields, it would be Zhou Lizhong, who has been in charge. No one else, even Zhou Man, knows much."
The child just gave the seeds and occasionally pointed out the direction, but Zhou Lizhong was the one who did the actual work.
The emperor nodded slightly and walked from the experimental field to the fields cultivated by the tenant farmers.
More than half of the rice in the paddy fields has been harvested, but at a glance, it is still a golden field. The closer you get, the more shocking the heavy drooping rice ears are.
The emperor stood on the ridge of the field with his hands behind his back, took a deep breath, and suddenly felt proud, "If only all the paddy fields in the world could have such a good harvest..."
Wei Zhi felt his blood boiling at the mere thought of it. He clenched his fists and said, "Then there may be no more famine in the world from now on."
This is the goal that many generations have strived for.
The emperor said, "Issue an imperial edict to summon Zhou Lizhong to the capital."
He paused and said, "Zhou Man, ask her to return to the capital as well. I'm very interested in how she came up with the idea of cultivating grains, and where did she get so many rice seeds?"
Mr. Zhuang lowered his eyes, his hands clenched in his sleeves. Wei Zhi had already bowed and responded, "Yes, I will draft the decree when I return."
The emperor nodded slightly, then turned around and walked back. On his way back, the emperor finally had the leisure to look at other lands. Looking at them, the emperor stopped and said, "Zhou Man's official land..."
The emperor looked left and right, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The water system is well developed. This gully seems to connect a lot of fields. That side is also dry land, but why are there trees planted all over it?"
Mr. Zhuang said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, these ditches have been dug and repaired over the past few years. The Zhou family contributed some money and grain, and the tenant farmers in the village contributed labor."
He glanced at the direction the emperor pointed and lowered his head. "That piece of land over there is dry land. The soil is barren. Even growing beans would be hard to harvest. So Zhou Man had people dig a pond there to raise fish and lotus roots, and plant fruit trees on it."
Emperor: "...I vaguely remember that officials' official lands were not allowed to be significantly altered. Do you allow me to dig a pond?"
He looked at Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi was silent for a moment before answering, "No!"
Mr. Zhuang: ...
The emperor nodded slightly, put his hands behind his back and walked back to the villa.
As soon as he entered the house, the guard who had been left to count the rice grains came forward and reported, "Your Majesty, I have counted the grains on my stalk. There are a total of 3,612."
Another guard beside him was sweating profusely and kept muttering. As soon as he finished his report, he immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have counted mine too. 3,482."
Good thing I almost forgot. If I had known I would have brought some paper and pen with me. I would have written it down after I finished counting...
Yin Li glanced at him and shook his head slightly.
Other guards also came forward to report the numbers they had counted, ranging from three thousand to five thousand.
The emperor held up a grain of millet and said, "It is beyond my expectation that a single seed can yield such a good harvest. This is a blessing for me and for all the people."
Wei Zhishen nodded in agreement.
The emperor suddenly looked at Mr. Zhuang and asked, "Minister Zhuang, the salt administration has begun, the Jiangnan incident has been pacified, and we now have high grain yields. What do you think the Great Jin should do next?"
Zhuang Shijiang hadn't expected the emperor to ask him such a sudden question. He paused for a long moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, spring planting and autumn harvest are a season, a cycle. Every year, after the autumn harvest, the head of a household begins thinking about next year's farming. Afterward, they follow the weather, watering when necessary and weeding when necessary. This is the same every year, year after year, as if nothing has changed."
"However, the harvest varies from year to year. Even if the events at home are generally the same, there are always differences, whether it's a wedding or a disaster. We just need to move forward with the times. When something goes wrong, we look for solutions. When things are stable, we think about accumulating wealth. This not only helps us cope with possible disasters in the future, but also makes our family's life better."
Mr. Zhuang spoke slowly, but the emperor listened attentively. "Governing a country is like governing a family. I believe the country should be governed in the same way."
So there’s no need to think about what to do next because current events will tell them what to do.”
The emperor looked at Mr. Zhuang quietly, and after a long pause, he nodded slightly. "It is a blessing for the Crown Prince, for me, and for the entire Jin Dynasty that he can receive Mr. Zhuang's guidance."
This comment was quite impressive. Even someone as calm as Mr. Zhuang couldn't help but stand up and kneel down, "I don't deserve it."
The emperor quickly took two steps forward to help the man up, then grasped his hand and said, "Speaking of which, sir, I have known you for a long time, but we have rarely had the opportunity to have a deep conversation. This is my negligence, my fault."
The emperor recalled his encounters with Zhou Man and others on the road and in the temple, and sighed in his heart. It was his negligence. How could a teacher who could teach disciples like Zhou Man and Bai Shan be incompetent?
(End of this chapter)
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