The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, accompanied by the Revenue Department and followed by several minor clerks carrying several baskets of household registration documents, hurried to Xingqing Palace.
Your Majesty, every time you open your mouth, your subordinates run their legs off.
It took a lot of time just to open the warehouse and get the documents.
Household registration statistics were all done many years ago.
The household registration documents had long been thrown into some corner of the warehouse.
It was only with the help of the tax official that I was able to get the documents together.
In the middle of winter, the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, was sweating all over.
When I arrived at Xingqing Palace, I saw that Madam Zhao was there too. It must be something bad.
Even good things come with risks.
First the greetings, then the business.
"Your Majesty, the household registration documents for all counties under the jurisdiction of the capital are all here."
Emperor Wende said, "Gu Jiu said she knows the situation of every village in the capital. Just open a book and test her."
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, widened his eyes and stared at Gu Jiu, "Madam Zhao, are you not bragging?"
"How dare I boast about such a big matter? My Lord, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer."
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, was skeptical and instructed the Revenue Department to select a household registration document from the most remote county.
The household official understood and picked out a book from the bottom of the basket, "Mahua Village, Daoji County."
Gu Jiu opened his mouth and said, "Mahua Village is a village with a variety of surnames, with ten surnames in total. Among them, the surname Bai is the most common. The village head is surnamed Bai, and he is the son of the previous generation's village head. He received three years of schooling and can write and calculate. Mahua Village has a total of 82 households and a population of 478 people. Among them, the elderly over 50 years old..."
"No, the document shows that there are 64 households in Mahua Village, with a population of less than 400." The household officer interrupted Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu: Haha!
"May I ask what year this document is from?"
The Household Department said, "There was a census in the twelfth year of Kaiyao, and another supplement in the twenty-fifth year of Kaiyao."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Those are all old calendars from more than ten years ago. The data I mentioned comes from last year's statistics. As far as I know, at the end of last year, there were four pregnant women in Mahua Village. If nothing unexpected happens, Mahua Village will have four more people this year."
The household official was speechless.
Emperor Wende's eyes lit up and his mood suddenly became very good.
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, was also in a good mood and very excited.
He simply ignored the household registration office and randomly picked up a household registration document from the basket.
"Xiaxi Village, Daoji County."
Gu Jiu spoke eloquently, "Xiaxi Village is a large village where two surnames live together. It is close to a water source and is relatively prosperous. However, the two surnames have never stopped fighting, so much so that the head of Xiaxi Village is replaced every year, with the two surnames taking turns..."
"Hilltop Village."
"Shanting Village, as its name suggests, is located deep in the mountains. The village has a total of 32 households, with a total population..."
“Pingyao Village.”
"Pingyao Village is located next to the official road. The entire village..."
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, mentioned more than a dozen villages in one breath.
No matter how biased it was, Gu Jiu spoke without hesitation.
She said she knew the situation of every village in the Gyeonggi region, and it was true, not an exaggeration.
Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue was so excited that he could not contain himself. "Excuse me, Madam Zhao, are your data all collected last year? Can you guarantee that it is accurate?"
Gu Jiu said: "Some villages were counted last year, and some were counted in the first half of this year."
"Can I lend this data to the Ministry of Revenue for copying?"
The most difficult task of the Ministry of Revenue is not collecting taxes, but counting the population.
This job is really difficult.
He never expected that Gu Jiu's men would spend several years to thoroughly understand the situation of every village in the capital. He felt ashamed of himself.
Lord Zhao felt sincere admiration for Gu Jiusheng.
"Madam Zhao, women are as capable as men."
No, she is more capable than men.
Gu Jiu was straightforward. "The data is at the trading company. I'll have someone send it to the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow."
"Thank you, Madam Zhao." Lord Zhao was very grateful.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Your Excellency is too polite."
Lord Zhao couldn't help but sigh that Lord Gu, who was so stubborn, could actually give birth to such a smart daughter. It must be the Su family's genes.
I heard that someone from the Su family has already entered the government. Should we send that boy from the Su family to work in the Ministry of Revenue?
Su Zheng never expected that good luck would come out of nowhere.
Just because he benefited from Gu Jiu's help, he saved seven or eight years of hard work.
Of course, with his intelligence and talent, he would not let down the promotion of Lord Zhao, the Minister of Revenue.
As for Su Zheng, this is a story for later, so we will not discuss it for now.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere suddenly became very excited.
Even Emperor Wende became excited.
He asked, "Gu Jiu, why did you send people to investigate the situation in every village in the Gyeonggi region?"
Gu Jiu replied honestly, "At first, it was to purchase agricultural products. Later, it was to promote the breeding industry. Later, it was to sell the small commodities produced by the workshop."
"Oh! How are things going?"
Gu Jiu said, "The purchase of agricultural products is progressing smoothly. The meat and vegetable shop under the Sihai Trading Company has expanded threefold. The breeding industry is progressing more slowly. Raising poultry and livestock requires grain, which farmers are reluctant to spend. However, there is now a solution to this problem."
"What method?"
"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of sweet potatoes?"
Emperor Wende frowned. He had never heard of it.
He looked at the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao.
Lord Zhao nodded. "I do know about sweet potatoes. I've heard they're incredibly productive, easy to grow, and incredibly resistant to starvation, though eating too much can cause bloating. I've also heard that sweet potatoes first appeared on Madam Zhao's farm."
Without waiting for Gu Jiu to speak, Emperor Wende asked first, "Is the yield really very high and very easy to survive? How high is the yield exactly?"
Emperor Wende had a serious expression, but his eyes were shining.
Gu Jiu said, "My daughter-in-law hired someone to spend several years cultivating sweet potato seeds suitable for planting in the north. The current yield per mu is about 800 kilograms per mu. It can be planted on dry land or sloping land. It is drought-resistant. My daughter-in-law is also planning to continue screening and cultivating seeds, striving to exceed 1,000 kilograms per mu."
Emperor Wende and the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao, both showed expressions of shock.
These days, the yield of rice and wheat per mu is generally around two to three hundred kilograms, and the yield of corn is even lower.
More than 300 to 400 kilograms of crops are from fertile soil and well-cared-for crops. We also need to ensure that there is good weather and sufficient water throughout the year.
Whenever there is a drought, flood, or rain during harvest, the yield will be reduced.
Not to mention a yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu, even a yield of 800 kilograms per mu is something we dare not even think about.
I was shocked to hear that the yield per mu was 800 kilograms.
Unexpectedly, by continuing to screen and cultivate seeds, the yield per mu exceeded 1,000 kilograms. How can this not be shocking?
What’s even better is that sweet potatoes are not picky about the soil they grow in and are also drought-resistant.
Drought resistance is good!
These days, there is a lack of drought-resistant crops.
Both rice and wheat cannot be grown without water.
During the spring plowing season, armed fights over water sources occur every year and are countless.
Emperor Wende's voice broke with excitement. "Quick, bring some sweet potatoes to the palace. I want to taste them myself."
Chang En couldn't help but look at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu said straightforwardly, "There are still two baskets of sweet potatoes in the palace. They are durable in storage."
Chang En was overjoyed and quickly sent someone to the palace to bring both baskets of sweet potatoes.
Emperor Wende was so excited that he waved his hands in the air without caring about his image.
I really want to yell.
What does it mean to produce 1,000 kilograms per mu?
This means that when a disaster occurs, there is no need to worry about the victims going hungry.
A bloated stomach is nothing; the most important thing is to have a full stomach.
After a period of excitement, Emperor Wende finally calmed down and asked, "Can sweet potatoes really yield 1,000 kilograms per mu?"
Gu Jiu said, "Sweet potato seeds entered the Great Zhou Dynasty through maritime trade. Initially, they were only planted in a few places along the coast, and the locals didn't pay much attention to them.
Therefore, it has not been promoted for many years. A few years ago, the daughter-in-law sent people to the south to buy farmland, and by chance, they discovered the crop of sweet potato.
When the daughter-in-law heard that the seed had high yield, was drought-resistant and did not take up land, she became interested and spent a lot of money to hire someone to cultivate the seeds.
After years of hard work and considerable expense, we finally managed to cultivate sweet potato seeds suitable for cultivation in the north. We conducted a small trial last year, and this year, we planted a few acres of land. We weighed the land and found the highest yield was 800 kilograms per acre, while the lowest was 600 kilograms. Still, it's not as high as in the south.
My daughter-in-law thought that if we cultivate it for a few more years and select better seeds, we should be able to easily achieve a yield of over 1,000 kilograms per mu, just like in the south."
Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue said excitedly, "Madam Zhao, this action has benefited the present and future generations. Thousands of people will remember your contribution."
Gu Jiu gave a rare shy smile. "Master Zhao, thank you for your compliment. I originally just wanted to promote the animal husbandry industry. Growing sweet potatoes doesn't take up land, so it's very suitable for raising poultry and livestock. Raising some poultry and livestock can also increase the income of the farmers."
Lord Zhao nodded repeatedly, "Madam Zhao is wholeheartedly devoted to the people. I am ashamed to be inferior to her."
After saying that, he actually bowed to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu didn't dare to accept his gift and quickly moved away.
"Hahaha……"
Emperor Wende laughed out loud, "What is auspicious? This is auspicious."
Lord Zhao quickly flattered him, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty. A yield of a thousand kilograms of sweet potatoes per mu is a good omen for a prosperous era!"
Emperor Wende laughed again, and it was obvious that he was really excited.
He said to Gu Jiu, "You were wrong not to report this important event immediately. But considering that you cultivated and promoted the sweet potato crop, this is a great achievement."
"I thank you, Father, for not punishing me."
Oh my god, living with the king is like living with a tiger, as expected.
Emperor Wende said, "Next, the important task of cultivating and screening seeds will be taken over by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance. Don't worry about this, my dear wife. Don't worry, I won't embezzle the credit that belongs to you."
"The daughter-in-law dare not take credit for it."
"It would be unfair not to reward someone for their merit. I'm not that stingy. Just wait. If the sweet potatoes really yield 800 kilograms per mu as you said, I will definitely reward you handsomely."
A crop yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu is much more important than any commercial tax.
Food is the most important thing for people. People will not rebel if they have a full stomach.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
