Chongzhen had almost no knowledge of medicine. He usually relied on his immune system to fight off colds and fevers, and would only take medicine when he couldn't bear it anymore.
But he knew about the plague.
Because he had experienced it once himself.
Plague is a highly contagious disease and a natural epidemic disease.
Its pathogen is Yersinia pestis, which is spread by fleas. It will naturally spread among rats and also infect humans. Its clinical manifestations mainly include fever, severe toxemia, swollen lymph nodes, pneumonia, bleeding tendency, etc., and the mortality rate is extremely high.
After Wang Tingmei finished expressing his feelings, Chongzhen said, "Plague is transmitted to humans only by fleas. Announcements should be issued to the people in the city to smoke their bedding and clothes with straw; sprinkle lime water on the ground and walls; and the livestock pens can be smoked with straw first, and then sprinkled with lime water. This way, the fleas can be eliminated."
"I can't think of any other methods right now, so you guys should figure it out on your own!"
"Your Majesty, I, Wang Tingmei, thank you on behalf of the people of the capital!" Wang Tingmei had not stood up after kneeling down just now. He raised his hands above his head again and bowed seriously to Chongzhen.
"I am the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. All the people in the world are my subjects, and the people in the capital are no exception. This is what parents should do. Your Excellency, there is no need to be polite." Chongzhen's voice was very calm, and there was a sense of calmness.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"I have one more thing I need you to do. If you do it well, it will be a great achievement!"
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"Spring is coming soon. How are the preparations for encouraging farmers to study agriculture going?"
The Shuntian Prefecture government had many responsibilities: managing the government orders of the capital, disseminating the education of the people, encouraging farming and inquiring about customs, distributing tributes and taxes equally, reducing corvée levies and labor service, performing sacrifices carefully, checking the household registration, punishing the powerful and cunning, providing relief to the poor, and clearing out criminals.
Emperors of all dynasties in China attached great importance to agriculture. A spring ploughing ceremony would be held every year on the beginning of spring. Although it was just a ceremony for the emperor, it had extraordinary significance for officials and common people.
After the Spring Ploughing Ceremony, local officials need to inspect and encourage farmers, and provide assistance when necessary.
Seeing Chongzhen asking questions about government affairs, Wang Tingmei fell silent again. He knelt on the ground, raised his hands above his head and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. The bandits are coming and the security of the capital is in chaos. I have been busy catching the bandits recently, so I have put aside the matter of encouraging people to cultivate agriculture and sericulture for the time being."
Chongzhen sighed in his heart.
If the capital is like this, how chaotic must the provincial capitals be?
Without a statement from the government, the common people dared not to plant their land. They worked hard for half a year, but when the harvest came, the government took away all their crops.
Who would dare to farm with such a result?
It is better to do something else with that time. Even if you have to beg for food, you can get a few more months of food.
"Forget it, this is not your fault alone, forgive me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Does Wang Qing know about potatoes?"
"I know this is a top-grade dish, and ordinary people are not qualified to enjoy it."
"It's all right to know. Your Majesty's mission is to get the people of the capital to plant this plant extensively. The palace can provide free seedlings for sowing."
"This..." Wang Tingmei was speechless and didn't know what to say.
It is unheard of that the emperor wants to share his royal belongings with ordinary people!
Why did your majesty do this?
Is it just because I love to eat?
But even if you love to eat it, you can’t eat it every day. Even if you eat it every day, you can’t finish it!
He did not dare to ask more questions and could only accept the order: "I obey your order."
"Okay, if you can handle these two things, I'll give you a promotion!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After leaving Shuntian Prefecture, Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief again.
The Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and if one wanted to save the crumbling empire, one had to consider everything very comprehensively.
Why did the people rebel?
To put it simply, there is only one word: hungry!
Natural disasters and man-made calamities had left them without food to eat. If they remained honest farmers, they would only end up dead. But if they followed Li Zicheng, they would still have something to eat.
The Little Ice Age was not only characterized by low temperatures, but also drought.
Potatoes are cold-resistant and drought-resistant, with a growth cycle of about 80 to 100 days. They have a very high starch content and are most suitable for planting in the arid north.
Moreover, potatoes have relatively few diseases and pests, and once they have a good harvest, they will bring huge profits.
Seeing that the imperial city was not far away, Chongzhen thought of something.
He turned to Wang Chengen and asked, "Wang Chengen, do you know where Li Ruo Lian went?"
"Your Majesty, before leaving the palace, I happened to meet Li Tongzhi. He said that Your Majesty had given him a top-secret mission, and he left in a hurry without waiting for the end."
"Oh!" Chongzhen agreed casually.
etc……
Chongzhen began to feel a chill on his back. Could it be that Li Ruolian would take this opportunity to assassinate him?
Is he so anxious?
That’s right!
Li Ruolian is a smart man and he would never go to the imperial city to assassinate the emperor.
First, the Yongweiying and Jinyiwei who guard the imperial city are not there to do nothing; second, the blame for the assassination must be shifted to someone else.
There are records of everyone entering and leaving the imperial city, and you might end up shooting yourself in the foot.
He wasn't really going to kill me, was he? Would he miss? Would he use a gun or a crossbow?
What should I do if the shot goes off target?
In an instant, Chongzhen's heart became very complicated.
He wanted to sway his body while riding on his horse to avoid the assassination, but he was afraid that Li Ruolian would accidentally hurt him while he was swaying his body.
He was enveloped by various emotions such as confusion, regret, and uneasiness.
The imperial procession marched on for a while, but the imagined attack did not come. Chongzhen's previous emotions disappeared, replaced by expectation.
Why haven't you come yet? If you don't come soon, I will enter the imperial city!
There’s no hope once you enter the imperial city!
He subconsciously turned his head and looked around, trying to find Li Ruolian's eagle.
There was nothing in front of me. To the left was a mansion where the nobles of the court lived. To the right was another mansion where most of the high officials of the court lived.
When he looked to the right, because of turning his head, his entire upper body tilted at a corresponding angle along with his neck.
At the moment of tilting, the sound of breaking air was heard on both sides simultaneously!
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
It happened too fast, Chongzhen had no time to react at all.
When he reacted, he found that the armor on his body was grazed by the arrow, and the arrow's remaining power hit Wang Chengen next to him.
The armor is a unique costume of the Ming Dynasty emperors. It is somewhat similar to the vests of later generations. It is mainly worn when riding horses and shooting arrows. It is light, has a certain degree of protection, and does not affect movement. It is mainly gold, supplemented by red, and embroidered with auspicious clouds and dragons. It is majestic and cannot be looked at directly.
"Ah!" Wang Chengen was hit in the butt by an arrow. He covered his butt and fell to the ground with a scream.
"There's an assassin!"
"Protect the emperor!"
"Protect the Emperor! Catch the assassin!"
Before Wang Chengen's screams ended, the soldiers of the Yongwei Camp had surrounded Chongzhen in three layers.
Swords were unsheathed, bows and crossbows were strung, and they looked around eagerly.
Not to mention arrows, even a mosquito can't fly in.
The Yongwei Battalion has made countless military achievements since its establishment, but these achievements have nothing to do with them, but come from their comrades who fought outside, such as Sun Yingyuan, Zhou Yuji and Huang Degong!
They have been staying in the capital for many years without any chance to make merit. Now that the opportunity has finally come, how can they let it go easily?
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