Chapter 275 National Strength Increased by 30%
Shezhou Governor Zeng Ziqian never disappoints anyone!
He entered the hall with a smile on his face, and the first words he said after bowing were "Congratulations to Daqi and to His Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of all the civil and military officials in the court jumped! Sure enough, it happened again!
The Minister of Revenue, who had just been arguing with Xue Yan, Li Yu and other ministers until sparks came out of his mouth, frowned and looked at Zeng Ziqian. He was particularly unhappy that his discussion of the most important matter at the moment was interrupted.
"Master Zeng, unless you help the court get enough food to feed the army for a year, nothing can be called a happy event. Making plows and slaughtering pigs are indeed beneficial to the country and the people, but they cannot solve the court's current predicament."
It was obvious that the sparks directed at Xue Yan and Li Yu's group were also directed at Zeng Ziqian.
Zeng Ziqian frowned and smiled: "Minister Chen, look, what a coincidence, isn't it?"
This reply made the emperor on the throne frown. "Stop playing tricks. Tell me why you're back in Beijing."
Zeng Ziqian immediately became serious, took out a memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. When Cen Xi took it, he bowed in a standard manner and said with a smile on his face: "I congratulate your majesty--
Countryman Sangluo spent four years experimenting with composting, which he found could increase rice yields by 40 kilograms per acre!
Experiment with the method of crop rotation. Counties with suitable climates can achieve two crops a year. The method of crop rotation can balance the fertility of the land. When combined with the composting method, even low-quality fields can be planted for at least three years without needing to be left fallow! "
It was fine when it came to the composting method, but when it came to the second part about the water-land wheel method, the emperor almost jumped up from the dragon throne!
"Zeng Ziqian! Are you serious?!"
The yield per mu increased by 40 kilograms!
Two harvests a year!!
The inferior land should be cultivated continuously for at least three years without being left fallow!!!
What is the concept?
At that moment, the emperor could clearly feel the blood flow in his body, and his heart was about to burst out of his chest!
The entire court was filled with civil and military officials, as if they were listening to a mystery. The Minister of Revenue, who had just been confronted with Zeng Ziqian, stared at him in amazement.
"Zeng Sanlang, what are you talking about..."
Although he was not very proficient in farming, he knew that the soil had limited fertility and would be wasted if it was not given time to rest. This was especially true for low-quality land, which was often planted one year and left fallow the next. This had been the case since ancient times. How was it possible to have two crops a year and then continue planting for three years without leaving the land fallow?
"I dare not deceive you. The reason why I said that the inferior land can be cultivated for at least three consecutive years without fallow is because when the county lord led a group of mountain people to experiment with this method in the mountains, they only cultivated for three years before leaving the mountains. Therefore, there is a three-year saying. In fact, if the fertilizer can keep up, the upper limit is a few years. I don't know."
The emperor quickly took the memorial that Cen Xi handed over, unfolded it and read it at a glance. After reading it once, he seemed to not believe it, so he read it again!
"good!"
"good!"
"What a Sang Luo!"
He was so excited that he walked back and forth in front of the throne for a few circles. When he was satisfied, he patted the memorial on Cen Xi's hand and said, "Send it down and show it to all the ministers! The Xiangjun I personally conferred upon you is really a lucky star for our Great Qi! The yield per mu has increased, with two crops a year, and there is no need to leave the land fallow for several years. This means that the grain that the people of Great Qi can harvest every year will increase by at least 30%!"
Yes, at least 30% increase, this is a conservative estimate of the implementation of the counties and prefectures with climates not too different from Shezhou, and then the average of the other counties and prefectures in the whole of Daqi that could not implement this law. If only Shezhou is taken as an example, it is several times!
As for whether what Zeng Ziqian reported was untrue, based on his understanding of Zeng Sanlang, it was not true!
And, most importantly, it was Sang Luo who figured out these two methods.
The emperor had never seen her before, but a young lady in her twenties was using a curved plow, growing yams, and slaughtering pigs! Moreover, she was also able to make paper! Only he and Zeng Ziqian knew where the court's current papermaking technology came from.
The recipes she presented to the court time and time again on farming and handicrafts made Sang Luo somewhat deified in the eyes of the emperor.
Therefore, the emperor really believed the seemingly incredible data in Zeng Ziqian’s memorial!
…
A group of court officials couldn't believe what the emperor said. Cen Xi just stepped down the stairs. Several dukes, ministers of the Chancellery, ministers of the Central Chancellery, left and right ministers, and six ministers, a group of people didn't even care about the formation in the court and surrounded him.
Xue Yan and Shangshu Chen were not the highest-ranking officials, but they were the most agile and nimble at this critical moment. The two men, who had been arguing so loudly just now that their hair and beards were almost standing up, now moved in unison and rushed in front of Cen Xi, pushing all the first and second-rank officials to the side. They stretched out both hands at the same time, and each of them grabbed half a roll of memorials.
Seeing the other hand, he turned his head to look, and said in tacit agreement: "Let's look together!"
Cen Xi smiled, loosened his hand, turned around and went back to the hall.
A group of important officials from the court gathered around to read the memorial. Li Yu was not of high rank, but he did not have the courage of Xue Yan and Chen Shangshu. He grabbed Zeng Ziqian and said, "Is there really a way to increase the grain yield of Daqi by at least 30%?"
Zeng Ziqian was very calm: "Of course it is true. If I wasn't sure, how would I dare to report it to the capital?"
Li Yu murmured in disbelief: "How is it possible?"
He had been to Daxingzhuang in person before. Daxingzhuang was indeed different from the outside world. The people in the village were full of energy and vitality, and they raised a lot of poultry and livestock. When he was going to Shen's house, he saw a lot of things planted in the fields, some even blooming. He asked the guards around him, and they said it was a kind of wild grass that could be used as green manure.
Li Yu did not think much about it. When he went to Kuaiji, he was still thinking about going back to Daxingzhuang to take a closer look. However, Zeng Ziqian was about to go to Beijing, and he mentioned that there were some progress in papermaking technology, so he no longer cared about it.
Li Yu stamped his feet: "I should have gone to Daxingzhuang again!"
Take another trip and take a closer look at Daxingzhuang with your own eyes, then you will believe it and dare to believe it!
…
The officials rushed to read the memorial, but the emperor didn't care about the chaos at all. His mind had been full of food these days, and after reading Zeng Ziqian's memorial, the emperor's mind worked quickly.
What does this memorial mean? It means that as long as this law is implemented normally, the national strength of Da Qi will increase by at least 30%, and food shortages will be gone! It is only a matter of time before the granaries in various parts of Da Qi are filled!
It means that the people are prosperous, and population growth will follow!
Food, population!
The emperor was so excited that it seemed as if a switch was pressed throughout his body. He clenched and unclenched his hands, repeated this cycle twice, and then burst into laughter. He felt so happy!
After the ministers had read Zeng Ziqian's memorial, the emperor had already sat back on the dragon throne, looked down and said loudly: "We don't need to worry about food anymore, and don't talk about raising taxes. From today on, all counties in Daqi can implement the composting method. Counties with a climate similar to Shezhou can try out both methods at the same time. We can harvest twice a year without having to leave the land fallow. There's no need to worry about not having enough food!"
"As for this year, your families have a lot of good fields and land, and there must be no shortage of grain in the warehouse. Even if you sell all your own to the court, you still have relatives and friends. I don't care what you think of, whether you tighten your belts or use all your connections to help the court, just gather the grain this year and the court will buy it from you with real money."
This statement really gives face to the group of ministers below. Another interpretation is: There are two harvests a year, so don't hoard goods. The more you hoard, the less valuable they will become!
Yes, the imperial court was indeed short of grain, and the common people did not dare to sell grain because they had little grain. But did the aristocratic families who occupied a large area of land really have no grain to sell? They were just hoarding grain and hoping to get a higher price.
Ninety percent of the civil and military officials in the court came from aristocratic families of varying sizes.
Add tax.
Oh.
The emperor took a deep note of the actor who was the best at crying poor recently and the noble family behind him.
But when he thought about the bumper harvest and the people's full granaries, all the unhappiness he had felt in the past few days was washed away.
The ministers below were just as quick-witted as the emperor, and they responded quickly: "We will do our best!"
That being said, there are still doubts about what Zeng Ziqian said in his memorial.
In fact, if we exclude the counties with cold weather that cannot achieve two crops a year, for the people of Shezhou alone, the composting method mentioned in Zeng Ziqian's memorial can increase production, and the crop rotation method can double the yield, plus there is no need to leave the land fallow, which is more than double the yield.
Even if the best quality fields do not need to be left fallow frequently, it can still be at least two or three times as much.
Is it possible?
It's like a holy book, no one can believe it!
At times like this, there are always vanguards fighting in the front line. A fifth-rank civil servant stepped out and directed the conversation to Zeng Ziqian.
"Master Zeng, I saw in your memorial that you brought two villagers from Daxing Village who have been participating in the composting and crop rotation methods?"
"Yes, outside the palace."
"Please come in, sir. We can ask you in detail how they managed to harvest twice a year without leaving the fields fallow. It is really incredible."
What was there for Zeng Ziqian to be afraid of? He looked at the emperor, who didn't bother to care whether the minister was genuinely curious or pretending to be curious. Anyway, he himself was genuinely curious.
"Come in, I have something to ask you."
Then a young eunuch took the order and went out of the hall.
…
Zhou Cunzheng and Chen Youtian had just arrived in the capital early in the morning. As soon as they got off the boat, they were taken directly into the palace by Zeng Ziqian. They stood wherever Zeng Ziqian told them to stand without moving a step. Their necks and eyes were the most flexible parts of their bodies. They looked up at the sky, down at the earth, and in all directions. The palace was so magnificent.
Even the guards holding spears in the distance were surprised, and wished their eyes could have the ability to turn so that they could enter the hall that Zeng Ziqian had just entered and take a look at the emperor and the civil and military officials who were said to be holding court meetings inside.
Their necks and eyes were moving around excitedly when a young eunuch holding a whisk came out quickly from the hall and walked straight towards them.
"Are you two the residents of Daxing Village who came with Master Zeng?"
Zhou Cunzheng and Chen Youtian were both a little dumbfounded. Zhou Cunzheng nodded: "Yes."
"Then follow us into the palace. The emperor wants to see you."
ah?
Huh?
What are you talking about?
"The emperor wants to see you two, don't delay, follow me quickly."
Chen Youtian's legs went weak. Oh my god, I said I was here to teach you how to farm. Why do I have to meet the emperor?
The young eunuch briefly taught them the rules of meeting the emperor. Zhou Cunzheng and Chen Youtian's heartbeats were almost jumping out of their ears, so loud that they could not hear anything at all.
With trembling thighs and weak legs, he followed the young eunuch to the Taiji Hall!
While they were still some distance away, Chen Youtian grabbed Zhou Cunzheng's arm and said, "Chapter 999, Chapter 9, my legs are a little weak."
Zhou Jiuzhang was also weak, his hands were shaking, and he encouraged himself and Chen Youtian: "It's okay, it's our blessing."
What a blessing!
Meet the emperor.
It's fine as long as your legs are not weak and your breath is not short.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
