Cang, the ambassador, sounds high-sounding, but in fact he is a low-ranking official. He cannot even be called a minor official. He can only be said to be a kind of official.

For example, warehouse ambassadors, delivery office ambassadors, river station ambassadors, iron smelting office ambassadors, etc. are all officials responsible for a specific type of affairs.

However, although their positions are humble, their powers are not small.

For example, the official warehouse ambassador, who was not a prostitute, was responsible for managing the official warehouses and grain stores of a county or a state. He was also responsible for the income and expenditure of all the people's taxes and military settlements, as well as the income and expenditure of grain redemption, salary, grain and rice for various departments.

For another example, the ambassador of the Delivery Office is in charge of transporting grain and goods, the ambassador of the River Park Office is in charge of collecting rivers, lakes, and seas and fishery taxes, and the ambassador of the Iron and Steel Institute is in charge of the mining, smelting, and tax collection of iron ore in various places.

As for the so-called ambassador of the Agricultural Reclamation Institute set up by Yang Zhen, although he only has the title of ambassador of the institute, the affairs that Yang Zhen wants him to take charge of are major agricultural reclamation affairs in the entire fifth road of Jinhai Town.

In this way, it can't be considered as treating him poorly.

After all, this Chen Shunong had just arrived and had not yet made any achievements. It was impossible for Yang Zhen to give him such a high position at first sight and just listen to his reliable words.

Now the ambassador of the Agricultural Reclamation Institute has not only given him a certain amount of authority as a professional to do professional things, but also given him a broad enough space for advancement.

Chen Shunong obviously understood Yang Zhen's arrangement. After being stunned for a moment, he quickly lifted his robe and knelt down on the bow deck, kowtowed and said:

"When young Chen Shunong got off the ship, he had not yet made any achievements. The governor immediately appointed him to such an important position. For the governor's support and encouragement, I will serve you with all my heart and mind. I will do my best for the important work of the governor's settlement. Within three years, I will make sure that the governor has enough food.

Soldier!"

"Brother Chen, do you have a famous name? Do you have a distinguished family background?"

"Boy, ah, that's not right, it's a humble position. I don't dare to be called the governor's brother because of my humble position. The humble position means establishing my foundation. As for fame, I gave up my career early in my humble career, and my fame in the examination room stopped at the birth of a child."

Seeing that Chen Shunong completed the change of identity and role so quickly and accepted his appointment, Yang Zhen knew that he was sincere in his submission and was very happy in his heart.

Seeing that Chen Shunong felt that his status was humble and looked a little frightened by the affectionate name he addressed to him, Yang Zhen immediately smiled and said to him:

"Haha, it doesn't matter. As the saying goes, we are all brothers in the four seas. Brother Li, you can recommend yourself and take the initiative to ask me to come. Traveling thousands of miles to plant potatoes in Jinhai Town, it shows that you are courageous and knowledgeable, and you are not an ordinary Confucian scholar.

Such a talented person is fully worthy of me, Yang Zhen, calling you brother!"

Although Chen Shunong regarded himself as talented, no big shot like Yang Zhen praised him so highly when he was in Fujian. When he saw Yang Zhen praising him so much, he was touched and frightened at the same time. He bowed his head and said,

I don't dare to use the title evenly.

Seeing him like this, Yang Zhen saw that he was almost ready to conquer his heart, so he stopped giving him a high hat. Remembering the three-year period he just mentioned, he smiled and said to him:

"Brother Liben, if it takes three years, of course we can have enough food and troops. I completely believe this, but if it takes three years, it is still a bit too long!

"Nowadays, famine is widespread in the pass and the people are in dire straits. Immigrants crossing the sea from Dengzhou and heading north are also coming to Jinhai to make a living. If we cannot make certain achievements in reclaiming wasteland and seed potatoes this year, the consequences will be unimaginable.

.”

Having said this, Yang Zhen looked at the thoughtful Chen Shunong and paused for a while. Only after seeing him nodding and seeing that he seemed to have digested what he said, did he continue:

"And this matter is about to fall on the large-scale planting of sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes within the jurisdiction of Jinhai Town. In the final analysis, it is about to fall on you, the ambassador of the Farm Reclamation Institute, and the seed potato master you brought.

On them!"

"this--"

When Chen Shunong saw Yang Zhen, the famous left commander of Jin Haibo's Eastward General, saying this, he suddenly woke up and knew that what Yang Zhen said just now was all foreshadowing.

He came to Jinhai Town this time with the attitude of seeking wealth through danger, but he would not have dared to take on this job if he didn't have some time, or if he didn't have some confidence in succeeding in planting potatoes in Liaodong.

However, he did not expect that Yang Zhen was so urgent about seed potatoes and did not give him any time to experiment or plant them. He actually demanded that large-scale planting be successful in the first year.

This is of course a severe challenge for him, and he cannot help but be more cautious, at least leaving himself some room.

After all, planting potatoes in Jinhai Town, that is to say, planting sweet potatoes on the Liaodong Peninsula, including planting sweet potatoes, which are newly named potatoes, is the first time for a big girl to get on a sedan chair, and no one has ever done it before.

However, as soon as he started speaking, he was interrupted by Yang Zhen, who only heard Yang Zhen say to him: "If the seed potatoes can be successful this year, after the winter comes, the soldiers and civilians of the Fifth Route of Jinhai Town will be able to fill the fields."

Now that you are full, I will write a letter to you as the emperor of the day, declaring that you will be the governor of Jinhai Town!"

Dutun Tongpan was an extraordinary six-rank civil official position established by the Ming Dynasty within the jurisdiction of Liaodong Town at the suggestion of Sun Chengzong after the Liao Dynasty was corrupted during the Tianqi period.

The purpose of setting it up is to recruit refugees from all over the world to cultivate wasteland and farmland outside Shanhaiguan, produce food on the spot for self-sufficiency, and supply food and military supplies to the soldiers and horses in western Liaoning.

After Sun Chengzong resigned and returned to his hometown, this position was replaced from time to time. Later, especially during the Chongzhen period, this position had been abolished for many years.

But for Yang Zhen, this matter is a precedent. If the scale of reclamation in Jinhai Town increases, he can report to Emperor Chongzhen to establish such a position and reward those who have made contributions in promoting reclamation in Jinhai Town.

This position of a civil servant with a rank of six is ​​much more attractive than that of a low-ranking ambassador of the Farm Reclamation Agency.

Since Chen Shunong was not good at studying and had no choice but to teach people how to grow potatoes as a career, the appeal to him of being an official, especially being a full-grade civil servant, was not ordinary.

Sure enough, after Yang Zhen said this, Chen Shunong was stunned. He looked up at Yang Zhen with wide eyes and swallowed the words that had just reached his lips.

After being stunned for a moment, he once again leaned over and kowtowed and said, "If this is the case, what else can I do with my humble position in this life? I can only do my best to repay the kindness of the Governor!"

"It is April now, the Qingming Festival has passed, and the Grain Rain has not yet arrived. It is the right time to raise sweet potato seedlings and sow sweet potatoes. As long as there is enough wasteland that is easy to cultivate and plant, there is no need to worry about not having a good harvest in autumn. I would like to issue a military order.

!”

"Haha, okay, the military order is not necessary, as long as you have confidence! Come on, let's get off the boat and bring you to the seed potato masters in Jinhai Town and introduce you to me one by one!"

Seeing that his encouragement was effective, Yang Zhen said no more at the moment. He pulled up the newly appointed Ambassador of the Agricultural Reclamation Office of the Jinhai General Town Office, Assistant Camp Office, from the deck of the bow, and then stepped on the pedals to go down the ship.

.

When they arrived at the dock, Chen Shunong, who had been appointed, quickly called for several servants who had followed him to Jinhai Town to plant potatoes, and introduced them to Yang Zhenzheng one by one.

There were five other people who came with him to seek wealth, three old and two young.

Among the three old men, the first one is called Chen Changsheng. He is short, with dark complexion, wrinkles on his face, and rough hands. He looks like an old farmer at first glance, and he is Chen Shunong's own family.

The other two, one named Wu Deduo and the other Wang Baoqing, looked more like craftsmen than old farmers. When they met Yang Zhen, they did not kneel on the ground and murmur like that Chen Genfan did. Instead, they said something respectively.

But they all spoke in Fujian dialect, and Yang Zhen really couldn't understand, so he just helped them up and encouraged them, promising them that as long as they worked hard, they could become officials if they wanted, and if they wanted money, they would be rewarded generously.

As for the remaining two, they are two young people about the same age as Chen Shunong. One of them is named Wu Gongqin and the other is named Wang Jiaqi.

Wu Gongqin is the second son of Wu Deduo, and Wang Jiaqi is the second son of Wang Baoqing.

These two pairs of father and son were the first servants and servants who followed Chen Zhenlong and Chen Jinglun to teach people how to grow potatoes in eastern Fujian and other places. They always made a living by teaching people how to grow potatoes.

Nowadays, sweet potatoes are grown more and more widely in Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi and other places. More and more people are able to grow them, and their situation has also become worse than before.

This time, they were attracted by the high rewards offered by Shen Yongzhong and others, so they followed the courageous and knowledgeable Chen Shunong to come to Jinhai Town to seek wealth.

Yang Zhen met them at the dock and placed the five seed potato masters who came with Chen Shunong at the Farm Reclamation Institute, telling them to continue to follow the arrangements of Chen Shunong, the ambassador of the Farm Reclamation Institute.

As for the high remuneration Shen Yongzhong and the others promised to these people, that is, one hundred and twenty taels of silver per person per year, Yang Zhen not only reiterated it to them on the spot, but also promised to give it to them after they succeeded in planting sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes.

A reward ten times this remuneration.

In this regard, Chen Shunong and others, who were new to Jinhai Town, once again expressed their gratitude to Yang Zhen.

In the afternoon of the same day, Yang Zhen allocated the land along the east bank of the Long River at the western foot of Baiyu Mountain to the Agricultural Reclamation Institute, setting it as the location of the Agricultural Reclamation Institute's nursery camp, and settled Chen Shunong and his party as well as the dozen or so boats of sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes.

At the same time, Yang Zhen also ordered the Assistant Camp Affairs Office to recruit 300 veterans who were good at reclaiming wasteland and farming from the Five Tun Camps in Nanguanling. The next day, they went to the nursery to cultivate wasteland and plow the land, and learn sweet potato seedling cultivation and

How to grow sweet potatoes.

This time, among the sweet potato seeds brought back by Shen Yongzhong and the others, of course, the majority were real sweet potatoes, with 80% of them being real sweet potatoes.

But sweet potatoes, also known as potatoes, are mixed in, and the quantity is quite large, accounting for 20%, which is enough to weigh tens of thousands of kilograms. When used as potato seeds, it is enough to plant dozens of acres of land.

As for potatoes alone, if dozens of acres of land could be successfully planted in the spring and summer of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, then in the coming year, that is, in the spring and summer of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, the potato planting area in Jinhai Town alone would be

It can expand dozens or even hundreds of times in one go.

For a crop, although the introduction and propagation ability of potatoes is already very good, compared with sweet potatoes, it is still a bit insignificant.

Because after the sweet potatoes are sown, as long as the soil, temperature and humidity conditions are suitable, they will sprout quickly and grow lush vines.

And its vines are simply inexhaustible. Once they grow, they can be cut and grown, and they can be continuously introduced to other fields.

Just one acre of sweet potato seedlings and vines, cut into sections and distributed, is enough to cultivate more than ten or even dozens of acres of sweet potato fields.

The dozen or so shipments of sweet potatoes that Shen Yongzhong, Yan Shengsan, and Guo Xiaowu brought back were enough to plant hundreds of acres of sweet potato seedlings at one time.

In mid-April, the sweet potato tubers are buried in the soil and watered to raise seedlings. After mid-May, the vines can be cut and transplanted elsewhere.

Once the sweet potato vines are successfully planted, from now on, Jinhai Town will no longer have to worry about the problem of sweet potato seedlings.

In autumn, after the first batch of sweet potatoes is harvested, the sweet potato vines on the ground can be kept as sweet potato seedlings for the coming year as long as they are properly stored in a cellar with suitable temperature and humidity.
Chapter completed!