Ever since the project was confirmed, Xu Jingchang's life has become easier, after all, he is not the one doing the work.
Up and down, everyone was busy, and he was also busy, busy spreading branches and leaves of the Xu family. How could such a big family not have more children?
This is what Xu Jingchang said from his heart. It is really not difficult to encourage childbirth. If you have a house to live in, money to spend, a good position, a huge family fortune, and free time, a fool would not want to have more children!
Of course, he can't indulge in one thing all day and night...occasionally he has to do something else, such as publishing the Pingzhangyuan strategic security assessment report.
He has been writing this thing since he arrived in Peiping, and now he has finally produced the first draft... It's not that Xu Jingchang is lazy, there is too much content, the first edition has more than 500 pages, more than 150,000
Character.
It is said that after Zhu Di got it, he read it for three days, forgetting all sleep and food, and did not dare to omit any omissions. Then he issued an edict that this report should be published in six parts, requiring all officials of seventh rank and above in the world to read them all.
Not only that, but also brainstorming, making suggestions, and discussing.
Just looking at this formation, it is comparable to the imperial imperial edict.
"I want to see what kind of trouble Xu has made!"
Xia Yuanji groaned angrily and opened the stuff. At first he looked disdainful, but as he looked at it, Lao Xia's eyes widened, and soon he felt bad.
He read it through, found out the key points, and studied it over and over... There is an advantage in Xu Jingchang's writings. He doesn't drag out the words, and there are not so many difficult words to understand. But these vernacular words make people more and more frightened and frightened the more they read.
Calling again and again.
There are many people like Xia Yuanji, such as Jian Yi, the official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Xie Jin, the general affairs envoy. The rest, Yang Rong, Huang Huai, Hu Guang, Jin Youzi... these people who are known as important ministers in the court and the brains of the Ming Dynasty,
Everyone is amazed.
Everyone, including Xu Qin, the man who discovered the beauty, was shocked by his cousin's thoughts.
Suddenly, Xu Qin was not qualified to participate in the Wuying Hall discussion, but Zhu Gaochi specifically called him over.
Together with all the important ministers, there was only one topic that everyone discussed, and that was Xu Jingchang's things.
Xu Qin was able to participate mainly because he had previously elaborated on the idea that the world's wealth was shared, so it was necessary to make money from overseas barbarians. This set of ideas provided the ideological basis for the voyages to the West.
It also provided support for the imperial court’s financial management.
Therefore, Xia Yuanji also attached great importance to Xu Qin and regarded him as a rising star.
"Xu Tanhua, have you read Ding Guogong's article?"
Xu Qin said: "I've seen it."
"How many times have you watched it?"
Xu Qin said: "Ashamed, I only read it twice."
Xia Yuanji nodded, "I read it three times, and the important parts twice."
Xu Qin blushed for a moment. As a member of the Xu family, he was not as attentive as Lao Xia.
He raised his head and looked around, and found that most of the important officials present looked as if they were taking it for granted. Needless to say, there were many who saw more than Xia Yuanji.
It was absolutely unexpected that a report could have such a big impact.
But if you think about it carefully, it seems to be natural.
What on earth did Xu Jingchang say that could cause such a big fuss?
In fact, it’s simple, just two words: involution!
Xu Jingchang believed that the border defense pressure in the north was great, and that the Nine Borders had become a burden to the court. The fundamental problem was that the output of farmland in the north was low and could not support so many people. However, it also faced the threat of nomadic cavalry from the grasslands moving south.
Not having enough to eat and being beaten, only a fool is willing to stay!
Military households fled and the land was abandoned, resulting in a emptier border defense, and the court had to invest more... Then the border defense became a sore for the country, with constant blood loss.
At the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Nine Great Fortress Kings to guard the border. In addition to cherishing his son, he also asked the vassal king to guard the border... After all, even the Zhu family was unwilling to go, so who could he expect?
Xu Jingchang briefly analyzed the situation, and then it seemed that he would have to prescribe the right medicine and propose countermeasures.
But he changed the topic and turned to analyze the farming conditions in Jiangnan and the Central Plains.
The land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River has abundant water and heat. It is not as cold as the north, and it is not as hot and humid as the Nanyang... From the perspective of climate conditions and living environment, it is definitely the best land in the agricultural era.
Otherwise, the largest population group in the world would not have thrived... Tianzhu has a lot of arable land, but the climate is very hot and the terrain is closed, so it is not a good place.
As for the Great Plains of America, they look good, but due to the lack of east-west mountain ranges, hurricanes continue in the summer and cold air hits in the winter, with temperatures dropping by dozens of degrees at every turn. This is an absolute disaster for the fragile production capacity in the agricultural era.
But over in Europe, where rain and heat are at different times, only pasture can grow, let alone that.
In Xu Jingchang's report, although he did not compare it with the whole world, he also analyzed that agriculture in the south of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains is mainly intensive farming... Family-based, continuous input of labor, hard work all year round, and exchange of sweat for harvest.
It’s only been a year since I came here, but to be able to fill my stomach and make some extra money is already considered a blessing from God.
Of course, looking around the world, not many can reach this level.
As the population continues to multiply and multiply, labor is doubled on every piece of land, but the harvest does not increase much... It is said that there is no idle land in the world, and farmers starve to death.
At this point, a change of dynasty is not far away.
Moreover, due to the scarcity of land resources, land is more expensive than people, so mergers and acquisitions are rampant, the tax base collapses, finances collapse, countries perish, and dynasties change...
This set of rules is almost inevitable in agricultural society, and it is difficult to break the rules and break out of this cycle.
Xu Jingchang has talked so much, what is the prescription he prescribed?
No!
Xu Jingchang has no prescription. There are only so many people and so much land in the Central Plains and Jiangnan. The population lives and reproduces. No matter how hard you try, you will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause.
If not done well, it will be counterproductive.
But... in the north, maybe we can try a different approach.
Because the Jiubian military households fled, it has been proved that the agricultural conditions in the north are not very suitable for intensive farming.
Especially along the line of the Great Wall, which extends to Liaodong, there is only so much precipitation in these places, and only one crop can be grown every year... Even if the people are exhausted, they will not be able to produce much food. When floods, droughts, and locust plagues occur, the people will immediately go bankrupt and flee in large numbers.
, becoming a huge burden to the imperial court.
How to solve the problem?
Xu Jingchang put forward a plan, that is, the family-based farming method is no longer viable...it is necessary to expand the scale of farming and carry out farming on a scale of one thousand households or one hundred households.
Only by expanding the scale can we resist risks.
Then don't engage in intensive farming...but try to expand the scale.
In the south of the Yangtze River, it is necessary to invest twice the labor force and increase the harvest by 20 to 30%... while in the north, it is necessary to increase the cultivated land three to five times in exchange for a twofold increase in grain.
The core is to occupy more land, use more animal power, and cultivate as much land as possible.
In the end, Xu Jingchang held back. He didn't mention the use of slaves, nor did he say that occupying more land and reclaiming more wasteland would require strong force guarantees... But he could be regarded as giving a new idea.
And based on what he is doing now, everyone finally understands.
Everything is connected.
"Dingguo Gong suggested that to abolish the guard station is to give up the intensive farming of each household... To establish a school and teach the officials of the guard station is to let them master the skills of running the farm. To trade with the grassland tribes is to obtain enough cattle and horses.
Livestock are used to plow the fields.”
Xu Qin said: "We also need Tianjin Port to support the kings and set up trading houses to prepare for the trafficking of grain merchants. Now we have to hold a riding and archery conference to make alliances with all nations, so that merchants can prosper, increase the output of the north, and feed more people."
Many people."
Xu Qin concluded: "I dare not say that Ding Guogong's idea is definitely correct, but I think we can give it a try."
Zhu Gaochi nodded and said with a smile: "Where is Xia Shangshu? You are the master of finance and taxation, and the national treasury is in your hands. What do you think?"
Xia Yuanji sighed repeatedly, "Your Highness, Duke Dingguo's financial management skills are better than those of me. I am only worried about one thing now, that is, after the merchants flourish, will there be some unexpected troubles?"
Zhu Gaochi smiled, "Yes, I am quite worried too... How about this, Xia Shangshu, please go to Peiping to report Yingtian's situation to your father, and secondly, talk to Duke Dingguo."
Discuss how to cooperate with the governance of Peking."
Xia Yuanji was stunned, then nodded helplessly, "I... obey your order."
Zhu Gaochi looked at the others again, "What else do you have to say?"
Jian Yi immediately said: "Your Highness, it is most appropriate for Xia Shangshu to go to Peiping. I have also received the letter from Peiping. I plan to ask Hanlin scholar Yang Rong, You Tongzheng Wushan, and some courtiers to follow him northward.
"
Among those whose names were called, one was an important minister in the cabinet, the other was a confidant of Xu Jingchang, and Xia Yuanji... Jian Yi was excluding dissidents!
Zhu Gaochi thought for a while and nodded, "Very good, I agree."
Xia Yuanji's eyes widened at this moment, Your Highness, are you going to hand over all the government affairs to Jian Yi?
This is not possible!
However, Zhu Gaochi didn't want to continue talking and waved directly to end the Wuying Hall discussion.
There is no doubt that Jian Yi became the biggest winner. He also took away Xia Yuanji, leaving only one prince to supervise the country.
To be honest, Jian Tianguan does not want to have exclusive power. It is so comfortable to have the final say. Who can refuse?
He drew up a list overnight... From Xia Yuanji on down, a total of more than 20 officials went north together to discuss the matter.
There were also many old officials of Jianwen among them, and Huang Huai and Jin Youzi were also taken away by him.
Only the relatively honest Yang Shiqi and Hu Yan are left in the cabinet.
The situation is perfect, all we have to do is wait for Zhu Gaochi's approval.
As a result, his list was submitted, and Zhu Gaochi also approved it... except that instead of more than 20 people, there were more than 520 people!
Zhu Gaochi added 500 in one breath!
"All imperial students who want to become officials or take part in the imperial examination must first go abroad to report their affairs. This time, according to the advice of the Ministry of Personnel, five hundred imperial students were selected to go north in the early stage for the use of the Peking Department."
Jian Yi's eyes suddenly widened... This is not what I suggested, no!
Recommend new books to friends, by old author Da Luoluo, quality guaranteed
