Just when Zhu Yuanzhang was confused, Zhu Biao on the side also asked: "Hu Aiqing, I don't know what this is, how come I have never seen it before?"
No wonder Zhu Biao asked this question.
As a dignified prince of the Ming Dynasty, he had eaten a lot of delicacies from mountains and seas.
Anything that flies in the sky or runs on the ground, as long as it is edible, will be offered by the courtiers below.
Although Zhu Biao is not the kind of person who attaches great importance to food and appetite, in order to keep his face, Zhu Biao has eaten a lot of delicious food.
And not only the delicacies of the Central Plains, Zhu Biao also tasted a lot of French delicacies.
After all, the Ming Dynasty is now the leading overlord of the Central Plains. In order to gain the protection of the Ming Dynasty, the surrounding small countries will also send many specialties from other countries.
But even though Zhu Biao was well-informed, he had never seen anything so strange.
Facing the confused faces of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, Hu Changan smiled slightly and said: "This yellow columnar object is called corn, and it is a kind of miscellaneous grain, just like millet."
"The round granular object is called peanut, which is a kind of nut. You only need to peel off the shell to eat it."
"These foods, like the potatoes I offered before, come from the vast sea."
maritime?
Comes from the same place as potatoes?
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but get excited.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang can not care about the appetite, he cannot care about the people's stomach.
If there were more high-yielding crops like potatoes, the Ming Dynasty's comprehensive national strength would definitely reach a higher level!
You know, high-yield crops can not only fill people's stomachs, but also liberate people's productivity!
Suppose there are a hundred civilians in the country.
If the crop yield is insufficient, then in order to feed the hundred people, ninety of them must pick up hoes and become farmers.
This leaves only ten people available for other jobs.
All craftsmen and soldiers can only be drawn from these ten people.
So it is very likely that only one of these ten people can be selected to join the army.
You can imagine how difficult it is for just one person to protect ninety-nine people.
However, if the yield of crops is high, then to feed these one hundred people, perhaps only twenty farmers will be enough!
The remaining eighty people can engage in various other jobs.
Among these eighty people, the country can even directly select twenty people to join the army!
In this way, the comprehensive national strength of Ming Dynasty can be significantly improved.
At least in the area of national defense, Ming's military strength will definitely reach a higher level!
And if there are high-yield crops, then people will have a high probability of choosing to have more children.
After all, in ancient times, children were resources!
Just adding a pair of chopsticks will add a strong labor force to your family.
Anyone with a little bit of brain can do this kind of arithmetic.
Therefore, ordinary people will choose to have as many children as they can afford.
If high-yield crops are promoted, ordinary civilian families can afford to raise more children.
Therefore, they will also choose to have more children.
In this way, the number of people in Ming Dynasty will increase!
With more people, the comprehensive national strength of Ming Dynasty will definitely reach a higher level!
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but breathe quickly.
As a far-sighted emperor, he is even more able to see the opportunities contained in this.
Zhu Yuanzhang quickly asked Hu Changan: "Hu Aiqing, I wonder what kind of sea you are talking about?"
“Are there more productive crops at sea?”
"Are these corns and peanuts just like the potatoes, with extremely high yields?"
However, this time Hu Changan poured a small basin of cold water on Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, although the yield of corn and peanuts is not low, they cannot fill the stomach like potatoes."
"In other words, this corn and peanuts can only be used as snacks, not as the staple food of the people of Ming Dynasty."
"Potatoes, a crop that can be used as a staple food and has a high yield, are really not too many."
After Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he sighed slightly.
Sure enough, he couldn't imagine that good things would always happen.
The Ming Dynasty was lucky enough to have one of these artifacts like potatoes.
However, Hu Changan confirmed Zhu Yuanzhang's conjecture: "Your Majesty, there is a new continent on the other side of the sea."
"The New World has many crops that are different from those in the Central Plains, as well as gold and silver minerals."
"If your Majesty can organize an expedition, there will definitely be great discoveries!"
Taking this opportunity, Hu Changan prepared to plant a seed of navigation in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.
Now is the best time for China to sail.
After all, Ming's shipbuilding technology is still unique in the world.
According to legend, the treasure ship Zheng He rode in the Ming Dynasty could reach 151 meters in length and 60 meters in width, which could accommodate thousands of people.
At the same time, the ship Columbus took was only 35 meters long, which was a full 116 meters shorter than Zheng He's treasure ship.
Moreover, the displacement of Columbus’s ship was actually 100 times weaker than Zheng He’s treasure ship!
Today's Ming Dynasty's shipbuilding technology is hundreds of years ahead of Europa!
It can be said that in terms of technical aspects of long voyages, Daming has absolutely no problems.
Unfortunately, due to the maritime ban policy, Ming Dynasty's shipbuilding technology stagnated and was gradually overtaken by Europa.
So now with its unique shipbuilding technology in the world, Ming Dynasty will definitely be able to achieve achievements far beyond Columbus!
After Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he was silent.
This idea proposed by Hu Changan is exactly contrary to the maritime ban policy he proposed.
Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang did not understand the benefits that the sea could bring.
In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, the sea was just a larger lake, which could bring only some fishes and nothing else.
So when Chen Youliang's remnants combined with Japanese pirates repeatedly violated Ming Dynasty's maritime borders, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented the maritime ban policy without hesitation.
In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, as long as he ate less fish, he could avoid the bloodshed caused by the Japanese pirates massacring the people, which was a good deal.
But now, Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated.
If Hu Changan is right, then there are inexhaustible treasures on the other side of the sea.
If this is the case, then the sea ban will definitely do more harm than good!
However, when Zhu Yuanzhang was hesitating, the corn was already roasted.
Seeing this, Hu Changan quickly took out the charcoal from the stove, picked up two corns with a clean handkerchief, and gave one to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.
Taking the corn in his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang temporarily gave up his heavy thinking.
Such important matters cannot be decided overnight.
For now, let’s take a look at Hu Changan’s craftsmanship.
However, in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, a seed of navigation was quietly planted.