On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Li Ye held a symposium in the Qinzhengwu main building.
Thirty-five officials, all neatly dressed, are all in their thirties, in the prime of life.
At this time, several officials accompanied Qi Wang Li Ye and walked in. Everyone stood up to salute, "See you, Your Highness!"
Li Ye waved his hand and motioned for everyone to sit down. Li Ye smiled slightly and said: "Everyone, please sit down!"
Everyone sat down, and Li Ye also sat down with several officials. Li Ye glanced at everyone and smiled slightly: "Today is still the New Year holiday, so I invite everyone to come over for a cup of tea, chat, and hold a tea party. No one wants to
If you’re nervous, relax a little.”
Li Ye's tone was very relaxed, his smile was friendly, and everyone's nervous mood gradually relaxed.
Li Ye then said slowly: "You may be confused as to why the imperial court doesn't pay attention to you, but I value you here very much. I give you promotions and salary increases to solve your worries about housing. In fact, it's not only you who are confused, but also my officials.
To explain, to explain this issue clearly, I have to start with an incident in history.
Cao Cao went on an expedition to Wuhuan and defeated the many with a small number. He defeated the Wuhuan people and finally destroyed the country. He captured more than 200,000 prisoners alone. Cao Cao went deep into the hinterland of the Xiongnu to fight. The Xiongnu were separated, and the famous king not only provided meat and food
, and even knelt on the roadside to "send off", beating the Huns men, women, and children until they heard Cao Cao's name during the day and had nightmares at night.
Compared with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who attacked the nomads, Cao Cao sent only a small number of troops. Ten to twenty thousand people could beat the crap out of the Huns. Why could Cao Cao do it? Is it because Cao Cao's troops are good at fighting? No, it's because of technology, because Cao Cao
The cavalry of China are equipped with saddles and stirrups, but the steppe nomads do not. For the steppe nomads, saddles and stirrups are great tools for crushing them, which can be said to be a unilateral massacre.
Before the emergence of saddles and stirrups, the role of war horses was only to come and run fast. But with stirrups and saddles, cavalry can fight on horses and crush them from a high position.
Some people say that technology is meaningless in military use, okay! Let’s change an example, let’s talk about spinning! How much can a person spin in a day, up to two or three pounds, and a large spinning wheel turned by water can drive more than thirty spindles at the same time
, more than one hundred kilograms of yarn can be spun in a day and night, and a skilled female worker can take care of two or three spinning wheels. This is the change brought about by technology."
Wei Jincheng mustered up his courage and said, "There is also a water-powered flour mill!"
"Yes! Water-powered flour grinding machine. One water wheel can drive more than twenty ordinary millstones, which is more than twenty times that of human and animal millstones. What is the name of this official?"
"Wei Jincheng, who holds a humble position, was originally the general superintendent of the school. My father, who has a humble position, has studied hydraulic machinery all his life."
Li Ye nodded, "Then what do you think is the most difficult thing about hydraulic machinery?"
"The most difficult thing is to change the direction of force. For example, the millstone rotates horizontally, while the waterwheel rotates longitudinally. How to change the longitudinal rotation into transverse rotation? This is the difficulty. The method we use is multiple helical gears, which solves the power conversion
The problem of direction.”
Li Ye asked with great interest: "Then how to convert the forward and backward motion into circular motion?"
Wei Jincheng leaned forward and said: "Reporting to your highness, this problem was solved during the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Du Shi, the prefect of Nanyang, invented the water drainage system. He used a water wheel to blast iron and used a connecting rod device in the middle. Circular motion is converted into forward and backward motion, and vice versa. Later, due to the war in the late Han Dynasty, this linkage device technology was lost. We found the old book drawings and restored it. The hydraulic oil press we use now uses Got this connecting rod and crank.”
Li Ye praised: "This Wei Shijun said it very well, and he also talked about the key points. What is the difference between you and the craftsmen? The craftsmen can't write calligraphy and painting, and pass down the technology in the form of words and drawings, but you people Yes, craftsmen only know one thing but not the other. They invent a technology, but it is limited to one field. But if you understand the technical principles, you can promote this technology and use it in other aspects.
I have a good idea, but the craftsmen cannot turn my idea into reality, and researchers like you are missing. I have a good idea. You are responsible for figuring out its principles, and then work with the craftsmen. Make it a reality, that's the real reason I need you."
Everyone nodded silently. They were all technical officials and could fully understand His Highness King Qi's description. They also began to realize that they were not just here to teach.
"In the future, you will also conduct research while teaching. I will invest resources in establishing a research institute for you. The school will not only be a place for teaching and educating people, but also a place for testing research technology."
The tea party ended quickly, and three officials were left behind. One was Wei Jincheng, who had just spoken without permission, one was Wang Zhan, and the other was Wei Qingyue. It sounded like a woman's name, but she was an honest woman. A handsome man with a beard, in his thirties, is a low-level official in Sinong Temple. His official position is not important, but he is the best breeding expert in the Tang Dynasty.
The three of them sat down uneasily. Li Ye said to Wei Qingyue: "I want to tell you something first. We will soon get a new kind of rice seed. In fact, we have already got it and have sent it to Quanzhou."
The seeds Li Ye mentioned were Champa rice, but he forgot one thing. This is now the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty had the Annan Protectorate. The current Champa is also called Linyi State. A large part of the land belongs to the Annan Protectorate. Annan Tanglin Prefecture and Luofu Prefecture in the far south of the Duhu Prefecture have the rice seeds he wants, and this high-quality early rice can even be found in Jiaozhou in the north.
There was no need to sail to Linyi State. Thousands of kilograms of high-quality double-cropping rice seeds were purchased directly in Jiaozhou. Li Ye naturally sent them to Quanzhou for trial planting.
"This is an early rice. If it can be successfully introduced, we will have two crops of rice a year."
Wei Qingyue was not too excited. He hesitated and said: "I heard that rice can be grown three times a year in some places in Nanyang. Some businessmen bought seeds and planted them in Lingnan, but they were unsuccessful. This kind of double-cropping rice in the south requires water and heat. Very high.”
Of course Li Ye also knew that the success of Champa rice in the Northern Song Dynasty was not because it had two crops a year, but because it had strong adaptability and adapted to the climate and soil in Fujian.
"I understand your worries, but the biggest features of this double-cropping rice are high yield, early maturity, drought resistance, very adaptable, short growth cycle, and yield of more than 500 kilograms per mu. It can replace the current late rice in the south, and it will last one year
Being able to produce two crops will definitely have a profound impact on our food."
Wei Qingyue's eyes lit up. Now in the south of the Yangtze River, winter wheat plus late rice are practiced. Wheat is 200 jins per acre, and late rice is only 400 jins. The harvest is 600 jins a year. If the new rice is successfully planted, then the yield per mu of land in a year will be 600 jins.
The harvest amounted to nearly a thousand kilograms, which was indeed a leap in grain production and would have a profound impact on the entire Tang Dynasty.
Wei Qingyue said without hesitation: "I am willing to go to Quanzhou to cultivate new rice seeds."
Li Ye nodded, "I put agronomy in Quanzhou. You will serve as Quanzhou's agricultural administrator and agronomist. You will be fully responsible for cultivating new rice seeds and other agricultural products. It may be hard for you. You have to catch up with spring plowing. I hope you can start as soon as possible. Your
I will send someone to take my family to Quanzhou."
"In this humble position, I am willing to share your worries for Your Highness!"
Li Ye immediately asked an official from the Department of Personnel to take Wei Qingyue to take office, and then sent someone to escort him to Quanzhou in the next two days.