Li Jie had already reported the sweet potato incident to Xu Pu. He also went to the farm outside the city to see it in person. When he saw the warehouse full of sweet potatoes, he was so excited that he burst into tears.
"Your Majesty, what Lin Yu said about sweet potatoes has been verified by the old minister in person. What he said is indeed true. There are farmers on the farm who can prove it. The yield of the top-grade fields is more than 30 shi per mu, and even the yield of the low-grade fields can be 20 kilograms per mu.
More than ten stones, God bless the Ming Dynasty, and with this thing, the world will no longer suffer from famine. I think that your Majesty can plant and breed it on a large scale in Shanglin Garden, and then it will spread all over the world."
Since Liu Ji took office, Xu Pu has successfully ascended to the top of the cabinet. Now he is the chief minister of the cabinet, with more than ten thousand people under one person. Other cabinet members such as Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian have followed his lead, and with concerted efforts, the Ming Dynasty has become stronger.
Thriving.
When the other ministers saw the chief minister's praise, they no longer had any doubts about what Li Jie said, and they all said it whether they were sincere or false.
"I second the proposal!"
"I second the proposal!"
…………
Zhu Youtang naturally would not go against everyone's suggestions. After Xu Pu spoke, he no longer had any doubts in his heart. The emperor had seen everything Xu Pu had done over the years, so he spoke.
"That being the case, I have approved that after the court ceremony, the cabinet will draft the decree, and the specific affairs will be handed over to the Tuntian Division of the Ministry of Industry, with Xu Guan responsible for supervision."
Xu Guan was the Minister of the Ministry of Industry at that time. In the fifth year of Hongzhi's reign, the Susong River in Jiangnan was silted up, and floods spread to important production areas such as Songjiang Prefecture.
The water control project he presided over was completed, and the Taihu Lake Basin, known as a land of plenty, returned to its prosperity. He was also promoted to Minister of the Ministry for his merit.
The Farming Division is mainly responsible for farming, farming cattle, farming tools, seeds, etc. When Li Jie made the hand-operated threshing machine of later generations, he had dealt with him, and the two of them were familiar with each other. As for Shanglinyuan, it was the royal palace.
It is a large farm and hunting ground, but Zhu Youtang rarely goes there since he came to the throne.
After Zhu Youtang settled the matter, he continued: "The donation of this thing has contributed to the country and must not be unrewarded. Fang Kun was given the title of Zhaoxin School Lieutenant (the sixth grade) to show his honor, and he was rewarded with a hundred gold. He also donated Lin Pingzhi.
He was promoted to a senior official in the imperial court (from the fourth rank)."
Li Jie took a step forward and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"
After the dynasty came to power, sweet potato became a hot topic of civil and military discussion throughout the dynasty.
Wu'an Marquis Zheng Ying and British Duke Zhang Mao said: "My lord, do you think the sweet potatoes mentioned by Lin Yu are really that amazing? You must know that the yield of rice and wheat is only 2-3 shi per mu, which is dozens of times that of rice and wheat.
, I still can’t believe it until now.”
Zhang Mao said as he walked: "What Xu Shoufu said must be true. How can we just talk about such a big thing? With this thing, our Ming Dynasty will no longer have famine. I just don't know if it can be used as military rations. If we can self-garrison on the border, it can also be used if there is a border war."
Reduce the burden on the court."
Speaking of fighting, Marquis Wu An suddenly became interested, and said with great interest: "My lord, when will the Holy One decide to use troops against the Tatars? The soldiers below have been looking forward to it for a long time. As long as the Holy One gives the order, they will definitely be able to fight."
And the victory will avenge the shame!"
Zhang Mao thought about using troops against the Tatars all the time. When he formed seven major naval divisions, even the vast ocean could not divert his goal.
"The time is not ripe yet. The new artillery can also be used in field battles. The current production will definitely be given priority to the navy. The border army will have to wait a little longer if they want to get a piece of the pie. With this weapon, once it is used on the battlefield, the Tatars will definitely be frightened.
!”
British Duke Zhang Mao also went to the Ordnance Bureau in person. When he saw the power of the new artillery, he fell in love with this "big guy" instantly. As long as it was shipped on a healthy horse, this thing would definitely be a big kill in the field.
If the Tatars can ride and shoot well, they are nothing more than paper tigers in front of this thing.
When talking about the output of the new artillery, Marquis Wu An expressed regret: "I can only regret that the output of this product is too small. Alas, I don't know when the water conservancy machine tool that Lin Yu mentioned before will be used in the Ordnance Bureau."
After getting off duty, Li Jie did not go home but went to Lin Han's house. Lin Han was now the right minister (third rank) of the Ministry of Rites.
Lin Han saw that Li Jie was hesitant to speak at the family dinner and knew that there must be something important. Otherwise, Li Jie would not be so indecisive. After the dinner, Lin Han called Li Jie to the study.
"Shenzhi, what is it that makes you so hesitant? This is not like you."
Li Jie said: "Second uncle, my nephew is thinking about the sea ban."
Lin Han was shocked when he suddenly heard Li Jie say this, and said hesitantly: "Shenzhi, you don't want His Majesty to open the sea, do you?"
Li Jie nodded: "Second uncle, you also know the situation along the coast. The coastal areas are close to the seaside. The fields are mostly barren land with brine, and there are very few cultivated lands. Moreover, there are many hills in Fujian, and the people along the coast are in need.
The sea market is our business, and the stricter the sea ban, the more chaotic these places will be."
Lin Han, who was born in Fujian, is very familiar with these situations and agrees with what Li Jie said: "Well, many merchants from Zhangzhou Prefecture go overseas, especially Luzon. Countless people make a living by going to the sea. Quanzhou, Zhangzhou
The two prefectures are the worst, with mountains and seas bounding each other, and there is not enough farmland for farming. The people under the rule are indifferent to life and death."
As he spoke, he let out a long sigh: "Oh! Japanese plague, Japanese plague, how many of them are real Japanese and how many are fake?"
Li Jie came from later generations and knew the importance of maritime hegemony. The Ming Dynasty Navy is still ahead of the world. If it rests on its laurels, it will definitely fall behind. It cannot be maintained by paying tribute alone. Once the successors are not interested in these things, people will inevitably die.
Political death.
Once large-scale trade begins, the situation will be different. Even if the successors want to restart the maritime ban, the resistance will never be based on the will of a certain person. Interest is fundamental, and the world is prosperous.
For profit.
"Second uncle, this is what I'm worried about. Although the tribute trade is very popular now, the surrounding foreign countries are still taking photos of the Ming Dynasty's majesty. This will inevitably make the court have no sense of crisis. Once indulged in this, it will not be a good thing. Nephew
This is why I want to open the sea, and use the power of the people to promote the expansion of the imperial court."
Lin Han smiled: "It's not that the imperial court doesn't see the benefits of opening up sea trade, but it has always strictly prohibited private trade. Do you know why?"
Li Jie pondered for a moment and said what he was thinking: "At first, Taizu ordered that no sails be allowed to go into the sea. The reason was the establishment of the imperial court. At that time, many coastal people had an affair with Zhang Shicheng. In addition, the incident of Sri Buddha Qi made Taizu even more determined.
With the determination to ban the sea, the Three Treasures eunuchs made seven voyages to the Western Ocean during the Chengzu period. By then, the sea ban had been relaxed, but civil engineering changes brought everything back to the original point."
Lin Han nodded with a smile, obviously Li Jie did not have this idea on a whim.