Chapter 49 Appease and win over and then differentiate
Millet, that is, grain, is called millet after the shell is removed.
Before the early Tang Dynasty, millet was the main food crop. Because millet is highly drought-resistant and has low requirements on farmland, hydrology, and climate, it can be planted on a large scale in the north. In Guanzhong, Northwest, Hedong, Hebei and other places, millet is used as the food crop.
host.
When the imperial court levied taxes, it was mainly based on millet.
Secondly, there is wheat.
Wheat is divided into barley and wheat, among which wheat has always been used as a supplementary food crop to millet.
This is the planting situation in the north. In the south, rice is the main crop, supplemented by millet.
"May I ask Your Highness, if you don't plant millet, what should you plant?" Pei Ju asked.
Li Zhiyun said: "Winter wheat."
Winter wheat is planted in late autumn and early winter and harvested in June of the following year.
Yang Gongren said: "Although winter wheat is often planted, the yield has never been high."
Li Zhiyun said: "Take your time, we can't let the refugees sit idle. They can open up wasteland and plant winter wheat. They can not only support themselves, but also increase the acres of land for the court, so why not do it."
In fact, Li Zhiyun knew very well that by the middle of the Tang Dynasty, wheat would replace millet and become the main food for the court.
In the late Tang Dynasty, as the development of the south became more and more mature, rice would become the main food.
It's just that these people don't know.
In Li Zhiyun's view, the current wheat yield may be insufficient, but it is better than leaving acres of land idle.
"Let the refugees give it a try first. If the effect is good, we might as well promote it in Guanzhong. If the harvest effect is not good, then let it be used as a temporary measure."
Everyone looked at each other in shock and nodded in agreement.
This is acceptable to them. It's not a large-scale planting anyway. Even if it fails this time, it doesn't matter. It just allows the refugees to reclaim more wasteland.
Fengtian County.
Several old farmers watched Yuwen, a scholar, playing with the weird plow, and muttered to themselves.
"What a strange thing. Even the plow is not afraid of breaking."
"Let's take a look first and then talk."
"I want to see if it's true..."
"Ahem." Xue Shou, Nongqing of the School Inspection Department, coughed twice, interrupting the whispers of several old farmers.
He turned to Li Zhiyun, who was dressed in coarse linen and linen clothes, and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me, these rough men cannot speak."
"It doesn't matter. It's the first time that Quyuanli has been launched. It's normal for some people to be unfavorable about it."
"Yes." Xue Shou immediately asked curiously: "Does Your Highness really think that this thing can make digging soil easier?"
Li Zhiyun smiled and said: "How about we compete later."
"Compare?"
At this moment, Rutong Yuwen shouted: "Your Highness, you are ready."
Li Zhiyun rolled up his trouser sleeves and tucked the hem into his waistband.
"You use an old plow and I use a curved shaft plow to see who can turn the soil faster."
Looking at the master's skillful movements, Xue Shou said with some embarrassment: "Your Highness, please forgive me, I don't understand this."
"Huh?" Li Zhiyun was stunned, "Hedong Xue's farming family, you don't know how to farm?"
If one had to add an adjective to the Guanlong family, it would definitely be the Guanlong noble military group.
Similarly, the Shandong aristocratic family is a family that inherits farming and education.
Therefore, Li Zhiyun was really surprised to hear Xue Shou say that he did not know how to farm.
Xue Shou was quite embarrassed and said nothing.
Although it is said that the Xue family in Hedong cultivated and studied in the family, he was not a descendant of the Xue family from a poor family. He did not need to cultivate the land at all, he only needed to study hard.
How could he plow the land?
On the contrary, it was Li Zhiyun's skillful movements that surprised Xue Cao.
No way, the King of Chu actually still plows the land?
Li Zhiyun didn't force him and randomly picked an old farmer to compete.
With his bare feet on the ground, Li Zhiyun skillfully roped the old cow. Well, the rope was made of hemp rope produced by Weihe Workshop, which was well received.
Originally, Li Zhiyun planned to put the hemp rope on the pulley block for use, but the craftsmen in the workshop had not yet fully understood the technology, so he had to teach them how to make the hemp rope for use first.
After tying the rope, Li Zhiyun glanced at the old farmer next to him.
"My husband, you are ready."
"Hey, I have been farming for decades, and this is the first time I compete with His Highness." The old farmer smiled very happily.
"Then you have to be careful."
After saying that, the scholar Yuwen shouted: "Start!"
Li Zhiyun whipped the hard-working old cow. It barked and started to move forward with its hooves.
At the beginning, the progress of the two was not bad, but as time passed, the gap began to appear.
The curved shaft plow used by Li Zhiyun was obviously more flexible and less labor-intensive. As soon as a stick of incense passed by, the old farmer was thrown away.
Yuwen Rutong observed carefully and ordered people to record the data.
Xue Shou looked at Li Zhiyun dumbfounded.
He actually didn't know that His Highness really knew how to plow the land.
Outrageous!
The old farmers whispered that they were all good at farming and soon discovered that the new plow was indeed better than the old plow.
After plowing one acre of land, Li Zhiyun picked two more veteran farmers and asked them to use an old plow and a new plow to start the competition again.
The result is still the same, Qu Yuanli wins completely.
Rutong Yuwen said excitedly: "Your Highness, it's successful."
"Well." Li Zhiyun rubbed the soil in his palms and said, "The Ministry of Industry and Sinong Temple can start promoting it, starting with winter wheat planting."
"yes."
Li Zhiyun knew that if he wanted the people to accept this new plow, they had to see its real use, otherwise they would continue to use the old plow.
Planting winter wheat to reclaim wasteland is a good opportunity.
Xue Shou asked: "Your Highness, how much does this curved shaft plow cost?"
"It's not expensive." Li Zhiyun said: "I know what you are worried about. This thing is a great plan for people's livelihood. I will not allow it to be hidden and practice business. When the conditions are ripe, I will order governors in all states in the world.
Promotion.”
"Your Highness sees clearly and I admire you."
This time, Li Zhiyun came out firstly to check whether the Quyuan plow was working well, and secondly to urge Sinong Temple to start organizing reclamation for the refugees.
Finally, it’s just a show.
Let the people see that the king of Chu, who was in charge of the country, cared about the people very much.
Therefore, when word spread about Li Zhiyun personally helping plows in Fengtian County, he won praise from both the government and the public.
Wude Hall.
"Your Majesty, Yang Shidao, is here to see His Highness the King of Chu."
Yang Shidao ate enough sand in Lingzhou and finally returned to Chang'an.
"Mr. Yang, please get up quickly."
Li Zhiyun helped him up, immediately pulled him to sit down, and ordered someone to serve him tea.
First, he praised him for his achievements in Lingzhou, and then chatted with him for a long time about family issues.
Finally, he said: "A few days ago, Zhang Shan'an, the general manager of Hongzhou, rebelled and was eliminated by Pingsu. Now I want to appoint a new general manager of Hongzhou to manage the local area. Mr. Yang, are you confident in managing it for me?"
"Your Highness has an order, how dare I disobey it."
Li Zhiyun nodded and said: "After Yang Gong left, be careful in everything. Now that Lin Shihong has not been destroyed, there are many foreign races in Jiaozhou, so you must be cautious."
"Your Highness, are you talking about Feng An?"
"Yes." Li Zhiyun said: "In fact, Prince Zhao has already begun to attack Lin Shihong. I am worried that Lin Shihong may collude with Feng An. When you go to Hongzhou, you must keep an eye on Feng An."
"Yes, I understand!"
Although I couldn't stay in Chang'an when I came back this time, from being the general manager of Lingzhou to being the general manager of Hongzhou, this is considered a high promotion. There may be no chance of returning to Chang'an and entering the center in the future.
Furthermore, the Yang family is now a relative, and when King Chu ascends the throne in the future, Princess Chu will definitely be the queen. The Yang family will definitely rise by then.
Thinking of this, Yang Shidao was full of energy.
"Your Highness is at ease. I will guard Hongzhou for Your Highness and ensure peace and tranquility in the southeast."