Emperor Zhenguan

Chapter 448

Millet, that is, valley, is called millet after shelling.

Before the early Tang Dynasty, millet was the main food crop.Because millet has strong drought tolerance and low requirements on farmland, hydrology and climate, it can be planted in a large area in the north. Guanzhong, northwest, Hedong, Hebei and other places are mainly millet.

The imperial court also collected taxes based on millet.

Secondly, it is wheat.

Wheat is divided into barley and wheat, and wheat has been used as a supplementary grain crop of millet.

This is the 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 will you plant?" Pei Ju asked.

Li Zhiyun said: "Winter wheat."

Winter wheat is planted at the end of autumn and early winter, and harvested in June of the following year.

Yang Gongren said: "Although winter wheat is often planted, the output has not been high."

Li Zhiyun said: "Take your time, the refugees can't be idle. They open up wasteland to plant winter wheat, which can not only support themselves, but also increase the fields for the court. Why not do it."

In fact, Li Zhiyun knew very well that by the mid-Tang Dynasty, wheat would replace millet and become the main food of the imperial court.

In the late Tang Dynasty, as the development of the south became more and more mature, rice would become the main grain.

It's just that these people don't know it.

In Li Zhiyun's view, the current output of wheat may be insufficient, but it is better than leaving the fields idle.

"Let the refugees try it first. If the effect is good, you might as well promote it in Guanzhong. If the harvest effect is not good, then use it as a temporary measure."

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, saying yes one after another.

They can accept this, anyway, it's not a large-scale plantation, even if it fails this time, it's okay, it's nothing more than letting the refugees reclaim more wasteland.

Fengtian County.

Several old farmers watched Yuwen Rutong playing with the weird plow, and muttered to themselves.

"What a strange thing, Qu Li is not afraid of breaking it."

"Look at it first."

"I want to see if it's true."

"Cough cough." Xue Shou, the school inspector, Secretary of Agriculture, coughed twice, interrupting the whispering of several old farmers.

He turned to Li Zhiyun who was dressed in coarse linen and said, "Forgive me, Your Highness, these rough people in the mountains can't speak."

"It's okay, it's the first time Quyuanli is released, and it's normal for some people to dislike it."

"Yes." Xue Shou immediately asked curiously: "Does Your Highness really think that this thing can be more convenient for digging?"

Li Zhiyun said with a smile: "Why don't we compare each other later."

"Compare?"

At this moment, Yuwen Rutong shouted: "Your Highness, you are ready."

Li Zhiyun rolled up his trousers and sleeves, and tucked the hem into his waistband.

"You use an old plow, I'll use a curved plow, let's see who turns the soil faster."

Looking at the skilled master, Xue Shou said with some embarrassment: "Please forgive me, Your Highness, I don't understand these things."

"Huh?" Li Zhiyun was stunned, "He Dong Xue's farming and studying heir, you don't know how to farm?"

If there is an adjective to be added to the Guanlong family, it must be the Guanlong noble military group.

Similarly, the Shandong aristocratic family is the aristocratic family of farming and studying heirlooms.

Therefore, hearing Xue Shou say that he does not know how to cultivate land really surprised Li Zhiyun.

Xue Shou was rather embarrassed and said nothing.

Although it is said that the Xue family in Hedong is a heir to farming and studying, but he is not a descendant of the Xue family from a poor family. He doesn't need to cultivate land at all, he only needs to study hard.

How could he plow the land!
On the contrary, it was Li Zhiyun's skilled movements that surprised Xue Shou.

No way, the king of Chu actually still helps the plow to plow the land?

Li Zhiyun didn't force him, and randomly picked an old farmer to compete.

Stepping barefoot on the ground, Li Zhiyun skillfully put a rope on the old cow.Well, the rope is made of hemp rope produced by Weihe Workshop, which is well received.

Originally, Li Zhiyun planned to use the hemp rope on the pulley block, but the craftsmen in the workshop hadn't fully grasped the technology, so he had to teach them to get the hemp rope out for use.

After putting on the rope, Li Zhiyun glanced at the old farmer next to him.

"Old man, you are ready."

"Hey, this little old man has been planting fields for decades, and this is the first time he has competed with His Highness." The old farmer smiled happily.

"Then you have to be careful."

After finishing speaking, Yuwen Rutong over there shouted: "Start!"

Li Zhiyun lashed the diligent old cow with a whip, it let out a cry, and began to move its hooves forward.

In the beginning, the progress of the two was not bad, but as time passed, the gap began to show.

The Quyuanli used by Li Zhiyun was obviously more flexible and less labor-intensive, and the old farmer was thrown away after a stick of incense passed.

While observing carefully, Yuwen Rutong ordered someone to record the data.

Xue Shou looked at Li Zhiyun dumbfounded.

He didn't know that His Highness really knew how to plow the land.

Outrageous!

The old farmers whispered that they were good farmers, and soon found that the new plow was indeed better than the old one.

After plowing one mu of land, Li Zhiyun picked two old farmers and asked them to use an old plow and a new plow to start the competition again.

The result was still the same, Quyuanli won completely.

Yuwen Rutong said excitedly: "Your Highness, it has succeeded."

"Yes." Li Zhiyun rubbed the soil in his palms and said, "The Ministry of Industry and Sinong Temple can start to promote it, let's start with winter wheat planting."

"Yes."

Li Zhiyun knew that in order for the people to accept this new plow, they had to see its real usefulness, otherwise they would continue to use the old plow.

Planting winter wheat to reclaim wasteland is a good opportunity.

Xue Shou asked: "Your Highness, what is the cost of this Quyuanli?"

"It's not expensive." Li Zhiyun said: "I know what your worries are. This thing is a major livelihood plan for the people. This king will not allow it to hide and do business. When the conditions are ripe, this king will be in every state in the world and order the governor. Promote."

"Your Highness sees it clearly, and I admire it."

This time, Li Zhiyun came out first to check whether the Quyuanli was working well, and secondly to urge Sinong Temple to start organizing refugees to cultivate.

In the end, it's a show.

Let the people see that the King of Chu, who supervises the country, cares about the people very much.

Therefore, when the news of Li Zhiyun personally helping the plow in Fengtian County spread, he won praise from the government and the public.

Wude Hall.

"Chen Yang Shidao, see His Royal Highness the King of Chu."

Yang Shidao ate enough sand in Lingzhou and finally returned to Chang'an.

"Director Yang, please get up quickly."

Li Zhiyun helped him up, and immediately sat him down, ordering someone to serve tea.

First, he praised him for his achievements in Lingzhou, and then he talked with him for a long time.

Finally, Fang Cai said: "A few days ago, Zhang Shan'an, the general manager of Hongzhou, rebelled and was wiped out by Pingsu. Now the king wants to appoint a new general manager of Hongzhou to manage the local area. Mr. Yang, do you have the confidence to take care of this king?"

"Your Highness has orders, how dare I refuse to obey."

Li Zhiyun nodded and said: "After Yang Gong left, be careful in everything. Now that Lin Shihong is still alive, there are many foreign races in Jiaozhou area, so you must be careful."

"Your Highness is talking about Feng An?"

"That's right." Li Zhiyun said: "Actually, Prince Zhao Jun has already started to attack Lin Shihong, and I am worried that Lin Shihong may be in collusion with Feng An. When you go to Hongzhou, you must keep an eye on Feng An."

"Yes, I understand!"

Although he failed to stay in Chang'an when he came back this time, he has been promoted from the head of Lingzhou to the head of Hongzhou. He may have the opportunity to return to Chang'an and enter the center in the future.

Furthermore, the Yang family is now a relative, and when the king of Chu ascends the throne in the future, Princess Chu must be the queen.At that time, the Yang family will definitely rise.

Thinking of this, Yang Shidao was full of energy.

"His Royal Highness is at ease, I will guard Hongzhou for His Highness to ensure the safety of the southeast."

"Very good!"

Li Zhiyun laughed.

(End of this chapter)