contend

Chapter 479
After the spring plowing started, the whole Liangzhou was mobilized.

To show his importance to spring plowing, Yang Zheng went to the fields in person.

In the past, it was all for show, but this year it was for real. I personally cultivated [-] acres with Liu Heng and others, and I just felt more tired than going into battle to kill the enemy.

This is only 100 mu, and the common people and the farm slaves have to work harder, and they have to cultivate more than [-] mu.

However, there is no shortage of cattle, horses and camels in Liangzhou. Quyuanli is put into use, and the whole family is able to bear it.

People in this era are generally frighteningly diligent. As long as they can live and have a bite to eat, they will never feel hard work.

Lazy people have long since starved to death.

Driven by Yang Zheng, officials from all over the country and the children of the youth camp all came out to farm.

It's better to go to the fields once than to say [-] words of persuasion.

This is what the people value.

"Your Majesty, the composting method presented by Suo Sicheng has been tried out last year, and it can increase the grain production by [-] to [-]% per mu of land." Even when farming, various official duties are not slack, and they are handled in the field.

Yang Zheng didn't mind, and the other officials had already gotten used to it.

Appropriate grounding will prevent the government from becoming a castle in the air.

"Suo Jing is really a great talent." Yang Zheng admired him sincerely.

The discovery of composting was a complete accident.

Last year, Suojing concentrated livestock manure in the pasture area, piled it up inadvertently, and when it was transported away after two or three months, it was found that it had fermented and was sprinkled into the farmland. Unexpectedly, the crops grew very strong.

The ability of later generations to produce thousands of catties per mu is also inseparable from various chemical fertilizers.

In this era, the first-class fields produce three stones per mu, about 260 catties, an increase of [-]% to [-]%, almost one stone more per mu of land!
This is a very big improvement.

Moreover, this natural fertilizer does not have any pollution.

The art of establishing a country is to have a strong army and enough food. The people of Qin used agriculture to take over the world, and Xiaowu used the fields to settle the Western Regions.

Solving the problem of feeding people is actually solving the world.

"Subordinates suggest raising the price of grain this year!" Pang Qing, who had always been standing behind her with a small notebook to copy and write, suddenly remonstrated.

"Oh? Tell me why?" Yang Zheng was a little surprised.

According to the usual practice, the government should stabilize grain prices.

Now that the war is imminent, some rich and powerful households have already begun to stockpile food.

Isn't raising food prices now just helping them?
Pang Qing took out a small book and flipped through a few pages. It can be seen that he had been preparing for a long time, "This year, the Tuntian Division estimates that the grain production will be 700 million shi, which is enough to deal with our army's war this year. The price of grain will be raised, and merchants will be profitable. A large amount of grain from the Western Regions and the Central Plains will enter Liangzhou, so I will use all the grains in the world for my own use, and give up the yellow and white things, and take real things, this is the strategy to exhaust the Central Plains."

There is no impossible business, only the price that cannot be negotiated.

The tyrants in Guanzhong have increased demand for luxury goods, so they continue to sell food outside.

They have land, land and people, and the government has nothing to do with it.

"Go on." Yang Zheng nodded. Now there are a lot of gold, silver, and silk in the treasury, and they are still in storage. Why don't they exchange them for food.

At present, Liangzhou's economy is relatively healthy, guarding the Hexi Corridor, and there is no shortage of money at all.

"Secondly, in recent years, a large number of brocades and teas in Sichuan have been purchased. The powerful people of Shu have changed their grain to mulberry and tea. There is not much food. Now that the price of grain has been raised and merchants are chasing profits, they will naturally sell the grain stored in Sichuan. Then the Kingdom of Shu will become weaker."

Liangzhou bought grain at a high price, and the tyrants of the Shu Kingdom had no reason not to sell it.

They've had a good time these years.

Liangzhou reduced or exempted some of their commercial taxes, which made Shu gradually depend on Liangzhou economically. Without Liangzhou, various goods from Shu would not be able to be sent out.

This is a fatal blow to a small country.

Right now, a big battle is about to start on the three sides of the Qinling Mountains.

Food is an important strategic resource, but gold, silver, and silk are not.

This is almost waging economic warfare.

They are quietly emptying out the Kingdom of Shu.

"Several merchants in Hanzhong are actually the superiors of the Shu army behind them." Pang Qing flipped through a few pages of the small book, revealing a long list of names.

Yang Zheng couldn't help shaking his head when he saw these familiar names.

In the late Ming Dynasty in history, the country was destroyed and the family was about to perish. Shanxi merchants were also frantically transporting various materials for the Houjin Army. As a result, the guns of the Houjin Army were stronger than those of the Ming Dynasty, their armor was stronger than that of the Ming Army, and their swords were also sharper than those of the Ming Army. ...

As long as the interests are sufficient, there will never be a shortage of people chasing interests.

Yang Zheng sighed. Although this method was a little dark, but flies do not bite seamless eggs. If the government of Shu Kingdom is clear, there will be no such loopholes.

In fact, Liangzhou is the place in the world that can use the power of merchants the most.

Sitting in the Hexi Corridor, you are dealing with various merchants every day.

And in this era, which merchant does not have the support of power behind it?

Merchants are not terrible, what is terrible is that there is no capital that restricts the barbaric growth.

Yang Zheng, as a later generation, knows the power of it best.

The logic behind the operation of the country is the economy, and the power of merchants, or capital, is pervasive.

It is not unreasonable for the Chinese dynasties to restrict merchants.

"All the money is used. From today onwards, you, Su Hong and Gongsunfu will specialize in this matter." Yang Zheng nodded in agreement.

If it can be solved with money without sacrificing the lives of soldiers, why not do it?
Soon, news spread that Liangzhou had increased the price by [-]% to purchase grain.

The government increased by [-]%, and the private sector contributed to the flames. The rich and powerful households hoarded food vigorously, and the common people also expected something, and squeezed their grain bags tightly. The price of grain was raised to [-]%, and it was rising almost every day. It took only half a month to reach the price double.

Businessmen have always had good eyes and ears.

Shuzhong and Central Plains soon got the news, and grain flooded into Liangzhou like a tide.

But Liangzhou seems to never be full, and you can eat as much as you come, and the price continues to rise, and it doubles in no time.

There is basically no food to sell in the market, and every household is hoarding food.

Du Yu couldn't sit still, "The price of food is so high, I'm afraid it will trigger a civil uprising."

Yang Zheng shook his head, "Liangzhou has three types of slaves, returnees, and governing people. Ordinary people can afford to buy grain? Liangzhou has a grain and fodder department, which can lower the price of grain at any time. Yuan Kai doesn't need to panic!"

The knife is the last valve in Yang Zheng's hand, and he can close it whenever he wants.

However, food is allowed to enter but not to be exported. Merchants can transport it in, but they cannot transport it out.

The only problem is that there is not enough money in the treasury.

A lot of military rations shipped to Hanzhong from Shu were sold to Longxi by accident.

Due to the transportation restrictions of this era, it is impossible for grain from central Sichuan to enter Liangzhou on a large scale, but small-scale entry is also good.

The Mi Cang Road and Chen Cang City in the Qinling Mountains were originally built in the Qin Dynasty for the transportation of grain in the middle of Shu.

Since the Qin State can transport the grain from the middle of Shu, it will be easier now, more than 500 years later.

As long as the price is in place, someone will naturally do this business.

In just two months, the money saved in Liangzhou bottomed out.

However, in this era, food has monetary value. Apart from money, Liangzhou also has a lot of salt that can be used.

(End of this chapter)