Cultivation of chastity

Chapter 10

Li Tai returned to the duck farm, but before he got close, he smelled the aroma of roast duck. Following the aroma, Li Tai saw that Ma Zhou was holding a duck leg, chewing it with relish.

Seeing Li Tai's arrival, Ma Zhou unhurriedly put down the duck legs, took out a sweat towel and wiped his mouth, without the slightest timidity of being caught by Li Tai on the spot, instead he said casually: "King Yue, are you back? Do not eat together."

"Let's eat together!" Li Tai was not polite, and said to Ma Zhou, "Dou Jing has agreed to follow my plan to control locusts, which is a crucial step. The next step is to see how far Sinong Temple can advance the matter." One step!"

"King Yue is going to let go of everything?" Ma Zhou was somewhat surprised.

"Next, if you want to advance the process of controlling locusts, you can stay at Sinong Temple and participate in the work of controlling locusts!"

Li Tai unceremoniously took another duck leg and said to Ma Zhou,
"Si Nong Temple needs a lot of talents if it wants to implement the locust control policy. After all, it is definitely not an easy task to do a good job in overall planning and organization.

If you want to join it, I can recommend it, and I believe you can make a name for yourself in no time.

When the control of locusts is successful, you should be able to obtain official positions above the eighth rank. "

"Is there any other choice?" Ma Zhou asked after hearing Li Tai's words,

"Even if Dou Si Nong managed to control the locust plague this time, I'm afraid his merits and demerits will only balance out, but Zhao Shaoqing may be able to go one step further.

Even if I stay here, I'm afraid that I will have to do more hard work in the future, and Zhao Shaoqing may be regarded as the person you put in Sinong Temple and suppressed to death. "

"Zhao Yuankai..." Li Tai didn't deny it, "Then you can only stay with me temporarily, and I'll recommend you when I find a chance!"

Li Tai understood that as long as he didn't place any more people in Sinong Temple, then Zhao Yuankai would become the link between him and Sinong Temple, and he could know the progress of locust control in Sinong Temple through Zhao Yuankai.

If she had placed other people in Sinong Temple, then Dou Jing would most likely bypass Zhao Yuankai and contact her directly.

After all, Dou Jing couldn't understand Zhao Yuankai's flattering attitude.If he really did this, it meant that he had abandoned Zhao Yuankai.

However, it was a good deal for Li Tai to give up Zhao Yuankai's pawn for Ma Zhou, so he didn't care.

But Ma Zhou also saw this, so he didn't want Li Tai to pay such a high price for him to enter Sinong Temple.

After all, the greater the price Li Tai paid, the deeper Ma Zhou understood that the imprint of Yue Wangfu would be deeper on him.

Ma Zhou finished eating the duck leg, licked the bone again, and said with a serious expression, "If the king entrusts everything to Si Nong Si, then why are the people from the villages called here?"

"Let them raise ducks!" Li Tai said, "The next main task is to raise the ducks.

After we have mastered the artificial hatching skills, the number of duck eggs will increase, and more and more ducklings will be hatched.

When more than [-] duck eggs are hatched every day, we are afraid that we will think that there are not enough duck eggs! "

"So many?" Ma Zhou was taken aback when he heard Li Tai's words, and came back to his senses, "Your Majesty doesn't have so many duck eggs, does he?"

Li Taidao: "Since Sinong Temple has already begun to fight against locusts in an all-round way, there is no need for me to continue to advance funds.

Let them come forward and ask for some duck eggs from the Department of Food and Animal Husbandry. In addition to the hatching tanks that are still under construction, it will not be difficult to produce [-] duck eggs per day in the future, and even more in the future.

Of course, it was Sinongsi who came forward, and the feed for 20 ducks was settled. "

"Even if this is solved by you, what do you think should be done after the locust plague passes? 20 ducks."

Ma Zhou said to Li Tai with a serious expression, "Now because of the fight against the locust plague, the imperial court will raise these 20 ducks with coal and grain.

But when the locust plague passes, what should we do with the 20 ducks?

Whether it belongs to the Department of Animal Husbandry or Sinong Temple, if it is not handled properly, I am afraid that it will cause headaches for you, Your Majesty! "

"People don't have long-term thoughts, but they must have near-term worries. You really think far!" Hearing Ma Zhou's words, Li Tai said, "Then what are you going to do?"

Li Tai believed that since Ma Zhou had raised the problem, there should be a solution.

"I need to know, what do you want, King Yue!?" Ma Zhou asked Li Tai when he heard Li Tai's words.

"When the locust plague is over, I hope Aye can give me a piece of land so that I can realize my dream of farming!"

Li Tai said earnestly, "I want to build a private school, a private school dedicated to learning and researching agricultural knowledge!"

"Agricultural private school?" Ma Zhou couldn't help being a little dazed when he heard Li Tai's words.

"En!" Li Tai nodded and said, "The granary knows the etiquette, and the food and clothing knows the honor and disgrace.

I dream that the people of my Tang Dynasty will have a bumper harvest for all those who work hard, and that all good families will have more than enough every year.

But my strength alone is too small, so I want to build a private school to spread my thoughts, and I can find companions with similar ambitions.

Taking agriculture as the way, live up to Shaohua! "

"I see!" Ma Zhou couldn't help but feel a little bit sad when he heard Li Tai's words.

He didn't expect Li Tai to have such a big dream, and even started to act for his dream.

Thinking of this, Ma Zhou said to Li Tai, "I originally wanted to suggest that this duck be given to a good family in Arita nearby.

After all, during a catastrophe, wealthy families will set off a frenzy of land annexation. By giving these ducks to those who own the land, and comparing it with the number of acres in the past, we can clearly know the changes in the land after the disaster.

As long as the king of Yue speaks about this matter, and the specific matters are handed over to the court, it will be able to calm the people's remaining grievances against the court.

At that time, although the 20 ducks are abandoned, it is the most important thing for the king to win the favor of the saint.

So it can be said that it can kill multiple birds with one stone, but now it seems that this plan cannot be carried out! "

When Ma Zhou said this, he sighed a little. In fact, according to the original plan, the most important thing is to let the emperor find himself, and then he will be able to pass through Li Tai's springboard and officially enter Li Shimin's eyes.

"Why?" Li Tai couldn't help being puzzled when he heard Ma Zhou's words.

Ma Zhou said with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, do you think a private school can be supported by the Yue Palace's expenditure alone?

Private schools are quite expensive, especially if you want to create a unique agricultural private school!

So the king must seize a financial source, a financial source that allows you to support a private school.

And now the 20 ducks are the financial resources you can control. "

"If so, then how should I plan!" Li Tai was thoughtful when he heard Ma Zhou's words.

"Still going back to the original point, that is the Holy One!" Ma Zhou pondered, "Your Majesty needs to give the Holy Majesty a reason, let the King continue to use these chickens and ducks as a source of income, and at the same time allow or even support your reason for starting an agricultural private school!"

Li Tai felt a little cheerful when he heard Ma Zhou's words, because Ma Zhou could make him more clear and detailed about his goals.

This feeling is as if the road in front of him, which was shrouded in fog, suddenly became clear.

In the following days, Li Tai ran between the duck farm and Yuewang Mansion, watching the number of ducks increase day and night.

Of course, Li Tai was also immersed in his work, but Sinong Temple began to mobilize the common people for corvee in accordance with Li Tai's suggestion on controlling locusts.

All the fields where the locusts have gnawed on the crops are turned over in an organized way to expose the locust eggs to the sun.

The common people didn't have much objection, after all, when the winter wheat was planted, they still had to plow the fields.

Although it is a little harder now, but because it is organized by the government, there are some subsidies, and even borrowed cattle.

For the common people, the plague of locusts has continued this year, and it is hard to take advantage of it, so I can't miss it.

The time has almost entered June, and the four gates of Chang'an are close to Fangshi, all of which have opened small or large poultry shops.

Here both poultry are collected for slaughter and some juvenile poultry are also sold.

At the same time, the saying that ducks can defeat locusts began to spread in Chang'an. Of course, this saying was recognized by Dou Si Nong of Si Nong Temple.

This time he planned to use ducks to deal with the locusts, which made some people with fields in their hands a little bit excited.

Of course, what really impresses them is the price of these ducklings. Basically, each duckling costs only two cents.

The normal price of a duckling is about [-] Wen. After all, an adult duck is only [-] to [-] Wen.

Now it is only two Wen, no matter how you say it, the price is not high, so many good families with fields and acres are not short of this two Wen, and even because ducks are cute, there are many people with small change who buy them as ducks. pet keeping.

It can be said that there is an endless stream of people who come to buy ducks, but they often buy this duck shop out of stock.

But as soon as the next day, the duck shop was replenished immediately, which is really amazing.

After Youye Yushi discovered this, the censors soon heard the rumors, impeaching the king of Yue for business affairs was an insult to the state system.

As for the matter of competing with the people for profit, it is really nothing to the Tang Dynasty, but it is too shameful for you, a prince, to end up doing business. For the censors, this opportunity to become famous cannot be missed.

Then Li Tai, who was studying in Duck Farm, was called to the East Palace to give a lecture.

Li Shimin looked at the thick memorials piled up by the censors, and said to Li Tai, "These memorials are all about impeaching you for harming the public and private business. The pile up is as high as mine. Tell me what's going on!"

"The censor really just got wind of it, and it's directly related to me!" Li Tai pouted and hated the censor.

"In the whole of Chang'an, you are the one who has been working on artificial hatching technology. Now there are so many ducklings, who else is it if it's not you!" Seeing Li Tai's unwillingness, Li Shimin couldn't help frowning and said, "What do you say? Is it you behind it!"

"I admit to running a business, but I don't admit to harming the public and private interests!" Li Tai could hear that Li Shimin didn't want to deal with him.

"As a child of the royal family, you actually manage business, and you have the face to admit it!" Li Shimin slapped the table hard after hearing Li Tai's words.

"Aye is a saint, neither son nor minister will lie to Aye, as long as Aye asks, only honesty is the only thing!" Li Tai said.

"Then you are short of money?" Li Shimin said after hearing Li Tai's words, "Aye knows that you have paid 160 gold for the control of locusts. If you are short of money, you can tell Aye that you must not harm the public and private interests, or engage in corruption!"

Li Tai couldn't help but wryly smiled, took out an account book and handed it to Li Shimin, saying,
"Aye, I brought the master book of the ledger, which contains all the income and expenses.

I'm really not selling ducklings to benefit the public and private interests, but to control locusts! "

"Treating locusts?!" Li Shimin heard Li Tai's words, and couldn't help saying, "How to control it?"

"The reason locusts are difficult to treat is that locusts may emerge from any land, especially crop land.

Even if the Si Nong Temple organizes a large-scale refurbishment of the fields, it may not be able to wipe out the locusts, and there must be fish caught in the net.

And organizing manpower based on the situation of the country can only do so much. It is unrealistic to think that every inch of land will be plowed.

So when the real locust plague comes again, let the ducks out in the wild and let them eat to their heart's content!

But it is impossible to use this method in the crop field. If you do this, the seedlings will be trampled to death.

Therefore, we can only let good families cultivate intensively by themselves, taking advantage of the characteristics of ducks eating insects, and we must eliminate insects in normal times. "

"If that's the case, why not send a duck to every household so that the people can have a good life!" Li Shimin understood Li Tai's consideration after hearing Li Tai's words, and asked, "Why do you have to do this to increase the burden on the people?" .”

"Because this is screening!" Li Tai looked at Li Shimin and said,

"Just after the locust plague, some people sold their fields and some sold their sons and daughters. If they were sent directly, the ducks would probably be sent to those who don't need them, and they would die from drought or waterlogging. .

Therefore, selling directly at a lower market price is to avoid the formation of exotic goods to stabilize prices.

Secondly, the sons of good families who have land in their families don't care about the extra two pennies for the sake of a good harvest for their own crops.

The third is that since more and more ducks have been hatched, Sinongsi has been burdened with heavier feed. How to raise more ducks while suppressing feed consumption is the current problem that needs to be solved.

Try to send these ducklings to those who can raise them, and those who can't afford two cents, the ducks may be eaten that day.

So Aye, the above is the reason why I sell ducklings for two cents, at least until the locust plague is contained, I think it is very necessary! "

Li Shimin couldn't help thinking when he heard Li Tai's words.

To be honest, Li Shimin never considered Li Tai's approach to the problem from an economic point of view.

But Li Shimin had to admit that Li Tai's method achieved a win-win situation at least in theory, except that he, the king of Yue, was a little bit lost in running the industry himself, but in fact it seemed to be justified.

"You keep doing it first, and I'll see if you can contain the locust plague and allow the autumn planting to proceed normally. If you can't do it, don't touch these businesses in the future!"

Li Shimin finally said decisively.

"Huh!" Li Tai smiled slightly, and said, "Aye, you still have a share in this. If there is a surplus of the money I earn, we will pay [-]% to [-]%!"

"Get lost!" Li Shimin couldn't help cursing with a smile when he heard Li Tai's words.

(End of this chapter)