Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 255 0250 [Governing a big country is like farming the land]

Yang Zhi got drunk, because Jin Yuanwai was so enthusiastic, he kept toasting non-stop.

If he went back for a few days, Yang Zhi would definitely feel vigilant.

But along the way, as long as they said they were going to give gifts to Duke Yuanzhang, the gentry along the way would definitely treat guests warmly.Come and go, no vigilance, it seems to be like this.

In the middle of the night, the treasured sword beside the pillow was taken away.

Although there was no noise, and he didn't even touch Yang Zhi, he woke up suddenly as if he had sensed something, opened his eyes, and reached out to grab the treasured sword.

"This guy is awake, hold it down!"

Several servants rushed forward and pressed Yang Zhi's whole body.

In this posture, Yang Zhi, who was drunk, couldn't use his strength at all, and was tied up in a daze.

In the middle of the night, he was escorted to the yard, and the torches were lit brightly.

Yang Zhi angrily reprimanded Yuanwai Jin: "Straight mother, you must die!"

Not only him, but all the fugitives were swearing, and the swearing was extremely ugly.

When the fugitives got tired of cursing and gradually subsided, Zhao Fengji asked, "Tell me, where are you bandits from?"

Yang Zhi firmly refused to admit it: "We are here to present Duke Yuanzhang's birthday, why don't you let me go!"

Zhao Fengji asked: "Who entrusted you to give the gift?"

Yang Zhi said: "Yongxing Zhijun, Jingzhao Yin Xidan!"

Yang Zhi hit it right, Zhu Guoxiang and Xi Dan were indeed friends.When Zhu Guoxiang passed by Chang'an when he first entered Beijing, he chatted happily with Xi Dan.

Zhao Fengji naturally didn't know about this kind of thing, but he knew that Xi Dan was not a traitor.

Zhao Fengji sneered: "You speak with a Tokyo accent and you have tattoos on your face. How could Xi Zhijun send you a gift? Nearly half of you thieves are tattooed!"

"Can't you be a good person if you get tattooed?" Yang Zhi asked back.

Zhao Fengji asked: "Since it was sent by Xi Zhijun, where is the certificate? Where is the letter?"

Yang Zhi said: "I met a thief on the way, and my trust has been lost."

"How dare you deny it!"

Zhao Fengji didn't bother to bother anymore, and ordered: "All are under custody, and when I return, they will be taken to Xingyuan Mansion for questioning."

Yang Zhi shouted anxiously: "I know Lord Yuanzhang, if you don't believe me, just take me to Daming Village and you will know."

Jin Yuanwai persuaded: "Young official, although this person has no trustworthiness, his words do not seem to be fake. Why don't you take him to Daming Village and ask Yuanzhang to see the truth?"

Could it be that they caught the wrong person?
Zhao Fengji approached and stared at Yang Zhi, Yang Zhi raised his head and looked at him without showing any timidity.

Zhao Fengji was a little uncertain: "Take them on board tomorrow, and take them to Daming Village together."

The next day, the official ship went down the river and docked at Daming Village at noon.

This year's inn business is not good, and the business travel fleet has dropped sharply.

Naturally, Daming Village also suffered a disaster. When Zhu Guoxiang returned to the village, many villagers were already raising corn seedlings.He ordered all corn seedlings to be discarded, and forced all dry land to be planted with corn, saying that corn could not tolerate drought.

Although the villagers complained, they could only obey.

At the worst time, all the weir ponds on the hillside were completely dried up.Although the Han River has not dried up, the tributaries passing through the vicinity of Heifengzhai are as dry as a small ditch, completely losing its irrigation function.

Moreover, Daming Village was affected by its reputation, and the starving people in seven or eight nearby villages did not believe that the government would provide disaster relief, so they rushed to Daming Village to escape the famine.

Zhu Guoxiang could only contact the old white members and the surrounding gentry to distribute food together and do relief separately.Taking the opportunity to build bridges and pave roads, dredge irrigation canals, and dig weirs and ponds, anyway, it is to use work for relief, at least to help the hungry people survive these days.

In this way, Daming Village is more like a county seat, and Zhu Guoxiang is the local county magistrate.

Although the weather is hot today, there are still a few old women setting up stalls under the bamboo shed near the pier.

Zhao Fengji said to his servant: "I heard that Yangzhou dried sweet potatoes came from Daming Village, and now Xingyuan Mansion also has them. This product is similar to preserved fruit, and it is cheap and easy to make. Both nobles and ordinary people love to eat it."

"This thing is indeed excellent." The servant smiled.

Zhao Fengji said: "Let's try the most authentic Daming Village dried sweet potatoes. I don't have copper coins with me, but you paid for two catties."

"Yes." The servant hurriedly took out the money.

Zhao Fengji went to the inn again and asked, "Shopkeeper, where is Duke Yuanzhang's mansion?"

Yu Shanwei was reading a book, raised his head and asked, "Where did you come from? What's the matter with Mr. Yuanzhang?"

female?

Zhao Fengji was a little surprised and said: "My name is Zhao Fengji. I was entrusted by Lizhou Road Cao Si to find Lord Yuanzhang to discuss important matters."

"Guests, please come with me." Yu Shanwei told the clerk to watch the store and took Zhao Fengji out.

Zhao Fengji looked around carefully and said curiously, "Daming Village doesn't seem to be affected by the drought."

Yu Shan smiled wryly: "Since you are in Hanzhong, how can you not be in trouble?"

Daming Village has used up all the grain accumulated for several years this year, and some of it has been given out to help the victims.

There are also some landless farmers who fled from the famine, and they don’t want to leave after the drought is over. Anyway, they go back like that, and ask Daming Village to take in the whole family.

Zhu Guoxiang did not refuse anyone who came, and placed them further downstream to open up wasteland.

At this moment, Zhu Guoxiang was reading his son's letter.

In the letter, he complained about how poor Jinzhou is, and asked Zhu Guoxiang to get some sweet potatoes over there, and plant them quickly while the rain is increasing, so that they can be topped up after harvesting in winter.Otherwise, according to this year's disaster situation, there will be another famine next spring when there is a shortage of crops.

Daming Village is also replanting sweet potatoes, and the seedlings have been grown and cut.

There are not many seed potatoes stored in the cellar. It is estimated that after breeding, at most [-] to [-] acres of cuttings can be planted.Moreover, the best planting season has passed, and the temperature is too high now, so the harvest will not be very good.

He called Zhang Guangdao and said, "Since you plan to open up business in Shiquan County, you should bring all the remaining potato seeds to Jinzhou City. Tell my silly son, it's too late to replant sweet potatoes. It is good luck to have half of the normal harvest."

"Yes!"

Zhang Guangdao is also quite depressed this year. Shaanxi is too chaotic, and thieves are everywhere, seriously affecting his smuggling business.

Zhu Guoxiang actually planned to return to Yangzhou to build a paper mill, and also acquired the technology of making bamboo paper.

Yangzhou itself produces paper, and Cai Lun's cemetery is in Longtingpu on the east side of Yangzhou City (Cai Lun's title is Longtinghou).Papermaking here has a long history. In the past, rattan paper was mainly used, but in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was changed to leather paper. The Min family is the largest paper maker in Yangzhou.

In the early Northern Song Dynasty, the mainstream paper in China was rattan paper, which was not only expensive, but also difficult to increase due to the limitation of raw materials.

Today's mainstream has become vellum, which uses various bark as raw materials.

At the same time, bamboo paper is also on the rise.

However, the bamboo paper process is too complicated, and it is still being explored and improved. It has to wait until the middle of the Southern Song Dynasty to develop greatly.

The emperor gave Zhu Guoxiang land. After returning to the village, he found that there was no need to enclose this place.It is completely possible to occupy the bamboo forest in Yangzhou. The large area is full of bamboo forests, and the in-laws Su Shi and Wen Tong make signs. There must be a market for the bamboo paper produced. (Both Su Shi and Wen Tong left poems in Yangzhou Bamboo Forest, and Wen Tong left poems and paintings in batches.)
It's a pity that the papermaking plan was disrupted by the drought, and Zhu Guoxiang can't afford much money and food now.

After reading for a while, Zhu Guoxiang went out to inspect the village, mainly to the newly opened land downstream.

The distance between the newly reclaimed land and the inn wharf is almost the same as going to Shangbai Village, and Daming Village is stretched along the Han River.It is not suitable for farming any further, and the mountains beside the river are extremely steep, and some steep places have to be bypassed by boat.

"Duke Yuanzhang!"

Zhao Fengji stepped forward quickly: "Junior Zhao Fengji, pay homage to Duke Yuanzhang."

Zhu Guoxiang saluted back, glanced at Yang Zhi, saw that he was tied up, and deliberately asked, "Why are you here?"

Yang Zhi hurriedly said: "I was sent by Xi Zhijun to give a birthday gift to Duke Yuanzhang."

This question and answer made Zhao Fengji extremely embarrassed, wishing he could find a crack in the ground and slip in.

Zhao Fengji quickly said: "Untie these strong men!"

"Humph!"

Yang Zhi snorted coldly, turned his head and got angry with Zhao Fengji.

Zhao Fengji cupped his hands and said, "How offending."

"It's okay." Zhu Guoxiang knew that Yang Zhi must be guilty again.

Zhao Fengji immediately changed the subject. Daoming himself was the son of the deputy envoy of transport, and he also came with a letter from the envoy of transport.

Zhu Guoxiang opened the letter and did not express his opinion after reading it.

The crown prince Zhao Huan was alone and lonely, although he had upright ministers who repeatedly instilled great principles in him.But these civil servants dare not get too close, for fear that if they go too far, they will not be able to educate the prince.

Around Zhao Huan, there were only a few officials of the East Palace, headed by the Prince's family order Yang Feng, and the Prince's Sheren Geng Nanzhong.

Because Yang Jian reported the prince's rebellion, Song Huizong later chopped Yang Feng off.

As for Geng Nanzhong, during the Jingkang period he belonged to the ceding land and seeking peace faction.

Geng Nanzhong entertained Zhu Guoxiang many times, hoping to recruit talents for the prince.Zhu Guoxiang didn't want to get involved, and kept refusing the invitation. He had already had a bit of trouble with Geng Nanzhong.

"Mr. Yuanzhang, please don't refuse!" Zhao Fengji bowed and bowed.

Zhu Guoxiang asked people to settle down with Yang Zhi's gang, and said to Zhao Fengji, "Follow me for a walk downstream."

"Yes!" Zhao Fengji followed honestly.

Walking along the bank of the river, Zhu Guoxiang pointed to the land at the foot of the mountain: "It's all dry land that has been opened up for a year. It was not fertile enough, and this year it encountered drought. It can't support anything. There is such a large piece of land that there is no harvest. .”

Zhao Fengji said: "Heaven's power is unpredictable, and manpower cannot catch it."

Zhu Guoxiang also said: "Replant after the rain, and alfalfa is interplanted with beans. Although alfalfa looks like grass, it is actually a close relative of beans, and they can fertilize the land together with beans. Alfalfa is also drought-resistant, and people can eat it, as well as livestock."

Zhao Fengji didn't know what Zhu Guoxiang meant, so he could only flatter him: "Mr. Yuanzhang is good at farming, and the younger generation admires him very much."

Zhu Guoxiang continued to talk to himself: "Alfalfa was introduced together with Dawan horses during the Han Dynasty. Now there are three kinds, one with purple flowers, one with yellow flowers, and one with purple flowers. There are differences between purple flowers and purple flowers. , must be carefully distinguished to know.”

Therefore, Zhu Guoxiang introduced to Zhao Fengji how to identify the type of alfalfa.

After talking about Zhao Fengji impatiently, Zhu Guoxiang said: "I said, governing a big country is like cooking small fish. I am not good at cooking, and I think governing a big country is like farming."

"Please, Mr. Yuanzhang, don't hesitate to enlighten me." Zhao Fengji hurriedly bowed.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The land in front of me was cultivated decades ago. But it has been barren for a long time, and thorns and weeds are overgrown. How is it different from ordinary wasteland? When plowing and replanting, the land must be raised first, and staple food cannot be grown immediately. Alfalfa and Beans are all used to raise the land. The country has been in a state of drought for a long time, and the land has to be raised."

Zhao Fengji didn't understand: "Mr. Yuan Zhang please speak clearly."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The treacherous party in the court has thorns and thorns. Local corrupt officials are naturally weeds. First we must eradicate the thorns and weeds, and then slowly warm the land, and finally plant the staple food. The prince is the son of the landlord's family. Jun, you are all alfalfa beans, you have no control over how you plant the land."

Zhao Fengji said: "If the crown prince is the lord of the landlord's family, we will be servants and tenant farmers. We must remove the thorns and weeds!"

"The prince will be fine, it doesn't make much difference how many years the land is left uncultivated." Zhu Guoxiang said.

Zhao Fengji said in a low voice: "King Jia has promoted the Imperial City Secretary!"

Zhu Guoxiang shook his head and said: "Instead of asking me to return to the capital to help, it is better to let the crown prince dormant. He really doesn't know how to hide. When the Ming hall was completed, the crown prince actually lived in seclusion. In front of all the officials inside and outside, it really made it hard for the officials to come down." Taiwan. If this continues, there will be ten of me coming to Beijing, so what is the benefit? You people only know how to teach the prince to be upright, but not to teach the prince to be gentle. Rigidity is easy to break, and it is no different for a king."

Zhao Fengji said: "What Duke Yuanzhang said is true, but those Confucian scholars who taught the prince are very upright, how can they teach a prince with a soft personality?"

"Hehe, they are very gentle, and they all know how to avoid disasters." Zhu Guoxiang laughed.

Zhao Fengji was speechless.

Zhu Guoxiang suddenly asked: "You said before that you and your father have lived in Chengdu for many years?"

"Exactly." Zhao Fengji replied.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I'm quite curious about Chuanzhong, what kind of aristocratic families are there?"

(End of this chapter)