Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

Chapter 641: Become king?

Hearing this, the officials were stunned.

Immediately, he understood what Zhu Di meant.

However, for Dingguo Gong Guo An's great contribution, His Majesty will definitely reward him!

Moreover, there is no way around it.

So, some officials followed Zhu Di's words and nodded slightly.

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. Duke Dingguo made great contributions to letting those merchants find such blessed food from overseas barbarians for our Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty is wise..."

A group of officials followed Zhu Di and praised him, but they were all very to the point.

There were even some officials who praised Guo An's achievements, but as they said so, more than half of Guo An's achievements were directly divided by the merchants, Guo Bingyong and others from the experimental field.

The eyes of all the vassal kings and dignitaries could not help but be filled with anger.

Zhu Di's expression did not change, but he nodded slightly and said: "Food is the foundation of the people and the country! Come to think of it, gentlemen, you still don't know what role sweet potatoes and corn have in the Ming Dynasty, and how to farm them, right?"

"Ok?"

As soon as Zhu Di said these words, all the vassal kings and officials were stunned, and then their faces became full of curiosity.

"May I ask Your Majesty, how can sweet potatoes be grown and eaten together with rice and wheat as a staple food?"

"Guo Qing knows this best!"

Zhu Di smiled slightly and looked at Guo An aside.

"I wonder if Guo Qing, the king, and all the officials of the Ming Dynasty, can tell me how to eat sweet potatoes and corn, and how to cultivate them?"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Guo An did not refuse, and directly said loudly: "Sweet potatoes are very simple to eat. You can bake, steam, or boil them. As long as they are cooked, you can eat them. They are soft, glutinous, sweet and delicious.

As for farming, sweet potatoes are drought-tolerant. If you open a field and plant the sweet potato seedlings in it, you can leave it alone as long as it is not flooded...

The disadvantage of sweet potatoes is that they cannot be eaten as a staple food like wheat and rice. They are not as filling and are not easy to store.

However, if any disaster occurs, sweet potatoes can still be eaten, but they are much more delicious and plentiful than bark and grass roots!
In addition, the yield per acre of sweet potatoes is extremely high, which means that sweet potatoes consume a lot of land. After planting them for one or two years, the fields have to rest for a year and a half.

Ordinary people, at most they can plant one or two acres on the edge of their own fields, that will be enough..."

“The most important way to eat corn is like wheat, after peeling it, grind it into flour and eat corn buns.

The husks of corn are easy to remove, and the yield is several times higher than that of wheat. For the people of the Ming Dynasty, eating corn was the most suitable.

In addition, corn is drought-tolerant. As long as the corn seedlings are still young and do not get flooded, they will survive easily.

Of course, the reason why corn is the greatest good news to the people in the north is that corn can be rotated with wheat.

In places like Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei and Henan in the north, wheat is usually planted in October or November and harvested in June of the following year.

After the wheat is harvested, corn can be planted. By October, the corn will be mature and harvested!

In this way, wheat can be cultivated again..."

"Dong Guo, is this really the case?"

Hearing this, the first people who couldn't help but were the northern vassal kings.

Everyone stared at Guo An expectantly.

"Why should I talk nonsense in front of His Majesty about such a big matter?"

Guo An smiled lightly.

Then, he cupped his hands towards Zhu Di and sat down.

in fact.

Guo An still didn't say a word, although the lives of the people in Hongdingnian were much better than those in Hongwunian.

However, people in the north still cannot eat white-flour steamed buns.

In other words, the people in the north can only shell wheat but not peel it.

In this way, although some food can be added, the taste...

Of course it’s not as delicious as steamed cornmeal steamed buns!
"Your Majesty, if we give improved corn seeds to the people in the north, wouldn't it be possible to plant food twice a year and harvest food twice a year?"

Yu Xin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, said with excitement.

"naturally!"

Zhu Di nodded.

"This……"

In the entire hall, all the vassal kings and officials were shocked and started talking.

If the yield of corn per mu is more than 700 jins, plus the yield of 200 to 300 jins of wheat per mu, wouldn't it be possible to produce more than 900 jins per mu, or even 1,000 jins?

In this way, even those common people will hand over all the wheat they grow to the court.

The remaining corn is enough for the people to eat for a year, and some even have to be sold to the outside world!
"Corn, it's really me, Da Ming Furui!"

"Your Majesty, this is the merit of our Ming Dynasty!"

"What Yu Aiqing said is absolutely true!"

Zhu Di nodded in agreement, "This corn alone has established a lasting foundation for our Ming Dynasty!
Guo An, the Duke of Dingguo, has made great contributions! "

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true!"

All the officials nodded in agreement.

Although they were reluctant in every way, at this moment, they didn't want to offend Guo An too much.

After all, according to past experience, the cultivation of improved corn varieties still has to be left to Duke Dingguo.

In the end, Guo An will have a say in the distribution of improved corn seeds, and they all want to fight for it for their respective hometowns.

"So, Ministry of Rites, please tell me, how should I reward Duke Ding for his great contribution to the country?"

Zhu Di looked at Zheng Yi, the Minister of Rites, with interest.

As soon as these words came out, all the officials in the entire hall were once again stunned and felt something was wrong.

Although, the Ministry of Rites is in charge of ethics and is the most noble among the six departments.

However, for such a great achievement as Sheji, which also involves the reward of the Duke of the current dynasty, the emperor must express his feelings so that his subordinates can invite others to perform.

And now, without saying anything, just asking questions?

Zheng Yi stood up, bowed his hands slightly to Zhu Di, and said with a decent expression: "Your Majesty, corn and sweet potatoes can live up to thousands of people in the Ming Dynasty, and can extend the prosperity of our Ming Dynasty for thousands of years. They have made great contributions. .

In addition, Duke Dingguo is already the principality of the Ming Dynasty, and he is hereditary. How to reward Duke Dingguo still needs to be discussed in detail by the ministers and colleagues! "

"Mr. Guo, you are already the Duke of Ming!"

Above, Zhu Di nodded slightly, with some astonishment in his eyes.

Seeing this, all the vassal kings and officials couldn't help but roll their eyes in their hearts.

What to pretend to be?

"The principality has reached the top of my Ming Dynasty, and there is no way to seal it!"

Zhu Di said to himself again.

Hearing this, Guo An couldn't help but raise his head slightly and look at Zhu Di.

Something is wrong with Zhu Laosi!
Sure enough, after Zhu Di spoke intermittently for a long time, his face became solemn.

"Ding Guogong has made such great contributions to the Ming Dynasty. If I don't grant him the title, wouldn't I be devastated by Guo Qing's heart and the thousands of heroes who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty is wise and is a blessing to my people in the Ming Dynasty!"

One of the censors flattered him directly.

Zhu Di smiled faintly and said, "If that's the case, then how about making Duke Ding a king?"

"Be crowned king?"

Including Guo An, all the vassal kings, civil and military officials in the entire hall were stunned and felt their heads buzzing.

His surname is Feng Wang?

Or a Duke who has just been granted the title of Duke for a year?

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible!"

At this time, all the officials couldn't bear it anymore and stood up one after another to dissuade him.

"Your Majesty, this goes against the ancestral system!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Duke Dingguo has made great contributions, but Emperor Taizu Gao had long ago decreed that there should be no kings with different surnames!"

"Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty has no country left..." "..."

"How can there be no country?"

Zhu Di was not surprised at all by the ministers' reaction. He just smiled lightly and said, "Overseas, so many foreign countries can be sealed!"

After hearing this, the expressions on the faces of all the officials softened a little.

In the final analysis, whether to enfeoff the king and whether to violate the ancestral system are all matters within the Zhu family. As long as they do not enfeoff the land of the Ming Dynasty and do not abuse the people of the Ming Dynasty, it has nothing to do with them.

Even if we can take advantage of the opportunity of being crowned king to drive Guo An, the Duke of Dingguo, to join the vassal, that would be a great good thing for all the officials!

"I dare to ask Your Majesty, I wonder what kind of ennoblement this king, Duke Ding, has?"

Zhou Wang Zhu Ji bowed his hands to Zhu Di and asked slowly.

As the head of the Zhu family, he represents the interests of all the Zhu family clan members in the hall.

"If you grant a title to a county king, the fiefdom will be Guo Qing's Guozhou, plus 10,000 food households, who will share the salary with the clan and county king, and two guards will be given, one to guard Guozhou, and the other to be dispatched by Duke Ding to build a palace in the capital. The royal palace also gave Guo Qing the county where the ancestral home of the Guo family is located..."

Zhu Di said slowly.

Below, the princes and officials looked more relaxed the more they listened.

When your Majesty granted you the title of king like this, you only gave him the title of a county king, then gave it to two guards, and then gave it to a county.

Moreover, one of the two guards still has to go to Guozhou to guard it!

In this way, he can also afford the great contribution of finding corn and sweet potatoes for Ming Dynasty!

At this moment, Guo An finally had a chance to speak.

"Your Majesty, I am so frightened. I am just looking for corn and sweet potatoes. How can I be so virtuous and capable as to accept such great love from Your Majesty?"

"Guo Qing, no need to say more!"

Zhu Di smiled faintly, "Guo Qing has made great contributions to our Ming Dynasty. This alone is enough to be crowned king!"

With that said, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Xi, Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaosui and other Ming vassal kings.

"Prince, kings, what do you think?"

Zhu Gaochi said quickly: "My father is a wise man, and I will obey my father's wishes!"

Zhu Zhu also nodded slowly, "Your Majesty is wise, I will obey your Majesty's will!"

"My brother agrees..."

All the vassal kings also nodded.

He is just a county king, and he only gets a county. In the final analysis, he is still treated as a prince.

Moreover, at this critical moment, they did not want to offend Zhu Di.

"Since everyone agrees, the Ministry of Rites will draft a detailed charter as soon as possible!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Zheng Yi, the Minister of Rites, responded slowly.

Behind him, all the civil and military officials looked at him with envy and jealousy, but none of them said anything to stop him.

Guo An also hurriedly said: "I thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Zhu Di smiled with satisfaction and continued: "In addition, the merchant Shen Zhuang and a group of crew members who found corn and sweet potatoes for the Ming Dynasty also made great contributions and should be rewarded!"

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true!"

With the matter of being rewarded to the county king, now it is just a reward to a merchant and some crew members. In the hearts of hundreds of officials, it is just a small matter.

"Without Shen Zhuang's careful search and the crew's care all the way, corn and sweet potatoes would not have come to my Ming Dynasty.

In order to encourage the merchants and sailors of our Ming Dynasty to find higher yields of grain per mu for our Ming Dynasty, I believe that all crew members can be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver, twenty bolts of cotton cloth, five stones of rice, and five acres of fertile land. One cow will be exempted from taxes for another three years! "

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

All the officials praised again, such a small reward is really not much.

Zhu Di added: "As for the person who made the first contribution, the merchant Shen Zhuang was granted the title of county son!"

"what?"

"County son?"

Hearing this, all the vassal kings and officials were stunned.

Immediately, there was an uproar.

To know.

Although there were five levels of titles in the Ming Dynasty, from the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, only dukes, marquises, and earls were awarded, but there were never viscounts or barons.

Even if there are viscounts and barons, they are all posthumous gifts!
Now, does a viscount suddenly appear, or is it going to be given to a merchant?
All the officials suddenly couldn't accept it.

"Your Majesty, Shen Zhuang is just a lowly businessman. How can he enjoy the blessings of my Viscount Daming?"

"Your Majesty, you must not..."

This time, all the officials sincerely tried to dissuade him.

"Although Shen Zhuang is a merchant, everything he does is for good deeds. There was a severe drought in the north this year. Shen Zhuang, along with the Maritime Trade Chamber of Commerce, transported hundreds of thousands of dan of grain back from the Cochin continent and handed it over to the court for disaster relief.

In addition, if I don't reward him as a viscount for such great achievements in bringing back corn and sweet potatoes, how should I reward him?
Is it possible that I want to grant him an official title? "

"This……"

Baiguan was startled again.

To create a viscount with no real power, or to create an official position?
"Your Majesty, he is just a humble businessman. Even if your Majesty rewards him with some money, he will burst into tears with gratitude!"

Zhu Di's face darkened, "Do you want to dissuade me from rewarding me with less reward, or not reward me with merit?"

"Your Majesty clearly knows that Wei Chen and others have absolutely no such intention!"

A group of officials said hurriedly.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Wei Chen and others just think that a mere lowly businessman, if..."

"okay!"

Zhu Di waved his hands impatiently and said, "If you have made such great contributions to our Ming Dynasty, if you cannot reward him with an official position, then you can confer a knighthood on him!

If not, wouldn't I be a coward if I didn't reward you for my merits? "

“In addition, Guo Bingyong, Guo Zhi, Guo Changchen, and Guo Shanyuan, who cultivate corn and sweet potatoes, have been cultivating improved varieties for our country for more than ten years, which has enabled our country’s grain output to increase.

I can't reward such contributions to Sheji, so I am treated as a viscount just like Shen Zhuang! "

"All the four Di Gonglangs of the Guo family were granted the title of Viscount?"

Zheng Yi, the Minister of Rites, asked with some uncertainty.

"naturally!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, "As for how to award the reward, please give me a copy of the regulations within two days!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Zheng Yi sighed helplessly, and then responded slowly.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

For the four members of the Guo family to be granted the title of Viscount, the civil servants did not have any objection.

Even, everyone was a little excited.

because.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, believed that civil servants were not worthy of titles.

In the Ming Dynasty, a civil official with a title must have achieved military exploits.

just now.

Five knights appeared at once, one merchant and four civil servants!

Doesn't this mean that civil servants like them may be knighted in the future?
After the banquet, people will be rewarded based on their merits.

Basically, today's matter is over.

Under Yi Shiha's greeting, a group of officials and vassal kings stood up to salute Zhu Di and send him off respectfully!
After that, all the officials also walked out of the hall with cheers.

As soon as he left the hall, a group of martial artists surrounded Guo An with joyful faces and congratulated him repeatedly.

As for the civil servants, they also want to congratulate.

After all, although Guo An is a noble, strictly speaking, Guo An was born in the Guo family of Shunde Prefecture and was married to the Liu family, so he should be a member of the civil service lineage!
……

(End of this chapter)