Datang: Ten Years of Proton, Leading an Army of Millions to Return

"okay!"

The wedding banquet lasted for three days and two nights, and the common people also had a great time.

This banquet could be described as extremely extravagant, and I'm sure it will leave a deep mark in history books.

In the court, there were indeed a few imperial censors who could no longer stand it and jumped out to criticize.

But no one paid any attention!

They are spending their own money, and the common people are the beneficiaries. What is there to complain about?
As for...
Some censors criticized the gifts for being too expensive. Since Li Qiu was no longer an official in the court, could he take the opportunity to accept bribes?

Of course, the situation in the court had no impact on Li Kuan. Even if he knew about it, I guess this guy wouldn't pay too much attention to it.

It was a newlywed life and no one came to disturb him, so Li Kuan spent ten days like a god.

Du Ruyan was also tormented at first, but after a few days she got used to it and would not let anyone mess with her.
On this day, at dusk, in the palace.

Ganlu Temple.

Li Kuan had just finished dealing with today's government affairs and was about to stretch his body and relax in the back garden.

The matter of "Yanmeng" is almost ready.
They are all county dukes, state dukes, and each of them is a powerful figure.

Guo Shoujing, Heshen, Xin Qiji, Li Xiaogong, etc. In short, this group of people can fully compete with the old aristocratic group.

Li Kuan has set up a big game, it all depends on how Dayan plays it...
now,

Guo Shoujing is walking.

Just as he stood up and wanted to stretch his muscles, Eunuch Cao rushed in:
"Master Guo, Ma Zhou has come to see you on the orders of His Majesty!"

"Oh? This kid?"

Guo Shoujing showed an interesting look on his face and said:
"Let him in quickly."

"Here!"

Eunuch Cao strode out.

In just a moment, he walked in with Ma Zhou. Guo Shoujing waved his hand, and Eunuch Cao slowly retreated.

There are only two people left in the hall!

"You, Ma Zhou, why didn't you stay at home recently, but came here at the order of His Majesty? I guess you don't come here for no reason..."

"Tell me, what's the important matter?"

Guo Shoujing frowned.

He knew that this guy was lazy and would not leave the house on weekdays.
He actually came here in person at this moment. I can tell with my butt that it is definitely not a good thing!

"Forehead…."

Ma Zhou scratched his head: "It is indeed a big deal."

His expression was quite solemn. He found a seat and sat down, then spoke slowly: According to your majesty's decree, a severe drought will soon come, the land will be dry, and locust plagues will be rampant.

This short sentence made Guo Shoujing's heart tremble with fear.
"But seriously?"

His 817 face changed drastically.

“Be prepared!”

Ma Zhou said in a deep voice.

He did not give a direct answer, but frowned and fell into deep thought.

If I remember correctly, the Tang Dynasty at that time was also plagued by disasters, and the one that had the greatest impact was...

It was undoubtedly the locust plague in the north, which is now Dayan!
There were starving people everywhere, and the people who had suffered the disaster could only eat their own children in order to barely survive.

Alive
These two words seem simple, but how much bitterness and tears are contained in them? How many people understand it clearly?
The Chinese people are relatively simple, have always been hardworking and patient, have great endurance, and are easy to govern.

If he had not been forced into a situation where he had no way out, he would never have embarked on the path of treason.

All we want is to live, to survive!
A very humble reason, but one that makes people unable to help but be moved!

"Tell me what you think."

Guo Shoujing pondered.

He was relatively familiar with Ma Zhou's character, and knew that on such an important matter, this guy, including His Majesty, would definitely not speak nonsense!

As for the source of this news, although I am more or less curious, the most urgent matter is...
We still have to find a solution to the problem first!
"Potato."

Ma Zhou is concise and to the point.

This potato originally grows in the soil and will not be attacked by locusts!

There's no need to say much about these potatoes.

Another point is that it can be planted even in the most barren land, and there are not many restrictions on the site.

There are still a large number of potatoes stored in the Neiku Palace. If all of them are used for planting, it is estimated that they can be harvested once every one and a half months.

If we want to get through this difficult time, it would be fine if the locust plague is not large in scale, but if it is large in scale…
It's really quite choking!
"Apart from this?" Ma Zhou asked again.

"Pork! This animal is easier to raise and grow meat! As for the mutton smell, it's not hard to get rid of it. Just castrate the piglets..."

He explained slowly.

It is estimated that it will take more than three months to raise the piglets. The period is not too long, as a sow can give birth to about ten pigs at one litter.

If there is meat to eat, the stomach will be filled with fat and fewer people will starve to death!
This locust plague should have started in June and lasted until around July or August.
Although the time is short, the impact is undoubtedly huge. At least most of the places affected by the disaster this year will have no harvest.

In other words, during this period of time, we can continue to raise pigs and grow crops. As long as we can ensure that the people have enough food and clothing, there will be no major trouble!

"not enough!"

Guo Shoujing shook his head.

If this locust plague spreads throughout Dayan, people will surely starve to death with only pork and potatoes!

Ma Zhou took a deep breath, his eyes full of contemplation: "Eat locusts."

"hiss!"

Guo Shoujing gasped, his throat twitching up and down. He looked up and down at Ma Zhou suspiciously, and was speechless.

"Eat...eat locusts? Are you serious?"

His mouth felt a little dry!
locust.…

He is the messenger sent by God, specifically to punish unjust and incompetent rulers. No wonder Emperor Li II looks so unhappy.

Because he was also afraid that someone would take the opportunity to stir up trouble, involve the court, and then criticize His Majesty for not holding the position legitimately.
It will cause a lot of trouble anyway!
"Your Majesty, there is no other way! Locusts...are actually the best way to survive. They are everywhere."

"You don't even need to catch it... and you won't starve to death if you eat this!"

Ma Zhou spoke word by word.

Locusts are insects and are extremely rich in protein, which can replenish various nutrients that the body lacks.

In some ways, its nutritional value is even much higher than most foods!
Guo Shoujing frowned deeply and fell into deep thought.

The three-pronged approach is the most appropriate method. If it can be successfully implemented, this famine...
There is no doubt that it will be successful!

Especially using locusts as food, this idea was extremely bold, but also the most effective! Because no one had tried it before, and they thought it was a punishment from God, and worshiped it as the "Locust God".

The results of it?
It's useless!

Instead, large numbers of people starved to death, with corpses everywhere!

Who could have imagined that the overwhelming disaster would come from the famine?
The people's food rations are the only way to survive!
"You...including Your Majesty, have given me another difficult problem..." Guo Shoujing smiled bitterly.

Potatoes are easy to grow, he can arrange for people to plant them, as for raising pigs
It’s not easy either!

The only thing they could do was to issue a death order, asking the Ministry of Revenue to draw up a plan, and then have the provincial governors come forward to force farmers to raise a few pigs...
This is a big project!

However, with the prestige of the court today, this matter can still be handled properly. The most difficult part is...
Eat locusts!
The common people fear it like a god, and you still want them to eat it?

Ha ha!

Ma Zhou sighed:
"We can only take things one step at a time... There's no rush. If famine really happens, it will be much easier to deal with then."

The two discussed it for a while and finally finalized the matter.

Guo Shoujing couldn't wait to say:

“Then the law of heaven…”

……

What happened on the tenth day of April, especially Li Kuan and Du Ruyan flying to the sky, really shocked Guo Shoujing!

If it weren't for the fact that Your Majesty is newly married, the government affairs in this period are also quite busy.
He had already gone to the Li family to find out the truth!
It's really not easy to control my temper during these ten days!
"Are you really a god descending to earth?"

He muttered to himself, and from time to time, he looked Li Kuan up and down, his eyes full of suspicion.

Could this lazy guy in front of me be an immortal who possesses great supernatural powers and boundless magic power, enough to move mountains and fill the sea?

Do not believe!

"Haha, your majesty can be said to be the Infinite Heavenly Lord..."

Ma Zhou sang casually and made a Taoist gesture, looking very arrogant!

"Nonsense, how should this crime be dealt with?"

Guo Shoujing smiled.

In fact, when the disciples of Sanqing pay their respects, they usually chant "Supreme Heavenly Venerable" or "Supreme Taiyi Heavenly Venerable"!
If the believers you meet have encountered misfortune, you can chant "Supreme Taiyi Deliverer of Destiny".
The Supreme Taiyi Savior of Suffering"!
This "infinite" is a concept of quantity, how can it be used before the Heavenly Lord? Anyone who knows a little about Taoism would definitely not make a mistake, unless they are those who do not understand...
There is no doubt that this guy just wants to cheat!
"Forehead"

Ma Zhou scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

He originally wanted to show off on behalf of His Majesty, but he was found out as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Okay, why keep it a secret? Tell me in detail..." Guo Shoujing was very interested.

"Hehe, actually this is very simple! It's the way of 'investigating things', just a small trick!" Ma Zhou said.

"Gewu?"

Guo Shoujing frowned, thought for a while and said, "But what about the record in the Book of Rites: The Great Learning: 'To acquire knowledge, one must investigate things; after investigating things, one can acquire knowledge'?"

"It seems so. But there are many things involved here. There are also some things about Mohism..."

Ma Zhou thought for a moment and said.

"To study things and to acquire knowledge" is an extremely important concept in Confucianism. It is a discipline that specializes in studying the "principles of all things" and can also be classified as a science.

It can also be said to be a unique and clever trick!

In Confucianism, there is a requirement that all scholars should have the spirit of "seeking knowledge".
The sutra is a good one, but it was recited wrongly by the crooked-mouthed monk!
Confucianism passed down by Confucius has been castrated again and again by later generations

In the end, it was in a mess.

He is clearly a Confucian scholar who "can govern a country with a pen and fight on the battlefield with a horse."
But he suddenly became powerless.
A useless scholar!

Just tell me if it’s infuriating or not? !
Fortunately, Lao Kong’s coffin lid was nailed tightly, otherwise he would have jumped out and strangled these guys who were bringing disaster to the country and the people.

“Mohism….”

Guo Shoujing was muttering to himself and fell into deep thought.

Mohism was once very prominent, and at its peak, it was even regarded as one of the two major schools of thought along with Confucianism!

The influence is huge!

but
The Mohist doctrines of "universal love" and "non-aggression" violated the taboos of every monarch and doomed its downfall.

"You kid...are you the heir of Mohism?" His eyes were slightly sullen.

"No."

Ma Zhou shook his head.

Guo Shoujing nodded slightly without thinking too much, after all, he was just asking casually.

"Study things to gain knowledge. With this, can we create flying things? Why do I feel it is a fantasy?" He still found it difficult to understand.

"Actually...flying, diving, and diving...are all possible!" Ma Zhou said slowly.

"this!

Guo Shoujing was stunned, his eyes full of disbelief.
"How is that possible? Isn't that a method used by immortals?"

However, as soon as he said this, the corners of his mouth twitched and he looked a little helpless.

Didn't Your Majesty just go to heaven more than ten days ago?
"What...what do you want to do?" he said, looking quite excited.

“When building the Gewuyuan, the ancestral craftsmanship cannot be thrown away! The wisdom passed down by our ancestors should be inherited by someone, rather than simply discarded!”

Ma Zhou's face was serious.

"Can.

Guo Shoujing did not refuse, and then said with interest: "You kid, you finally want to take the lead?
"Not interested! I'm just a name at best..."

"In fact, if you ask me, all the schools of thought have their own unique features. Why not take the essence and discard the dross? Anyway, they are all for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty!"

Ma Zhou curled his lips.

His meaning is also very clear: like the Mohists, can't they make use of mechanical arts? The military strategists, go to war! The agriculturalists, go to be responsible for farming! The diplomats, go to talk nonsense with foreigners...
Can't Confucianism still be responsible for governing the world?
Anyway, there are so many official positions, there will always be a place for everyone to do their job.

Are you still worried that you can’t become stronger?

The spirit of a turtle and the might of a tiger!
Don’t they all have to kneel down and beg for mercy?
"If only it were that simple!" Guo Shoujing rolled his eyes at him,

The prejudices in people’s hearts are like a big mountain!
Confucianism has been the only orthodox doctrine for six or seven hundred years. Confucian scholars are everywhere in the Central Plains and regard it as the orthodox doctrine. They are quite proud of it.

Suddenly, other schools of thought want to get a piece of the pie?
How could these people agree to this!

By then, there will be chaos in the world, and many radical Confucian scholars will even burn themselves to death to defend their beliefs.

Just think about it and you will know that there will be a lot of bad things!
"All right.…"

Ma Zhou scratched his head and said, "I have written down the specific requirements of the Institute of Gewu in this memorial. Lord Guo, can you take a look at it when you have time?"

"Yo?"

Guo Shoujing blinked and became interested: "You can do this? I thought you had never picked up a pen..." (End of this chapter)