If I fail to overcome the tribulation, I can only return to the Ming Dynasty and become a prince.

Chapter 148 Planting Rice

When it comes to rice cultivation, most people will think that rice is a crop grown in the south, because Suhu is ripe enough for the world.

The plain area of ​​the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is indeed the main rice growing area in my country, but this does not mean that rice cannot be grown in the north.

Although the staple foods in the north are traditionally wheat and sorghum, mixed with some other crops, my country's modern rice cultivation areas include the Yellow River Basin and the Northeast Plains.

Even the rice in the north is better than the rice in the south in terms of texture and taste.

But if it was in the Ming Dynasty, if you told people that you could grow rice in the north, you would probably be spit on by the old farmers and told that you were talking nonsense.

This is not difficult to understand. After all, it took almost the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty to promote rice planting in the north, and it was not until the Kang Mazi period that it was actually completed. He personally developed the first hybrid rice that was widely promoted and planted in the history of Chinese farming.

This kind of rice is called imperial rice, also known as Kangxi imperial rice.

Although Kang Mazi was criticized for many things by later generations, his contribution to the food issue cannot be denied.

The successful planting of Royal Rice in the north has not only greatly increased the food production in the north, but also allowed the rice growing areas in the south to start planting double-cropping rice.

Although in the history of agriculture in my country, double-cropping rice and even triple-cropping rice have already existed in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was not until the Kangxi period that the main rice-producing areas such as Jiangxi and Zhejiang began to grow double-cropping rice. This kind of short-cycle mature rice species that can mature before the Bailu solar term has only begun to plant double-cropping rice on a large scale.

Of course, the failure of the Ming Dynasty to do this had a lot to do with the fact that the climate in the north during the Little Ice Age was colder than that of the Qing Dynasty. However, it is still the early Ming Dynasty and the climate is not that cold.

It is feasible to reclaim tidal flat areas in Tianjin and plant rice.

In particular, Zhu Zhanquan also took advantage of the expansion of Tianjin City to install a climate-adjusting array under the foundation of Tianjin City, ensuring that this land would have good weather.

This can be regarded as a small benefit for his fiefdom, but it is a pity that the world of Ming Dynasty is a world with poor spiritual energy. If it is in the world of immortality, his formation can completely cover places such as Beijing and Langfang, and even Tangshan All climates can be benefited.

But this is just a world with poor spiritual energy. This formation can cover the current Tianjin city and the newly cultivated rice fields on the outskirts of the city. It is because Zhu Zhanqi has become rich in luck after he was awarded the title of Prince Zheng.

Yes, what he consumed in setting up the formation was exactly the luck that he, as King Zheng, could share in the national destiny.

Of course, Zhu Zhanchun did not directly invest all his luck in it. Although that would be more effective, what the Tianjin City array consumes is what Tianjin City, as Zhu Zhanchun's fiefdom, can bring him. Luck.

What maintains the operation of the formation is Zhu Zhanquan's luck as King Zheng, but the consumption of the formation is only the luck that Tianjin City, as Zhu Zhanqun's fief, can bring him every year.

But even so, this formation can ensure that Tianjin has four distinct seasons and good weather every year, so that livestock can prosper and crops can be abundant.

The good weather and abundant harvests in the fiefdom can naturally increase the luck symbolized by the fiefdom itself, and this part of the luck can be returned to adjust the climate of the fiefdom. It can be said to be a very environmentally friendly recycling.

And with the prosperity and development of Tianjin City, this part of the luck will continue to increase, gradually expanding the coverage of the formation, making the climate around Tianjin City more and more pleasant.Therefore, it is understandable that Zhu Zhanchun pays close attention to this matter. After all, it is related to his luck.

Fortunately, although the chief official of the palace sent by Zhu Gaochi to his son was not a famous figure in history, he was also a shrewd and capable man of action, not the kind of useless scholar who talks about benevolence and morality but is industrious and indifferent to grains.

Zhang Changshi arranged everything in an orderly manner. Not only did he complete the reclamation and planting of more than 1000 hectares of tidal flats outside Tianjin within a few months, but the expansion of Tianjin itself was also progressing at a gratifying rate.

Although the expanded city wall is only a foundation, the newly built pier for berthing the Japanese conquest fleet, and the storage, transportation and other facilities in the city used to supply food and wages for the large army have been completed in advance.

Obviously, Zhang Changshi arranged the construction according to the needs of the army, rather than building the city wall first for the sake of appearance.

However, Zhang Changshi was still worried about Zhu Zhanquan's decision to plant rice on the newly reclaimed land. He asked Zhu Zhanquan: "Your Majesty, I have consulted the old farmers in the countryside, and they all said that this rice was grown in the south. , the weather in our north is too cold, so we can’t grow any crops. Your Majesty, you are...wasting people’s energy.”

Zhang Changshi hesitated for a moment before changing to a relatively more elegant word.

In fact, those old farmers in the countryside scolded them very unpleasantly. Fortunately, reclaiming wasteland itself is a good thing for the people.

In particular, Zhu Zhanjun could have put more than 1000 hectares of newly reclaimed land under his own name, but he asked Zhang Changshi to distribute most of the fields to the common people.

And a considerable part of it was used to recruit refugees, so the common people still had a very good impression of Zhu Zhancheng. They just scolded him for his nonsense of planting rice in the north and had no other gossip. Instead, they had a good impression of this prince. The fan just maintains a welcoming attitude.

After all, Zhu Zhanchun's vassalship brought them substantial benefits, rather than plundering people's wealth and anointing. Of course, these people hoped to have a vassal king who could bring them benefits.

In particular, although Zhu Zhanquan allocated fields to the common people, in name these fields were still the king's fields. The farmers farming on this land were just his tenants of Prince Zheng.

Of course, even though this was true in name, Zhu Zhanjun did not charge very high tenant rents. Instead, he set the annual grain payment for these tenants at a very low share, even lower than the imperial tax.

This is actually easy to understand. After all, he is a vassal king. Not only does he not have to pay taxes to the court every year, he can also get Lumi from the court.

According to the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Zhanquan's Zhengwang Fan is now the only one. If he has more sons and has more than ten or twenty sons to spread his branches, the tax revenue in Hebei may not be enough for him. The salary of King Zheng.

Of course, Zhu Zhancheng had already mentioned this part of the problem with Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Di, and the vassal king's new policy was also related to solving this matter.

Nowadays, the salaries of the vassal kings in various places are no longer distributed by the court, but are collected by the vassal kings themselves from the fiefdoms. The amount collected is the amount. Therefore, Zhu Zhanchun only needs to ensure that these tenant farmers can hand over a figure that is enough for him, King Zheng and the vassal. He doesn't mind if he charges less.

For the feudal dynasty, this was a great act of benevolence.

(End of this chapter)