Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 115 Improving Farm Tools
  After the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the busy autumn harvest season. A year's hard work points to the harvest during this period.

God is good. This year, the Guanlong area did not suffer from severe drought. Under the auspices of Wang Meng, local governments instructed the people to dig ditches and divert water for irrigation, which also greatly alleviated the low rainfall in the northwest region. The problem.

Of course, after the large-scale promotion of tillage technology, it also reduced the evaporation of water in the soil, successfully achieving the effect of conserving moisture and preventing drought.

All in all, it's been a good year.

Although Huan Xi fixed the tax on three shi of corn no matter how much the people harvested, it was a good thing to have a good year.

After all, when people have savings, they also have the need to buy goods, which in turn promotes the development of handicrafts and commerce.

If everyone is really poor, after paying taxes, there will only be enough for the family to live on.

No matter how much Huan Xi encouraged the development of commerce and handicrafts, without consumer demand, his efforts were in vain.

Huan Xi never levied commercial taxes because the economic foundation of the Guanlong area was too poor in the past.

But the situation is different now. After two tax holidays and a new good year, as long as they work hard at farming, every household should have a surplus, and the booming development of commerce and handicrafts is also foreseeable.

After discussing with his generals, Huan Xi decided to start levying commercial taxes next year. Of course, the initial tax rate would not be set too high, and he would not be able to reap the benefits.

Outside Chang'an City, in Jiqiaoyuan, Zhang Gaoping, the captain of the millet management school, was drinking tea in the wing as usual.

Last winter, in order to promote farming technology, he traveled all over Qin, Yong, and Liang prefectures. After returning to Chang'an, he was transferred to Jiqiaoyuan as an errand. It was said to be a post, but in fact it was almost like a pension. Even if he sits down, he doesn't have to do much.

Others say that Zhang Gaoping is resting on his laurels, but his contributions are so great that they will last him a lifetime.

Not everyone is eager to pursue progress. Zhang Gaoping has no other skills besides farming. Huan Xi can't just use him up and throw him away, so he has to send him to Jiqiaoyuan to raise him.

At the same time, it is also for the craftsmen of Qiaoyuan to take a good look at. As long as your contribution is great enough, even if you want to live and die in the future, Huan Xi can still give you a decent position so that you can live a long life.

Recalling the past life with his face facing the loess and his back turned to the sky, Zhang Gaoping sighed with emotion:
  ‘It’s still Chang’an’s corn that feeds people. ’

As the saying goes, wealth exchanges for wives and wealth exchanges for friends. Not everyone is like Wang Meng, who is in a high and powerful position, but still gets along with his wife who is poor, and his love is not diminished.

After Zhang Gaoping became successful, the peasant women in his family were naturally not good enough for him. After a divorce, he married a noble woman and took in a house of beautiful concubines. His life was much more comfortable.

Of course, the noble family that married his daughter to him is now full of regrets. They originally thought that he would be able to get Huan Xi's important use, but they didn't know that mud can't hold up the wall.

While he was still on duty, all Zhang Gaoping could think about was his lovely wife and concubine. Suddenly he heard a commotion outside. Zhang Gaoping became curious and went out to see. It turned out that several craftsmen had run back from the experimental field. He was shouting with others:

"It's done! The curved plow ordered by the general is finished!"

When Huan Xi heard the news, he immediately took Wang Meng, Quan Yi and others to the experimental field outside the city.

A craftsman in the field was demonstrating to Huan Xi a new agricultural tool designed according to his instructions, the curved shaft plow.

Before the appearance of the plow, the grass was the main farming tool. After that, with the emergence of the straight shaft plow in the Han Dynasty, the grass was gradually abandoned.

It is true that the straight-shaft plow has many advantages over the rugged plow, but it also has its own shortcomings such as insufficient flexibility in turning and turning, laborious lifting of soil, and low efficiency.

In order to show the importance he attached to farming, Huan Xi had planned to plow the fields himself during spring plowing this year.

Of course, Huan Xi's plan failed to take place later because of the need to rescue the Tiefu Xiongnu.

But when he tried to use the straight shaft plow, Huan Xi was deeply aware of its shortcomings.

Huan Xi had no farming experience before or after time travel, but he had heard of Qu Yuuli's name in history textbooks.

At that time, Huan Xi gave the craftsmen of Jiqiao Academy a task to develop the Quyuan plow. Today, they finally have the finished product.

The craftsman who was using the Quyuan plow in the field explained to Huan Xi:

"General, the new plow consists of two pieces of gold and nine pieces of wood. The two pieces of gold are the plow shank and the plow wall. The nine pieces of wood are the plowshare, plow base, plow head, plow arrow, plow shaft, plow tip, plow blade, plow frame and plow plate. .

"Changing the long straight to short curve retains the shaft, plow tip, plow arrow, plow wall and other parts of the straight shaft plow, and abandons the plow balance (shoulder yoke), which not only shortens the plow shaft, but also reduces the weight, so , the new agricultural tools overcome the defect of interference between the rotation of the straight shaft plow, and the operation is more flexible and labor-saving.

“On the basis of the straight-column plow, the curved-column plow is equipped with a plow blade and a plow frame. Combined with the original components, it can adapt to the different requirements of deep plowing and shallow plowing.

"At the same time, a new plow bottom is added to make it land smoothly and have a fixed depth so that it does not swing from side to side. It is also more convenient for farmers to hold the plow.

"And as the general said, the curved plow shaft prevents the plowshare from going too deep into the soil. When lifting the soil, it also saves a lot of effort for the animals pulling the farm tools."

Huan Xi's eyes shone as he listened to his explanation. He had never seen the actual Quyuan plow before, but when the craftsman spoke of these advantages, he must have verified them in advance.

Although it is not known whether this new agricultural tool is the curved shaft plow that appeared in the Tang Dynasty, it is definitely a major innovation in agricultural tools.

Huan Xi couldn't wait to go to the fields and took over the new farm tools from the hands of the craftsmen. The farm tools were less than eight feet long and could be controlled with one hand, so he could hold an eight-foot whip to drive the cattle.

But when I swung this eight-foot whip, I felt it wasn't as smooth as when I used the riding crop to whip Quan Yi. After Huanxi used it, he was very satisfied, and Wang Meng took over.

Unlike Huan Xi, Wang Meng had experienced hard times. During his seclusion, he also worked hard in Huashan.

Precisely because he has used straight-column plows for a long time, Wang Meng has a more intuitive and obvious feeling about the advantages of curved-column plows.

"Lord! This plow can withstand an army of 100,000 people! I congratulate my lord on getting a sharp weapon!"

Wang Meng laughed and said.

After Quan Yi heard this, he hurried to the field to try it out. However, he had never used a straight-shaft plow and could not tell the difference between the two. However, under the traction of the plowing ox, he did feel that plowing the field was not particularly labor-intensive.

Although Huan Xi was happy, he could not help but feel sad.

Just like his implementation of the land equalization order, Qian Yan also forcibly copied it and used it in Youzhou to recruit refugees and restore production.

Whether it is locust tillage technology or curved-turn plowing, once you promote it vigorously, as long as there are results, the surrounding neighbors cannot remain indifferent.

These things do not have a high technical content. Even if it is a curved shaft plow, as long as one is taken away, it is not difficult to imitate it.

Since the Quyuan plow is to be promoted to thousands of households, it is naturally impossible to control its flow.

Huan Xi thought about it again and again, but decided that he must vigorously promote new agricultural tools and not eat waste.

Of course, the main reason is still the sentence: there was always a lack of population under Huan Xi's rule.

This new type of agricultural tool that can liberate productivity is of great benefit to him as it can solve his urgent needs.

After Huan Xi rewarded several craftsmen who participated in the development of the Quyuan plow, he ordered on the spot to build it on a large scale, striving to completely replace the straight-yuan plow in the Guanlong area before next spring plowing.

At the same time, someone was sent to Jiangling to send the drawings and finished products. I believe that after Huan Wen personally compared the differences between the curved-column plow and the straight-column plow, he would also promote it in Jing, Yi, and Ning prefectures.

Huan Xi returned to the General Zhengdong's Mansion. The imperial edict had been delivered. The Queen Mother approved Huan Xi's request and appointed Liu Wuhuan as the Xiongnu Xianwang of the left and Liu Yanfutou as the Xiongnu Xianwang of the right. Each of the meritorious officers and soldiers were also given their own names. There are rewards.

Only the reward for Huan Xi was not mentioned, and his request to establish a Shan Yu Tai was rejected.

However, regardless of whether the court agrees or not, it will not affect the operation of Yinchuan Shanyutai.

After all, the Jiankang court could not extend such a long hand and interfere with Guanlong affairs.

In the edict, Empress Dowager Chu strongly reprimanded Huan Xi for setting up Shanyutai without authorization.

But Huan Xi was not annoyed. He knew that this was not the Queen Mother's handwriting.

The last time the Queen Mother asked Sima Xingnan to deliver a letter to him, Huan Xi always kept it. It was also his treasure, and he took it out from time to time to watch and copy.

Sure enough, soon, a secret letter was sent from Jiankang to Chang'an.

Empress Dowager Chu explained her difficulties to Huan Xi in the letter, and sincerely hoped that Huan Xi would not take it to heart.

Huan Xi looked at the contents of the letter and couldn't help but think:

She cares so much about my opinion. Could it be that she has me in her heart?
  Once some thoughts arise, they become ingrained.

Huan Xi took out a bronze mirror, looked at his handsome face in the mirror, and thought, this is not impossible.

For a moment, I felt confused.

According to the usual practice, during this kind of leisure time, I should have taken the time to visit Han Yan's residence, but I lost interest at this moment.

Huan Xi remembered the birthday of Empress Dowager Chu, and thought that in a while, it would be the birthday of the Empress Dowager. Huan Xi thought about it and decided to send another drawing and finished product of Quyuan Li to Jiankang as a birthday gift to Empress Dowager Chu. .

Anyway, after Huan Wen pushed it, it was only a matter of time before Quyuanli was introduced to Jiangdong. It was better to let himself do this favor.

Besides, the people of Jiangzhou and Yangzhou will benefit from this, and they will definitely be grateful to themselves.

It can not only please the Queen Mother, but also make the people grateful. This is called a win-win situation.

Huan Xi wrote a letter to Empress Dowager Chu with the same sincere words. He admitted that he had no choice but to set up a Chan Yu Taiwan, but he had forbidden others to call him the Great Chan Yu. The so-called Chan Yu Taiwan was simply used for management. Just the Huns affairs.

At the end of the letter, Huan Xi wrote emotionally:
  ‘I wish your majesty would live for thousands of years, and I will serve you to the best of my ability! ’

Huan Xi handed the reply to the visitor and asked him to secretly send it to Jiankang, and then he solemnly treasured the letter.

　The first chapter is here, and the next chapter is before 6 p.m.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)