I open a history tutorial class in Daming

Chapter 140: Killing the Chicken to Frighten the Monkeys Li Sanlang
Song Shen couldn't help but laugh when he thought of what he had asked the system before.

Yes, Chongzhen can indeed bring these things into the system space, but what’s the use?
"Sir, what are you laughing at?"

Zhu Biao noticed that Song Shen's expression was not right, as if he was trying to hold back his laughter. He intuitively felt that there was something wrong, so he quickly asked.

Song Shen restrained himself a little, coughed twice and said:

"Didn't you notice that Zhu Youjian just said that the production of corn and sweet potatoes is not high enough to warrant the imperial court's decree to reduce taxes and promote them?"

"If these two things could really have the miraculous effect of saving a country, the emperor before him, if he was not a fool, would have spared no effort to promote them."

"Do you feel something is wrong?"

Zhu Biao's brows had been furrowed since a while ago. He lowered his head in deep thought, muttering to himself:
"That's not right... Sir, you clearly said before that the yield of sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn is extremely high. If the people can grow them, it will at least ensure that the people will not starve to death or become refugees, and there won't be so many people rebelling."

"Are they really fools... No, no, there must be something wrong here!"

Song Shen didn't intend to keep it a secret.

He walked up to the podium, knocked on the table, and said loudly:

"Yes, I have said before that sweet potatoes and potatoes have a high yield, but we have to look at things dialectically."

"The Little Ice Age I just mentioned was one reason. Natural disasters caused by abnormal climate caused a reduction in food production in many places. This is something that cannot be changed, at least you cannot change it now. In a few hundred years, you can use cannons to make it rain."

"There are a few more elements that you have overlooked."

"The output I'm talking about is the output in later generations, not the output during the Chongzhen period."

"In order to grow crops, people in later generations have developed a series of methods. Every large-scale crop is cultivated with the efforts of tens of millions of people, such as fertilizers, improved varieties, and pesticides. These things are indispensable. Without them, would the yield of several thousand kilograms per mu be a fluke? If these crops were really so powerful, how could America still be the New World? It should have developed a civilization as strong as our China long ago."

As he listened, Zhu Youjian's mouth opened wider and wider.

He stuttered a little when he spoke:
"How many...how many thousand kilograms? Are you talking about sweet potatoes and wheat?!"

Zhu Biao hummed impatiently:
"Why do you think my father was so excited? He was born a farmer. Ordinary high-yield crops are impressive, but they shouldn't make him so excited that he would even forgive you, the king of a fallen country."

Song Shen also raised his eyebrows and nodded:
"Take the example of sweet potatoes, which you call yams."

"In later times, generally speaking, its average yield per mu is about 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms. Through scientific planting and meticulous management, some places can reach a yield of about 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms per mu. In certain seasons in the south, it can even reach a yield of about 6,000 to 7,000 kilograms per mu."

"The more outrageous high-yield sweet potato varieties can produce 8,000 kilograms or more than 10,000 kilograms per mu. These yields per mu are all possible."

In the classroom, everyone's breathing quickened.

Although most of them already knew that these were high-yield crops, Song Shen was very conservative the first time he spoke, and the yields of all crops were based on the average.

But now that he had inadvertently revealed the truth, everyone couldn't help but feel a little excited.

I can't hold it back at all!
What does it mean to produce 10,000 kilograms per mu?
Even if this stuff tastes as bad as rice bran, it is more than enough for disaster relief, not to mention that it is not as good as refined grains such as rice and flour.

As the only one who had been poor, Zhu Yuanzhang knew it best.

When people are extremely hungry, they will eat soil, tree bark, and grass roots.

What does taste mean? At least it’s food!
Song Shen coughed and said:

"but--"

A group of students now wished they could pry open Song Shen's head and hang him up so that they could pour out everything in his mind.

At this critical moment, why keep it a secret!!!

"But if I had to choose, of these three crops I would choose potatoes."

Song Shen kept them on suspense for a long time, and finally smiled:

"Guess why?"

Zhu Youjian's mind went blank.

He now wants to catch Song Shen and make him change his words.

Both are high-yield crops. He clearly has wheat and sweet potatoes in his hands. Why does Mr. Song insist on choosing potatoes?
What's the difference between these two?

If he didn't have the advantages brought by these two crops, and with Song Shen's evaluation of him just now, would his ancestors beat him to death later?

But the others showed no regard for his emotions at all.

Ying Zheng, who had not spoken for a long time, said thoughtfully:

"Could it be because these potatoes are the easiest to grow?"

"Sir, you just emphasized that behind all high-yield crops are the efforts of countless people and a set of systems. This should mean that without those, the yields of sweet potatoes and corn would never be that high."

"Since we are discussing one of the three options, the first thing to consider is how to promote planting. What we need to consider is not the taste, but the yield and difficulty of planting... Am I right?"

Song Shen nodded without hesitation:
"That's right!"

"Different crops are affected by climate and soil in different places. In the Central Plains, the yield per mu of potato is one to two times that of sweet potato, and nearly ten times that of corn."

"Under the same planting conditions in later generations, it has already crushed the other two crops in terms of yield. This is one reason."

"Secondly, the rapid increase in wheat, corn, and rice yields was achieved through the hard work of generations of farmers. But potatoes are different. Not many breeding experts have devoted their time to studying them. Over hundreds of years, they have become the staple food in some regions. As I mentioned earlier, Europe still eats potatoes as a staple food hundreds of years later."

"It doesn't require very strict planting techniques. It's very simple, has few pests and diseases, and doesn't require much soil and water. The leaves can be used to feed livestock, and the yield is incredibly high. Even in the future, when people have already solved the problem of food and clothing, it is still called the fourth major staple food."

"The most important point is that corn, as the third largest staple food, has high requirements for the growing environment. The soil must be fertile, the water must be sufficient, the temperature cannot be too high or too low, the light must be sufficient, and diseases must be watched out for at all times... In short, corn is good, but you don't have the conditions to grow it now."

There was one more thing he didn't say.

In his previous life, he already knew this when he heard his roommate bragging. One reason why potatoes, with such a high yield and which can be used as both food and vegetable, could not catch up with rice and wheat was that the seed potatoes needed to be detoxified, otherwise the yield would be reduced.

This so-called poison is actually a disease factor. Choosing better seed potatoes can reduce the chance of disease occurrence.

In other words, if potatoes are not detoxified, they are likely to be infected with diseases, causing the yield to drop from several thousand kilograms to barely a thousand, or even a few hundred kilograms.

But even if the potato yield is only a few hundred kilograms per mu, it is still higher than the rice and wheat yields of this era.

This is also why Song Shen was so conservative when he told Zhang Wei to plant potatoes. After all, he could not guarantee that the potatoes would be so lucky after a few years and still produce several thousand kilograms.

What’s more, the one facing this problem was Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian.

During his time, the Ming Dynasty had entered a small ice age, and droughts continued in various places. Under such circumstances, what else could the North and the Central Plains grow except potatoes? It is impossible to use so much water to grow corn during a drought. People have no water to drink, so they have to grow corn to grab water?
"and many more……"

A voice came from the corner. Everyone who was still immersed in Song Shen's words just now couldn't help but look back and found that the person who spoke was——

Li Longji has been announced to retire.

Li Longji's expression was a little hesitant, and he paused before saying:

"Am I hysterical, or are you all crazy?"

"How could there be a grain yield of several thousand kilograms per mu in the world? This is sheer nonsense!"

Oh, he hadn’t attended the previous classes, and Emperor Li II also looked down on him, so the Zhenguan Five never taught him any science.

Except for the newly arrived Chongzhen, everyone else looked at him with a subtle look.

There was a hint of pity, a hint of ridicule, and a hint of... gloating in this look?
Even though the content of the previous courses would not be fully explained, Zhu Di, who had the help of his father and brother, certainly knew about such an important thing as high-yield crops.

"Let me correct you. You have always believed that we are all fake. So according to what you said, you were hysterical in the first place. How come we are crazy now?"

Zhu Di looked at Li Longji happily:
"Also, if you haven't seen it, it doesn't exist?"

"If that's the case, then it's no wonder you've always thought we were fake. After all, you haven't seen the emperors and generals of the dynasties before you, let alone those after you. It's normal for you not to believe it!"

"But do you want to think about it? With your brain, can you imagine a place you have never seen?"

"Which of the things and people in this classroom can you come up with without any evidence? Take the movable type printing we talked about earlier. Do you think you have the ability to think of this in a flash?"

Li Longji's face turned pale.

He took several steps back as if he was in disbelief, until he hit the table with a bang and was forced to stop.

Yes, yes...

Just as Zhu Di said, although he had always believed that this classroom was fake and was all his dreams and hallucinations, he should have realized long ago that he was deceiving himself.

There are many things that cannot be said if one is not an emperor or does not really know history.

Before, apart from being beaten, Li Longji’s presence had always been very low, but his two classes did not come in vain. He listened silently and just refused to admit it.

But now, even if he didn't want to believe it, he had to admit it.

What these people say is true...it's all true!
On the podium.

Song Shen wished he had a handful of melon seeds in his pocket to eat.

He put his hands in his pockets and pretended to be calm while watching the show, muttering to himself.

I have to say that although this system is a bit crappy, the technology is really awesome.

Each emperor and general acted as if they were real, yet Zhu Di could even mock Li Sanlang by saying that "Li Longji thinks they are all fake."

Song Shen almost said that you guys were fake from the beginning, but he held it back for fear that he would mess up the show.

under.

Li Longji was in a state of confusion.

He looked up at the people around him.

Ying Zheng sat in his seat calmly, with a Taia sword almost as tall as a man placed across his feet. Meng Tian sat beside him, his eyes as sharp as an eagle.

Liu Che leaned against Zhang Liang like a boneless man, with his arms around his shoulders, but the latter didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Li Shimin stared at him with a sneer. Behind him, a group of famous generals and loyal ministers from the Zhenguan period frowned slightly. They didn't even want to pretend to have disgust in their eyes.

Not to mention the Zhu family, they all looked like they were just looking for trouble, especially Zhu Di who was speaking just now. He was not much older than Li Longji, but he was still acting like a little kid. I don't know what he was provoking...

Forget it.

That’s not the point right now.

Li Longji's gaze finally fell on Mr. Song, who was sitting on the podium with a look of interest on his face.

He swallowed, and when he spoke he realized how hoarse his voice was:

"Mr. Song, is everything you said before true?"

Song Shen spread his hands:

"I've talked a lot today and even showed you pictures. What exactly do you mean?"

Li Longji could tell that the other party was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he was not in a position to refute or get angry now, because it was all his own fault that things had come to this point.

He paused and said sincerely:

"I... no, I, I want to know whether the kind of grain you just mentioned that can produce several thousand kilograms per mu really exists."

Song Shen laughed:

"Why should I answer you?"

"Li Longji, you are no longer my student. I can answer my students' questions and let them communicate with each other, but since you chose not to do this exam, and you didn't react when I tried to persuade you to quit, and you didn't admit your mistakes, why are you asking me these questions now?"

"You don't think I'm the kind of person who repays evil with kindness, do you? If I repay evil with kindness, how can I repay kindness?"

He knew that these students were indeed fake, but Li Longji's actions had seriously affected his prestige as a teacher.

If we don't make an example of him this time, what if another troublemaker follows suit in the future?
Even though they are consciousnesses that have been sliced ​​and extracted, their emotions at this moment are no different from those of real people, and everyone thinks they are real people.

What are these ambitious people most afraid of?

We forget what we have lost only after we have gained the future historical development, and we remember what we have lost only when our country is destroyed and our families are ruined.

"Go away, I don't need you in my class anymore."

Song Shen smiled and pointed at Li Longji, then silently gave orders in his mind.

Everyone saw clearly that Li Longji, who had just been struggling to admit his mistake, disappeared out of thin air in the classroom.

Without a trace.

(End of this chapter)