Ping An Biography

Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the fourth year of Xuande and the 31st year of Jianwen.The streets and alleys of Wuchang still have residues of firecrackers and the aftertaste of festivals, like a place where a banquet is held, leaving a mess.According to the folk tradition, after today, the year is over, and you should take off your new clothes and start preparing for spring plowing. Local officials must shift the focus of government affairs to persuading farmers.

However, it is a sad day for children. Of course, it will not be as fun as Chinese New Year when the busy farming season arrives, and they may have to be ordered by adults to help.There is a folk custom in Huguang that children will tie the feet of their beds with hemp ropes to express their desire to keep the New Year's Eve.Zhang Ning sympathizes with this feeling. When he was a child, he also hoped that the Chinese New Year would be as slow as possible, because when the busy farming season came, adults would have no time to pay attention to children. At that time, his task was to take care of his little sister.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, was born as a commoner, so he understood the hardships of the people.Counting it, Zhang Ning was also born in a rural mountain village. He is by no means the prince who was raised in the hands of a woman in the palace, and he also has a deep understanding of farming.The people still have the last day of rest, and the yamen in various places have not yet opened their seals, but the Wuchang cabinet is already discussing matters.This time the discussion was not about military affairs. Zhang Ning decided to issue a decree from the cabinet after the local government opened the seal: cook manure to fatten.

Several ministers inevitably questioned this decree, because Zhang Ning couldn't explain why.He only remembered that in order to save money on the purchase of chemical fertilizers in the countryside, the way to improve natural fertilizers was to boil dung water, which could greatly increase fertility; but he couldn't remember the reason... Of course, the bureaucrats would support such things. A cautious attitude, if it belongs to "tossing around", is a waste of people's power and belongs to bad governance.

Yang Shiqi moderately suggested that you can choose a piece of official land in each county to test it first. If it is really effective, there is no need to force the officials and the people, and people will follow suit in order to increase income; .

But sometimes Zhang Ning is really a bit stubborn, and he is very stubborn when he is really sure.There is no need to experiment with this thing at all, it is his experience and experience when he was a child, and it has been proved by practice; unnecessary actions will waste the opportunity to increase the agricultural economy this year.

So the cabinet finally decided to issue decrees level by level to nearly [-] counties in more than [-] prefectures controlled by Huguang and Jiangxi, ordering local officials to urge the people to use the method of boiling manure for fattening.The implementation strategy is based on the severity of corvee. In the early Ming Dynasty, the main methods of exploitation of peasant households were two taxes and corvee. The government administratively stipulated that in the next three years, all small households using the new fattening method will be exempted from half of the corvee, so as to encourage the new law... and the government Because corvee reduces the loss of benefits, it can be compensated by increasing the two taxes on grain. The grain tax is a commission, and the higher the yield per mu, the more tax.

After this discussion, Zhang Ning was naturally complacent again, feeling that he still had some talent for governing the country.The small test method should be regarded as a method of administrative regulation.He believes that the economic system of the Ming Dynasty really lacked control means, especially in terms of monetary policy, it was a mess. The treasures in the early stage and the finances in the later stage were in a mess. No wonder there was no money to fight wars later.He felt that if he was in power in the future, he should be able to do better.

...In the evening, the Lantern Festival Lantern Market was outside the south gate of the Chu Palace, and it was extremely lively and bustling.Yao Ji took Zhou Zhouniang and others to watch the fireworks in the palace city, and sent someone to invite Zhang Ning, but he didn't go, and only said to go over to watch the night and eat glutinous rice balls together.Tonight there is a custom to eat glutinous rice balls, which is said to imply plugging the mouse hole, which can save some property and save more in the new year; watch the night for three o'clock, taking the meaning of peace and safety, and pinning the hope that one year will be less. The mind of disaster.Anyway, these customs have auspicious meaning. [

Zhang Ning is busy working on the "teaching materials", and has decided to personally cultivate the naval generals in the beginning of the spring. Although the starting point is to further establish a student relationship with the middle-level generals, since things are to be done, they can't just go through the motions.A while ago, he was flirtatious and happy, but now it was approaching the schedule for the generals to arrive in Wuchang, and the training plan was not ready yet, so he had to rush to work.

When Yao Ji and others came back from watching the lanterns, he had to accompany her to eat supper.There is no need to go to Emperor Jianwen's place anymore, I went to greet him politely in the afternoon; but Yao Ji has a different relationship and needs to be with her for a while, because it is the Lantern Festival after all.

A group of "women" from Yao Ji's place could be heard talking and laughing when they were outside the door. As soon as Zhang Ning arrived at the door, the atmosphere in the hall cooled down.Sure enough, he is still not such a friendly person?

When Zhang Ning stepped forward, he only needed to salute Yao Ji, and then everyone else belonged to the same generation in terms of status, so he only needed to accept the courtesy from others.Everyone didn't dare to talk too much, and seemed a little cautious, only Yao Ji said calmly and casually: "I wanted to organize a lantern fair in the palace tonight, but you see there are so many people in the palace, so everyone can guess the lantern riddles and win a lot of money." Good; but I thought, before the battle is over, the harem should be quieter."

"Mother and concubine is very thoughtful." Zhang Ning said hastily.

He looked around and saw that Luo Yaoniang was there, but he didn't know whether she came here voluntarily to pave the way, or Yang Shiqi asked her to come.What's even more mysterious is that Xiao Qing, who was able to see the doctor and get the pulse last time, also came along; isn't this girl an assassin? Zhang Ning didn't bother with her and let her go. Wanting to save her father?

The women were all neatly dressed, although it was evening, but most of them had light makeup on their faces, which showed that they had been carefully cleaned up.Zhang Xiaomei watched Zhang Ning quietly, but he didn't dare to make eye contact with her; because although the women in the hall pretended to ignore him, it was obvious that people were paying attention to him.Zhu Nanping whispered beside Tuesday's mother, while Zhang Ning made a special trip to talk to her generously, asking how much lucky money he got for the new year.Zhu Nanping lowered his head and replied: "The imperial concubine gave the ingot, and the aunt gave the golden lock."

Yao Ji asked again: "You go to the yamen in the morning, what are you busy with?"

Zhang Ning replied: "Of course it's a state matter. A few days ago, I remembered the situation of the New Year among the people, and suddenly thought of a way to boil dung. I hurriedly discussed with the ministers how to do it."

"What?" Yao Ji looked at him slightly suspiciously.

"Boiled dung." Zhang Ning had no choice but to explain, "It is the excrement of humans and animals. Farmers mainly rely on it to fertilize. If the fertilizer is not enough, the harvest is not good. Cooking the dung before using it will not only double the fertility, but also greatly improve Fertility. It suddenly occurred to me that Daming hadn't discovered this method yet..."

"Hey, that's fine." Yao Ji shook her head and smiled, "Stop talking, will you ask everyone to eat gnocchi later?"

Only then did Zhang Ning realize that the women were all making disgusting expressions, and hurriedly said, "I seem to have said something inappropriate. I'm really sorry." He thought that manure is also a matter of people's livelihood, and there is nothing to be dirty about, but the women present were against it. It is also understandable.They have all become noble ladies now, and they don't have to give birth. Their fingers are not in the mud and they have to pay attention to those things.However, the economy determines the upper echelon. If the Zhang Ning power group does not manage properly, these "women" will not have the conditions to be romantic.

Seeing that everyone was a little cautious, and they didn't enjoy talking and laughing, it might be a bit difficult to sit and wait for the third watch like this, so he said: "I have a suggestion, how about playing cards together?"

After talking, he got up on the spur of the moment, and looked at Luo Yaoniang with a mischievous smile.Luo Yaoniang curled her lips, but in front of many people, she refrained from talking back.It was only later that Zhang Ning realized that Yao Ji was also aware of the last time he played cards, so he restrained himself.But seeing Yao Ji looking at him with a half-smile. [

Fang Ling said: "Probably only playing leaf cards, four people at a table, the younger sister and princess don't know how to do it, and Bai Cifei probably hasn't learned it either?"

"We don't play leaf cards, so many people focus on participating, choose another simple and interesting game." Zhang Ning said, turning back to a white-clothed guard standing there, "Go get a deck of cards, a pen and paint over here You can come and play with me later."

When the maid came over with the props, he counted the number of people present, then randomly picked out the same number of cards, and while painting with a pen, he explained: "This game is called 'Please close your eyes when it gets dark'." , It’s very simple. A red card means a magistrate in red robes, serving as a referee; a green card is an undercover officer; a black card is an assassin in night clothes; the unpainted ones are civilians..."

In Zhang Ning's view, leaf tiles are similar to mahjong in later generations, which is actually a kind of gambling; while the killing game he mentioned is actually a social game, which seems to be more interesting.During the game, everyone can justify and "gag", and have the opportunity to express themselves without feeling ignored or forgotten.It will bring people closer and get some simple care and fun.

Everyone is a very smart woman, Zhang Ning only explained it once and they understood the rules.They didn't show any interest at first, but since it was Zhang Ning's proposal, and there was something for everyone to do sitting together, there was no reason to refuse.It's also better to just play around than sit around.

But after two sets, people got into the mood and gradually found it interesting.Zhang Xiaomei pretends to be innocent and innocent, Yao Ji pretends to be righteous and strict, and Luo Yaoniang's sharp words show their strengths.The hall gradually became lively, and laughter reappeared.Even the maid who was pulled to make up the numbers changed from her usual dull appearance, making people feel her "personality" as a person.

Zhang Ning was identified as a "killer" once, and he took advantage of the fun to make fun of Xiao Qing: "I look like a big bad wolf, but you have wronged me. But the real assassin is not only well-educated and ladylike, but also I know how to take the pulse to see a doctor, so it’s wrong to just rely on the feeling. Am I wrong?”

Xiao Qing blushed when she said that, and when it was her turn to speak, she said that she had to be "forced" by Nai Yunyun.

One person said a few words, joking and having fun, the time passed very quickly, and the third watch seemed to be here in a while.

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