So just like that, two months later passed, and the summer harvest officially began.
Moreover, this summer harvest not only affects the hearts of the people in Shanxi, but even the court is very concerned (no way, under the background of such a catastrophe year, there are food shortages everywhere). The court sent six people specially. Inspect the Yushi, three teams came to Shanxi to inspect the summer harvest.
And the reason why it pays so much attention (usually like this, when you go to a place to investigate, or inspect a certain field of military work, only one monitor is sent, but now six), there are two reasons. The first is because of the investigation. The result is to determine the success of Yangshanlu's governance of Shanxi, and to provide the most intuitive data, which is the conclusion!
In other words, a mule is a horse, and it is brought out for a walk, or practice is the only criterion for testing truth!
If the result of the inspection is unsuccessful, then the many powerful Shanxi dignitaries whose interests have been harmed can take the opportunity to speak out and attack Yang Shanlu. Of course, if they succeed, they can shut up, so this inspection Very important (that is, the investigation team similar to later generations)
As for the second reason, it is because of my Chinese nation, during this Little Ice Age, there are so many disasters and disasters... that is, all kinds of weird weather occur frequently!
Take the richest place like Suzhou and Hangzhou as an example. In May of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the Su, Song, Lake and other prefectures suddenly poured heavy rain, day and night! The water bursts suddenly, and houses are dumped regardless of the embankment. This kind of torrential rain is devastating, and the harvest in the fields can be imagined (all the crops are drowned, causing the price of food to skyrocket, and the people will eat grass, trees, and roots.)
Then in April of the 14th year of Chongzhen, it was also Suzhou and Hangzhou, but there was a severe drought and no rain, and the migratory locusts obscured the sky. As a result, there was no grain harvest, the price of rice skyrocketed, and the beggars were everywhere. (I'm about to cry at this point).
So even the land of fish and rice like Suzhou and Hangzhou where there is paradise, it is all this horror. You can imagine other places in Daming, so if the whole Shanxi can get a bumper harvest (Shanxi was originally a place that needed to import food. Provinces), how much help this can bring to the whole country and the whole nation...
Therefore, this summer harvest in Shanxi affects the hearts of all parties!
Li Yingming and Qian Shoulian were one of the censorships sent by the imperial court this time. The two patrolled as a team. Among them, Qian Shoulian was not only the leader of the team, he was also a member of the Donglin Party.
Therefore, in this vital investigation, they have already determined the route. The first stop is Lingqiu County, which is closer to the capital, and then to Daixian after the inspection, because Daixian’s county magistrate is a Donglin Party members (sent at the invitation of Yang Shanlu), so it is more convenient to investigate.
After setting the inspection route in this way, the two of them took a few accompanying staff, as well as a few family members, to start the inspection journey.
And when they just entered the Lingqiu realm, they just felt their eyes shine... You know they came from the capital to the Shanxi realm, but on the way from the capital, what they saw and heard really made them reluctant to think about it. …
Anyway, you can often see the hungry people who are starving to death, and often see the bones of the roadside, the fields are also withered and lifeless (God is not powerful), but when you enter the Shanxi realm, it seems to have entered a new world.
Take the Lingqiu County they visited, as far as they could see, there were patches of golden wheat! Even the golden wheat waves are as far away as the sky! Including in the fields, there are countless farmers who are desperately harvesting wheat, and seeing them full of energy and smiles on their faces really makes them unbelievable... This is like a paradise!
(Because if it is a tenant who works, no one would be so happy... 70% to 80% after the harvest has to be handed in, who would be so happy?)
Although the current Donglin Party members have almost formed an alliance with Yang Shanlu, Secretary Qian Shoulian is still very serious (he knows that this inspection will have a very important impact on the future policies of the imperial court), so after reading it, he Not only did he send his accompanying staff to inspect the harvest in the fields, he even went down to the fields to talk with the farmers.
After he learned about the actual situation, he really made him a high-five and admired... Because this is the same as I've heard before, these people are all self-cultivating farmers, and the land they are cultivating is all their own! Including the harvested wheat, it is all their own, so can they not work hard
He stayed in this way for a day, and then in the afternoon, all the members he sent out came back to report, but the faces of these members were all shocked that could not be concealed: "My lord, it's so amazing. According to statistics, the average yield per mu is as high as seven buckets!"
"What? Did you make a mistake? There are seven buckets? (about 130 jin)." Although Qian Shoulian usually doesn't touch mulberry, but after staying here for a long time, he also knows that the output is definitely not low, but now I hear it. After this actual number, I was still taken aback!
Seeing being questioned by Qian Shoulian, those subordinates stopped doing it, although they were also shocked: "Yes, my lord, what is really true is the yield per mu of Qidou!"
After the confirmation, Qian Shoulian was a little silly... According to the homework he had done beforehand, it should be known that when he came to various places in Shanxi, the normal yield per mu was generally only five buckets (88 jin), even in the land of fish and rice in the two lakes, only seven. The output of the bucket is only, but now... Has it reached the level of the two lakes after one year of managing Shanxi's Caiqu District
Compared with Qian Shoulian, another tea inspector, Li Yingming, has a more detailed observation ability. While sighing, he has already discovered something unique in these fields.
For example, in every field, there are basically deep wells dug and equipped with waterwheels, including the various ridges of the land, the traces of various farming cattle, and the traces of applying fertilizer. They are all one by one. In the current situation, and being able to do this is obviously a big capital.
"Goodness! Great goodness!" After confirmation, the two patrol princes even claimed praise... To be honest, at the beginning, the imperial court handed over such a large area of Shanxi to Yang Shanlu, a young man in his twenties. , They still hold reservations (no hair on the lips, not fast enough), and he can manage the entire East Road, but he may not be able to manage such a big Shanxi!
But now? This kind of actual results really surprised and delighted them... At this time of national disaster and disasters, it is really fortunate for Da Ming!
And then, they came to Daixian according to the scheduled itinerary.
After arriving in Daixian, he was personally received by Wang Mengxi, the magistrate of Daixian, because everyone was a member of the Donglin Party, so Wang Mengxi put aside his official duties and took half a day to personally accompany him.
Moreover, Daixian originally belonged to the fief of the Jin king (that is, the one that has belched), so if it is the original, no matter how much food is harvested, it will all be the matter of the Jin Dynasty, and it has nothing to do with the ordinary people (can leave you A bit of chewing, it’s not bad if you don’t starve to death), but now, the scene in Lingqiu County is reproduced here... The same harvest scene, the same enthusiasm...
Even when inspecting the fields, Qian Shoulian accidentally discovered a kind of vine, and this kind of vine grows very well, verdant, and looks like a green carpet from a distance.
To be honest, he had seen this kind of vines more than once after entering the boundary of Shanxi, but at first he didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a kind of weed that grew stronger.
But now that I saw this vine time and time again, even in two counties so far away, he couldn't help but feel relieved, and when he saw him looking at these things, the county magistrate met him. He smiled deliberately to test the school, he said: "Brother Qian, I will take the liberty to test you today. You have learned extensively. Do you know what this is?"
"I don't know—" Qian Shoulian replied honestly.
"Haha, let me tell you, this is a fetish (sweet potato), and it is also a benefit brought by the envoy!"
Even when it comes to this, Wang Mengxi is still very excited. He just grabbed a section of the sweet potato vine and handed it to Qian Shoulian, "Look at this, brother Qian. This vine is soft, juicy, and nutritious. Pig feed can even be eaten by people if they are so hungry! Of course, its greatest effect is not this. You will know that at night."
"Really?" Hearing that Wang Mengxi actually sold a pass, Qian Shoulian became even more interested... He also knew that this fellow in the party was the most pragmatic person, but such a person had to sell it. So does it indicate...
So after night, Qian Shoulian took heart, and when Wang Mengxi was serving him a banquet in the evening, he really introduced a novel food-although the food on the plate looked like a broken piece. Half of the cucumber (of course the color is khaki) makes people look at it without appetite, but Wang Mengxi solemnly recommends him to try it.
In this case, Qian Shoulian also tasted it, but after tasting it, his eyes were bright... Honestly speaking, the taste of this thing can only be said to be average, slightly sweet, and there are more tendons (because it is still It didn't grow up, it was due to the early taste), but as a food, it can be swallowed.
After he finished speaking, Wang Mengxi laughed. "Brother Qian, if I tell you this kind of thing, it hasn't grown, and after it grows, all of them will be bigger than a fist. The yield per mu can be six to seven hundred catties, do you think this is considered a fetish?"
"What? Can you have such a high yield?" Qian Shoulian shook his hand when he heard it, and the sweet potato in his chopsticks was so scared that he almost didn't fall! Just now, one mu of wheat could yield 130 jin. He was already shocked, but what about now? Just a few things, one mu can yield six to seven hundred catties? And just this hasn't grown up yet? If this is the case, it is definitely a fetish!
As for the general taste, cut, in the context of such a disaster year, many refugees have to eat Guanyin soil miserably, do they still care about the taste
Including Li Yingming, another Yushi at the same table, was also very surprised. Moreover, he was from Shaanxi and knew the hardships of his hometown. So he immediately said, "Brother Wang, if the sweet potato is so powerful, why not? Promote it to the whole country? At least it can be tried in Shaanxi..."
Speaking of this, the excitement on Wang Mengxi’s face is a little bit less. He just said helplessly: "Hey, do you think this promotion is easy? According to the envoy, there is a lot of knowledge in it, and there is a period of adaptation. of… "
"For example, the younger brother heard that the special envoy had already cultivated this sweet potato in Donglu several years ago, and then Donglu was originally in Shanxi, so it can be promoted in Shanxi, and if it is really to be promoted across the country, it is estimated that it will have to be promoted again. Several years have passed."
"So that's the case." After listening to Li Yingming, he felt very lost. What was lost was such a good thing that the people of his hometown could not enjoy, but there were surprises when he thought about it... After all, as long as there is a time limit, then the time will come. Can't my hometown also benefit from it
After all, he has noticed that most of this fetish called sweet potato is planted on hillside wasteland, that is, places where food is not well grown. Such places can be used, and like their Shaanxi, most of them are this. Plant a place! So at this time, it will be a great gospel not only for the people of Shaanxi, but also for the people of Daming!
(Because this is also very obvious, as the main business has a good harvest of wheat, and then the sweet potato as a sideline can have such a high yield, is there no need to worry about food?)
So after the meal was finished, they were all convinced that this bumper harvest in Shanxi had become a foregone conclusion! Even if it is promoted, this will definitely have a profound impact on Daming's future!
And this is not just their opinion, including the other two teams who inspected the censorship, they also shared the same view... Ten days later, these censorship patrols were completed, and they rushed back to the capital for their orders, including the entire Shanxi. The summer harvest also ended smoothly.
According to the statistics from the Department of Civil Affairs, Yang Shanlu was overjoyed... The entire 100 counties in Shanxi, with a land area of nearly 100 million mu, have collected more than 60 million shi! This number is enough for 10 million people in Shanxi to eat for more than a year on average!
Even if it is specific to each household, if the average farmer owns 15 mu of land, each household can harvest nearly two thousand catties of wheat! (This does not include the gain of sweet potatoes,) This way it can definitely eat for nearly two years! (And did you dare to have 200 catties in the past?)
And in this way, a virtuous circle can be formed. With such a good life with adequate food and clothing, would the people not cherish it? Wouldn't it be difficult to farm well in the future? And look forward to the next bumper harvest? So it can really form a virtuous circle!
Even in this way, the benefits to the entire country are quickly revealed... For example, according to the customary practice, summer taxes are paid after the summer harvest. If before that, even if various government officials are sent to collect taxes and grains, the people will I really can't pay it... I don't have anything to eat, so what do I use to pay taxes
But once it’s different. The so-called warehouses know the etiquette. Since the imperial court has brought them a good life (in the eyes of ordinary people, Yang Shanlu represents the imperial court), so the ordinary people are eager to pay... All of his carts are filled with yellow wheat, lined up in long lines to go to the grain depots everywhere...
And to be fair, Shanxi's presence under Yang Shanlu's seat not only avoided the three-income affiliation that was originally due, but even the officials below could not change any tricks.
(At this time, government officials are corrupt, which is also one of the reasons for the people’s suffering. For example, the imperial court clearly sets a tax for a bucket of wheat, and the corrupt officials below dare to turn it into five buckets! As for other titles that come up with your head, What kind of ox pay, duck pay, and insect pay (that is, the wheat seedlings in the field must pay if they have insects), let alone.
But now, Yang Shanlu is in charge, and the 1,000 young officials he sent down to carry out the concrete execution. Don't even think about any crooked ways!
Therefore, in this way, the imperial taxation is actually not heavy, and probably only accounts for 5% of the total harvest. Such a light taxation is completely affordable for the people.
Therefore, after watching trucks of tax and grain transported into grain depots in Shanxi, and even a large amount of surplus, which can feed back to the capital, Yang Shanlu is very happy... This is for solving the current problem of Ming Dynasty. Famine can play a big role... Including for the upcoming Matsuyama battle, these can be used as military rations, which is good...
Even Yang Shanlu knows that such a change is of great significance! Because the Shanxi problem has been solved, it also means that the battle of Songshan has been half-victorious! And if the battle of Songshan, which represents the national destiny, can be won, does that also indicate that the history of the Manchus entering the Pass and treating the Han people as cattle and horses will be rewritten, including the heavy humiliation that the Chinese nation will endure afterwards History, will also be rewritten
Yang Shanlu believes in this, and he is willing to fight for this for life! (End of this chapter)