After showing off to his nephew, Zhu Xiang began his daily routine, inspecting the fields and guiding farming.
Zhao State was located in Jizhou, one of the nine ancient states. According to the "Tribute of Yu", the soil in Jizhou was white soil, loose salt marsh soil, and medium-sized fields.
The grade of fields recorded in "Yu Gong" was determined by the level of productivity at the time, which is different from the modern level. For example, the fields in Sichuan, a major grain-producing area in later generations, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were all of the lower three grades.
After Li Bing's water control, irrigation conditions in the Chengdu Plain improved, and the land from lower-quality farmland became a land of abundance; after the improvement of irrigation and water conservancy and the invention of farm tools that could cultivate clay and wet soil, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain gradually became a granary in the feudal era; the fertile black frozen soil that is now listed as completely uncultivable can only be developed after industrialization.
Many modern people (fantasies) travel back to ancient times and are always shocked by the stupidity of the ancients. They think that the Land of Abundance, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, the Black Soil Plain... there are so many good places, but the ancients actually despised them as barbaric places.
However, they do not know how these important grain-producing areas have become what they are today through the arduous transformation of their ancestors over hundreds and thousands of years.
There is no place where you can just throw a handful of seeds on the ground and it will become a granary. Even primitive societies used slash-and-burn farming. Land is like a wild animal. It can only become a domestic animal if it is tamed.
When descendants stand under the gifts given by their ancestors and point and say “Why don’t we eat meat porridge?”, the ancestors will certainly be very pleased when they know this.
If the descendants can ask such questions, then the wilderness that they once sighed over must have been tamed and turned into cultivated land that can produce food. This is certainly something that our ancestors should be pleased about.
Zhu Xiang was a professor of agronomy, so after he traveled through time, he did not have the ability that most time travelers had to make the ancients immediately produce tens of millions of kilograms per mu. He just made some improvements to the fields in Jizhou based on the existing productivity conditions.
Jizhou refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The management of saline-alkali land is basically rooted in the hearts of every agronomist.
In the absence of chemical fertilizers, in order to improve the fertility of saline soil, Zhu Xiang directed people to build ditches and improve the water-drawing lever (a tool that uses the principle of leverage to draw water) so that the water could be poured directly into the ditch after the bucket of the lever was lifted.
Before sowing, water is first drawn into the ditch with a waterwheel. After the water overflows the soil, the salt and alkali are dissolved. Then channels are dug in low places to drain the water and reduce the salinity of the field.
Afterwards, Zhu Xiang taught farmers not to apply manure directly, but to dig pits and pile manure and fallen leaves together for "piling", and then increase the efficiency of maturation by heating them with a fire nearby.
When washing the fields, waterweed, duckweed and other green plants tend to grow in the drainage outlets. These are what farmers call "vegetables" during famine years, but no one picks them because they are inedible. Zhu Xiang taught people to collect these green plants and make them into green manure, which replaced some organic fertilizers such as manure and bone ash fertilizer.
The Lin family had no shortage of fertilizers. They raised horses, pigs, chickens and ducks, and the manure they collected every day was enough to fertilize their own fertile fields.
It was difficult for farmers to get so much fertilizer for their own fields. Apart from building toilets to collect their own feces, they could only pick up cow and horse manure left by the carriages of the nobles on the road. After Zhu Xiang taught them how to make green manure, they were able to use fertilizer on their own fields.
The calendar of the Warring States Period was in chaos, but most farmers were used to the Xia calendar. At this time, in August of the Xia calendar, millet and yellow rice had been harvested and they were preparing to plant wheat.
The temperature during this period was higher than that of later generations. Although it did not reach the lowest temperature comparable to that of the tropical region of Xishuangbanna as claimed by marketing accounts, according to the research of Mr. Zhu Kezhen, the spring in the Qin Dynasty came about three weeks earlier than the Little Ice Age in the early Qing Dynasty, and the climate in the Yellow River Basin was roughly equivalent to that of the subtropical region.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, the working people had already cultivated winter wheat. In the Central Plains, good farmland could already be used to grow two crops a year. After harvesting sorghum and millet, winter wheat could be planted; and after harvesting winter wheat, sorghum and millet could be planted.
However, farming in this way would quickly consume the fertility of the land, causing it to become salinized and hardened, and sufficient fertilizers must be added. Therefore, not only was there a huge difference in grain production between different regions, but also the grain production of the fields of the nobles with sufficient water and fertilizer and the fields cultivated by the common people themselves was also very different.
The fields of the nobles could produce two crops a year, and if the weather was good, one acre of land could yield six stone of grain; the fields of the common people did not have sufficient fertilizer and irrigation conditions, so they could only implement a rotation system of cropping and fallow. Even if the weather was good, the harvest would be less than two stone of grain.
At that time, one mu was one-third of an mu in later times; one shi was only two dou in later times, that is, ten liters, about ten kilograms. Converted into today's measurement, that is, when the weather was good, the highest yield per mu of the nobles' fields was 180 kilograms, while the highest yield per mu of the common people's fields was less than 80 kilograms.
With Zhu Xiang's guidance, the Lin family generously donated money to improve the irrigation conditions of the civilians' fields. Now the civilians' fields in the Lin family's fiefdom can harvest twice a year, and the worst harvest is twice as much as before.
Ying Xiaozheng held his uncle's head, played with grass katydids on top of his uncle's head, and listened attentively to his uncle instructing the farmers on farming. He also heard from others what good things his uncle had done that made these people respect him so much.
He had a handkerchief tied by his uncle over his mouth and nose, but he could still smell the stench of the compost pit.
My uncle walked in the mud, through the stinking smell of fertilizer, and chatted and laughed with the ragged farmers.
Ying Xiaozheng rested his thin chin on his uncle's thick hair, his heart and eyes full of curiosity.
These were things he had not "seen" in his dreams. He was full of curiosity.
Under the shade of trees on a high ground not far away, two old men, supported by those around them, were pointing and talking to Zhu Xiang, who was squatting beside the ridge of the field, holding his little nephew and chatting and laughing with the farmers.
Xun Kuang asked, "Is that Zhu Xiang? Why is there a child sitting on his neck?"
Lin Xiangru said, "That's his nephew, the abandoned child of Qin King Sun Yiren. Didn't I tell you about Zhu Xiang's family situation before?"
Xun Kuang said confidently: "Forgot it!"
Lin Xiangru: “…” The fist holding the crutch felt itchy, and he wanted to hit this guy on the forehead!
Xun Kuang continued, "You said that Zhu Xiang could increase the yield of the common people's fields by two to three times. That's all I remember. What does his family situation have to do with me?"
Lin Xiangru: “…” OK, you used to be the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy in Qi State, you are a good talker, I can’t beat you!
Lin Xiangru, who was able to gain the title of Shangqing by his eloquence, actually called himself "invincible". Later generations called him "Xunzi".
That is Xunzi, who called other Confucian schools "low-class Confucians" and sparked a war of words among Confucian schools, in which each school called the other "low-class Confucians".
Xun Kuang was a native of Zhao. He served under King Xiang of Qi and was the chief priest of Jixia Academy. After King Xiang of Qi died in 265 BC, Xun Kuang was ostracized and left Qi to travel around. Now he has just finished his journey west and returned home to visit his family.
Lin Xiangru visited Xun Kuang, hoping that he could serve as an official in Zhao State. However, Xun Kuang said that he had gained a lot from his studies recently and wanted to write books behind closed doors, so he would not consider serving as an official for the time being. Lin Xiangru then only maintained a good personal relationship with Xun Kuang.
"Since he can increase the yield of common people's fields by two to three times, why doesn't the King of Zhao let him take charge of the entire Zhao State's fields?" Xun Kuang asked.
Lin Xiangru said: "He can increase the yield of the common people's fields by two to three times, but it does not have much effect on the nobles' fields."
Xun Kuang said: "It is normal for the nobles not to want the common people's fields to produce the same amount of grain as theirs, but why is the King of Zhao so short-sighted?"
Lin Xiangru said: "How far-sighted do you expect a young king of Zhao to be?"
The history books of the State of Zhao state recorded that the King of Zhao "let the Queen Mother rule the country because of his young age." But if we take a look at the age of the King of Zhao, he was almost 20 when he ascended the throne, and he should have ruled the country himself no matter which country he was in.
From the records of Empress Zhao Wei's attendance at government affairs, it can be seen that Empress Zhao Wei was not a person who liked to seize power. Except for being reluctant to give up her young son, she hardly ever did anything to seize power for herself.
Therefore, when King Zhao died, he asked Queen Zhao Wei to assist in governing the country simply because he was worried about this 20-year-old "young lord".
King Zhao knew this himself. If his elder brother, the crown prince, had not died of the plague, he would not have succeeded to the throne. That was why he was so eager for quick success and instant benefits after taking power, wanting to prove that he was a powerful ruler.
Lin Xiangru secretly complained that the judgment of the late king was absolutely correct!
Xun Kuang was amused: "Is this what you, a high-ranking official who advised me to serve in Zhao, should say?"
Lin Xiangru said: "Zhao State is in such a critical moment, and needs the assistance of ministers who can turn the tide. But you are so old, I don't know how many years you can live. I recruit you just to use your reputation to recruit more talents."
Xunzi's fist holding the cane also hardened, and he really wanted to let Lin Xiangru see the Confucian trick of convincing people with reason.
The two old men were holding their crutches, making sarcastic remarks to each other, and Lin Zhi, who was accompanying them, looked very embarrassed.
Lin Xiangru originally recommended Zhu Xiang to Xun Kuang, hoping that Xun Kuang would accept Zhu Xiang as his disciple so that Zhu Xiang would have a famous teacher and could help Zhu Xiang get an official position again.
As a result, the two old men forgot about the main business and started to fight with knives and sticks. It was not until Zhu Xiang finished talking with the farmer and walked away with his little nephew that the two remembered the purpose of going out today.
Xun Kuang: "Where are the people?"
Lin Xiangru: "Lin Zhi, how did you lose him? Go find him quickly!"
Lin Zhi: “…” Okay, you are my father, you get angry and scold me, I will bear it.
Lin Zhi knew Zhu Xiang's route of movement very well, and several of them quickly followed him stealthily.
Lin Xiangru asked Xunkuang to accept not ordinary disciples who would listen to his lectures, but disciples who would kowtow and become his disciples.
Xunzi was very arrogant and did not have a single disciple like him, not even members of his family.
Zhu Xiang's experience and abilities were so miraculous that Xun Kuang became curious. So the old man and Lin Xiangru decided to secretly follow Zhu Xiang to see if this disciple lived up to his name.
Xun Kuang: "He carried his nephew all the way without feeling tired. This man has good stamina and is suitable for Confucianism."
Xunzi: "He is good at speaking and arguing, which suits Confucianism."
Xun Kuang: "He is familiar with the calendar and farming, which makes him suitable for Confucianism."
Xunzi: "Being kind to the people is suitable for Confucianism."
Xun Kuang: "How dare he compete with a ranger with his ability?! There is no such rubbish in my Confucianism!!"
Lin Xiangru's eyelids twitched when he heard this: "This is the first time I've heard that one must be highly skilled in martial arts to enter your Confucian school!"
Xun Kuang glanced at Lin Xiangru and said, "How can you travel and study if you can't fight?"
Lin Xiangru asked: "Will you accept this disciple or not?"
Xun Kuang chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Lin Shangqing, you are obsessed. Look at Zhu Xiang. Is he someone who needs to learn other people's ideas?"
Lin Xiangru was puzzled: "What do you mean by this?"
Xun Kuang said slowly, "I see that he is not confused at all in his behavior, and he does things with a purpose. It can be seen that he does not farm for official positions or fame, but regards this as an ideal practice. I have seen many people like this. He has his own ideas in mind. He will learn from others, but he will not join another school of thought."
Lin Xiangru said: "You said he was a farmer? I asked him and found that his thoughts were not those of a farmer."
Xun Kuang said: "Although there are so many schools of thought in the world, do scholars have to classify themselves into any particular school? For example, which school do you belong to, Lin Shangqing? Which school do you want to become famous for?"
Lin Xiangru seemed to be thinking about something.
Xun Kuang said: "Many people have their own ideals in their hearts, and they form their own schools. When they have more disciples, they also become one of the hundreds of schools of thought. When I heard you talk about Zhu Xiang, I knew that even if this person learned from me, he would not be able to inherit my legacy."
Lin Xiangru sighed.
Xun Kuang glanced at Lin Xiangru again and said, "Why are you sighing? Just because he can't inherit my mantle doesn't mean I won't teach him. You can tell the King of Zhao that he is my disciple. I will accept him as my disciple. But before that, Lin Shangqing, you'd better reveal your identity quickly, or the ranger in the tree will throw stones at us."
Lin Xiangru looked in the direction Xun Kuang pointed, and found that they were ambushed by the knights.
The rangers jumped down from the tree, and the leader complained, "Mr. Lin, why are you trying to do something bad to Duke Zhu Xiang again? What if we accidentally hurt you? You also know how many people are watching Duke Zhu Xiang."
Xun Kuang jumped off the ox cart and asked curiously, "Are many people staring at Zhu Xiang?"
Although the leader of the rangers did not know Xun Kuang, he knew that the old man sitting on the ox cart driven by Lin Zhi must be an elder of the Lin family. He said respectfully: "Duke Zhu Xiang made the common people's land increase production and organized mutual assistance among the common people, so that the common people could go to the city to sell goods during the slack season. The wealthy merchants nearby hated it."
Xun Kuang said to Lin Xiangru, who refused to get off the carriage, "Perhaps the people who want to attack Zhu Xiang are not just the wealthy merchants."
Lin Xiangru sighed deeply.
Xun Kuang asked again: "Does Zhu Xiang know these things himself?"
The leader of the knights said, "We have never told Duke Zhu Xiang about this. He helped the common people, but was hated by others. We cannot tell him about this. But Duke Zhu Xiang is smart, so he may have noticed it."
Lin Zhi added: "He is very careful in what he does. If he wants to leave my family's fiefdom, he will definitely look for me."
Xun Kuang said: "This not only proves that he is very careful in doing things, but also proves that you are very idle."
Lin Zhi: “…” Mr. Xun, are you in the habit of insulting others
When Xunzi was teasing Lin Zhi, Zhu Xiang noticed what was happening behind him.
It would be strange if he couldn't see such a large group of people gathered there.
Zhu Xiang hurried over to join in the fun, and it turned out to be Lin Zhi.
He said happily: "You are the only one who can cause such a big commotion here. Come, Zheng'er, call Zhongfu!"
When Ying Xiaozheng heard the word "Zhongfu", he was startled and almost threw the grasshopper in his hand away.
Lin Zhi rolled his eyes at Zhu Xiang and said, "My father's eldest brother is called Zhongfu, and Zhongfu's other brothers are called Shu. But I am obviously older than you, Zheng'er, you are misleading me, young man!"
Zhu Xiang argued, "You are older than me, but younger than me. It's fine to call you Zhongfu, or I can call you uncle."
Lin Zhi pretended to reach out and hit Zhu Xiang.
Ying Xiaozheng quickly threw the grasshopper, which hit Lin Zhi's forehead accurately.
Lin Zhi was dazed.
Zhu Xiang was also stunned for a while, then laughed out loud: "Zheng'er, good job! Zheng'er knows how to protect his uncle at such a young age, you are worthy of being my good Zheng'er!"
Lin Zhi rubbed his forehead, which was not painful or itchy, and scolded with a smile: "Your child is naughty, but you don't apologize, and you throw it away with a smile? And you still say that you are not misleading the students?"
Ying Xiaozheng reflected. He threw the katydid out of reflex, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be impolite.
So, Ying Xiaozheng sincerely apologized: "Uncle Lin, I'm sorry."
Xun Kuang pushed Lin Zhi away and said, "He was just about to attack your uncle. The hatred of elders must be avenged. What you did was in accordance with etiquette and law, so you don't need to apologize."
Ying Xiaozheng was confused. Is, is that so
Lin Xiangru couldn't help it, and coughed a few times, reminding Xun Kuang not to bully his young son.
Zhu Xiang heard the coughing in the ox cart and looked at Lin Zhi for questioning.
Lin Zhi nodded to Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang immediately put Ying Xiaozheng on the ground and asked, "What is the name of this old man? Thank you for defending my son Zhenger. Zhenger, thank you quickly."
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at Zhu Xiang, then bowed to Xun Kuang to express his gratitude.
Xun Kuang smiled so much that the wrinkles on his face blossomed: "Good boy."
He took out a bamboo scroll from his arms and said, "This is a gift."
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at Zhu Xiang again, and after Zhu Xiang nodded, he stretched out his hands to take the bamboo slips given by Xun Kuang.
The bamboo slips were very heavy, weighing down Ying Xiaozheng's arms.
Zhu Xiang quickly took the bamboo slips from Ying Xiaozheng and said, "Thank you for the generous gift, old sir."
He was suspicious. When they met, he gave the old gentleman a book. Could it be that he was studying in one of the Hundred Schools of Thought
Lin Zhi came forward and whispered, "This is Xunzi from the Confucian school."
Zhu Xiang didn't realize for a moment who "Xunqing" referred to.
Lin Zhi added: "I once served as the chief priest of the Jixia Academy."
Jixia Academy, Confucianism… Zhu Xiang’s mind was finally tied up, his eyes suddenly widened, and his expression was exactly the same as Ying Xiaozheng’s when he was surprised: “Xunzi!”
Oh my son of the First Emperor! He is indeed the son of the First Emperor! I met Xunzi the second day after he came to my place! Is this the magnificent life of a person with great luck
Zhu Xiang's eyes sparkled.
Xun Kuang was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "I am not worthy of the title of Xunzi."
Zhu Xiang immediately bowed and said, "Well, well, well, even Mr. Xun doesn't deserve it. No one in this world deserves it. Mr. Xun saw that my son Jia Zheng is very intelligent and has a unique talent, so he has a desire to appreciate his talent?"
This marriage... No, I accept this master-disciple relationship!
Zheng'er! Hurry up and hug your thighs! With Xunzi, what else do you need Li Si, Han Fei, and Zhang Cang? You yourself are Li Si, Han Fei, and Zhang Cang!
Xunzi was amused again by Zhu Xiang, who was too smart and was eager to climb up the pole before it was even erected.
Lin Xiangru couldn't listen any longer and gritted his teeth and said, "Come up."
Zhu Xiang calmed down instantly, lowered his head, picked up Ying Xiaozheng, and climbed onto the ox cart.
Ying Xiaozheng was held diagonally by his uncle, keeping a bowing posture, with a lot of doubts in his little head.
What is uncle doing
Xun Kuang laughed and climbed onto the ox cart as well.
Lin Zhi sighed and resigned himself to his fate and drove the carriage.
The civilians and rangers who were watching around dispersed with smiles.
How could they not understand that the man who kept coughing on the ox cart must be the master of this fiefdom, Lin Shangqing, the father of Lin Junzi.
I don’t know what Lin Shangqing wanted to talk to Zhu Xianggong about. Did the King of Zhao give Zhu Xianggong another reward
"Mr. Lin, I was wrong!" Zhu Xiang climbed onto the ox cart and began to admit his mistake. No matter what his mistake was, he admitted it first.
Lin Xiangru was so choked by Zhu Xiang's clean and neat admission of mistake that his face turned pale, and he reached out and hit Zhu Xiang on the head.
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at Lin Xiangru's ferocious old face and retracted his stretched-out fist.
Xun Kuang teased Ying Xiaozheng and said, "Zheng'er, why didn't you defend your uncle this time?"
Lin Xiangru also looked at Ying Xiaozheng, wanting to know how Ying Xiaozheng would answer.
Although Zhu Xiang knew that this was a test from the elders to Ying Xiaozheng, he still said, "Mr. Xun, Zheng'er is less than two years old."
Xun Kuang blinked in surprise and raised his voice: "You are less than two years old?"
Although Ying Xiaozheng didn't know why the adults mentioned one year old, he understood the difference between one year old and age, and said, "Well, I will be two years old on the second day of the first lunar month next year."
Xun Kuang gasped, "He speaks so clearly before he's even two years old?!"
Zhu Xiang said proudly: "Some children speak early, some children walk early. My Jia Zheng is one of them who speaks very early and is very smart!"
Xun Kuang asked, "You have only raised him for the second day, why do you like him so much?"
Ying Xiaozheng's body stiffened, and his little hands involuntarily clenched Zhu Xiang's robe.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "I wasn't kidding when I told Lin Li that my nephew resembles my uncle. He really does look very similar to me, and I liked him the moment I saw him. Besides, my Zheng'er is smart and sensible, who wouldn't like him? Just now, the group of rangers saw Zheng'er and made toys out of grass for him, which shows that they like him very much."
Ying Xiaozheng's face turned pale: "My toy is lost!"
"Here." Zhu Xiang pulled out a bunch of straw toys from his sleeves like a magic trick, including the grass cricket that Ying Xiaozheng had thrown at Lin Zhi, which he had picked up without knowing when.
Ying Xiaozheng held the pile of straw toys in his hands, his eyes smiling into crescent shapes.
Xun Kuang looked at Ying Xiaozheng with his crescent eyes, and then at Zhu Xiang with a kind smile on his face, with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"I returned home from my study abroad, but found that it was difficult to find my old friends in my hometown and I had nowhere to stay. In order to avoid the troubles, Lord Lin wants me to stay in your house temporarily. Are you willing?" Xunzi lied one after another.
Lin Xiangru's eyelids twitched when he heard this, but he did not expose Xun Kuang. He nodded and said, "He is not in good health. Please help him take good care of himself."
Zhu Xiang immediately bowed and said, "Yes. Although my home is simple, the food is first-class delicious. Mr. Xun, please feel free to live in my home. My home is Mr. Xun's home!"
Zheng'er, the thigh is right at your door, hurry up and jump on it!
(End of this chapter)