Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

Although Xuzhou Prefecture has a terminal for shipping, its economy is not well-developed in general, and its agriculture is not as good as that of other prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River. Gu Yunji naturally knows how much pressure 5000 taels of silver will bring to the finance of Xuzhou Prefecture, and his attitude towards Chen Xunzhou Not surprisingly.

However, Gu Yunji is very clear about how much impact potatoes, a high-yield crop, will have in the future. Not to mention saving 5000 taels of silver by reducing clothing and diet, even 5 taels of silver are worth it.

However, it's useless for Gu Yunji to think it's worth it alone, Yan Zhengqian and Chen Xunzhou must also think it's worth it.In a state capital, the magistrates, co-prefects, and judges are the core chief executives. Any major decision-making in the government cannot be done without anyone's signature. If he wants money, he must persuade Yan Zhengqian and Chen Xunzhou.

Gu Yunji had guessed early on that it must be very difficult, so he prepared a potato feast for the two of them, trying to soften their attitude as much as possible.

Gu Yunji is the one asking for money at the moment, born with a dwarf, no matter how bad Chen Xunzhou's attitude is, he has to suffer in silence, and said in a good voice:
"I know that the government's finances are tight, and I also know that 5000 taels of silver is a lot. But the two adults have also seen that the yield of yams per mu is as high as [-] jin, and the promotion of yam planting is a measure that benefits all the people in Syria. The rewards to come are long-term and continuous, so why not do it?"

Yan Zhengqian's face was not very good-looking: "5000 taels of silver buys [-] catties of yams, and one catty of yams costs one hundred Wen. , it’s not as expensive as this, and it’s a hundred Wen per catty, why don’t you go grab the money?”

Gu Yunji patiently explained: "Of course, the yams alone won't cost so much money. The main reason is the shipping costs. The yams are produced in America, and it's up to the French merchants to transport the seeds from the other side of the ocean. , It is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it is common sense that the freight is more expensive."

"Besides, Flangji merchants can only be transported to the coast, and the rest needs to be transported by Fan Li's merchant ships to the inland Xuzhou capital by the Yangtze River. The road will also cost money, because I have a little friendship with Fan Li before, and he has the freight for the inland waterway." It was waived for us, otherwise the cost would be even higher.”

Chen Xunzhou snorted coldly, and said sarcastically, "According to this, I have to thank you for saving money for the government office?"

Gu Yunji silently suppressed his anger, and tried his best to calm down his voice: "Of course I don't mean that. I just want to say that artichokes are a high-yield crop, which can save the people of Xuzhou Prefecture from starvation. It is a good deal to spend 5000 taels of silver to buy seeds Just now the two adults said to support me, why don't you count them now?"

Yan Zhengqian twitched the corners of his lips, with a smirk: "I don't say anything, I support you in promoting yams, but it doesn't mean I support you without a bottom line, and spend 5000 taels to buy seeds from America, and in the It doesn't seem necessary to me."

"Didn't you only have more than 100 catties of yams on hand this spring? After one season of planting, it has expanded to a thousand catties. At this rate, we don't need to buy seeds specially, and we in Xuzhou can grow a potato by ourselves." It will take at most two years to get [-] catties of yams."

Gu Yunji took a deep breath and said, "The difference between the two is not only in time. The yams I planted last time were not screened, and the size and appearance were different. After planting this time, the overall quality has dropped significantly compared to the first generation seeds. , the size is uneven, and the crooked melons and jujubes are increasing. If they are planted for such a long time, the yield will only decrease and the quality will become worse and worse."

"If you want to maintain a high yield of yams, you must select good varieties for cultivation. From the [-] catties of yams harvested this time, only [-] catties of seeds were barely selected, which is just enough to plant an acre of land. Strictly speaking, ten selections Three is still too low in the standard of breeding good seeds, at least one out of ten, or even one out of a hundred should be selected, so that after several generations of selection, we can cultivate really high-yield good seeds."

"It would take a long time to select and breed by ourselves in the state capital of Syria. It can't be completed in two or three years. But the potato seeds bought from America are all pre-screened, and the smallest one is as big as my fist. The quality is also the best, and you can put it into planting immediately after you buy it, and you don’t have to wait so long.”

Chen Xunzhou sneered when he heard the words: "Speaking of it, isn't it still a matter of time? If it can't be completed in two or three years, then it will take 20, 30, or 50 years to complete it, right?"

"If you don't buy seeds, at most it will take more time, but if you spend money to buy seeds, it may immediately paralyze the finances of the Syrian state government. Which is more important, do you still need me to teach Mr. Gu?"

Yan Zhengqian glanced at Gu Yunji with ambiguity, and said coolly: "Master Gu, you have only been released from the capital not long ago, and you are young. I understand your desire to make contributions. But as a governor, you have to be responsible to the people. , you have to be down-to-earth in doing things, and don’t be too eager for quick success and quick gains.”

Hearing Yan Zhengqian's self-righteous preaching tone, Gu Yunji's repressed anger rose suddenly, and he said coldly: "Master Yan told me to be responsible to the people? Who is not responsible to the people? I can see the accounts of the treasury." However, finances are a bit tight, but 5000 taels of silver is not impossible."

"Only by our Xuzhou government, we can complete the selection of fine seeds in four to fifty years, but now there are ready-made seeds in front of us, why wait for those four or fifty years? The yield of artichokes per mu is as high as 50 catties, and the planting will be promoted one day earlier. The people can be fed one day sooner, and one less person will starve to death."

"The difference between the two is about time, and more about the lives of ordinary people! Is it because I am eager for quick success, or are the two adults standing still and unwilling to take risks?"

In the history of the previous life, the last years of the Ming Dynasty ushered in the Little Ice Age, the temperature dropped, disasters continued, and food production dropped sharply.Later, there was a war between dynasties, and there were several turmoil in the central Sichuan area. During the Kangxi period, the population of Sichuan dropped from a few million to more than [-], and it was necessary to use the immigration measure of "Huguang to fill Sichuan" to fill the population.

Although Great Xia is prosperous and peaceful, according to the law of historical development, it is very likely to usher in dynasties and turmoil after a hundred years.If the planting of potatoes can be promoted as widely as possible before then, tens of thousands of people can be saved. Compared with these lives, what is 5000 taels of silver?
Before Gu Yunji came to the Xuzhou government, he thought that he would be an official with real power, the third in command of a state government, and he would definitely be much more free than in the capital, so he could let go of his hands and feet.Unexpectedly, it was this three-in-command who overwhelmed the prefect and the prefect on his head, causing him to be restrained and blocked everywhere even for such a harmless thing as the promotion of potatoes.

When he thought of his sincerity, Yan Zhengqian maliciously speculated that he was eager for quick success, Gu Yunji's anger could not be subdued, and he flicked his sleeves angrily:
"If I really just want political achievements, I can write a letter and send it to the emperor with the high-yielding potato seeds! Do I need to waste my time talking nonsense with you!"