I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 509 The spring of Ming Dynasty has come!
Gao Gong's expression changed for a while, and then he slowly lowered his head dejectedly.

He finally gave up all luck and hope.

"You two, what does His Majesty want?"

"The Emperor said that after the late Emperor was buried in the mountain mausoleum, he would invite Lord Gao to return home to study. He also earnestly urged him to concentrate on studying and not to write or print books at random anymore."

Gao Gong closed his eyes, as if he had aged a dozen years in an instant, as if all his energy had been drained away.

After listening to Song Gongliang, Gao Gong knew that this was all thanks to what Emperor Longqing said to the emperor before his death. Otherwise, the emperor would not have sent Song Gongliang and Wang Cheng to deliver the message, but would have directly "invited" himself to the Jinyiwei for questioning.

I remembered what the late Emperor Longqing said to me before he died, grabbing my hand.

"After I leave, you go back to your hometown. We won't get involved in this mess anymore."

The late emperor knew himself and the emperor too well.

Why didn't I listen to the late emperor in the first place, and let things come to this point. I can only rely on the late emperor's will to keep myself safe.

But Gao Gong also knew that the Gao family’s wealth and prosperity would end here!

He regretted that if he had listened to the advice of the late emperor and resigned in time, or if he had not interfered in Wang Shizhen's affairs, the relationship between the emperor and his subjects could have been peaceful. Not only could he have retired and returned home like Xu Jie, but his descendants would also have been well taken care of.

Now, there is no mercy at all and it is good enough that I can return home safely.

"Please report to the emperor that after I return home, I will study hard behind closed doors and will never be distracted again."

Song Gongliang and Wang Cheng nodded, cupped their hands and said, "Mr. Gao, we will go back and report. Goodbye!"

After leaving Gao's house and getting into the carriage, Wang Cheng said doubtfully, "Song Dushi, I still insist on my opinion. These three books have nothing to do with Gao Gong.

Gao Wenchang was approached by someone with ulterior motives, who specifically wanted to link these three books to Gao Gong."

Song Gongliang smiled faintly: "Wang Dujian, who do you think is the mastermind behind this?"

Wang Cheng hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "I can't tell who it is right now, but I can be sure that he is a high-ranking official or a noble family from Jiangnan."

"Oh, why did Wang Dujian say that?"

"These three books were compiled, engraved, printed and distributed in Jiangnan. They were done so flawlessly. They must have been deeply rooted in Jiangnan and had sophisticated means."

Song Gongliang drew aside the curtains and looked at the street outside.

This is still Dongcheng, the most prosperous place in the capital.

The streets were bustling with people coming and going.

The bleak and desolate winter is fading away, the warmth brought by spring is becoming more and more intense, and prosperity is slowly recovering in the noise like a flock of geese returning north.

"Wang Dujian, Gao Gong's connection with the Sanhuaben case ends here. He also knows that it would be more respectable for him to leave the capital this way. As for whether this case is really related to Gao Gong, who cares?

Now some people in the court do not want Gao Gong to stay in Beijing, and the emperor has no intention of protecting him. For us, that is enough."

Wang Cheng understood what Song Gongliang said, "Envoy Song has a good idea. That's right, it's enough for us."

In the Ziguang Pavilion in the Western Garden, Zhu Yijun entertained Hu Zongxian, Tan Lun, Zhao Zhenji and Zhang Juzheng for lunch, and Yang Jinshui accompanied them.

Meal sharing system.

Each person has a table with three dishes, a soup and a bowl of rice.

Mapo tofu, lamb stewed with radish, stir-fried wood ear, yam and lily, cabbage and meatball soup, and a bowl of steaming rice.

Zhu Yijun said, "My lords, this rice was sent from Liaoxi last autumn. It was grown by Guangning Garrison on the banks of the Daling River. It uses the fine seeds from the Agricultural Seed Institute of the Shaofu Supervisor.

This fine variety was developed by Yang Jinshui when he was in Shanghai."

Yang Jinshui quickly replied, "At that time, I was stationed in the southeast by the order of Emperor Shizong.

The Emperor wrote to me, asking me to collect rice seeds from the southeast, Huguang, Lingnan, Champa, Siam, Korea, Japan and other places, and to open up fertile fields in Shanghai, Wuchang, Liaoyang, Panyu and other places, and ask experienced farmers to select and cultivate the seeds, and then retain the best ones.

I remember that it took five or six years to finally cultivate good varieties suitable for the water and soil in the Yangtze River area, namely Yangtze No. 2; Lingnan No. 4 suitable for Lingnan; and Liaoyang No. 6 suitable for Liaodong and Liaoxi.

Your Majesty, the rice produced in Guangning should be the Liaoyang No. 6 rice variety."

Zhu Yijun laughed and said, "That's right. It is Liaoyang No. 6 rice variety. It grows best in the Xiaolinghe and Xiaolinghe rivers, and even better than in the Liaohe area."

I call it Guangning rice.

The Agricultural Seed Institute is breeding more cold-resistant rice varieties for use in Jilin and Haixi areas, where the soil is black and the water is plentiful, but it's just too cold.

Jinshui has introduced a number of cold-resistant varieties from Korea and Japan, and through cross-breeding, I believe results will emerge soon.”

Hu Zongxian and the other three looked at each other and quickly replied, "Agriculture is the foundation of the country. Your Majesty attaches so much importance to farming. It is a blessing for the world and the people."

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "When the people of the Ming Dynasty are hungry, they will not look for anyone else but me, their emperor. Therefore, feeding the people of the Ming Dynasty is my top priority.

Improving wheat and rice varieties is a top priority, and introducing high-yield and high-quality varieties is also a top priority.

Qi Yan!"

Qi Yan came in with six eunuchs, carrying four plates. There were two dishes on each plate. On one plate was a yellow stick with round teeth, smooth and cool; on the other plate was a dark brown round object, both of which were steaming and emitting an indescribable fragrance.

The eunuch placed the two plates in front of Zhu Yijun, Yang Jinshui, Hu Zongxian and others.

Hu Zongxian knew the inside story, and they stroked each other and smiled.

Tan Lun, Zhang Juzheng and Zhao Zhenji, not knowing what was going on, looked at this rare object in front of them curiously, gazing from side to side.

What is this? "These are two good things, both given to us by the Spanish." Zhu Yijun pointed at the things in front of him.

"This is corn, and this is sweet potato. They were both discovered by the Spanish in the New World, namely Genxun Continent. When they brought them back to Spain, they found that these two things were not only filling, but also drought-resistant and not picky about soil and water. The yield was particularly high, especially the sweet potato. With some soil, water and sunlight, it will grow wildly.

The Spaniards have done experiments and found that on the poorer land in their homeland, the yield of sweet potatoes is about 3,000 kilograms per mu. In the Sulu Island area, the yield can directly reach 6,000 to 8,000 kilograms per mu.

Zhang Juzheng and the other two were so surprised that they couldn't help but pick up this dark brown, seemingly inconspicuous object.

Three thousand to eight thousand kilograms, the yield per mu is so high?

"The yield of this corn is lower, about 1,000 kilograms per mu. But its advantage is that it is drought-resistant, which is most suitable for the drought-stricken northwest."

One thousand catties per mu?

Your Majesty, from the sound of your voice, do you think it’s not enough?
Do you know the current yield of rice and wheat per mu in Daming?
You think the yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu is not enough? You are too proud!

Zhu Yijun continued, "The Spanish regarded sweet potatoes as a treasure. After they were planted in Cebu City, the natives and outsiders were strictly prohibited from approaching. However, they were wiped out by our Suzaku Navy, and this treasure also belonged to us.

Mr. Hu returned triumphantly from the South China Sea and brought back these two things. I am very happy. Having these two crops is more important than recovering Luzon and Sulu Islands.

Corn and sweet potatoes are both treasures. They can be planted on any piece of land in the fields or on the hills. They can be eaten by people and used to make wine, saving a lot of rice grain.

I have asked the Agricultural Seed Institute to grow these two crops well, select good varieties, and then promote them in various places. Come, everyone, have a taste and see how they taste. "

Under the leadership of Zhu Yijun, everyone began to taste the first batch of corn and sweet potatoes in the Ming Dynasty.

The taste is light and sweet, which is definitely completely different from the corn and sweet potatoes that have been selectively bred for dozens or hundreds of generations in later generations. But when you take a quick bite, it tastes quite delicious.

"I never thought the Western barbarians brought so many good crops. First it was peppers, and now it's corn and sweet potatoes. The world is so big that there are all kinds of things."

"Your Majesty asked us to look beyond the world. This is wise advice. We should not be limited to a single place or a single corner, but should collect all the good things in the world to support the people of the Ming Dynasty."

“During the pre-Han and Tang dynasties, many good things came from the Western Regions. For example, my favorite watermelon in the summer came from the Western Regions, didn’t it?
Now the world has become bigger, and more and more good things are coming in.”

Zhu Yijun nodded: "Yes, we want to be open to all. Yumi, I have checked the literature and found that the Yingzhou Chronicles during the Zhengde period recorded this, but I don't think it is right.

The Western Yi people spread it to the South China Sea, and then from the coast to Yingzhou, Henan, but it did not spread that quickly.

In the 39th year of Jiajing, there was a similar record in the Pingliang Prefecture Chronicle, which I think is somewhat reliable. Corn is suitable for cultivation in the northwest, and perhaps some knowledgeable people brought some good varieties to try planting there. "

Corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes are the three great treasures for surviving the famine, and the only thing missing is potatoes. I hope Li Chao can bring some back with his Qinglong Navy during this expedition to Genxunzhou.

If you gather all the items, you may be able to summon the guardian dragon.

With the support of these three treasures, and the development of water conservancy projects, the north will be able to survive the decade-long drought in the next few decades.

As long as the Ming Dynasty can survive the peak of the Little Ice Age sixty years later, it will be able to ride the waves and make it to the first and second seasons.

After eating fresh corn and sweet potatoes, and then continuing with the separate lunch, Zhu Yijun put down his bowl and chopsticks and drank a few sips of warm tea to rinse his mouth.

Hu Zongxian and the other four finished eating one after another. The eunuchs brought them teacups and copper basins and asked them to rinse their mouths.

"Okay, I'm full. Please accompany me for a walk to help digest the food and chat."

"Yes."

They were all close ministers of the Western Garden and had long been accustomed to Zhu Yijun's habit.

At this time in the West Garden, the branches were sprouting, and dots of green were scattered everywhere, becoming more and more numerous under the blowing of the spring breeze.

On the branches of some of the peach and pear trees planted, you can see anxious flower buds.

Perhaps in a few days, a spring breeze will come and thousands of pear trees will blossom.

Looking at the lake again, the blue waves are rippling like a huge piece of emerald, shining with charming brilliance in the spring sun.

A few mandarin ducks and ducks were wandering on the lake. I didn't dare to keep the cranes and wild geese that flew around, but I could keep these "indigenous" birds that didn't fly far.

"Spring has finally arrived. My Lords, it's time for us to make our mark. Master Zhang, tell me about the comprehensive reform of the New Deal that you have been planning."

When Zhang Juzheng heard Zhu Yijun's name, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, everyone knows the shortcomings of our dynasty.

The greatest drawback is that due to the concealment of land encroachment and population flight and loss, the household registration is in chaos and distortion, which makes the rich have land but no food, while the poor suffer from the burden. As a result, private individuals become richer day by day, while public offices become poorer day by day, the country is in poverty and the people are poor. This is the real problem.

Land survey and population census are the first steps of the new policy reform. As Your Majesty said before, if we don't know the real situation of Ming Dynasty, we can't carry out the next step of reform.

However, the progress of land survey and population census was too slow. After more than two years, one-third of the land survey had not been completed. In addition to the determination of the host, the royal family, the aristocratic families and the administration of officials were also major problems.

In the third year of Longqing, Your Majesty took drastic measures to reduce the number of vassal states, eliminate corruption, and investigate the aristocratic families. One of the two major problems was eliminated and the other was suppressed. The biggest problem now is the administration of officials. "

Zhang Juzheng pondered the new policy reforms countless times.

Today, when Zhu Yijun was asked, he spoke eloquently, just like the Yangtze River water in spring flood, flowing endlessly.

"My original intention is to focus on the administration of officials and the taxation of finance. Only by taking both approaches and complementing each other can we use officials to promote taxation and use finance to manage officials."

Zhang Juzheng spoke for nearly an hour, during which time Hu Zongxian, Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun raised many questions.

The three were all capable officials who were well versed in current affairs. The questions they raised were to the point, and Zhang Juzheng's answers also made the three very satisfied. Even if there were some questions that could not be answered at the moment, Zhang Juzheng would give ideas to solve the problems, which made the three of them look at him with new eyes.

Hu Zongxian and the other three communicated with each other in great detail, and they couldn't help but turn their attention to Zhu Yijun.

He stood by the railing of the pavilion with his hands in his sleeves, listening to the conversation of the four people, his eyes looking at the lake.

"The spring of the Ming Dynasty has arrived. Master Zhang, Master Zhao, Mr. Hu, Mr. Tan, I want to be honest with you first."

(End of this chapter)