Borrow the day to change the day

() "I don't want to eat it, but I want to recommend this kind of sweet potato to the emperor." Zhong Jinwei explained helplessly.

"Oh, Uncle Zhongxing thinks this sweet potato can be promoted to the north and south of the river?" Xu Guangqi's heart moved when he heard it, and he asked quickly.

"It can be grown not only in the north and south of the Yangtze River, but also in all parts of the Ming Dynasty. Not only can it be grown, but it is also a drought-resistant and high-yield crop, which is indispensable for people's food supplement. By the way, didn't you write this "Sweet Potato Shu", don't you know? Then what did you write in "Sweet Potato Shu"?" Zhong Jinwei was a little confused.

Xu Guangqi was a little ashamed, his old face was slightly red, and he told Zhong Jinwei the history of "Sweet Potato Shu" and why he didn't recommend it to the emperor in the end.

It turns out that this sweet potato was originally from overseas Luzon.The local Western government strictly prohibited the export of sweet potatoes. In the 21st year of Wanli, Chen Zhenlongmi, a native of Fujian, brought sweet potatoes and vines back to Fuzhou for trial planting, avoiding the exit inspection.

That year, there was a severe drought in central Fujian, and the harvest of grains was scarce. His son Chen Jinglun wrote to Jin Xuezeng, governor of Fujian, declaring that sweet potatoes in Luzon could save the famine.Jin Yun tried planting and submitted it for inspection after harvest.In that year, the trial planting was successful, and Jin was overjoyed when he heard the news. The next year, he sent an order to plant everywhere to solve the food shortage problem of Fujian people.

In the 36th year of Wanli, there was a flood in the south of the Yangtze River, and there was no harvest of rice or wheat.Xu Guangqi's guest, Putian Xu Sheng, gave him sweet potato seeds many times.Xu Guangqi succeeded in his trial planting, so he wrote "Sweet Potato Shu" Yiqiu, saying: "Oranges grow in Huainan, then they are oranges; when they grow in Huaibei, they are oranges." This concept is deeply rooted in Ming people. The concept has been questioned. Taking sweet potato as an example, advocating that crops from different regions do not necessarily mean that they cannot be introduced to each other.

Ordinary people are illiterate and cannot see Xu Guangqi's "Sweet Potato Shu".Scholar-bureaucrats did not have to worry about food and drink, and in the areas south of the Yangtze River, there was a bumper harvest of wheat and rice next year, so few people worried about whether sweet potatoes could be introduced locally, and the introduction of sweet potatoes was extremely slow.

Later, Xu Guangqi was busy with scientific research, Sino-foreign exchanges, and official career, so he did not promote it to the north of the Huaihe River, let alone recommend it to the imperial court, for fear of being impeached by political opponents in case of problems.

Sweet potatoes, a crop with extremely high yields, spread among the people at a very slow speed, and it was not extended to the whole country until the early Qing Dynasty.

Zhong Jinwei couldn't help being speechless after hearing this. If the Ming Dynasty had a special agricultural research institute to study crop yield, sweet potatoes would have been recommended to the research institute for nationwide trial planting and promotion. If such benefits are useful, the recommender will be credited , It doesn't matter if it's useless, there is an extra buffer from the research institute.

If the sweet potatoes were spread throughout the Ming Dynasty, the peasant uprisings at the end of the Ming Dynasty could be alleviated. Maybe the Manchu Qing would not be able to take control of the Central Plains, and many things in the future could be avoided. What a pity.

It was getting late today, and Zhong Jinwei and Xu Guangqi agreed on the spot that tomorrow morning, Xu Guangqi will bring "Sweet Potato Shu" together with Zhong Jinwei to jointly recommend sweet potatoes to the emperor, and they must promote and try planting nationwide.

That night, Xu Guangqi returned to his mansion, found the "Sweet Potato Shu" he wrote back then, read it again, and sighed. If it hadn't been for Zhongxing Bo's strong recommendation, his original intention of writing this article would have been buried.

The next day, at dawn, Xu Guangqi came to the ceramics factory early, joined Zhong Jinwei, and went to see Emperor Chongzhen.

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen had already dealt with government affairs in the Wenhua Palace, and he was not in a good mood.

Yesterday afternoon, the Ministry of Criminal Justice received his instructions, and there was a hearing in Dongchang. With solid evidence, the two censors were all sentenced to ransack their homes and go into exile.

More than 60 taels of silver were copied from these censors' homes, of which as much as 40 taels were obtained from previous corruption and bribery.Yushi regards himself as clean and honest, and assumes the responsibility of the imperial court to supervise all officials, but he has such serious corruption, which shows that other officials will not be much better.Emperor Chongzhen did not dare to imagine how bad the government was, so his heart was heavy.

He heard Xu Guangqi, the left servant of Zhongxing Bo and Rites Department, begging to see him, thinking that the cement had been tested, he was overjoyed, washed away the depression just now, and hurriedly summoned him.

As soon as Zhong Jinwei entered the Wenhua Palace, he didn't bother to salute Emperor Chongzhen, so he said first: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty, great joy!"

Zhong Jinwei didn't know where he learned it, it sounded a bit like a congratulatory message for the birth of a precious son.

Hearing this to Xu Guangqi who was behind him, he couldn't help but feel a little speechless. If there is a problem with the promotion of sweet potatoes in the north, are you afraid that the emperor will punish you for your rant?

Upon hearing Zhong Jinwei's congratulations, Emperor Chongzhen quickly stood up from his throne, and finally had good news: "But the cement has been fired?"

"Ah, no." Zhong Jinwei quickly denied it when he heard that Emperor Chongzhen might have misunderstood it.

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he sat back on the throne in disappointment, and complained to Zhong Jinwei: "Master Zhong is staying in the ceramic factory, and the cement has not been fired. What else can I be happy about?"

Zhong Jinwei smiled at Emperor Chongzhen, without speaking, turned sideways, and pouted at Xu Guangqi.

Xu Guangqi took a step forward, stood a little behind the left side of Zhong Jinwei, and saluted Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, Xu Guangqi, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, sees His Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zhong Jinwei like that, is there really a happy event related to Xu Shilang?So, he hurriedly asked: "Xu Qing doesn't need to be too polite, just talk quickly if you have something to say."

"Your Majesty, I have a book to play." Xu Guangqi looked at Zhong Jinwei, and then said to Emperor Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and asked Xu Guangqi to speak.

"I wrote a copy of "Sweet Potatoes" in the 36th year of Wanli. I am ashamed that I did not submit the letter to the court in time. After hearing about it yesterday, Uncle Zhongxing was willing to jointly recommend sweet potatoes with my ministers."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard it, could it be that the sweet potato was what Master Zhong was talking about.Master Zhong attaches so much importance to it, it must be something extraordinary.I couldn't help being interested, and I didn't let the waiter pass on the "Sweet Potato Shu" that Xu Guangqi had brought out, and walked down by myself, and read it on the spot after receiving it.

Emperor Chongzhen first read the preface, from which he vaguely saw the reason why Xu Guangqi did not recommend it to the imperial court before, and then read the content, which was the benefits and cultivation methods of this sweet potato.Among them, the output comparison is also carried out, which is clear at a glance.

The combined yield of summer wheat and autumn millet in the north is about [-] shi per mu, and the yield of rice in the south of the Yangtze River is about [-] shi per mu. According to Xu Guangqi's trial planting in Shanghai, the yield of this sweet potato can reach about [-] shi per mu.Emperor Chongzhen's eyes lit up when he saw this.

The content of "Sweet Potatoes" is not much, he finished it quickly, then raised his head and asked Zhong Jinwei: "Xu Shilang said that the production of sweet potatoes is so high, but is it true?"

Emperor Chongzhen had a kind of expectation in his heart. Although Zhong Jinwei said he was overjoyed just now, he still wanted to hear it again with his own ears.

Zhong Jinwei knew what Emperor Chongzhen meant. What he asked was whether later generations could prove the benefits of this kind of sweet potato.

Zhong Jinwei nodded, and then said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Yes, and sweet potatoes can survive all over the country. It is said that eating them has many benefits for the human body."

When Xu Guangqi heard it, he proved on the side: "In the "Compendium of Materia Medica" written by the genius doctor Li Shizhen, it is said that sweet potatoes have the effects of tonifying deficiency, replenishing energy, strengthening spleen and stomach, and strengthening kidney Yin."

"Can it solve the disaster in the Northwest?" Emperor Chongzhen immediately thought of the disaster in the Northwest, and looked forward to Zhong Jinwei's affirmative answer.

"It should be alleviated, but a comprehensive solution may not work." Zhong Jinwei thought that if sweet potatoes could completely solve the famine, no one would starve to death in future generations.

Although Emperor Chongzhen did not hear a satisfactory answer, such a high yield of sweet potatoes and drought tolerance can just solve the increasingly severe drought in Ming Dynasty.

However, sweet potatoes are a new thing after all. If you rashly promote the sowing of this kind of crops in all fields, if there is an accident, you may regret it.But now that the disaster situation in the Northwest is particularly serious, slow experiments may delay the disaster situation. There have been rebellions by hungry people in many places in the Northwest.

Emperor Chongzhen walked back and forth a few times in front of Zhong Jinwei and Xu Guangqi, then stood still and asked Zhong Jinwei: "Master Zhong, do you think it would be better for me to try planting sweet potatoes first, and then order all the fields to be sown with sweet potatoes? "

Zhong Jinwei fainted. It seemed that Emperor Chongzhen had never been out of the house, so he needed to be consulted for such a simple reason.

So, he nodded and said to Emperor Chongzhen, "I have two suggestions for your majesty's reference."

"Master Zhong, tell me quickly."

"One, Your Majesty should gather sweet potato seeds from Fujian and Zhejiang, and spread them to the disaster areas as soon as possible. One of the advantages of sweet potatoes is that they can be planted directly in barren hills without occupying the original fields. There is no problem, as much as can be planted this year."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded: "What about the second one?"

"Second, set up a research institute to study sweet potato varieties and cultivate high-yielding sweet potatoes. As far as I know, the yield of sweet potatoes per mu is definitely more than six shi. In my hometown, it would be too little to double it again."

Zhong Jinwei has been in Daming for a while, and the unit conversion is almost known. At this time, one stone is about 180 catties, and the later generations of sweet potatoes are at least 2000-3000 catties, so he can boast about this.

Xu Guangqi was stunned when he heard it. Uncle Zhongxing could really be so sure that the yield of sweet potatoes per mu could be so high in Daming?Uncle Zhongxing's overseas experience may not be suitable for Daming, and it may not be the blessing of Uncle Zhongxing to speak out.

But he didn't know that the place Zhong Jinwei mentioned was the place of Daming, but there was a difference in time.Of course, Emperor Chongzhen knew this.

Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen's attention was not the same as that of Xu Guangqi, but on the term Zhong Jinwei's research institute.