The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 528: Pine Trees Are Common in All Seasons
By the end of April, all the military farms in the Beijing camp had been cultivated.

The fields north of the capital have turned emerald green and are full of vitality.

At about 4 p.m. that day, tens of thousands of imperial guards and Jinyiwei cavalry suddenly swarmed out of Deshengmen. The emerald green fields seemed to be threaded with a colorful silk thread, and instantly became colorful.

Wanli looked at the military farms of the Beijing Army on both sides of the avenue, but his thoughts had already flown to the Nurgan Regional Military Commission.

If Nurgandusi could also become like this, the Ming Dynasty would no longer have to worry about food.

However, this year is unlikely.

They still don't know what crops are suitable for growing there, and the same crops may grow differently in different climatic environments.

For example, there is a famous saying that oranges grown in the south are oranges, while oranges grown in the north are tangerines. Their leaves are similar, but their tastes are different.

He was not sure what the crops from the Central Plains would look like after being transplanted to the bitter cold land of the Far North.

There is no way. Humans are not saints and cannot be omniscient and omnipotent. He really doesn't know much about growing crops.

This can only be tried by people who are obsessed with this, such as Xu Guangqi and Wang Xiangjin.

The reason why he brought little Zhu Changxun to the Mountain Resort was also for this matter.

It was only 3 p.m. when the Mountain Resort came into sight.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei, Xu Guangqi, Bi Maokang and others had already been waiting outside the South Gate.

Wanli didn't wait for them to salute, but waved his hand hurriedly and said loudly: "No need to salute, everyone, get on your horses, we will go to the palace to talk."

It's really hard to negotiate outside this station.

Many things can only be done with the help of a map.

There is a map in the lobby of the former county government office in Miyun Palace.

After Wanli brought everyone in, he picked up little Zhu Changxun and led everyone to the map of the northern border.

He pointed at the map and said, "Spring plowing has already begun in Liaodong Prefecture, and the ice and snow in the southern part of Nurgan Prefecture should have melted.

Our goal this year is to try growing various crops on this vast plain in preparation for full-scale planting next year. If possible, it would be best if we could open up tens of millions of acres of fertile land this year.

In this way, the pressure on us to purchase and transport grain will be less. After all, there are more than 3 million households and more than 15 million men, women, young and old there, and the grain consumption every month is tens of millions of stones.

How are your preparations going, my son? If you are ready, I will mobilize the navy and the fast ships will come over, and you can set off early tomorrow morning."

He really wasn't sure about this, because he certainly couldn't grow anything in just over a month.

Xu Guangqi actually nodded with a hint of excitement and said, "Your Majesty, we are ready and can set off early tomorrow morning."

Are you really ready in such a short time?

Upon hearing this, Wanli couldn't help but ask curiously, "What have you prepared?"

Xu Guangqi explained in detail: "We asked the father-in-law for a favor and asked the ships from all over the Ming Dynasty to bring in seeds of various crops. We have prepared more than ten kinds of seeds, including rice, wheat, millet, etc.

In addition, we have also tried growing corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes, and they are growing very well. They don't seem to be picky about location, and we estimate that there should be no problem in growing them in large quantities in Nurgandusi.

Your Majesty, we have prepared dozens of seeds for trial planting over there. The sooner we go there to try planting, the better."

Don't just try planting.

Wanli reminded: "My opinion is that it is best to try planting over there. If we can plant tens of millions of acres of land this year, we can save a lot of money and grain, and we can also save a lot of navy speedboats."

no problem.

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand. It shouldn't be a problem to cultivate tens of millions of acres of land this year.

Let’s not talk about anything else, just take the Liaohe River Basin as an example. Rice can be grown in Liaodong Regional Military Commission, so there should be no problem in growing rice in the Liaohe River Basin.

Moreover, the rice seeds there have already adapted to the climate there, so we can go there to grow seedlings and then organize people to open up wasteland and sow seeds.

We have also prepared rice, wheat, millet and other crops. The seeds are all mature in about four to five months. I will go there and try planting them everywhere. By looking at the germination of the seeds, I will have a rough idea of ​​what is suitable to be planted in which place.

This will probably take about a month. Once the test is complete, we can send people to the place of origin to bring in large quantities of seeds, and then we can start clearing the land for planting. Planting tens of millions of acres of land this year shouldn’t be a problem.”

Well, it would be great if you could cultivate tens of millions of acres of land.

By the way, there are also fruits and vegetables. From what I can remember, the more famous ones seem to be cabbage stewed with vermicelli and sauerkraut stewed with pork belly.

Chinese cabbage is definitely suitable for large-scale cultivation there, and the yield is estimated to be very high.

Wanli nodded slightly, then asked, "Zijin, do you know how to grow cabbage?"

what?
Chinese cabbage?
Are there any big, white vegetables now?
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangjin said carefully, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have never heard of the cabbage you are talking about. I don't know what it looks like, and where did you see it?"

You haven't even heard of this!
impossible?

Wanli gestured with his hand and said, "The cabbage is round and roughly cylindrical, with many leaves squeezed together in circles.

When this vegetable grows up, it is about a foot tall. Its leaves are very unique. The petioles are about two or three fingers wide and are white. The leaves are larger than the palm of your hand when spread out and are yellow-green.

This kind of cabbage seems to be very common. I have seen it in many places, and some soldiers in the Beijing camp seem to grow it in their homes."

Oh, this is what you are talking about.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangjin nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, the scientific name of the Chinese cabbage you are talking about is Cabbage, and it is mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica compiled by Doctor Li.

"Dr. Li's description is very apt. It is common in all seasons and has the same characteristics as pine trees, so it is called cabbage. Cabbage is indeed like a pine tree and can be seen everywhere."

Oh, it turns out that the cabbage nowadays is called cabbage.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Let's call this cabbage Chinese cabbage from now on. Do you know how to grow this kind of vegetable?"

This will happen naturally.

Wang Xiangjin nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, cabbage is originally a vegetable from the south. We have been growing it in large quantities for more than a thousand years. It seems that the north has only just started growing it.

I have grown many kinds of this vegetable. There are the ones that are round and cylindrical like the ones you mentioned, some with spread leaves, some that are as thick as an arm and can grow to almost two feet long, and so on.

This cabbage, no matter what variety, is easy to grow. I have some experience in growing this kind of cabbage."

That's good.

Wanli nodded slightly, then pretended to ask, "The most common round ones should be suitable for growing in Nurgandusi, right?"

There is no need to ask this question. He just guided Wang Xiangjin to plant there.

Wang Xiangjin nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, that kind of cabbage has low requirements for weather, soil, and water quality, and it can grow in two or three months. There will definitely be no problem growing it there."

Then plant it, plant a lot.

Wanli nodded slightly and asked, "How is the yield of that kind of cabbage?"

Are fruits and vegetables also counted as output?
Wang Xiangjin pondered, "Your Majesty, ordinary people usually plant a small amount of vegetables in a variety of ways. The average vegetable plot is only one mu in size, let alone an acre. Farmers don't even plant half an acre of the same vegetable.

Each time I plant cabbage, I only cultivate a small plot of land about half a mu (approximately 1/2 fen). Furthermore, I have only ever weighed a single cabbage head; I haven't cut or weighed all the cabbages on a mu (approximately 1/2 fen) of land. However, I can roughly estimate that, with a little fertilizer, the average person could probably produce around 500 kilograms per mu (approximately 1/2 fen) of land, and around 5,000 kilograms per mu (approximately 1/2 fen).

If I were to plant the crops and apply sufficient fertilizer, I estimate that one mu of land would yield about 1,000 catties, and one mu of land would yield about 10,000 catties."

This thing is great, it grows fast and has a high yield.

No wonder so many people in later generations like to eat cabbage stewed with vermicelli and sauerkraut stewed with pork belly.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Then let's make cabbage the main vegetable over there. Ask Nanzhili to send you more seeds, and have every household there plant a few acres of cabbage.

This way they won't be short of vegetables to eat, and the cabbage can be used to feed pigs in the future, mixed with feed."

Uh, every household grows a few acres of cabbage!

That's several thousand kilograms.

Moreover, you don't need to cut the whole cabbage into pieces to feed pigs. Generally, it is enough to peel off some of the old leaves on the outside. Peeling a little bit every day does not affect the yield of cabbage.

Wang Xiangjin hesitated for a moment before cautiously saying, "Your Majesty, I dare to say that the taste of Chinese cabbage isn't very good. It's okay to eat a little bit every day, but if you eat it as a main dish every day, I'm afraid most people will get tired of it."

If you only eat cabbage, you will naturally get tired of it.

It seems that there is no cabbage stewed with vermicelli at the moment, and I guess not many people use cabbage to make kimchi.

There is no other way. In order to ensure that the military households over there have enough food to eat, I have to pretend to be a cook.

Wanli shook his head slightly and then asked, "Do you know what vermicelli is?"

Of course I know this.

Wang Xiangjin nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I know that vermicelli noodles were mentioned in the Qi Min Yao Shu written by Jia Sixie, the governor of Gaoyang in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Rice, wheat, soybeans, and mung beans can all be ground into flour to make vermicelli noodles."

You also know how vermicelli is made.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes can also be made into vermicelli. Moreover, vermicelli tastes quite good when stewed with cabbage.

You can teach the garrison troops over there to make different kinds of vermicelli and cook them in different ways, so they won’t get tired of it.”

Cabbage stewed with vermicelli?

The method of random accumulation!

Has His Majesty also read "Qimin Yaoshu"?
Wang Xiangjin was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli asked again: "Can you make pickles?"

This will definitely happen.

Wang Xiangjin nodded repeatedly and said, "I know how to pickle cucumbers, beans, white radishes, carrots and other pickled vegetables."

Why don’t you try cabbage?

Wanli simply said, "Sour pickles made from Chinese cabbage are actually quite good, and they taste best when stewed with pork belly. When we raise pigs next year, you can teach the military households over there to try it."

Uh, making sauerkraut with Chinese cabbage?

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangjin said cautiously, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Pickled cabbage requires salt to preserve the flavor, and salt is quite expensive. A head of Chinese cabbage weighs at least three or four pounds, which requires almost an ounce of salt. It's too expensive. Ordinary people generally don't use Chinese cabbage to make pickled cabbage."

Oh, salt is too expensive.

However, that was in the past, when ordinary people had no money, and salt that cost more than ten wen per pound was considered expensive. If you encountered corrupt officials like Yan Song and his son, who raised the price of salt to several hundred wen per pound, it would be impossible for ordinary people to use cabbage to pickle sauerkraut.

Upon hearing this, Wanli pondered and said, "The current price of salt is about ten coins, which is not very expensive.

Moreover, each household of the garrison troops there has fifty acres of land, and they will raise pigs and sell meat to make money in the future. Ten cents per pound of salt should not be a big deal for them.

How about this? This year I'll have more salt sent over to them, and I'll also have more large jars of pickled vegetables sent over. You can have each of the garrison troops pickle a jar of cabbage and try it out."

You're giving me the big jars of salt and pickled vegetables for free!

That's no problem at all.

Wang Xiangjin bowed repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli thought for a moment and then asked, "Zhenzhi, have you built the surveying carriage and surveying boat?"

You finally remembered me.

Li Zhizao rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "Your Majesty, the surveying carriage and surveying boat have been built. I can go to Nurgandusi with Zixian and others tomorrow."

Why are you going to Nurgandusi?
There is no rush to measure over there.

Wanli shook his head slightly, then raised his hand and gestured on the map, saying: "What we urgently need now is an accurate nautical chart.

We do not have an accurate nautical chart for the trip from the Dongyang Dusi to the North American Xidusi, then to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and then back from the Americas to the Nanyang, Dongfan, and Dongyang Dusi.

Now Guozu and his team are still sailing based on their experience. If they were to take a different group of people, they might not be able to make a full trip around America and come back.

This definitely won't work. You have to quickly draw an accurate nautical chart of this circle.

Tomorrow morning I will send a navy express ship to take you to the Toyodusi to join up with Guozhu's ocean-going fleet.

You follow him to America, then follow him back and draw an accurate nautical chart for this circle, is there any problem?"

Can we sail out to sea with the navy fleet so soon?!

Li Zhizao nodded excitedly and said, "No problem."

Are you starting to get excited now?

Wanli raised his hand and gestured on the map, saying, "Also, there are these islands in the southern part of the Nanyang Sea.

These islands are still unowned lands. There may be no people on them, or there may be only a few scattered primitive tribes.

As long as you can lead a fleet there, draw an accurate nautical chart, and then send people to the island to carve the mark of Ming Dynasty territory on the rocks, these islands will become the territory of Ming Dynasty.

The combined area of ​​these islands is estimated to be larger than the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the original Ming Dynasty. Don't miss it. When the time comes, ask the state aid to give you ten 2,000-ton Fuchuan warships, and go directly to capture these islands for me."

With such a vast sea area and so many islands, can we just carve some marks on them and consider them the territory of the Ming Dynasty?
Are you kidding me?

Li Zhizao was a little incredulous when he heard this and asked, "Your Majesty, just carving a mark on these islands means they belong to the Ming Dynasty?"

of course.

Wanli said without hesitation: "Let's carve the landmark first. That will be our territory. If anyone dares to take it from us, we will beat them up."

Uh, is it really that easy to expand territory?
That is a territory larger than the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the original Ming Dynasty!

Upon hearing this, Li Zhizao rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "I understand. I will lead the fleet over there as soon as possible to capture all these islands."

(End of this chapter)