Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 379 The Emperor Has Three Treasures

Inside the room, the charcoal fire burned silently.

Hong Chengchou was still immersed in the grand plan of setting up warehouses in advance, government-supervised and merchant-run, and replacing grain transport by sea. He was so excited that he could hardly control himself.

In his mind, sometimes he saw the magnificent seascape of thousands of sails racing, and sometimes he saw the imposing atmosphere of the heavily fortified Tianjin warehouse.

All of this far exceeded the limits of his imagination as a regional official.

Zhu Youjian quietly observed the complex expression on Hong Chengchou's face, and the last trace of doubt in his heart about whether he could shoulder this heavy responsibility vanished.

“Hengjiu,” Zhu Youjian’s voice roused Hong Chengchou from his turbulent thoughts, “Transporting grain over thousands of miles, relying on others for sustenance, is not as good as enabling the people of the north to produce their own grain and store it locally. Rather than relying on the south to supply the north, which will eventually lead to shortages, is it better to ensure that the land of the north can produce something even in times of drought?”

These words get straight to the heart of the problem!
Hong Chengchou's gaze sharpened. He realized that what the emperor was about to say was probably even more shocking than replacing grain transport with sea transport.

As expected, the emperor opened the three sandalwood boxes one by one and placed them on the table.

Potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes.

Hong Chengchou's gaze swept over them, and he bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, I have heard of these three things when I was in the local area, especially the sweet potato. When I was serving in Zhejiang, I knew that it had saved countless lives and was a good thing for famine relief."

"A good thing?" Zhu Youjian laughed. "You only know what it is, but not why it is! And you don't know what it can be—a national treasure!"

Before Hong Chengchou could react, the emperor's voice rang out like a machine gun:
"Let me tell you! This potato can yield up to sixty shi per mu! This corn, which I have named 'Golden Jade Millet,' can be used as military rations and horse feed! This sweet potato, on the barren land of the royal estates, can yield over a hundred shi per mu! All of them are drought-resistant, barren-resistant, and life-saving crops that are not picky about water and soil!"

Hong Chengchou knew that these things were highly productive, but he never imagined that the yield could reach such an astonishing level!
He never imagined that these crops, which the scholar-official class considered worthless, were actually strategic weapons closely linked to military and national affairs and the safety of the country in the eyes of the emperor!

"Heng Jiu!" Zhu Youjian's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's. "I call these three things the Three Treasures for Famine Relief! The grain transported by sea solves the immediate crisis; but if these three treasures can be promoted in the military garrisons and outposts in the north, they will be the foundation for the survival of our Great Ming for the next few decades!"

Hong Chengchou was utterly shocked!
He subconsciously pulled out his black soft-cover notebook from his pocket, dipped it in ink, picked up his pen, and quickly wrote down the emperor's earth-shattering strategy.

This action was already instinctive for him. His hands, which were used to writing exquisite articles, did not tremble at all. Every word he wrote carried immeasurable weight.

"The Emperor bestowed three treasures: potatoes, millet, and sweet potatoes. All are divine products that are highly productive and can relieve famine, and are the foundation of the national policy of pacifying the world and securing the northern border."

As he wrote these lines, he felt as if the delicate tip of the pen was pressing down on the imperial art of transforming the humble into a divine weapon, and on the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

Zhu Youjian looked at his meticulous and efficient manner and a genuine smile of appreciation appeared on his lips.

Those who achieve great things should act in this way.

Only those who can swiftly translate groundbreaking ideas into concrete actions are true pillars of the nation.

Hong Chengchou's ability to quickly discard old ideas, absorb new theories, and calmly plan the details of execution during such a turbulent time demonstrates his resilience and magnanimity.

"Your Majesty's policy is truly visionary and beneficial to all people. How could I not exert my utmost to implement it?" Hong Chengchou put down his pen and solemnly said, "However... the promotion of new crops has always faced numerous obstacles. The common people are ignorant and may not believe it; local officials may be lazy; and the gentry and powerful may also obstruct it, fearing it will affect their own grain prices..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Youjian sneered and interrupted him.

“I have considered everything you have said. The people are ignorant? No, the people are the most pragmatic! They will trust whoever can fill their stomachs! The real enemy has never been the people, but what you call—the officials and gentry!”

The emperor's voice was filled with an icy chill:
"If I were to issue an imperial edict ordering local officials to promote this, what would happen? The seed potatoes allocated by the court would be 30% embezzled by the time they reached the provincial level; another 30% would be deducted by the prefecture level; and by the time they reached the county level, they would be further skimmed off by the clerks and runners!"

How many grains will ultimately reach the farmers? Even if some do, officials will find various pretexts to levy taxes on new crops, or turn the grain into usurious loans! They will also obstruct the Imperial Academy's staff from going to the countryside, and spread rumors that this is a barbarian poison that will cause infertility if eaten! Why? Because if every household has surplus grain, who will buy the grain that the officials hoard and speculate on?

These words brutally exposed the ugliest sore on the body of the Ming Dynasty.

Hong Chengchou felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that the emperor's words were true, and that reality was even more cruel than that!

“Therefore,” Zhu Youjian’s gaze fell on Hong Chengchou like a dagger, “I will absolutely not entrust this matter to the civil service! I will use military law to implement this life-saving agricultural method!” Zhu Youjian uttered each word the core strategy he had already verified:

"With the military leading the people, they have taken root in the north!"

Zhu Youjian's voice was calm yet full of power, "Last year, I tested planting these three plants in the imperial estates and Tianzitun villages outside the capital. Now, the question is not whether to plant them or not, but how to get them to take root in the northern lands in the shortest possible time!"

He looked at Hong Chengchou with a burning gaze: "And the key lies in leading the people with the army!"

"I am now granting you another authority: all military garrisons and settlements from Shanhaiguan to Jiayuguan shall be under your command in matters concerning land reclamation and disaster relief in the north!"

“If I issue an imperial edict to local civil officials, they can outwardly comply but inwardly defy me and play the stalling game. But you are different! You can directly issue military orders to your generals and lieutenants!”

Hong Chengchou felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

This means that, legally speaking, the emperor elevated the status of agricultural seasons to the same level as that of wartime.

Failing to grow crops properly is tantamount to missing military opportunities on the battlefield. This is a capital offense that can be dealt with directly by the military commander in accordance with military law, bypassing all the cumbersome procedures!
This is no longer an administrative matter; it's using the strictest military law to safeguard agricultural activities.

This is a battle against natural disasters, but even more so, a hard-fought battle against a deeply entrenched and corrupt system that cannot afford to fail!

"Not only that," Zhu Youjian said, placing his hands on the imperial desk and leaning forward, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression, "you must remember, hanging up the head of a corrupt official in the disaster area is more effective than ten lukewarm imperial edicts from me! I want you to use your power to intimidate the entire north!"

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.

Hong Chengchou felt that even breathing had become difficult.

This trust is too heavy to handle! This power is terrifyingly vast!
Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust! What does it mean to trust those you employ?

This is it!
At this moment, a tragic song that had been passed down for a hundred years couldn't help but come to mind for Hong Chengchou.

If... if the emperor that Yue Fei encountered back then was the one before us, why would we worry about the barbarians not being destroyed and the world not being at peace! It is a pity that Yue Fei, with his loyalty and bravery, could not withstand the three words "fabricated charges".

And what merit do I possess to have been able to encounter such a great ruler who entrusted me with the weighty responsibility of my life?
A bittersweet feeling welled up in Hong Chengchou's heart, and his eyes even became slightly hot. He suppressed his turbulent emotions, raised his head, and all hesitation had vanished from his eyes, leaving only a resolute determination as cold as steel.

"Your subject understands."

He picked up his pen again and began writing furiously in his notes, transforming this bloody strategy into cold, hard text:
"The methods of promotion are: first, military campaigns, with written military orders to ensure effectiveness; second, deterrence, wielding the imperial sword, executing first and reporting later, to set an example for others!"

Zhu Youjian watched him quickly get into character and nodded to himself. He slowly straightened up, his previous imposing aura subdued.

"I have heard that Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs... However, the responsibility of a ruler lies in understanding the will of Heaven and fulfilling his duties! Today's pedantic scholars do not know what grain is, nor can they distinguish between beans and wheat, yet they speak extravagantly of benevolence and righteousness. This is to cling to the form while neglecting its function, a path to sitting and waiting for death!"

"Hengjiu," the emperor said in a calm tone, yet each word was as firm as iron, "what we have done may leave a bad name in the history books, and may be regarded as an enemy by the scholars of the world. But as long as we can help the hundreds of millions of people of our Great Ming Dynasty survive this catastrophic calamity, I will bear the infamy for all eternity!"

With tears welling up in his eyes, Hong Chengchou slowly straightened up, without the slightest hesitation.

"Your Majesty, I understand." He bowed deeply in a solemn voice. "This is a strategy to save the people and the country. I would gladly die for it!"

"However, the key to this strategy is not in planting, but in planting it well. The soldiers in the army are rough and unruly. Without good teachers to guide them and without sound methods to follow, they may achieve half the results with twice the effort and fail to live up to the Emperor's grace."

Zhu Youjian looked at him, his tone calm and unwavering.

"What you are worried about, I have already prepared for you."

(End of this chapter)