Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 901 Sweet Potatoes
It is difficult for Fujian's grain production to meet the consumption of the province. Every year, a batch is purchased from Lin province or Nanyang. This year, it is actually self-sufficient, which makes Wang Yan feel strange.

"Prince Tang, what happened to this memorial in Fujian?"

Although Wang Yan could learn about the situation through other channels, but now he was curious, so he asked directly.

Tang Wang was stunned, thinking that Wang Yan was going to find fault with him. Since the relocation of the vassal state, he had become a little wary in his heart, afraid that Wang Yan would catch him again, "I don't know what's wrong?"

"Fujian has eight mountains, one water and one field, and it is difficult to be self-sufficient in food. However, since June this year, there has been no grain allocation from neighboring provinces. What's going on?" Wang Yan stood up, walked to the table, and took the booklet. Let go, Tang Wang heard that he was not looking for trouble, he was relieved, and hurriedly got up, Wang Yan only showed him a paragraph of the words.

King Lu raised his eyebrows when he heard this, put aside a memorial in his hand, got up and walked over, and after reading it, he couldn't help raising his head and looking at King Tang.

How does a food-deficient province achieve food self-sufficiency? Could it be that there was enough food in stock before, so there is no food adjustment this year.

Tang Wang saw the two people looking at him, but couldn't remember for a while. He pondered for a while, then suddenly patted his forehead and remembered that Fujian's chief envoy once wrote him a letter, as if he wanted to promote something in Fujian. crop.

"In April, Fujian Chief Envoy Zeng Ying wrote a book, saying that she wanted to promote sweet potatoes in the Bamin Mountains. I don't know if it has something to do with it?"

The king of Tang was in the center, and he didn't know everything about the local affairs, so he said uncertainly.

Sweet potatoes and corn are high-yield products, native to the Americas, and later brought to Luzon by the Spaniards. In [-], Fujian businessman Chen Zhenlong and his son Chen Jinglun twisted the "potato sprouts" into the cables. Evaded the search of the colonial authorities and secretly brought back to the country.

In fact, in ancient times, both China and the West paid great attention to protecting their own advantages. When the silk trade flourished, mulberry and silkworm eggs basically did not leave the border. The emperors of all dynasties have express regulations. They were immediately decapitated, and finally it was the Eastern Roman missionaries who hid the silkworm eggs in their walking sticks in the Liang Dynasty before bringing the silkworm eggs to the West.

The Spaniards in Luzon are also strict in keeping secrets on sweet potatoes, but although the "potato sprouts" were brought back to Fujian, the harvest is much higher than that of grain, but it is okay to eat occasionally, but it is not as delicious as rice every day In the beginning, it was only a rarity enjoyed by the rich occasionally, and did not attract the attention of the government. In addition, the ancient Chinese society was closed, so sweet potatoes were not promoted on a large scale in the Ming Dynasty.

One season of sweet potatoes can be used for half a year's grain, which is far more than that of millet. The key point is that it does not choose land, so that mountainous land that could not be cultivated before can be planted, and the yield is considerable. The luck of the Qing Dynasty was really good. The population growth in the Qing Dynasty, compared with sweet potatoes and corn It is directly related to the introduction of crops suitable for cultivation in the mountains. Otherwise, there would not be so much food, and there would be no way to support so many people. The Qing Dynasty would have collapsed long ago.

Wang Yan remembered that someone had told him about this before, but he didn't care. After all, after eating rice for so many years, someone suddenly came up and said that eating sweet potatoes can solve the food problem. It is unreliable, so he I didn't take it to heart at the time.

Now planting in Fujian has really solved the problem of food shortage in a province. Although Wang Yan doesn't know much about sweet potatoes, he is concerned about this matter. In addition, all checkpoints must be strictly investigated, and no one is allowed to traffic sweet potatoes to the north! There is also recruiting Zengying into the court, and the Gu and the cabinet must inquire about this matter!"

Wang Yanzheng is distressed that the situation of changing grain fields to cotton, mulberry, and even tobacco planting is further fermented in various provinces, and the reform that stipulates that companies must provide grain to the court every year in exchange for a share of trade has just been tried and failed. Worry less, there is such a way, and he immediately put this matter as the top priority in his heart.

The most important contradiction in China's past dynasties can be said to be the contradiction of food. This piece of land can support only so many people. Whenever the population increases and the land is merged to a certain extent, if the government cannot solve this problem, the society will inevitably fall into A chaotic world consumes a large number of people, and after the conflict between man and land is alleviated, it will enter a long-term governance until the population grows to a certain limit, and chaos will occur again.

If the yield of sweet potatoes is really that high, and they can be grown in mountains and hills, then the area of ​​cultivated land will increase dramatically, not to mention solving the conflict between man and land for the Ming Dynasty, but at least it can suppress the conflict between man and land for decades, or even nearly a hundred years .

This is a great thing, but Tang Wang and Lu Wang inadvertently looked at each other, but saw a trace of panic in their eyes.

Wang Yan didn't notice this, so he called the little official, wrote a warrant, and asked him to send it to the official department.

At this time, as soon as the little official left, a head of the Ministry of Rites came in to report, "Your Highness, all the officials participating in the discussion have arrived."

"Now that we're all here, let's go out too!" After hearing the report, Wang Yan stood up immediately and said with a smile to King Tang and King Lu.

After finishing speaking, Wang Yan picked up his steps and left the side hall, followed by the two princes.

This meeting will last for more than half a month, and there are many meetings to be held consecutively. Compared with before, the efficiency seems to be lower, and there are a lot of wrangling things, but many things have been done more detailed and better because of this. , can't say good or bad.

At this time, in the meeting hall, the court officials and local dignitaries who came to participate in the discussion arrived. In addition to the cabinet, six ministries, Dali Temple, Metropolitan Procuratorate and local dignitaries, more than ten nobles were also introduced this time.

In the meeting hall, many officials gathered in twos and threes, discussing various issues, when the guards outside the meeting hall suddenly shouted, "His Royal Highness Chu, Tang Wang, and Lu Wang are here!"

After hearing this, the officials in the council hall immediately fell silent, stood up one after another, and greeted the three kings of governance.

The three of Wang Yan arrived at their seats, and immediately waved their hands, asking everyone to sit down.

At this time, Gu Yuanjing, Minister of the Ministry of Rites who was in charge of presiding over the discussion, waited for the three kings and ministers to take their seats, and after the servants had prepared refreshments and all left, he picked up the gavel and lightly tapped the castanets hanging beside his seat. After the meeting hall quieted down, he said loudly, "Okay, everyone is here, and today's discussion will officially begin. According to the agenda, today is mainly the governors of various places, who will make annual reports for the meeting hall. The governor of Guangdong and Guangxi who paid the most taxes last year, Lord Chen , because the Southwest War cannot be present, I invite the governor of Huguang, Mr. Wu, to come forward, first to state the situation of Huguang last year, and to make a prediction for the coming year!"

(End of this chapter)