The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Zhu Ziming had basically confirmed the other party's identity, but he still asked about it.

Because he wanted to break through this barrier.

He originally intended for both sides to interact as ordinary people, but during his conversation with Chongzhen, he realized that if this unspoken understanding wasn't broken, some things simply couldn't be explained clearly.

"I……"

Emperor Chongzhen hadn't expected the question. After a moment of surprise, he quickly regained his composure and, meeting Zhu Ziming's gaze, asked, "If... if I said I am Emperor Chongzhen, would you believe me?"

"letter."

Zhu Ziming nodded.

Chongzhen was surprised again. He suddenly understood that the other party had already seen through his identity, which was why they asked that question earlier.

At this point, Zhu Ziming countered with, "And you, do you believe me?"

"letter."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded without hesitation.

After saying this, Chongzhen added, "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have come to see you so many times."

Zhu Ziming nodded: "If we want to continue our cooperation, we must agree on three rules."

"Alright." Chongzhen nodded.

Zhu Ziming said, "First, you are in charge in the Ming Dynasty, but I am in charge in the bookstore. Second, whether in the Ming Dynasty or in the bookstore, we treat each other as equals, without any distinction of rank. Third, I am only responsible for giving you advice and strategies. I can guarantee that I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee or take responsibility for the future of the Ming Dynasty or whether it can be saved."

Chongzhen nodded again without hesitation.

"Okay, let's continue."

Zhu Ziming completely broke through this barrier, and with the three rules agreed upon, many things became much easier to discuss. There was no need for secrecy or probing.

"As we just discussed, in order to break the predicament of the Ming Dynasty, allow it to escape the cycle of feudal dynasties and continue its existence, a radical and transformative reform is necessary."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded. He had heard this many times before, but Zhu Ziming had never explained what kind of reform it was. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "So what kind of reform is it?"

Zhu Ziming replied, "This transformation is a transformation of social structure. It's a long story, and you wouldn't understand it if I told you now. We'll talk about it slowly later."

"But before we can make changes, we must do one thing well: stabilize the situation. Otherwise, if the Ming Dynasty dies before the changes even begin, or just as they begin, it will be meaningless."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded.

Zhu Ziming didn't rush to answer, but instead asked, "What time period is it in the Ming Dynasty now?"

Chongzhen replied, "The second year of Chongzhen's reign has just begun."

Zhu Ziming nodded, agreeing with his thoughts. He said, "It's still relatively early. To stabilize the current situation in the Ming Dynasty, I think we should start from two aspects: internal stability and external resistance. It's not that internal stability must come before external resistance, but rather that we must address both. We need to both resist external threats and maintain internal stability."

"To quell external threats, the immediate concern is the northern border troubles of the Ming Dynasty. As for internal stability, the most urgent task is to prevent and control natural disasters."

Zhu Ziming had clearly given this thought, and his proposed guidelines immediately cleared up Chongzhen's mind, which had just been completely blank.

To achieve change, stability must come first. To achieve stability, we must both repel external threats and pacify the internal situation. The most urgent task for pacifying the internal situation is to deal with natural disasters.

"So, let's talk about natural disasters first."

"As I just said, natural disasters cannot be prevented, and with the productivity and national strength of the Ming Dynasty, it is simply impossible to face and solve such natural disasters. What I just said about the lack of a solution is not an exaggeration."

"There's really no way. From my perspective, I simply can't help the Chongzhen era quickly acquire the ability to combat such a rare natural disaster."

Zhu Ziming's words immediately deflated Chongzhen.

If Zhu Ziming said there was no way, then he was even more helpless. In fact, in the original timeline, he had already tried once, and the result was a complete mess.

However, Zhu Ziming's next words made Chongzhen's dim eyes light up again.

Zhu Ziming said, "Although I cannot solve this problem, perhaps I can help the Ming Dynasty reduce or mitigate the impact of this natural disaster."

Emperor Chongzhen asked anxiously, "How can we help?"

"Wait a minute."

As he spoke, Zhu Ziming got up and went to the front desk. He soon returned with three items, placed them on the table, and said to Chongzhen, "You gave me three things when I came here. Now, I also have three things to give you."

"This is?"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at the three items on the table, a question mark appearing on his forehead.

Zhu Ziming pointed to the three items and introduced them one by one: "This is called a sweet potato, this is called a potato, and this is called corn."

"These three things actually already existed in the Ming Dynasty, but they only appeared in certain areas and did not have time to be widely promoted before the Ming Dynasty perished."

"But you must not underestimate these three things."

"Sweet potatoes have a well-developed root system and leaves that are resistant to transpiration. They can still maintain a certain yield in the arid northern regions where rainfall is uneven. The summer and autumn harvests can help with the 'gap' between wheat harvests."

"Corn requires less water than rice, is adapted to semi-arid hilly areas, can avoid spring drought during its growing season, and can grow on uncultivated slopes, making it suitable for mountain reclamation."

"Potatoes can be grown in sandy, acidic, or barren mountainous areas. They have lower requirements for soil fertility than crops such as wheat and rice. They have a short growing season of only 3-4 months and can be harvested before frost, making them suitable for northern regions with short frost-free periods."

"Furthermore, all three are high-yield crops. The yield of sweet potatoes and potatoes, especially root vegetables, can reach 2,000 to 3,000 catties per mu, which is equivalent to about three to five times the calories of wheat. They can quickly fill the food gap, are flexible in terms of consumption, and are also more durable for storage."

Emperor Chongzhen was stunned.

This reaction was exactly what Zhu Ziming had expected.

After all, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn—these three staples can be called the three treasures of ancient time travelers, and every time they are brought out, they can shock half of the ancients.

Zhu Ziming said: "During the Chongzhen era, the Central Plains suffered a severe drought that was the worst in hundreds of years. If these three things could be promoted, it would not only turn hilly and mountainous areas lacking irrigation into grain-producing areas, but also mitigate the risk of collective crop failure through diversified planting and stress resistance."

"Therefore, at least half of the people will be spared from starvation."

After a moment of silence, Chongzhen suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Zhu Ziming.

"Mr. Xie!"

Zhu Ziming immediately supported Chongzhen: "I said, we are equals, there's no need for this."

"No!"

Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and solemnly said, "I am not speaking on my own behalf, but on behalf of all the people of the Ming Dynasty to thank you, sir. Please accept my bow!"