"Ziying, your appetite is too big. Hami and Shazhou are already at their limit. Even in these two places, the court can no longer support them. The consumption of grain and fodder is too great. Here in Shaanxi..." She seems to understand. A little something, Zheng Chongjian thought about it, "Do you think potatoes and sweet potatoes can be popularized in Shaanxi, Shaanxi Xingdusi and the three sides and four towns of the garrison?"
Zheng Chongjian knew that Feng Ziying had been promoting the planting of potatoes, and later sweet potatoes. It was said that these two crops were very suitable for planting in the dry and mountainous areas of Shaanxi, and the yields were also very high.
He even tasted the taste of potatoes and thought they were passable, not as delicious as rice noodles. But as Feng Ziying said, it might be a matter of habit, and when you don't even have to eat grass roots and bark, these potatoes are simply delicious.
If potatoes can be grown in places like Xingdusi in Shaanxi Province, and the output can reach the level of Yan'an Prefecture, then most of this grain supply problem can indeed be solved.
And as Feng Ziying said, this area was under the jurisdiction of the imperial court during the Han and Tang Dynasties. Why couldn't the Great Zhou Dynasty do the same?
You must know that the current Huguang and Jiangnan were still barbaric lands during the Han and Tang Dynasties, but now they have replaced the Central Plains as a sacred land, supplying the needs of the entire Zhou Dynasty.
"Well, Dazhang, you have also seen the harvest of potatoes in Yan'an Prefecture. Mr. Li made a special trip to the prefectures and counties in Yan'an and suddenly became a fan of potatoes. He brags about potatoes everywhere. The benefits are more positive than mine. Fengxiang sown 5,000 acres this spring. It can only be regarded as a pilot project. But I think it can be expanded to 30,000 acres by autumn sowing. By then, the harvest should be 40 million kilograms. No problem, the refugee problem will basically be solved by then."
Li Tengfang has now completely transformed into a potato brag, bragging about the benefits and advantages of potatoes everywhere, encouraging localities to vigorously plant potatoes, and constantly beating and urging officials in various localities.
I was really frightened by the disaster caused by the drought in Shaanxi. I thought that if potato cultivation was promoted and developed, the problem of people starving to death could be solved at once, then these refugees in the countryside would not become rioters. If we do this, That's an act of sainthood over there.
Feng Ziying's words made Zheng Chongjian happy, "Is this the next task you will give me?"
"Not only that, this is just one of the most important tasks. There is also the need to renovate the road from Fengxiang to Ganzhou..." Feng Ziying smiled, "Don't think that is Gongchang Mansion's business. Maybe you will be the prefect of Gongchang Prefecture next? You first build the roads in Fengxiang, and then continue on the Gongchang Prefecture. As long as the potato production keeps up, the refugees, hungry people and disaster victims can be completely converted into these road construction projects. As the main force, the road from Suzhou to Xi'an must be kept smooth at a high level. This is also one of the things I have to do."
Zheng Chongjian took a breath of cold air, "Ziying, are you planning to leave me in Shaanxi for the rest of my life?"
"Haha, a lifetime is too long. Ten or eight years is possible. Maybe in the future, if you become the governor of Shaanxi, you will feel more fulfilled in this position and don't want to leave?" Feng Ziying looked at Zheng Chongjian and said: " Who wouldn’t want to be able to expand territory and become famous in history?”
For scholars, this is the biggest temptation, and Zheng Chongjian is no exception. Feng Ziying's temptation conditions are really touching.
Seeing that Zheng Chongjian was moved by him, Feng Ziying knew that she had touched this guy's heart. Of course, this was still a long way off, but it was worth fighting for.
"If you can really achieve that step, then you will spend your whole life guarding the frontier. It will be worth it." Zheng Chongjian took a breath and said thoughtfully: "But to do this, the court may have to..."
He didn't say anything, but Feng Ziying understood that Zheng Chongjian was not optimistic about the current situation in the court.
Especially since he, Sun Chuanting, and Chen Qiyu have been working in Shanxi and Shaanxi for more than a year, they have become familiar with the various dark evils in local official circles, and they must be a little disappointed in their hearts.
With this kind of officialdom, how could civil unrest and riots not occur?
Although the chaos in Shanxi was caused by a severe drought, the fundamental reasons were the lack of water conservancy, serious land annexation, corrupt official administration, and the greed of the gentry.
Under the pressure of these factors, the common people had no choice but to take action because they could no longer survive.
Come to rebel, who would risk beheading to rebel if they have a mouthful of food to eat?
"Dazhang, it seems that you have also seen the difficulties of the current court, but what is the source of the difficulties?" Feng Ziying said leisurely: "Some people say that military spending is too large and the military pressure from the north is too great, leading to financial depletion; others say Some people say that the population is growing too fast, and the contradiction between more people and less land is becoming more and more prominent, which has led to intensified conflicts between the common people and the gentry and landlords. Once a major disaster occurs, the only way to counteract it is with riots; others say that the administration of officials is corrupt. Officials colluded with the gentry to exploit the people, making them miserable; some people said that the court was overstaffed and lacked clear plans..."
Zheng Chongjian laughed and said, "Ziying, do you think this is a repeat of the same old tune? But can you deny that these problems exist in both the court and local governments, and are serious?"
"It does exist, but there is always a root and cause here. So what is the core and most critical issue?" Feng Ziying asked back: "We need to analyze which of these issues is the most fundamental issue. The Zhou Dynasty was only founded less than a hundred years ago. Is it abnormal to have come to this point? How can we prevent these conflicts from turning into big problems? I think we all need to think carefully, find out the reasons, and find countermeasures in daily affairs in the future."
Feng Ziying's words hit Zheng Chongjian.
He is also a person who is good at thinking. Of course, he understands that the questions raised by Feng Ziying point to the entire system of the Zhou Dynasty. The seven cabinets under the emperor plus the procuratorate, the local provinces, capitals, states and counties, this kind of stacked roofs and beds. What are the pros and cons of the model? Should it be overthrown and restarted, or should the pros and cons be eliminated?
Also, should the imperial court conduct a targeted study on various problems currently existing in the north, south, east and west? Which areas have major problems and need improvement, and which areas need to break the pattern and seek innovation and change? These are all worthy of careful consideration and exploration.
Of course, Zheng Chongjian also knew that he was too young and was not familiar with the government affairs from the central to the local level throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, so Feng Ziying hoped that he would stay in the local government and start with the specific affairs of Fuzhou and County, and get in touch with them seriously. , Only when thinking about these issues in the future can we be targeted.
"Ziying, I have to say that you have thought more deeply than us. You have seen many problems and have begun to think about solutions, but we are still a little confused." Zheng Chongjian said with a bit more admiration in his tone, "You also It convinced me that I really should work hard in Fengxiang. At the same time, I should also explore and understand and see if there is a better strategy to change something. The only thing I am worried about is that if you leave Shaanxi, change to another one. If someone comes to be the governor, I'm afraid..."
"Don't worry, Dazhang. I estimate that if I return to the imperial court, the governor of Shaanxi may not be here for the time being. You have also seen the situation of Mr. Zheng and Mr. Li. Mr. Zheng probably won't stay long. Mr. Li is a pragmatic person. Yes, and Pan Ruzhen, they are all good, and Mr. Zhang from the Inspectorate is also good. At least this will be the pattern of Shaanxi in the next three to five years. Xi'an, Yan'an, and Fengxiang, these three prefectures are the key. If Jun Yu goes to Xi'an, you will be in Fengxiang , and brother Chu Cai is in Yan'an, and with the three of you at the helm of these three important places in Shaanxi, it will be safe."
Feng Ziying's words also made Zheng Chongjian laugh, "Ziying, I'm just a colleague, why should I take charge? Just do my job well."
"If you don't have long-term worries, you must be concerned about the near future. You are right to be a Tongzhi, but you must know that one of the most important tasks of a Tongzhi is to assist the prefect in completing various affairs. I am a Tongzhi in Yongping Prefecture and a prefect in Shuntian Prefecture. , we have to think about the problem with the mentality of the prefect, and there is no harm in helping the prefect to think more carefully about the problem. It is their business to give them suggestions, but they do not accept it, but we have to use it."
Feng Ziying's attitude is very clear. Officials who don't want to be the leader are not good officials. But if you want to be the leader, you must always put yourself in the shoes of the leader and consider issues from the perspective of the leader. You can't just focus on your own job. That would be too narrow-minded. .
When Feng Ziying said this, Zheng Chongjian had nothing to say. Could it be that he didn't want to be a prefect or move to a higher level? That's so hypocritical.
After thinking for a while, Zheng Chongjian said again: "Ziying, you are now the governor of a province. Your position and perspective of thinking about problems are also different. I just heard your tone, and you were already talking like a cabinet minister. Okay, I'm really curious. How can you think so deeply when you are a few years younger than us?
Far? You proposed the strategy of opening up the sea, you planned the development of coal, iron and military industry, and you pushed for the large-scale introduction of potatoes and sweet potatoes. Even Mr. Xu failed to push it. You did it because of the civil unrest in Shaanxi, but In the past few years, droughts were also severe in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan and Shandong. Why didn't anyone dare to give it a try? I still have to ask you to come. I don't understand. They are all studying in an academy. Why are you different from others? "
There is nothing wrong with this question. There are so many people in Qingtan Academy, but only Feng Ziying is a character with amazing talents. She is far behind even in practicing state affairs, let alone others.
Now in her early twenties, Feng Ziying has already achieved a position that is difficult for many Jinshi to achieve in their lifetime. It seems that it is only a matter of time before she joins the cabinet and becomes prime minister. No wonder Zheng Chongjian and the others are so emotional that they can't even think of jealousy. There is such a gap. Too big to be jealous.
Feng Ziying could only shrug her shoulders and smile. What could he say? Say you are a time traveler?
