People's hearts are prone to change. Looking back, the past is like smoke, and it will live up to the youth.
Di Xin gradually became silent. Usually when there were unprovoked quarrels in the royal court, he would show his anger on his face, and then he would scold and stop the ministers from attacking each other.
But now, when the ministers quarreled and finally found nothing to say, they discovered that the king was wandering in the sky, not listening to what they were discussing, but just looking at the blue sky outside the door, lost in thought.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!"
You Hun reminded the king softly that this is the royal court. What is being debated now is a smelting technology proposed by Meng Bo. It is called Sanhetu. Shells or limestone are burned into powder, and clay and fine gravel are mixed to make the most perfect powder. The original version of "cement", used in construction.
Di Xin came back to his senses, looked at Zhang Zichen and Xin Jia who were arguing in the audience, and suddenly came back to his senses.
"Both ministers are my great ministers, so who wins the debate?"
"..."
Xin Jia immediately responded: "Your Majesty, this method can save the energy of transporting and cutting huge rocks, and does not require more labor and waste. I sincerely request that you allow Meng Bo's recommendation to be used as a pilot for the construction of Lutai. .”
"What is the difference between this method and the original rammed earth and stone base?"
"It saves time and effort. As for whether it is load-bearing and durable, I dare not say anything. I can use the deer platform as the base to see the effects."
"That's right, let Prime Minister Fang handle it."
"promise!"
Di Xin's calmness and rationality made the ministers very uncomfortable. They always felt that there was a turbulent torrent under the calm sea, and they were afraid that Di Xin would suppress himself too much, and eventually irreversible bad things would happen.
So You Cang came out of the queue and bowed respectfully to Emperor Xin: "Your Majesty, the merchants who came from Xiqi heard a rumor that Boyikao, the son of Jichang, the Marquis of Xibo, had secretly kept Su Hu's daughter, and it was said that he wanted to take her away. As a concubine."
"Your Majesty, Su Hu is originally a traitor, but what Xiqi did..."
This matter aroused Di Xin's interest, and he interrupted You Cang to ask with interest.
"Is this a reason to start a war? I can raise a large army and send troops to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Why do you want to rebel against me?"
You Cang's face paused, and he hurriedly stopped the king's idea of conquering the army himself, and said: "No, king, if a mere woman launches an army like this, she will be laughed at by the world."
"But the majesty of the Great Shang cannot be violated. I heard that this Su Daji is incomparably beautiful. According to rumors, the birds in the sky will fall down to admire this woman when they see her, and the fish in the water will forget to swim and sink to the bottom of the water. .”
"Why don't your Majesty order Xiqi to offer Su Daji, firstly to test Boyi's loyalty, and secondly to make all the beauties in the world belong to your Majesty. Your Majesty currently has only one Yang Concubine serving you, which is too unbeautiful. It is time to expand the palace. "
Everyone was silent, and Wen Zhong also nodded in recognition. There were only two princes in the royal family, which was still too rare. The king was in his prime, and Concubine Yang, who had always been delicate, might not be able to bear the heavy responsibility of inheriting the line.
"How can the daughter of a guilty minister enter the royal court to serve? The king wants to support Northern Xinjiang. If Su Daji enters the palace, what will happen to Su Hu who has caused the loss of life in the Chongguo in Northern Xinjiang? Will the injustice be redressed? He just comforted Dong Bo a few days ago. Now, can you make Bei Bohou feel resentful?"
Rong Yin doctor Yang Ren, the minister who had his eyes beheaded and his body abandoned because he opposed the construction of Lutai, did not oppose Lutai at this moment, but he was loyal and remonstrating like Uncle Mei on Su Daji's entry into the palace.
Di Xin seemed to recall the Chonghou Hu who had turned gray all night and was exhausted mentally and physically at the foot of Jizhou City. His eyes began to become empty again, and it took him a while to regain his composure and reply calmly.
"Yang Ren is right. I will take Su Daji's head to the Boyi examination and go to Chaoge in person to plead guilty!"
You Cang was a little irritated, all the benefits had been taken away, but he couldn't handle two things in a row. He was a little anxious at the moment. When he was about to speak again, he saw You Hun winking constantly, and then he suppressed the anxiety in his heart and avoided it. Without saying a word, he retreated.
Wen Zhong nodded and looked at Emperor Xin on the throne with a smile, with a pleased expression. This is the magnanimity that a real master of Dachang should have. In his position, he must plan his own affairs. As a king, he should consider the country. The private relationship between children is understandable. After all, the beautiful love between Wu Ding and his wife only lasted a hundred years. Love is a sacred and great thing.
It's just that for a qualified king, state affairs must always be the top priority. Even Wu Ding still worked hard to govern the great merchants after Fu Hao's death.
Di Xin glanced at You Hun vaguely, and You Hun immediately stepped forward to answer.
"I would like to report to your Majesty. Yesterday, during the divination at the Great Witch Sacrifice, the stars of the army in the north were shining brightly. There is a fear of an imminent military disaster. Although the Quan Rong are in the Western Zhou Dynasty, there are still Di Fang, Xiong Rong, Tu Fang and other barbarians north of Liaodong. Please do this early. Prepare."
The ministers discussed a lot. Although the Great Witch Sacrifice did not often speak out, it represented divine power and should not be underestimated. In addition, the theory of divination and sacrifice was mysterious and mysterious. If nothing happened, it would be fine. If something happened, whoever opposed it would die.
"Well, it's not easy to be a Marquis, and it's not easy in Northern Xinjiang. Who is willing to help Northern Xinjiang fight against the Rong tribe?"
"Your Majesty, Uncle Meng is a well-known general in the world and a prince in northern Xinjiang. It is reasonable and reasonable for Uncle Meng to go. I hope your Majesty will learn from it."
What You Hun said is very reasonable. Like the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, there is really no one who is more suitable to support Northern Xinjiang than Mengchang.
Wen Zhong's heart sank, and the majestic look in his eyes made You Hun's heart run cold. Meng Chang was a talent he strongly recommended. Now he and Bigan are implementing the agricultural mulberry system reform, tax reform, and land reclamation. I heard that they are still improving fertilization and irrigation. Law, breed good seeds, and work hard for the world's agriculture.
If you go outside the city and take a look at this moment, the continuous green rice and wheat seedlings are really spectacular. Even Wen Zhong, who doesn't know much about farming and mulberry farming, can predict that this year will be a bumper harvest. It is impossible for the ministers not to know that half of the people who seconded the proposal at this time really thought it was appropriate, while the other half were similar to the countless people who wanted to pick peaches temporarily.
"The green seedlings are about to turn yellow. The benefits of farming will last for a long time. You cannot easily change people to carry out the work. The task of breeding good seeds cannot be completed overnight. Please be aware of this and send someone else to go."
You Hun did not give in, and immediately asked: "Now that the general is ill, General Lu is still in command in Jizhou, and Duke Xuan and Duke Jiu of Deng have returned to Sanshan Pass. Does the Grand Master have anyone to recommend?"
"There are many good generals in the court, but not many handsome men. If we want to echo Chonghou, I am afraid there is no suitable person in the court."
Emperor Xin looked at Taishi Wen with great interest, as if he wanted to wait for his answer, and Wen Zhong also calmed down and thought about the gains and losses. The king seemed to have improved a lot, so it should be fine, and after the autumn harvest, the prime minister and Shang Rong The autumn harvest grain supervision will also be completed, and sitting in charge of Chaoge will not be a problem.
Wen Zhong was thinking about Meng Chang in his heart. This was a person who would benefit from being a big businessman and could turn into a dragon when released into the sea. Nowadays, it is rare for him to do his best for the great businessman. In the future where there is no chance of success, such a person is worthy of the great businessman. object of training.
"I heard that Zhong asked for orders and asked for one hundred thousand troops to rush to the aid of Northern Xinjiang."
Di Xin happily touched his hands and laughed: "Very good, very good. With the teacher personally leading the army, this matter is worry-free."
After the ministers dispersed, Emperor Xin drove out of the city, hoping to see what kind of good land the famous general who concentrated on farming could cultivate. Halfway through the journey, Fei Zhong left the car and went straight to the Chaotian camp ten miles east of the city.
And Emperor Xin patted You Hun on the shoulder with great interest: "You Qing is indeed my confidant. I am very relieved. If the matter of my conquest of Dongyi can be decided, you and Fei Qing will be my subordinates." You’re a doctor.”
You Hun happily said yes, but there was still a trace of anxiety between his brows.
When I return home today, I am afraid that I will be beaten and insulted again. The matter with You Cang has not been accomplished. My cherished plan of letting Meng Chang return to northern Xinjiang was also disrupted by the Grand Master. How could Meng Chang get the imperial title by doing farming and mulberry farming? Master and Prime Minister, the appreciation of these two important ministers? Can you grow allies by farming? You Hun felt that getting beaten was a trivial matter. Meng Yu's new book "The Art of War" said that only by knowing oneself and the enemy can one be able to fight without danger. It seemed that it was time to find out what Meng Chang had planted that allowed him to gain so much support.
However, the king's performance today was both expected and unexpected. The king who only wants to be a general is not a good king. He and Fei Zhong knew Emperor Xin's thoughts very well, but why was he so sure that the grand master went to the north? Will Xinjiang definitely have the opportunity to conquer Dongyi personally? Is it possible that the Prime Minister won't stop him this time?
Many strange things happened frequently, and You Hun thought of the good brother who was still dealing with affairs late at night a few nights ago, and seemed to understand that this was most likely caused by Meng Chang's action. Otherwise, there is no need to farm at night, so what is he doing by burning the midnight oil?
Thinking about what was on his mind, You Hun followed Di Xin's driver all the way. When he got a mile outside the city, he could already see seedlings two feet high and a large expanse of lush farmland covering the entire land as far as the eye could see.
You Hun was stunned. He had not been out of the city for a long time. The usual farmland on the outskirts of the city was only sparsely populated with some seedlings of different lengths. But now, looking at it, the wasteland has turned into a green space, and countless farmers are singing the songs of the farming season and happily carrying their crops. Truckloads of foul-smelling sludge irrigate rice seedlings and wheat seeds. On the side of the road, the bachelors who were recruited on the golden stage in the past were holding strange-looking calipers to measure and describe the size of the fields for the old farmers.
You Hun, who had no time to think or see, followed Di Xin out of the car and walked deeper into the field with a look of shock.
"Your Majesty, the front is dirty and dirty. Don't go any further. Your shoes and clothes will be soiled."
"On the other hand, the prime minister and the princes are all working in the fields. Is it dirty? This is auspiciousness. It can bless my great businessman for thousands of generations and immortality."
Seeing Di Xin strolling on the field ridge, with You Hun following closely behind, the other attendants had no choice but to grit their teeth and hold their noses as they followed Di Xin forward.
"Taste it, what is breeding?"
Before he got close, he heard the Prime Minister's voice. You Hun subconsciously looked around and saw the distinguished Prime Minister of Dashang, with mud spots all over his body. He looked at Meng Chang bent over a place with uneven growth without disgust at all. In the strange field, I observed the seedlings.
"Old Prime Minister, let me ask you, if you have a daughter and you have two husbands to choose from, one is strong, as strong as an ox, and talented and intelligent, while the other is pale and weak, like a sick man. The Prime Minister chooses the husband. who?"
Bigan thought for a moment and responded: "I understand what you mean. The idea of selecting excellent varieties and combining two rice seeds to cultivate new varieties is very subtle, but I have another question. This rice seed They are plants. Can plants mate? Do you want to turn them into corn demons? And then let them mate?"
Mengchang was speechless and looked at the old prime minister with a look of resentment. However, this suggestion seemed to be very good. There are demons in this world. If you can really enlighten the grain demon, it would be worse than spending several years selecting seeds like this clumsily. Breeding coming faster?
You must know that the farming saints of later generations, based on the creation of nature and the agricultural foundation created by countless ancestors, also spent ten years of painstaking cultivation before they selected the king of rice.
Rice and wheat that can turn into monsters, aren't they inherently powerful? If they are combined to give birth to a rice demon and a wheat demon, then the ears will not be bigger, fuller, and have more grains? One plant can be compared to ten plants, and the dream of enjoying the cool air under the grass in the world can come true.
Just when the old man and the young man were thinking about each other, they suddenly heard a cough. They turned around and saw Di Xin walking in the mud to the field.
"My dear, Bigan/Mengchang, please see your Majesty!"
"No need to be polite, Prime Minister. A few days ago, you told me that the conquest of Dongyi was about to be successful. Are you referring to this wheat field?"
"It's not just this wheat field. The number of new fields opened this year has increased tenfold. At the same time, Meng Bo called on the people to go down to the river to clear out silt and make retting methods. The number of fertile fields has increased, and the yield per mu has increased. According to conservative estimates, the amount of grain produced this year should be It can be ten times that of previous years.”
Di Xin happily held his hands and laughed, ignoring that the Prime Minister and Meng Bo were covered in mud, and pulled them out of the field. You Hun looked at Meng Chang with a complicated expression and asked sourly.
"We have to cultivate ten times the land as in previous years, and we also have to go down the river to clear the silt. Are all the people as powerful and energetic as Uncle Meng?"
"Hahaha, You Qingshi, you can come and take a look next time when you harvest winter wheat in the autumn. Uncle Meng has a farm tool called a plow. You can use animal power to plow the fields, and people only need to follow behind to control the direction and balance. , you can easily hoe the ground and sow.”
Emperor Xin was very happy. Wouldn't the food for the conquest of Dongyi be secured? But then he remembered the bet with Uncle Meng, and his face showed displeasure.
"Uncle Meng, what kind of tax reduction do you want for your good fortune? From my point of view, it should be five out of ten. All this food should be moved back to Lutai. What do the people do with so much food? They can't eat it all. .”
Mengchang subconsciously wiped his forehead with his dirty hands stained with mud. The king is indeed a famous tyrant in history. It can be said that when the Qin Dynasty was the most harsh, he only drew three out of ten. But in the king's place, he has grown stronger. The better, the more you smoke. Are you jealous?
"Your Majesty, don't worry. The people have taken a lot and have a surplus in the market. They will eventually purchase various goods and eventually return them to the royal court through commercial tax and property tax. However, after the autumn harvest, Meng Chang wants to propose the five suggestions.”
"One: Increase commercial taxes and stabilize grain prices to prevent merchants from pursuing profits, depressing grain prices and selling them to other countries for profit."
"Second: The tax reduction method cannot be adjusted lightly, but it can be increased by one amount every year, and the farming methods used will be promoted to the world, and the news will be spread. The tax reduction policy will be adjusted back to the original standard within five years. The powerful clans will see the people. If you gain a profit, you will belatedly follow up on the development of land when the tax rate is in the middle."
"Third: In addition to military resources, the king is asked to set up farmhouses for this year's profit. The farmhouses will have common utensils for shelling, stone grinding, and purchasing fine seeds. This is a public utensil, and it can be used to harvest surplus grain and profit. .”
“Fourth: Encourage childbirth and provide tax relief for families with multiple families.”
"Fifth: Mengchang asked to build a mansion, called the General's Mansion. After the war, there is no need to send all the soldiers back to farm. Instead, some of the elite soldiers will be sent back to the General's Mansion to maintain training, farm and reclaim wasteland, and concentrate on farming in their free time. During the war, you can directly mobilize my soldiers to attack the general's mansion and go out to conquer the rebels."
"Of course, these things need to be carried out one by one. Mengchang has no skills. In the future, he will have to rely on the support of the king. All ministers must participate before they can be implemented. If the five strategies of Shang can be achieved, the great Shang will be immortal forever. !”
The art of painting cakes is broad and profound. Although it is still empty talk at the moment, the bet to double the yield per mu has been completed ahead of schedule. Meng Chang has the confidence to draw a bigger picture for Di Xin to look forward to the future.
Looking at Meng Chang who was explaining the five discussions with the king and the prime minister in front of him, Youhun's face was complicated, and he seemed to be discouraged. He looked blankly at Adi, who seemed to be emitting golden light all over his body, and said nothing. He finally knew that he Compared with Mengchang, what is the difference?
One is strategist and the other is pragmatic. No one can take away the credit of farming and mulberry farming, because this is not a sudden whim, but a chain of reforms.
He is not Shang Yang at all. He did not use the Qin method to reform. He deceived You Hun, who was also familiar with the "story". Do you think I want to imitate Shang Yang? Wrong, I directly learned from Cao Cao and the Tang Dynasty, and combined the army and peasants to drive the nobles and clans to join this gluttonous feast.
Meng Di is digging up the roots of the clan, that is, slaves, while Chao Ge is cultivating a savage beast, putting retired professional soldiers on the stage, maintaining combat strength and organization, and allowing the two places to echo each other.
You Hun speculated with the greatest malice, if when Meng Di sets off a wave of change and uses himself as a target, when the world's princes are turbulent and take the lead one after another, who can stop Chao Ge and this group of out-of-work iron troops? I'm afraid there are just some gods and demons all over the sky.
By then, who else can influence Mengchang's path of change?
He is not sleeping, but taking advantage of the turmoil during this period, he has been watching the farce of Wang Ting and sharpening his sword!
Fantasy literature, I don’t know what it would be like if the military system was placed in a slave society, so let’s just fantasize about it. The same is true in modern society. If you have money, you can try various so-called business models. If you don’t have money, even if you can see the rise of e-commerce, the benefits of new energy, and the future of batteries, you can’t enter the market if you don’t have money. Therefore, this wave of food is equivalent to chips on the card table.
(End of chapter)
