"Once there is a drought, it is difficult to get a drop of water. If there is plenty of rain, but there are floods, the fundamental reason is that water conservancy is not repaired. If you want to avoid droughts and floods, agriculture will not be affected. When the country is developed and the people are rich, there is only one way to develop water conservancy."
"Although it is true that there are generally more waterways in the south than in the north, the north is too neglectful in terms of water conservancy. You see, there are only a few dams and pools, which shows how little attention is paid to them, and in recent years, The climate change in the world is becoming more and more unpredictable... In this way, can agriculture in the North be developed? If agriculture is not developed, how can the people be stable?"
"There are many water conservancy buildings in the south, and they have been used appropriately for more than a hundred years. Therefore, Huguang, a prosperous land in the south of the Yangtze River, is also said to be 'if Huguang is ripe, the world is rich'. Although it is also due to the climate and soil, it is not Can we say that we did not benefit from heavy water?”
After listening to Zuo Guangdou's words, Yan Chenhao nodded thoughtfully.
Although he was born in the North, his family's ancestral land is in the South after all, and in order to govern the world, he paid a lot of attention to things in the South, so he also had a certain understanding of the agricultural differences between the North and the South.
The agricultural level of the southern region is basically higher than that of the north. This can be seen from the amount of taxes they contribute to the Ming Dynasty every year.
After thinking carefully, he found that Zuo Guangdou's words actually made sense. Although factors such as climate could not be ruled out, some conditions of water conservancy were also very likely to be important factors in the agricultural gap between the two places.
"Then what do you think should be done to strengthen agriculture in the North?" Yan Chenhao asked.
Hearing this, Zuo Guangdou perked up and knew that his statement had been recognized by Yan Chenhao, so he immediately said:
"I believe that the 'Three Causes and Fourteen Discussions' are the key to building water conservancy."
"The three causes are 'because of the timing of heaven', 'because of the benefits of the earth', and 'because of human sentiments'."
"Everything cannot lack water, and the people must be made aware of the benefits and disadvantages of water control. This is the 'time of heaven'."
"Conditions vary from place to place, so the construction of water conservancy installations needs to be adapted to local conditions. This is called 'tailoring to local conditions'."
"The people regard the words of the imperial court as their true words. Therefore, the imperial court should set an example, and officials should call on and encourage the construction of water conservancy projects. This is 'because of human sentiments'."
"There are also measures such as building dams, building ponds to store water, and dredging rivers. These are called the 'Fourteen Meetings'. They are all specific measures and can be used as a reference."
"In addition, the scale of the water conservancy project is huge and the people are working hard. They cannot bear it all alone, otherwise they may not be able to build it even in the Year of the Monkey and the Horse... The court should provide financial assistance. After all, if this can be done, agriculture will flourish, not only will the people be rich, but also for the people. The imperial court also has great benefits.”
Zuo Guangdou talked eloquently, and Yan Chenhao also listened carefully. After he finished speaking, he raised his head and saw the old man opposite staring at him with shining eyes.
"Yes, your method is very good."
The old man nodded and spoke words of approval, which made Zuo Guangdou's blood boil with excitement.
And Yan Chenhao has finished thinking at this time. As he was listening to Zuo Guangdou's words, his brain was already running rapidly, analyzing the pros and cons and the possibility of success.
This strategy has a high probability of success.
There are dams to control the rivers, which can effectively prevent flooding, and there are pools to store water to ensure the water supply for the fields during droughts. It is said that the weather depends on the sky, but the weather in the Ming Dynasty has become increasingly unpredictable in recent years.
Isn’t the construction of water conservancy a change in this concept? Not to say it can be completely reversed, but at least there is some room for autonomy, and the ability to withstand risks is also higher.
If it can make agriculture in the North prosper, this will be a great thing! The Ming Dynasty's commercial taxes were low, and its income basically relied on the agricultural taxes in the world.
If the agriculture in the North is improved, the imperial treasury will be more abundant, and the lives of the people will become richer, which will also be conducive to the stability of the world. This is a great good thing that kills two birds with one stone!
The more Yan Chenhao thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.
He felt that the great rule of his dream was one step closer to him.
After praising Zuo Guangdou, which made him excited, Yan Chenhao saw off his guests. He is now eager to verify the authenticity of this strategy. After all, he cannot be considered a professional. For matters that may even affect the general trend of the world, it is safer to ask those who have professional skills.
He quickly found some veterans who had done research in this area and asked them about the matter.
Everyone received a positive reply, and some even praised it.
Yan Chenhao was relieved.
He immediately found several cabinet ministers and ministers and discussed it.
When Huang Kezuan heard that it could increase income and benefit people's lives, he immediately agreed with both hands and feet. He is very clear about the concept of putting the people first.
Other ministers also agreed. They are all capable ministers and like Yan Chenhao, so they can see the advantages of this policy.
After carefully reading the "Fourteen Meetings", the Minister of Industry thought about it and nodded and said:
"Technically, there are no problems."
As a result, everyone's eyes turned to the last Minister of the Ministry of Finance.
After all, one of the difficulties in this matter is money.
Just as Zuo Guangdou said, if the people are allowed to practice it on their own, they may not be able to complete it even in the year of the monkey and the month of the horse. In fact, before the Ming Dynasty, except for some rivers that were prone to flooding, the rest of the water conservancy was basically not managed at all, and it was entirely up to the private sector.
Many water conservancy projects in the North were either built by people from a village raising funds, or by some landowners in order to gain a reputation as a "philanthropist".
But how much money can people have? This kind of project has always been very expensive.
Therefore, it is difficult to build.
And if we want to help the entire Northland, build dams and dredge river channels on some rivers, river branches, etc., the money required will be extremely huge.
After all, this is the north of the entire Ming Dynasty!
The face of the Minister of Hube was serious, and he said slowly:
"Yes, no problem!"
A smile appeared on his face and he said:
"Thanks to the various policies implemented by the Prime Minister in recent years, the national treasury is now quite full, the income has increased much more than before, and there are fewer officials who dare to reach out to the treasury. Although the construction of the Northland is expensive, it is It can still be done.”
Suddenly, all the officials present had smiles on their faces.
They seem to have seen the world that is under great governance and the future where the country is peaceful and the people are safe.
(End of chapter)
