Seeing Hong Chengchou picking up the porridge bowl and starting to drink porridge, he did not directly go on a hunger strike after being captured by Huang Taiji as recorded in history.
Liu Heng was not surprised by this.
The Tiger-Character Banner is also a force of the Han people, and Hong Chengchou is not the governor of Jiliao with the title of minister. At this time, Hong Chengchou was just a chief envoy participating in politics, not even a governor, let alone the three sides a few years later. Governor.
Hong Chengchou was captured as a spy, and he might have wanted to eat less.
"How is the yield of jade and wheat?" Hong Chengchou asked.
Liu Heng said: "The yield is higher than that of cereal wheat, and it is also more drought-resistant than cereal wheat. Next, Huzi Banner is planning to promote the planting of jade and wheat in Shaanxi, so as to reduce the number of people who starve to death."
"Since this Yumai is so good, why doesn't Mr. Liu hand it over to the imperial court and let the imperial court promote it nationwide and benefit more people?" Hong Chengchou looked at Liu Heng eagerly.
In my heart, I really hope that Liu Heng can contribute this thing to the court.
The reason why Shaanxi is like this is because the people don't have enough to eat. If all the people can have enough to eat, who will rebel? He believes that the vast majority of people will not follow the tiger-character flag to rebel against the Ming Dynasty.
Liu Heng answered his question and asked, "Where is Hong Shenzheng from?"
"I am from Nan'an, Quanzhou Prefecture. I came to Shaanxi two years ago to take over as Chief Envoy and participate in politics." Hong Chengchou didn't quite understand why Liu Heng asked him where he was from.
Liu Heng said: "I heard that there are many places in Fujian where sweet potatoes are grown, and I also heard that sweet potatoes have high yields but do not require high land requirements. As a native of Quanzhou Prefecture, Hong Shenzheng should know better than me."
After hearing this, Hong Chengchou stopped thinking about dedicating jade and wheat to the court.
I know in my heart that even sweet potatoes, a good food that can make people full, are not taken seriously by the court and local officials. Even if the tiger-character flag contributes jade and wheat, it will end up with the same fate as sweet potatoes, and it will be difficult to really promote it.
"Sweet potatoes are a good thing, better than corn and wheat. They can fill people's stomachs, and at least they won't starve to death. In some dry lands and saline-alkali lands in Shanxi, people are planting sweet potatoes and potatoes. Even if they can harvest a little more, the people will Life will be easier," Liu Heng said.
Hong Chengchou was silent.
How could he not know about planting sweet potatoes in Tiger Flag?
It was such a good agricultural product that could give the people more food, but the court did not pay attention to it, but a rebel leader valued it and planted it in large quantities.
"Let's drink porridge. It will get cold soon." Liu Heng motioned to Hong Chengchou and his servants to drink porridge.
Naturally, the canteen of the main town office would not prepare a pot of hot porridge just for the master and servant Hong Chengchou. The porridge in their hands was the leftovers from the previous pot. It was already a little cold when it was served, with only a little residual warmth left. .
Perhaps he was very hungry, so Hong Chengchou drank heavily.
The porridge he drank before was filled with various preserved fruits, which was sweet and delicious, but the jade and wheat porridge in his hand was simple and pure, with no messy things in it.
Although it was not as delicious as the porridge he had eaten before, he knew that if this jade wheat was really what Liu Heng said, how many people would benefit from it.
For a strong man like Hong Chengchou, he drank up a bowl of porridge in just a few mouthfuls and handed the bowl of porridge to the servant beside him. Gu Chuo
"How is it? Does the porridge made from jade and wheat taste good?" Liu Heng asked with a smile when he saw him finishing.
Hong Chengchou licked off the jade and wheat residue remaining on his lips with his tongue and said, "The taste is average, and it tastes a bit irritating, but it can keep you full, so it's okay to eat it as a surprise."
"It's enough to be able to take care of things. What the people want is just a mouthful of food." Liu Heng replied with a smile and took the tea sent by Zhao Wu in his hand.
Hong Chengchou stared into Liu Heng's eyes and said: "With Liu Dongzhu's ability, wouldn't it be better to serve the imperial court? Why bother to take this road full of thorns?"
After a few simple conversations, he felt Liu Heng's ambition.
However, he still hoped to persuade Liu Heng and Tiger Flag to return to the right path. Ming Dynasty also needed an army like Tiger Flag to stabilize the situation.
If he could make decisions on behalf of the court, as long as he could win over the power of the Tiger Flag, he would be willing to trade for a title like Duke.
"Hong Shenzheng wholeheartedly persuaded me to defect to the imperial court, but if I did not accept the imperial court's offer, has Hong Shenzheng ever thought about what would happen to him?" Liu Heng asked in return.
Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou showed a hint of bitterness and said, "Since Mr. Hong has fallen into the hands of Dongzhu Liu, it is up to you to kill or cut him into pieces."
"Hong Shenzheng holds such an important position as Chief Envoy and Secretary Shenzheng at such a young age. If he had not been captured this time, he would have had great prospects of holding a high position in the future. But now that he is dead like this, don't you feel aggrieved?" Liu After Heng finished speaking, he picked up the tea cup, put it to his mouth and blew on it.
Hong Chengchou frowned and asked in a slightly confused tone: "What do you mean, Mr. Liu? Do you want to let me go back?"
"Even if I let Hong Shenzheng and you two masters and servants leave now, will Hong Shenzheng really dare to go back?" Liu Heng asked with a smile.
Hong Chengchou said in confusion: "If Mr. Liu lets me leave, I will naturally go back. At most, it is because I failed to bribe the important people of the Tiger Flag. No one can really blame me for such a thing."
"Hong Shenzheng was wrong." Liu Heng shook his head slightly and said to the surprised Hong Chengchou, "Hong Shenzheng was put back by the Tiger Flag on his own initiative, instead of coming and leaving secretly by himself."
Hong Chengchou's expression suddenly changed, and he said with an ugly face: "Don Zhu Liu is not ready to let me go."
"No, I said, you can let the master and servant Hong Shenzheng leave. I will even send troops to escort you to ensure that you will not encounter any harshness along the way until you are escorted to the capital of Ming Dynasty." Liu Heng said with a smile.
Hong Chengchou's face was now as dark as the bottom of a pot.
If he really leaves the territory of Tiger Character Banner like this, the only thing waiting for him is to commit a crime, and even the responsibility for the fall of several Shaanxi prefectures will be pinned on his head.
"When is Hong Shenzheng going to hit the road?" Liu Heng looked at Hong Chengchou in front of him and asked with a smile.
However, Hong Chengchou did not feel happy at all. Instead, he asked with a cold face: "Dr. Liu might as well just tell you what you want to do?"
"Hong Shenzheng is not a member of the eunuch party. Even if you come back, no one in the court will be willing to stand up and exonerate you, Hong Shenzheng?" Liu Heng ignored Hong Chengchou's question and kept talking to himself.
Hong Chengchou said again with a cold face: "Since Mr. Liu doesn't intend to let me go, why let me go? I'm here. Just cut off the heads of my master and servant and return them to the court."
