The heavy snowfall on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has passed.
For Jiangnan Province, this should be the last snow.
After all, spring has already begun, and today it is the rainy season.
When it rains, it’s not far away from the spring breeze blowing and the earth warming up.
Li Chenan and his party set out from Zhouzhuang and didn't walk very fast.
Passing through many villages, he would stop from time to time to take a look at the farmland still covered by heavy snow.
There are many farmers in the villages along this road, and they are not as shabby as other places.
The fields along this road are also well served. If there are no major natural disasters, Jiangnan Road will indeed be one of the largest granaries in Ningguo.
It’s just that the farmers’ faces are still full of food——
The harvest is okay, but the taxes in Jiangnan Road are heavier than many places in Ningguo!
This is not surprising.
The policy of light taxation has not yet been implemented.
Those policies will not be implemented until the officials from Kyoto arrive in Jiangnan Province, which may take another year and a half.
"Look, this is the suffering of the people who prosper and the suffering of the people who die!"
When night fell, the team rested beside an open lake.
Li Chenan and Su Muxin stood by the lake, looking at the smoke from a village in the distance, and said:
"In Jiangnan, it's not just the people, but also the businessmen. They bear 30% of the taxes of Ningguo!"
"It's definitely not fair to say it's fair, but the rest of the roads can't develop, either in commerce or agriculture."
"It's not that they are lazier than the people in Jiangnan, but they are limited by the land, climate, transportation, and of course the policy policies of the parents who are in charge."
Su Muxin looked at Li Chenan, "So this is why you decided to give priority to boosting commerce and handicraft industry?"
"I still reserve my opinion... There is no shortage of land in Ningguo, but there is a shortage of people to farm the land!"
"Coming from Kyoto, the fields in many places are deserted, and many villages have no people."
"If commerce and handicrafts are further promoted, more farmers will put down their hoes and go into business for profit."
“Wouldn’t it mean more fields would be wasted?”
“Where does the food come from?”
"According to what you said, Wu's negotiations will inevitably end in failure... I'm afraid a war will start in the south!"
"The struggle for the throne in the country of Yue is at its most intense, which is a good thing for us. At least in the two or three years since the new emperor ascended the throne, his main task is to eradicate dissidents, and he will not pose a threat to us yet. "
"But the Jiuyin City occupied by the Great Wilderness Kingdom is like a wedge embedded in the north of our Ning Kingdom... We can advance, attack, retreat or defend, and we must be on guard at all times!"
"In addition, Huihe and Xiye are not good people. If they knew that Ningguo was short of food... I thought that not only would they not sell it to us, they might also raise troops again!"
"Money is important, but I still think food is more important than money!"
Li Chenan did not refute Su Muxin's words.
He even looked at Su Muxin with great admiration. This guy had good intentions.
He analyzed the current situation in Ningguo very well, and also summarized the situation that Ningguo may face very well.
However, Su Muxin was limited by his knowledge and did not know that once farming technology was developed, the efficiency of agriculture would be greatly improved.
Like a better rake.
The rakes used in this era were the crudest wooden rakes!
The farming efficiency of this thing is so low!
If smelting is devolved to the private sector, this noble thing like iron can become an ordinary thing.
The iron plow was promoted, and the efficiency of plowing fields would be greatly improved.
Another example is the waterwheel.
Well, there was no waterwheel!
Irrigation of farmland either relies on artesian water or requires people to pick it up!
However, if waterwheels are promoted and widely used, combined with the construction of water conservancy projects, the irrigation problem of farmland will be properly solved, and the biggest drawback of farmers relying on the weather can at least be effectively alleviated.
Also like more scientific fertilization, sowing, cultivation, etc.
Once these things are popularized, once farmers have the best production tools and the best farming techniques, agricultural output will be greatly increased, but there will be fewer people working in agriculture.
Li Chenan has been trying to remember these days.
This knowledge is not his expertise.
But for him who was born in a rural area, if he thinks about it carefully, he can always recall some.
So next he will write a book about farming and give it to the Ministry of Works.
This matter will have to be done when the eldest son of the emperor returns to Kyoto.
"Do you believe that the yield per acre of a wheat field like this can be doubled?"
Su Mu was startled and shook her head, "If we have a good year, it would be best to harvest an extra twenty or thirty kilograms from one acre of land!"
"Yeah, but I estimate it will take two years. In two years, you will see the yield per mu doubled."
Su Muxin's eyes widened immediately, "This is impossible!"
Xiao Baozi, who was sitting by the lake washing his feet, raised his head and looked at Li Chenan at this moment, "It's impossible to tire the cow to death!"
"The crops in Wanxi Zhai are the most meticulously cultivated...after all, we have nothing to do."
"The land in Wanxi Zhai is of high quality, and it is extremely convenient to get water. There won't be a single weed in the field, but even so, the wheat yield per acre of land at its best is only 150 kilograms...double?"
"Isn't that three hundred pounds?"
Xiao Baozi shook his head again, "You have never planted crops, so you don't understand. In a land like this, with good weather and good weather, it is considered good to be able to harvest a hundred catties."
Li Chenan grinned.
He did not argue that over the millennium of history, many people have worked hard to increase agricultural production, but it was indeed too difficult.
Your ideas must be put into practice.
Use facts to prove you are right, empty words don't count.
So he didn't talk about this topic again.
"By the way, where did Miss Murong go?"
"After the incident in Kyoto, she returned to Songshan Sword Academy and said she wanted to retreat."
"Oh, you've suffered a lot these days."
Su Muxin grinned.
His originally fair and fair face was now covered with weather.
His hands that originally held a pen were now holding a sword.
He still doesn't know martial arts, but that doesn't stop him from practicing swordsmanship.
"If I say I haven't suffered much, I'm obviously lying to you."
"It was really hard to get used to it at first, but now I've gotten used to it."
Li Chenan patted him on the shoulder and suddenly asked: "How about becoming an official in Jiangnan Road?"
Su Mu's heart skipped a beat when she heard this.
He is still a man of letters at heart.
What's more, he was still the second best in the 21st year of Zhaohua!
His ideal and ambition was to join the court and become an official and govern, but at that time, Xi Wei was in power and he had no chance.
Listening to Li Chenan say this now...
He pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"My mentor said something to me, which changed some of my inherent ideas."
Li Chenan raised his eyebrows: "What did Brother Hua say to you?"
"My mentor said... a sharp sword must have been sharpened countless times."
"By holding a pen, you may be able to govern a place and become a capable minister."
"But holding the sword, you can expand the territory and write a magnificent mountain and river for you!"
Li Chenan was a little surprised.
He looked up at the gibbous moon in the night sky, "Okay...waiting for Xia Houzhuo to be crowned...you go to the northern frontier army and become a guerrilla general first!"
"In the future, war is inevitable!"
"There will come a time when you will expand your territory and make great achievements!"
