"Water conservancy projects are the basis for promoting agricultural development and are related to the food rations of hundreds of millions of people in Ming Dynasty.
Put it first no matter what.
In short, I want one thing: water during droughts, drainage during floods, smooth rivers, and unobstructed water transportation.
I have checked that during the Ming Dynasty, the court spent an average of only 700,000 taels on river repair and disaster prevention projects every year, but this year I spent 3 million taels at once.
If you feel that there is not enough money in any place, then go to the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household Affairs to apply. As long as it can be repaired, the money will be in place.
But if the repair cannot be done after giving the money, I will bury the local magistrate in the river to worship the heaven! "
As soon as these words came out, all the officials in Huangji Palace trembled.
They heard a strong murderous intention from the emperor's words.
"Fang Aiqing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has revised the criteria for external inspection and passing the examination. Water conservancy projects and agricultural development have been added to the six items for passing the examination as key assessment items, which will be launched next year."
Shangshufang Zhuangwei of the Ministry of Civil Affairs immediately left the class: "Your Majesty, the examination is based on the six items in the "Instructions for Appointment": school, field, household registration, taxes and servitude, litigation and prison, and thieves.
Local officials govern according to six matters, and officials are assessed according to six matters. Among them, whether tax collection has been completed or not is a necessary condition for passing the examination.
There is no problem in increasing water conservancy and agriculture, but some places take advantage of not relying on rivers. Some places have more rivers and are easily dragged down by water conservancy.
Over time, officials are no longer willing to work in places with jurisdictions and rivers! "
"Adaptations can be made. Where there are rivers, as long as water conservancy is done well, promotions will be given priority, salary adjustments and other preferential treatment measures will be drafted by the Ministry of Personnel and submitted to the cabinet for discussion!"
At this moment, all the officials realized that the emperor attached great importance to water conservancy.
In a feudal agricultural society, there were no large-scale machinery. Any burst of the embankment would be a disaster. Chongzhen knew this very well, so he emphasized it again and again.
After exchanging a few words, the meeting dispersed.
Chongzhen returned to Dongnuan Pavilion, picked up a summary of data and looked through it slowly.
This year's taxes, plus the grain purchased from the private sector by the Ministry of Household Affairs with the help of Jin Yiwei in the past year, the entire Ming Dynasty's grain inventory is about 40 million shi.
Forty million stones is equivalent to six billion catties, which is just a drop in the bucket for the nearly 200 million people in the entire Ming Dynasty. However, if it is used for disaster relief, it will not be a big problem.
According to historical records, this year is the most peaceful year in the next few decades. What will follow is either a severe drought, a severe flood, or a locust plague, and we must be prepared to deal with it!
The court failed to provide disaster relief in time. Under the hunger, the people could do anything. Under the circumstances of vandalism, looting and looting, more factors of unrest emerged.
Once he rebels and rises up, all his efforts will be in vain.
The population is decreasing, farmland is abandoned, cities and houses are destroyed, bandits are everywhere...the most terrifying thing is the plague caused by a large number of deaths, which is the most deadly.
The imperial court spent huge sums of money on suppression and the sequelae caused by the war were nothing.
"Food, food, food!"
Chongzhen murmured to himself, frowning.
Ming Dynasty estimated that there were at least 9 million to 10 million hectares of cultivated land.
Under ideal circumstances, the average yield per mu is two shi, which is 2 billion shi, equivalent to 300 billion catties, or 1,500 catties per person. Even if there is a lack of non-staple food nutrition, this is definitely enough.
Based on this calculation, there was no shortage of food in the Ming Dynasty.
However, floods will kill people, and drought will kill them. The food in the homes of rich merchants and gentry will sprout, while the homes of poor people will not be able to open the pot.
But the reality is that it is impossible to achieve the ideal. At least one-third of the 10 million hectares are planted with other crops, such as peanuts, sesame, vegetables, etc., and the remaining 6.6 million hectares are used for staple food.
In the next few years, the Little Glacier intensified, droughts, floods, and locust plagues occurred all over the country. Farming animals decreased, fertilizers were lacking, and the land was barren. It was good to have three harvests.
The average person weighs less than 300 kilograms, which is enough to sustain life without working, so don’t even think about manual labor.
What's even worse is that most of the cultivated land is in the hands of the gentry and wealthy merchants. Even if the land is returned to the people now, it will take three to five years to release it all from their hands.
What will happen to the land in the hands of the gentry and wealthy businessmen? The imperial court paid for the silver to be recycled, but even if the average price was one tael of silver per mu, the imperial court could not afford it.
Forced expropriation is even more impossible. If you dare to do this, it will be directly counterproductive.
And without war, the population will definitely grow rapidly.
"Vigorously promote high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes and corn, and buy grain from outside."
“Where to buy it, that’s the question!”
After thinking for a while, Chongzhen focused his eyes on the map. After a while, he circled the southwest corner of the map.
The word Tianzhu is clearly written there. In later generations, Tianzhu was the third largest country in terms of food production in the world.
If Tianzhu's agricultural technology was not backward and its people were lazy, given their geographical environment and climate, they might be able to surpass the Ming Dynasty.
After a while, Chongzhen sighed and found the food base. However, the Chahatai Khanate (Xinjiang) separated Tianzhu and Ming Dynasty, so it was unlikely that he could take advantage of it.
"Since it's impossible to borrow a way, then I will defeat you first!"
"Conquer the Mongolian tribes first, and then establish slaves. Without the threat of foreign enemies, the rest will be much easier to handle."
After making the decision, Chongzhen returned to the Long Case and wrote: "Clan, nobles, Jiangnan, Confucius, gentry and wealthy merchants!"
Compared with food, these five major problems are nothing. Even if all their houses are confiscated, what will happen? It is useless to pile up the warehouse with money. Can they buy food?
But you can get land from them, especially the clan and nobles!
"Daban, where is King Fu?"
"Back to Your Majesty, the news sent back by the Jinyi Guards yesterday is that King Fu has just left Zhangde City and is still a thousand miles away from the capital."
Damn...are you planning to go to the capital to celebrate the New Year?
After hearing this, Chongzhen complained in his heart, "It's a thousand and seventy-eight miles from Luoyang to the capital. Good guy, King Fu walked from mid-August to mid-to-late September, and he only walked six to seven hundred miles in more than a month."
Along the way, he traveled around the mountains and rivers, and also stayed for a few days in Zhangde City of King Zhao and Qinyang City of King Zheng. He was afraid that these two vassal princes did not know that he was going to the capital.
In more than a month, the news of King Fu's visit to the capital was enough to spread to other feudal princes. It is estimated that some of those princes have already guessed King Fu's intentions.
Chongzhen rubbed his swollen temples: "The clan is difficult to deal with, so let's take action on the nobles first. The evidence is conclusive, and there is also the serious crime of siege and disobedience of military orders. I don't believe that we can still find out the truth!
If we clean it up before the year, we can still have a good year. "
"Big companion, tell Li Ruolian to send someone to notify the British Duke to come back. After the British Duke comes back, the net can be closed according to the established plan!"
After Wang Chengen responded, he left quickly.
Five days later, at the time of Shen Zheng, the British Duke returned to the capital and entered the palace without even drinking.
