In Zhu Houcong's heart, the future of Ming Dynasty was complicated and difficult.
After struggling for a few days, he gave up. Technological progress is measured in units of ten years and one hundred years. He knew nothing about many professional technologies, so his thinking focused on long-term prospects.
Now the first step is to summarize and promote the existing experience, which is enough to benefit Ming Dynasty.
The rest must be left to education and time.
The first step is to summarize the experience of extension, which is naturally related to agriculture.
In the Yangxin Hall, old farmers will be welcomed in the next few days, and a reporter from Ming Pao Bank will also be present.
This term was naturally proposed by Zhu Houcong, and the reporter who often follows Zhu Houcong now is Zhao Tingsong, who was a Jinshi in the second year of Jiajing.
He found it quite strange: on one side was the Prime Minister's Ceremony being prepared on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, on the other side were the Agricultural College of Huangming University who were summoned to introduce their experience to the Yangxin Hall, and the Shuntian Prefecture was summoned to visit and invite old farmers.
If Zhu Houcong wants to listen, he must really understand the actual situation of folk farming today.
In front of the emperor, after they became familiar with the atmosphere and found that the emperor was really listening attentively, these good farmers gradually relaxed their restraints and dared to say something.
"...This ridge farming method is not always easy to use. It depends on what kind of field it is." Now they started arguing, "High fields should be planted in furrows to withstand drought; low fields should be planted on ridges to prevent waterlogging!"
“Then the south is full of paddy fields, what should we do?”
"There is dry land in the south too!"
Zhao Tingsong listened and suddenly said to the emperor: "I read the "Book of Han·Shi Huo Zhi", Zhao Guo, the commander of the millet search in the Han Dynasty, once had a method of replacing fields. Shen ridges alternated, and the following year, Shen ridges alternated, including Shangtian. Abandon the acres and go to the fields and abandon the words of barking. Sow seeds in the ditch, and the seedlings will grow above the leaves, and they will be slightly ridged with grass. Because the soil is soaked, they will attach to the roots of the seedlings. Each raked will be slightly attached to the roots. Compared with the peak heat, the ridges will be exhausted and the roots will be deeper, able to withstand the cold weather. Wind and drought.”
The old farmers were dazed after hearing this, and Zhu Houcong nodded: "It can be seen that this method has been around since ancient times, but it has never been taught to the world. Please speak simply so that these old farmers can understand."
Zhao Tingsong nodded in shame.
This is not because I paid attention to the word "Zhao" when I saw it when I was reading. Now I want to show off my extraordinary memory, but I was slightly beaten by the emperor.
"...Your Majesty, although this method is good, it is very laborious. You have to be lazy and willing to work hard every year." An old farmer added, "If you don't have an iron plow or livestock at home, it will be even more difficult. As long as you can take good care of it, As for crops, if one acre of land is good, it can produce one or two stones more. We don't know about paddy fields, so there may be other good methods."
"It's okay. As Lao Pi said, there is dry land in the south." Zhu Houcong nodded, "Iron plows and livestock, I remember these two things."
They were talking about a method of plowing the land into ridges and rotating crops in the ridges and furrows each year. It not only maintains soil fertility, but also prevents drought and floods. A teacher from the Agricultural College even said that when planted on such ridges, potatoes seem to produce more fruits, probably because the soil is loose and breathable.
But to do intensive farming like this is indeed more labor-intensive.
There was no shortage of hard-working farmers in the Ming Dynasty, but judging from the real situation among the people, not every family had good farm tools such as livestock and iron plows.
Everyone knows that these are good, and iron farm tools have been around for a long time, but if you just look at the Foshan iron pot, a large pot costs one, two or five yuan, you know that the real popularity of iron farm tools among the people is not very high. High.
Zhu Houcong is interested in technology and industry, and he also has a ledger in his mind.
There were many iron smelting plants run by the Ming Dynasty. According to statistics from historical records and huidian, as well as statistics from six other departments, Ming Dynasty's government-run iron smelting plants now produce more than 10 million kilograms of iron per year.
In addition, there are private iron smelting represented by Foshan, Guangdong.
Today's iron tax in the Ming Dynasty is three cents of silver for every 10,000 kilograms. Last year, the iron class money collected from Guangdong was just over 10,000 taels, which was more than 2,000 taels more than in previous years.
On the one hand, the new law prevents Guangdong iron smelters from evading taxes. On the other hand, it also proves that the output of private iron smelting in Guangdong Province is more than 30 million kilograms.
If we want to really popularize iron farm tools across the country, how much iron will be needed in total?
There are also weapons and various other places where iron is used... there is never too much steel.
Livestock is one of the most important assets of a farmer's family. Didn't Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang do the work of herding cattle in his early years?
"Let's talk about fat." Zhu Houcong asked a new topic.
"This old man knows!" someone said enthusiastically, "In addition to manure, grass ash, river mud, and wall skin can all be piled into fertilizer! There is also retting fertilizer, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, but few people can be so patient."
"Guano is the best! When my children go up the mountain to look for firewood, I will tell them to scrape the bird poop and bring it back!"
Zhao Tingsong was dumbfounded as they listened to them talking about all kinds of shit in the Palace of Cultivation of the Heart in the Forbidden City. His mind as a Jinshi was greatly shocked.
But the emperor listened carefully, and then sighed: "The people of Ming Dynasty have worked so hard!"
The reason why these old farmers were recommended here is because they all work extremely hard.
In addition to farming experience, the whole family is really aware of the collection and utilization of fertilizers. From what they said, this situation is not uncommon in rural areas, and many families are already doing their best to collect various products used as fertilizers. You even try your best to poop and urinate in your own cesspit. If you are outside, you have to find a way to bring it back. It will not be cheap for other people's fields!
"Raw manure is very dry and cannot be used directly. It needs to be soaked!"
Zhao Tingsong felt like he was about to be drowned in a cesspit, but the emperor's attitude was too correct.
"When the Tatars were ruling the world, there was another way to steam fertilizer. It was faster! The chaff, stalks, fallen leaves, and grass roots could all be burned together. Then the dung was mixed in and covered with soil. It was faster!"
Zhu Houcong nodded repeatedly and said to comrade reporters: "Every good idea must be written down and then published. It must be stated in an easy-to-understand manner."
Zhao Tingsong feels that he is about to write a very interesting article.
"Then there is... the Tiaolang clan in the city." This person said a word that made Zhao Tingsong feel quite elegant. After all, this title came from Zhou Li.
Tiao Lang is a "sanitation worker", but now he actually collects excrement.
The man sighed with emotion: "There is a lot of money in the city, and ordinary people have no access to it and cannot afford it. There are people who control the way in and out of these good things."
After Zhu Houcong asked about it, he realized that the large amount of manure produced in a densely populated city is now also an industry.
There are already dung merchants, and they know better how to retting and making fertilizer, which can then be supplied to the wealthy households who help the officials and gentry manage their fields.
Those whose fields are better and have a stable supply of high-quality fertilizer will naturally have better harvests.
Ordinary families have to collect fertilizers as a family, but they don't have to worry about this.
"...You can't force them to do this." Zhu Houcong could only say, "If we can find these external methods to make more fat, that will be the root cause."
In fact, one of the important reasons why he asked these old farmers to come over was to see if there were any clues about fertilizer production.
Naturally, it is still at the stage of organic fertilizers, and Zhu Houcong has no clue about chemical fertilizers.
But today when they mentioned bird droppings, Zhu Houcong was reminded of the Nauru that made the country rich by selling bird droppings.
In addition, it was Jin Kaila's magical advertisement that let him know that the fertilizer was probably related to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and synthetic ammonia. At the same time, there is also an indelible memory - urea.
It’s just that he didn’t know the principles behind it, so he gave all these chemistry gadgets back to the teacher.
Professional matters must be left to professionals. Zhu Houcong turned around and said to Huang Jin: "Look back and find out who is the largest manure merchant in the capital. He makes this his business and must have some experience in fertilizer production. "
"...This slave accepts the order."
Zhu Houcong was still in his professional thoughts and did not feel that this order issued directly from the emperor was outrageous. He was still thinking: Does it seem like there is ammonia in his fart?
If he wanted to engage in chemistry, he could not do without the famous "chemists" in Chinese history - Taoist priests who made alchemy. Zhu Houcong asked Huang Jin to find some Taoist priests who were well-known in alchemy.
Because of this "agricultural planting technology seminar", the two types of people were inexplicably brought together by the emperor, which also triggered a wonderful reaction in the court and among the people...
…
Who is the dung dealer in the capital? There is no need to alert many people - Jin Yiwei can handle it himself.
The boss of Jinyiwei is the commander of the capital, and his subordinates, the North and South Town Fusi, are naturally important, but there are also some military and political affairs at the guard level, and the official in this position is called Tang Guan.
Among the officials of Jinyiweitang, there are three heads, namely Admiral East Si Fang, Admiral Xi Si Fang, and Admiral Street Fang.
The East Sifang hunts down traitors inside and outside the capital, the West Sifang hunts down thieves inside and outside the capital, and the Street Fang... repairs streets and clears ditches inside and outside the capital.
This job sounds outrageous, but the rank of the admiral in the street room is not low. His identity is the commander of the Jinyiwei, ranking third among the court officials. In terms of official rank, he is higher than the governor of the north and south towns.
The reason for setting up a special street house in Jinyiwei is also simple: there are many dignitaries in the capital, and their construction of houses will naturally cause some damage to the city's infrastructure. Logically speaking, this matter also falls under the jurisdiction of the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities, but only the officers of the Jinyi Guards Hall with sufficient rank can easily suppress them.
Now that such a department has been established, it is up to them to deal with the filth of the residents of the capital.
Even including firefighting and other chores.
The east and west divisions each have their own seals and defenses, operate independently, and each can report to the emperor. What about street housing?
The marginal elderly care department of Jinyiwei Middle School.
Now, an old man is in charge of the admiral street house.
When Wen Tingwei heard Wang Zuo's instructions, his expression was very strange: "Your Majesty wants to find the dung dealer in the capital?"
"You know this matter best." Wang Zuo said with a serious face, "This is His Majesty's personal order. Find all the people first and then we can talk about it!"
"...I humble my position and take orders."
Wen Tingwei returned to his official office, and found the secretary in charge of the specific affairs in the street room, and gave the order: "Call all the people in the 136 dung lanes inside and outside the east, west, south, and north cities, and wait for your majesty's disposal. "
He thought something had happened, so he used the word dispose.
When the secretary in the hall heard the words "At your Majesty's disposal", the hairs on his body stood up: "Admiral, is there something wrong with our street room?"
"...I don't know, Mr. Wang is very solemn."
"I know! I'll send someone right now!"
There are fifty people in Jinyi Banner School in the street room quota. The secretary of the hall quickly found all the five small banner officials who led the team. They were also very serious: "Your Majesty has a decree to arrest the dung dealers in the capital. The admiral ordered us to first seize the dung merchants." Bring all the people who are holding the 136 dung tunnels! I will give you half a day, no one is left behind, you must bring them all!"
"..."
The orders are incomprehensible, but everyone is a mature Jinyiwei, so they just obey the orders and do things.
Since the street office is in charge of dirty things in the capital, they naturally know where to look and who to look for.
Naturally, the dignified Jinyiwei did not personally carry out sanitation and street and ditch cleaning. They generally only put forward supervision pressure on the city management work from the perspective of the etiquette and majesty of a clean and tidy city under the emperor's feet.
The same goes for dirty work.
After many years of "competition", the dung workers in Beijing, known as "Tiaolangshi" or "Qingjigong", now basically belong to the twelve major dung merchants.
Based on the experience accumulated from years of excrement work, many streets and lanes in the capital have been divided into 136 excrement channels according to footwork and "contracting relationships."
Each dung tunnel belongs to a dung dealer and is handled by the dung diggers he hires.
The person with the most excrement tunnels is the boss of the dung dealer in the capital. The name is not pleasant, but people in the world respect him as Taoist.
Now, Song Hu, Taoist Master of the capital, is enjoying himself in his house in the capital.
Naturally, his house cannot exceed the regulations, but now the best charcoal is burning in the house, the best wine is warming on the stove, and the best concubine is in his arms.
Song Hu alone dominates thirty-eight dung tunnels. How much money can he make every year?
He felt that he was more powerful than Luo Hui, his predecessor from the Tang Dynasty, whom his literary friends told him. It is said that Naluo will be doing this business for generations, and his family fortune will be huge, and he was even written about it in a book.
There were many people in Chang'an back then, and now there are also many in Beijing!
Besides, there are many more ways to make fertilizer from manure than before.
Song Hu has made his business better and better over the years.
The most illustrative point is that now the fat of His Majesty’s Imperial Mansion is also contributed by him!
This man is the royal fertilizer merchant!
Song Hu's name is very arrogant, but he is very rich, fair and fat.
It's almost the New Year, and he is now rubbing his concubine with great interest and asking: "Where did you buy the incense that was burned in the official room last night?"
"Oh sir! If you like the taste, I will use that from now on!"
"Serious business! I want to buy some as gifts!"
Naturally, dung merchants should be particular about giving gifts. You should not look too extravagant, but you should also take your own identity into consideration.
In order to remove the smell when it is convenient, wealthy families have the practice of burning some incense aside.
The dung dealer gave this kind of gift, which is not only consistent with his status, but also expresses his care for the cleanliness and hygiene of the big customer's house.
It smells good and the price is not cheap either.
How could Song Hu not have some capable friends if he could dominate thirty-eight excrement channels in the capital?
At least he considered them friends.
Now a friend of his came to his house.
It came very unceremoniously.
"Song Hu, come with me back to Jinyiwei."
"...Brother Qi, what happened? The younger one always works hard..."
Song Hu could see the awe-inspiring and awe-inspiring look on the face of this Jinyiwei flag officer who kept smiling in the past.
As a Taoist in the dungeon of the world, Song Hu is a man of spirit, and he instinctively breaks out in cold sweats.
This man has a monopoly on the business of thirty-eight excrement tunnels. Even if he is in the way of his peers, he can't afford to have Jin Yiwei to take care of them, right?
These things are considered serious if they can cause trouble in the county government!
"Your Majesty's decree, you who know the truth, don't talk any more. It's not degrading to follow me now!"
Song Hu's face turned pale.
What did you say?
Do you need His Majesty's decree to arrest me?
Last year, the capital was indeed very nervous because of the rebellion.
But I just took out some excrement, is it treason?
The Taoist priest was panicked, but the Taoist priests were surprised.
Zhu Houcong officially had an encounter with the Taoist priest, and he took the initiative to look for him.
You don't need to go through anyone to find a dung dealer, but if you want to find a famous alchemist, you have to rely on the power of the government.
As soon as the news broke, private discussions began.
As the Prime Minister's Ceremony is about to be held, many people can't help but wonder: Could it be that after His Majesty put down the rebellion and stabilized his position, and appointed the Prime Minister, he began to seek immortality at such a young age?
Daolu Si Zuozheng, who had just been assigned to the Ministry of Rites, was very excited.
Although the Daolu Division was formerly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites in name, it had officials but no yamen.
Now, although the official name has not been changed, there is actually an office in the Ministry of Rites, and the monks and Taoists are combined into one department. The chief secretary is the fourth rank, and the Zuozheng of the Daolu Department has also been designated as the right rank from the original sixth rank. Fifth grade!
The Yamen hall is not yet hot, and is thinking about His Majesty's intention of restructuring and thinking about where to make achievements. His Majesty's decree is here!
"Invite the officials You Zheng, Yan Fa, Zhi Ling, Xuan Yi and others. Your Majesty has a decree!"
This time, we must complete the first mission His Majesty gave to the Daolu Division.
Your Majesty wants a famous alchemist, so there must be no less famous alchemists from the Ming Dynasty!
In the face of this news, before the meeting at the Imperial Palace on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, some officials expressed their feelings with the idea of being loyal to the emperor and serving the country.
The new law has not yet been completed, and the Ming Dynasty has not yet become rich, so why does Your Majesty want to practice mystical science?
(End of chapter)
