Chapter 168 Liaodong Border Troubles and the Offering of Corn

Prince's Mansion.

Shangguan Wan'er's desk is always piled with memorials.

As the heart of the huge empire of Li Tang, the memorials submitted from all over the country are a huge number.

Most of the memorials are meaningless nonsense.

When Li Zhao ascended the throne, he wanted to learn from the ancient wise monarchs and personally review the memorials.

However, most of the contents of these memorials are just the same old words from local officials to greet the monarch.

For example: Your Majesty, are you in good health today? Today, the weather in the place where I govern is good.

Even if some strange things happen in a certain place, local officials have to send memorials to the capital.

So Li Zhao realized it.

He issued an order not to send these meaningless memorials to the capital anymore, and those who violated the order would be severely punished.

After this imperial edict was issued, the local officials calmed down a little.

At the same time, Shangguan Wan'er and other close ministers were asked to review the memorials and select the meaningful ones to send to Li Zhao.

"Are there so many memorials today?"

Lin Chen was a little surprised when he saw the memorials on the desk, which were two or three times more than usual.

Shangguan Wan'er rubbed her somewhat awkward eyebrows when she heard what Lin Chen said, and a trace of imperceptible worry flashed across her face.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Chen noticed Shangguan Wan'er's expression change.

With Shangguan Wan'er's calm state of mind, what could make her like this?

"News from all over Liaodong, the cold winter in the north came a month earlier, and countless crops were frozen to death!"

Shangguan Wan'er's tone was particularly solemn.

"Cold disaster?" Lin Chen frowned slightly when he heard it.

And it happened in Liaodong!

You must know that the Liaodong region is already bitter and cold, and there are also the Manchu barbarians who rose between the white mountains and black waters.

All these made the people in Liaodong region miserable, and many fled south.

It was a last resort.

The former emperor Li Tang implemented a policy similar to military settlement in Liaodong.

Let the soldiers' families settle down with the army at the border, which made Liaodong a little more popular.

Nowadays, natural disasters and man-made disasters continue. If the cold disaster leads to a complete crop failure and the people in the military settlements cannot eat, then the Liaodong border army may cause trouble!

No wonder Shangguan Wan'er is so worried, this matter is not trivial!

Lin Chen also heard another major hidden danger from Shangguan Wan'er's tone.

Liaodong suffered from the cold disaster, what would the scene be like outside the pass where the environment is even worse?

When the barbarians around Li Tang can't survive, they will most likely go south to forage for grass and plunder the people of Li Tang in order to survive.

So.

The war in Liaodong will start? !

Lin Chen's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but sigh at the difficult fate of Li Tang.

Previously, there was a White Lotus Sect causing trouble. After it was finally quelled, before it could recuperate, the border troubles reappeared.

"Does the court still provide money and food for Liaodong?" Lin Chen pondered for a moment and asked Shangguan Wan'er.

The only answer he got was silence.

Shangguan Wan'er knew very well that even rats in the treasury would shed tears.

There were still three months left in this year, and taxes from all places would not be collected until next year.

In short, there was no money!

This scene reminded Lin Chen of the late Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Chongzhen was hanged on a crooked tree. In addition to his own tricks, he was also short of money.

Lin Chen did not know the local situation in Li Tang, so it was difficult to say anything.

"By the way!"

He slapped his forehead and thought that he had come to Shangguan Wan'er for something important.

"What?!"

Shangguan Wan'er was surprised when she heard Lin Chen's description.

Yes.

Lin Chen told Shangguan Wan'er about the various grain seeds he bought from the Futu Chamber of Commerce.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes were still being found by the Futu Chamber of Commerce.

But the yield of corn alone was enough to move Shangguan Wan'er.

As a modern man, Lin Chen knew very well how high the yield of corn was.

If it is replaced with modern high-yield corn that has been carefully cultivated, the yield per mu can reach 2,000 kilograms!

On the other hand, the agricultural production of the Li Tang Dynasty.

Taking the north as an example, most of the crops planted are millet and sorghum as the main food, with two crops a year, and the yield of grain per mu is one and a half stones, and the fertile land is two stones.

Excluding rice seeds and taxes that must be paid, a family with 20 mu of land can only harvest enough for their own use every year.

Not to mention that they have to sell their land to make a living when they encounter natural disasters and man-made disasters.

This is also the reason why ancient dynasties used the cycle law. When the land can no longer accommodate so many people, it is the sign of the end of the dynasty!

You must know that in the middle and late stages of each dynasty, a large number of landlords and gentry who annexed land will breed.

So it is difficult for ordinary farmers to survive, and they have to sell their children.

When this resentment accumulates to a certain extent, it is the time for the dynasty to collapse.

Then, with the chaos in the world, countless people died in the war, and the idle land was enough to feed the rest of the people.

This is one of the reasons why most new dynasties ushered in a prosperous era in the early stage.

Let’s talk about grain production.

You should know that the Qing Dynasty relied on high-yield crops such as corn to increase the population of more than 100 million to 400 million in the middle and late stages!

"Roughly speaking, the yield of this crop should be around four stones per mu!"

Lin Chen was not sure.

Moreover, corn has a short growth cycle and low soil requirements. At the same time, other crops can be planted between the rows of corn.

If it is combined with potatoes and sweet potatoes, even if the population of Li Tang doubles, it will be enough to feed.

"Really?!" Shangguan Wan'er was shocked.

She didn't expect that there would be food in the world that would yield more than a thousand kilograms per mu without caring about the land!

"Absolutely true!"

Lin Chen was very sure of this.

Of course, he only has corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes in his hands at the moment and he has entrusted the Futu Merchant Association to find them.

If you are lucky, you can get it in two months.

"The so-called corn yield of four shi per acre is enough!"

Shangguan Wan'er is also familiar with farming.

If this corn is really as high-yielding as Lin Chen said, his statue will have to be added to Shennong Temples all over the world.

"There is no need to rush the promotion." Lin Chen thought of something and suddenly said.

"Why?" Shangguan Wan'er was a little confused.

Good things like this should be promoted.

"If the government forces people to plant something they have never seen before, will they be willing?"

Lin Chen pointed out the problem.

You must know that for ordinary people, fields are what they depend on for their livelihood.

It is impossible for ordinary people to grow corn without seeing it with their own eyes!

Shangguan Wan'er understood after hearing this.

"If that's the case, I can go to the palace to meet His Majesty and promote corn planting in Huangzhuang first." Shangguan Wan'er said thoughtfully.

"So best."

When Lin Chen heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief.

If Li Zhao was serious about this matter, there would be no need for Lin Chen to bother him.

At that time, officials in charge of agricultural affairs will naturally take care of the corn, and then promote it to ordinary people.

"Manager Lin!"

Suddenly, Shangguan Wan'er's tone became serious.

Um?

"This time you have made a great contribution by donating rice seeds, so you will naturally be rewarded."

The implication.

Shangguan Wan'er wanted to ask for credit in front of Li Zhao on Lin Chen's behalf.

"Are you asking for credit?" Lin Chen laughed and shook his head.

However, he still needs Shangguan Wan'er's help with one thing.

Immediately whisper a few words in your ear.

"Ah?! Pretending to investigate the Queen Mother?"

…