Chapter 396: The world's most important affairs lie in agriculture

Chapter 396: The world's most important affairs lie in agriculture

Chapter 396: The world's most important affairs lie in agriculture

Lu Yunyi's feeling was correct. The academic atmosphere at the Agricultural Administration College was particularly strong.

Even when a group of them passed by the fields, those who were busy in the fields, whether they were old farmers or clerks, never looked up, but just silently did their work.

Occasionally, one could hear a heated argument among them.

"I've been poking holes for three days. There's too much water in the soil. If I don't poke holes, it won't sprout."

An old farmer who looked extremely old, probably in his fifties, but moved extremely quickly, was holding a long wooden stick and poking it back and forth on a row of slightly moist soil.

Each time I went very deep, and when I pulled it out, there would be some slightly black soil with it.

Two clerks in their thirties were squatting there, bewildered, scratching their heads constantly, their little heads filled with confusion.

When Lu Yunyi passed by them, he could still hear the old man cursing.

"You two bastards, you are living like dogs at your old age.

I've said it so many times, but I just can't remember it.

If you take care of these fields, we will be beheaded tomorrow."

"Sir, will we really be beheaded?"

When a young man in his twenties standing nearby heard this, he immediately squatted down, came closer and asked, his face full of curiosity and confusion.

The old man was also stunned when he heard this. The wooden stick in his hand dug into the concrete and he was reluctant to pull it out.

Finally, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly and his expression gradually became ferocious.

“Roll, roll, roll!”

"A fool like you is only suitable for farming."

The young man did not move after hearing this. Instead, he seemed to be thinking about something. Finally, he nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, yes, your Excellency is right."

Hearing this, Lu Yunyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
It turns out that people can't control their smiles when they are speechless.

Ning Zheng, who was also smiling, explained to him:

"That old man is Zhu Zhixing, Director of the Experimental Farming Management Department of the Agricultural Administration Institute.

I have been here for many years. During the Yuan Dynasty, I was engaged in farming in Yunnan.
He is in charge of all the trial fields in front of him, and no one is allowed to touch them.

And those young people are his disciples.

They are gifted young people recruited from all counties and towns across Yunnan.

These people are a bit dull.

But farming is great, don’t underestimate them.”

Lu Yunyi's face became serious, his eyes lingered on them, and he nodded in agreement:
“Sir Ning, I have seen some similar craftsmen in the workshop in Puzikou City.

They are also dull and have bad tempers.

But both the work and the weapons they made were first-rate and very sophisticated.”

Speaking of this, Lu Yunyi laughed:
"When I first started researching backpacks in the capital, I persuaded two craftsmen to help me make a trial version."

Ning Zheng laughed after hearing this:

"It should be so. If our Ming Dynasty didn't have these craftsmen and old farmers,

Even if we have a million soldiers, we can't accomplish anything. We have nothing to eat and nothing to use."

Mu Ying, Marquis of Xiping, who was walking in front, also laughed.

But he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked back and forth at the fields in front of him and nodded from time to time.

Soon, the group arrived at the wooden house of the Agricultural Administration Institute.

An old man in his fifties, wearing a light grey robe, ran out in a hurry.
His steps were hurried, his face was covered in mud, and his hands and feet looked like they had just been pulled out of the mud, with obvious color demarcations.

He came up to the group and bowed:
"Greetings to Lord Xiping and Lord Ning."

Without waiting for the two to reply, he looked at Lu Yunyi beside him, his eyes widened, and he moved closer:
"You must be General Lu."

Lu Yunyi showed a trace of confusion and nodded.

"Great!! Come on, come on!"

The old man jumped up happily and clapped his hands. Dust could be clearly seen in the air. Then he grabbed Lu Yunyi and walked into the house.

Although the old man dragged hard,
But Lu Yunyi still stood there, motionless, just looking back at Ning Zheng and his father-in-law.

Xiping Hou Mu Ying took a step forward and sighed:

"Old Gao, we already have the stuff, why rush it?"

Ning Zheng introduced Lu Yunyi:
"His name is Gao Fusheng, he is the Junior Secretary of the Agricultural Administration Bureau, and he is in charge here now.

As for Zheng Qing, he took people to Luchuan in a hurry a few days ago.
He said he wanted to see what treasures Luchuan had. "

Lu Yunyi suddenly realized something, looked at the old man in front of him, and nodded:
"Master Gao."

Gao Fusheng did not drag him anymore. Instead, he looked at Lu Yunyi with a smile, looked him up and down, and kept saying "good".

"Great, great, young people are great, much better than those rough guys who only know how to fight.

After fighting with Luchuan for so many years, sweet potatoes have not been discovered. What a waste.

Luchuan is also useless, guarding a mountain of gold but coming here to beg for food."

Gao Fusheng kept chattering away with a smile on his face. His hands, covered in yellow mud, had already smeared some mud on Lu Yunyi's armor.

"Lao Gao, that's enough, come and take us to see the sweet potatoes."

Xiping Hou Mu Ying didn't care about such ridicule.

Apparently, Gao Fusheng just muttered something, laughed loudly, and led everyone into the house.

The door opened and everyone entered. The earthy smell that hit them in the face almost overwhelmed them.

Lu Yunyi's eyes widened slightly. Compared to the spaciousness outside, the inside of the house was also a different world.
Neatly arranged rows of wooden shelves were placed in the house, standing like bookshelves.

The only difference is that the shelves are not filled with books.
Instead, the soil is placed in flat long plates, with tender sprouts on them.

Around it, there are lights that are always on, and even.
Lu Yunyi also saw a heating device similar to a hot water bottle, placed in a wooden frame and wrapped in transparent and breathable silk!
"A greenhouse?"

Lu Yunyi was somewhat shocked by the ability of the Agricultural Administration Institute.

It is hard to imagine that this house in front of us, which is full of scientific atmosphere, is in the Ming Dynasty.

Soon, Gao Fusheng happily led a group of people to the innermost small room.

It was a bit crowded after four people entered, but there was enough space for standing.

The walls of this small house are filled with cabinets, on which are placed earthenware jars, ceramic pots, large and small flower pots.

When Lu Yunyi saw this scene, he was obviously stunned. It was similar to the scene when he was growing bean sprouts on the boat.

The only difference is that these bottles and jars are filled with soil.

After entering here, Gao Fusheng's temperament changed. He was no longer as flamboyant as before. Instead, he became much more stable and his movements became more cautious.

“This is where sweet potatoes are cultivated. From the seized sweet potatoes, the Agricultural Administration found nearly 200 viable seeds, most of which are here.

This jar is made of soil from one place, including soil from the two capitals, thirteen provinces, and the northern grasslands. It arrived a few days ago and was intended to be used to grow beans. Now it is planted.

The good news is that the sweet potato seeds all showed signs of survival in these soils, some faster and some slower.

Of course, this is related to the water and fertilizer seasons.

The best performers are in the sandy loam soils in spring and fall, see these two rows.”

Gao Fusheng pointed to the first and third rows of shelves on the south side and explained:

"From bottom to top, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter."

Gao Fusheng opened the third layer of lid, revealing the bottles and jars inside.

Mu Ying and Ning Zheng quickly squeezed over. They were both very tall.
Lu Yunyi was squeezed so tightly that he had no room to look around and could only stand on tiptoe to check.

Fortunately, I can see tender leaves emerging from the soil.

For some reason, Lu Yunyi's mood suddenly improved.

“According to my calculations, spring potatoes can be harvested within four to five months after planting.
Autumn potatoes are harvested about three to five months after planting.
It is worth mentioning that, judging from their current growth,

Gao Fusheng was excited, and his voice was trembling:

"If we take good care of them and understand their preferences, it should be no problem to produce two dan per mu."

Mu Yingwenning was holding his breath suddenly, and he moved his head closer, his eyes wide open, staring at the small tender buds in front of him.

Although what we see now is small, once it is promoted, it will be enough to make a big splash.

Ning Zheng pursed his lips and said, "Lao Gao, didn't you say a few days ago that there was only one stone?"

Gao Fusheng rolled his eyes and grinned:

"I didn't think clearly at that time, so I watered it a lot. Although it grew, it was sickly.
Now it is fine, I changed the soil, watered less, and it is growing well!! "

As he said this, he looked at Lu Yunyi and laughed:

"General Lu, you are right. The sweet potatoes in front of us are very suitable for our sandy loam soil in Yunnan. When the time comes, we can plant them all over the fields!

If you are too lazy to take care of it, just throw the seeds away.
Grow as much as you can, we have plenty of land in Yunnan anyway!!”

Mu Ying straightened up suddenly, the passion in his eyes could no longer be concealed. He had too many ambitions that needed to be vented at the moment.

In the past, I was always constrained in doing things.

But now, sweet potatoes gave him enough confidence. Nothing was more important than having enough food to eat.

He looked at Gao Fusheng, his voice hoarse and grim:

"Lao Gao, you must keep your mouth shut this time. Don't spread rumors everywhere. If the news leaks out again,
The next one to come will be the Imperial Guards."

Gao Fusheng's expression suddenly became serious, and the wrinkles on his face became more and more winding. He nodded solemnly:
"Don't worry, the news won't leak out this time. The person who leaked the information before has been planted in the soil to make money."

Lu Yunyi, who was standing silently at the side, narrowed his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
"Has the news about the sweet potato ever been leaked?"

Mu Ying looked over and nodded slightly:
"You and Jinglong were assassinated a few days ago. It was just that some people were desperate."

Lu Yunyi's brows were furrowed for a moment, his thoughts scattered, and he couldn't understand what the sweet potato had to do with a desperate dog.

Ning Zheng on the side sneered and explained:
"After the war in Yunnan ended, it was time to survey the land and draw fish scale maps.
In the past, we were hesitant for fear of causing unrest and famine.

Now they are no longer afraid, it is their turn to be afraid.”

Lu Yunyi's pupils suddenly contracted, and the dark clouds in his heart seemed to be split by a bolt of lightning, followed by enlightenment.

I see! !
He shook his head with a wry smile. It was the lack of information that led to this happening.

If he had known that the two adults were going to start a war, he would not have been in such an embarrassing state.

Gao Fusheng smiled at the side, with a sinister expression:
"They occupied the good land but didn't cultivate it properly, so all they gave to our government was rotten land.

We have to spend all day trying to figure out how to grow good fruit in rotten soil, which is really a waste of time."

“My Lord, Lord Ning, this time we must take back some of the good land and give some to the Agricultural Administration.

I want to try and see how much food those seeds can produce."

Ning Zheng nodded: "Don't worry, I will transfer a guard station to help you when the time comes, and calculate how much grain you have hidden over the years."

"hey-hey."

For a moment, sinister laughter rang out in the hut.

After looking at the sweet potatoes, Gao Fusheng took Mu Ying and Ning Zheng to see some new varieties that were being improved, with Lu Yunyi also accompanying them.

Although he didn't understand some of it, seeing his father-in-law and Lord Ning smiling more and more, Lu Yunyi knew that there was extraordinary progress.

Time passed little by little, and the time spent fighting and farming seemed to pass especially quickly, and soon it was noon.

The group had lunch at the Agricultural Administration Institute.

Lu Yunyi swore that he had never eaten such fragrant rice.

After Gao Fusheng's explanation, he nodded with some realization.

There was nothing special about the rice, just new rice.

Only then did Lu Yunyi realize that the rice circulating in the market and sold in the streets were all old rice that had been stored for some years.

Especially in the army, almost all the rice they eat is the oldest rice, and even the generals in the army are no exception.

There were four people at the table. Except Gao Fusheng, the other three were military personnel. They ate particularly fast, before Gao Fusheng could even finish his bowl of rice.

The three of them had already gulped down three large bowls.

Gao Fusheng couldn't help but remind him:
"You should chew your food slowly, otherwise you will not live long.
Especially those of you in the military, who get up early and go to bed late on weekdays, must be more careful.

Look at me, an old man, I am nearly sixty years old, but I am still alive and kicking. "

Mu Ying and Ning Zheng had no intention of answering such urging. If they could chew their food slowly, who wouldn't want to?

Lu Yunyi smiled, changed the subject, and asked:
"May I ask, Master Gao, if we plant some crops, will the quality of the yellow mud affect the harvest?"

Gao Fusheng blinked his eyes, with a strange look on his face:
“The yellow mud is too sticky and not breathable. Seeds planted in the mud will be drowned. Who would use it to grow crops?
Unless you are growing rice in the south, using yellow mud can retain water.

But this is too much trouble and requires intermittent irrigation for ventilation.”

Seeing Lu Yunyi's strange expression, Gao Fusheng explained:

"When the soil is dry, the rice roots can breathe, otherwise they will suffocate to death.

When it’s time to water, the yellow mud can lock in the water, allowing the rice to grow well.”

Lu Yunyi looked suddenly enlightened and nodded, not quite understanding.

Mu Ying's eyes flickered as he looked at Lu Yunyi and asked:

"Is that method wrong?"

He had seen the recipe last night and listened to the report from the owner of the Sheungshui Sugar Factory.

Lu Yunyi smiled bitterly and nodded slightly:

"There are some problems, but please rest assured, father-in-law. Duke Cao has promised to let his workshops study this matter together and will definitely find a way out."

Ning Zheng, who was sitting nearby, was confused and didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't ask any questions.

Mu Ying nodded thoughtfully and said with a smile:
"Having the sweet potatoes is enough. The workshop is just the icing on the cake. If it succeeds, it would be the best. If it fails, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, father-in-law."

Although Lu Yunyi said this, he still did not give up. He turned to look at Gao Fusheng and asked:
"May I ask, Master Gao, what are the subdivisions in the yellow mud?"

"Segmentation?"

“They are all called yellow mud, but their quality and appearance are different.”

Gao Fusheng understood it immediately and said:

“There is dead yellow mud in Hanzhong area, most of which has been reclaimed into paddy soil.

There is also yellow sand and mud, mainly on the south bank of the Han River. The land there is good and whatever you plant will grow.

The better yellow mud is the silt washed out by the Yellow River. That land is better. You can plant things and fertilize them without worrying about them dying. "

Gao Fusheng is worthy of being the Junior Secretary of the Agricultural Administration Bureau. He is very good at farming.
Suddenly, he remembered something and continued:

"There is also a kind of glutinous rice soil in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi. It seems that the soil is also called yellow mud in Fujian, but it is mostly used to make porcelain."

Lu Yunyi straightened his back suddenly, his eyes gleaming, and he asked hurriedly:

"Master Gao, is it the sticky rice soil near Gaoling Village in Jingdezhen?"

Gao Fusheng nodded: "Yes, it's called kaolin in Jingdezhen. When I went there a few years ago, I saw them digging in the mountains, looking for soil."

Lu Yunyi's eyes flashed, if he remembered correctly,

Kaolin has extremely strong stability and can maintain its shape even at high temperatures.

What's more important is that kaolin has small particles and a fine texture, which can fill the gaps in the blank, making the blank more dense and uniform, and the fired porcelain can also maintain smoothness and texture to the greatest extent.

What Lu Yunyi thought was that yellow mud water could indeed absorb the impurities in brown sugar, but it could not do it completely. Was it related to the fineness of the yellow mud?
He had made up his mind to give kaolin a try.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi looked at Gao Fusheng with a serious expression:
"Thank you, Master Gao, for clearing up my confusion."

Although Gao Fusheng didn't know what happened, he smiled and nodded:

“I have been farming all my life, hoping to produce more than two stone of grain per mu. I thought the time had come and there was no hope in my life.

But now, the appearance of sweet potatoes has given me the possibility of fulfilling my wish."

As he spoke, Gao Fusheng slowly stood up with a serious expression and a solemn face.

Then, to the surprise of the three people, he bowed deeply and paid homage to Lu Yunyi.

Lu Yunyi quickly stood up, looking terrified.

But Gao Fusheng's voice was heavy:
“Most of the world’s troubles arise from hunger.

If the people have no food, they will become chaotic; if the scholars have no food, they will become hungry; if the merchants have no food, they will become poor; if the workers have no food, they will become useless.

The granaries are empty, rituals are broken, and everything is sad.

In ancient times, the most important thing for prosperity was to have enough food.
If the warehouse is solid, you will know etiquette; if you have enough food and clothing, you will know honor and disgrace.

In today's world, we should also attach importance to agriculture so that the people will not suffer from hunger and cold. Then the difficulties in the world can be alleviated and peace can be achieved. "

"Gao Fusheng, on behalf of all the people in the world, I would like to thank General Lu."

Lu Yunyi hurried forward and helped Gao Fusheng up, although this old man looked insignificant.

Given the importance the imperial court places on agriculture, it is possible that this will reach the ears of the emperor.

Similarly, Lu Yunyi also admires such people very much.

There are many people who can fight well, but there are not many who can grow crops well.

"Master Gao, please get up quickly.

The sweet potato is in Luchuan. Even if there is no Lu Yunyi, there is Ma Yunyi. We will find it eventually."

Gao Fusheng didn't know when he was in tears, and he kept shaking his head and waving his hands:
"If it had been discovered a year earlier, a lot of people would have been saved from starvation. I don't know how many lives it could have saved."

"When the sweet potatoes are successfully planted next year,

I personally submitted a petition to Your Majesty to request merit for General Lu."

(End of this chapter)