Chapter 849 938 Agricultural and Planting Institute
"Does the master want to establish such a yamen now?"
Zhu Yijun suddenly asked, as if he was very interested.
Seeing Wei Guangde looking at him, the little emperor smiled and continued: "I think the master's strategy is right. The court needs such a yamen.
The court talks about focusing on agriculture every day, but Apart from building water conservancy, it seems that nothing else has been done.
There have been constant natural disasters in recent years, and I think we need to pay more attention to it, especially since the master said that this thing is suitable for northwest and mountainous areas. There seem to be many places like this in my country.
Well, it is necessary. "
Zhu Yijun said seriously now with a straight face, but with that child's face, Wei Guangde felt a bit of joy.
"As long as the master plays, I will definitely The meeting approved this memorial. "
Finally, Zhu Yijun said seriously again.
He felt that the master mentioned this matter for the sake of the court.
What happened today was just for fun. He actually just wanted to tease the master. As a result, the master became interested when he saw this kind of food that he had never seen before. He wanted to understand the growth environment of this crop. This is the attitude of serving the court wholeheartedly.
Although royal wheat is a plant that copes with drought and mountainous areas, the current headache for the court is water damage. It can be said that the previous court also faced droughts and was helpless.
With this kind of crop, farmers in various places can be promptly changed to crops that do not require much watering during droughts, and the harvests in the fields will be higher, and the people will be able to survive. .
Zhu Yijun thinks he can do this, and his mother should not object.
"Your Majesty attaches great importance to agriculture and mulberry. I am here to thank Your Majesty on behalf of the people of the world.
However, when formulating policies, the imperial court needs to consider all aspects and cannot make them based on personal preferences. Therefore, I will discuss this matter with other ministers in the cabinet. Ichiban.
This matter still needs the assistance of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Industry, so I can’t make a decision yet. "
Wei Guangde said.
“Okay, Master Wei, go down and discuss with the cabinet, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry, and tell me what I mean.
It is said that when agriculture flourishes, the people will be rich and the country is strong; if agriculture is abolished, the people will be poor and the country will be weak. I think the master's suggestion is very good. This is a manifestation of the imperial court's emphasis on agriculture.
Especially this royal wheat, you can try to promote it throughout the Ming Dynasty. In the past, the mountainous areas had little output, mainly because there were no good crops.
Now that Master Wei has discovered that the growth characteristics of this crop are suitable for promotion in mountainous areas, I think the people living in mountainous areas should benefit from this. "
The little emperor was very excited now. He didn't understand why Wei Guangde said that he had to discuss with the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry first. If the court wanted to do something, couldn't he just issue an order?
< br>However, the young emperor Zhu Yijun still knew that what Master Wei said was correct.
In addition, Zhu Yijun also learned from the conversation just now that the plant Yumai is suitable for planting in mountainous areas. In the future, the food of the Ming Dynasty will no longer only be cultivated on the plains, but the mountains can also be used and produced.
"By the way, master, what does the master think should be the name of this yamen? Should it be hung under that yamen?"
Although Wei Guangde said he would go back to discuss, he didn't think Zhang Juzheng would object. Because this is a policy that benefits the country and the people.
Now he was curious what Wei Guangde would call this new yamen.
“The yamen that specializes in the development of agriculture, I think it is called the Agricultural and Plant Research Institute, which is under the Ministry of Industry. One or more places will be built in each of the thirteen roads across the country, and representative official fields will be selected to be included. , specializing in planting and cultivating drought- and flood-resistant crops, and looking for new, edible crops.”
Wei Guangde said.
Actually, Wei Guangde wanted to say "Academy of Agricultural Sciences" at first. This unit will also be famous in later generations. After all, it has cultivated hybrid rice that can feed a population of 1.4 billion. Otherwise, China in later generations will have a problem with food security. It will give you a headache.
You know, at that time, the yield of high-quality rice could reach one thousand kilograms per mu, but now in the fertile fields in the south of the Ming Dynasty, the yield of rice can reach four hundred kilograms per mu. It is a good harvest year, and the average yield is only two to three hundred kilograms. This is What a big gap.
Speaking of this, Wei Guangde pointed to the two gardeners below and said: "They are already familiar with the cultivation of royal wheat. Once this new yamen is established, they will also be transferred from Xiyuan to the Agricultural Planting Station as responsibilities. Responsible for taking care of Yumai.
They have to take on the task of preparing a large number of Yumai seeds. When the branches are built, they must send the Yumai seeds there in time. They also need to guide the loading of various places. ”
Wei Guangde would not just build a planting base in the capital. In his consideration, all thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty would build such planting bases to experiment with growing new crops and find planting techniques.
After all, the adaptability of plants is very important. Crops in the south are difficult to grow in the north, and the same is true for crops in the north.
Although Yumai is grown very well in Xiyuan, Wei Guangde is not very confident whether it can really be promoted in other places.
He knows that in later generations there will be many varieties of corn seeds, which are very complicated, but he doesn’t understand them anyway.
There are suitable seed varieties for every place. If you get the wrong one, the harvest will be reduced or even rare. So he must take these into consideration to avoid the government's promotion. As a result, the seeds will not survive and good governance will be compromised. If it becomes a bad government, it is the common people who are unlucky.
Nowadays, various regions are enclosing official fields for trial planting. If successful, they will be promoted. You can also use official fields to prepare the seeds needed for promotion in various places.
Prudent, the court must first be cautious when formulating policies, and cannot just make them casually.
After coming out of Wenhua Hall, Wei Guangde returned to the cabinet, holding a few ripe corns in his hand, which were the real objects he wanted to show Zhang Juzheng and others.
It was too troublesome to just rely on words, so Wei Guangde directly asked for a few corn fruits so that Zhang Juzheng and Lu Tiaoyang could see the real ones and know what the so-called Royal Mai was like.
Then set up a pot in the cabinet and cook it for everyone to eat once.
According to the gardener in Xiyuan, his family has been eating this imperial wheat for more than ten years because Emperor Jiajing only ate it once and stopped eating it because he thought it tasted bad.
I heard that this time some of the waiters in the royal kitchen also threw corn into the soup because they were hungry. Unexpectedly, they found that the soup was very delicious, and the cooked corn was also more delicious than boiled corn. Then he thought of it and made a dish to serve on the emperor's table.
Otherwise, the few baskets of royal wheat harvested by Xiyuan would be cheaper than those gardeners, so they would take them back and deal with them themselves.
According to Deacon Xiyuan’s plan, he originally planned to increase the planting of royal wheat in the coming year, but unexpectedly it suddenly became a plan to promote it to the world. For this purpose, the court may also add a new Yamen, Agricultural Plant Office, Specializes in researching and promoting the planting of new crops.
Corn can be used as a staple food or feed in later generations. It is also very convenient to store. It can be stored for a long time by drying and threshing.
However, Wei Guangde doesn't plan to say it out loud this year. He still lets them think of a solution on their own. If they can't think of it next year, he will mention it in this direction again.
Actually, Wei Guangde doesn’t think these people would have thought that the staple foods of this era, rice and barley, are dried and processed. Rice will also be preserved as millet, and then peeled when needed to be eaten. This will shorten the storage time. longer.
The wisdom of the people is infinite, and I believe they will soon find a way to store royal wheat for a long time.
Entering the cabinet, Wei Guangde did not go back to his own room to check in. It was already lunch break, and other members of the cabinet had just finished their meals and were all resting in their own rooms.
Calling a person from Zhongshushe next to him, Wei Guangde said to him: "You go to Lu Ge Lao to check the room, and ask him to go to the first assistant to check the room. I have important matters to discuss with them."
"Yes, Mr. Wei Ge."
Zhongshu agreed and went to Lu Tiaoyang's duty room, while Wei Guangde took Yumai directly to Zhang Juzheng's place.
"Shaloan, I heard that your Majesty will give you a banquet today."
Wei Guangde entered Zhang Juzheng's room and heard Zhang Juzheng's words, which seemed to make him feel a little sour.
“Haha, your Majesty is being naughty today and wants to make fun of me.”
Wei Guangde explained while laughing.
“Oh?”
Zhang Juzheng was slightly surprised, but at this time his eyes had already seen what Wei Guangde was holding.
“What is that in your hand?”
Zhang Juzheng asked in surprise.
Corn may be familiar to people in Yunnan, Guangxi and other places, but for Zhang Juzheng, who was born in Huguang and has stayed in the capital for a long time, it is something he has never seen before.
"This thing is called Yumai, have you never seen it before?" Wei Guangde asked with a smile.
“Yumai?”
Zhang Juzheng just repeated it and then shook his head.
"This thing is now only grown in Xiyuan in the capital. It is said to be a tribute from the Yunnan chieftain when he came to Beijing for an audience."
Wei Guangde continued to explain.
"It's no wonder. It's a tribute. What's the use of this thing?"
Zhang Juzheng knew that Wei Guangde brought this thing here, and he must have his own plans, so he asked directly.
"Wait a minute, wait until He Qing comes. Maybe he recognizes this thing."
Wei Guangde just replied.
He Qing, of course, is talking about Lu Tiaoyang. In Wei Guangde's view, he grew up in Guangxi since he was a child, and he might have actually seen him.
Not long after, Lu Tiaoyang arrived here, but when he saw the thing in Wei Guangde's hand, he shook his head, "Uncle, don't show off, I don't know this thing either."
"This thing was still there in Yunnan and Guizhou generations. There is a name called Fanmai. I wonder if Brother Heqing has heard of it?”
Wei Guangde was curious, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi are very close in geographical location. It is said that this thing exists in Yunnan, and it is impossible that it has not been spread in Guangxi. That's it.
"Fan wheat? This thing is fan wheat?"
When Lu Tiaoyang heard Wei Guangde's words, he immediately became interested. It seemed that although he had never seen corn, he should know about fan wheat.
At this time, Lu Tiaoyang had already taken a piece of corn from Wei Guangde's hand and looked at it repeatedly, instead of holding it to his nose to smell it.
"He Qing knows about this thing?"
Zhang Juzheng asked curiously.
"I have never seen it, but I have read it in my family letters. It is said that this thing was introduced from the ancient thorns, so it is also called Western wheat. It doesn't taste good, but it can be grown on the hillside. Many mountain people in the southwest rely on it. This food is used as a staple food to make a living."
Lu Tiaoyang explained.
"Hillside?"
Zhang Juzheng immediately grasped the key point. Knowing that this thing can be grown in mountains, he couldn't help but asked: "What is the yield of this thing?"
“I don’t know about this.”
Lu Tiaoyang immediately replied.
Of course he didn't know. After all, he only knew from letters home that there was this thing in his hometown. He originally wanted to bring some here for him to try, but it was a long way and he didn't make it in the end.
“According to the gardeners of Xiyuan, the yield of this plant is about one stone per mu. After all, Xiyuan is an imperial village, and they only use this plant as an ornamental plant, so it is just an estimate.”
< br>Wei Guangde answered at this time, "And this plant does not need to be irrigated with too much water. It is really a good agricultural crop in areas where water is scarce."
"Really? I don't know that."< br>
Lu Tiaoyang said immediately after hearing it.
“I finally understand what Shandai means by bringing this thing.”
Zhang Juzheng made another signature move, stroking his beard and said.
Lü Tiaoyang also belatedly realized why this thing appeared in the cabinet. "Shandai is planning to promote this thing to Duoshan Prefecture and County?"
"There is such a plan."< br>
Wei Guangde smiled and said, there is no need to hide it.
“How to eat this thing?”
Lu Tiaoyang asked curiously.
“Just cook it thoroughly. The outer particles are the oyster meat. The oyster core in the middle is not delicious, but try mashed Weiwei poultry or something.”
Wei Guangde really didn’t know whether corn cobs could be used as feed, so he casually said that livestock wouldn’t eat them.
In later generations, corn cobs were indeed used as feed, but they were not the main feed, but added as an addition, generally not exceeding 10%, mainly because the nutritional content of corn cobs was relatively low.
“Then let’s have a taste first?”
Zhang Juzheng said jokingly.
“That’s what I mean.”
Lu Tiaoyang also became interested now and wanted to taste what this wheat tastes like.
In fact, whether this thing tastes good or not is secondary. What they are most concerned about is that it is suitable for planting on hillside. It is really great.
You must know that the Ming Dynasty has vast land, but the plain terrain is limited, and it is mostly mountainous. For crops such as royal wheat, which can be used as a staple food, it is naturally a good choice.
"This is why I brought you here, come."
Wei Guangde shouted to the door. Not long after, scribes came in, and Wei Guangde ordered them to find a stove outside to light a fire. Bring in the cooked corn with water and let them taste it.
“When I asked about this matter in the Wenhua Hall today, I also told His Majesty the strategy of the Jiangxi Examination. Your Majesty was very interested and asked me to talk to you two and ask for your opinions.”
Wei Guangde continued.
"Meeting strategy?"
Lv Tiaoyang didn't know what Wei Guangde meant, but Zhang Juzheng had a lot of contact with Wei Guangde. When they were in Yuzhuan, they had nothing to chat about, but he heard Wei Guangde talk about it. Passed the imperial examination.
After all, his and Wei Guangde's imperial examination paths are somewhat similar. They both failed in the provincial examination once, and then went smoothly to the capital.
Wei Guangde also told an interesting story about his stay in Nanchang, and Zhang Juzheng immediately understood the meaning of his words.
"The meaning of Shandai is that you want to build a new government office in the imperial court to find and cultivate drought- and flood-resistant crops? Select the best and promote them all over the world?"
Zhang Juzheng asked.
Wei Guangde nodded and said: "Exactly.
In fact, this new yamen may not only be looking for drought-resistant and flood-resistant crops, such as imperial wheat, as long as it is suitable for our land of Ming Dynasty. Growth can be considered. "
Wei Guangde didn't say that he had been looking for this thing for a long time, and just regarded it as an accidental gain from this banquet.
"I think it's feasible to establish a new government office to serve crops specifically. Our government is based on agriculture, so this should be done by the government."
Lu Tiaoyang nodded in support after just thinking about it briefly.
"Your Majesty also had the same idea after hearing this. He asked me to come back and discuss it with you two, and also discuss it with the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. Once the matter is settled, we can report the matter to the public."
Wei Guangde He smiled and said that since Lu Tiaoyang had no objection, the matter was basically settled and they were just waiting for Zhang Juzheng to show his attitude.
(End of this chapter)