Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Li Qinzai neither agreed nor objected to the farmers offering longevity tablets.

Personality worship is actually of the same nature as superstition. The difference is that the objects being worshiped are different. One is a mortal and the other is a god or Buddha.

Li Qinzai is still an atheist at heart, of course, a mixed atheist.

When he meets a Taoist temple, he doesn't mind going in to pay homage. When he sees a monk, he doesn't mind giving a little charity. The premise is that the temple he worships at must be efficacious, otherwise it will be a fraud and he will be sued by the Yamen.

Ask for peace and asking for contraception, trustworthy or unbelievable, and attitude is easy -going, but if some people say that shaking their legs and dispersing money, and the right eye is a disaster, then it must be believed.

When it comes to money, there is no room for jokes. Sincerity is the key to success. It is better to believe that you have it than to believe that you don't have it.

"In three to five years, sweet potatoes should be popular throughout the Tang Dynasty. If there is another disaster in the future, at least the people will not starve to death. It is better than eating white mud." Li Qinzai sighed.

"White mud" refers to Guanyin soil. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, people have discovered that Guanyin soil can satisfy hunger. Of course, it is also very harmful.

The so-called Guanyin clay actually refers to the kaolin clay used to make ceramics. It looks very white and delicate, just like flour. Eating it can indeed make you hungry, but after all, this stuff is soil, not food.

If you eat it and then drink water, the water and soil will fuse and swell into a hard lump in the abdomen, which cannot be excreted. People who eat Guanyin soil have actually lost more than half of their lives, and many people will die of swelling.

In a year of great disaster, people's lives are like grass and grass, and only those who have experienced it personally will know that the scene is comparable to hell, and it is too miserable to look at.

Therefore, the significance of Li Qinzai's discovery of sweet potato grain seeds is actually very great.The officials in the court were well-dressed and well-fed, and had never experienced suffering. Perhaps they thought it was a new food.

But among the people, ordinary people who have experienced famine know the importance of sweet potatoes better than officials.

It doesn't choose the land, can be planted in drought or flood, and does not require careful maintenance. It will grow when planted in the soil and face the wind, and its yield is amazing.

Thousands of years later, in the Braided Dynasty, the people were enslaved so miserably by the rulers, but the population of the Braided Dynasty still exceeded [-] million, reaching the peak of China's historical population.

That's not because the rulers were so great, but because a new crop, the sweet potato, was introduced into China. Despite the heavy taxes and levies at that time, its existence still fed countless people, and this miserable nation was able to thrive.

It is actually not excessive at all for the common people to offer Li Qinzai's longevity tablet at home. Only in this way can the common people express their gratitude to Li Qinzai.

Weng and his son-in-law chatted casually about sweet potato promotion, but when Li Qinzai mentioned this, Prince Teng's expression flashed with a hint of gloom.

"What's wrong with my father-in-law? Is what my son-in-law just said wrong?" Li Qinzai asked curiously.

Prince Teng shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Since ancient times, man-made disasters have always been more terrible than natural disasters. I have traveled all over the Tang Dynasty in the past two years, and I know that the local people are in a difficult situation. The suffering of the people is comparable to the memorials of the censors." It’s much more serious than what was said above.”

Li Qinzai frowned: "What happened to my father-in-law?"

Prince Teng was silent for a while and whispered: "Sweet potatoes are a good thing. As long as people in various prefectures and counties plant them, no one will say it is bad when they harvest..."

"and then?"

Prince Teng's tone became colder: "But some states and counties are not even willing to try planting. The grain seeds I brought from Chang'an were also detained in the government offices and were not distributed to the people at all. Instead, they criticized me for tossing and causing harm. people’s livelihood.”

Li Qinzai's eyes widened: "Which state or county is so bold?"

King Teng said coldly: "Officials from Jiangnan Province, Lingnan Province, and more than ten states and counties all resist planting sweet potatoes." Li Qinzai's expression became serious. The promotion of grain seeds is a major matter, and there will be no room for any neglect of duty.

Local officials dared to resist planting grain. Obviously, there was something not simple behind the matter.

"Jiangnan, Lingnan?" Li Qinzai frowned and murmured.

These two areas have a pleasant climate and vast arable land. They are also the granary of the Tang Dynasty. The problem lies in such an important place. This is a rhythm that must be handled as a major case.

"My father-in-law, does he know why local officials resist planting new grains?"

King Teng sneered: "Officials from more than ten states and counties have surprisingly consistent reasons. They say that Jiangnan and Lingnan provide the court with food and wealth every year. Most of the logistical supplies for the imperial army's battles also come from Jiangnan and Lingnan. Local officials have a heavy responsibility. They don’t dare to take risks and try planting new grains, for fear that if the harvest is not good, they will be held accountable by the court.”

Li Qinzai thought for a while and said: "The reason is barely plausible, but the counties and counties around them have already tried planting sweet potatoes. They should have heard about the yields in the past two years. Are they still indifferent?"

King Teng snorted coldly: "They said that without the official decree of the imperial court, if they try to grow new grains, they are violating the rules and will be cited by the imperial censor."

"Didn't the Minister of Finance issue a formal decree?"

Prince Teng glanced at him and said, "It's a new grain you discovered. Why don't you care about it at all?"

"Two years ago, the Ministry of Finance issued a document recommending various prefectures and counties to properly test the planting of sweet potatoes. I have been ordered to inspect various places, and local officials should cooperate."

Li Qinzai frowned and said, "Since the Minister of Finance issued the decree, why didn't they obey it?"

Prince Teng sighed: "You didn't listen carefully. What Shangshu Province issued was not a formal decree, but a recommendation. It suggested that various places try to plant seeds. Since it is a suggestion, local officials can naturally listen or not."

Li Qinzai said dissatisfied: "Is Xu Jingzong so careless in his work?"

"I can't blame Youxiang Xu. After all, the new grain has only appeared for a few years, so it is reasonable for the subjects to be worried about it."

"Whenever the imperial court promotes decrees, it first implements them on a trial basis and makes suggestions first. The language in official documents is very gentle, and there is no coercion. After all, it is a tentative change. From the court to the local government, there are risks."

Li Qinzai shook his head and said: "Even so, the attitude of the officials from more than a dozen states and counties is too strange. It is normal for two places to resist the trial planting. Officials from more than a dozen states and counties all resisted, and the reasons were discussed in advance. The same..."

Looking up at Prince Teng, Li Qinzai asked: "I'm afraid it's not that simple behind this matter, right?"

Prince Teng glared at him and said, "You ask me? I still want to ask you."

Li Qinzai was stunned: "What does it have to do with me?"

"Have you forgotten the incident you had with the eight prominent families in Jiangnan in Chang'an City a few months ago?"

Li Qinzai suddenly understood, and then said with an angry face: "Isn't everything over? Their head of the family even came to my door to apologize."

Prince Teng sneered: "The face of a prominent family that has been around for hundreds of years has been trampled over and over again by a child with a yellow mouth like you. Do you think things are okay?"

"Now retribution has come. Sweet potatoes have been promoted to other people's territory. They didn't say a word, but they made it impossible. The emperor and the court still can't accuse them, so I ask you if you are angry!"