Eagle Byzantium

The grain "millet" produced in the Far East is actually not a stranger in Asia Minor. It has long followed the footsteps of Persia and nomads and came to the mountains of Asia Minor and the valleys of Europe. It has a great impact on the unfavorable climate and soil. It has strong resistance and a short harvest cycle, requiring only three It can be harvested in just a few months; and rye and oats, as "supporting roles" originally mixed with wheat, are now very popular and loved by farmers because of their unique tolerance advantages, and are generally planted together with wheat as For emergency and famine relief food, rye is grown in winter and oats are grown in spring.

Millet and rye can also be used to make wine, and oats can also be used as livestock feed.

However, when the autumn planting time came, Gawain and Anna, through the Superintendent of Agriculture and the Renewal Society, exerted power and control over the estate farms - semi-mandatory requiring farmers to deliver the wheat and barley originally harvested to the warehouse. The former was used for exchange with Cypriot merchants, while the latter was used as feed for horses and raw materials for wine making, and was also strictly stored.

Then, the Supervisory Agricultural Bureau asked farmers to sow 30% of winter wheat in their fields, and 70% of millet and rye.

The purpose of this 70% millet and rye is very simple - it is for the tens of thousands of German and Greek tenant farmers to eat in the winter - in this case, they can only eat very little "white bread" made from wheat. In some cases, it is rice porridge made from millet, and coarse bread made from rye.

According to the "Gospel Sacrifice Farming Contract" signed with the farmers, they only need to pay half of the profits to the military government, but this does not actually represent a mechanical constant: wheat, for example, is used for export in exchange for money and urgently needed supplies. It is impossible for Gao Wen to ask farmers to keep half of the goods that are in short supply, so the shareholding rights are only relative to the whole. This can be easily achieved by using tax leverage. For example, the regulations of the Department of Agricultural Supervision are very clear. Tenant farmers on the land with a pension had to turn over four-fifths of the wheat they received; while millet and rye only had to turn over one-fourth and one-tenth respectively.

But even so, it is already a leap for many tenant farmers. This condition is much better than their previous life: at least there is no need to panic about the winter rations, and they can also be used to support their children. If they have enough strength, they can continue to plant tax-free fruit trees at home, set up grape trellises, or raise poultry - once the fruits are harvested and the eggs are obtained, they can still do so within the specified period. Feel free to go to nearby markets to sell.

The copper ingots and copper bars shipped from Cyprus were specially transported to the Ordnance Department, where Samuel Law presided over the imitation of the Fris of the Roman Empire and used these materials to cast Seleucia's own copper coins in large quantities. ——There are many Greek craftsmen in the Ordnance Department who have mastered mold making technology, and this kind of food is completely a piece of cake for them.

"Don't underestimate copper coins. Although they are only auxiliary coins in the empire, they are an effective means to promote circulation, balance prices, and accumulate gold and silver." Gawain said to Anna, "For merchants who walk on the ocean and engage in transnational business They naturally look down upon copper coins, but it is different for many small merchants and farmers. With copper coins, they can easily and quickly Through trade and exchange, the economy of villages and market towns will soon flourish, and after the military government takes control of the power of minting, it can also legitimately claim part of the 'minting loss tax' (which has the same nature as the fire consumption of ****). ), used to support the salary of the administrative department - after all, the Sixth Division is different from the previous brotherhood, and their employees have to pay salaries. "

"But what should farmers and merchants do if they refuse the new copper coins?" Anna was a little worried.

"It doesn't matter. As long as the ratio between the Byzantine gold coin and the new copper coin is forcibly cancelled, let it only be related to physical commodities, and manage the market well. With sufficient supplies in reserve, there will be no big fluctuations. When the new copper coin is released Once the reputation is stabilized, people inside and outside will naturally be happy to use it." Gao Wen is full of confidence in this.

The new copper coin was named "Seleucid". Initially, someone suggested using the images of Gawain and Anna, but after careful discussion, the two decided not to take the risk, and instead wanted to stipulate that the front of the coin should be "Saint Paul". Avatar, but considering that there are still a large number of Pauls in the territory They would definitely object to the image of the apostle they believed in appearing on the coins, which would cause trouble. Therefore, the obverse of "Seleucid" was finally designated as a local specialty crocus pattern, and the reverse was engraved with " Greek inscription in the Bible: The Lord is a treasure.

After the autumn planting and coinage arrangements were made, although the time was still short, the atmosphere under the city of Seleucia gradually became renewed and more prosperous: various workshops began to get busy, and horse-drawn carriages shuttled on the simple roads mixed with poplar trees. Vehicles are flying between the Akum market and the castle, raising clouds of dust. Their speed is much faster than cattle. Some farmers still use waist poles in the farm settlements of the Gospel Sanctuary Estate. The step plow uses oxen as draft animals, with someone supporting the plow and someone controlling the direction; but the cutting-edge wheel plow created by Agnes has also been put into use in small quantities, and the use of horses to pull the plow has also begun to appear. Their power and efficiency surprised farmers who were accustomed to oxen farming, but the amount of feed consumed and the number of horseshoes required also made them accustomed to small households feel heartbroken, even though these were necessary inputs from the Superintendent of Agriculture.

The land layout that was previously divided into strips has disappeared: because of the centralized and large-scale use of draft animals, and there are no boundaries and barriers between the lords on the holy beneficiary estates, the land has been reunited. Some of the land has been pulled out into criss-crossing furrows and ridges due to flat plowing, and some of the furrows and ridges are spiral ridges due to the terrain. Looking down from the tower of the Acropolis, it is spectacular.

In the twilight, Anna lay there, looking at the countless furrows and ridges in a trance and intoxication. There were about a dozen men in their prime on the countless furrows. They lined up in a horizontal line with large and sparse gaps between them. Following behind were farmers holding rakes and hoes. These dozen men were all "holy sowers". They were all elected by the Self-Reform Association and the Agricultural Association: most of them were clear-headed, strong, and fair. Of course, the most important thing was that they all had several healthy offspring.

The sowers all carried long bags on their shoulders, which were filled with heavy seeds. Then, amid the long trumpet sounds and hymns, they walked forward step by step, sowing seeds continuously. Facing the setting sun, they chanted and prayed for a good harvest in the future. Other farmers followed them silently and worked. The whole ceremony was full of solemnity, which made Anna intoxicated.

This is the sacredness of the land.

"We should be full of awe for them and what they are under their feet." Anna murmured when Gawain came from behind.

"Yes, if the ratio of seeds to harvest can reach one to four, awe will be replaced by joy. If it can reach one to five or one to six, awe will be replaced by ecstasy." Gawain's words are always inseparable from calculations. (To be continued ~^~)