At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

This is similar to Jingzhou.

In addition, because Guo's royal tea garden is located in the Hangzhou Bay area, Yangzhou has also become a famous tea-producing area in the country.

Yangzhou tea, which is well-known throughout the country and even in Central Asia, is produced and sold here, and has gradually become a business card of Yangzhou.

At present, the tea business is still monopolized by the state, and private operations are not allowed. Only Dongchang, controlled by someone from Guo, can operate the tea business, turning tea into a precious luxury comparable to gold, so as to make a fortune and make a lot of money.

The tea business has attracted a large number of merchants and people, and a large number of people has brought business.

Although the tea business cannot directly bring any benefits to Yangzhou, the large flow of people brought by Yangzhou's tea business has also made great achievements in business.

Under the background of Guo Peng's large-scale reduction of agricultural tax and increase of commercial tax, commercial tax gradually became an indispensable major tax in Yangzhou, including the entire empire.

After many years, I came to Yangzhou again, and all aspects of Yangzhou have a completely different feeling.

The well-developed roads extend in all directions, and the highly developed crowd effect brought about by the developed traffic also makes Yangzhou completely different from the barren land in the eyes of the Central Plains people in the past.

On the basis of perfect transportation construction, Guo Xingren vigorously promoted the transfer of Jiangbei population to Jiangnan.

Guo has never stopped promoting population transfer over the years.

When he captured Hexi and the Western Regions, he pushed a large number of people to move to this area.

Then it was transferred to Yizhou, then to Pingzhou, and then to Mozhou on the prairie. However, the population policies in these areas must be placed behind the Jiangnan population policy.

Someone in Guo knew very well that the purpose of migrating the population to those places with a small population in the north was to gain a firm foothold and ensure the actual occupation and rule of the Wei Empire over these areas.

However, the transfer of population to the south of the Yangtze River is to make comprehensive preparations for the future Little Ice River.

He abolished the per capita tax and divided the population into mu, which made the people's enthusiasm for childbirth unprecedentedly increased. In the foreseeable future, the developed areas of the Central Plains will surely usher in an unprecedented baby boom.

This baby boom is about to hit the arrival of the Little Ice River.

Although Guo Peng didn't know when this wave of small glaciers would officially arrive, he knew very well that no matter what year, if the main waterway of the Huaihe River Basin froze that winter, it would mean the official arrival of this wave of small glaciers. Advent.

In an era when there were no potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, someone Guo promoted this policy, and he himself had no idea.

He didn't know whether the current productivity of the Wei Empire could feed the surging population in the Little Ice Age.

In the foreseeable future, the population of the Wei Empire will exceed 30 million, which will inevitably come within [-] years.

If the development of Jiangnan has not been completed by then, or if the Grand Canal has not been repaired, it will be broken.

Therefore, it is very meaningful to first move the population of the Central Plains to sparsely populated areas in a planned way, especially to the Jiangnan area.

Ease the population pressure in the Central Plains area with increasing population, transfer them to the sparsely populated Jiangnan area, open up arable land to increase food production, and reduce the population pressure in the north.

Such a rainy day can deal with the little ice river very well.

And now that Jiaozhou has also been captured, with Wuling as a barrier, the agricultural production in the Lingnan area will not be affected.

Therefore, the Lingnan agricultural area, where the Honghe Plain is the main production area, also needs a large number of people to settle in and bring the advanced agricultural production technology of the Central Plains.

Once the Red River Plain area is developed, the grain production in this area will definitely bring great help to the Jiangnan and even Jiangbei regions

With such thoughts in mind, Guo Peng inspected the Jiangnan section of the Grand Canal project, and he was very satisfied with the Jiangnan section of the Grand Canal that had been renovated in sevens and eighties.

The population migration he planned was to go south from the Grand Canal, and after reaching the Hangzhou Bay area in the south of the Yangtze River, take a sea boat and continue southward, and then arrive at the Red River Plain where Jiaozhi County is located.

The Grand Canal in the south of the Yangtze River can make full use of the natural waterways and the artificial waterways built by Wu and Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period to fight for hegemony in the north. There are not many waterways that need to be reopened.

Refurbishment, widening, and deepening, hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war laborers sweat hard here, dedicate their lives and everything in the future, and contribute to the development of the Han nationality in the land of survival.

While patrolling, Guo Peng instructed Gu Yong.

"I know that this is not what you are thinking in your heart. After a period of work is over, I plan to transfer you to Luoyang to work for me directly, but it is not possible now. I need you and Bo Ning who are smart and capable and worthy of my trust. officials at the local level.

There are not many people I can trust and entrust. You are a very important one, so I hope that you must take the Grand Canal seriously and implement all the requirements. The lifeline of the entire Wei State in the future. "

Gu Yong felt very pleasantly surprised, but at the same time felt very puzzled.

"Your Majesty, I have something to ask, I don't know if I should ask."

"You ask."

Guo Peng nodded.

"A long time ago, when His Majesty decided to build the Grand Canal, he kept saying that the Grand Canal was the lifeline of Wei, and that the north would become very cold in the future, which would cause a large-scale reduction in grain production. At that time, the Central Plains would need Jiangnan. food support.

Over the years, courtiers have continuously pointed out that the possibility of such a thing is very low. They don't think such a thing will happen at all, and the minister is also puzzled. Why does His Majesty think that such a thing will happen?Is there any important evidence? "

Guo Peng nodded.

"Of course there is evidence. From the second year of Yande to the present, the day of winter is getting earlier and earlier, while the day of peach blossoms is getting later and later. The day of peach blossoms in Yande's second year is fully earlier than the day of peach blossoms this year. Ten days."

Gu Yong was dumbfounded.

"Your Majesty, is there a great relationship between peach blossoms blooming and grain production?"

"Only when the spring is warm can the flowers bloom, and the blooming means the warm spring. If the flowers bloom late, the spring will come later, but the winter will come earlier. The warm days in a year are getting shorter and shorter. Food growth needs a warm climate, so First, how can food production not be affected?"

When Guo Peng said this, Gu Yong felt that it was true.

It's just, why did Guo Peng notice this matter, and began to ask people to record and investigate it very early?

What exactly made him notice that the Spring Festival Gala started and winter started early?

He was even more puzzled.

"Your Majesty, why did you notice such a thing? You are so busy with government affairs, how can you notice such things as the beginning of spring and the beginning of winter, and pay attention to it for several years?"

Chapter 1371 One Thousand 280 One Gu Yong Really Feels Sorry for Guo Peng

Gu Yong's problem is actually the problem of many courtiers.

They don't know why Guo Peng pays attention to climate issues, and also started the Grand Canal project because of climate issues.

Such a huge project is time-consuming, labor-intensive and expensive. Wouldn't it be good to use this money to give everyone benefits?

Don't use it for this kind of thing.

Guo Peng has never wanted to explain things to his officials that are not clearly explained at present, things like climate change and the Little Ice Age are difficult for people at this time to understand.

But sometimes it’s okay not to explain.

Especially in this kind of time alone with courtiers, it would be somewhat unreasonable if he didn't explain.

So after thinking carefully about how to explain, Guo Peng spoke slowly.

"Because I have read some records of the previous dynasty. It is said that in the early Han Dynasty, the peach blossoms around Chang'an were brilliant. Every spring, the surrounding area of ​​Chang'an City was full of peach blossoms. It was very splendid and beautiful. But today, the surrounding areas of Chang'an City have There is no trace of peach blossoms.

I used to think that the peach blossoms around Chang'an City were destroyed due to the war, but after I sent people to investigate, I found out that it was not because of the war, but because there is no peach tree in Chang'an area, because the weather is cold, and the peach tree cannot survive. . "

Guo Peng paced slowly and said: "So I feel puzzled, why Chang'an in the Han Dynasty could grow peach trees, but now they can't live peach trees? Now peach trees can only grow in the south, but not in Guanzhong. What is the reason for this?

When I fought in the South and the North, I noticed that the further north, the colder, and the further south, the warmer. I was wondering whether the difference between cold and warm between the north and the south is the cause of this problem. People have proposed that oranges grown in Huaibei are trifoliate oranges, and oranges grown in Huainan are oranges.

Why, the same species, born in Huaibei and Huainan are completely different?Why?I thought about it for a long time, and thought it might be caused by the difference in temperature and temperature. When I conquered Yuan Shu and attacked Huainan from Huaibei, I felt that there was a big difference in temperature and temperature between the two places separated by a river.

After crossing the Huaihe River, the further south you go, the warmer and humid it will be. When you arrive in Huaibei, you will feel drier and colder than Huainan. Then, I wonder if the surrounding area of ​​Chang’an in the early Han Dynasty is also the same as Huainan today. How about warm and humid? "

Hearing Guo Peng's conclusion, Gu Yong felt very surprised.

"This... I have never thought about this issue, but I also know that the warmth and humidity in Jiangdong is definitely not comparable to Shanggu County in Youzhou, and even the Central Plains cannot be compared with it."

"So, the peach trees that could grow in Chang'an during the Han Dynasty can't survive now. Does this mean that the climate in the entire land of China is much colder than it was then?"

Guo Peng threw out another conclusion.

This made Gu Yong feel surprised, absurd, and unheard of, but when he thought about it carefully, he felt that it was inexplicably possible.

"Because food production requires a warm climate, and His Majesty thinks that the current climate is colder than it was in the early Han Dynasty, so His Majesty thinks this will affect the food production?"

"Yes, that's what I'm worried about."

Guo Peng nodded.

Gu Yong frowned and said, "However, grain production is increasing year by year, and agricultural taxation is increasing year by year even with His Majesty's tax reduction and exemption. Doesn't this just mean that the impact between these two things is not great?"

Guo Peng does not agree with this statement.

"The reason for the increase in food production and the increase in agricultural taxes is that the amount of arable land and the number of productive population controlled by the imperial court are also increasing.

The more people, the more land, the output will naturally increase. If the more people, the more land, the output will decrease. Am I the only one who is worried now? "

Gu Yong felt that what Guo Peng said was very reasonable, but he was speechless.

"Although grain production continues to increase, this is due to the continuous increase in the amount of cultivated land. With the increase in the amount of cultivated land, the population is also increasing. Although the labor force has increased, the labor force also needs to eat, and there are more people who eat.

The amount is large, and the consumption is also large. Generally speaking, the crisis is still great. Once this cold climate really affects the grain harvest, what will happen?So, the Grand Canal is there for that. "

Guo Peng said slowly: "The courtiers all think that I built the Grand Canal mainly to better control Jiangnan and Hebei, and deter dissidents. This is only one of the reasons. project."

Gu Yong felt right.

No matter how much the emperor wanted to control Jiangnan better, he would not mobilize millions of people to spend many years and countless money to build a Grand Canal for this purpose.

In the eyes of the emperor, this Grand Canal must be very important, so it was built at a huge cost.

"And even if the impact of the climate is not significant, the existence of the Grand Canal can fully mobilize the rich grain and fodder in the south of the Yangtze River to support the Central Plains, and stabilize prices in time, so that the common people will not panic because of the rise in grain prices. This is also a major event."

Speaking of this, Gu Yong felt that he had almost understood it.

Although the emperor's main reason sounds a bit unexpected, but after careful consideration, Gu Yong thinks there is still a possibility.

Even if it is not for the colder climate that is too far-fetched, for the imperial court to better control the layout of Jiangnan and Hebei, and to use the abundant materials in various places to stabilize prices in other places, the existence of the Grand Canal is also very necessary of.

Moreover, such a vast project spans the boundaries of space, and its significance can be compared with that of the Great Wall of the First Emperor.

The first emperor was the one emperor through the ages, and His Majesty the current emperor may not be able to touch the name of the one emperor through the ages.

Whether it is Wenzhi or martial arts, His Majesty today will not lose to the First Emperor and Han Wudi.

The First Emperor had the Great Wall, His Majesty today has the Grand Canal, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty expelled the Xiongnu, His Majesty expelled the Xianbei from all over the desert, and even annexed the Western Regions, advancing the territory of the Central Plains Empire to a level that the former Han Dynasty could not achieve.

It can be said that on the basis of the two generations of emperors, the past and the future have been carried forward, pushing the peak of the Central Plains Empire to another level.

It has advanced to a point where they themselves feel a little unbelievable.

If future emperors want to catch up with the achievements of His Majesty today, they don't know what kind of achievements they will have to make to match him.

There are many, many left, Gu Yong can't think of it anyway, he thinks that Guo Peng has already achieved the top, as for whether he has more ideas, Gu Yong can't guess.

But it doesn't matter, thinking that His Majesty doesn't care much about this matter anymore.

From his words, Gu Yong can only feel his worries about the future, his worries and foresight about the future state affairs, and there are only state affairs in his words, not himself.

He no longer cares much about his own achievements, but begins to care about the future of the country.

Aside from the black material that His Majesty likes to launch political storms to purge his officials, he is a very conscientious and excellent emperor.

After becoming emperor, he did not do anything extraordinary in terms of private enjoyment, but took the country into consideration in everything.

Except for the obvious black spot that he likes power very much, there are almost no other black spots.

Let's say he is very happy, and he also cherishes the power of the people.

He repeatedly launched foreign wars, but did not cause the tragedy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's [domestic household registration halved].

Call him brutal and bloodthirsty, he also cares about people's livelihood.

He has continuously reduced the proportion of agricultural tax, continuously reduced agricultural tax, and even canceled the per capita tax, and continuously reduced the main composition of productivity—the living pressure of farmers.

Since his emergence, there has not been a single peasant uprising under his rule, nor has there been a single incident where the peasants rose up because they could not survive.

In terms of life, he has no special measures.

He didn't pursue the ultimate enjoyment like Emperor Shihuang and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, building a palace with great construction, or recruiting beauties from all over the world for his own enjoyment.

There are only six women in his harem, and one has died of illness so far, leaving only five, and there is no sign of increasing.

In this regard, it is generally believed that the austere style of His Majesty today is hardly an emperor.

In terms of being a person in private and personal life style, the simple life of His Majesty today is recognized by the world.

He didn't even allow places to offer him tribute.

He asked the inner court eunuchs to go out to buy whatever he wanted, and he borne the cost himself, rather than passing the cost on to the people.

Gu Yong himself also tried to give some Yangzhou specialty fruits and seafood as tribute to Guo Peng for him to enjoy, but Guo Peng reprimanded him and said that he was not allowed to do this again, otherwise he would be angry.

The Luoyang Imperial Palace was also renovated in the former Han Dynasty, and Liu Jian was the first to enjoy it.