One Piece of Song Dynasty

Li Jing said: "That's it. The secret spies my brother sent to the Liao Kingdom turned out to be so powerful."

Yu Liyan nodded and said, "Yes, I don't even know how they took me out of the imperial city."

Liang Hongyu pursed her lips and smiled: "Since sister Yu Liyan and we are already a family, I will tell you that they brought you out through the tunnel."

Yu Liyan said in surprise: "It turns out to be a secret passage."

Liang Hongyu nodded and said: "Yes, they have dug this tunnel a long time ago. They are just waiting for your father to take you to move into the Imperial City of Xijin Mansion."

Li Jing asked: "Sister Hongyu, how do you know so clearly?"

Liang Hongyu said: "I often translate secret messages sent by officials to officials, so I know."

Li Jing gossiped: "Sister Hongyu must know a lot of secrets, please tell us."

Liang Hongyu shook her head and said, "No, I can't say much else. Besides, I don't translate all the secret messages. I only translate part of them."

Li Jing curled her lips and said, "Tsk, Sister Hongyu is so stingy."

Liang Hongyu said: "It's not that I'm stingy, it's that it affects the life and death of many people. It's a very important matter. The fewer people who know about it, the better. What I just told you has actually violated the regulations. If I want to say more, your brother should Taking my power back."

Yu Liyan also advised: "Sister Li Jing, please don't ask. Your brother is a person who does important things. If you ask again, it will be bad for Sister Hongyu."

Li Jing replied: "Okay, I understand."

A few days later, Xu Wenchang asked: "Brother Jin, have you calculated the output of those three fields?"

Jin Ziluo replied tremblingly: "Brother Xu, we've figured it all out, just take a look."

Xu Wenchang took a piece of paper from Jin Ziluo's trembling hand and was trembling with excitement when he saw it: "Brother Jin, this is true."

Jin Ziluo replied excitedly: "It's true, Brother Xu, these are the results of measurements made by me and dozens of colleagues one by one. We Han people will no longer have to worry about not having enough food. This is really a blessing given to us by God." ."

Xu Wenchang said: "Yes, the yield of sweet potatoes is kilograms per mu, the yield of corn is kilograms per mu, and the yield of potatoes is kilograms per mu. The growth time of these three crops is not long. This was unheard of before. , it’s even more unimaginable. Our current yield of rice and wheat per mu is only more than kilograms, and these three crops do not require land. Brother Jin, do you know what this means?"

Jin Ziluo nodded and said: "Of course I know. This means that these three crops only need to occupy a small amount of land for rice and wheat. They don't even need to occupy the land for rice and wheat. They can all be planted on barren land. It’s just a pity that corn and potatoes are not suitable for cultivation on Xinghan Island. These two crops do not like too high temperatures, only sweet potatoes can.”

Xu Wenchang said thoughtfully: "That's not bad. With the support of sweet potatoes alone, we on Xinghan Island will no longer be short of food. It's just that we are used to eating rice and wheat, and sweet potatoes can only be used as these two staple foods." supplement."

Jin Ziluo said: "Well, let's not talk about this for now. It's time for us to report the good news to the Lord."

Xu Wenchang nodded quickly and said: "Yes, I will go to Liu Yi first to inform him of the good news, and then go to the master."

Xu Wenchang ran all the way to find Liu Yi. When he saw Liu Yi, he shouted out of breath: "Brother Liu, great news, great news."

Liu Yi said: "Brother Xu, don't be anxious, tell me slowly, what great news."

Xu Wenchang took a breath and said, "I finally understand why my lord attaches so much importance to the three crops of potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. Brother Liu, see for yourself."

Liu Yi took the list from Xu Wenchang's hand and said, "What's written on it is true."

Xu Wenchang nodded and said: "It's true. This was calculated by dozens of our colleagues who study agronomy. Since the last time our lord asked us to try planting these new crops, we have chosen each of the three crops: potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. One acre of land was used for trial planting. We did not choose fertile land, but the kind of fat and thin land. Facts have proved that the yields of these three crops are no better than those on fertile land even on barren land. The yield is much lower.”

Liu Yi waved his fist and said, "That's great. This is indeed great news. At least we will never be hungry again."

Xu Wenchang sighed: "It's just that potatoes and corn are not suitable for large-scale planting on Xinghan Island. These two crops don't like too high temperatures."

Liu Yi said thoughtfully: "Since my lord has brought these two crops back, it means that these two crops are not prepared for Xinghan Island, but for the Song Dynasty. After all, no matter how big Xinghan Island is, there is no way Compared with the Song Dynasty, if the food problem is solved, many problems can be solved. You must know that food has been the top priority of the imperial court in all dynasties. A large part of the reason for the peasant uprisings in the past was that there was not enough food to eat at the end of the dynasty, and people could no longer survive. They will resist, and society will be stable when there is enough to eat.”

Xu Wenchang said: "Yes, it is a big problem that has never been solved in the past dynasties. I didn't expect that it would be solved so easily in the hands of my lord."

Liu Yi shook his head and said: "This is not an easy solution. Now I know why my lord called those who returned from the voyage heroes. They risked their lives to bring back the seeds of these crops. You must know that there were two hundred people and four when they left. When we came back, there were only people and three boats left, and a total of people were sacrificed. It is not too much to call these people heroes. Without their efforts, our food problem would not be solved. When it is resolved, we should go pay homage to them.”

Xu Wenchang nodded and said: "Well, let's go and announce the good news to our lord first."

Liu Yi said: "Okay, let's go together to announce the good news to our lord."

The two went to Li Xin's city guard's mansion together. When they saw Li Xin, Li Xin was talking to his sister Li Jing and two ladies:

Liu Yi stepped forward and clasped his fists and said, "Hello, my lord, hello to you two madams, and hello to my lady."

Li Xin said: "I said there are magpies chirping today. Since you two are here, it means you must have brought good news to me."

Xu Wenchang nodded and said: "Yes, please take a look, my lord."

After reading it, Li Xin smiled and nodded and said: "Well, you have done a good job. You can start preparing to promote Wenchang sweet potatoes among farmers, but you have to tell farmers not to occupy too much rice and wheat land. Xinghan Island We should still focus on planting rice and wheat. As for the other two crops, you can just save them."

Xu Wenchang replied: "Yes, my lord, I understand."

Li Xin asked: "How are you doing with your trial planting of other crops?"