Promotion Letter for the Chief Executive

Ping An nodded with a smile, "Your lord is showing off again. What did I say just now? God originally gave good things to Southeast. Although he imitated Jiangnan, he only learned their way, not learning how to grow mulberry and silkworms."

That's right, this is the way Ping An came up with.

What else can achieve the purpose of "short-term benefits but long-term hidden dangers" better than planting cash crops?

Anyone who has experienced the afterlife knows that no matter what it is, if too much is planted and cannot be sold, the price will drop.And if there are more places to grow cash crops, the land to grow food will naturally decrease.At that time, it is very likely that the embarrassment of "things that cannot be sold and food that cannot be bought back" will arise.

As the saying goes, "Food is the most important thing for the people", no matter how high the price of cash crops is, it is useless to exchange them for what they cannot eat.

But those who have never experienced it will definitely agree with Ping An's words.Not to mention that Ping An also used Jiangnan as a comparison.Since Jiangnan can do it, there's no reason why it can't be done here, right?

But don't forget that Jiangnan is known as a granary, and its grain output has always been higher than elsewhere.Moreover, planting mulberry and raising silkworms does not actually need to occupy a field.As long as a few mulberry trees are planted on the side of the field ridge or on the mountain, it is enough for a family to raise silkworms.

Of course, there are also large families who have specially opened up mulberry gardens and planted mulberry trees.However, the space occupied is still very small.

However, if you do not know these specific conditions and rashly move this model to the southeast, problems are likely to occur, and it is a big problem.

Just imagine, once King Qi accepts this business model and the experiment is successful, it will definitely stimulate his desire to expand and turn the entire southeast into this.At that time, once something happens, the people in the southeast will not be able to survive, and they will naturally go to the king of Qi who caused the evil.

And the imperial court didn't need to do anything at all, it only needed to control the amount of grain sold to the southeast a little bit, and King Qi's stable position in the southeast for many years would quickly collapse.

This can be said to be a rather vicious plan.Therefore, Ping An only dared to be sure after repeated consideration.Anyway, there is still a big Chu backing up, and they will not kill all the people in the southeast. At that time, the imperial court will help, and maybe they can win the hearts of these people without any effort.

Of course, after all, he and King Qi are not in the same boat, and whether he can make King Qi fully trust him depends on Ping An's ability.

The reason why he didn't rush to bring it up before was also because of this.After all, if he took the initiative to provide the method, or if it was too easy to obtain, King Qi would definitely doubt him, so he would think of leaving a way out for himself.

But if he managed to obtain this method, it would be much more credible to King Qi.

In addition, if Ping An took out the foreign crops and handed them over to King Qi, the other party would definitely have doubts.But if it is something that already exists in the southeast, the common people are familiar with it and know how to plant it, so it is not difficult to promote it.Secondly, it will give King Qi a feeling of "this is a tailor-made method for the southeast".

Sure enough, when King Qi heard Ping An's words, he immediately said, "I haven't thought about it yet, Ping An shouldn't be a fool, just talk about it."

But Ping An laid the groundwork so much just to let King Qi think of it himself, so of course he wouldn't say it.He picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, and said with a smile, "Why do you need to ask me? Just think about the things produced here in the southeast, which one is the most expensive."

King Qi's eyes shifted following Ping'an's movements. After hearing these words, a flash of inspiration suddenly flashed in his mind. He stared at Ping'an's hand holding the teacup, and said, "It's tea!"

Speaking of tea, this is something that only appeared after the founding of the dynasty.This is not to say that there was no tea before, but that in addition to tea leaves, tea at that time would also have sugar, salt, various dried fruits and even oil.

This "tea" is said to have appeared in the first place to satisfy hunger.After all, the contents of this small cup can satisfy most of the needs of the human body. It is very convenient to drink a cup when it is not convenient to eat.

Because it was a kind of food in the beginning, "firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar tea" was listed as the seven things to open the door.

Only later, with the development of the times, people's living conditions became better and better, and "tea" became an embellishment of life and a treat for guests.

Literati pay attention to elegance, drinking a cup of "tea" with all kinds of flavors to entertain guests, after all, it is not outrageous.So those condiments were gradually reduced later, and by the time of this dynasty, only the sweet and bitter flavors of tea were taken, which was natural and most in line with the aesthetics of literati.

So this kind of clear tea has already appeared, and it immediately became popular in the whole of Dachu. Nowadays, if there is no tea to entertain guests in exchanges among scholars, it will be regarded as a great disrespect.

Since it is such an important thing, there will naturally be various methods of evaluation.From the founding of the Great Chu to the present, the tea culture has developed rapidly, and the method of tasting has gradually been perfected.

Among them, there are requirements for the environment in which tea grows--mountain height, water quality, light, and rainfall.In addition, the requirements for production techniques are getting higher and higher.And after the tea is made, the tea set, the water and heat of the tea are also different.

There are many mountains and hills in the southeast, and the produce in the land is not rich, but the tea trees on the mountains grow well.Since tea became popular, it has been rated as top grade.In particular, the Yiling tea produced on Yiling Mountain near Luozhou is very rare and was once listed as a tribute.

However, at this time, the folks did not have the habit of planting tea trees, and they all went to the mountains to pick wild tea.

This is also one of the reasons why King Qi didn't think that what Ping An said would be this. Even after thinking about it, he still had doubts in his heart, "The tea tree grows on the mountain. Does it still need artificial cultivation?"

"My lord doesn't know that there are already tea gardens in the south of the Yangtze River," Ping An said.

There are many scholars in the south of the Yangtze River, and the tea culture develops most rapidly.Because the place is rich, densely populated, and there are few mountains in the south of the Yangtze River, the naturally produced wild tea has long been unable to keep up with consumer demand.Under such circumstances, artificially cultivated tea gardens naturally came into being.

For ordinary literati, it is actually difficult to distinguish whether it is wild tea on the mountain or artificially grown tea.Besides, wild tea is more expensive than gold, so they couldn't afford it.Now there are high-quality and cheap artificial teas that meet the needs of everyone.So it is also easy to accept.

King Qi has his own thoughts, and he also attaches great importance to promoting education and cultivating talents in the southeast.So don't look at the fact that the southeast does not show mountains and dews, but in fact there are a lot of scholars.It's just that the imperial court and the king of Qi were on guard against each other, so among those who were admitted to Jinshi in each subject, not many were from the southeast.

With more scholars, the demand for tea will naturally increase.What's more, after planting the tea leaves, they can be sold to other places. After thinking about it for a while, King Qi recognized this.

Afterwards, Ping An introduced to King Qi two kinds of large-scale economic crops that had already appeared and were even planted in the southeast.

One for peanuts.

As a later generation, Ping An is naturally very familiar with peanuts. There are many places where this dried fruit is used in daily life. It is very delicious as a snack or side dish.In addition, peanuts can also be extracted oil.

Still the same sentence, seven things to open the door, firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea.These are inseparable things in people's lives, and there is no need to worry about having no market.

During this period, peanuts had just been introduced into Dachu not long ago. Although some people planted them, they were basically used as snacks and dried fruits, and the technology of extracting oil from peanuts had not yet appeared.Ping An selflessly provided this idea, and was not afraid of King Qi to verify it.After all, Ping An grew up eating peanut oil.

The second is cotton.But this is just as a backup option to set off the benefits of the previous tea and peanuts.

Whoever grows cotton knows it, and it places a heavy load on the land.After a few years of planting, without a rotation of other crops, the land will only grow poorer and less productive.And because the cotton varieties in Dachu have not been improved, whether it is used for spinning and weaving or directly making cotton clothes and quilts, the quality is very worrying.

Ping An did not hide this disadvantage, but it also showed the king of Qi an excellent prospect. Cotton cloth is breathable, and it is not as expensive as silk and satin.Before various chemically synthesized clothing materials, such as polyester and acrylic fibers, are produced, cotton cloth will become the mainstream of cloth.Although the price is not high, but the volume of shipments is large, the profits will be very rich.

However, before that, we must first try to improve the cotton seeds, and we must also consider the bearing capacity of the land.

This thing was originally in Ping An's plan.It's just that the food grown by Da Chu is barely enough, and there is no way to use that much land to grow cash crops, so it can only be put on hold.

So if King Qi really couldn't think about it and chose cotton, it should be considered as opening the way in advance.

Unexpectedly, after listening to Ping An's introduction, King Qi actually asked, "Apart from this, is there anything else?"

Ping An was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Planting crops should be tailored to local conditions. The ancients also had a sentence that 'Oranges grown in Huainan are tangerines, and those grown in Huaibei are oranges'. The prince should understand. These three crops are the most suitable for the southeast. .there is nothing else."

King Qi still didn't believe it.Because Ping An said "I have something" before, King Qi and Cui Yujun guessed together that it was the seeds of a certain crop, but now Ping An did not bring out new seeds at all, but chose an existing crop.On the contrary, King Qi was a little suspicious, suspecting that Ping An had something better that he hadn't brought out.

Ping An was a little dumbfounded, he didn't expect that he was too aggressive, and the things he brought out were so ordinary that King Qi refused to believe it.

But that's fine too.After thinking about it for a while, Pingan felt that King Qi would not dare to use the good things he "privately kept" lightly. After all, he would doubt whether there were any traps hidden in them.On the contrary, the three crops that were "provided casually" before have room for maneuver.

Thinking about it this way, Ping An intends to create a really difficult thing to contrast the ordinary tea, peanuts and cotton before.

So when King Qi asked again, Ping An deliberately showed a embarrassed expression, "Oh, my idea was not mature at first, and I haven't told anyone about it. Even I don't know if it will be possible. Since the prince sincerely inquired, I I have no choice but to say it. It’s just that the prince must not try it rashly.”

"Just say it's safe, whether it can be done or not, the king naturally knows it well." King Qi said.

Ping An "reluctantly" took out the last trick: planting sugar cane and making white sugar.

Sugar belonged to the ranks of luxury goods in ancient times. It was not easy to make, the output was not high, and the price was high.Compared with the previous products that are more friendly to the people, the profit of sugar production is naturally higher.So after King Qi heard about it, he was very interested, especially after knowing that what Ping An wanted to make was the kind of pure white sugar, he already had a tendency in his heart.

Because the current sugar making process is relatively rough, the sugar produced is not to mention large chunks of rough sugar. Naturally, there are many unsatisfactory aspects in terms of color, sweetness, and taste.

King Qi, as perhaps the biggest dude in Da Chu, is a person who is extravagant and lustful, and wants to enjoy the best in everything, so he naturally feels deeply about this.So I also know that if this white sugar is only made, it may not be as good as a tribute.

Although the price of sugar is high, there are many rich families who can afford it. If it can be made, the benefits will go without saying.

However, Ping An confessed that the production process was not yet mature, everything was only in the imagination, and it might not be successful; and even if it succeeded, the cost would be difficult to control, King Qi could only sigh regretfully and gave up the idea.Although things are good, they are also flawed.

However, King Qi also had his own thoughts, so he asked people to write down the method that Ping An said, so that he could test it later.Even though the cost is high, it is not bad to make homemade ones!

When he went back to think about what Ping An had given before, King Qi's attitude became much more serious.These are all good things that can greatly improve the situation in the southeast. Except for cotton, which is still to be discussed, King Qi thinks there is no problem with tea trees and peanuts, and they can be promoted immediately.

After racking his brains and finally succeeding in fooling him, after watching King Qi leave, Ping An finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The pit has already been dug, just waiting for King Qi to bury himself in it.

The time spent in Prince Qi's Mansion was too long, and now that the matter was done, Ping An took the initiative to say goodbye the next day.After all, he is still under the name of the cement company, and he can be regarded as half of Tian Ying's subordinates. I'm afraid Tian Ying has serious doubts in his heart when he stays in Qi Wang's mansion during this time?

As a result, after talking with Cui Yujun, Ping An realized that the situation outside had changed suddenly when he buried himself in digging a hole.

Cui Yujun looked at Ping An with a smile, "The news from the capital, His Majesty ordered His Royal Highness Chen Wang to come to Luozhou to pay homage to the ancestral temple and ancestral mausoleum. Now that the whole Luozhou is busy with this matter, it is better for Ping An to stay in the palace. At that time, the prince will recommend it on your behalf, and you can also get close to Chen Wang."

He said this as if it was for the good of Ping An. After all, Ping An, a demoted eunuch, wanted to return to the palace only if he courted a big shot.But actually?If Zhao Can didn't know Ping'an at first, but saw Ping'an in Prince Qi's mansion, and knew that he actually lived here, what would he think?

I'm afraid you will think that Ping An has already taken refuge in Prince Qi's mansion, which is totally unbelievable, right?

If he spread this news back to the capital, it would be best to reach the emperor's ears. By then, even if Ping An wanted to go back, it would be impossible.

Of course, such a strategy may not necessarily be successful.But for Prince Qi's Mansion, it is just an attempt. It is good to succeed in something that is easy to do, and there is no harm in not succeeding.

Of course, Ping An can hear the traps, but now he can't care about them anymore.

Zhao Can is coming to Luozhou!

This is really a completely unexpected thing.

Originally, the prince's status is special and it is impossible to wander around, so Zhao Can has grown so big, except that the emperor planned to exile him and throw him to the south of the Yangtze River for three years, he never left the capital again.

Who would have imagined that the emperor would actually send him out to sacrifice at this time?

But Ping An thought about it carefully, and understood that Zhao Can was indeed the best choice in such a sensitive situation.Maybe he also saw this clearly, and then he took the initiative to fight for it.

After all, Zhao Can knew that he was in Luozhou now.Moreover, no matter how many reasons there are in this matter, the common people in the world cannot see it.They only knew that the Seventh Prince went to Luozhou to sacrifice the emperor instead of the emperor. What does this mean?It shows how much the emperor attaches importance to this Highness!

Zhao Can is paving the way for the future without any trace.

Ping An is in favor of this point, and is also very satisfied.The only dissatisfaction is that Zhao Can has come, and the account of his sneaking away is bound to be settled.

Although both of them know that leaving safely is a better choice at this time, but... Cough, it is not enough for a husband and wife to rationally know that this choice is correct, and they must also consider the emotional acceptance.

And Ping An knew that Zhao Can really hoped that he could stay in the capital all the time because of the fact that he had been gathering less and leaving more.Originally, there were not many chances to meet each other, but now that they are in different places, it is almost impossible to see each other face to face, how could he agree?

So this time, Zhao Can will definitely settle the score if he is caught.

Ping An thought for a second whether he should just run out.

Anyway, he has only been to Luozhou on Dongnan Road, and has not seen other places. Anyway, he will go anyway, and it is not bad to go now.

But the moment this idea appeared, it was dismissed by Ping An.

If Zhao Can originally planned to catch him and "teach him a lesson" because it was fun, then if he ran away again, Zhao Can would really get angry.When the time comes to return to the capital, he will also be punished.Besides, between husband and wife, this kind of occasional toss is just for fun, and if he blindly avoids it, it seems that he is afraid of Zhao Can.

——Well, Ping An must admit that he is indeed a little scared.

It's just that in this fear, there are a few traces of expectations that he didn't realize - or that he dare not admit.

In view of these reasons, Ping An finally agreed to Cui Yujun's proposal after thinking about it, and stayed in the palace to wait for Zhao Can to come over.

Otherwise, with his current status, he would have to find another way to find a reason to meet Zhao Can. How troublesome!

When Cui Yujun left and returned to his residence safely, he called Kai Yang's name loudly, "I know you're here, come out!"

After a while, Kai Yang appeared in front of him slowly.As the saying goes, if you are close to vermilion, you will be red, and if you are close to ink, you will be black.What a qualified secret guard Kai Yang was originally, taciturn, with extraordinary skills, his movements were crisp and neat, and he only appeared when needed.

As a result, he stayed by Ping An's side for a long time, and the upright Kaiyang was brought to know a lot of wrong things by Ping An. Seeing Ping An's appearance of finding fault, he didn't really want to see him.

"What's that expression on your face?!" Maybe it was because he couldn't cultivate well, and the disgusted expression on his face was so obvious that Ping An immediately noticed it, and immediately frowned.

Kai Yang tactfully avoided this question, and pre-emptively said, "What's the matter with me? The palace of Prince Qi is heavily guarded, you can easily be spotted like this."

So don't call me if you have nothing to do, and talk about it quickly if you have something to do, don't waste time.

Grinding his teeth in peace, he got straight to the point, "Zhao Can is coming, do you know?"

Kai Yang's body froze.That's all right now, there's no need for him to answer, Ping An already knows the answer, "You know, but you didn't tell me? What do you want!"

"I see that you've been very busy these days, so I'm not going to say anything for now, just to give you a surprise." Kai Yang said after a moment of silence.Seeing Pingan's eyes widened, he quickly added, "This is what His Highness meant."

Ping An's heart was blowing upwards, most of the anger was immediately vented by this sentence.

He lay on the table, staring at Kaiyang with resentment on his face, "He won't let you tell me, so you won't secretly report the news? Thanks to me being so kind to you, you unfamiliar white-eyed wolf! You forgot that now is Who is raising you and giving you food and drink?"

"It's Your Highness." Kai Yang originally planned to keep silent, but in the end he couldn't hold back and answered anyway.

That's right, although he is now with Ping An, and his board and lodging are all paid by Ping An (in fact, Prince Qi's Mansion), but it is His Royal Highness Chen Wang who pays him the monthly money!So Ping An, can you blame others for not tipping you off?

Ping An: What he said made sense, but I couldn't refute it... no wonder!

He immediately untied the money bag and slapped it on the table, "I will double the amount your Highness paid you!"

Kai Yang quickly picked up the money bag and put it away, and at the same time told Pingan everything he knew, "His Royal Highness has entered the territory of Luozhou now, and it will take about three to five days to arrive. This trip There are officials from the Ministry of Rites, Taichang Temple, and Zongzheng Temple accompanying them, and they are expected to stay in Luozhou for about ten days. At that time, they will stay in the Imperial Mausoleum Palace outside the city."