The Three Kingdoms began with island farming

Chapter 691 A Meritorious Deed for Generations to Come
"If it's up to you, how many people could the Great Qi possibly cultivate with the land that has been preserved?" Tian Zefa asked.

Zhang Zhao looked at Guo Yuan. Although Chen Gong had brought up the matter with him, it was Guo Yuan who had initially inspired him.

Guoyuan has been constantly changing the fields, sorting out the middle and lower-grade fields.

During his visits to farmland, Guoyuan keenly noticed the problem of surplus land and grain, and the negative impact it had on the people.

The people used to work diligently in the fields every year, but after paying nearly half of their taxes to the imperial court or a similar amount to the local tyrants, the remaining grain was not enough to feed themselves.

In order to survive, they had to supplement their diet with vegetable gardening, picking wild vegetables and fruits, doing odd jobs for the landlord to buy food, and so on.

This goes on day after day, year after year.

Now, with the improvement of farmland quality, the near-unlimited area, and the widespread use of oxen and farm tools, planting techniques have been improved and promoted.

The area of ​​farmland that ordinary young and middle-aged people can cultivate has increased more than fivefold, from no more than 30 to 50 mu to about 200 to 300 mu.

While the people's food production was no longer a concern, the farmland was once again "insufficient".

This may seem like a paradox, but it is a real problem.

Here's a simple example.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, ox-drawn plowing became even more widespread in the Yellow River basin.

The book "Essentials of Agriculture, Sericulture, Clothing and Food" records that "one ox can replace the labor of seven people," and the promotion of ox-drawn plowing greatly increased the per capita cultivated area.

This seems like a good thing.

However, the result was not that the people became wealthy.

Instead, it accelerated the differentiation among small farmers, leading to "the strong seizing power and the weak losing their jobs."

In the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty, a vicious cycle even emerged: "the more oxen were used for plowing, the more displaced people there were."

The number of arable land mu in Daqi has more than doubled, but it still pales in comparison to the increase in the area of ​​land that a single person can cultivate.

In Guo Yuan's eyes, this was already the limit.

The arable land in the Central Plains region is limited, and after hundreds of years of development during the Han Dynasty, it was already close to its limit.

To ensure soil and water conservation along the Yellow River, the amount of arable land around the Yellow River basin has been reduced rather than increased.

The reason why such large-scale growth is still possible is mainly due to the development of cultivated land in the Northeast Plain and the Yangtze River Basin.

It all came down to Tianze's talent and magical abilities.

Otherwise, even with the current mobilization capabilities of the Great Qi, it would take another hundred years or more to achieve the same results.

According to Guoyuan's calculations, the amount of arable land has increased so much that even though the hydrological environment in the Central Plains region has been improved by more than one level under Tianze's masterful work, it still requires a lot of manpower for routine maintenance.

This kind of limit is not what Guoyuan wants; it carries a significant risk.

Simply put, if chaos or natural disasters occur, making it impossible to spare enough manpower for maintenance, the virtuous cycle will turn into a vicious cycle within a few years.

"Your Majesty, I believe that, considering the overall ecology of our Great Qi, it would be better to reduce arable land by about 20% to 30%."

"Without His Majesty, water conservancy in various regions would require regular maintenance, which would require a regular investment of about three million manpower to maintain the current arable land area."

"If we can reduce arable land by 30%, then the manpower required for maintenance will be negligible."

"Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture is currently researching fertilizer and intensive farming models, which can further reduce the amount of land required, thereby maximizing the benefits between output, input and ecology."

Chen Gong continued, "The population growth rate of our Great Qi is extraordinary. There are over 70 million people, about half of whom are young adults, which means at least 15 million couples."

"In the Han Dynasty, the average couple had about six children, and the infant mortality rate was about half."

"Now, thanks to the encouragement of childbirth, abundant resources, comprehensive social security, and breakthroughs in medical technology, the average couple in our Great Qi has more than eight children, and the infant mortality rate is less than 10%."

“Every year, there are at least six million newborns in Daqi, but the mortality rate is relatively low, and the population is growing exponentially. If this continues, the population will exceed 100 million within three years and reach 200 million within twenty years.”

"The current problem of surplus grain production and arable land needs to be addressed on the one hand, and the exponential growth of the population increases the demand for resources on the other hand."

"In the long run, it is necessary to relocate at least 20 million people out of the Central Plains as soon as possible. The key lies in arable land."

"Reducing arable land area can not only force people to relocate and promote intensive farming, but also promote ecological improvement as soon as possible, laying the foundation for arable land to expand rapidly in line with population growth in the future."

Listening to everyone's words, Tian Ze frowned slightly, gently stroking the jade pendant in his hand, pondering the gains and losses.

The current Qi state has an extremely strong organizational system, so decision-making must be made with even greater care, because its strong execution makes it easy for each decision to go to extremes.

Just like the population issue, should we encourage childbirth or implement family planning?

Currently, encouraging childbirth remains the best option.

Because the vast world needed to be filled and conquered by the Han people, and only with Tian Ze around could the rapid population growth not face significant pressure.

Even if he accidentally loses control, Tianze can temporarily turn the tide and make up for it.

But when it comes to braking or even turning around, it becomes difficult.

Reducing arable land has many benefits.

While some of what they said was biased, it was generally true.

However, the drawbacks are equally obvious.

The reluctance to leave one's homeland and the reduction of arable land will force many people to agree to relocate, but it will also put many people who are unwilling to relocate in a difficult situation.

Tian Ze needs to weigh the pros and cons of this.

Some decisions that seem incredibly foolish or even contrary to the will of Heaven at the grassroots level are often just a case of being blinded by a leaf.

When you stand at a high enough position and have a comprehensive grasp of things, you will have new insights and experiences.

After hesitating for a long time, Tian Ze looked at the huge map on the wall and finally hardened his heart.

"Then we'll follow your plan."

He who does not plan for the long term is not fit to plan for the short term.

Each generation has its own mission.

Although he felt guilty towards the people of today for doing this, his contribution will last for generations.

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhao continued, "Your Majesty, I suggest that when this matter is publicized through the newspapers, there are some things that should be concealed."

"From a broader perspective, some things are not suitable for the general public to know."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ze wearily pinched the bridge of his nose, waved his hand, and said, "You can handle this matter yourselves."

(End of this chapter)