In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 936 If the Spring Breeze Has Intentions, May I Be Young Again
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

In three days, Lu Yunyi had reviewed all kinds of important documents concerning road construction, weaponry, military settlements, and agricultural colonies.
Even so, two large piles of documents were still neatly stacked on the desk in the yamen, piled high.

It exudes a sense of oppression at first glance.

At that moment, he was looking at a document about sweet potato cultivation and its wider promotion.
The military commander and the prefectural government had a major disagreement on this matter.

The commanders of the various military garrisons under the jurisdiction of the capital region jointly submitted a memorial.
He bluntly stated that if sweet potatoes are not planted next year,
The soldiers under his command were likely to starve to death, and the commanders of the military region unanimously agreed with this view.

However, when the matter reached the government office, it was met with fierce opposition.

Sun Ling of the Agricultural Policy Research Institute was particularly vehement in her opposition.
He frankly stated that the cultivation characteristics of sweet potatoes in the icy and snowy conditions outside the Great Wall have not yet been fully understood.
It can be easily promoted on a large scale, but once it encounters pest infestations or diseases, it will be vulnerable to damage.

The entire Beiping Metropolitan Area may face large-scale production cuts; the risk is too great!

To be on the safe side, the initial ten pilot sites should be tested for at least two years before considering promotion to other regions.

The military command has been debating this issue for nearly two months.

With the deadline for spring plowing fast approaching, the amount of related documents is piling up.

Lu Yunyi tilted his head, looking at the at least twenty books in front of him with a worried expression.

For him, powerful external enemies are not frightening.
What's frightening is the internal division.
If handled carelessly, it could lead to chaos!

The balance and scale involved are really difficult to grasp.

"Why don't you just give me a break!" Lu Yunyi muttered under his breath.

Gong Xianzhi, who had been standing quietly to the side, immediately poured a cup of hot tea and brought it forward:
"Sir, please calm down and have a cup of tea."
This is green tea transported from Hangzhou by merchants from Beiping. Even the Commander-in-Chief says it's of excellent quality.

"Leave it there."

Lu Yunyi's gaze remained fixed on the documents, his brows furrowed, and he pointed to the table beside him.

After setting down his teacup, he changed his mind and tossed the document aside.
He picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and fell into thought.

Seeing this, Gong Xianzhi felt strange, but dared not ask any questions.

About fifteen minutes later, Lu Yunyi put down his teacup and asked:

"Xianzhi, where are you from?"

Gong Xianzhi grinned and said, "Reporting to you, sir, I am from Zunhua in Beiping Prefecture. I was selected to serve under you during the Northern Expedition and have been following you ever since."

"In your hometown, farming must be hard work, right?"

"That's for sure! We work hard all year round, but we don't harvest much grain."

Sometimes, when Henan is hit by severe flooding, even the seeds that are brought in can have problems.

"You're even bringing in seeds from Henan?" Lu Yunyi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The wheat was allocated by the government. The wheat we grow ourselves has small grains and yields less grain, far inferior to the seeds from Henan."

Therefore, every winter, the government would buy some seeds from Henan and mix them with their own seeds for planting.

Gong Xianzhi scratched his head.
"I heard this method came from the south; it's said that planting them together can turn bad seeds into good ones."

Looking back now, it's probably a case of "one is influenced by one's company."

Lu Yunyi chuckled to himself and laughed:

"Is the grain we grow enough to eat?"

"It's usually enough, unless there's a severe drought."

In fact, for ordinary people like us...

As long as food can be grown, most people can make a living; the only difference is how much they eat.

I remember when I was a child, there was a war going on in the north, and we didn't have enough to eat for three years in a row.

Later, my father surrendered to General Xu Da with the Yuan army and received military pay, which allowed him to eat his fill for half a year.

"It really is tough." Lu Yunyi nodded thoughtfully.

"The situation in our headquarters is perhaps even worse than in Beiping."

The grain grown in various places was not enough to feed everyone, so they had to rely on the military command to provide relief, and they had to buy a lot of grain from Beiping every year.

What are your thoughts on sweet potatoes?

Gong Xianzhi's eyes lit up instantly at the mention of sweet potatoes.

He seemed to come alive, and his voice became urgent:

"Sir, these sweet potatoes are a lifeline!"

Although eating too much makes me fart more, it doesn't stop me from feeling full!

Now that the commandery has sweet potato seeds, the grain harvest will be no less than in Beiping, and then all the brothers in various places will be able to have enough to eat!

Looking at his ecstatic expression, Lu Yunyi suddenly realized something.
Thanks to his father's status as a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, he never went hungry as a child.

Even if they didn't have meat at every meal, they never lacked food and had no idea what it was like to go hungry.

Most of the officials in the military command were either wealthy or of high rank.

They were either powerful figures from the previous dynasty or members of a prominent local family.
Even Sun Lao from the Agricultural Administration Institute, who was highly valued during the Yuan Dynasty due to his farming skills, never experienced the hardship of hunger.

But those who have never experienced hunger,
Can you imagine how someone who has been starving for a long time feels when they see sweet potatoes?

Now, the people of the various military garrisons are watching as the commander holds onto the sweet potato seeds tightly.

Why not plant crops that yield five or six bushels per mu?

They insisted on planting rice that yielded only one shi per mu, which shows how impatient they were.

"Firstly, the trial planting of sweet potatoes in the capital was very successful."
However, to mitigate the risks of large-scale planting, they plan to wait two years before promoting it.

If you were a soldier in the Tuntian Guard, what would you think?

Gong Xianzhi raised an eyebrow, looking embarrassed, and kept scratching his head and cheek:
"This...sir, I don't know what the other brothers think."

"Don't mince words. I've never farmed before, but I want to hear the truth from someone like you who has."

Gong Xianzhi saw that he looked serious.
His playful smile vanished, his brows furrowed, and his features almost scrunched up together.
"Sir, why not plant what can't fill your stomach when you have something to eat? Isn't that just plain stupid?"

After saying that, he glanced cautiously at Lu Yunyi and added:
"Sir, although the brothers of the Tuntian Guard are called soldiers, most of them are actually farmers, and they can't even hold a knife properly."

They don't understand the Commander's schemes at all, so please don't take them to heart.

Lu Yunyi raised his hand to stop him, his expression solemn:
"You're right, it's just that I can't tell the difference between the five grains."

Go and call Duan Zhengze over. Tell him to bring all the documents related to the sweet potato trial planting and subsequent plans, and that you need to see them.

"Yes!"

Gong Xianzhi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran out.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Duan Zhengze rushed in, carrying a stack of documents:

"Sir, are you looking for me?"

Lu Yunyi looked up and his face immediately darkened. He couldn't see Duan Zhengze's head; instead, he saw a tall stack of documents blocking his upper body, with only one eye peeking out from the side.

"What are you doing?"

"Sir, these are all documents related to the cultivation of sweet potatoes in the military settlements."
"I didn't know which portion you wanted, so I brought them all."

Lu Yunyi shook his head, pointed at Gong Xianzhi, indicating that he should help put the documents down, and then said:

"We'll have the relevant department calculate the yield based on the sweet potato yields from ten trial planting sites."

How many military garrisons would be needed to cultivate the land to meet the food needs of the military command?

Duan Zhengze pulled a letter from the pile of documents and handed it over:

"My lord, the Bureau of Records has already calculated it."

"Simply planting sweet potatoes in the areas surrounding Daning, Kaiping Zuotunwei, and Kaiping Qiantunwei would be enough to meet the entire military command's grain needs."

Lu Yunyi flipped through the documents, his expression growing increasingly grave:
"If I were to divide these sweet potato planting areas equally among each military garrison of the capital, how many acres could each garrison cultivate? Have you calculated that?"

A look of confusion flashed across Duan Zhengze's eyes; he didn't understand what he meant.

Lu Yunyi further explained:
“All the military garrisons in various regions wanted to grow sweet potatoes.”
I've been thinking that although large-scale planting is risky, we can't dampen the enthusiasm of the military and civilians.

Therefore, we want each garrison to plant a little bit, so that they can see the yield of sweet potatoes with their own eyes and get some practice as soon as possible.

"We need to ensure proper field isolation to prevent sweet potatoes from affecting rice cultivation."

Duan Zhengze was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood. His eyes flashed with wild joy, and his voice even stammered:
"Sir, are you telling the truth?"

"Why are you so happy?" Lu Yunyi asked, looking puzzled.

Duan Zhengze's face showed relief at surviving a disaster:

"My lord, you are unaware of the truth!"

Now, the military garrisons in various places have stationed people at the military command, and I don't even dare to go home. Right now, there are people blocking my door!

All they wanted was to grow sweet potatoes!

"Now that's good. If each villager could plant a little, at least we could give them something to show for it, and at least satisfy their cravings."

Lu Yunyi's face darkened:
"The Tuntian Guards are practically coming to our door, why didn't we take this seriously sooner?"

Just as Duan Zhengze was about to explain, Lu Yunyi raised his hand to stop him:

"Stop talking and get someone to do a reading right away!"

"Yes! I will arrange it immediately and get back to you as soon as possible!"

Fifteen minutes later, inside the Commander-in-Chief's office,

Xia Yuanji looked up from the enormous abacus, his brows furrowed, his face serious.
"My lord, it's all planned out. The crops from the Kaiping Qiantunwei, Kaiping Zuotunwei, and the six garrisons near Daning City will be divided equally."
Each garrison only needs to cultivate 173 mu.

Taking Quanningwei, which has the least amount of land under the jurisdiction of the military commander, as an example,
One hundred and seventy-three mu of land, accounting for less than one-tenth of its total farmland.

Lu Yunyi glanced at Duan Zhengze, who was secretly excited beside him, and said in a deep voice:
"Then what are we waiting for? Go and invite Elder Sun, as well as the officials in charge of this matter from the military command and the prefectural government, to come and urgently assess the feasibility."

The results must be in before dark!
If feasible, I will send out the seeds and planting instructions first thing tomorrow morning.
Tell them to hurry back and reassure the soldiers and civilians!
The situation in the capital is good now, without any disasters or difficulties, yet people are being thrown into panic. What kind of state is this!

"Yes, sir! I will make the arrangements immediately!"

Duan Zhengze was overjoyed. If this matter succeeded,

Although each guard didn't get much, at least there was something to show for it, and everyone had something to look forward to. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

After finishing his calculations, Xia Yuanji stood up and carefully put away the documents and abacus, trying not to make a sound.

The pile of documents on the desk was intimidating to look at.

Just as he was about to leave, Lu Yunyi's voice came from behind him:

"Wait a moment."

Xia Yuanji turned around, stood to the lower end, and looked respectful:

"Sir, is there anything else you require?"

Lu Yunyi glanced at the document in his hand, casually tossed it aside, and for a moment didn't know what to say.

The atmosphere inside the yamen instantly became subtle and awkward.
"Ahem. How are you getting used to life outside the Great Wall?"

After holding back for a while, Lu Yunyi could only start by talking about everyday things.

Xia Yuanji, a man of meticulous mind, glanced almost imperceptibly at the documents on the table and respectfully replied:
"Reporting to my lord, when I first arrived I found the area outside the pass to be bitterly cold, but now I've gotten used to it."

"Compared to the capital, the land outside the Great Wall is more desolate and has a smaller population."

"You talented scholars from the capital, it's an injustice that you've come here."

"You flatter me, sir. Since I came to Daning, everything I have seen and heard has been practical knowledge."

It was here that the students suddenly realized,
Maintaining peace in a place requires so many complicated tasks.

At this point, Xia Yuanji's expression became somewhat strange.
He once helped out at the Ministry of Revenue, and although he was busy...

But I've never been as tedious and bothersome as I am in the capital.

Lu Yunyi nodded, his gaze towards Xia Yuanji now showing more approval:

"I am very pleased that you have learned something."
Wu Su'an from the Bureau of Experience said you have a special talent for mathematics. Would you like to stay in Daning and serve as an official?

Xia Yuanji suddenly looked up, his face filled with shock:

"Me? A student. A student is still a commoner who has not yet entered officialdom, and cannot become an official."

"Ah, being an official is no different from what you're doing now, it's just that you have a title."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand.
"If you wish to stay, the Commander can arrange a job for you."
If you don't like anything related to the military,

After the establishment of the three offices in Daming, you may take up a post in the Provincial Administration Commission; I will not obstruct you at all.

Of course, if you don't want to stay outside the Great Wall and want to return to the capital to take the next imperial examination,
I will give you my full support and will never hold you back.

Xia Yuanji was stunned. A second-rank official was being so candid with him.
He even felt a surge of urge to die for a friend who understands him!
Before he could respond, Lu Yunyi continued:
"Forget it, you should just go and take the imperial examination."

In future dynasties, those who haven't passed the imperial examinations will likely find it difficult to gain important positions.

"My lord, what makes you say such a thing?"

"There are quite a few officials in the court today who haven't passed the imperial examinations."

Lu Yunyi smiled, leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and became more talkative:
"Although the imperial court did not hold large-scale imperial examinations at that time, most officials had studied at the Imperial Academy and the National University."

They received the orthodox education of the Ming Dynasty, learning propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame.
They are not comparable to those barbarians of the former Yuan Dynasty.

Nowadays, there are more and more government officials, and students like you without connections are becoming increasingly rare.
Even if one gets into the Imperial Academy, it's difficult to stand out without exceptional talent.

How could an official possibly compete with the sons of officials?

The imperial court will not allow this situation to continue.

At that time, the imperial examination will become crucial.
We're leaving a path to officialdom for you poor kids.

If you don't take the exam now, you'll probably regret it later.

Xia Yuanji's expression was solemn, and he remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he bowed deeply:
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I am deeply grateful."

Lu Yunyi smiled:

"If you fail the exam, it's alright. Just write to me anytime."

Whether it's Yingtian, inside the pass, or outside the pass, I can find you a job.

With your abilities, you are more than capable of handling this task.

Seeing Xia Yuanji's strange expression, which also carried a hint of resentment,
Lu Yunyi explained with a smile:

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not doubting your abilities."
"But having witnessed so much at the Commandery, I'm afraid you're no longer capable of writing those simple policy essays."

"My lord, I do not understand."

"Have you read Xie Jin's Ten Strategies for Peace? What do you think of them?"

Xia Yuanji looked embarrassed and said in a deep voice:
When I read it in the capital, I was amazed by its brilliance, but now when I read it again, I feel that it is somewhat ethereal and unrealistic.

"That's the truth."

Lu Yunyi was very satisfied with his comprehension.
"If you asked Xie Jin to write the Ten Strategies for Peace now, he definitely wouldn't be able to."

At that time, he had not witnessed the darkness of officialdom, nor experienced the cruelty of the world, which enabled him to write such splendid articles with a heart full of passion.

Once you've seen more and learned more,
I knew then that things weren't as described in the book at all, and I lost that enthusiasm.

You've calculated GDP in the capital and handled practical matters in the administration department; you've heard and seen a lot of trivial things.
If you were to write policy essays again, your writing style would become more pragmatic.

But in the imperial examinations, such pragmatism wasn't favored.

"My lord, the first two imperial examinations tested practical knowledge."

"The scholars who can review the papers do not use practical knowledge."

Lu Yunyi's words made Xia Yuanji's face turn pale. He continued:
"Just like the calculations for sweet potato promotion we just did..."
I initially made the same mistake as those Grand Secretaries.
You can't understand someone else's anxiety if you haven't experienced their suffering.

I always consider the bigger picture.

However, they overlooked the enthusiasm of the soldiers and civilians for planting sweet potatoes, and only now have they realized this.

Those high-ranking officials who reviewed the papers had been immersed in books for a long time, and all they knew were the grand principles in the books. How could they understand the difficulties of governing a local area?
Of course, if the examiners this time were the ministers of the Six Ministries, you would still have a chance.

They knew how difficult things could be.

Xia Yuanji opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but didn't know what to say. Then he looked relieved:
"My lord, if I were studying in the capital, I would have a thousand words to refute you."
But now, the student thought and thought, and still didn't know what to say.

"Hahaha, Xie Jin is just like you. When he was in the capital, he was always going against me. Now that he's been working for two years, he doesn't say any of that anymore."

Lu Yunyi patted his belly with great satisfaction and exclaimed:
"Reality will smooth out everyone's edges, extinguish the sharpness in your heart, and make you feel frustrated, helpless, and even lost."

But that's okay. Just remember your original aspiration and keep moving forward.

You can walk slowly, but you can't stop.

"Thank you, sir. I have learned a lot."

"Alright, you may leave. I still need to review the documents."

"Yes."

Xia Yuanji bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew.

(End of this chapter)