Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 399 The Great Drought of the Ming Dynasty, the Use of Divine Artifacts! Zhu Yunwen's Worries!

midsummer.

The city of Nanjing was shrouded in scorching sunlight.

Just as Zhu Shou led the Ming expeditionary force to conquer Southeast Asia and deeply imprint the might of the Ming Dynasty into the countries of Southeast Asia, Nanjing and even the entire middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were mired in an unprecedented and massive drought.

From early July to mid-August, for more than a month, the entire southern region seemed to have been forgotten by the heavens, with almost no rain falling.

The earth was cracked and the crops drooped listlessly.

The water levels of rivers and lakes have dropped sharply, and an atmosphere of anxiety and drought permeates everywhere.

Zhu Yunwen, dressed in a plain-colored robe, sat in a lakeside pavilion in the palace.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the cloudless, azure sky.

The clear sky at this moment was like a huge mirror, reflecting the worries in Zhu Yunwen's heart, causing him to fall into deep thought.

Historically, Earth experienced a mini ice age that lasted for several hundred years.

Many historians in later generations believe that the fall of the Ming Dynasty was closely related to the frequent and devastating climate disasters during the Little Ice Age.

The first phase of the Little Ice Age had already quietly begun as early as the Song Dynasty.

Based on the timeline, we should now be in the second cold period.

Although the current climate is actually barely acceptable compared to the more severe third cold period.

However, the number and severity of the disasters should not be underestimated.

The impact of the Little Ice Age is not just limited to lower temperatures.

Even more serious are the abnormal climate phenomena caused by drastic temperature changes.

It was not a once-in-decades drought that caused the land to dry up and the people to have no harvest.

They were hit by a once-in-a-century flood, with the floodwaters raging, destroying houses, and submerging farmland.

For example, there hasn't been a trace of rain for over a month now.

This is one of the most significant manifestations of the abnormal climate during the Little Ice Age.

To Zhu Yunwen's surprise, such a severe drought was not recorded in detail in historical books.

As a "beginner-level online history enthusiast" who used to gather fragmented historical knowledge online in his previous life, he couldn't find a single trace of this drought in his unsystematic memory.

However, upon calming down and thinking about it carefully, this seems to make sense.

First of all, he was just a layman who had only a superficial understanding of history through the internet.

They were far from being experts and scholars who had devoted themselves to studying the history of the Ming Dynasty, and their grasp of historical details was inherently limited.

Furthermore, ancient historical books, in a sense, are more like biographies of kings, nobles, and generals.

The figures of ordinary people are always vague and insignificant, and there are rarely detailed descriptions.

As long as the disaster does not directly impact the government or change the fate of kings, nobles, and generals, even if countless people are displaced and lose their lives in the disaster, historians may find it insignificant and be too lazy to leave a single word in the history books.

Normally, historians would only write down simple yet shocking words like "the land was scorched for thousands of miles, and people ate each other" in some inconspicuous corner to record that tragic period of history when a disaster caused social unrest, or when a powerful figure lost power or rose to power, thus affecting the political situation of the court.

Otherwise, if later generations want to understand the local floods and droughts in history, they can only look for clues in family histories compiled by ordinary people or in the local county annals.

The county annals often record various acts of kindness performed by local officials and gentry in disaster relief, praising them for their love for the people and their generosity.

Information about floods and droughts, as well as the living conditions of the poor people at that time, is hidden behind these texts.

Perhaps, although this drought came on fiercely and caused suffering to countless people, it did not have a significant impact on the political future of high-ranking officials, nor did it shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's politics.

In the eyes of those scholars who compile history, it was nothing more than the deaths of some insignificant commoners, not worth wasting ink on.

Of course, it is also possible that some unknown historical records still contain scattered accounts of this drought, but Zhu Yunwen simply did not read them in his previous life.

"Your Majesty, I congratulate you!"

Just as Zhu Yunwen was lost in thought, his mind wandering far away, the familiar voice of the old monk Yao Guangxiao suddenly rang in his ears, forcefully pulling him back from his wandering thoughts.

Zhu Yunwen subconsciously turned around and discovered that Yao Guangxiao, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Xia Yuanji had quietly arrived not far from the pavilion.

The four had different expressions, but all of them carried a hint of excitement and anticipation.

Zhu Yunwen's expression remained calm as he asked softly, "What is there to be happy about?"

Yao Guangxiao stepped forward and bowed, then said with a smile, "Your Majesty, the State Affairs Office received an urgent report from the steam engine factory today."

"They made full use of the long summer days and carefully arranged a shift work model to maximize production."

"Now, daily production capacity has increased significantly, with an additional hundred units."

"The steam engines produced are being transported to various places without stopping, and put into the intense work of pumping water to fight drought."

"Although this year's drought is exceptionally severe, fortunately the imperial court has made great efforts to build reservoirs, and now we can release water to relieve the emergency."

"In addition, a large number of steam engines were used to pump water from rivers and lakes, which greatly alleviated the drought."

"Many crops that were on the verge of withering have been revived as a result. Isn't this a joyous occasion worth celebrating?"

Zhu Yunwen listened to Yao Guangxiao's report and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It must be said that the steam engine truly "played a significant role" in this drought relief effort, demonstrating unparalleled power.

A standard steam engine produced by the Daming factory has a huge pumping capacity.

It is almost equivalent to the pumping volume that would require three hundred adult laborers working at full strength to operate a traditional keel-driven tipper.

Moreover, humans are ultimately made of flesh and blood and need to eat, rest, and sleep.

But steam engines are different; as long as they are not broken, they can run day and night, continuously pumping water.

If this is taken into account, the actual pumping efficiency of the steam engine is much higher.

Today, throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, tens of thousands of such steam pumps are operating day and night on the front lines of drought relief efforts in various regions.

Such a massive number is equivalent to mobilizing tens of millions of able-bodied men to pump water and fight the drought.

This would have been absolutely unimaginable, let alone possible, in the past.

The reason why steam engines were produced so quickly was mainly due to Zhu Yunwen's highly forward-thinking decisions from the very beginning.

Standardized parts design and a meticulously crafted assembly line production process have greatly improved production efficiency.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty government invested substantial funds, manpower, and resources to fully support the production of steam engines, enabling production to proceed rapidly and efficiently. As drought relief efforts continued, the immense role of the steam engine became increasingly apparent and gradually gained widespread acceptance.

Whether they were farmers working in the fields or merchants traveling to and from the town, everyone witnessed the powerful functions of this amazing machine.

Its powerful piston reciprocating motion drives the pumping device, bringing water from rivers and lakes into the parched farmland, bringing a glimmer of hope to the desperate people.

The Ming government astutely seized this excellent opportunity and devoted itself to publicizing the crucial role of the steam engine in drought relief.

On the one hand, we promote scientific knowledge through various channels, strive to popularize scientific concepts, and let more people understand the scientific principles behind the steam engine and recognize the importance of science and technology in improving life and resisting disasters.

On the other hand, although Wen Yuanliu and other researchers made great contributions and played a significant role in the research and development of the steam engine,

But at its root, all of this is inseparable from Zhu Yunwen's guidance and decisions.

The vigorous promotion of the steam engine was also intended to further enhance Emperor Zhu Yunwen's prestige among the common people.

The people should know that it was the emperor's foresight that brought about this powerful weapon against natural disasters.

These propaganda materials were published in the Da Ming Daily every day, and Zhu Yunwen had already read them countless times.

Yao Guangxiao's bringing up of the old matter at this time was nothing more than clichés, a forced excuse to "congratulate" him.

That is why Zhu Yunwen merely gave a calm, bitter smile.

Admittedly, the role of steam engines in pumping water to combat drought should not be underestimated, but when placed in the context of the enormous demand for agricultural water, its actual effectiveness remains quite limited.

Tens of thousands of steam engines were far from enough for the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, after a prolonged drought, the water levels in rivers and lakes have dropped sharply, and some places have even dried up completely, with no water to pump out.

In contrast, reservoirs often play a more crucial role in drought relief.

However, the large-scale construction of reservoirs in the Ming Dynasty only began after Zhu Yunwen came to power.

Prior to this, although there were some small reservoirs, they were few in number and extremely limited in scale, making it difficult for them to play a significant role in the face of major disasters.

After Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he vigorously promoted the construction of reservoirs, and this project, which benefited the country and its people, was finally fully launched.

However, the time was too short, and many reservoirs were not yet completed and therefore could not be used.

Before humanity entered the industrial age, the means by which humans could cope with natural disasters were actually very limited.

Agriculture, as the foundation of the nation, still largely depends on the weather for its livelihood.

If we estimate grain production based on a year with favorable weather, although the yield per mu at that time was far less than in later generations, the population was much smaller and the per capita arable land area was relatively larger. The grain produced could not only meet the basic needs of the people of the Ming Dynasty, but also have a large surplus.

However, the real problem lies in the frequent occurrence of various natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and insect plagues.

Once a disaster strikes, it often leads to widespread crop failure, which in turn triggers a severe famine.

This phenomenon was common even in so-called prosperous eras, becoming a persistent problem that plagued dynasties throughout history.

It was precisely because of this unstable grain production that wealthy landlords developed the habit of storing large quantities of grain.

They stockpiled food in preparation for any eventuality.

However, a large amount of grain was hoarded and stored in warehouses for a long time. Some of it was weathered and spoiled, and some was eaten by rats. It failed to be distributed to the market in time, which undoubtedly exacerbated the severe food shortage during the famine and made people's lives even worse.

In modern society, although countries still maintain grain reserves, these reserves mainly serve as a safety net.

Grain storage is subject to strict time limits, unlike in ancient societies where some people would even consume grain that had been stored for several years or even more than a decade.

In later generations, grain stored for more than two years could only be used as pig feed.

Because almost no one wants to eat such poor-quality stale grain, everyone prefers to eat fresh grain.

From an economic perspective, national grain reserves are actually a costly and unprofitable endeavor.

Every year, the country needs to purchase a batch of new grain at high prices, while disposing of a batch of grain that has been stored for a long time at low prices.

In reality, there is no such thing as food that can be stored for many years and still not be finished.

Because of the storage cycle of grain, it can only be stored for two to three years.

Generally speaking, half of the grain produced in a given year is consumed as fresh food.

The other half is stored and released to the market two or three years later.

However, at this point, it can only be used as feed for animals such as pigs, cattle, and sheep.

Simply put, the limit of the national grain reserves is that there is enough grain to sustain people for one or two years; it is difficult to achieve more than that.

Ultimately, the key to truly ensuring food supply lies in improving our ability to resist disasters and droughts.

Although later generations may also suffer from floods and droughts, in reality, neither floods nor droughts will almost always lead to large-scale crop failures.

Even if there is a disaster, at most hundreds of thousands or even millions of acres of farmland will be flooded or severely damaged by drought.

Most of the other less damaged fields can still be cultivated and harvested normally.

Several million acres of land may sound like a huge amount, but when placed in the context of the country's more than one billion acres of arable land in later generations, it accounts for less than one percent.

Therefore, no matter how severe the year of disaster, even if several polders are flooded and the news reports it as very serious, from a national perspective, the overall grain output will not only not decline, but will continue to maintain a year-on-year growth trend.

The strong disaster resistance capabilities of later generations have enabled many farmers to cultivate the land for decades without ever encountering an extreme situation of complete crop failure.

Even a slight impact on production is considered a major disaster.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, this level of disaster was not even considered a drizzle.

In this era, a single disaster could lead to widespread crop failure, displacement of people, and starvation.

Without the help of steam engines to combat the drought this year, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Saying that hundreds of thousands starved to death is probably an understatement.

However, since only ordinary people from the lowest social strata died, there are indeed not many records of them in historical books.

Even with the steam engine, the situation was not optimistic.

Most importantly, it remains unknown how the drought will develop and when it will rain.

If it doesn't rain soon, and many low-lying lakes are drained or dried up due to lack of water replenishment, where will we pump water from?
Although it is impossible for the rivers and lakes in the Jiangnan region to completely dry up, many places are too far from the remaining water sources to necessarily use them.

"You all came together, surely not just to flatter me?" Zhu Yunwen asked. "Is there something important?"

……

(End of this chapter)