Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 256 The Rebirth of the Gu Family's Glory: A Great Transformation! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Time flies by.

Gu Jin suppressed all the criticism within the country and once again dispatched a large number of soldiers and supplies to Liaodong. He even established some specific systems for Liaodong.

—This is still completely different from the gradual approach that Gu had previously adopted.

Gu Jin's generation was clearly much more radical. He genuinely wanted to seize the current opportunity to annex the entire Liaodong region and completely integrate it into the Nine Provinces.

Do not--

Perhaps it shouldn't be said that way.

After all, the situation in Liaodong today is fundamentally different from that faced by generations of people in the past.

The establishment of the Gu Family Academy reflects the integration of the Gu family with religion.

All of these factors subtly intensified the penetration of Kyushu culture into the Liaodong region.

In other words, Gu Jin's actions were not radical, but rather a different approach based on the foundation laid by his predecessors.

Completely reclaiming a piece of land is not as simple as just occupying its city.

The integration of culture, ideas, and everything else.

Only then can a piece of land be completely recovered.

The Gu family has sown far too many seeds, and now it is time for them to bear fruit.

Gu Yi was also silently observing all of this, his heart unmoved.

He had long anticipated this day.

This includes not only the entire Liaodong region, but also the Western Regions and even Tibet, areas that, in the original history, would take many years to fully integrate into the Nine Provinces.

All of this was part of his plan.

Seeing all this now, I am naturally unmoved.

To his surprise, Wang Yingchen also had such thoughts.

He truly deserves to be called a leader of his era.

Despite being a foreigner, they rose to prominence in the Nine Provinces.

Furthermore, they were aware of the differences between the two places.

They have been pushing for the integration of Liaodong into the whole of China, including addressing some of the bad habits within the Liao Kingdom.

This is a truly extraordinary event, no matter how you look at it.

Although the Song and Liao dynasties were still constantly at war, they both treated this land, which did not yet belong to Kyushu, in exactly the same way.

This was indeed far beyond Gu Yi's expectations.

obviously.

History can never be completely corrected. As Gu's family did more and more, it became impossible to go back to the original path.

Autumn, the fifth year of Tongyuan.

Outside Kaifeng city, the Huangzhuang experimental field.

Further away, in several fields managed by Gu's disciples and closely guarded by the imperial court, there was now a great deal of noise and activity.

It's autumn harvest season, which is usually a routine time, but this year these fields have attracted countless eyes.

The reason for this is quite simple.

—That is why this place is a major corn-growing area.

Since its planting, corn has been controversial, and was even ridiculed as "the Grand Tutor's whims" or "a useless new seed". Now, the time has finally come to reveal the results.

On the ridge of the field, a group of young officials led by Lü Mengzheng, along with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and elderly farmers who were allowed to come and watch, all held their breath.

Apart from them.

Emperor Zhao Dezhao and Gu Jin, who was usually very busy with government affairs, also rushed over at this time.

Gu Jin's origins are self-evident.

This is a major issue that he has always been concerned about.

As for Zhao Dezhao, it was mostly because he thought it was fun.

All eyes were fixed on the strange plants in the field, which were taller than a person and covered with huge, club-shaped fruits, and the murmurs of discussion never ceased.

"My goodness, is that really grain growing in that field?"

"I've lived for decades, and I've never seen anything like this since my great-grandfather's generation! The stalk is almost as thick as a sapling, and the ears of corn it bears are golden and heavy. Could it be some kind of monster?"

"Old Wang, don't talk nonsense! Didn't you see that the Emperor and the Grand Tutor have arrived?"

"Look at that corn! It's almost as long as a child's arm when you break it off. How much will this plant produce? The millet we grow only yields a little over one ear."

"."

"How strange! Not only are the ears of corn big, but look at the stalks and leaves, they're also very thick and strong. After the harvest, these stalks can probably be used as excellent firewood, or chopped up to feed livestock. If that's the case, then it's truly a treasure from head to toe. Grand Tutor, you are truly a divine being descended to earth!"

"."

Discussions and murmurs continued to rise.

Even Zhao Dezhao was filled with surprise at this moment, and couldn't help but ask Gu Jin, "Grand Tutor, just how much corn can be produced?"

"I don't know either." Gu Jin shook his head immediately without any hesitation.

Although he had already heard Gu Qi explain the specifics.

But no matter what, this was the first time he had witnessed all of this firsthand.

Even the most talented person.

When encountering something for the first time, it's impossible to understand everything clearly.

Time passes slowly.

Just as the sun was high in the sky, Gu Jin immediately waved his hand and gave the order.

The next moment, an official from the Ministry of Agriculture immediately gave the order and shouted, "Begin the harvest!"

The farmers, who were already prepared, entered the field with curiosity and caution, and followed the previously taught method to break off the corn cobs one by one and put them into baskets.

One basket, two baskets, three baskets.
The baskets piled up more and more by the field, and the size and quantity of the golden corn cobs far exceeded people's understanding of cereal crops.

Exclamations of surprise were heard intermittently during this time.

"Are these things really edible? How come there are so many?"

"Yield per mu... how much would that be?"

"."

Amidst these exclamations, Gu Jin was not idle either; he immediately went to check the crops.

Gu Yi, too, was paying attention to this matter.

Although he grew up in the city, Gu Yi had visited his grandparents' home in the countryside quite often when he was a child, so he was not unfamiliar with it.

These corn cobs are naturally inferior to modern ones.

Whether it's the plumpness of the grains or the overall size of the fruit, they are far inferior to modern ones.

But for the Song Dynasty today...

This thing, however, can still be called a divine object!

"quick--"

"Calculate the yield immediately, then cook it according to the method I've described before!"

Upon hearing this, the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture immediately directed their clerks to transport all the harvested corn cobs to the large scale that had been prepared beforehand.

The officials were solemn and meticulous in their actions.

Weigh, record, and calculate these baskets of corn.

Gu Jin had clearly already explained everything.

These officials did not weigh the corn as a whole, but rather separated the kernels and weighed them individually, a process that appeared quite cumbersome.

Fortunately, there are many officials here, so it doesn't take too long.

Basket after basket of corn kernels were weighed.

All officials were carrying out their work in an orderly manner.

Some were harvesting crops, some were husking corn, and others were weighing and recording the quantities.

"This basket weighs 68 jin (34 catties)!"

A clerk loudly announced the numbers, and the scribe next to him quickly recorded them.

"This basket weighs seventy-one jin!"

"This basket weighs sixty-five jin!"

"."

The shouts rang out continuously, making the atmosphere among those present even more enthusiastic.

During the Song Dynasty, the standard measures for measuring grain were "shi", "dou", and "sheng". However, for bulk items that had not yet been stored and needed to be weighed first, they were often measured by weight and then converted later.

This is something everyone knows perfectly well.

Many officials and scholars even began to do mental calculations at this time.

Today's history is not the original history.

Under the influence of the Gu family, almost all officials no longer focused on studying classics, but also achieved considerable expertise in calculus.

That's why they were increasingly shocked as they calculated, their expressions growing more and more horrified!
The same applies to Gu Jin and Zhao Dezhao!

"Madam Fu." Zhao Dezhao stared blankly at Gu Jin, even involuntarily grabbing Gu Jin's hand. "This output... am I dreaming?"

Even now, he still finds it hard to believe.

Although Zhao Dezhao did not concern himself with any political affairs.

But that doesn't mean he's an idiot.

On the contrary, at least in Gu Yi's opinion, Zhao Dezhao's abilities were still superior to Liu Shan's.

He was well aware of what such a high yield of the crop meant.

If this crop can be widely promoted, an unprecedented golden age will descend upon his generation.

If all of this comes true.

Even if he fails to unify the entire Nine Provinces in his lifetime, his reputation in the long history will definitely not be inferior to that of the emperors!

If given the chance, which emperor wouldn't want such a title?
Gu Jin was also finding it difficult to remain calm at this moment.

Even though he was already mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but feel excited when he heard those numbers. —Gu Qi's guess was correct.

When a crop enjoys superior cultivation techniques and higher-quality soil, its yield can indeed surpass that of its native soil.

Even though it's difficult to achieve complete consistency in production, the common people are unlikely to expend such effort on it.

But all of this is already enough.

Seeing Zhao Dezhao's barely concealed excitement, Gu Jin took a deep breath and then slowly nodded in affirmation.

—A scene of utter excitement!
In this enthusiastic atmosphere, even time seemed to speed up.

The chief official of the Ministry of Agriculture personally held the abacus and checked it three times with several subordinates. His forehead was covered in sweat, whether from exhaustion or excitement, it was hard to tell.

Just moments later, he took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of countless people, strode up to Gu Jin and Emperor Zhao Dezhao. His voice trembled with extreme shock and excitement, almost breaking into a hoarse tone:

"Your Majesty! Grand Tutor!"

"The calculations are complete! After repeated verification by your subordinates, the yield per mu of this field is..."

He took another deep breath and, with all his might, proclaimed loudly: "The yield per mu exceeds five shi and three dou!"

His voice wasn't loud at all.

But at this moment, it travels extremely far.

Because everyone who heard this number couldn't help but mutter it, and it spread further and further!
"Five stones and three bushels?!"

"Oh my God!"

It was as if a bomb had been dropped on the scene!
After a brief silence, there came an uncontrollable, tsunami-like chorus of screams!

The people along the field ridges were absolutely thrilled!

"Five stones?! Did I hear that right? Five stones?!"

"Even in a good year, wheat yields only a little over one shi (a unit of dry measure), but this corn yields five times that amount?!"

"A divine object! It truly is a divine object!!"

"The Grand Tutor is truly a god descended from heaven, bringing us life-saving rations!!"

Many elderly farmers were moved to tears, and some even knelt down on the spot in the direction of Gu Jin and the palace, murmuring words of gratitude to Heaven and the Grand Tutor who brought this auspicious omen.

Lu Mengzheng and other officials were equally shocked. They looked at each other, and could see in each other's eyes an immense sense of horror and ecstasy.

They understood better than the common people what this number meant—it meant that the granaries of the Song Dynasty would be fuller than ever before, that more people could be fed, that the military provisions for the Northern Expedition to Liaodong would be well guaranteed, and that the foundation for a prosperous era was being laid!
How could this not make them happy?
In fact, for many ministers, their willingness to serve in the imperial court was not simply for wealth and glory.

Especially in the current temples.

In fact, many people who are willing to follow Gu Jin now are eager to create another extraordinary golden age with the Gu family.

If they were only after wealth and status, they would never have chosen to follow the Gu family, who valued good governance.

The world is divided
In addition, there is the current stalemate.

This made many people feel that they could never pursue this ideal in their lifetime, but now the appearance of corn has finally given many people a glimmer of hope.

—Including Gu Jin.

At this moment, even his eyes were red.

The heavy burden of the nation rests on his shoulders.

The same applies to the entire Gu family's burdens.

Gu Jin was well aware of her own abilities.

Only after he truly began to shoulder this heavy responsibility did he gradually realize the gap between himself and his predecessors.

This change naturally diminished his obsession with unifying the world.

And now... this corn, for him, is also a ray of hope.

Perhaps in this lifetime... he can still accomplish quite a lot.

That day, Gu Jin ordered people to make many corn cakes and distribute them to the people.

He used this opportunity to promote corn and its value to the public!
The results were more remarkable than expected.

Within just one day, the news spread like wildfire throughout Kaifeng.

Despite the fact that the tortillas don't taste very good, they've been hailed as amazing because of the impact they represent.

Its actual production volume is even more astonishing.

Besides--

Whether it was the corn seedlings or the corn cobs with the kernels removed, everything quickly became a hot topic in Kaifeng, and even subtly fueled everyone's desire to explore the sea.

From high-ranking officials to ordinary people in the streets, everyone was talking about this matter.

Everyone eagerly awaited the day when the Grand Tutor would promote this product to the common people.

As the merchants in Kaifeng gradually left...
The news spread rapidly throughout the world.

The entire land was shaken.

This is quite different from news of war.

Food is the most important thing for people, and farming is the foundation of life for the common people.

No matter how much commerce develops in Kyushu, the fundamental principle of agriculture has never changed.

This includes the yield of corn, as well as the various functions of the crop.

These are all things that people everywhere should pay attention to!

The Gu family's reputation quickly recovered to its peak in a short period of time, even reminiscent of its most prosperous period during the Han Dynasty.

This prestige was not gained on the battlefield or in the halls of power.

Rather, it is the most primitive form of reputation.

That is the support of the people of the world!
Even though Gu Jin hasn't fully promoted these things yet, this atmosphere has already begun to spread rapidly throughout the world.

This applies not only to areas within the Song Dynasty.

It also includes the Liao Dynasty and separatist forces in various regions!

Even if many of them wanted to interfere, they were simply unable to stop this wave.

For a moment, the world was in an uproar.

Under these circumstances, even the sacrificial rites in the Luo River region began to become more frequent.

People from all over the world almost all focused their attention on Gu Jin.

I want to know what he plans to do.

Under these circumstances, news of the experimental fields in various places finally arrived.

Just as Gu Jin had predicted.

There are significant differences in production output between different regions.

High-quality farmland generally yields around five shi per mu, while less desirable farmland yields increasingly less.

But this does not affect the trend at all.

On the contrary, it's the complete opposite.

When the news spread, the wave brought about by corn became even more frenzied!
At the very least, production is doubled.

This number alone is enough to make countless people go crazy for it!

News kept coming from all over the country, all of them ministers submitting memorials urging Gu Jin to quickly promote this crop.

But even amidst this enthusiastic atmosphere...

Gu Jin did indeed calm down.

He does intend to promote this product, but it's impossible to fully roll it out all at once.

Let alone whether there are enough grain seeds.

The key point is that if this is rolled out on a large scale, any problems that arise with the corn will have unimaginable consequences.

The food problem in the Song Dynasty was already a difficult one.

This concerns the entire nation; Gu Jin could not possibly do such a thing.

He could only promote corn little by little, based on the terrain of each place, until it was fully spread.

But this is destined to be a very troublesome matter, and Gu Jin cannot make a decision in a short time.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this.

Seeing the esteemed reputation of the Gu family among people from all over the country, and feeling the attention from all corners of the world, his heart was once again stirred.

A major transformation is truly on its way.

There is no doubt about this.

Whether it was the leap in productivity or the rise of the spirit of ocean exploration—when the people of Kyushu began to set foot in these fields and were willing to pay a huge price for them, the turning point of the times was already destined.

Of course, Gu Yi also knew that all of this still needed time to gradually move forward and change slowly.

Even so, it's enough.

Don't forget, the Gu family has always been at the forefront!
------

In the fourth year of the Tongyuan era, Jin's younger brother Qi returned from overseas and presented a new type of golden grain, which looked like jade grains and was called "corn".

People at the time said that the Gu family had obtained a divine object from overseas, and everyone eagerly awaited its arrival.

In the spring of the fifth year, Jin selected fertile fields in various regions to conduct trial plantings, attracting worldwide attention.

At first, the seedlings sprouted quite vigorously, but by midsummer, the growth of the stems and leaves was slower than that of millet and wheat. Gradually, people in the court and the countryside began to look down on it, some mocking it for "unjustly gaining the name of a divine thing" or satirizing it for "Gu's miraculous skill will ultimately fail to materialize."

When the autumn harvest came, the emperor led all his officials to observe it.

The plants planted in the field are taller than a person, with drooping stalks of fruit, the color of which is like gilded gold.

The farmers picked out a full basket, weighed it, and checked it three times.

The Minister of Agriculture reported in a trembling voice, "The yield per mu exceeds five shi and three dou!" At that time, the yield of millet per mu in the nine provinces was only slightly more than one shi, and everyone was shocked.

The elders bowed and wept before the palace, calling him "Grand Tutor Shenhe".

The emperor, holding the jade pendant, sighed and said, "Is this not an auspicious omen bestowed by Heaven?"

Jin then ordered that cakes be cooked and distributed to the people. Although the taste was coarse, the people eagerly ate them, saying that they could save countless lives.

—From the Biography of Gu Jin in the History of the Song Dynasty

(End of this chapter)