My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 130

The potatoes weren't very big, nothing like the potatoes Su Ze had seen in his previous life.

This is normal. The agricultural products of later generations are the best varieties selected through generations of scientific breeding. The potatoes of today cannot compare with those of later generations in terms of yield and taste.

Even so, this potato is already a pretty perfect crop!
In his previous life, Su Ze had worked as a poverty alleviation cadre and promoted potato cultivation, so he knew potatoes very well.

Potatoes are a staple food, rich in nutrients. Theoretically, consuming potatoes and milk can meet all the nutritional needs of humans.

Potatoes have low soil requirements and can be grown in mountainous and barren land. They are resistant to cold and drought, and have a shorter maturity cycle than wheat and rice. They can also be used as a famine relief food during times of disaster.

The potatoes tasted quite good too. Su Ze thought of the potato dishes he had made in his previous life and licked the corner of his mouth.

However, potatoes are not a perfect crop.

Following his memory, Su Ze wrote on the paper while muttering to himself:
"If Tu Zemin continues to collect potatoes and repeatedly plants the same variety of potatoes, it will accumulate alkaloid toxins and cause diseases."

In his previous life, Su Ze had gone to the grassroots level to alleviate poverty and had also promoted potato cultivation in the area.

Potatoes need to be replaced every season. If you continue to grow seedlings from your own potatoes, they are more likely to suffer from serious diseases the following year.

The most famous of these was the Irish famine.

When Britain colonized Ireland, it vigorously promoted potatoes. However, due to the monoculture and dense planting of potatoes, potato late blight spread rapidly, leading to reduced potato production and even crop failure in Ireland.

Britain then exported all of Ireland's grain, leading to the starvation of millions in Ireland.

Great Britain never disappoints when it comes to major shortcomings and moral failings.

That's why Su Ze wrote to Tu Zemin, asking him to continue collecting potatoes to enrich the population diversity and prevent large-scale diseases.

This principle is the same as crop rotation, which reduces the occurrence of pests and diseases by planting different crops.

"Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family. If a single variety is propagated asexually, it can lead to the accumulation of alkaloid toxins. Increasing population diversity can also reduce toxins."

Su Ze also wrote: "Potato breeding also needs more varieties of potatoes."

After writing these, Su Ze picked up a small pen from his desk, quickly wrote a letter, found a carrier pigeon, and put the letter into the letter cage.

The fat pigeon spread its wings and took flight, quickly heading towards Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Having clarified his thoughts on potato breeding, Su Ze then began to consider how to promote potato cultivation.

Su Ze's past life's poverty alleviation work made him understand how difficult it is to promote a crop.

Su Ze recalled the village from his previous life, where his predecessor, a poverty alleviation cadre, had recklessly launched projects and promoted the planting of kiwifruit among the villagers.

The kiwifruit that were eventually grown were small and sour, and since the area is mountainous, it was difficult to transport them out.

When Su Ze went there again, he promoted potatoes in the area, but the local people were very resistant and refused to switch to growing potatoes.

Later, Su Ze applied for special subsidies from higher authorities and personally reclaimed wasteland at the village committee before finally persuading the local people to switch to this new crop.

In the Ming Dynasty, the difficulty would only be greater than in the previous life.

This is not to say that farmers are conservative, but rather that when it comes to staple crops, no one will arbitrarily change what they grow just because of your word.

Agricultural planting is a very complex matter; no crop can be harvested simply by sowing seeds.

Regarding crops, there are techniques for sowing, weeding, and fertilizing according to the farming season, as well as various disease prevention and control techniques. Farmers who are used to growing a certain crop will definitely not switch to growing it just because the government promotes it.

What if the crops promoted by your government don't grow?
Will we still have to pay taxes to the imperial court then?
If there's no food to eat, will the imperial court take any action?

Let alone the feudal era, even in modern times, it is extremely difficult to promote a staple food.

But Su Ze smiled, thankfully it was just potatoes.

Potatoes are characterized by their cold resistance, and they can be grown even in mountainous areas.

Moreover, potatoes are not picky about soil; they can be grown in a small patch of land in front of or behind a house.

These two characteristics made it much easier to promote potatoes than staple foods like corn.

The fact that mountainous areas can be cultivated means that crops can be grown in uncultivated mountain fields, which would not encroach on the original arable land.

Large tracts of land are not required; people can try planting on a small scale. Once they taste the benefits, they will spontaneously plant more.

Moreover, for Su Ze, potatoes can be considered a strategic food source!

The key defensive directions of the Ming Dynasty today.

In the history before Su Ze's time travel, all three strategic directions collapsed simultaneously during the Wanli era.

First, there was the northwestern defense line in the Shanxi, Ningxia, and Shaanxi areas, which was used to defend against the Mongols. The Ningxia campaign during the Wanli era depleted the entire northwestern region.

The Jurchens in the Jiliao region were also restless, and the military pressure gradually increased. The anti-Japanese aid to Korea during the Wanli era made the Jurchens even more powerful.

Another region that is often overlooked, yet frequently causes unrest in the Ming Dynasty, is the southwest region.

The Battle of Bozhou drained the entire South China region of its resources.

These three regions are now unstable, and Su Ze's "Pacifying the Barbarians Strategy" aims to strengthen border defenses and suppress local rebellious forces.

And all three of these regions are suitable for promoting potato cultivation!
Needless to say, before Su Ze transmigrated, China was already the largest producer of potatoes, and most of China's potatoes came from the southwest region. In the Yunnan and Guizhou regions, potatoes had already become a staple food.

There's a saying in Yunnan: "No potato can leave Yunnan alive," which shows how much people in these places love potatoes.

The Northwest region is also very suitable for growing potatoes. Su Ze had already prepared to write to Qi Jiguang in Datong, asking him to promote potato cultivation in the military settlements in Datong to replace the military rations of the Datong border troops.

The same applies to the Liaodong region; the black soil outside the Great Wall is also very suitable for growing potatoes.

The issue of food is also related to the army's logistics and supplies. If the border troops can be made self-sufficient to a certain extent, then the decline since the mid-Ming Dynasty can be reversed, and they can take the initiative to attack and eliminate border troubles!
And all of this comes down to the tiny potato.

Su Ze looked at the [family-sized planting mat], wondering how to promote the potatoes after they were grown.
Su Ze thought of Little Fatty Jun, and a plan came to mind.

I've already helped Xiaopang Jun so much, so it's only natural for a disciple to help his teacher, right?
-
December 15th.

After the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Crown Prince's lectures will be suspended.

By the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, all the major government offices would be preparing for the New Year.

From the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, this month is considered Zhu Yijun's winter vacation.

With his books tucked under his arm, Huang Ji entered the Eastern Palace amidst the envious glances of his colleagues.

"This is the fifth time the Crown Prince has summoned Huang Ji to give lectures this month, isn't it?"

Another lecturer nodded enviously.

This was the last lecture before the new year, and the Crown Prince personally selected Huang Ji, which caused quite a stir among the lecturers.

Huang Ji felt the envious looks from his colleagues and finally understood how Su Ze felt—it was simply awesome!

As he stepped into Minglun Hall, Zhu Yijun was already sitting respectfully at his desk, waiting for him.

Upon seeing Huang Ji enter, Xiao Pangjun even left his seat to greet him, which made Huang Ji tremble all over.

"Master Huang, please have a seat!" Little Fatty Jun pulled out a chair and invited Huang Ji to sit down. Then, with a wink, Zhang Hong immediately brought over several thick ledgers.

Zhu Yijun said excitedly:

"Master Su's method was indeed effective. Yesterday, Master Huang found out about the problems. I sent Zhang Daban with the agents from the Eastern Depot to those shops. Before I even used torture, those corrupt officials confessed everything!"

Zhu Yijun never imagined that human nature could be so greedy.

These shops have only been open for a few days, and the shopkeepers in charge of them have already started lining their own pockets.

Unfortunately, Huang Ji still discovered the flaws in the Dragon Gate tent and exposed these few parasites.

For Zhu Yijun, this is not just a matter of recovering some losses.

This audit adds another variable to the "game," giving Zhu Yijun even more to consider.

How should a corrupt shopkeeper and his employees be dealt with? If the punishment is too severe, will it affect the shop's sales?

Punishing some corrupt shopkeepers can also serve as a deterrent to other shopkeepers.

After identifying the problem, how do we formulate new regulations to close the original management loopholes?

Zhu Yijun became increasingly engrossed in the game; the feeling of outwitting and outmaneuvering others was simply wonderful!

Huang Ji nodded, having already ignored the "Master Su" that Xiao Pangjun mentioned, and then began to seriously examine the accounts.

An hour later, Zhu Yijun personally brought Huang Ji some warm soup, which invigorated Huang Ji. He opened the thick ledger again and circled the problems one by one.

Two hours later, Huang Ji rubbed his forehead and said to Little Fatty Jun:
"Your Highness, I have circled the problematic ledgers."

Zhu Yijun quickly said:
"Thank you so much, Master Huang! Little Hongzi!"

Zhang Hong hurriedly carried a food box into Minglun Hall.

Zhu Yijun said:
"Master Huang, you've worked hard. Please take this food box back to the Imperial Household Department."

The Crown Prince has given himself food!

Huang Ji stood up and bowed, deeply moved. This was a treatment that even Su Ze had never received!

After Huang Ji left with the food box, Zhu Yijun then said to Zhang Hong:
"With the year-end approaching, the peak season for honeycomb briquettes sales is just around the corner, so let's not make any moves with these shopkeepers for now."

Zhu Yijun added:

“Transfer a few reliable senior employees from other shops and imply that if they find fault with the manager, they can be promoted to manager after the New Year.”

Zhang Hong quickly wrote down Zhu Yijun's instructions, and then asked:
"Your Highness, the Marquis of Wuqing has arrived."

Zhu Yijun immediately said:
"Quickly invite my maternal grandfather to the Imperial Garden!"

Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing, was the father of Consort Li.

The Li family had an ordinary background; it was only because Consort Li was favored by the Longqing Emperor that Li Wei was granted the title of Earl of Wuqing as a relative of the imperial family.

Emperor Longqing was quite restrained in bestowing titles and rewards upon his maternal relatives, and the ministers of the Longqing era were powerful, so the Earl of Wuqing did not dare to be arrogant.

Although nominally a relative of the emperor and a noble family, the Earl of Wuqing only received a few estates bestowed by the emperor.

The produce from these estates was sometimes sent to the palace to supply Consort Li with the palace servants, so they actually lived a very frugal life.

The Li family truly rose to prominence only when Consort Li became Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun became Emperor.

Li Wei often manages farms in the suburbs of Beijing, and his skin gets tanned like that of an ordinary old farmer. Although he wears the clothes of a nobleman, he still has an undeniable air of pettiness.

However, for Zhu Yijun, this maternal grandfather was one of the few interesting old men who didn't lecture him with grand principles and would even share some amusing anecdotes from the farm. The relationship between the grandfather and grandson was quite close.

Li Wei was also puzzled. The Crown Prince had summoned him from his farm in the suburbs of the capital, but instead of meeting him in the main hall, he was led by a eunuch to the Imperial Garden behind the Eastern Palace.

The Imperial Garden was a small plot of land within the Eastern Palace, created by the royal family to demonstrate their emphasis on agriculture.

Every year in the first month of the lunar calendar, the Crown Prince would also hold a plowing ceremony in the Qin Gong Garden. This was part of the royal education personally established by Zhu Yuanzhang, and it was also to remind future generations to value agriculture.

Of course, the six-year-old crown prince could not possibly cultivate the land himself; the Imperial Garden was usually only used to grow some seasonal vegetables.

But it was December, and Qin Gong Garden was still bare. Li Wei didn't understand why his grandson had called him here.

Before long, Zhu Yijun brought Zhang Hong to Qin Gong Garden.

"Prince Father!"

Li Wei quickly said:

"Your Highness, I am unworthy of this title."

There was still an empress in the palace, and Li was only a concubine. Moreover, the crown prince was the second most important person in the Ming Dynasty after the emperor, so Li Wei did not dare to use his status as a relative of the empress here.

Zhu Yijun had no choice but to say:
"Well, Lord Wuqing, how are the fields doing these days?"

Speaking of the estate, Earl Wuqing began to chatter:
"During the slack season in December, I led a group of people to find several farms to prepare for the spring planting next year."

Li Wei was also terrified of poverty. During the Gengxu Incident, he fled to the capital and truly went hungry.

Therefore, unlike those officials and nobles who were hands-off, Li Wei often spent time in the fields and even personally took care of the crops.

Li Wei spoke in detail, recounting the process of preparing for spring plowing at the farm, which Zhu Yijun listened to with great interest.

After Li Wei finished speaking, Zhu Yijun instructed Zhang Hong to dig the potatoes out of the ground.

These potatoes were naturally the main ones he instructed Zhang Hong to bury in the ground. He had Zhang Hong bring the potatoes and said to Li Wei:

“Lord Wuqing, this is a rare delicacy from the southern region, presented to the Emperor by the Hongyi people. It is called potato and is the essence of the soil.”

"My father likes this very much, so I planted some in the Imperial Garden, but they haven't sprouted yet."

Li Wei took the potato. He often dealt with crops and could tell at a glance that it was edible.

Li Wei said with a smile:

"Your Highness, perhaps it is not the right time for farming. When spring arrives and flowers bloom, this plant will sprout."

Zhu Yijun said with a bitter face:
"But the garden is only this small piece of land."

Seeing Zhu Yijun's expression, Li Wei said with a smile:

"Your Highness need not worry about this matter. My estate has excellent land that can be used to grow this crop! Your Highness can then present it to His Majesty!"

Zhu Yijun feigned great joy and then said:
"Father once said that he would spend a lot of money to buy this item. Marquis Wuqing, you must be careful not to let it be stolen."

Then Zhu Yijun thoughtfully added:
"Alright, I'll have the guards from the Prince's Palace go to the fields to keep an eye on it, so that it doesn't get stolen."

Seeing that the Crown Prince was so thoughtful at such a young age, the Earl of Wuqing was overjoyed and quickly accepted the Crown Prince's kindness.

(End of this chapter)