Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 84 The Purple Gold Beam Breaks, Rebels Collapse (Part 2)

In early November, the temperature in Beijing plummeted.

The power of the Little Ice Age was truly terrifying. Wherever the rolling cold wave passed, the Tonghui River, Chaobai River, and Beiyun River were frozen overnight, and heavy snow followed, turning the entire earth into a white wonderland.

Early that morning, after the snow had cleared, Zhu Jue hurriedly finished processing the memorials and then led Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua, and others straight to the potato field south of Wanshou Palace.

Normally, when the world is frozen over, it's impossible to leave any crops in the fields, because they would all be frozen and wouldn't survive.

However, things changed after greenhouses were installed; crops could be grown in fields covered by greenhouses, even in the coldest weather.

Zhu Jue had long ago ordered people to build two greenhouses for Xu Guangqi, one for growing potatoes and the other for growing sweet potatoes.

After Zheng Hongkui delivered the copper, he quickly ordered people to install a boiler and heating pipes in the greenhouse.

The sweet potato seedlings have already been planted, and the potatoes are ready for harvest.

He rushed over to check on the potato harvest.

By this time, three or four hundred farmers had gathered in the potato greenhouse. They were all neatly arranged, each with a hoe in hand, just like the ranks of the Beijing garrison. Winnowing baskets and hampers were scattered all over the ground.

It wasn't that Xu Guangqi was deliberately putting on a show; the key was that it was warm inside, and the farmers didn't want to stay cooped up on the kang (heated brick bed). Since it was such a joyous occasion as the potato harvest, everyone who could come naturally came.

When Zhu Jue walked in and saw the scene, he was taken aback. With hundreds of guards and experts rushing in, the room was almost full of people.

Seeing this, Xu Guangqi said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Majesty, I didn't call that many people. Most of them came to help voluntarily."

Oh, great! There's strength in numbers.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then took off his mink cloak and handed it to Wang Chengen before waving his hand and saying, "Let's start digging."

Those farmers had long wanted to dig them up and see how big the taro they planted here had become.

They were all family members of the imperial concubines, mostly from the capital region, and most of them had seen taro.

However, they had never seen taro grown by the Minister of the Inner Court himself.

Just how big are the taro plants grown by the Minister?
They couldn't wait to start digging frantically around the potato plants with their hoes.

They knew how to dig taro without the Minister teaching them. They knew they couldn't dig directly under the branches and leaves; if they did, a few strokes of the hoe would ruin the taro underneath.

They would first dig a hole next to the branches, then use their feet to push the hoe into the soil more than a foot deep under the branches and leaves, and then forcefully lift it up.

Wow, it's huge!

Is this still taro?

"How did this taro grow so big!"

A series of exclamations followed, and piles of fist-sized potatoes were pried out.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Jue couldn't help but ask with slight surprise, "The potato yield must be quite high, right?"

Xu Guangqi nodded with satisfaction and said, "Yes, judging from the size, it shouldn't be low."

Zhu Jue then asked, "Zixian, how did you grow such big potatoes?"

Xu Guangqi explained in detail: "Your Majesty, the properties of potatoes are similar to those of sweet potatoes. I planted them using the same methods as sweet potatoes. Also, there is much more fertilizer here than in my hometown. I applied enough fertilizer on time and in the right amount, and that's how the potatoes grew to this size."

However, even in rural areas, there isn't enough fertilizer, so it's unlikely to grow such large plants, unless in a special location with exceptionally fertile soil, particularly suitable for potato growth.

This is simple.

Zhu Jue said with great interest, "Zixian, we can make fertilizer and sell it. We don't care how much money we make, we just hope that there is enough fertilizer for the people. This fertilizer can not only make potatoes grow this big, but also increase the yield of other crops."

We'll make fertilizer and sell it? How much raw material would that require?
Xu Guangqi pondered, "Your Majesty, this one acre of land requires a lot of fertilizer. If we want the people to have enough fertilizer, then we need far too many raw materials. I'm afraid we can't find that many raw materials."

This is indeed a problem.

He knew about the fertilizer industry in his previous life, so he naturally knew about the raw materials used to make various fertilizers.

The raw materials for nitrogen fertilizer are readily available everywhere. The air contains 8% nitrogen, and natural gas contains even more nitrogen. The problem is that there is currently no technology to separate nitrogen from air and natural gas.

He did find the raw materials for phosphate fertilizer, because in his previous life he had visited the largest phosphate fertilizer plant in the north and even watched phosphate mining. The phosphate mine was located in what is now Bao'an Prefecture, roughly on the mountainside a little west of the Yongding River. He sent people there to dig and they dug up quite a lot.

He doesn't have much control over the raw materials for potash fertilizer now, because in his previous life he knew that all the raw materials for potash fertilizer were imported. Where is he going to import them now?

It seems we can only develop based on the existing foundation, and hopefully we can develop it to the point where it's sufficient.

Zhu Jue thought about it carefully, and then solemnly said, "Zixian, fertilizers are mainly divided into three categories: nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer, and potassium fertilizer."

The most common nitrogen fertilizer is urine, the most common potassium fertilizer is wood ash, and the most common phosphorus fertilizer is bone meal. The ore that I ordered someone to find for you also becomes a phosphorus fertilizer after simple separation.

In other words, we now have enough raw materials for phosphate fertilizer. As for nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, you know what else we have; let's see if we can find a way to produce more.

Upon hearing this, Xu Guangqi's eyes lit up and he asked, "Your Majesty, what kind of fertilizer are human and animal excrement and silt?"

Ugh, how could you talk to His Majesty about such filthy things!
Upon hearing this, both Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua were taken aback.

Zhu Jue, however, said nonchalantly, "Human and animal excrement and silt are mostly mixed fertilizers, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers."

Xu Guangqi nodded slowly as if he had suddenly realized something, and murmured, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is, I understand now."

I'm glad you understand.

Zhu Jue asked directly, "What kinds of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers do you know?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Guangqi pondered and said, "If we're talking about nitrogen fertilizers similar to urine fertilizers, then it would be chicken manure, bird droppings, soybean cake and fermented soybean products, as well as green manure such as purple clover and alfalfa."

If we're talking about potassium fertilizers similar in properties to wood ash, then fermented peanut shells and tea seed shells, as well as fermented fruit peels and various vegetable leaves are good options.

It seems there is still a way to solve this.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and said, "We can consider growing more soybeans, and we can also consider cultivating more seeds of milkvetch and alfalfa, so that we can continuously increase the yield of nitrogen fertilizer."

We can consider a variety of peanuts and rapeseed, as well as the leafy greens you mentioned. We can see which vegetables have the highest yield and then cultivate more of them specifically for producing potassium fertilizer.

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, we can actually pay to buy wood ash. There is a lot of wood ash in the countryside that is being wasted. For example, we can pay people to collect the withered grass and leaves in the mountains after they have turned yellow and burn them into wood ash."

As they were discussing, a spy from the Eastern Depot suddenly rushed in and shoved a memorial into Fang Zhenghua's hand.

Fang Zhenghua hurriedly walked over, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Shanxi has arrived."

Could it be that Wei Zhongxian ordered people to press for compensation, causing this trouble?

Zhu Jue took the memorial and was taken aback.

Hong Chengchou reported that during a fierce battle with the rebels in the Wangwu Mountain area, he shot and wounded Wang Ziyong. Wang Ziyong led the rebels into the Wangwu Mountain, but died from his injuries. The rebels then scattered into dozens of groups and fled south in a frenzy.

Han Kuang drafted a proposal, acknowledging Hong Chengchou's meritorious service, and recommended his promotion to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

These guys have planted countless spies among the rebels, and Prince Zijin Liang died so mysteriously!
After reading the memorial, Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then handed it to Liu Ruoyu and said calmly, "Approved."

Han Kuang wanted to groom Hong Chengchou, but little did he know that the higher he climbed, the harder he would fall!
Hong Chengchou was just a scapegoat anyway, so what's the point of promoting him to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince?

(End of this chapter)