My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 80 The Long-Legged Mature Woman

Ma Yu was right about one thing: Zhu Yuanzhang and others were indeed not interested in any unprecedented changes in a thousand years.

All you've said is aimed at ensuring that the Ming Dynasty maintains communication with civilizations outside its borders.

Just say it directly, why make up so much unnecessary stuff?
Zhu Yuanzhang, in particular, found it extremely inexplicable.

When we talked about the development of productivity earlier, didn't we already say that we should learn from the Southern Song Dynasty's development of maritime trade to support the surplus population?
What's the meaning of you constantly repeating the same thing in different ways?
Are they afraid we'll change our minds, close our borders, and sever ties with the outside world?

If this were before the productivity lesson, we might have had this thought.

After all, China is so powerful that it can produce anything, so it has virtually no need for goods from outside the region.

Cutting ties with them and living a secluded life can actually reduce a lot of trouble.

But the situation is different now. Knowing that the population pressure is great, what we want to solve most now is how to feed so many people.

Although exchanging ideas with civilizations outside our borders will bring many troubles, it is still better than not being able to support such a large population and ultimately losing our country.

We can make that kind of choice.

This is actually one of the main reasons why Zhu Yuanzhang lashed out and beat people today.

We just treat the crickets' chirping as a bit of fun.

But now you clearly look down on us, and we won't feel at ease if we don't beat you up.

But even though we've been beaten up, there are still some things that need to be resolved.

What Zhu Yuanzhang was truly concerned about was the change in temperature.

He knows this stuff all too well, and how much it affects crops.

If the temperature in the Ming Dynasty were to drop, coupled with the surge in population, it would truly be a disaster.

This was also the reason he withdrew from court.

He couldn't focus on anything else because he didn't understand the situation.

"Tell me, what exactly is going on with that temperature change?"

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao also pricked up their ears, as they were equally interested in this matter.

Zhu Gang looked at his elder brother and asked, "What temperature change?"
Zhu Biao simply gestured for him to listen and not get distracted.

He could only suppress his curiosity and listen quietly.

Ma Yu also put away his joking mood and said in a serious tone:

"Days alternate between day and night, and years cycle through the four seasons."

"In fact, there is another cyclical change that spans a longer period of time and is difficult for people to detect."

"It is mainly reflected in temperature, with temperatures being higher in one period and lower in another."

"My elders call it the 'warm-cold change'."

Zhu Gang, Zhu Di, Consort Chang, Xu Miaoyun, and others were all surprised.

A change from warm to cold? Why have I never heard of it?

In fact, Ma Yu's understanding of the Little Ice Age was also very limited.

He could only process the limited information he had and some historical details.

However, even if he understands it in detail, he will still process it.

After all, at this time he was not engaged in academic research, but was lobbying Zhu Yuanzhang and others for political purposes.

Naturally, the Little Ice Age had to be portrayed as even more terrifying.

Ma Yu paused for a moment to give them time to react before continuing:

"During the warm season, temperatures are higher, the climate is more stable, and there are relatively fewer natural disasters."

"It is very suitable for crop growth, and grain yields will also increase accordingly."

"In contrast, during the cold season, temperatures are low, and crop yields generally decrease."

"Extreme weather will also become more frequent, with either six months without rain or torrential downpours that flood everything."

"The most worrying thing is that extreme weather doesn't recover in three to five years, but rather occurs every one to two years."

"If the imperial court is not prepared, even the richest resources cannot withstand decades of turmoil."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was unusually solemn as he asked, "How long is this cycle?"

Ma Yu said, "The combined warm and cold periods are about eight hundred years. Sometimes the warm period is longer, and sometimes the cold period is longer."

An eight-hundred-year cycle? Everyone was even more shocked.

Does such a cycle really exist?

The key question is, how much wealth would one need to survive hundreds of years of extreme weather?
Zhu Gang couldn't help but ask, "How did you find out?"

Ma Yu said, "It was deduced from historical records of temperature changes."

At this point, he picked up a teacup and used his finger to draw a simple coordinate system on the stone table.

First, I explained the usage to them: the vertical line represents temperature, the horizontal line represents time, and so on.

Once they had roughly understood, he continued:

"When plants and animals that are only found in the south can be seen in the north of the Huai River for a certain period of time, it means that the warm period has arrived."

"Then mark a point here."

"When ancient books record that ice formation occurred south of the Huai River during a certain period, it means that a cold period has arrived."

"Finally, connecting all the points with a line will form a undulating curve."

"The time period spanned by the calculation curve is roughly eight hundred years, which is one cycle."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at the simple pattern drawn with watermarks.

Even though it quickly disappeared under the high temperature, I still couldn't tear my gaze away.

The pattern didn't really disappear; it was deeply imprinted in his mind.

This picture is so vivid; it's crystal clear.

So when he saw this picture, he basically believed what Ma Yu said.

The phenomenon of alternating warmth and cold is real.

This left him feeling very heavy-hearted, but it also raised more questions.

"Tell me, which periods are warm and which are cold."

Ma Yu thought for a moment and said, "We won't talk about the ancient times because there is a lack of historical records. We'll only talk about the periods with more historical data."

"The period from the mid-Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period to the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty was a warm period."

“Records in historical documents such as the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Bamboo Annals, and the Records of the Grand Historian all mention the widespread growth of southern crops in the north.”

"The reign of Emperor Wu of Han was a turning point from high temperatures to cold temperatures."

Ma Yu paused for a moment and then explained, "During the transition period between warm and cold weather, extreme weather events will frequently occur."

"Therefore, a look at historical records will show that natural disasters occurred frequently during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han."

While no one else spoke, Zhu Di interjected:

"Wasn't that a warning from Heaven about Emperor Wu of Han's cruelty and inhumanity?"

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Perhaps it's a warning from heaven, but it can't all be a warning."

"Moreover, even if the heavens wanted to issue a warning, a celestial event like a solar eclipse would suffice."

"There's no reason for so many disasters to befall the people, don't you think?"

Zhu Di scratched his head: "That seems to make sense."

Seeing his adorable appearance, Ma Yu couldn't help but pat his head before continuing:

"Moreover, due to the sudden drop in temperature, a far-reaching event occurred during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han."

"That is the replacement of grain crops in the north."

"In the past, when temperatures were high, rice and millet were planted in the north. These two crops can be planted alternately."

"After the temperature drops, it is no longer suitable to grow rice in the north."

"At this time, Emperor Wu of Han made a major decision to abolish the practice of planting rice and millet together, which had been in place for hundreds of years."

"Switch to planting winter wheat and summer beans, that is, planting wheat and beans together."

"Actually, wheat was grown before, but it was mostly spring wheat."

"But as the climate gets colder, the temperature is not enough, and wheat needs a longer growth cycle."

"So the wheat planting season was brought forward to the fall."

"Wheat seedlings are cold-resistant and will not freeze to death in winter. They can grow directly in the spring of the following year, saving a lot of time."

Zhu Biao exclaimed in surprise, "So winter wheat was promoted during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han!"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked thoughtfully, "Someone told me before that historical records show that the yield per mu in the early Western Han Dynasty was three to four shi."

"But by the Eastern Han Dynasty, only one or two shi (a unit of dry measure) remained."

"Even now, a yield of two shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain per mu (a unit of area) in the north is considered high."

"Could it be related to this?"

Because of this, many people in ancient times conducted various studies.

Some believe it's a problem with the measurement system, while others think it's a recording error, etc.

After hearing this analysis, he felt that perhaps this was the real answer.

Ma Yu was somewhat surprised. Had the ancients already noticed this problem?

"Yes, the historical records are correct; the changes in yield were caused by changes in crops."

"Of course, there are also some differences in measurement units, so it is a comprehensive result."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then asked:

"So, the cold period began with Emperor Wu of Han?"

Ma Yu shook her head and said, "No, temperature changes are not static, just like there can be a cold snap in spring."

"The general trend of temperature changes remains unchanged, but there will be different fluctuations in specific time periods."

"The temperature changes during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han were just like this."

"At that time, the temperature dropped directly from the warm period to the cold period."

"By the end of Emperor Wu of Han's reign, the temperature had risen slightly."

"The temperature was relatively warm during the Zhaoxuan period."

"But this small recovery only lasted for a few decades."

“Starting from the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, the temperature began to decline steadily.”

"By the time of Emperor An of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the temperature had almost reached its lowest point."

Empress Ma suddenly realized, "So the ten years of natural disasters that Empress He Xi suffered during her regency were not a warning from Heaven."

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Yes, the Liu family should actually thank Empress He Xi."

"Given the abilities of the emperors who came after Liu, the country would have been doomed in the face of these ten years of natural disasters." "Only Empress He Xi was capable enough to pull through and extend the life of the Eastern Han Dynasty by a hundred years."

Empress Hexi, Deng Sui, was not well remembered by Ma Yu before; he only knew that she interfered in politics in the harem.

Later, I heard from others online that she was a stunningly beautiful, long-legged, mature woman with exceptional abilities.

So he specifically went online to search for information about her.

Of course, he has absolutely no interest in things like stunning beauty or long legs.

It was purely out of curiosity about its abilities.

After careful research, it became clear that Deng Sui can be considered one of the most outstanding politicians in Chinese history.

Putting aside everything else, the Little Ice Age brought ten years of natural disasters, and anyone with slightly less ability might not have survived it.

Six months of floods affecting dozens of prefectures and counties, six months of severe drought affecting dozens of prefectures and counties, and then a nationwide locust plague.

This back-and-forth continued for ten years.

At that time, the Qiang, Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Xianbei and other tribes also discovered that the Eastern Han Dynasty was in trouble and took the opportunity to launch attacks.

Given this situation, I ask you, how many people can withstand it?

At least none of the emperors in the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty could hold out.

But Deng Sui persevered.

Beautiful, long legs, incredibly capable, a mature and sophisticated woman... who wouldn't like her?

Zhu Yuanzhang actually disliked Ma Yu praising an empress who was ruling from behind the curtain, but when he thought of the Wen Han Incident, he couldn't say a word in rebuttal.

If the Ming Dynasty were truly facing the ten years of natural disasters during the reign of Emperor An of Han, he would have been eager for ten Deng Sui to emerge and turn the tide.

After a brief chat about Deng Sui's achievements and the various natural disasters faced in the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Yu continued to discuss the Wen-Han transition:

"This cold period probably lasted until the early Northern Zhou Dynasty."

"After that, the temperature began to rise, and by the early Tang Dynasty, it had reached the peak of the warm period."

"The temperature was so high at that time that the permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau melted."

"The meltwater from the snow-capped mountains brings abundant water resources, which can irrigate more land."

"As a result, the population on the plateau began to increase rapidly, and Tibet was able to become a country that could rival the Tang Dynasty, largely thanks to this."

"By the end of the Tang Dynasty, the warm period had passed, and the next cold period had begun."

"Tibet was completely defeated during this cold period, and no powerful state has emerged since."

"In the early Northern Song Dynasty, the temperature rose briefly, but then it continued to decline."

"In the early Southern Song Dynasty, West Lake in Hangzhou was frozen over, and there were even records of lychees from Lingnan freezing to death."

Everyone was shocked; West Lake could freeze over?

Lingnan is a famously humid and hot region, yet trees can still freeze to death there.

Just how low must the temperature have dropped?

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao thought even further ahead, realizing that the Song Dynasty, despite the pressure of the cold season, was still able to support such a large population.

That's absolutely incredible!

Ma Yu continued, "By the middle and late Southern Song Dynasty, the nearly four-hundred-year-long period of icy conditions came to an end."

“From then until the Yuan Dynasty, the temperature rose to a relatively warm period.”

"The rise of the Mongols is actually thanks to the arrival of the warm period."

"With rising temperatures and increased rainfall on the grasslands, the grass becomes more lush and can be used to graze more cattle and sheep."

"With more cattle and sheep, we can feed a larger population."

"Genghis Khan seized this opportunity and established the powerful Mongol Empire."

"However, all of this will soon become a thing of the past. This warm period has now lasted for two hundred years."

Zhu Gang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We still have two hundred years left in the four-hundred-year warm period."

Everyone else had similar thoughts.

Two years is plenty of time; what more could you want?

However, Ma Yu shook his head and sighed:
"The cycle of warm and cold weather takes about eight hundred years."

"But the warm and cold periods are not each four hundred years apart; they can vary."

"If the warm season is long, then the cold season will be shorter."

"If the warm season is short, then the cold season will be much longer."

Zhu Biao was startled and said in a deep voice, "You mean, this warm period was very short, so short that it's already over?"

Ma Yu shook his head again and said, "Things are not as bad as you think, but the Ming Dynasty has less than a hundred years left."

"It might even be only fifty years."

"The world will face an unprecedentedly long period of cold, which may last for five hundred years."

Five hundred years? Everyone gasped in astonishment.

Zhu Gang frowned deeply: "Could you be mistaken? How could it be so short?"

Ma Yu simply said, "Why don't you send someone to take a look and see if there are still any plants and animals in the North that are only found in the South?"

"Send more people to northern Shaanxi and the Hetao region to see if the rainfall there has decreased."

"Of course, the situation hasn't deteriorated to that extent yet, and the Ming Dynasty can still enjoy several decades of peaceful life."

At this point, he glanced around at everyone:
"What about decades from now?"

At this point, he stopped his analysis for the day.

A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer; that's enough. Going any further would be redundant.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was grave: "We will send people to investigate, and I believe we will have results soon."

Everyone looked preoccupied.

The cold period lasted five hundred years.

Just thinking about them makes my scalp tingle.

At this moment, Empress Ma sighed and said, "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. Faced with the change of temperature, how are we any different from summer insects?"

Zhu Gang and the others felt a pang of sympathy, though they were reluctant to admit it.

However, given the extreme temperature fluctuations that last for eight hundred years, human lifespan is indeed too short.

The cycle is so short that it's imperceptible.

We owe it all to our ancestors who loved to record history.

Of course, there is also a group of people who are good at finding clues in history.

At this moment, Zhu Shuang spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"We have Lao Ma to analyze all kinds of problems, and now we know about the change in temperature in advance, so we have several decades to prepare."

"It's far superior to any previous dynasty."

"Besides, there are ways to get through the cold season."

"Empress Xi, a mere woman, was able to withstand ten years of natural disasters and extend the life of the Han Dynasty by a hundred years."

"With so many of us, what is there to worry about?"

Everyone looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to be so full of fighting spirit.

Zhu Yuanzhang was the first to react, and laughed loudly:

"Haha... Good, good, good, the second brother is right."

"We rose from a peasant's son to become an emperor, why would we fear a mere cold season?"

Zhu Biao couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Second brother is right. Compared to previous dynasties, we already have a huge advantage."

Zhu Gang nodded and said, "Knowing what situation we are facing and where the problem lies, there is no problem that cannot be solved."

Zhu Di said excitedly, "That's right, what's there to be afraid of? At worst, we'll just fight."

Empress Ma was also very pleased: "With the father, son, and brothers working together, even the greatest difficulties can be overcome."

The brothers exchanged glances and nodded emphatically.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang lightly kicked Ma Yu again:
“Your elders must have already thought about how to deal with the upcoming cold season.”

"Stop hiding things, tell us everything clearly."

You dare kick me?
Ma Yu was furious: "No, I don't know anything about it."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "Ha...you dare to be stubborn? I'm your uncle, it's only right that I beat you up."

"What, you want to get beaten up again?"

Ma Yu was startled and quickly tugged at Empress Ma's sleeve, saying:
"Auntie, you must seek justice for me!"

Empress Ma suppressed a laugh and sighed, "There's nothing I can do. A woman follows her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog. Even I, as his aunt, have to listen to him."

Ma Yu, his face filled with grief, raised his hands and looked up at the sky: "Heavens and earth, please send a fairy sister to help me vent my anger."

Everyone smiled.

Empress Ma gently tapped his head and said, "Stop fooling around, let's get down to business."

Ma Yu lowered his arms, glared at Zhu Yuanzhang, and his lips moved silently, as if he were swatting a cricket.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew he was putting on an act, but he still raised an eyebrow in agreement, ready to strike.

Ma Yu quickly coughed and said:
"Yes, there are, but there are many things you really can't understand. Telling you in advance will only have the opposite effect."

"Let's proceed step by step. You can start by following your own ideas."

"Then I will give corresponding advice based on what you have done."

If anyone else had said that, Zhu Yuanzhang would have already raised his sword.

Even in the past, he would have been unhappy if Ma Yu had said that.

But now he has fully acknowledged the knowledge that Ma Yu possesses.

Although Wen Hanbian has not been confirmed, he knows it is highly likely to be true.

This is something that truly determines the rise and fall of a dynasty.

Many of the Ming Dynasty's policies will have to be changed as a result.

Faced with such knowledge, he had no choice but to lower his proud head.

Therefore, he was not angry when Ma Yu said these words; instead, he silently nodded to show that he understood.

His statement also meant that Ma Yu would truly participate in the formulation of national policies of the Ming Dynasty.

After so much effort and dedication, I have finally earned this qualification.