I'm writing novels in Liaozhai

"I didn't expect the disaster to be so serious!"

The prince could not help but let out a long sigh.

"There is no way, the life of the people is like this, relying on the sky for food.

If the weather is good, you can barely get enough food and clothing.Once there is a natural disaster, it can only be resigned to fate. "

"Teacher, is there really no way to change all this?"

"It's not impossible, it's just that it will take a long time."

"Teacher, can you clarify?"

"To change this situation, we need to fundamentally solve some problems.

For example, food, once a natural disaster occurs, not to mention ordinary poor people, even the imperial granary will be in a hurry.

This is because of insufficient reserves.

When the imperial court solves the problem of insufficient food reserves, it often imposes additional taxes, and forcibly apportioning them is actually an act of killing chickens and taking eggs.

The imperial court confiscated the food, what did the people eat?

Once you corner them, it can easily lead to chaos."

The prince looked at a blank face: "But teacher, if the imperial court does not collect food or collects less food, how can we maintain the operation of a country?"

"Your Highness, what the teacher said doesn't mean no collection of food or less collection of food. Have you ever thought about making a fundamental change and turning the collection of food into an increase in food?"

"Food increase?"

"Yes, finding ways to increase food production can fundamentally solve the problem.

It can not only meet the needs of the imperial court for collecting and storing grain, but also allow the people to have surplus grain to eat.In this way, even if there is a natural disaster, the people will not starve to death. "

The prince's eyes lit up, and he asked anxiously: "Then how can we increase the grain production?"

"This problem requires the court to take a lot of trouble and train professionals in this field. For example, improving seeds, improving soil, fertilizing, killing insects, weeding, etc.

In short, the principle is to adapt measures to local conditions.

Another thing is to send people to foreign lands to investigate and properly introduce some high-yielding grains.”

The prince got dizzy when he heard it.

After all, he is only in his teens, and he still lacks knowledge in all aspects.

"It's okay, just listen to it, and you can practice it slowly when you have the opportunity in the future. For example, first designate a local area for experimentation, and then slowly promote it to the whole country after accumulating successful experience."

"Teacher, have you ever told your father about these concepts?"

Gu Ming shook his head: "No, I talked too much with your father before, and I didn't bother to talk about it."

"Oh, then, when I have a chance in the future, I will talk to my father about this and see what my father has to say."

"Well, you can definitely take this matter to you, and it can be regarded as sharing some important national affairs for your father."

"Thank you teacher for fulfilling it!"

The prince bowed respectfully.

Although he didn't quite understand what he heard, it didn't matter. The important thing was that as long as the grain production could really be increased, it could really be called a great contribution.

Soon after, the two came to the Maliu village that the refugees had mentioned before.

At this time, the village was somewhat angry, because the previous refugees had brought back some food and were distributing it to everyone.

Although Gu Ming and the crown prince had changed into ordinary clothes, they were still recognized at a glance, and they were so frightened that they quickly knelt down

"Xiaomin met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and Lord Jin Yihou!"

All of a sudden, the village, regardless of age, knelt down one after another.

"Okay, you all get up."

The prince sighed and raised his hand to signal the villagers to get up.

Gu Ming looked up and looked around, and found that there were a few tattered straw mats on the open space on the west side of the village. On the straw mats, there were still a few skinny people lying

To be precise, corpses.

It seems that these refugees are not lying, those must be the villagers who starved to death.

For such a situation, Gu Ming is certainly sympathetic.

However, this is also an inevitable phenomenon, a necessary process for the development of human history.

Not to mention, this is still a world of spirits haunted by monsters.

Even in Gu Ming's previous life, many people died of natural disasters every year, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, etc.

This is a natural law.

"Teacher, do you have any silver?"

The prince leaned over his head and said something softly.

"You mean, give them money?"

"Yes, returning students will definitely return it to the teacher."

"Your Highness, it is better to teach people to fish than to teach them how to fish. Giving them money can only solve the problem for a while, not for a lifetime."

It's not that Gu Ming is reluctant to part with money, if he came alone, what's the point of giving some money?

However, the prince is here, and if nothing unexpected happens, he will ascend the throne and become the emperor sooner or later.

Therefore, it is necessary to instill some ideas in him in advance.

"Since we've come here, why don't we show something?"

Gu Ming smiled and said: "I understand His Highness's feelings. In fact, it is very simple to solve this matter. One is to find out the source and reissue the imperial court's disaster relief food to them. Two, fundamentally solve their ration problem."

"It seems that the teacher already has a better idea?"

"That's right, I've seen it all the way before, the drought here is not accidental, that is to say, this place itself is a place that lacks water.

But the crops they grow cannot be separated from water.

This has fundamentally led to their low grain production, and even the phenomenon of no grain harvest like this year."

Chapter 285 The little princess enters the city...

Hearing Gu Ming's explanation, the prince was not stupid, and thoughtfully said: "The teacher means that they should plant some drought-resistant crops?"

"Correct!"

Gu Ming nodded in relief.

"For the environment here, changing seeds is definitely the best way.

Another way is to dig canals to divert water, but the amount of work is a bit large.”

"Then, teacher, what kind of crops do you think are better grown here?"

"For example, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. are relatively drought-tolerant. At that time, we can try to plant them first to see which crops are more suitable for the climate and soil here, and then promote them.

In short, I still say that, adapt to local conditions, you must know how to adapt.

Moreover, the imperial court should also pay more attention to cultivating more talents in this field, improving the soil, improving seeds, and increasing food production, so as to fundamentally solve the problem of food for the people.

The people live and work in peace and contentment, and the Great Yan Dynasty will naturally enjoy peace and prosperity, and become more prosperous and strong.”

Hearing these words, the prince was mesmerized, and his eyes were full of longing.

After Gu Ming finished speaking, he saluted involuntarily and said: "Listening to the teacher's words is better than studying for ten years, so it's no wonder that the father trusts the teacher so much.

It's a pity that the teacher resigned early and returned home."

"Your Highness, although I resign and return to my hometown, I am not indifferent to worldly affairs."

"Well, the student understands. If the student encounters any confusion in the future, please give me your advice, sir."

After leaving Maliu Village, Gu Ming and the prince visited several villages together, and basically grasped the situation of the disaster and the distribution of relief food.

Needless to say, the disaster situation, the two saw it with their own eyes.

As for the disaster relief food, it was obvious that more than half of it was withheld, and the food distributed to the victims was also dropped, and it was all mildewed food.

"Teacher, let's go to the county seat. The students must investigate this matter clearly, and those dog officials who dare to propose disaster relief food must pay a heavy price!"

"Well, let's go!"

Gu Ming nodded.

After walking for about ten miles, a small mountain town appeared in front of us.

Outside the town there is a river that goes around the town.

But at this time, there was not a drop of water in the river, and the river bed was already dry and cracked, like a turtle shell.

A large group of people, at least two or three hundred, surrounded the river beach.

Without exception, their eyes turned to one direction: there, someone set up an altar with incense candles on it, and red cloths, yellow talismans and other things placed on it.

On both sides of the altar, three small animals are sacrificed: pigs, chickens, and fish.

In addition, on the left and right, there were two children who kept crying, a boy and a girl, who seemed to be only four or five years old.

"Let my child go, please let me go"

"Why do you sacrifice my daughter and return my daughter?"

In the crowd, two women cried out in grief, desperately trying to rush to their children, but they were twisted tightly, and could only cry helplessly.

"It's so annoying, seal their mouths! If this offends Lord River God and won't ask for rain, then it has nothing to do with me."

Beside the altar, an old man in Taoist robes drank impatiently.

"The priest calms down his anger"

A fat middle-aged man replied with a contrived smile, then turned his head, his face turned cold, and said to the two servants: "Go, tie them up, and seal their mouths with a cloth, so as not to Influence the Taoist priest to open the altar."

"Yes, sir!"

The two servants responded, and then rushed towards the two women fiercely.

"Huh? What's going on over there? Why are there so many people gathered around?"

The prince looked at the dark crowd outside the town, and couldn't help but let out a surprise.

Gu Ming didn't answer, and looked at it carefully for a while, his expression couldn't help but change: "There are evil spirits in the crowd!"

With his current strength, even if he doesn't need to be aware of the details, he can still sense the existence of monster energy within a certain range.

Moreover, he also received a special task of the system: to exterminate the evil spirits that have troubled this place.

"Is there a demon?"

The prince was stunned for a moment, and then he became a little excited.

"Great, the student has never seen the teacher catch a monster with his own eyes, and this time he is finally lucky enough to see it."

Gu Ming was very pleased with the prince's reaction.

It wasn't because of vanity or complacency, but because the prince was calm and didn't panic when he heard the evil spirits.

Otherwise, this prince is really useless

"Let's go up and see what's going on."

So, the two quietly sneaked into the crowd to observe the situation.

After getting closer, Gu Ming finally saw the evil real body of the fake Taoist priest: black fox spirit!

Black foxes are a different species of the fox family, their numbers are quite rare, and it is rare to see them.

Not to mention human beings, even the fox clan itself, black foxes are public enemies.

Black foxes are evil, cruel, bloodthirsty, and cunning by nature, and there are almost no advantages in them.

Gu Ming observed for a while, and then listened to the whispers of the people around him, and he roughly understood the whole story.

It turned out that this black fox spirit took advantage of the severe drought and when the people were in panic, pretending to be a Taoist master to cheat food and drink, and even asked the people to pick out a pair of virgins and virgins to sacrifice under the pretext of praying for rain.

The sacrifice was false, and the pair of boy and girl would eventually become a delicacy in this guy's mouth.