Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

There are many trees, flowers and plants planted in the imperial city of Emperor Chongzhen. Some of these plants are evergreen and not afraid of the cold winter, while others are deciduous in season.

I don’t know if it’s because he stayed in the palace for many years or what, but Emperor Chongzhen had already gotten used to it.

Many of the trees in the palace were older than Emperor Chongzhen himself. However, as he was preoccupied with state affairs, he had never observed them carefully.

But when he walked into the wilderness and looked at the green sprouts and seedlings swaying in the wind, Emperor Chongzhen was suddenly touched for some reason.

"Wuji, are these the new crops you mentioned?" Emperor Chongzhen said, pointing at the seedlings.

"Yes, Your Majesty, those should be potatoes, and the large piece over there should be sweet potatoes, or yams.

Those foot-long ones are probably corn, and I wonder where Mr. Song planted his tomatoes, peppers, and the like."

Zhang Shikang was muttering to himself while looking for Song Yingxing, but Emperor Chongzhen slowly squatted down, reached out his hand and gently stroked the potato seedlings.

He observed the leaves of the seedlings and touched the roots of the seedlings. Suddenly, he found a small caterpillar eating on a leaf.

So Emperor Chongzhen reached out, picked the insect off the leaf, put it under his feet and stepped on it to death.

During the entire process, Wang Chengen did not detect any disgust or nausea on Emperor Chongzhen's face. On the contrary, he saw a hint of care.

At this time, Song Yingxing finally noticed Zhang Shikang's arrival and was greeting Zhang Shikang from a distance while walking towards him.

Song Yingxing was dressed like a farmer and was directing the farmers to water the crops.

This 5,000-acre experimental field employed 2,000 farmers to cultivate it, and all the farmers recruited were honest, hardworking and skilled in farming.

After all, working in the experimental fields is a long-term job with good pay, and the people around Shuntian Prefecture worked very hard to weed, water and kill insects.

But after Song Yingxing took a few steps, his expression changed and he went from walking to running.

Because he saw the emperor.

"Sir, how could you... that's... the emperor?" Song Yingxing gasped for breath as he spoke, not knowing whether he was frightened or running too fast.

"Your Majesty has nothing to do, so let's come out for a walk together. Old Song, these seedlings are growing well!" Zhang Shikang said happily to Song Yingxing.

However, Song Yingxing ignored Zhang Shikang and walked up to Emperor Chongzhen and bowed.

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen was squatting and weeding among the rows of potato seedlings.

"Mr. Song, how long will it take for these seedlings to grow and mature?" Emperor Chongzhen asked Song Yingxing without even raising his head.

Song Yingxing had previously served as a minor local official, so it was appropriate for Emperor Chongzhen to call him that.

"Your Majesty, this is related to the weather. According to our northern climate, it will take about two months to grow and four months to mature." Song Yingxing said very respectfully.

"Are these potatoes easy to grow?" Emperor Chongzhen asked again.

"Your Majesty, this is the first time that the common people have planted this crop. But according to the Duke, this crop is more drought-resistant than rice and should be easy to grow," Song Yingxing replied.

Then Emperor Chongzhen asked a lot of questions about planting, and Zhang Shikang was a little stunned.

He had been taking this old man out for such a long time, hoping that he could learn a high-end hobby, such as firearms or chemistry, or at least learn glassmaking. If he succeeded, he might be able to make a lot of money.

But this guy has been wandering around for a long time, and it seems like... he has fallen in love with farming?

After asking about potatoes, Emperor Chongzhen walked to the sweet potato field next to him, and then looked at other crops such as tomatoes and peppers.

If Emperor Chongzhen had any questions, he would ask Song Yingxing directly and left Zhang Shikang aside.

It was not until the sun set and it was time to go back that Emperor Chongzhen said to Zhang Shikang with great confidence:

"Wuji, I plan to open up a piece of land in the palace and plant some potatoes and fruits. I want to cultivate it myself!"

When Emperor Chongzhen said this, there was a hint of excitement on his face, and he seemed a little impatient.

"Your Majesty, this... farming? Isn't that a bit too embarrassing? After all, you can do carpentry work, and those court officials won't say anything."

Zhang Shikang said speechlessly.

"Humph, our Great Ming is based on the people, and the people depend on food for their survival. Food is the foundation of our Great Ming.

As the Son of Heaven, what's so shameful about me personally experiencing the hardships of the people? "Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Zhang Shikang with dissatisfaction.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. If Your Majesty likes to plant, then plant it." Zhang Shikang was smart and immediately changed his attitude.

Anyway, no matter what hobby it is, as long as it is beneficial to the body and mind and does not harm others, it is a good hobby.

So Emperor Chongzhen finally looked at the sunset with satisfaction and grinned.

Song Yingxing quickly ordered people to bring seeds of potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc., and gave them to Wang Chengen for safekeeping.

Emperor Chongzhen picked up a piece of potato to look at it, and then touched the bundle of sweet potato vines, as if he couldn't let go.

While Emperor Chongzhen was talking with Song Yingxing's deputy, Zhang Shikang finally had the time to ask Song Yingxing about the promotion of new crops.

The potatoes will mature in about three months, and the fruits from these thousands of acres of land will then be shipped to Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong and other places for promotion of planting.

"Sir, I think we should first use the power of the government to publicize the yield and advantages of the new crops.

This way, when I transport the new crop seeds over there, the people will be more receptive.

Moreover, there is no need for the government to force planting, but rather to provide guidance. For example, since there are many mountainous areas in Shanxi and Shaanxi, they can be encouraged to first plant in places that are not conducive to wheat growth.

As long as the people plant one season, they will know that this new crop has a much higher yield than wheat and is easier to raise. Even if the government does not intervene, the people will plant it on their own initiative. "

Song Yingxing said calmly that these were all things he had considered recently, and Zhang Shikang nodded when he heard it.

“When the time comes, Mr. Song will also have to take some of the seeds over to the farmers who are planting them. We can’t just leave the seeds there and not care about them anymore.

How to grow these crops must be popularized to the people." Zhang Shikang thought for a while and said.

"Don't worry, sir. I will pay attention to it. Alas, I am worried about another thing now." Song Yingxing sighed.

"Oh? If you have any difficulties, Mr. Song, just tell me. Why are you sighing?" Zhang Shikang frowned.

“The Lord had previously distributed land to everyone in the world, including all the artisans.

The imperial court also abolished the restrictions on household registration, and from then on there was no longer any classification of farmers, military households, and artisans in the Ming Dynasty.

From the perspective of people's livelihood, the court's reform removed the shackles on the shoulders of the people.

The court reduced the people's arrears and exempted this year's land tax, and the people were naturally delighted.

Even many craftsmen gave up their jobs and returned to their hometowns to farm.

But sir, if all the craftsmen go to farm, what will happen to our Manufacturing Bureau?

There is a huge need for all kinds of craftsmen there!"

……