Time Travel: The Useless Prince, First Destroy the Princess

I originally thought that in order to boost morale, I would follow the example of later generations and give some pensions.

Looking at the current economic situation, it would be good enough if we can sustain the war!

Forget about the pension.

"Taibao, look at this. If the King of Zhenbei also starts a war now, and there's also Tubineng in the west, how long can the current national treasury last?"

"Your Highness, let me be frank. The national treasury can only last for a year at most!"

He Zhi looked at Liu Zhao and said.

"What should we do then? What if the war can't be finished in a year?"

Liu Zhao frowned.

"Your Highness, the war has already begun. If it can't be fought within a year, we can only increase taxes to maintain the national treasury!"

"Song Xian, what do you think?"

Liu Zhao looked at Song Xian.

As long as He Zhi is there, Song Xian does not seem to take the initiative to express his opinion.

"I think what the Grand Secretary said makes sense. Apart from raising taxes, there seems to be no better solution!"

"You have a point, but the people don't have much money right now. Increasing taxes will only incite civil unrest and be counterproductive!"

Liu Zhao made no secret of his thoughts.

"Your Highness, what you said makes sense, but there is really no better way!"

He Zhi certainly understood this truth, but what could he do?

"I think we should think of a way to avoid adding to the burden on ordinary people!"

Liu Zhao was thinking of a solution while speaking!

"Your Highness, have you come up with an idea?"

He Zhi already felt that Liu Zhao's ideas were incredible and that they were not the foresight and vision that ordinary people could possess.

Although it is a bit outrageous, it still shows that the prince is very far-sighted!

"Yesterday we talked about finding some extraordinary people for the exam. Two of you have already been confirmed. Now I want you to confirm one more thing!"

"Your Highness, please issue an order!"

He Zhi said immediately.

"Have many sons of merchants been recommended for official positions in recent years?"

Liu Zhao asked.

"Not much, Your Highness!"

"Who are the majority of those recommended for official positions?"

"Your Highness, most of the people who can be recommended for official positions are the children of officials!"

"I think this situation needs to be changed!"

Liu Zhao said.

"Your Highness, how can this be changed?"

He Zhi frowned lightly. This affected the interests of the ministers in the court, and there would be great resistance!

Liu Zhao certainly knew that in order to maintain stability, the reform of the recommendation system had to be carried out step by step.

"I think the recommendation system should be implemented as before, but with one additional rule: all talented people recommended to the capital must undergo a palace examination to prevent incompetent people from taking advantage of the situation!"

This is just a prelude.

He Zhi and Song Xian both nodded.

"Your Highness is very thoughtful!"

This is a good idea!

It can indeed screen out a large number of people who come in through connections.

"In addition, in addition to the regular recommendations, I also want to set up a separate business department!"

"Business?"

He Zhi and Song Xian said in unison.

"Yes, all over the country, those big business owners have plenty of money. I want to test their business skills!"

"Your Highness, but since ancient times, agriculture has been emphasized over commerce. This will probably allow those merchants to become arrogant and cause dissatisfaction among the people!"

He Zhi said with some concern.

"You two, a country cannot be stable without agriculture, and cannot be rich without commerce. It's like a person's two hands, the left hand is agriculture, the right hand is commerce. If agriculture is emphasized over commerce, the country will never be rich!"

Liu Zhao spoke straight to the point.

"Your Highness, if this loophole is opened, many people will abandon farming and go into business, the fields will become barren, and the grain harvest will be greatly reduced. I am afraid that there will be a food shortage!"

"You're right. Let me first tell you my idea on how to solve the problem of farmers not growing crops!"

Liu Zhao thought as he spoke.

"Your Highness, please give me some advice!"

The two of them did not dare to take it lightly at all, and stood up straight and listened attentively.

"First of all, business has high profits but also high risks. Not everyone is suitable for it. Some farmers only know how to farm and they give up on business because they know the difficulties!"

"Secondly, the reason farmers don't want to farm is, frankly, low income. I once saw a family in Luojing who farmed but couldn't even afford rice. Why?"

"Your Highness, although the country is at peace this year, the crops have been poor. Coupled with this flood, I'm afraid the harvest will be even worse!"

This time, Song Xian took the initiative to speak.

Otherwise, it would be useless for me, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, to know nothing!

"Is this why I asked you to search the world for someone with agricultural skills? Although I don't know how to grow crops, I do know that everything in the world requires flexibility, and growing crops is no different!"

Liu Zhao really wanted to talk about hybrid rice.

I don’t understand it myself, but I need to find someone to do the experiment according to this idea.

Maybe we can find a way out.

"Your Highness is right. It's just that I'm stupid. I once worked with my father at home, growing crops, but I can't figure out how to adapt to this!"

Song Xian said honestly.

"Okay! In that case, let me tell you what I think!"

It seems that I have no choice but to say it.

I don’t know exactly how to do it.

There is a general idea.

"For crops to grow, they need enough fertilizer! Now we can only use farmyard manure, so they don't grow well!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Song Xian knew how to grow rice.

"But even though making farmyard manure is simple, why do some people's crops from the same fields not produce as good quality as others? Is it the planting techniques? Or is it the difference in the raw materials used in the farmyard manure? This is the first question to consider!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Song Xian was also thinking in his mind, what is the problem?

"Second, you've all seen mules!"

"Seen it!"

Neither of them knew what the prince was going to say!

"There were no animals like mules originally, so why did they appear?"

"Your Highness, that's a hybrid of a horse and a donkey. It's truly bizarre!"

He Zhi said.

"Mules are strong and powerful, aren't they?"

"Yes!"

"Can rice also be hybridized?"

Liu Zhao smiled.

"Your Highness, I really don't understand!"

Song Xian's heart was pounding.

The prince's mind is really too active.

I can't keep up with the pace!

"Song Xian, have you ever thought about this? Rice has been around for thousands of years!"

"Yes, Your Highness, rice cultivation has a history of over 6,000 years!"

"By the way, have you ever thought about whether the rice of today is the same as the rice of 6,000 years ago?"

"Ah? This, I really haven't thought about it!"

"Then you don't have to think about it. I can tell you clearly that the rice today is absolutely different from the rice 6,000 years ago!"

"Your Highness, why is that?" Song Xian was suddenly very curious.

"That's because, during the growth process of rice, hybridization and mutation will occur!"

"Hybridization and mutation?"

Song Xian's brain has really grown in understanding.

"When you have time, ask someone to bring us the rice seeds grown in the mountains. Compare them with the rice seeds grown in Luojing and see how they grow. Perhaps you'll find a difference!"

"Yes, Your Highness, I will immediately have the agricultural officials search everywhere!"

Song Xian's mind suddenly became clear. Now is the season for rice growing, so it is very easy to find the difference.