Chapter 38: The Burden is Heavy and the Road is Long

Within the borders of Liangzhou, the climate is mostly desert-like, with long hours of sunshine and large temperature differences. Droughts are frequent, so there are not many crops suitable for this place.

However, the advantage lies in the long duration of sunshine and sufficient solar resources, making it relatively suitable for planting Wheat and Hemp. At this time in Yinzhou, there is not even any corn.

Monotonous!

Still far too monotonous! Not only is it monotonous, but these crops are mostly single-season crops, meaning they can only be planted once a year and harvested once.

Under such circumstances, coupled with the barren land of Yinzhou, the people having enough to eat naturally became the biggest problem.

"How is the reclamation going?"

Liu Zheng asked Liang Erfu while riding his horse and strolling along.

Liang Erfu said respectfully: "Young Master, reclamation is a century-long plan. The people do not care about the wind and snow; the entire Yinzhou has newly reclaimed several thousand mu of medium-grade fields!"

Several thousand mu...

Liu Zheng nodded and smiled: "Are there any other problems?"

Liang Erfu smiled bitterly: "Difficulties naturally exist. Young Master knows that having fields is a good thing, but the problem of insufficient manpower... Recently, those Powerful Clans have left a large amount of farmland idle because their Tenant Farmers resigned, and they have already bought slaves from other places to bring back."

"Oh? There is such a thing?"

Liu Zheng was amused as soon as he heard this.

If this were in the past, given this situation caused by the relaxed reclamation policy, it would be strange if the Powerful Clans did not come to the County Marquis Mansion to apply pressure. Now, the Powerful Clans dare not defy the County Marquis Mansion, but because of the emergence of too much cultivated land, the Tenant Farmers who had always farmed for these Powerful Clans resigned, forcing these Powerful Clans to start buying slaves to farm.

Of course, this is not a bad thing for Yinzhou.

In this era, population is the greatest Dividend! Slaves will also consume and reproduce, and Yinzhou will naturally develop along with it.

However.

One cannot only see the good side; one must also see the several problems highlighted by this matter.

First is the problem of having too much land and too few people; this is what Liu Zheng needs to solve next.

Second is the series of subsequent problems that will occur because a large number of slaves pour into Yinzhou. For example, how to manage them—this must be a reminder to the Powerful Clans. Also, will the entry of slaves bring about a plague? This is also of the utmost importance! In this era, there are no vaccines or immune systems. People who have lived in one place for a long time, when arriving in another place, have different antibodies in their bodies, making it very easy to breed different viruses; the phenomenon of being unaccustomed to the local environment is just like this.

In ancient times, there were quite a few instances of large-scale extinction caused by plagues.

It seems a Medical Department must be established!

Liu Zheng rubbed his temples; only at this moment did he realize that managing a territory was actually so troublesome.

"After the heavy snow, we must consider the matters of farming. Erfu, you cannot stay in Yinzhou during this period."

Liu Zheng said.

Liang Erfu was stunned: "What does Young Master mean?"

Liu Zheng nodded and smiled: "You need to go out and purchase some crop seeds. Especially this time, I want you to go to the Shu region to help me find things called Red Yam and Earth Taro!"

"Red Yam? Earth Taro?"

Liang Erfu had never even heard of them.

Liu Zheng chuckled and first explained the appearance of this Red Yam. In fact, this Red Yam is Sweet Potato! In the records of Chinese history, the Sweet Potato is an imported product, introduced into the country from overseas during the Ming Dynasty. Actually, that is not the case! Liu Zheng had once seen in the "Qingyi Lu" by Tao Yi of the Song Dynasty: "South of the Five Ridges, there are many yams, with pieces connected, some weighing dozens of catties, with an extremely sweet and fragrant taste. But because they are mostly in deep mountains and secluded valleys, people mostly eat them themselves and have never sold them outside."

That is to say, the Sweet Potato has always existed in Huaxia!

It is just that this crop did not receive people's attention, let alone large-scale planting; for now, it is still in the category of wild vegetables.

As for Earth Taro, Liu Zheng actually does not hold much hope.

Because this is the potato.

This is something that truly originated in America; Liu Zheng cannot guarantee whether it has arrived on this land at this time. "Earth Taro, also known as Huangdu, with creeping vines and leaves like beans, roots round like chicken eggs, white inside and yellow skin... boiled to eat, or steamed to eat. Also, boiling the taro juice can wash greasy clothes, making them as white as jade." The first record of the potato in the "Nongzheng Quanshu" was already in the Ming Dynasty.

He does not know when the potato arrived in this space.

But there is no doubt that these two crops are suitable for planting in Yinzhou! The reason is none other than that Yinzhou currently only has one crop, which is Wheat, planted once a year and harvested once. But potatoes and Sweet Potatoes can be harvested twice a year, and the yield is astonishing!

The production cycle of the Sweet Potato is 160 to 200 days, but Liu Zheng can use his own Method to make the Sweet Potato reach two harvests in four years!

Most importantly.

The Sweet Potato is a crop that is relatively drought-resistant and rich in protein, starch, pectin, cellulose, amino acids, vitamins, and various minerals; that is to say, this is a crop with very balanced nutrition, even exceeding Wheat. It can completely be prepared as a staple food!

As the situation in the world today becomes increasingly subtle, Feudatory Kings are everywhere.

If Liu Zheng wants to gain a foothold in this chaotic world, or even achieve something, he must have a large number of elite troops! To raise troops, one must first have grain and fodder! Just imagine, if others harvest grain once a year and he can harvest it twice, what kind of concept is that?

"Go back and prepare, collect one thousand taels of travel expenses from the County Marquis Mansion, and you must find one of them for me!"

Liu Zheng ordered immediately.

"Young Master, Erfu will definitely not fail the expectations!"

Liang Erfu did not talk nonsense, cupped his hands, and rode away.

Liu Zheng rode his horse alone again and took a turn; he did not forget to take a look at the salt land he was thinking about.

This made him almost unable to resist studying how to mine this Lake Salt and Well Mineral Salt! But he still held back, because he knew that now was not the time.

Salt is something that is under the highest control of the Longyan Dynasty; if he were to mine it privately, it would inevitably cause shock in the imperial court and the public, and by then, he probably would not even know how he died.

Therefore, before mining these salts, he must have the power to protect himself!

The burden is heavy and the road is long!

Liu Zheng smiled self-deprecatingly.

The most urgent matter at present is still to solve the farming problem. It will probably take a long time for Liang Erfu to go out and search for seeds this time. There are no airplanes in this era; to go to the south, it will take at least a few months for a round trip.

Therefore, he still has to solve the farming problem for the time being.

"A workman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well!"

Today, Liu Zheng just said this sentence, so naturally, he has to find a Method from these farm tools.

Giddyap!

Along the way, he galloped on horseback.

"Young Master, are you thirsty? Come down and drink some water!"

"Greetings, Young Master Liu!"

"Our whole family thanks you for your great kindness, Young Master!"

Along the way, observing this weather, Liu Zheng was still inspecting the farmland; those farmers were, one by one, full of enthusiasm. Liu Zheng felt quite satisfied in his heart.

With the hearts of the people like this, what did he have to fear?

This time, he came directly to the Cao Family.

"Oh my, the Young Master has graced us with his presence! This old man failed to welcome you from afar; what a sin, what a sin!"

Cao Zhen could be said to have rushed out to welcome him in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to put his shoes on properly; it seemed he had still been drinking inside, and upon hearing Liu Zheng had arrived, he ran out immediately, disheveled.

"Master Cao, there is no need for such formalities. I have come this time because I wish to see the Cao Family's farm implement workshop."

Liu Zheng chuckled.

Cao Zhen looked excited: "The Young Master must have some good news to teach me!"

Cao Zhen waved his arms and shouted, and a group of servants followed behind, leading Liu Zheng's horse to the side. Cao Zhen personally led Liu Zheng to the farm implement workshop in the Cao Family's backyard. Once the County Marquis's son arrived, the entire Cao Family was stirred; the young masters and young ladies all ran over one after another to see what this famous Liu Family son actually looked like.

For a time, the Cao Family was quite lively.

Liu Zheng did not stand on ceremony and greeted them.

This caused several of the Cao Family's young ladies to blush.

Cao Zhen did not mind and laughed heartily: "Where would the Young Master like to look first?"

"Just looking around."

Liu Zheng wanted to understand the farm implements of this era; to plow the fields, one naturally had to look at the plow first! Yinzhou had many oxen and horses, so the plow had become the most important farming tool.

"Young Master, this is the workshop for the Straight-shaft Plow!"

In the workshop, some carpenters were working, and timber was prepared at the entrance.

Liu Zheng took one look and immediately laughed out loud.

Got it!

Then let's start with this plow!

"Young Master, is there something wrong?"

Cao Zhen asked, observing Liu Zheng's expression.

Liu Zheng nodded: "The Straight-shaft Plow is somewhat backward; it must be changed!"

"What?"

Cao Zhen was stunned.

Those carpenters also put down their work one after another and walked out, looking at Liu Zheng with unfriendly eyes: "Who are you to speak so boastfully here?"

"This Straight-shaft Plow can make the work twice as easy with half the effort; how can it be changed?"

"You yellow-mouthed child, don't you go spouting nonsense!"

The carpenters were very angry; this craft was their livelihood—you say change it, so it must be changed?

Cao Zhen was startled and shouted angrily: "Shut up! This is the County Marquis's son!"

The carpenters' expressions changed slightly, but they still snorted coldly.

No matter who it was, questioning them was simply not allowed!

Those Cao Family young masters and young ladies, upon hearing Liu Zheng's words, also laughed out loud. This Straight-shaft Plow had been used in the Longyan Dynasty for over a thousand years; no one had ever thought of changing it. What was Liu Zheng trying to do?

Cao Zhen also smiled bitterly: "Young Master, this cannot be changed! This year, during the land reclamation in Yinzhou, many of the Cao Family's Tenant Farmers left. If we don't have the Straight-shaft Plow, a large amount of land will have no one to farm it!"

Liu Zheng wanted to say it served them right for enclosing so much land, but he still smiled on his face: "I said to change it, I did not say to stop production."

"How to change it?"

"Do you understand farm implements?"

The carpenters were even less pleased; were you questioning our expertise?

"Is there a field?"

Liu Zheng did not waste words and asked Cao Zhen, who was beside him.

Cao Zhen immediately said that just a short distance away, the Cao Family's backyard was a piece of fertile land.

Liu Zheng had someone take a Straight-shaft Plow and went to the side of this field.

At this time, those young masters and young ladies, servants, and carpenters, including the Cao Family's Tenant Farmers, gathered around one after another to watch the excitement.

"What is he trying to do?"

"Who knows!"

"Heh, this kind of young master is fine at reciting poetry and composing couplets, but how would he understand farming?"

People sneered one after another.

Cao Zhen was also caught between laughter and tears; he had originally thought Liu Zheng was here today to bring business to the Cao Family, but he hadn't expected this young master to be here purely for play.

"Plow a round for me to see!"

Liu Zheng instructed.

Cao Zhen sighed helplessly, ordered someone to drive over two oxen, then hitched up the plow, and plowed a round in this field.

Liu Zheng shook his head repeatedly as he watched.

Two oxen—it wastes oxen!

The operation is difficult—it wastes people!

Too heavy—it wastes effort!

Plowing too shallow—it wastes time!

"Alright."

The oxen walked and the plow followed.

A group of people all looked at Liu Zheng, waiting for his next instruction.

"Burn it."

Liu Zheng's words were shocking.

Everyone's expressions changed in unison.