Dominate the Country

[Three updates today, thanks for your monthly votes]

Just as Chen Ming was walking along the Han River to Wuhan and along the Yangtze River to Jiujiang, hundreds of millions of farmers in the vast land of the south had already started to work hard on spring planting. This is the beginning of a new year!

Unlike his cursory visit to Wuhan, Chen Ming knew everything about Wuhan. He was quite unfamiliar with Jiujiang.

On the lakeside plain of Poyang Lake, the vast paddy fields have been filled with water, and the rice seedlings just planted by farmers in the paddy fields are like upright soldiers, accepting Chen Ming's inspection.

In this era, there was no technology for throwing rice seedlings. It was very tiring to face the loess and back to the sky. After a row of rice was planted, even the strongest people would not care about the mud and water and would sit directly on the ridge to rest. "Your Highness, the rice seedlings must be planted straight to survive more easily and grow faster. And to plant straight, they need to have a certain depth." Xiao Lou, the prefect of Jiujiang, has personally experienced the hardship of transplanting rice seedlings, so he is now very concerned about the experimental fields of the Agricultural Academy by Poyang Lake.

As a time traveler, Chen Ming, a northerner, also knows that rice planting is done by throwing rice seedlings rather than transplanting them.

The former uses pot seedling trays or paper tubes to grow rice seedlings with nutrient soil blocks on the roots that are easy to disperse from each other, or uses conventional seedling raising methods to grow rice seedlings and then manually break the blocks and divide the seedlings, and then evenly throw the seedlings together with the nutrient soil in the air, so that their roots fall into the field with gravity for planting. It has changed the traditional habit of pulling and transplanting rice seedlings of farmers who have been following the tradition of thousands of years, which is "face to the loess and back to the sky". It has the advantages of saving labor, effort, seeds and seedling fields, simple operation, high yield, stable yield and high efficiency. It is a major reform of modern rice cultivation technology.

At first, Chen Ming searched for some information on the Internet, because he couldn't believe that the seedlings thrown out were upside down, how could they slowly stand up? At that time, Chen Ming didn't know that the seedlings thrown out had soil clods under them, just like a feather shuttlecock. He thought they were pure seedlings, thinking that such light seedlings would not float on the water after being thrown out?

Chen Ming, who didn't understand, went to the Internet to check it out. Fortunately, there was such a story, so he can remember it clearly now. The construction according to the drawings has created agriculture and experimental fields. Let's not talk about the seedling tray or paper tube seedling cultivation. Chen Ming didn't know what it was specifically. The conventional seedling cultivation method can be used to cultivate seedlings, and then the seedlings can be broken and divided manually, and then the seedlings and nutrient soil can be evenly scattered in the air. This also greatly saves the labor of farmers and directly promotes agricultural development.

The agricultural academy established by Chen Han last year has set up many branches in Huguang, Jiangxi, Lingnan, and Jiangnan, and has enclosed small villages to experiment with seedling throwing technology. Xiao Lou saw with his own eyes how fast and labor-saving seedling throwing is, so he was eyeing the agricultural academy.

After last year's experiment, the agricultural academy has accumulated a certain amount of seedling throwing technology, but it is not enough.

The improvement of rice planting methods cannot be fully summarized in a few words. It still needs to go through the test of various natural disasters, so that we can come up with prevention methods and means.

Last year, the experimental field of Changsha Agricultural Academy had just finished seedling throwing, and it rained heavily. After the heavy rain, the fields were a world of water. The seedlings thrown in the fields were mostly lying on the water surface, and few were still standing. And judging from the situation of seedling throwing in most fields, the time for spring planting should be a few days earlier than before...

Anyway, without three to five years of accumulation, Chen Ming will not let this technology officially spread.

Because this is related to food production and has an extremely huge impact, he would rather be slow and flat than fast and fast. Any new planting method must be tested for a long time before it can be convincing.

Throwing rice seedlings will not have depth, but the rice seedlings will grow well. The old saying that rice seedlings grow well if they are planted straight seems to make sense, but it is not the case in fact. Throwing rice seedlings will not have depth or be straight, but the yield will not be low.

Xiao Lou was the first official to clearly propose to Chen Ming that a large-scale experiment of throwing rice seedlings should be carried out in the area under his responsibility. After being rejected by Chen Ming, Xiao Lou did not feel ashamed or embarrassed, but continued to take Chen Ming to the basic military merit farm. Finally, he proposed to Chen Ming that Jiujiang wanted to build several canning factories, hardware factories, agricultural machinery factories, etc., and the products produced by these factories could be added to the supply system of department stores.

"Why do you think so?"

"Your Highness. Although the department store has only been established for two years, it has won recognition from all walks of life. The daily sales of any department store is a huge number. And there is often a phenomenon of supply exceeding demand. This is also what the people are anxious about." A very straightforward and truthful statement. Xiao Lou and those wealthy people in Jiujiang who came to contact him were just jealous and wanted to get involved.

"There will be absolutely no problem with the quality and price of the goods. As long as Your Highness agrees, within two months..."

Xiao Lou's next words were stopped by Chen Ming with a wave of his hand. If Chen Ming hadn't had a smile on his face, Xiao Lou's heart would have really tightened. But even if Chen Ming had a smile on his face, Xiao Lou, who was being looked at by Chen Ming, felt his scalp tighten.

"You can set up a factory. But I will never say such things." The department store sign was put up, and sales continued to increase. However, the output of those merchants included in the supply and demand system by the Logistics Department was gradually unable to meet the demand, so this year some merchants under the responsibility of the Industry and Commerce Bureau were added, but the supply and demand situation was still not resolved.

"In the second half of this year, the Logistics Department and the Industrial and Commercial Administration will hold a conference of 100 merchants. One of the things to be solved is to expand the supply of goods for department stores. Some supply and demand channels will be devolved to local governments. When the quality and price of goods are both up to standard, Next, some goods will be sourced nearby.”

"If you in Jiujiang are really confident, then set up a factory. When the time comes, rely on your own quality and price to win food. You can't always think of going through the back door..."

Chen Ming is extremely happy that the supply in department stores exceeds demand. This represents the restoration of people's livelihood.

The latter range from grates and combs to large silks, gold and silver utensils. They are called department stores, and the types of items can be far more than a hundred.

The quality of the goods is strictly controlled, and the prices are "small profits but quick turnover". At first, it was just an idea of ​​Chen Ming's. It was regarded as a benefit provided by the Logistics Department to the large and small merchants in the military supply and demand system. But later, this benefit became more and more popular. big.

Take the Zhao family in Wuhan as an example. At first, they were only looking for military uniforms and uniforms, plus some orders for military dry food. But now the department store's profits are no less than those generated from military orders. From linen and coarse cloth to silk and satin, the department store's sales volume is far higher than that of the Zhao family's own silk and satin shop. Next, the Zhao family is also preparing to sell ready-made clothes!

The Zhou family in Wuhan, which was severely beaten by the Fuhan Army, recovered most of its strength in just two years. Their own grain and oil shops are all closed, but they are increasing the number of water-powered mills under their own name every month, and they continue to deliver large quantities of rice, pasta, and oil to department stores.

Unknowingly, the Zhou family has gone from integrating production and sales to almost only producing but not selling.

With the prosperity of commerce, gold yuan coupons were accepted more and more frequently by these big merchants. Later, because gold yuan coupons were not marked, they were really ruined if they were destroyed. For the sake of insurance, many merchants involved in high-value transactions began to seek ways to sell gold yuan coupons. In their eyes, checks are similar to banknotes.

The checks issued by the China Bank and the Commercial Bank were endorsed by the Chen and Han imperial court, which greatly improved their credibility. Especially in major trading ports where large-scale trade occurs frequently, such as the British and French East India Company, they have opened VIP accounts at the Commercial Bank.

"Paper money, issue paper money."

Chen Hui once said this to Chen Ming when he was under great financial pressure. He learned what banknotes are from Chen Ming and Luo Dongni. From Chen Hui's perspective, "What is the difference between gold yuan coupons and banknotes? If you are worried about circulation issues, you can tie them to department stores..."

…

Xiao Lou followed the boat all the way to Pengze, a county with the lowest economic and people's livelihood in Jiujiang.

There is no way, who makes Pengzeshan have more land and more people but less land. Even if they rely on the Yangtze River waterway.

"There are 24,000 households in Pengze County, which is close to 140,000 people. This number is much less than Dehua [Fucheng]." Xiao Lou opened his mouth and said two numbers. Chen Ming listened with his ears pricked up. Forty thousand people, this is not only less than Dehua. There is no advantage compared to the original Lushan. "Because there are only 240,000 acres of farmland in Pengze, of which 35,000 acres are still dry land."

"Does that mean that on average, two acres of land per person is not enough?"

Xiao Lou did not answer, but said: "From the year before last to this year, Peng Ze has enlisted 4,000 young people in the army alone. Almost all the young people in the 17th, 18th and 19th years have disappeared." The people's livelihood can also be seen. Although Pengze is known as "the gateway to northern Jiangxi, blocked by seven provinces".

"Besides, even if people have two acres of land per capita, it is absolutely unrealistic for them to rely on these two acres of land for life, old age, illness and death after paying for food."

"I heard that this year, Hubei's Dazhi Iron Mine and a place called Ma'anshan in Anhui will be mined on a large scale. And because the number of labor camps is insufficient, a large number of workers need to be recruited. I begged Your Highness to allow the mines in the two places to be divided Come up with some indicators for Peng Ze. "Peng Ze has left many young people, but there are still many strong laborers in their twenties and thirties.

"That's a mine. Mining will kill people. If there are casualties, aren't you afraid of being blamed?" The labor camps are no longer enough. If we want to develop minerals on a large scale, we must recruit workers. The Han army was another big burden.

But if you don’t develop steel, it won’t work.

Regardless of whether it is a military farm or ordinary people, there is more when farming is slack and less when farming is busy. If we want to increase the income of farmers and allow them to get out of the farmland as soon as possible in the future impact of the industrial era, we must let the people work and make money, and let them really make money.

This kind of thing cannot rely on the initiative of the common people. God knows how many people are willing to work. It would be a waste of labor. And you don’t know what the people will do?

This can only be guided secretly by the government.

From Chen Ming's perspective, the simplest way is for the government and private sector to open many factories and workshops, which do not require very professional skills. The other is to expand the benefits of technical schools so that ordinary people can earn money through labor in their spare time. Real money. But this is simply not realistic in the short term.

China's wealth is hidden among the people. If private capital is not mobilized, it will only rely on the government and the current Chen Han. That is nonsense.

Chen Han is now a big cluster, no longer a small and tiny place. Everything must be considered holistically. We can't treat the head when it hurts and the feet when the foot hurts.

Although the entire south is the essence of China, there are definitely many places like Pengze. Moreover, Pengze is lucky enough. They are next to the Yangtze River and have the advantage of water transportation. The early base of the rabbits was so poor.

Chen Ming agreed to Xiao Lou's request. Although he felt a little heavy when he left Pengze, the name Xiao Lou was deeply engraved in his mind.

"If we issue paper money, the court may set up another department store."

"It is required that the 'money' used to buy goods in this department store cannot be gold, silver or copper, but only paper money."

"This kind of paper money can be exchanged for gold and silver, and you can also work in a public factory."

"The goods in the store should be cheaper than the outside prices to prevent speculation. So in addition to paper money, there must be invoices, such as grain coupons, cloth coupons, meat coupons, oil coupons, sugar coupons, tobacco coupons, iron coupons, etc., which are distributed to workers in proportion." Chen Ming's mind was opened.

"Only labor can get invoices. The Logistics Department and some businesses in the Industrial and Commercial Administration system can also give them a certain number of invoices, but these invoices must be issued to workers."

"Although it may not be effective in the short term, in the long run, I think it still has a certain guiding effect. In order to buy daily necessities and ironware, the people must get paper money and invoices. Since they can earn paper money through labor, the people are naturally unwilling to exchange real money for paper money. In addition, they need a lot of things, and slowly this will become a habit.

No, we don't need to call it a department store. This time it's called a supply and marketing cooperative. As long as we can keep the invoices, we don't have to worry about speculation."

Chen Ming's imagination was opened again. After leaving Penghu, he kept thinking about the problem of setting up a factory - no money, no money - setting up a factory, and then he thought about how to reduce the financial burden if the fiscal budget is expanded. Now that his mind is open, he really has a trick, copying the rabbit of the year and making some changes. "You all think carefully about whether there are any loopholes."

"If this matter can be started in the government system, on the salaries of officials, and on public factories, and then gradually promoted to the local areas, by next year the financial burden will be reduced again..." It is not to issue paper money to all public officials, but to let them decide for themselves. But there will always be a part of the salary that will be converted from silver to paper money.

Wang Huizu, Xiong Bingzhang and others looked at each other in bewilderment. Even Zhao Yi, who only reported to Chen Ming during the Chinese New Year, well, that Zhao Yi who "every generation has a talent, and each has led the trend for hundreds of years". This person was an official in Guangxi, and had previously participated in the military affairs of the Burmese War in Yunnan, but the Guangxi Qing army was crushed by the First Division. Zhao Yi was captured in Nanning and was persuaded by Pang Zhenkun to join the Fu Han Army. He first served in the Lingnan garrison, and was assigned to the logistics and material transportation, and did an excellent job. Recommended by Lingnan Resident and Pang Zhenkun, Chen Ming was a celebrity, and his resume and work ability after surrender were both very outstanding, so he was transferred to the Grand Commandery with a transfer order.

Zhao Yi was also very surprised now. Chen Ming obviously came up with this method on a whim. It's not even Anqing from Jiujiang, but it's very rigorous at a glance. And the effect it may cause, even if it is not satisfactory, will not harm the world.

"Are there really people in this world who are not learned but have skills?" Zhao Yi was very surprised in his heart.

Before he had close contact with Chen Ming, Zhao Yi had great doubts about Chen Ming. Chen Han rose because of him in just a few years. Did he really get those honors and halos by himself? Instead of taking away the merits of his generals.

After all, Chen Ming is just a young man who has just turned twenty, and he was not even a scholar before. After Zhao Yi entered the Grand Commandery, he also carefully observed Chen Ming. He didn't seem to be a person who loves reading. It's completely different from Zhu Hongwu.

In fact, Zhao Yi didn't know about Yang Dongwang eighty years later. Yang Xiuqing, who was born and raised in this place, was the real "unlearned but skilled".

Now Chen Ming is a pure fake. His shell has not changed, but his core has been updated. The miscellaneous things in the information age of his previous life, the experience of Baidu and forum spamming, now many of his experiences can be transformed into "wonderful ideas" and his "foresight".

For example, this set of things now, it's not that Chen Ming's brain is so smart, on the contrary, it is the best proof that Chen Ming is an ordinary person. For many things, he still can't fully connect the experience and knowledge of his previous life with the current situation and political situation...