Late Tang Dynasty: I

Chapter 289 Lazy Rice
Lazy rice seeds have finally arrived in Datang, but the number is a bit small, only 54 carts, and even if a cart is ten shi, it is more than 500 shi. It will take several seasons to plant Champa rice in the whole of Datang. ?

In fact, when the courtiers saw the rice seeds, they were quite disdainful. These rice seeds were not good in appearance and were not big in size. Compared with the rice of the Tang Dynasty, these rice seeds did not seem to have anything special.

Of course, only His Majesty the Emperor knows the advantages of Champa rice seeds.

This kind of rice matures in three months, and has long spikes and many grains. Compared with the rice varieties of the Tang Dynasty, the yield is generally [-]% higher. In the south of the Huaihe River, it can be harvested twice a year, and in Jiangxi, Fujian, and Lingnan, it can even be harvested once a year. Three seasons of the year.

A simple calculation shows that, even considering the fertility of the soil, there is no problem in doubling the grain output south of the Huaihe River, and Champa rice can also be grown in the north, but there is a shortage of paddy fields in the north, so there is not much land that can be planted.

Even further north, it can be grown in Youzhou.

It can be predicted that if Champa rice is popularized, the Tang Dynasty will not have to worry about famine for 50 years. By then, the treasury will be full, and Hebei will be able to manage and dominate the country. It is just around the corner!
Li Ye looked at Zeng Gun with burning eyes and said, "I think about it day and night, why did Aiqing come so late?"

"Your Majesty, I set off as soon as I received the edict, but Wang Jiedu said that Your Majesty was thinking about the rice seeds of the Luo Kingdom of South Vietnam, so it was delayed!"

"Is there any other side to this?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, after Wang Jiedu arrived in Jiaozhou, he immediately sent envoys with gold and silver money to buy rice seeds in the Luo Kingdom of South Vietnam. In addition to the [-] shi in the treasury, he ordered to buy [-] shi of rice seeds from the people of the Luo Kingdom of South Vietnam. But on the way back to Jiaozhou, the mission was intercepted and killed by the Black Tooth Department, and only more than ten thousand stones were transported back.

Later, Wang Jiedu personally led the troops to South Vietnam to ask for rice seeds, but the minister was eager to return, so he escorted the ten thousand stone rice seeds and returned to Beijing first. Bandits and rebels continued on the way. Chengyu tried his best to protect him, so he was lucky enough to meet Shengyan, but these are the only rice seeds left! "

Li Ye looked at the general next to Zeng Gun. He was not as tall as the generals in the north, five and a half feet tall, with a dark complexion and a strong body like a tower. He looked only in his thirties.

"But General Qu Chengyu?"

"The last general, Qu Chengyu, pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor!"

"Sure enough, he is a fierce general, General Qu, would you like to serve as the general of the army by my side?"

"The general is willing, thank you Your Majesty for your grace!"

Li Ye nodded, Qu Chengyu was enshrined as an ancestor by later generations of Vietnam, and it is a pity that he is now a quite military-minded general of Jing Haijun.

He himself would not know that after more than ten years, Qu Chengyu would usurp the military power of Jing Haijun, become a military governor of one party, and separate the other party.

Li Ye was very comforting, and then said to Zeng Gun: "I have found and read the Annan Atlas you wrote specifically. It describes the customs, products and people's livelihood in detail. Aiqing has been in Annan for many years. Can you teach me how to let me go?" Long-term peace and stability in the southern border?"

Zeng Gun said: "Your Majesty, Annan has many foreign people who refuse to be educated. These people can subdue them with a large army, but they can't last long. I secretly think that if you are elected as a well-educated person, and the etiquette and etiquette you teach will be king, you will see it in less than three generations. It works!"

"This is a true insight. Annan is remote, and most people don't want to go. I should guide it with national policies."

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Li Ye supported Zeng Gun's hands and said: "Mr. Zeng guarded the Annan border for the Tang Dynasty, worked hard and made great achievements, and drafted a decree!"

"The general idea is that Zeng Gun, the former envoy of the Jinghai Navy, opened the third division of Yitong, the Duke of Nanyue."

Zeng Gun quickly thanked him and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Li Ye quickly helped him up, and said: "The journey is tiring, Mr. Zeng must be tired, I have prepared a mansion for you, go back and rest first, I will call you to see him tomorrow!"

"promise!"

After Zeng Gun left, looking at the rice seeds on the hall, Li Ye frowned slightly. He was also from a rural area. Now Huainan is no stranger to planting rice, but when to plant, how to raise rice seedlings, and when to transplant rice seedlings, he also I don't know.

I remember that during the winter vacation in winter, the wheat seedlings had already sprouted on the ground, and the wheat was harvested around Children’s Day. This time is about May in the lunar calendar, and by the way, it is the time of the Dragon Boat Festival.

After the wheat is harvested, water is put into the field for retting. About half a month later, rice seedlings are transplanted and rice is planted. When the National Day comes, the rice harvest begins, which is about September in the lunar calendar.

Li Ye roughly estimated that in the Huainan area, wheat seeds were sown in the twelfth lunar month, and wheat was harvested on the Dragon Boat Festival. At this time, seedlings were raised, and seedlings were transplanted half a month later, and harvested in September.

However, the climate in Datang is still a bit colder, and the planting time is uncertain.

Zhang Chengye stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, what's so special about this new rice?"

Li Ye said: "I also heard the rumors that this kind of rice can mature in three months, and the yield is higher than that of Tang Dynasty. Whether it is true or not, we will not know until we plant it!"

Shi Pu didn't feel anything when he heard it. He was born in an official family, how could he know about farming, and Jing Xiang didn't say anything. He was born in the north. The north mainly grows millet and wheat. There are very few people who grow rice, so it's normal to be unclear. .

But Zhang Chengye was different. He was born in a poor family and knew very well about farming.

"Your Majesty, it's true. It takes five months for rice to mature in Datang. If it matures in three months and the yield is still high, you can plant two rice crops a year! Or you can grow one rice crop and one wheat crop."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chengye saw the beauty of this, and Jing Xiang and Shi Pu were also shocked by Zhang Chengye's words.

Shi Pu said suspiciously: "Your Majesty, if this is the case, this rice seed is really auspicious for the Tang Dynasty. I congratulate Your Majesty, Congratulations to the Tang Dynasty!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, and Datang!"

Everyone understands that as long as the food problem is solved, will Datang still be the same as before?

The barn is full and the people live and work in peace and contentment. This is a scene only in the prosperous age!

Li Ye waved his hands and said, "It's too early to say it's auspicious. The most urgent thing is to spread the new rice seeds!"

Zhang Chengye said: "Your Majesty, if you want to promote new rice seeds, I think Huainan, Jiangnan Zhudao, and Jingxiang are the first to be planted. The paddy fields in Henan can also be planted. Now there are five hundred stone rice seeds, and one mu of land needs about one catty of rice seeds. It should be possible to plant [-] to [-] mu with five hundred stones."

"[-] to [-] mu of rice, how much output can it produce?"

"If the yield is as His Majesty said, about 15 dry rice seeds can be produced."

15 shi, about more than 2000 million catties, only needs to be planted for one season, and the entire Tang Dynasty can be planted with new rice seeds!His Majesty the Emperor greatly underestimated the rice yield.

"These rice seeds left me fifty shi, of which 150 shi were transported to Yangzhou, 150 shi to Luzhou, and 150 shi to Hangzhou, so that Li Zuoxun, the chief minister of the Huainan East Road, Chen Shoushan, the chief minister of the Jiangnan East Road, and others Liu He, the governor of Huainan West Road, looks for veteran farmers who know how to farm, and if they choose a good paddy field, Sinonong will also send someone to watch and record the whole process!"

(End of this chapter)