Volume 2: The Capital, I’m Back Chapter 53: Outside Changping City
Kuang Ye felt like he was going crazy.
The Emperor personally led an army of 3,000 deep into the desert, fighting their way in and out behind enemy lines. Now that they have returned safely, it is truly a great joy.
Logically, he should have returned to the capital as soon as possible, but now he was stuck in this small city of Huailai, leading Luo Tong to survey the terrain every day, discussing where to build roads, where to drain water, where to build houses, and even planning a commercial street.
In a small border town like this, what is the purpose of your entire commercial street?
"Your Majesty, Doctor Luo is a Jinshi in the tenth year of Yongle. He has been an official for more than thirty years and is very experienced. It is sufficient to entrust the reconstruction of Huailai City to Doctor Luo. This old minister suggests that Your Majesty should hurry up and set off, so as not to worry the Queen Mother and the officials!"
"Don't worry, I'll leave as soon as I finish speaking!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and continued to say to Luo Tong: "I wrote it very clearly in the plan book that this place is suitable for growing grapes!"
In fact, Luo Tong couldn't understand this plan at all.
For example, why not grow crops instead of grapes?
"Grape?"
“Yes, grapes!”
"But..." Luo Tong scratched his head and expressed his doubts, "This thing can't be used as a staple food..."
"Who told you that you must grow staple food? Cash crops, cash crops, do you understand?"
"I... am stupid..."
"You are really dull!" Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and said, "You said it yourself just now. The weather here is dry and it is not suitable for growing crops. What should we do?"
"Yeah, what should I do?"
"Then grow something suitable, like grapes."
"But... grapes are not the staple food..."
“You don’t have to grow staple food!”
"I... am stupid..."
Zhu Qizhen wanted to beat someone up, really. If he hadn't seen that Luo Tong was already very old, he would have done it long ago.
Why can't I explain it clearly!
"Let me put it another way. If we grow crops here, how much will we yield per mu?"
"In this kind of place..." Luo Tong thought for a moment and said, "It can probably hold one or two stones."
In the Ming Dynasty, one dan was equal to 150 jin. Generally speaking, the yield of a good paddy field was about two to three dan. In such a barren land, it would be good to have two dan.
"Do you know what the profit is if you grow grapes?"
"I don't know!"
"Let me tell you this. Although there is no profit in the first year, starting from the second year, the annual output converted into money will be at least three to five times that of growing grain!"
Luo Tong asked in doubt: "Why is there no profit in the first year?"
Zhu Qizhen was stunned and had to explain: "Grapes are a crop that needs two years to mature. They don't bear fruit in the first year."
"I see!" Luo Tong nodded repeatedly, then shook his head and said, "But what should the people do now? If there is no food, how can they survive? Also, this place is not rich. Who can we sell all these grapes to?"
"Take another look at this map!"
Zhu Qizhen pointed at the map and said, "It is less than 300 miles from Huailai City to the capital. If the road is leveled and widened later, a horse-drawn carriage can reach the destination in one day. No matter how much we produce, as long as we transport it to the capital, it will be sold out."
Luo Tong scratched his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my stupidity. The people are in urgent need food. I am afraid that they will starve to death before the grapes grow in the fields..."
"What do I want you to do?" Zhu Qizhen shook his head and said, "Your mission is not to lead the people to build houses and farm, but to make it bigger and stronger, and to have ideals! No food, right? Go to the court to borrow money and use taxes as collateral. I will personally approve it for you!"
Luo Tong's face was extremely conflicted. He asked the court for a loan, but instead of growing grain, he was growing grapes and cash crops?
Also, those roads and drainage ditches, I wonder how much money and grain will be spent, is it really necessary...
Seeing that Luo Tong seemed to be hesitant to speak, Kuang Ye could not help but said, "Doctor Luo, if you have any other questions, please state them clearly at once. Don't delay the emperor's trip."
He thought the emperor would return to Beijing immediately, so he did not write a letter to the capital, and now they don't know the news of the emperor's return.
If I had known it would take so long, I would have written a letter first and asked the people in the capital to prepare!
Luo Tong really had a question. He pointed to the location of the school in the plan and said, "Regarding the construction of the school... Your Majesty, you don't know where the ordinary people get the money to study..."
"Didn't I write it down? This is compulsory education. All six-year-old children must go to school. Moreover, all expenses for the first six years will be paid by the court!"
"This..." Luo Tong's scalp was about to break, "How much will this cost..."
"Don't worry about the money. Huailai City is my first pilot project to innovate. We must make drastic changes and not be bound by traditional concepts. Do you know how heavy the burden is now?"
Luo Tong's forehead was covered with sweat, and he said with gritted teeth: "I understand!"
"There is also the matter of recruiting soldiers. You can recruit refugees locally. I will leave Ha Ming to help you train the troops, and I will leave you 500 elite soldiers. These people have followed me deep into the desert, and they are my friends who have been through life and death with me. If it were not for the great significance of rebuilding Huailai, I would not be willing to hand them over to you!"
Luo Tong nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
He had extensive experience in leading troops, and when he saw the 3,000-man battalion for the first time, he was greatly shocked. These soldiers exuded an invisible murderous aura, which was the momentum that could only be developed through years of experience on the battlefield.
What is even more commendable is that after these soldiers took over Huailai City, they patrolled the city’s defense and public security every day and never disturbed the residents.
On the streets, you can often see soldiers helping civilians build houses or providing help within their capacity.
As a result, a strange phenomenon has emerged in Huailai now. When the people have any difficulties, they will take the initiative to go to the streets to find soldiers for help. In Luo Tong's opinion, this is very unreasonable.
In his impression, it was a blessing if the soldiers did not harass the civilians . It was unbelievable that the military and civilians could get along so harmoniously.
If the Ming army were like this, what would it be like...
After everything was arranged, Zhu Qizhen finally set out on the journey back to Beijing.
Ha Ming took 500 people to guard Huailai, and the remaining 2,000 people received the order and immediately got ready to set off.
When passing by Juyongguan, he kept Kuang Ye.
Luo Tong went to Huailai to take up the post, and the garrison position of Juyongguan was temporarily vacant. Fortunately, there was a ready-made Minister of War who could take over for a while.
Zhu Qizhen led the cavalry and marched very quickly. They set out from Juyongguan at noon and arrived in Changping before sunset.
Looking at the city wall in front of him, Li Zhen stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, it's getting dark. Should we go to the capital overnight? Or should we rest in Changping for one night?"
Zhu Qizhen looked at the sky and said, "There's no need to rush. Stay in Changping for one night and go to Beijing early tomorrow morning!"
"yes!"
"Wait a moment!"
"Your Majesty, please give your orders!"
Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and said, "In order to avoid disturbing the people, the soldiers will have to work harder and rest outside the city!"
"As you wish!"
The two thousand men found an open space in the woods outside the city to rest. Fan Zhong walked up to Zhu Qizhen with bread and dried meat and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, even if you are not traveling at night, you should go into the city to rest. Why do you want to sleep in the wilderness with everyone else?"
Zhu Qizhen took the pancake and took a bite, then said, "If we notify Changping County, everyone in the county will be busy serving me tonight. This is not necessary."
"Your Majesty, you..."
At this moment, the outer sentry shouted, "Stop, who is it?"
Fan Zhong immediately became alert. There were no checkpoints along the way from Juyongguan, and he did not enter the city when he arrived in Changping, so no one knew the whereabouts of the emperor. Who could be in this remote wilderness?
After a while, Li Zhen came running over and said, "Your Majesty, here comes a man named Feng Yi. He said he came here on the orders of the deputy commander Cao Qin to discuss important matters."
"Feng Yi..." Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and didn't seem to have any impression of this person. "What does this person do? Is Cao Qin the son of Cao Jixiang? How did he know my whereabouts?"
Li Zhen shook his head and said, "This person doesn't seem to know the emperor's identity."
"oh?"
Zhu Qizhen was a little confused. Could it be that he recognized the wrong person?
Li Zhen continued, "Because this person keeps saying... he wants to see General Chahantai!"
Zhu Qizhen's expression changed and he asked, "Did you reveal my identity to him?"
"Your Majesty, I only came in to report, and didn't say much."
"Well, let him come over. I want to see what this guy is up to!"
