In the cabin, there was suddenly a hint of ambiguity.

Qing'er had already gone to arrange food, leaving Li Kuan and Wu Meiniang in the cabin.

In the palace of the king of Chu, everyone can guess that Wu Meiniang will be one of their housewives in the future, but no one knows when this day will come.

Even Wu Meiniang herself feels that the relationship with Li Kuan belongs to the level where there is still one opportunity left before she can really reach a new level.

Could it be that this is the state of unfulfilled lovers?

Now, Wu Meiniang feels that the opportunity has come.

"Lord Wang, why were you so stupid just now, such a big wind and waves, such a cold day, why did you jump into the river without any hesitation?"

Wu Meiniang leaned on the head of the bed, holding Li Kuan's hand lightly with both hands.

To tell the truth, when Wu Meiniang knew that Li Kuan was so desperate to save herself, it was fake not to be moved.

The son of a thousand jun does not sit in the hall.

This is not something that is said casually.

With Li Kuan's current status, unless it was Li Shimin who fell into the water, there was no need for him to jump in to save people in person.

It's not that there are no other people on the boat who know how to water.

"It's nothing stupid, I heard Gu Panpan's call, and when I saw you fluttering in the river, I naturally jumped down."

Li Kuan's unpretentious answer touched Wu Meiniang's heart.

I didn't look at the wrong person, I didn't make the wrong choice, this is the person who is worthy of entrusting me for life.

In the past, I always wanted to see if I could get ahead and give the two brothers of the Bingzhou martial arts family some colors.

Now it seems that any hatred and resentment have been lightly seen.

If it weren't for the fact that so many things had happened before, he would not have gone to Chang'an, he would not have had the opportunity to meet His Royal Highness the King of Chu, and he would not have everything now.

As for the future, that's even less to say.

"The mountains have no tombs, and the rivers are exhausted. Thunder and tremors in winter, rain and snow in summer. Heaven and earth are together, but dare to be with the king! Prince, Mei Niang is a person who is born to be the prince, and death is the ghost of the prince, but I ask the prince to let the hand always follow you, even if it is just a maid who pours tea and water, I will never complain. ”

Every girl in the family said such a thing, and Li Kuan naturally wouldn't pretend there anymore.

"Mei Niang, it's my fate to meet you. In this life, I can have Jingwen with you, and this king is content. ”

……

Because of the unexpected time of falling into the water, Li Kuan, the fleet of the deposed envoy, simply docked in Runzhou for a few days.

"It's a pity that this ancient city of Jiangning is only left with a broken wall."

Li Kuan stood in the Lao Lao Pavilion and admired this ancient city with emotion.

More than 40 emperors and 300 autumns.

Since the establishment of the capital of Eastern Wu, the city has been the capital of the Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties.

It can be said that after more than 300 years of accumulation, Jiankang City, or Jianye, should be a very large-scale and attractive city.

It's a pity that history played a big joke on it.

"Yes, it is said that this was also a prosperous city with a population of one million at the beginning, and it was not much worse than Chang'an. However, after the Sui destroyed Chen, Emperor Wen of the Sui ordered the city of Jiankang to be leveled, destroying all the palaces and cities and turning them into arable land, and a large number of people also moved elsewhere. Today, this big capital is actually just a Jiangning County below Runzhou. ”

Wu Meiniang's complexion has completely returned to normal, and now she is standing in the pavilion with Li Kuan enjoying the scenery.

"This Jiangning County, although the geographical location is not as good as Yangzhou, but it is not much worse, if the imperial court does not blindly suppress it, it can still become a prosperous state capital."

There are too many cities in Datang with development potential, although Li Kuan feels that the current situation in Jiangning County is very regrettable, but he will not be able to get along with the entire North and Central Korea.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu, didn't the imperial court really move the Turks from the steppe to all parts of Jiangnan Province? In fact, I think that this Jiangning County is vast and sparsely populated, so it is very suitable for housing a large number of Turkic people. ”

Gu Panpan couldn't help but express his views on the side.

However, Li Kuan and Wu Meiniang didn't hear it.

What a politically unconscious person would say.

Why did the Sui and Tang dynasties all suppress the ancient capital of Jiangning County?

It's not just because it's the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, and it's a city with deep political significance.

Wouldn't it be better if the Turks were allowed to settle here......

"Lord Wang, we have been delayed in Jiangning County for a few days. Calculating the time, when we arrived in Hongzhou, it was almost time to prepare for spring ploughing. Why don't we continue our journey tomorrow? ”

Wu Meiniang has a very clear mind, and knows that inspecting the promotion of Nanyang rice in all parts of the world is the main task of Li Kuan's trip.

Besides, the promotion of Nanyang rice is also really related to the increase of grain production in Datang, and its significance is extraordinary.

"Okay, if you want to talk about Hongzhou, I heard that although the local population is not large and the economy is not developed, there is a general trend of attaching importance to learning, and this king also wants to see it."

After Li Kuan founded the Guanshishan Academy, he paid a lot of attention to the situation of the imperial examination.

This Hongzhou area, that is, the Jiangxi area in later generations, although there are not many people who have passed the examination of various subjects, but the upward momentum is obviously higher than that of the general state capital.

It seems that in the following dynasties, it is not accidental that Jiangxi can become the existence of the largest number of Jinshi in the country.

……

The boat went upstream, the speed was a little slower, but after all, the distance was not too far, and at the end of January, Li Kuan finally appeared at the gate of Yuzhang County.

"The north of Hongzhou is quite suitable for growing rice, not only the land is sparsely populated, but also the water network is dense, the only pity is that the population seems to be a little less."

The fleet turns from the Yangtze River to the waterway of Poyang Lake, and then goes down the Zhangjiang River, which can go directly to the vicinity of Yuzhang County, which is very suitable for walking on the waterway.

The Zhangjiang River, that is, the Ganjiang River in later generations, as the second largest tributary of the Yangtze River, has a very abundant water flow and a relatively wide river surface, even ordinary sea boats can walk here.

If the surrounding rice planting area increases, it is very convenient to transport the rice out.

Li Kuan: "In recent years, the population of Datang has increased very rapidly. According to the preliminary estimate of the Ministry of Households, the number of households increased by more than one million during the Zhenguan period alone, and this number is still growing rapidly. Once the rice cultivation around Hongzhou is successful, it will inevitably attract some mountain people from the south to settle nearby, and the population should increase quickly. ”

Historically, the population of the Tang Dynasty should have reached its peak during the Tianbao period, with about 80 million people.

However, it is clear that according to the current trend, the figure of 80 million may be reached at the end of Zhenguan.

The premise is that Li Shimin will live a few years longer than in history.

Wu Meiniang: "If this is the case, the fertile land around Poyang Lake alone is estimated to be able to feed millions of families." ”

"Lord Wang, the officials from Hongzhou have come to greet you."

When Li Kuan and his party docked at the dock, there was so much movement.

Soon, the officials of the Hongzhou Mansion and the Yuzhang County Government knew that Li Kuan, the deposed envoy, had inspected his territory.

Not to mention that Li Kuan himself is a prince, even if it is any official from Chang'an City, Hongzhou Mansion will take it seriously.

This is a difference in the status of the Beijing official and the local official.

This reminded Li Kuan of the reports in the news in later generations, local leaders, go to some authoritative departments of the central government, even if you are the number one in a prefecture-level city, maybe you will not be able to meet a division chief, or you have to line up to meet others.

"Where are the Turks settled?"

Li Kuan didn't have the heart to be polite with the local officials there, and directly began to understand the situation.

If it was said that in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the so-called inspection of rice promotion was more of a passing scene, then starting from Hongzhou, this is the area that Li Kuan will focus on inspecting.

Hongzhou, Ezhou, and Xiangzhou, the three state capitals and their surrounding areas, are the places that Li Kuan pays the most attention to.

As an important rice producing area in later generations, these state capitals are insignificant in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and belong to His Royal Highness's Xiazhou, whether it is the grade of the officials or the local economy and population, they cannot attract the attention of the noble officials of Chang'an City.

However, Li Kuan chose these state capitals for the promotion of Nanyang rice.

The students of Guanshishan Academy also go to these places the most.

Of course, if you want to go to prosperous places such as Yangzhou and Suzhou, it is not so easy, and there will be many fewer opportunities.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu, these Turkic people are mainly settled along the Zhangjiang River, and the nearest settlement point is in Taohua Village."

Yuzhang County Ling Zeng Xing is quite skilled, and it is still very clear where the nearly 1,000 Turkic people arranged by the imperial court to Yuzhang County are distributed.

"Peach Blossom Village, right, how far is it from Yuzhang County?"

All the way is by boat, the boat is big and comfortable enough, and there are beautiful people to accompany you, but there is no journey fatigue.

Therefore, Li Kuan was rarely enthusiastic about his work, and wanted to see if the students of Guanshishan Academy and the Turks had completed the preparations for spring ploughing.

The sowing of early rice is generally between the sting and the spring equinox, and this period is missed, and with the current seeds, it can basically only be planted according to one season a year.

Here in Hongzhou, it is obvious that there are conditions for two seasons a year, coupled with fertile water and soil, Li Kuan doesn't want to make a moth out at the beginning.

"Five miles northwest of the city gate is Peach Blossom Village, if you ride a horse, it is just a moment's work." Zeng Xing is a scholar of the Ming Jingke who belongs to the second year of Zhenguan, and he is a pragmatic official in Hongzhou Mansion, and when he saw Li Kuan's attitude of putting work first, he also had a little more expectations in his heart.

Zeng Xing, who was born in a family without a landlord, has been in Hongzhou for twelve years.

And his official position has always stopped at the county order of Yuzhang County, and he has not been promoted for a long time; This has something to do with his lack of pandering to his superiors.

Of course, it also has a lot to do with the fact that he was not born into a famous family.

Li Kuan: "Let's go, I'll take a look!" ”