"Minister Zheng Zhilong, see the emperor, long live my emperor, long live long live!"

"Aiqing, hurry up and be polite!" Zhu Ci hurriedly asked Zheng Zhilong to get up, and said with a smile: "This time, Aiqing successfully brought the seeds, which is a great achievement, I am very pleased, and there will be a heavy reward!" ”

"Thank Emperor Longen!" Zheng Zhilong stood up, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, he was half a year late, but he didn't mean to ask the guilt when he heard the emperor's tone, which also showed that the emperor would not move the Zheng family in the near future.

There was no pressure in his heart, Zheng Zhilong said with a smile: "It is the duty of the minister to serve the emperor, I don't dare to ask for a reward, please ask the emperor to take back his fate!" ”

This has a polite meaning, but also a hint of temptation.

Zhu Ci saw Zheng Zhilong's temptation, his eyes were slightly dark, but it disappeared in an instant, shook his head and said with a smile: "I have clear rewards and punishments, since Aiqing has made great contributions, she should naturally be commended, otherwise wouldn't I have become a faint monarch who doesn't know right and wrong?" Aiqing must not want me to be like this! ”

Hearing Zhu Ci's words, Zheng Zhilong completely relaxed his vigilance, and it seems that the emperor really doesn't plan to pursue it.

Watching Zheng Zhilong walk out of the imperial study, Zhu Ci's face couldn't help but sink.

It is true that he will not move Zheng Zhilong in the near future, although he is ready to build a navy and solve the problem of the Zheng family, but the stakes are very high, and it cannot be done overnight, it must be done step by step, at least until Zheng Sen returns from Yunnan.

For Zheng Sen, Zhu Ciji attaches great importance to him, and he even feels that one Zheng Sen is more important than the entire Zheng family fleet.

Zheng Zhilong purchased a lot of seeds, hundreds of ships, among which the largest ocean-going sea ship can carry hundreds of tons per ship, and the smallest boat can also load several tons, adding up to nearly 20,000 tons, including 9,000 tons of sweet potato seeds, 7,000 tons of potato seeds, 4,000 tons of corn, and hundreds of young people unloaded from the ship for more than ten days.

"Passing on my will, Zheng Zhilong has merit in purchasing seeds, and he will be rewarded with 100,000 taels of silver. In addition, tell Zheng Zhilong that after the seeds are tested, I will have a big reward! ”

"Yes!"

Zhao Dequan was extremely shocked and withdrew to arrange for the eunuch to pass on the decree, the reward of 100,000 taels of silver is equivalent to 10,000 taels of gold, which is already an extremely heavy reward.

Zhao Dequan shook it quite incomprehensibly, he couldn't figure it out anyway, but he just asked Zheng Zhilong to buy something in Nanyang, did he need such a heavy reward?

Not only Zhao Dequan couldn't figure it out, but all the people who heard about this holy decree couldn't figure it out, even Zheng Zhilong himself couldn't figure it out.

Of course, Zhu Ci will not reveal these, and he will indeed have a heavy reward after the seeds are planted, and it is a big reward, which is enough to make the entire Zheng family fall apart!

The time has gradually come to July, which is the season when the people are busy planting autumn grain.

Nearly 20,000 tons of seeds, although corn seeds account for the smallest proportion, but the area of land that can be planted is more than sweet potatoes and potatoes combined, Zhu Ciji calculated according to the memory in his mind, nearly 20,000 tons of seeds can be planted in total, about one million acres of land.

Zhu Ci thought about it and felt that it would be impossible to fully promote it this year.

For the sake of more convenient management and better distribution in the coming year, Zhu Cijiao decided to try planting around the city of Nanjing, for this reason, Zhu Cijiao wrote down the planting methods and main precautions of sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn overnight, and ordered the Ministry of Industry to publish a book, which was soon distributed with the seeds.

The next day, Nanjing City and the surrounding towns within 100 miles posted a large-scale imperial list, the content of which was simple and easy to understand.

"Emperor List, Emperor List!"

"The imperial court tried to plant new seeds, called on the people within a hundred miles of the capital to plant, the imperial court provided seeds and planting methods free of charge, and promised that no matter what the harvest was, it would be purchased at the price of two taels of silver per mu, and those who were interested could go to the yamen to register and receive seeds!" The literate people read it aloud.

"Hey, two taels of silver for one acre!"

After seeing the contents of the imperial list, the people all widened their eyes and their hearts were shocked.

"Is this true, there is such a thing!" You know, with the current yield per mu, if you still grow rice or wheat, the high-grade fertile land is only three stones per mu per year, and the quarterly yield is one and a half stones, which is still the result of good weather and weather, and more importantly, the emperor list does not indicate that the high-grade fertile land and the inferior land, is it not the same, you know, the yield of the good land is much less than the high-grade good land, and the quarterly yield is not even one stone.

According to the current price of one stone of grain and one tael of silver in Jiangnan, this year is already the second quarter, and the imperial court even buys it at the price of two taels of silver and one mu, this is simply a pie in the sky, can the people not be excited.

"Is it credible?" One of the people was a little skeptical, and his words were full of disbelief.

"This is the emperor's list, released by the emperor himself today, of course it is credible!" Another citizen was convinced, and immediately said.

"Yes, yes, the emperor is the king of the Holy Ming, and it is impossible to deceive the people, saying that two taels of silver for one acre is two taels of silver for one acre!"

The people all agree, since the emperor ascended the throne, everything he has done is for the sake of the people, and the people naturally love it from the bottom of their hearts, as long as it is what the emperor says, they are convinced.

"Since there is such a good thing, then I can't let it go, my family has thirty acres of land, and this autumn grain will be planted with new seeds from the imperial court, so I will go back and take my family to the yamen to register and receive seeds!"

"My family has 100 acres of land, and I want to plant all new seeds!"

"So is my family!"

There is the temptation of two taels of silver, almost all the people are supportive, on the same day, Nanjing City and the towns within a radius of 50 miles are all full, a large number of people with their families pull ox carts to register and carry seeds, nearly 20,000 catties of new seeds can be smoothly promoted within a radius of 50 miles of Nanjing City.

The people planted according to the methods taught by the imperial court, not to mention what the harvest would be, but the simplicity of the planting method and the maintenance process, the most important thing was the drought resistance, and even the sandy land could be planted, so that the people felt that this new seed was really good to plant.

"The people take food as the sky, and I believe that in the coming year, without the promotion of the imperial court, the people will be more eager to plant!" The people began to plant in full swing, Zhu Ci listened to the report of the people below, smiled faintly, this is the first time to promote planting, the people may still have doubts, but he believes that as long as the harvest arrives, and then after the vigorous publicity of the Daming Daily, the next year there is no need to promote the imperial court, the people will also rush to plant, within two years, the sweet potato, potatoes and corn can bloom everywhere in the Ming Dynasty, with these three kinds of output, then the people of Daming can really live a worry-free life.

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