Luo Zhaoyun said about the problem of food, which is the key to the survival of the Central Plains people for thousands of years, and it is also a major constraint to fight back against the grassland tribes.

Because any large-scale battle, which can take several months, requires too much food and grass.

In ancient times, the grain yield was very low, and the yield of corn, rice, wheat, etc., was only about five or six stones per mu, which was ten times different from the output of later generations. This is because the ancient cultivation of grain varieties, fertilizers, insect control and other technologies are very backward, so the yield is relatively low.

In later generations, because of the rapid development of hybrid rice and cultivation technology, and the development of science, the yield will be increased by five or ten times, so that the people of the Central Plains will not be starved to death in the drought year.

Don't think that people who died of starvation are only a few, in fact, in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and even in modern times and later generations, you can see in history: "natural disasters, starvation is everywhere" This kind of record.

"Your Majesty, is there really a staple food that can grow in the bitter cold land of the grassland, and the yield is huge?" Wen Boyan, eldest grandson Shunde and others were all curious and inquiring, a little incredulous.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the five grains were still cultivated, and millet, wheat, rice, millet and soybean were the main crops, and other staple foods had not been heard of.

Luo Zhaoyun thought of several crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, which are most suitable for farming in the bitter cold zone, and do not need more water like rice and wheat, as well as the requirements of a moderate climate.

"Yes, but the seeds of this cultivated crop are not in our Central Plains, but also in Fanbang, on the other side of the ocean."

"Fanbang overseas?" Everyone was shocked, and some didn't understand.

Luo Zhaoyun used to be a man in science and engineering, and later transferred to a master's degree in history, and he also has some understanding of the geography of the world, knowing that ancient China implemented a sea ban, because the technology of ships was limited, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, only the monks of Fusang crossed the sea to the mainland, and few mainlanders sailed to the Western Ocean.

It was not until the emergence of Sinan in the Song Dynasty that shipbuilding technology became more and more powerful, making it possible to cross the sea. Of course, the final formation of the sea route was due to Zheng He's voyage to the West in the Ming Dynasty and brought some crops and living plants from overseas, which made some changes and improvements in the domestic agricultural civilization.

The ancient China relied on the land and sea Silk Road to communicate with the outside continent endlessly, intermittently, its role is actually extremely limited, the kings of the dynasties, are not keen to promote navigation and external communication, because the Central Plains is vast, this region alone, the emperor is quite miserable to govern, the dynasty has a lot of twists and turns, and then communicate with the outside, bringing a lot of uncertain factors, will affect the stability and rule of the dynasty, so, are relatively conservative, and even exclude.

Luo Zhaoyun sighed that it has been impossible to achieve this in the past few years, but after the country and the people are safe and the world is unified, he may be able to establish a special ship division, develop the navy, travel across the ocean, go to various places to take plant seeds, and take them back for planting, so that the Central Plains can reduce the number of people who starve to death by hundreds of thousands, millions of people in disaster years.

"It's still early, wait a minute, I'll send someone to do it." Luo Zhaoyun didn't elaborate much on the issue of navigation, because it was too early to talk to them about this.

If there is no reunification today, the north and the south need to fight, and the Turks are coming, so the main thing is to pacify and stabilize!

To really launch a navigation plan, it needs strong national strength to support it, and there is no urgency.

At this time, the eldest grandson Wuji seemed to think of something, and arched his hand and said: "Your Majesty, the Central Plains people also have a disadvantage on the grassland, that is, the grassland people are born in the desert, the bitter cold land, and their physique is strong, and their height is generally a head taller than the Central Plains people, because they eat meat all year round, their arm strength is outstanding, and they are powerful. ”

"On the other hand, we Central Plains people, in addition to the northern Guannei, Luoyang, Jinyang, Hebei area, slightly burly, south of the Huai River, especially south of the Yangtze River, are generally smaller, if you fight with the Turks, you still have to mobilize the northern strong men, to be trained, in order to fight one-on-one with the Turks. However, our Central Plains people, perennial rarely eat meat, cattle and sheep are very expensive, except for the nobles can occasionally eat meat, the poor people almost all year round no meat, the face is like a vegetable, the physique is worrisome, there is no physical strength, and the Turks fight, very not dominant. ”

Luo Zhaoyun nodded, he already had some understanding of the physique of the Central Plains people, after all, he had traveled back to the Sui Dynasty for more than ten years, and he did find in his life that the people of the Sui Dynasty ate more mutton, because cattle had to be kept for farming, and few cattle were killed, and pork, which was common in later generations, had not yet been popularized.

He has now figured out that the ancients did not eat pork, and it turned out to be related to breeding technology. At that time, people did not know that pigs needed to be castrated to eat meat so that they would not smell unpleasant.

Because the breed of pig, originally domesticated from wild boars by ancient people, boars are easy to estrus, not easy to grow meat, and the meat has a sassy taste, from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, they do not eat pork, but will be used to worship the heavens and worship the shrine.

A record in the "Song Hui Yao Manuscript" is also very revealing. In the ten years of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial kitchen used more than 4,000 catties of pork and more than 430,000 catties of mutton a year, and pork was only a fraction of mutton.

The time when the ancient Chinese promoted pork should be in the Ming Dynasty, because at this time, the Chinese population increased significantly, and there were fewer pastures suitable for raising sheep, which could not meet the needs of meat, and among other animals, only pigs were relatively meaty and easy to raise. More importantly, the castration technology passed down by the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty was popularized, and the pigs castrated since childhood no longer had a strong taste after slaughter, so pork became the main meat of the Chinese after the Ming Dynasty.

Luo Zhaoyun said: "I thought of one thing, although the Central Plains is not suitable for grazing, raising cattle and sheep, but every family can raise pigs, excess grains, bad grains, can be used to feed pigs, and finally produce pork, so that the people have meat to eat, and the food is sufficient, they will not be unable to survive and rebel, compared with the grassland people, the disadvantages will also be reduced." ”

"Pig farming?" When these ministers heard this, they were stunned at first, and then they couldn't help laughing.

The eldest grandson Shunde arched his hand and said: "Your Majesty, this pig is also known as pig, biao, dolphin, although it has been domesticated since ancient times, but the pig is active, the body has a commotion, it is difficult to eat, in the "Qi Min Technique" and "Four Seasons Compendium" two agricultural books, the importance of raising sheep is far more than that of pigs, since the founding of the Great Sui Dynasty, the world does not kill cattle, but the main thing is to eat mutton, as for pork, whether it is a noble, or a poor people, are rarely eaten. ”

Luo Zhaoyun smiled slightly, looking a little unfathomable, and said: "Can I not know this, wait and see, I have a special idea, so that the people of the world can eat meat, Dahua really from food and clothing, to rich and strong, needs to start from improving the lives of the people!" ”