The grace of appreciating the fields!

Zhang Guojiu's suggestion made Zhu Mingzhong's eyes suddenly brighten.

Although the field is not worth much now, for the Zao Ding family who lost their labor, because the man died in battle, only the women and children remained, even if they left the country, they could not afford to open up the wasteland, and could only rely on pensions to live. For families, they are free, but they are deprived of the opportunity to change their lives.

However, if the ripe fields are rewarded to them, not only can they save a sum of money for the government office, but the government can also obtain land taxes. Of course, more importantly, it can also buy the hearts of the military!

After all, for those who are "out of the army", land means dependence, maybe the fields are not worth much now, and under the thousands of miles of red land that was slaughtered by the Qing captives, the ripe wasteland everywhere can be reclaimed. But they know very well that because they have already joined the army, their families are naturally unable to open up the wasteland, and now rewarding the families of the casualties will undoubtedly relieve them of their last worries. For this kind of "business", of course, he will not refuse.

"That's a good idea!"

While nodding in agreement, Zhu Mingzhong pondered thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

"However, you must pay attention to this use of captives to open up the wasteland, and be careful of their escape......"

"After a brief review, this matter is easy to handle, and ten of them can be seated in a row, one escapes, and all ten of them are beheaded, so that they can monitor each other, and naturally they can avoid escaping."

When Zhang Guojiu took out the "Connecting Seat Method", Zhu Mingzhong just nodded, and then said.

"These captives must not be used in a centralized manner, but can be used in groups of ten or hundred, and then handed over to the local authorities so that they can be dispersed so that they will not become a scourge, and they must be shackled and branded like prisoners, in a word, they must not be easily let go ......."

Almost naturally, Zhu Mingzhong thought of the "labor reform" of later generations, which may be a measure.

"These people must atone for their sins through labor, and they must use their lessons to warn the people of the world that those who dare to be traitors will never get a good end!"

If you will not be punished in any way if you become a traitor, then how will you be popular with the people of the world in the future? How to make the world afraid. If not, I am afraid that this side will come out and beat down the Jin merchants led by the "Eight Great Emperor Merchants", and there may be a group of people who will continue to sell the country for glory in the future.

"What Jinglu said is extremely true, not only does the traitor not deserve a good end, even his family, and he can't enjoy the wealth of the traitor's traitor traitor, not only to raid his family, but also to put all his family into the lowly status, and never turn over!"

The times always have the characteristics of their times, and the lowly nationality is the characteristic of this era, although there is a slight resistance to the "lowly nationality", but the evil feeling for the traitor is far more than the resistance, and naturally Zhu Mingzhong did not object to Zhang Guojiu's suggestion.

Later, after the two discussed some details a little, the boat continued to go south, and on the way to the south, looking at a row of waterwheels under construction by the river, Zhu Mingzhong, who knew that it was where the new gunpowder factory was located, asked casually.

"How's the procurement of the Sulfur Bureau now?"

The Sulfur Bureau in Zhu Mingzhong's mouth was a trade bureau that was set up a few months ago to solve the problem of the supply of gunpowder raw materials - nitrate and sulfur, and in order to obtain sufficient supply, the government bureau can be said to have tried its best.

"Although there are Shandong, Henan and other places that have the southern transportation of fire and nitrate obstructed by the Qing Dynasty, but now the daily nitrate bureau can still collect no less than 100,000 catties of nitrate, and in winter, with the increase in production, it is estimated that by then, more than 200,000 catties of nitrate can be obtained per day, and Jiangbei's self-production will be no less than 50,000 catties......

Zhang Guojiu's answer made Zhu Mingzhong nod with satisfaction.

"200,000 catties a day, almost enough for ......"

Not only is it enough, but it is even too much!

Although the production of natural saltpeter mines in China is also very limited, compared with the Europeans who set up nitrate collectors to collect nitrate everywhere to obtain nitrate, on both sides of the Yellow River in China, because of the flooding of the Yellow River, there are millions of acres of saline-alkali land rich in nitrate. As long as the right stimulation is given, it can produce almost a steady stream of fire nitrate. This is also the reason why there were no European "nitrate collectors" in Chinese history, because the government has never worried about nitrate.

In order to stimulate the production of fire and nitrate in Shandong, Henan and other places, Zhu Mingzhong deliberately cut off the export of sea salt to the two places, thus forcing the people of the two places to sweep the soil to make salt, and the output of block nitrate, as a by-product of salt production, increased from 10,000 catties per day to hundreds of thousands of catties in just one month.

Of course, in order to stimulate production, in addition to the open purchase, the Sulfur Bureau has also repeatedly increased the price, and the purchase price of the highest grade of block nitrate can be as high as 10 wen per catty. But even so, the price of soil nitrate, which is mainly lump nitrate, is far lower than that in Europe. It is also thanks to the cheap and sufficient supply of raw materials that Zhu Mingzhong can safely promote the use of weapons without worrying about gunpowder. Not like the Europeans, who always worry about the lack of gunpowder.

"Lump nitrate should continue to be purchased, don't think too much, when the war starts, there are millions of catties of nitrate at home, which always makes people more down-to-earth, the supply of nitrate can be rooted, how about the procurement of sulfur, can you keep up?"

The answer is obviously no, China has not been rich in sulfur since ancient times, and compared with the abundant resources of fire and nitrate, sulfur is not only expensive, but also has limited sources.

"Jinglu, the sulfur in Jiangbei at present comes from Nanjing, because there is a fleet under the command of Prince Zheng to trade with the Japanese, and Japan has been rich in sulfur since ancient times, so the sulfur used by our army is purchased from Nanjing at a high price......"

frowned slightly, Zhu Mingzhong naturally knew very well that the sulfur was purchased from Nanjing, there was no way at all, who let Jiangbei have no sulfur.

"Well, I know about this matter, after the sea ships are built, our fleet will trade with the Japanese, and then we can buy sulfur from Japan, and in addition to Japan, Taiwan also has sulfur, we can transport thousands of people to northern Taiwan first, and look for local sulfur mines when we first colonize, so that we can meet military ......."

This maritime trade must begin as soon as possible!

Thinking like this in his heart, Zhu Mingzhong secretly thought to himself, this ship is easy to build, but it is really difficult to find this maritime committee that is familiar with sea routes and the situation in Japan.

"If it really doesn't work, I will directly order the envoy to Japan as the Jianghuai Economic Envoy!"

Perhaps, this is also a way, as for not knowing the route...... That's a problem. Otherwise, find a Dutch captain from Macao, who also seems to have trade with Japan? I guess I can help me open up a route from Cheonge to Japan......