"It's not high, it's not high," He Wenrui figured out this question, and began to think about Zhuolu Trading Company again, "It's just a virtuous nephew, do you think it's less than three percent, after all, this is a divine thing, you have to put in a lot of effort, those who have a lot of land, don't have to do anything, and the benefits can be similar to yours, or even far beyond you." ”

"My lord, thirty percent is almost, I'm not so greedy, if I have more, I'm afraid of being scolded to death." Zhiwen said with a smile, people have land, and they should collect rent, he will not be unhappy because of this, thirty percent of the rent is actually not much, fifty percent, but it is higher, but one is willing to fight and one is willing to suffer, and there is nothing to say.

"Virtuous nephew is kind." He Wenrui praised, "It's rare that at your young age, your loyalty to the king and love for the people is not inferior to others." ”

"Ugh," he sighed, "it's just... It's just that those who have a lot of land may not be able to benefit the people like you. ”

"My lord is worried that if the grain income of those big households increases significantly, they will definitely take the opportunity to increase the rent, so as to continue to exploit the people and make a windfall?" Song Xiance asked.

"Exactly." He Wenrui nodded in response, now he was impressed by this young man named Song Xiance, and he really had some ability to grasp what he thought in his heart.

"The hearts of adults worried about the country and the people are visible and admirable, but... This matter is really difficult to do, and the court cannot force them to reduce the rent, which is troublesome. Song Xiance said sullenly, he was actually even more angry, these big landlords, they didn't have to do anything, and the harvest was even higher than that of Zhuolu Trading Company, and they were completely silverfish.

He Wenrui was a little disappointed when he heard this, he was still looking forward to what whimsy this young man could have to solve this problem, and he was helpless if he didn't want to, but after thinking about it, he and his teacher couldn't do anything, and it was too much to expect a young man.

"Lord He, Mr. Song, but don't worry, these two things are pushed forward, there may be those inconspicuous rent increases at the beginning, but as long as the people really know the wonders of sweet potatoes and potatoes, I think the rent of this field will not rise but fall." Zhiwen unexpectedly throws out a different point of view.

"Oh, what do you mean by that?" He Wenrui was puzzled.

"In addition to high yield, these two things also have the advantages of not picking the ground and being drought tolerant, such as Zhuolu Mountain, which can be said to be a little barren, can be planted..."

hurriedly handed over the words, "Let's let Mr. Song continue." "Talking to the ancients, especially to a literati like He Wenrui, you have to drag the text in a crepe, Zhiwen feels very tired, and he tries not to say it if he can.

Song Xiance took the lead, and first arched his hand at He Wenrui, and then said, "Lord He, everyone, if the land rent rises to the point where the people can't afford it, what will be the consequences?" ”

"What's the matter, quit the lease." Sun Kewang said with a big grin, he has experienced it personally, in fact, all those who fled from northern Shaanxi are like this.

He Wenrui seemed to have figured out something, but he still had some doubts, "You mean that a few households can force large households to lower their rents by surrendering their rents?" ”

This doubt is not unreasonable, according to later generations, two-legged toads are not easy to find, two-legged people are everywhere, you don't rent land to plant, naturally some people want to plant.

"One or two households naturally don't help, my lord, but what if there are more households that quit the rent? Ten households, twenty households, or even thirty or forty households have withdrawn their land, and no one is willing to continue farming, do you think they will reduce the rent? Song Xiance asked.

"I'm afraid that there will be a catastrophe and famine for this to happen, right?" This time, it was Li Zhi who asked the doubts in most people's hearts, including He Wenrui, just like in northern Shaanxi, since last year, some people have been fleeing without stopping.

However, if this situation really occurs, it is the average small and medium-sized landlord who has to flee, and it really makes no sense to reduce the rent, and no one will stay to farm anyway.

Song Xiance seemed to know what everyone was thinking, and shook his head with a smile and said, "No, no, no, what I said has nothing to do with the famine, but the situation after the sweet potatoes are pushed out." ”

After a slight pause, Song Xiance continued, "My lord, please imagine that if a family rents ten acres of land and grows sweet potatoes, the harvest of one season is 10,000 catties, and after paying 50 catties of land to the imperial court, and then paying 50 percent of the rent, there will be 4,500 catties of grain, leaving enough 2,500 catties of seeds, and finally leaving 2,000 catties of rations, and two seasons a year, it will be 4,000 catties, how can it be much better than the original days of producing 100 catties of grain per mu a year, right?" ”

He Wenrui nodded, this account is very easy to calculate, and the current people don't have to pay anything for a year, and it's just a thousand catties of grain harvest.

"The land endowment and seed fees of the imperial court account for 30%, that is, the upper limit of the field rent is 70%..."

Song Xiance was about to continue, but was interrupted by He Wenrui, "Seventy percent is impossible, how can you leave some way for the people to live, but it is very likely that the ruthless guy will receive sixty percent, or even sixty percent five." ”

After all, an achievement is a thousand catties of grain, even if only half of it is left, there are also a thousand catties of grain in two seasons a year, and the family can barely survive.

Song Xiance smiled and said categorically, "Lord He, I foolishly think that fifty percent of the land rent is the limit, and once it reaches sixty percent, there will be a large number of rent refunds, or even rent evasion. ”

"How so?" He Wenrui knew that the key was coming, but he still couldn't figure it out.

"The key point is what Brother Zhi just said, the advantages of sweet potatoes and potatoes - don't pick the land, the people can plant two acres of sweet potatoes in a wasteland somewhere, except for the seed fee, they can net three thousand catties of grain a year, and they don't have to pay field rent, and even because of the remoteness, even the field is saved, the two are compared, Lord He, how do you think they will choose? Especially in Baoan Prefecture, it is convenient to buy our seeds. ”

"There are many people who have abandoned rent, and there is no one to plant the land of the big households, Lord He, do you think they will reduce the rent?" Song Xiance finally asked.

He Wenrui suddenly realized that he had indeed ignored this, with such good seeds, drought tolerance and not picking the land, the people could completely abandon the ripe land and go to the mountains and forests to plant wasteland, just like... It's like the Zhuolu Trading Company in front of you.

"It makes sense." He Wenrui nodded in agreement, in the final analysis, it is the amazing grain production of sweet potatoes and potatoes that makes the people unwilling to be exploited, and the direction of things is very likely to be as Song Xiance said, and the big households have to reduce the rent to attract people.

However, there was something else wrong with this matter, as an official, He Wenrui instinctively thought of something that Zhiwen had not paid attention to.