This scene presented a problem for Song Qiqiu and all the remaining ministers, and everyone looked at each other and knelt down.

Li Jing was also infected by this scene, the corners of his eyes were a little moist, he tilted his head slightly to stop the tears from flowing, and said with a little choked up: "All Aiqing are so loyal to the country, I will live up to expectations." ”

With such a sensational scene as a foreshadowing, no one said anything more when the third question was passed, and the progress of other themes was relatively smooth.

Article 4 "Collect the most productive crops from all over the country" and Article 5 "Collect from the world efficient planting methods and farm tools". Because it was about the foundation of agriculture, coupled with Lin Feng's debate on Champa rice yesterday, and Li Jing's unrelenting approval and support, these two articles were quickly and smoothly passed.

The sixth is to solicit from the world a device that can spin cotton. As soon as the topic began, some people immediately began to question that the vast majority of people on the scene had never seen what cotton looked like! It is unknown whether this crop is suitable for the land environment of Datang, is it unnecessary to raise this issue, and in fact it is impossible? !

Lin Feng smiled and said, "Food, clothing, housing and transportation, clothing comes first." Without him, the embodiment of civilization and the need for beauty. However, in real life, the production of cloth is small, and it is often used as a means of monetary payment, resulting in high prices of clothing in life. ”

This is a fact, in Chinese history, because of the necessities of people's livelihood, grain and silk have a more stable value, and all dynasties have used it as a more important measure of value and a means of payment of money, and a certain meaning is currency. From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, the system of money and silk was implemented, that is, silk silk was used for large-amount transactions, and copper coins were used for daily small-amount payments. In the Tang Dynasty, silk cloth was legal tender, including various silk fabrics such as brocade, silk, Luo, and yarn, as well as silk, silk, and linen, but mainly silk and silk. Because the silk and cloth are easily damaged, and often cut off in circulation, in the Song Dynasty, because of the development of coinage technology and the emergence of Jiaozi, it gradually withdrew from circulation.

"Lin observed in his life that cotton, which was originally used as an ornamental flower, requires sufficient light and water to grow, which is suitable for the Tangjiang-Huai Plain, the Jianghan Plain and the lower reaches of the river. With a large yield and low production cost, we can produce low-cost, sturdy, sweat-absorbing cotton clothing, sell it to other countries at a higher price, and develop it into the most important part of our Datang's foreign economic relations and trade. Lin Feng tried hard to recall the relevant knowledge about cotton in his mind, and continued to flicker.

In the 9th century, the Arab traveler Suleiman wrote in his Travels of Suleiman that he saw cotton in China and was seen as a "flower" in the garden. The Book of Liang? The Biography of Gaochang records: There is "grass, which is like a cocoon, and the silk in the cocoon is like a fine thread, and it is called Bai Diezi." ”

Before the Song Dynasty, China only had the character "cotton" next to the silk, and there was no word "cotton" next to the wood, and the word "cotton" appeared for the first time in the Book of Song. According to this inference, the introduction of cotton was in the Northern and Southern Dynasties at the latest, but it was mostly planted in the frontiers and other places, and it should have been introduced to the interior in large quantities at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. Historical records record: "Between the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was rumored that it was planted in China, and Guan, Shaanxi, Fujian, and Guangxi were the first to get its benefits, and this thing was covered by foreign countries, and Fujian-Guangzhou-Guangdong-Haibo, and Guan-Shaanxi passed through the Western Regions. "At present, the earliest cotton textile relics seen in the Central Plains are a cotton blanket found in an ancient tomb of the Southern Song Dynasty. In the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial court began to take cotton cloth as the first of the summer taxes (cloth, silk, silk, cotton), and set up a kapok lifting department to collect cotton cloth from the people, according to records, as many as 100,000 horses per year, it can be seen that cotton cloth has become the main textile clothing. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang used the method of coercion to promote cotton planting to the whole country.

As for the three regions mentioned by Lin Feng, plus the southern Xinjiang cotton area, the central and southern Hebei provinces, the northwestern Henan plain, they are the five major commercial cotton bases in China later.

Seeing everyone's disbelieving eyes, Lin Feng smiled and continued: "Everyone has doubts about the cultivation of cotton, which is exactly the scientific attitude, because without the test of practice, no matter how good the rhetoric is, it is empty." Wechen suggested that in three regions or near Jinling City, find a plain plot for testing, and once feasible, immediately promote it to the whole country. ”

"It's a safe way to go." Li Jingsui pulled the clothes that were stuck to his back with excited sweat with his hand, but he was very much looking forward to the function of cotton sweat absorption that Lin Feng said.

"According to Lin Yilang, it is a long way in the future, why do you have to start soliciting any textile machinery now?" Cha Wenhui asked rhetorically.

Lin Feng shook his head gently, this is something that is beneficial and cannot be delayed, isn't it because of a series of inventions in the eighteenth century, such as the shuttle, Jenny spinning machine, hydraulic spinning machine, mule machine, automatic cotton spinning machine, power loom, etc., that the dumping of cotton cloth into the world as a starting point and began the glorious course of the "empire on which the sun never sets"? There is no shortage of smart people and inventions in Chinese history, the key is to explore and utilize. Just say yourself, let Lin Feng build a machine out of vain, that is purely intentional, but what cotton gin, cotton bow, loom, cotton shuttle and other equipment he has seen in the countryside in later generations, when he was a child, he was curious and playful, he practiced playing on the loom!

"Master Cha, here Lin thinks so. Regarding the planting of cotton, to be honest, the technical difficulty is not high, you can plant, other countries can also plant, that can only fight their own planting area and planting experience. But if everyone has planted it, why should we let the people of other countries buy what we have shipped from afar, instead of what they produce locally? Lin Feng saw that the people at the scene began to habitually ponder, so he continued to talk, "In fact, there is only one way to get good and cheap. But people can also be good, and there is only one way for us to be cheap. What if the price is guaranteed? That is, we must ensure that the same labor produces more cotton than others in the same time, so that we can be price competitive. ”

"Well said, makes sense!" Zhou Zongyi patted his thigh and praised. He is also an expert in business, and he must compete in business, and to win others, isn't it by being faster and cheaper than others?

Lin Feng smiled at Zhou Zong and bowed his head lightly, expressing his gratitude, and continued: "Only if we have mastered the science and technology that others do not have, and manufactured textile machinery that is impossible for others to manufacture, can we ensure that we are invincible. The same is true of all things, the same is true of our future trade in cotton, the same is true of weapons production, and the same is true of other commodities. I dare to predict that the cotton cloth trade will inevitably become one of the pillars of our Datang economy in the future. ”

"Then the one who invents machinery can also invent machinery for other countries?" Cha Wenhui was unwilling to fail and asked another question.

"Lord Cha is extremely worried. In this regard, Lin has an immature idea, that is, to introduce a patent system. You have invented a machine that has never been used before, and you can apply for a patent from the state, and whoever uses your patent in the future will pay you a part of the money, or, our country, come forward and pay a sum of money to buy out this patent, and agree that he will not sell it to others again! Taking this opportunity, Lin Feng quickly threw out the concepts of intellectual property rights and patents. Of course, if it is actually done, who will benefit the most? Naturally, it's Lin Feng, how much knowledge and techniques beyond this era are hidden in his belly!

"That's a great way!" Chen Jishan, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, also spoke for the first time since the debate competition, but it was Lin Feng's praise. As the "master" of the Ministry of Industry, he is accustomed to the self-cherishing habits of the masters in charge of the "pimple" and is deeply touched.

Cha Wenhui had nothing to say anymore, so he nodded helplessly.

At this time, not only Liao Jusu, but even Han Xizai had a little star in his eyes when he looked at Lin Feng, this brother could really be called knowledgeable, and he seemed to know everything.