September 3rd.

North Zhili, in the territory of Baoding Prefecture, Ding No. 14 Royal Farm.

"Manager Fang, we are seriously short of water here, more than 20,000 acres of land, only more than 5,000 acres can be irrigated, the rest are all drought, no way, there is no rain for more than five months, we desperately dig wells to draw water, go to the river to fetch water, but we are tired and tired, we can only manage a small part of the land." The person in charge of the farm.

"What is the grain production this year?" Fang Yizhi asked.

"There are more than 50,000 stones of potatoes and corn, and 8,000 stones of wheat, which adds up to a total of 60,000 stones." Responsible for humanism.

"Can you hand over food to Your Majesty?"

"There are almost 10,000 people in the village, and this amount of food is only enough for our rations, and if we hand it over, some people will starve to death, or they will not have the strength to work." The person in charge smiled bitterly.

"I know, I will explain to Your Majesty, and I will exempt you from paying food this year, and your ability to be self-sufficient is a commendable achievement." Fang Yizhi gave him a reassurance.

"Thank you, Mr. Fang, thank you, Mr. Fang!" The person in charge was overjoyed, and the people in the village also knelt down and kowtowed, thanking Dade.

Fang Yizhi's face didn't have much joy, but he was worried, even his mouth had multiple fire bubbles, and his throat was dry to the point of hoarse and smoking.

Because this is the hundredth royal farm he has inspected.

The results were almost all bad news.

The harvest is almost out of harvest and needs help.

Severe reduction in production, in need of assistance.

Reduced production, barely self-sufficient.

Low yield, only a small amount of grain can be delivered.

As for the royal farmstead that has achieved good results, none have been seen at the moment.

By the way, how is this possible?

Didn't Fang Yizhi introduce a large number of drought-resistant, high-yield varieties and pesticides from Xujiazhuang?

Didn't you buy a lot of pumping machines?

Plus a well-used farm implement.

And the people of the farm are huddled together to keep warm, concentrate their strength, tide over the difficulties together, and achieve a bumper harvest should not be a difficult task.

Even if you can't make a big harvest, it must at least be a small harvest.

Having said that, in the case of this year's drought in the north, even if Fang Yizhi tried his best and kept guiding the work everywhere, the total output of the royal farm this year was even a problem to achieve the self-sufficiency of the farm.

One of the reasons is that in order not to 'compete with the people' for profit' and avoid being attacked by civil officials, most of the land occupied by the royal farms is dry land, which is far away from the water source, and irrigation is more troublesome and costly.

The second reason is that the royal farms have expanded too fast this year, the number has increased from more than 100 to 1,000, most of which are newly established royal farms, not only the infrastructure is not perfect, the number of talents is insufficient, and the recruited homeless people are also complex, with many contradictions, uneven people, and very difficult management.

Coupled with an unprecedented mega-drought.

Crisis.

The royal farm fell into a thorny crisis this year, not only could not hand over food to the royal family, but also had a shortage of food rations.

Come to think of it.

On September 5, Fang Yizhi had to go back to Beijing to see Emperor Zhu Youzhen and report the grim situation encountered by the royal farm.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

"Your Majesty, the production of the royal farm has been greatly reduced, and the grain cannot be handed over this year, but there is a shortage of rations for 500,000 people, and they need to be rescued by the internal funds!"

"The drought is so bad! The ministers tried their best to ensure the high yield of a small number of royal farms, and the expansion of the royal farms was too fast, and the ministers could not control it at all, and many aspects could not be controlled, resulting in the chaotic management of many newly established royal farms, and the disadvantages were numerous, and they could not fully devote themselves to large-scale production......

"Your Majesty, the minister really did his best! But this year's bad luck is too much, and should not expand so rapidly, our side is not Nanzhili after all, there is no favorable development conditions like Xujiazhuang, if it is an area with more water in the south of the Yangtze River, it will be an unprecedented bumper harvest. ”

Fang Yizhi lowered his head, like a general who had lost a battle, and had to emphasize the various conditions that he had encountered this year that were not conducive to the royal farm.

"Aiqing, you don't have to blame yourself, sit down and talk slowly, I believe you."

Looking at Fang Yizhi, who was obviously much thinner and darker, and reported in a hoarse and tired voice, Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but feel a little distressed, and immediately beckoned him to sit down, and gently comforted him.

In fact, Zhu Youzhen is by no means the kind of person who is good-tempered and talkative, especially disgusted with drawing pies and deception, and will be severely punished for ineffective work, Yuan Chonghuan, who was cut by a thousand knives, is a lesson from the past.

Now Fang Yizhi's "Royal Farm Plan" has also been implemented for more than three years, and there are only two years left before the expiration of the five-year period, but it has suffered a serious overturn, not to mention that he can't pay a grain of grain this year, and he has to take out money and grain to help 500,000 Zhuang people, and he has a reverse blood sucking on the internal money, which wants to increase the burden on the emperor.

If it is left in the early years, Zhu Youjian will be furious, even if he does not order Fang Yizhi to be killed, he will definitely lose his official position and be dismissed, and he will never be reused again, so he can only sit on the cold bench.

This time, Zhu Youzhen was very tolerant, not only comforted Fang Yizhi, but also said that he himself was also a little responsible, he should not be too impatient, if he chose to be safe, the number of royal farms would expand less this year, only one or two hundred, maybe the situation would be much better.

Anyway, did the sun come out of the west? Will Zhu Youzhen also take the initiative to admit his mistakes?

No way.

This is the age of public knowledge, and back in March, the Oriental Times anticipated the drought in advance, describing the seriousness of the problem.

By August, the Oriental Times, which had collected data from somewhere, concluded that Hebei's grain output had dropped by 45 percent, that is, the general cut was half, and the reduction in grain production in those areas with poor irrigation conditions would only be more serious.

"The Reborn Financial Giant"

Now the number of royal farms has increased to 1,000, sheltering about 7 million villagers, but under the severe drought this year, Fang Yizhi can still ensure the food supply of 6.5 million villagers, and there is only a food shortage of 500,000 people, which is less than one-tenth.

Compared with those areas where the food shortage reached four or five percent, this was not a defeat, but a very outstanding achievement, which helped the imperial court reduce the burden.

It deserves praise and encouragement!

"Aiqing, don't worry about the rations of 500,000 people, I will allocate funds from the internal funds to buy a batch of affordable grain from Xujiazhuang to solve the problem of food shortage, "Oriental Times" said that the drought is very likely to continue next year, so your goal next year is to achieve self-sufficiency in the royal farm, if you can hand in a small amount of better, don't do it again, a thousand royal farms are enough."

Zhu Youzhen said quite magnificently, this year's bumper harvest in the south of the Yangtze River, the money and grain handed over reached 24 million (of which Xujiazhuang accounted for one-third, and sent into the internal money), accounting for more than ninety percent of the total financial income of the Ming Dynasty, it can be seen that now the imperial court has money, can do more things, but the dependence on Jiangnan is also greater, which is by no means a good thing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Fang Yizhi was grateful, but immediately gritted his teeth, and said with an unwilling face: "Your Majesty, in addition to making up for the food shortage, can you give the minister another 5 million silver dollars, the minister will renovate at least 500 royal farms, and start preparing for drought this winter, digging large water storage cellars, digging deeper wells, building a large number of barrage dams, and doing everything possible to retain water sources for next year's irrigation." ”

"Your Majesty, the minister's goal next year is to make more than 500 royal farms, all of them achieve a bumper harvest, not only to achieve self-sufficiency, but also to send at least 10 million stone of grain into the interior, Your Majesty, now the price of grain in the north is very high, and it is profitable to grow grain, even if you only sell 1 silver dollar/stone, Your Majesty's investment of 5 million silver dollars will be at least double the return...... Your Majesty, let me do a big job, the minister will never let your Majesty down again! ”

Unwilling.

Fang Yizhi was very unwilling.

And he is also the kind of indomitable and unyielding character, this year's mistake overturned, then sum up the lesson, solve the problem, next year must achieve a big victory and a bumper harvest, to His Majesty the Emperor a big surprise!

So he wants to increase investment, do a big job, and fight a turnaround battle next year.

"5,000,000 silver dollars?"

Zhu Youzhen was taken aback, the total income of the royal family this year is about 10 million, Fang Yizhi is about to gnaw off half of it when he opens his mouth, and he wants to use it to fight the battle, this kind of fighting spirit is worth encouraging, but it is too much.

"Your Majesty, it's not much at all......"

Fang Yizhi explained that after the five million silver dollars are apportioned, each farm will receive only 10,000 yuan, but the construction of water conservancy facilities is a huge amount of work, which is already very, very economical.

Zhu Youzhen immediately regretted it, he knew that the investment would be so large, what did he do with so many royal farms? If the drought lasts for another three to five years, it will not require long-term investment, and it will cost a lot of money every year, but the income will not necessarily be very large.

In addition, don't look at the money in his internal money now, but the more money he earns, the greater the expenses, such as the expenses of the New Year at the end of the year, the expenses of training 50,000 new troops, and from time to time he is extorted by civilian officials, he is extorted by the clan of the vassal king who shouts poor and miserable, and the expenses of disaster relief, etc., as long as one does not pay attention, or the roots of the ears are soft, the money will be spent in the blink of an eye, because those people have extorted internal funds, they already have rich experience, and they can always think of ways to achieve their goals.

Or find a way to spend all the money and grain in the household treasury in a short period of time, and spend it all by the end of the year, as for what to do in the first half of next year, it depends on how much you can extort from the emperor, but Zhu Youzhen has no good way to take them, who let the Ming Dynasty have accumulated countless debts over the years, and there are too many places to spend money.

"Aiqing, if you don't have any money, you will be given 500,000 silver dollars to solve the irrigation problem of fifty farms, and ensure that you can be self-sufficient next year, and when the so-called Xiaoice period passes, you can enter the stage of great development."

Zhu Youjian said, his lack of atmosphere is highlighted again, although the royal farm is very important, grain is very important, but there are too many places to spend this year, and at the end of the year, he plans to have a fat year, and it is impossible to get five million silver dollars.

"That's it?"

Fang Yizhi was suddenly disappointed, and was poured a basin of cold water, what can he do with only 500,000 silver dollars, it will be much better to give 1 million, not to mention the bright prospect of being able to double the income, he only asks for a guaranteed operation.

Is this still the wise emperor who is ambitious and bent on reviving the Ming Dynasty?

"Your Majesty, since you don't have any money in the treasury, it's better to borrow money from Tianxiatong Bank, and guarantee it in the name of the royal family, and five million silver dollars will definitely be able to be borrowed." Fang Yizhi came up with another idea to borrow money.

"No, you can't borrow it anymore!"

Zhu Youzhen immediately refused: "Xujiazhuang's money is not so easy to borrow, there will be a lot of conditions, I was fooled last time, and gave up the 'free right to build roads', who knew that there were such huge benefits in it, and now if I borrow it again, I am afraid that there will be a bigger trap." ”

"Then I can borrow money in my personal name, as for the collateral, I will take the guarantee of the Royal Farm, if I can't pay the money, let Xujiazhuang send someone to take over the Royal Farm, I don't know if Your Majesty can authorize this?" Fang Yizhi said.

"This ......"

Zhu Youzhen hesitated, and even became suspicious, and the transfer of the royal farm that he had managed with great difficulty to Xujiazhuang was not a routine and conspiracy.

"Your Majesty, the minister is dedicated to doing things and working hard, just want to bring countless money and food to His Majesty, and want to help His Majesty become strong and prosperous, is it possible that Your Majesty should be suspicious of this sincere heart of the minister?" Fang Yizhi knelt down, extremely disappointed and sad.

"Aiqing, that's not what I meant......"

Zhu Youzhen looked ashamed, helped him up, and immediately agreed to his request, allowing him to go to Tianxiatong Bank to borrow money in his personal name, but he could not mortgage the royal farm.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Fang Yizhi was satisfied.