In the capital in February, spring is getting stronger.

As everything recovers and the snow melts, there are many more farmers in the farmland around Gyeonggi, and hard-working people have begun to work on spring ploughing, and even use spring seeds to cultivate spring seedlings.

This is not an isolated case, but the main theme that is being staged in the vast land of China, from south to north, showing the atmosphere of an agrarian society.

At this time, Zhu Youji, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty who lived in the splendid palace, did not deal with government affairs in the Dongnuan Pavilion, but had already come to the palace and boarded the palace car to go to the mountain and river altar outside the city.

When Zhu Youzhu was there, he also had the wild idea of building airplanes, cannons and nuclear submarines, but after he really came to this era, he found that science and technology could never be achieved overnight, even if even a spring was intentional but weak.

It's cool to watch the "Secret Box Straight Play" in some books, but when I really want to emulate it, I find that my lock has been lost in the damn 21st century.

As for the flintlock pistol in his heart, even if there is a complete sketch of the flintlock pistol in his mind, the Ministry of Industry can't build it at all, and there is no news about it handed over to Wang Zhidu in Nanjing.

At this moment, he finally knew why the Internet giants in his previous life burned money to grab the jobs of vegetable vendors, and it was really not easy to want technological innovation.

It's like you think that the principle of nail clippers is simple to the naked eye, but you give the sketch to the officials and craftsmen of the Ministry of Works, and they can only kowtow to you desperately to apologize.

It turns out that unless you have Edison's skills to cross over, ordinary people will come to this era, and they still have to stand on the foundation of agriculture in a down-to-earth manner, and then slowly promote the progress of technology and manufacturing.

Zhengyangmen Straight Street has been cleared, and the royal honor guard came out of Zhengyangmen in a mighty way and went straight to the mountain and river altar located on the west side of the official road.

If the Tingshen line of Zhengyangmen is used as the central axis, the east side is the mountain and river altar, and the west side is the heaven and earth altar.

It is worth mentioning that the Temple of Heaven and Earth was originally separated in the form of north and south, but Zhu Yuanzhang had a whim, thinking that he was the Son of Heaven, the heaven was the father, and the earth was the mother, and how could the parents be separated, so he founded the system of heaven and earth with the altar of sacrifice.

The mountain and river altar is the predecessor of the Xiannong altar, there is an altar wall outside, and the inside is the Tai Sui Palace, the Divine Kitchen Warehouse, the Cultivation Place, the Cultivation Terrace, the Gufu Palace, the Qingcheng Palace, the Divine Warehouse and the Sacrificial Vessel Warehouse, the Altar and so on.

"Greetings, please Saint Ann!" Li Yu and other important ministers were already waiting here, kneeling respectfully.

Although today was not a grand celebration, this day was special, and many of the officials who came to participate in the cultivation ceremony changed their uniforms.

In this agrarian society, farming is the top priority of the times.

Zhu Youzhu came this time wearing a dragon robe and a winged crown, but he needed to go to the Gufu Hall to change into the black Zhou King sacrifice clothes, and then offer incense to worship the gods of Xiannong, Tai Sui, Fengyun, Thunderstorm, Wuyue, Wuzhen, Sihai, Sihu and Zhongshan.

Cows, sheep, and pigs have been placed on the altar, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites, in accordance with Zhu Youji's will, have greatly reduced the number of sacrifices that are meaningless.

After Zhu Youzhu offered incense, he went to the Gufu Hall to take off the sacrificial clothes on his body and changed back to the original clothes that belonged to his emperor, which can be regarded as following the customs of the locals.

After the sacrifice is completed, they come to the cultivation place, and there is a field with an area of "one acre and three points of land" in the south of the viewing platform, and the officials of the six departments and nine kings have to watch the ceremony here.

"Go in!

"Whip in!"

"Ploughing!"

……

Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, and He Cong, the left attendant of the Ministry of War, sent objects one after another, and then two Han generals pretended to be farmers to support the ploughs on both sides, and two elderly people led an old ox with docile and broken horns.

It is worth mentioning that it was not that the Ministry of Rites sawed off the horns of the old cattle for safety reasons, but that it was used as a standard when choosing, and cotton silk was still wrapped around the broken horns.

Zhu Youzhu is becoming more and more proficient in riding horses in Xiyuan, but he is not worried that this old scalper will go crazy.

Originally, I just pretended to be a good thing, but I just stepped barefoot on the soft dirt that smelled of earth, and I found that it was actually a very interesting thing.

Du Ming, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and other officials couldn't help but look at each other when they saw that Zhu Youzhu didn't have an impatient look.

Now that the early dynasties have been changed to every eight dynasties, and the daily lectures and scripture feasts have been directly abolished, I didn't expect that this emperor would attach importance to the unconventional cultivation ceremony.

I have to say that the actions of this emperor have the ability to make their courtiers unpredictable, even if they want to shoot a good sycophant, it is not an easy thing.

"Three pushes and three returns!"

With the beginning of the most solemn pro-ploughing ceremony, the palace music handed down from the Western Zhou Dynasty sounded next to it, the bell and copper chime, Huang Zhong Da Lu and Xiao Sheng's reed flute played together, as if to take everyone back to ancient times through time.

Each period has its own social form, and in the eyes of the scholars of the feudal era, as long as the Zhou Li era is restored, the world can be governed.

It is precisely in this way that the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties all tried to emulate the etiquette of the Zhou Dynasty, hoping that the emperor would follow the example of the king of Zhou, etc., and now they are asking the emperor to plough to preach the world.

Zhu Youzhu naturally does not believe in this set, nor does he believe in the slave Zhou Dynasty, even if he really believes in communism.

Not to mention whether the Zhou Dynasty was as beautiful as the scholars and doctors portrayed, and backwardness will be beaten has long been confirmed, and the great man's advocacy of "development is the last word" is a wise saying.

Although Zhu Youzhu really wants to change things about his ideas and beliefs, it is easy for a person to donate 100 million, but it is difficult for him to donate 100 yuan, because he really has 100 yuan.

You can't preach a socialist society where everyone is equal with the slave owners, and they are living a good life, so why should you change it?

Zhu Youzhu knew that if he wanted to change all this, he must first become an emperor who can really kill and kill, otherwise throwing out "Capital" will also be a one-man show.

"The Son of Heaven is finished!"

Xu Qiong, the left attendant of the Ministry of Rites, was already standing on the edge of the field, and hurriedly helped Zhu Youzhu to come up.

In fact, not all the officials present were happy, and Liu Jian, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, was in a very depressed mood, and now he and Xu Pu were reduced to the margins of the court.

Especially in the latest Beijing inspection presided over by Li Yu, the secretary of the ministry, it is no longer the first standard for moral assessment, but it is more important than the practice of officials.

Originally, he wanted to use his prestige in the Ministry of Rites to suppress Xu Ming, but the bottom class he was encircling was already in jeopardy and was at risk of being dismissed or released.

After Zhu Youzhu came from the soft field, he saw that his clothes and feet were stained with mud, so he went back to the Gufu Hall to wash his feet, and at the same time changed into a new set of dragon robes according to the process.

In this ceremony, he had to change his clothes three times, but the emperor's dressing was a relatively frequent thing.

Zhu Youzhu sat on the chair and enjoyed the warm water bathing his feet, and Fan Jinling still came with him this time, carefully helping Zhu Youji's tender white feet wash away the mud.

Although she is still the palace maid in the Qianqing Palace, because she has been favored from time to time recently, her status can be said to be rising, and the hanging bell between her feet is also replaced with a veritable golden bell.

"Your Majesty, isn't it fun to walk barefoot in the mud in the fields?" Niu Mengmeng was favored by his loyalty, and he was curious when he gave Zhu Youzhu a tea cup.

Zhu Youzhu looked at this lively girl with a red face and bright eyes, and said helplessly: "One day, I will get back potatoes from overseas, open up a field in Xiyuan, and leave it to you to take care of!" ”

"What is a potato? Can you eat it? Niu Meng's eyes lit slightly, but he was confused.

Zhu Youzhu ignored this curious girl, and began to dress under the guidance of Fan Jinling, and now Fan Jinling has been promoted to a personal bedside palace maid.

The ploughing ceremony is not over, and it is still necessary to go to the throne of the viewing platform on the north side to watch the ceremony.

When Zhu Youzhu returned here, Shangshu and Jiuqing officials were nearing the end of the "Nine Push and Nine Return Gifts", and it was Xu Qiong, the last attendant of the Ministry of Rites, who performed the cultivation ceremony.

Xu Qiong's whole old face turned red, not because she was suffocated by urine, but because she was able to be allowed to participate, proving that she was only half a step away from the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Rites.

It was a dream to go from the Nanjing Guozi Priest to the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites, but now he saw the throne of the Ministry of Rites beckoning to it, how could he not feel excited?

With the results of Jiuqing's "Nine Pushes and Nine Returns", Yin Songcheng of Shuntian Mansion led dozens of old farmers to cultivate the remaining farmland within one acre and three points of land.

Liu Jian, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, became a resentful woman, and when she saw the proud sycophant Xu Qiong in the spring breeze, her face flushed, but she sighed at the injustice of this world.

Obviously, he is a righteous gentleman with noble morals, the mainstay of Qingliu, and the emperor of the new monarch, but he can't be reused.

"Sow seeds!"

After ploughing, the ceremony is not limited to ceremonies, but also involves plowing in this acre and three points of land, followed by tending and harvesting.

"Rice!"

"Millet!"

"Su!"

"Mai!"

"Shuffled!"

"Cotton!"

……

Originally, according to the usual cultivation ceremony, it was necessary to plant five grains, but Zhu Youzhi made a small request and planted cotton in the five grains.

"Cotton, which one is this singing?"

"The Zhou Dynasty doesn't seem to have such a thing as cotton, right?"

"Isn't it recommended by Liu Mian, but to be called Liu Mian?"

"The Son of Heaven cares about the people's warm clothes, this is benevolent government!"

……

Although many officials were surprised to learn that Hongzhi had planted cotton in this grand cultivation ceremony, all the officials silently accepted the result, and even directly admired Hongzhi's move.

Li Yu, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, Du Ming, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Li Si, the secretary of the Ministry of Households, are all already members of the Sect, while Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, Xu Ming, the left waiter of the Ministry of Rites, and He Cong, the left waiter of the Ministry of War, are all trying in every possible way to hug Zhu Youji's thighs.

After last year's court struggle, Xu Pu, the left attendant of the Qingliu Ministry and Liu Jian, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, who dared to contradict Zhu Youji, were suppressed, and now the imperial power has slowly been demonstrated.

In particular, Zhu Youzhu kicked Wenchen and Wuxun out of the 12th battalion, and now the 12th battalion has completely fallen on Zhu Youji, and it is difficult for them to argue with Zhu Youzhu in the capital.

As for Li Yu and other important ministers, after this period of contact, they have already abandoned the perception of the prince in the wardrobe earlier, but they know that Zhu Youzhu is a monarch with great talents.

Judging from the effectiveness of the salt administration alone, the political system that has been invaded by hundreds of insects has become precarious for a while, but the young emperor was stunned to see the crux of the problem.

can only be said to be Huigen, but if it can be solved, then it is the real Mingjun, and Zhu Youzhu has officially surpassed Xianzong.

The latest news has just come from Yangzhou, Wang Yue and Wang Zhi have teamed up to dig up a nest of maggots in Yangzhou again, and even officials in the military and political system are involved.

If it was said that the court had the voice of protection for the officials of the Yangzhou salt administration system earlier, but after receiving that the salt officials headed by Li Zhiqing could divide hundreds of thousands of silver every year, they all closed their mouths.

With this nest of maggots dug up, once the Ming salt tax can be restored to the level of half of the Song Dynasty's tax revenue, the Ming Dynasty's finances can be greatly improved.

Now that Hongzhi has added cotton to this cultivation ceremony, it is naturally impossible to be foolish, presumably it has another deep meaning.

Grains and cotton seeds are buried in the soil, and a piece of life will be born here, and cotton is the first seed planted by Zhu Youzhu in the first year of Hongzhi.

In the following activities, everyone held a banquet as usual, and Zhu Youzhu rewarded all the officials and people involved in farming.

When Zhu Youzhu was rewarding, he seriously told Liu Zhong, the right attendant of the household department and the governor's grain reserve: "Liu Qing, you must pay attention to the matter of cotton!" ”

The road to a strong army is inseparable from strong financial support, and the textile industry is undoubtedly the best choice.

In 1802, Britain exported more than £7.8 million in textiles, which was the largest foreign exchange earner at that time, and it was also the confidence of Britain to fight everywhere.

After the Second World War, Britain weakened because the United States, Japan, West Germany and Italy took the opportunity to develop the textile industry, so as to seize the world's textile market.

As for why cotton is valued over silk?

Although silk is also the best in the world, it is ultimately a luxury. Not to mention overseas, even if it is a Ming Dynasty, not many people can afford to wear it.

In addition, cotton cloth is a large-scale product, which requires a large number of textile workers, and now it is not the ultimate goal to deliver textiles to the world, but more importantly, to lay the industrial foundation of China.

It is precisely in this way that as long as Daming can become the textile center of the world, then there will be a steady stream of bullets on the road to a strong army, and then he can fight whoever he wants on the world map.

"The minister's decree will live up to His Majesty's expectations!" Liu Zhong is a very traditional loyal minister, and he should say it seriously.

After returning from Yongcheng County, after releasing the huge amount of stolen silver that Li Min had embezzled, he resigned because Ye Qi could not complete the errand of buying silver, so he took over the post of the right attendant of the household department, so he has always been grateful for Zhu Youji's favor.

After all this was over, Zhu Youzhu returned to Beijing in a palace car, but did not return to the Forbidden City, but turned to Xiyuan.

There has been a slight deviation in history, with a palace called Yangxin Hall rising from the ground, the center of power of the Ming Dynasty will move from the east of the Qianqing Palace to the west, and the imperial power is bound to become more concentrated.

(End of chapter)