Wuling County, Lingyang.

At the end of summer, on the banks of the Zero Water River.

Zhang Yi, the commander of Lingyang, who had not been in office for a long time, wore an official uniform, wore a sword and a seal, and sat on the seat. Although he is young, his expression is serious and intimidating.

On the left and right, the Qiang Fu and the pavilion chief of each township pavilion greeted Zhang Yi and sat according to their ranks.

"County Jun, Lingyang Zhixia Township Pavilion, Qiang Fu and Pavilion Chief, a total of eighteen people have arrived." Gong Cao Jingpan arched his hand and said.

Zhang Yi, the word Bogong, Yizhou Qianren, came from Wuyang after Zhang. His great-grandfather Zhang Hao was Sikong, his great-grandfather Zhang Gang was the Taishou of Guangling County, and his grandfather had been a member of both generations.

Since Liu Bei took Shu, there have been many efforts to win over the local Bashu heroes and clans. Zhang Yichu was the secretary, Li Yanzhi Qianzhi was the county, and in order to get the support of the Zhang family in Wuyang, Zhang Yi was promoted as filial piety.

After the Pingshu War, in order to govern Qi and Liang Erzhou, a large number of officials were transferred from Wu Chu to Shu to govern. Wu Chu's vacant official position was filled by Bashu talents. In this context, Zhang Yi was assigned to Lingyang County, under Wuling County, as the county magistrate.

Zhang Yi straightened his back, looked around at everyone, and asked, "This summer's harvest is coming to an end, I don't know how the harvest will be?" ”

"Qiyu County Jun, get the great king Hongfu, this year's wind and rain are smooth, and there is no war, each household is abundant, and it is expected that this year can be described as a bumper harvest." Xiong Hang, the Qiang of Baigong Township, coughed a few times and replied.

Xiong Hang, born in the period of Emperor Huan, is more than sixty years old this year, and will be seventy years old. The older people are quite prestigious in Lingyang County and are mostly respected by the villagers.

Seeing that it was Xiong Hang who answered, Zhang Yi's tone calmed down, and said: "A good harvest, the king issued an edict to divide the households into nine classes, and the county guard ordered to verify the people's money in order to prepare for this year's tax collection." At present, all counties are counting, I don't know how you verify? ”

"Because of the reappointment of Ma County, no one presided over this matter. But please rest assured that Zhang Xianjun has ordered someone to start checking the people's money. It will not take long for the township pavilions to be handed over to the county monarch, and there will be no delay in the collection of autumn endowments. Jing Pan said cooperatively.

"Yes!"

The Qiang Fu and Pavilion Chief present seemed to have thought about this matter, and promised to say: "Please rest assured that Zhang Xianjun will not dare to forget the matter of dividing the people." ”

Zhang Yi's face was slightly gloomy, and he admonished: "Before taking office this time, Jiang Fujun said that it is a major matter of national taxation to verify the wealth and poverty of households. Before this year, the number of rich and poor households, as well as the collection of taxes in the autumn, must be prepared. Otherwise, the prince of the palace will blame him, and he will definitely send the governor to patrol, and I hope you will remember it. ”

"No!"

Under Zhang Yi's verbal threats, the township pavilion and pavilion chief present realized the seriousness of this matter and set up a package ticket one after another.

Seeing that everyone was like this, Zhang Yi's tone slowed down again, and said: "Jing Gongcao will distribute the details of the official document on the balance and taxation to you." However, now that you are called here, there is something that requires your cooperation. ”

"Please speak carefully to the county gentleman, and we will help you with all our might." Xiong Hang was the first to speak.

Zhang Yi motioned for the official document to be distributed to everyone present, and said: "When the king issued an edict to change taxes, he once again issued an order to promote the cultivation of wheat and implement the method of rice and wheat rotation, do you know about this?" ”

"Rice and wheat rotation?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone present whispered.

After a while, the pavilion chief Ran Province, who was more than thirty years old, opened his mouth and said: "County Gentleman, the order of rice and wheat rotation was issued three years ago, and we also conveyed this order to the people, persuading farmers to cultivate wheat in autumn. ”

After a pause, Ran Xing showed an embarrassed look and said: "However, there are few things in the wheat, and there are many villagers who don't know the wheat. Houma County Jun bought a batch of wheat from Wuhan to Lingyang, trying to persuade farmers to work, but due to the war, people were transferred, so it was delayed. ”

"That's all?" Zhang Yi questioned.

"Ahem!"

Xiong Hang coughed twice and interjected: "Not only that, the taste of Nasumai is rough, not as good as rice. After eating wheat grain for the first time, Ruma County Jun sighed that wheat rice was difficult to eat. Even if the poor villagers eat it, they also talk about bitterness and suspicion of being slightly poisonous, so the matter of rotating ploughing and lodging wheat cannot be stopped. ”

In the past three years, the popularization of rice-wheat rotation technology, except for the capital Hanchang, Poyang, Lujiang and other counties have been slowly promoted, the vast majority of Wuchu areas have either understood this policy, or do not understand this policy.

Due to the consumption of rice in the south, the wheat is almost not popular in the south, and most of the people do not need to know the cultivation skills of wheat, or even know the crop. However, this is a true portrayal of the agricultural era, and the speed of technology diffusion is unimaginably slow.

Wheat appeared in the Central Plains during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but by the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, wheat was still not the main crop of the Han Dynasty. In the land of Kansai, there is no food and lodging of wheat, and in the land of Kanto, there are areas where wheat is grown.

Time pushed to the time of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, the population of the world surged, the Yellow River flooded in the eastern part of the country, and the yield of grain and grass was greatly reduced. The central government of the Western Han Dynasty issued a document to vigorously promote the cultivation of wheat in the Yellow Flood Area of the Kanto region, and the promotion was successful.

However, the south is different, the south has long used rice as a cultivation product, and the southerners like to eat rice and are not interested in wheat.

As for why he is not interested in wheat, but lacks the motivation to grow wheat, under the ancient technology of parrying grain for rice and cooking grain for porridge. Wheat rice cooked from wheat, because the bran is very thick, makes it taste very poor, and it is not as good as rice and millet at all. In the agrarian societies of the north, wheat rice was eaten by the poor people.

It was not until the advent of rotary milling that wheat was ground into flour, which could be made into flour, and gradually became a staple food. However, turning to grind wheat requires a lot of manpower and material resources, which is not as convenient as rice to eat, and it is naturally difficult to integrate into the southern agricultural society.

As for why the rice-wheat rotation technology appeared in the south?

The core lies in the southward movement of northerners, the habit of eating bread in the north, and the rapid increase in population, so the rotation of rice and wheat was only popularized in the south.

Although Huo Jun popularized the rotation technology of rice and wheat in Anhui, it was presented to the center of Wuhan. But in the past few years, it is so difficult to make the rice-wheat rotation technology blossom everywhere in the southern states and counties!

Zhang Yi frowned and asked, "Although the wheat is difficult to eat, if it is cultivated, it can be increased, so why don't the people plant it?" ”

Xiong Hang saw that Zhang Yi was young, and estimated that he was also from a big family, and explained: "Not only is it difficult to eat wheat, but the people grow wheat, and few people can harvest it, and it is not easy to store it. Therefore, the people are willing to plant large and small garlic, or fish for a living, or weave silk and linen. ”

The unpalatable wheat, the lack of farming skills, and the lack of economic drive...... A series of problems have become a difficult point in the promotion of rice and wheat rotation in the Southern Han Dynasty.

After all, the success of the Western Han Dynasty to promote Sumai left the following two important reasons. For example, Sumai has been cultivated in the Kanto region for hundreds of years, and many people accept it; The Kanto region suffered from the flooding of the Yellow River, which reduced grain production and caused widespread famine.

Zhang Yi was silent, he was the county magistrate at the beginning, and he wanted to do good policies, but it was difficult.

Ran Province was cautious and said: "County gentleman, rice and wheat rotation farming, the king has not ordered the county to forcibly implement it, it is better to put it on hold for the time being, and make every effort to verify the people's households, so as not to delay the plan in October." ”

"No!"

Zhang Yi got up from the seat and questioned: "Rice and wheat rotation is a national policy, which benefits the country and the people. I don't understand, why can't this great good thing be carried out? ”

As he spoke, Zhang Yi looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice: "The king does not allow counties at all levels to forcibly plant wheat, mostly because he is worried that the officials will run rampant and trample on the people's rice crops. How can the kings be slack off and derelict in their duties because the king has no such edict? ”

"From today onwards, rice and wheat rotation farming, leveling households, and collecting taxes must be promoted. Anyone who does not do his best will be punished personally. ”

Between the words, Zhang Yi saw that the officials present were disapproving, and swore and said: "This official will plough the wheat field himself, and he will let the people know the benefits and then do it!" ”

"No!"

Seeing that Zhang Yi did not seem to be a fake, the officials did not dare to be perfunctory, bowed their hands, and said: "We will do it with all our hearts!" ”

After the pavilion chief and Qiang Fu left, only Zhang Yi and the county officials were left in the venue.

Jing Pan presented the towel and said: "County gentleman, the difficulties in the implementation of rice and wheat rotation are all recorded here. ”

Saying that, while Zhang Yi was browsing the towels, Jing Pan said: "Sumai is difficult to eat, and the taste is bitter, everyone knows. Ranpan listened to the official words of the county, grinding it with a stone, grinding it, grinding the wheat and then making it into a dough cake, and the northerners like to eat it. In the opinion of Pan, if the method of stone grinding cakes can be obtained, it may be beneficial to the promotion of Sumai. ”

Zhang Yi bowed his head slightly and said: "The northerners eat bread and make it from wheat. However, the things of the stone grinding can not be used by the idle house, and most of them are treasured by the powerful and the big families. But what Jun said is very true, if you want to promote the wheat stay, you must not do without a stone mill. ”

"Wait for the official to sort it out and report the above difficulties to the county guard."

"No!"

The method of rice and wheat rotation cultivation was promoted in Wuchang at the beginning, and the yield per mu of two crops a year was carried out after three years, and Wuchang agriculture has been able to produce and be self-sufficient. The increased grain production and the rich Wuchang made Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang more aware of the importance of rice and wheat rotation.

After three years of time testing, in the year when Liu Bei became king, in addition to reforming the tax law, he also determined the national policy of the Southern Han Dynasty for rice and wheat rotation farming, and issued an edict to let all counties try their best to promote the method of rotation farming. But policies need to be pursued cautiously, especially when it comes to agriculture.

Liu Bei adopted Zhuge Liang's suggestion and asked the county guards and county officials to do their best to implement it, but it did not involve assessment indicators. Let the county officials report the difficulties in the implementation process to the central government, and then formulate detailed policies based on the previous experience of planting in Wuchang to help popularize the method of rice and wheat rotation.

Like Zhang Yi, there are not a few county magistrates who are assigned by their superiors to strive to promote rice and wheat rotation.

(End of chapter)