My Brother-in-law is the Prince

  Chapter 250 On rewards for meritorious deeds

  Chapter 250:

  Zhu Di heaved a sigh of relief seeing Qiu Song leaving.

   Then, staring at Zhang Anshi, he said, "Where is that thing?"

   "I received it and went to the warehouse."

   "Take me to see."

  Zhu Di acts vigorously and resolutely, and does not dilly-dally with Zhang Anshi.

  Zhang Anshi took Zhu Di to the cellar.

  Zhu Di went down in person, looked at the lump-like things, and then showed suspicion.

  Looking back at Zhang Anshi, he said, "This thing...why does it look like lumps of dirt?"

  Zhang Anshi took it for granted: "That's why it's called potatoes, both soil and beans."

   Zhu Di had no words.

  He looked back at Xia Yuanji: "Is this the output of one mu of land?"

   "Report to Your Majesty." Xia Yuanji said, "Exactly."

  Zhu Di was thoughtful and said, "Can I eat it?"

   "Yes." Xia Yuanji said directly.

  Zhu Di said: "Take a few, cook them, and let me have a taste."

  Zhang Anshi did not hesitate, and ordered someone to fetch some potatoes for him to eat.

  Of course, the ones picked are all crooked, and the fat potatoes should be kept for seeding.

   After a while, a plate of steamed potato cakes was delivered to Zhu Di.

  Zhu Di took it and ate it, savoring the taste, and said: "The taste is not bad."

  Zhang Anshi smiled and didn't speak.

  Zhu Di stared at Zhang Anshi again and said, "Zhang Qing seems to have something to say?"

  Zhang Anshidao: "Your Majesty's words, let the minister...the minister...forget it, the minister doesn't matter."

   "Speak up if you have something to say." Zhu Di frowned and said, "I won't blame you."

  Zhang Anshidao: "A few days ago, there were refugees from Jiujiang Mansion who were exiled to Qixia. I just tried to resettle them here...how about...my minister invites two of them."

  Zhu Di was very interested to see that he was playing tricks again.

  He is actually trying to suppress his inner passion, so his face looks extraordinarily calm.

  At that moment, everyone walked out of the cellar.

  Zhang Anshi welcomed Zhu Di to the hall in Zhuangzili.

   After another two sticks of incense, two ragged men were 'invited' timidly.

  As soon as they entered the door, they shouted: "Forgive me, forgive me, we did not commit a crime... We were wronged..."

  Zhang Anshi stepped forward and said, "Who said you committed a crime?"

   "Isn't it a crime for an official to take me?"

   This sentence actually makes sense.

  Zhang Anshi said with a smile: "Old Cousin, I didn't arrest you for a crime, but treat you to a good meal."

  The two were disheveled and trembling, but they didn't dare to agree rashly.

  Zhang Anshi ordered the cake to be reheated, and asked: "Are you escaping from Jiujiang Mansion? Did you work as a farmer before?"

"Yes, yes... farming for a living." One was more talkative, and said in a vague local accent: "There are two acres of land at home, but unfortunately... there was a disaster and there was no rice. I saw that the situation was not good, so I ran out early. , if you hesitate a step, I don’t know what will happen.”

   It seems that this is still a doomsday expert.

   You know, it is not easy for a person to leave his hometown immediately when he sees that the limelight is not right.

   Here, there must be a lot of determination.

  The reason why they are trembling is actually because they are refugees, and the government regards refugees as criminals.

  However, under normal circumstances, when there is a catastrophe, there is no way to restrain them one by one, and they can only turn a blind eye.

   But after all, the law is like this. Who can guarantee that there are not some officials who deliberately bully people and come forward to make things difficult in the name of this?

  Zhang Anshidao: "Speaking of it this way, you are smart."

"It's not smart." The man said with a bitter face: "In the genealogy, my great-grandfather died of starvation in a famine, my great-grandfather and great-grandfather also died of starvation in a catastrophe, and my mother also starved to death the year before last. The ancestors who died were sixty or seventy if not a hundred, how could they not know how powerful they are when they come to me?"

  Zhang Anshi: "..."

  After hearing this, Zhu Di felt both sad and ridiculous.

  Yang Rong, Hu Guang and Xia Yuanji kept shaking their heads beside them.

  Zhang Anshi said with a dry smile: "I understand the truth of becoming a doctor after a long illness. Has the whole family escaped?"

   "They all escaped, except for one child who fell ill on the way and died." There was not much sadness on this man's face, after all... this 'loss' was already blessed by God for him.

  Zhang Anshi said: "How is the settlement here in Qixia?"

"It's not bad. I serve two meals of porridge a day, and the porridge is still thick. My eldest son has also found a job with his feet, so he can get some money... It's just... It's going to be autumn, I'm afraid it will be cold, I'm afraid I won't survive this winter."

Zhang Anshi said generously: "Don't worry about this. The place you live may not be able to be settled properly for you immediately, but... being in the cold will not teach you to be in the cold. At that time, I will teach you to distribute coal to you, and then I will give you coal." Add some jackets, and find a way to add some bedding."

   "Ah..." The man looked surprised, and the sadness on his face was seven or eight points less.

  Zhang Anshi said: "Come here, steamed cakes are here, come and eat."

  The hot steamed cakes were delivered to the two of them.

   But the man didn't move.

  Zhang Anshi said: "Eat, eat quickly."

  Zhang Anshi was willing to be very hungry because of this person, and he couldn't help it when he saw the food, but this person still didn't move.

   "Is it too hot?" Zhang Anshi put the back of his hand on it and tested the temperature, but it was not unbearable.

  At this moment, the man said hesitantly: "Master, your cake is not poisonous, is it?"

  After Zhang Anshi heard this, he was furious, and said, "What kind of talk is this! Why did I poison you? Do you think I am like that?"

   "I don't know, I always feel that...there is no such good thing in the world, maybe there are some bad intentions."

  He looked wary.

  The other person swallowed hard, stared at the potato pancakes, but dared not reach out to take them.

Zhang Anshi sighed: "Don't think of me like this. Let's change the angle. If I want to kill you, think about it carefully. Isn't there a hundred ways? Why bother to poison you? You can insult me. My moral character, but my IQ cannot be insulted."

  There is a peasant-like cunning in this person, but this way of survival has been honed through life and death again and again.

  Anyone who is stupid or a teacher will starve to death long ago. Even if he didn't starve to death, he would probably have been cheated to death already.

  If Zhang Anshi told him about benevolence, righteousness and morality, he really didn't dare to eat it.

   But what Zhang Anshi said, he thought about it carefully, and felt that it was right, so he carefully picked up a pancake and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

   Immediately afterwards, he put it in his mouth and chewed desperately.

  Another person also started to chew.

  Everyone looked at the two.

  Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "How is it, is it delicious?"

  The man was still chewing, as if he was reluctant to swallow it immediately.

   It took a long time to finally swallow the pancake completely, and licked his mouth with unsatisfied desire, before saying: "It's so delicious."

  The other also said: "Delicious, delicious..."

  Zhu Di probably understood what Zhang Anshi meant. He knew that there was something that could be said in one sentence, but he made a big deal out of it.

   But after thinking about it carefully, it makes sense.

  Emperors and princes and aristocrats had a rich diet, and it didn’t make any difference whether they had potatoes or not.

  This thing was not intended to be eaten by princes and grandchildren from the very beginning.

  Zhu Di stared at the man, as if he wanted to continue observing his words and deeds.

  Zhang Anshi continued to ask: "Tell me the truth, is it really this delicious?"

   "Of course it's delicious!" The man said with a look of aftertaste: "This taste is the same as fine grains."

  The so-called fine grains are actually white rice and white noodles, and the average person cannot eat a few meals of white rice and white noodles throughout the year. Later generations may get used to eating fine grains, but pursue the so-called coarse grains.

  In this era, fine grains are a luxury in themselves, and people's imagination of wealth and wealth is probably to be able to eat fine grains every day.

  Zhang Anshi said: "What if I eat this every day in the future?"

   "Eat this?" The man opened his eyes, and his eyes flashed with hope, and said: "There is such a good thing in the world. If someone feeds it to me every day, it will be a Bodhisattva who saves suffering."

  The other nodded like a chicken pecking rice, deeply convinced.

  Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Not bad, not bad, good, you can go."

  The two men left in a hurry as if they had been pardoned.

  Zhu Di stood up at this time, and said: "This grain...will be able to grow 1,300 catties in the future?"

Zhang Anshidao: "My... no, Eunuch Deng is now breeding. The grains planted this year are mixed. In the coming year, we can try to increase the production. After several selections, Eunuch Deng will work hard to achieve it. There are two thousand catties per mu."

  Two thousand catties...

  If Zhang Anshi said such things before, everyone might think that this guy is bragging.

  But if now...he said it, everyone would be convinced.

  Zhu Di couldn't help muttering: "The yield per mu is 2,000 catties, and it's still dry land, which is seven times the normal dry land... Good... Very good... Very good..."

   As he spoke, he looked thoughtful, and subconsciously said: "In this case, within a few decades, there will be no more food shortages, Zhen... Zhen..."

  He was pacing, hands behind his back, lost in thought.

  In ancient times, the so-called prosperity was the population. The larger the population, the more prosperous the dynasty was.

   But in fact, this kind of population growth, reaching the limit, often means the beginning of the dynasty's weakness.

  Because the carrying capacity of the land is limited after all, and with the merger of the land, this process will be catalyzed.

   But once the production increases greatly, this trend will be instantly curbed.

   At that time, I am afraid that the population of the world will increase greatly. At least for Daming, the population increase is not harmful, because now... Zhu Di is really short of people.

  It is said that Luzon and Annan are now urging, hoping to exile some criminals and prisoners there. The reason is simple, and their demand for manpower is too great.

  Zhu Di said: "Eunuch Deng?"

  Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty, you forgot again? It's just..."

   "I remember now, where is Mr. Deng?"

Deng Jian had been standing in the corner before, and he had never been very conspicuous. He was startled when he heard the word sir, and he quickly stood up, bowed down, and said humbly: "Slave... Slave deserves death, but slave I can't afford to be a gentleman...The servant is an eunuch..."

  Zhu Di stared at Deng Jian. He vaguely remembered that when he returned from the sea, Deng Jian was also so downcast. Unexpectedly, this meeting, Deng Jian was even more downcast than when he came back from the sea.

  Zhu Di couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "He is really a strong man, and a man should be like this."

  Deng Jian: "..."

  If you were anyone, what you say about a man in front of an **** is almost swearing.

   But Deng Jian understood what he said. It was a compliment, and he should be praised as an emperor.

  He kowtowed excitedly and said with tears streaming down his face, "Slave... Slave..."

But Zhu Di stepped forward, helped him up personally, stared at Deng Jian carefully, and then said to the left and right: "The seeds of grain were brought back by him after a narrow escape, and he also planted the grain. I want to ask you, all the people in the world, Whose contribution can be comparable to that of the one who benefits the common people in the world?"

   This time, Hu Guang and others were stumped.

  Xia Yuanji said very excitedly: "Your Majesty, I see, Guan Zhong can..."

  Zhang Anshi said, "Shen Nong."

  When I heard about Shennong, Hu Guang said, Zhang Anshi who entered your mother, in the Confucian system, Shennong is at the level of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, okay!

  Hu Guang immediately said: "I have little talent and little learning, but I didn't realize that in the past dynasties, there are people who can be like Mr. Deng."

  Zhu Di tried hard to think about it, but he didn't seem to have thought of it, and said: "It also makes sense, such a contribution, I think... will be rewarded heavily."

  Zhu Di is so straightforward with those who have made meritorious deeds. If you have meritorious service, you will be rewarded!

  Yi Shiha looked at Zhu Di with a smile, and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, there is a vacancy in the palm seal of Shang Shan Supervisor..."

Zhu Di didn't look at it and was disappointed, but said: "Such a hero, how can the twelve prisons in the inner court be qualified to be placed? Among my ministers, there are fortune-tellers and monks. Can't there be room for another Deng Jian?" ?”

  As soon as this remark came out, everyone looked at each other in blank dismay.

  But... no one objected.

  Even Yang Rong and Hu Guang took it for granted.

  Xia Yuanji said: "Why don't you come to the household department..."

   But what was even more unexpected was that Zhu Di pondered and said: "Fenghou..."

After a sudden pause, Zhu Di went on to say: "No, he was granted the title of Marquis and gave food to five thousand households in the city. If you feel wronged, he will be given the title of servant of the household department and be in charge of agricultural affairs. This farm cannot be separated from Mr. Deng... let He is here to attract refugees and continue to introduce new crops. There are also farm households who are experimenting with him here, and each of them will give one thousand taels of silver..."

   As he spoke, Zhu Di turned his head to look at Yang Rong and Hu Guang, and then said: "This is what I mean, and the Holy See will discuss it. Will there be any objections in the court?"

  Yang Rong and Hu Guang did not hesitate, this Yang Rong said: "Your servant can be your guarantor!"

  Zhu Di nodded.

  Deng Jian, who was on the sidelines, was taken aback and froze in place, not daring to vent his anger.

   Fengshihou ah!

   Isn’t this the same as Zhang Anshi?

   Moreover, he was also given the title of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Daming has never had a record of eunuchs conferring titles or serving as officials in foreign courts, which is really unheard of.

  His body trembled for a moment, and he didn't know how to respond.

   It is really worth it to be able to make the **** to his level.

  Even if Yishiha was standing aside, he couldn't help crying.

   "Slave... Slave..." Deng Jian choked up, and suddenly fell at Zhu Di's feet: "Slave, thank you for your grace."

  Zhu Di turned cold, and said solemnly: "From now on, you can no longer call yourself a slave, you must call yourself a minister, and you must act like a minister if you are a minister. Do you have a son?"

  Deng Jian said: "Slave...Chen...Chen has a nephew."

  Zhu Di didn't even think about it, and said: "I decree, adopt... From now on, he will be your son, and I will leave you an incense stick."

  Deng Jian burst into tears, gratefully said: "Yes, yes..."

  Zhu Di said very seriously again: "This place must be well protected...Zhang Anshi..."

  Zhang Anshi immediately said: "The minister is here."

Zhu Di ordered: "Your Annanwei, add another 300 posts, and set up a thousand households. Half of them... are stationed here day and night, and they are responsible for guarding this village. I take you as a question."

  Zhang Anshi hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, are there fewer than six hundred people?"

   It is actually inappropriate to say this.

  On the edge of the capital, there are more than 600 private guards. You still think it is not enough. What do you want to do?

  But at this time, Zhang Anshi said with a wry smile: "Why don't you round it up and give me 800?"

  Zhu Di was very proud: "Then eight hundred."

  Zhang Anshi kept calm on the surface, but he had already started counting happily in his heart. In addition to the 300 people stationed here, there were two hundred more, and his house was a little more secure.

  Zhu Di continued: "Tomorrow, the crown prince will be sent to Xiaoling Mausoleum to offer sacrifices to the mausoleum. We must tell Taizu Emperor Gao about this matter...Wei Guogong Xu Huizu, Wenyuan Pavilion University scholar Hu Guang will accompany you."

   Such a good thing must be sued to the ancestors.

  In fact, Zhu Di himself has always been afraid to worship his ancestors. Except when Jing Nan succeeded, he went there bravely. At other times, he let the prince or some ministers go.

  He was afraid that Emperor Taizu Gao really had a spirit in heaven, so he got up and beat him.

  But today...he is full of energy.

  I am afraid of a bird, and Emperor Taizu Gao is not as good as me.

  Seeing that Deng Jian was still sluggish and motionless.

   Zhu Di said: "Deng Qing's family, is there anything else you want to say?"

  Deng Jian's body trembled, and he suddenly came back to his senses, and then said: "Slave... minister... minister... can't deserve such a great service."

  Zhu Di frowned slightly: "Huh?"

  Deng Jiandao: "When I went to sea, it was my son... No, it was ordered by Marquis Annan. The sea charts and routes were also drawn up by Marquis Annan. The minister is just Xiao Gui and Cao Sui."

"Cultivating this grain... Marquis Annan taught me to do this. I was really confused. I misunderstood him at first, thinking... I offended him, and I still have resentment in my heart. I always feel that he is not as close as before. Is... Deliberately trying to embarrass the minister... the minister is embarrassed, what the minister thinks every day is whether he did something unpleasant in the past that made him... but now I know that Marquis Annan took great pains...he is...this is..."

   After finishing speaking, Deng Jian burst into tears in shame.

   All of a sudden, all the previous grievances were vented out.

After tears fell like rain, Deng Jian said: "You should go back to the East Palace to be a slave, this credit is not yours...I dare not accept it... Now, I have suffered so much, and I am content to be able to have today. Others ...I don't even dare to look forward to it..."

   Only those who have really experienced pain can have such thoughts. These are all words from the heart of Deng Jian.

  Zhu Di glanced at Zhang Anshi.

  Zhang Anshi hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, he is wronging people! I... told him some news from overseas, and also said about this kind of grain, but in fact, I only heard it from hearsay, and what I said was vague!"

"I am surprised that he has today. He said that he has no great credit, but I dare to ask. If I say these words to anyone, this person will put his head on his belt and escape from death. In the past few years, life is worse than death, is it in exchange for today? In this world, I am afraid that there are not many people who can do it."

Zhu Di listened, and kept nodding: "Yes, it's easy to speak up, but it's hard to get things done. Of course, it doesn't mean that the person who makes the plan is unimportant. At the beginning, Jing Nan, Yao Guangxiao and Jin Gong also did it for them. I plan, but even so, how many people know the hardships in this Jingnan?"

   "What Zhang Qing said won my heart very much. Deng Qing's family, you don't need to be humble anymore. My will has been decided, and you still want to resist it?"

   After a pause, Zhu Di said again: "However, Zhang Qing... really deserved a lot of credit. Come here, and reward him with 100,000..."

  Zhang Anshi said with a smile: "Your Majesty, forget it, I should serve your Majesty, and this is nothing. Thinking back, Your Majesty made a bet with my minister, and I didn't take it to heart..."

   "Have I ever made a bet?" Zhu Di glared at him.

  Zhang Anshi shook his head hastily: "Maybe my memory is wrong, I am too dull, and I always forget things recently, I will die, I will die."

  Zhu Di laughed and said: "Of course I remember, I just tried you. You have contributed a lot, so I am willing to bet and admit defeat. This matter will also be added to the court discussion."

  Hu Guang and Yang Rong looked at each other, but they both said: "Observe the order."

   Today's matter is too big. To be honest, conferring a little title is really nothing.

  Zhu Di's eyes fell on Deng Jian again at this time, and said: "Come on, Deng Qing's family, come and tell me how these potatoes are grown?"

  Deng Jian gradually calmed down. After all, he was a **** in the palace, so he naturally knew how to serve the emperor, so he led Zhu Di to inspect all the experimental fields outside the Zhuangzi.

"Marquis Annan said, we are doing this by trial and error, so... what I do is to separate the seeds on different lands, and then cultivate them according to different soil quality and irrigation levels. Finally, through the autumn harvest time to determine which method is correct."

"Now, I have harvested the autumn grain, and I plan to take out a batch of these potatoes, and strive to grow seedlings as soon as possible. They will be planted these days. It is only early autumn now. Maybe we can see if we can plant them again before winter comes. Last cooked..."

   "Two acquaintances a year?" Zhu Di's eyes widened again in surprise.

Deng Jian said with a bit of conservativeness: "I'm not sure yet, the main reason is that the spring plowing is a bit late, but I feel that these potatoes are not as delicate as rice, and they don't pay so much attention to irrigation and weather. They are harvested twice a year. , should be easier than rice."

Zhu Di was overjoyed again, and said with a cheerful smile: "If I can grow two crops a year, I can really rest easy. Your farm... is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but it is too important. In the future, if you have any memorials , can be played at any time."

   As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Yishihadao, and said solemnly: "Yishiha... Please note that there is a memorial from Deng Qing's family, and it must be delivered to my desk in time."

  Yi Shiha couldn't help but glanced at Deng Jian enviously, and said: "The servant obeys the order."

  Zhu Di said again: "This Zhuangzi wants to expand. Deng Qing's family, how much land do you want, but just say it."

Deng Jiandao: "I have various kinds of seeds brought back from overseas. There are several kinds. I tried to plant some, but failed, but... finally there are some remaining seeds, so I plan to continue planting in rotation except potatoes. , In addition to continuous breeding, other seeds will also be planted in the spring of the coming year, this land...it is better to add a few hundred acres to prepare for future contingencies."

  Zhang Anshi said in the sideline: "Your Majesty... I'm sorry for Marquis Deng, what he means is that...there will be a lot of land in the future, and I'm afraid that in the future... many crops will not be able to be used because there is no land."

  Zhu Di smiled: "Then take another 10,000 mu of land and give it to this farm under Qixia's name. If you need money, ask for it from me. Don't be afraid that I won't be willing to spend money. I have money."

  Deng Jian said: "Yes."

  Zhu Di was in a great mood, imagining in his mind that after the bumper harvest in the future, Daming's grain production will increase steadily.

   After returning to the hall of the farm, take a seat.

  Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty, I still have something to play."

  Zhu Di glanced at Zhang Anshi: "Say it."

"Your Majesty... These grains are all obtained from overseas. It can be seen that the overseas is rich and there are countless treasures. Lord Deng only took some and solved a big problem for the world. Therefore, people outside always say that this voyage to the West It is a great feat, but in my eyes, it is your majesty's far-sighted move. Since this is the case, then I suggest that the voyage to the West should naturally continue as usual, but the development of the world, just like Lord Deng, is also very important For the matter, I believe that the trading company can help the development of the fleet, help them go to sea, and let them go to the world's oceans..."

Before Zhang Anshi finished speaking, Zhu Di already understood what Zhang Anshi meant, his face was full of red, after all... this proved that Zhu Di was definitely not a big deal, he nodded and said: "That's very good, you don't have to report to me if you come to talk about the business. "

   After Zhu Di finished speaking, he looked at Hu Guang, Yang Rong, and Xia Yuanji: "You don't have any opinions."

  Xia Yuanji took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, I have no objection."

Zhang Anshidao: "Also, it is on the Annan side...the disaster in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the minister has asked people to buy grain in Annan...now the commercial firms are in Annan and Luzon...try to find a way to collect grain, the grain production over there They are very rich. Although they cannot completely fill the vacancies in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, they can at least... relieve some of the disaster. However, although there is a lot of food, it needs to be shipped. Now that Eunuch Zheng has led the fleet to the West, the court should requisition it. All the available sea ships are going to Annan and Luzon to continuously transport food in, so...the immediate urgent need can also be alleviated."

  (end of this chapter)