Qin Official

Winter wheat is planted in August of the lunar calendar and harvested in April or May of the following year. This crop is mostly grown in the north and less in the south. Probably after Anlu County presented this method last year, the county governor Teng was not sure whether the situation in Anlu was a coincidence or real, and he was anxious to know its effectiveness, so he ordered more seeds to be planted in various places.

Under the orders of the county governors, almost every county in Jiangling, Yingxian, Zhijiang, Yiling, and Dangyang planted several hundred acres of winter wheat.

As the county guard's car arrived at the edge of the field, Heifu looked from a distance and saw that the winter wheat in the field had already formed ears. When the summer wind blew, the golden waves of wheat undulated, and a scent of wheat mixed with hot air hit his nose. Come……

Due to the hot weather, the harvest in Nanjun is more than half a month earlier than in the north. The strong women in the fields are delivering water, and the farmers are hardworking and cutting wheat with sickles, giving a lively scene. When they saw the ceremonial guards and chariots of the county guards and magistrates arriving, they all threw away their farm tools and prostrated themselves.

Sheriff Teng changed his appearance and went down to the fields in person to help the farmers and women. The provincial leader seemed to have no airs at all and asked the farmers kindly how their harvest was.

"Dare to report it to the county guard."

The old farmer in charge of this wheat field was very excited and said tremblingly: "Originally, the field officials asked the villain to pile human and animal excrement together for retting. We were very puzzled. We felt that the stinky smell of piled manure was different from that of applying it directly to the fields. What’s the difference in the fields? However, after these winter wheats are irrigated with retting manure and compost, the yield per acre is 30% more than in previous years! 30%!”

The old farmers also named the manure after compost retting "beautiful manure".

Ye Teng laughed: "Beautiful dung, a good name. Although it is filthy dung, it can make the fields fat."

Ye Teng asked Tian Shifu from Zhijiang County to hand over the slips recording the yields of these wheat fields, read them carefully, and compared them with the data from Jiangling and Ying counties that Chang Shi carried with him, and heaved a sigh of relief.

Including Anlu, that is, the acres of land in the four counties have all increased significantly because of the "beautiful manure" obtained by applying compost and retting fertilizer. This can completely prove that this is not a coincidence, but a real thing!

He called Hei Fu to the edge of the field, pointed to the plump wheat ears, and asked: "Hei Fu, do you know how much contribution your family's compost retting method has done for Nanjun and Qin?"

Heifu couldn't figure out what this old cunning man meant, and he didn't like the feeling of being controlled by others, so he said he didn't know.

The governor Teng also knew that Heifu had been on guard against him since he scared Heifu once, so he said directly: "Farming is the main occupation of the people. The reason why the holy king guides his people is to focus on agriculture first. However, since then, After the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, rituals and music collapsed, princes and tyrants invaded each other's tombs, local officials and corvees were rampant, government orders were not believed, superiors and subordinates deceived each other, public fields were not managed, and famines were frequent..."

"Until two hundred years ago, Li Kui of Wei presided over the reform. He wrote "Teachings on the Efforts of the Earth" for Wei Wenhou. Li Kui calculated that there were 90,000 hectares of land within a hundred miles, except for Shanze, which accounted for one third of the population. In addition, 60,000 hectares of fields can be cultivated. If the farmer works diligently, the yield will increase by three bushels per mu. If the farmer is not diligent, the yield will also decrease by three bushels. This means that the annual output of a land of hundreds of miles depends on diligence and inactivity. Diligence may increase production by 1.8 million shi, or reduce production by 1.8 million shi. From this we can see that farmers must be encouraged to produce. This is the so-called teaching of using the land to its fullest!"

"The stone system of land in Wei is slightly different from that in Qin. There are many mountains and forests in Heze, Nanjun, and the fields it owns are not as good as those in Hedong. But with the method you presented today, the yield of each mu of land can be increased by 30 to 40%! As the proverb goes , the upper field feeds nine people, the last time eight people fed, the middle field fed seven people, and the lower field fed five people. But with this method, the fertility of the field is increased, the lower field can become the middle field, the middle field can become the upper field, and the upper field is better ! According to last year’s calculations, if the entire eighteen counties of Nan County implement this method, by the time of the autumn harvest, the rice, millet, and wheat are added together, which may increase the grain production by 3 million to 4 million shi!"

Even though Heifu had long known the historical significance of this method, he was still slightly surprised when he heard how much Nan County could increase production in a year: "It's so much!"

Calculating this, the increased grain production in Nanjun alone can feed the 600,000 people who conquered Chu for three to four months!

For a moment, Heifu felt that he and his uncle had become the Yuan Longping of this era.

Ye Teng nodded and said: "In short, this is a matter that will be of great benefit to Nanjun, the Qin State, and even the world. The person who discovered this method will have a mere first-class title, which is far from enough. Your uncle can be directly promoted to If you don’t watch until the end, you will be rewarded with ten thousand coins! With this method, after the autumn harvest is reported to Xianyang, you can even be promoted to a doctor again, and the reward will be even heavier."

Speaking of this, Ye Teng showed his iconic smile again: "It's a pity that from Tian Zuoli in Yunmeng Township to Tian Shifu in Anlu County, all the people reporting merit are in the name of Brother Ru Bo. If we do it again, To change is to not directly deceive the emperor. Hei Fu, have you ever regretted this matter?"

But Hei Fu smiled and said: "From a high point of view, this method is implemented by the county governor, and it will be of great benefit to Nanjun and Qin. To say it from a low point of view, I just mentioned it casually, but my uncle has worked hard for a year to study this method. Dharma, the fat water has not flowed to other people's fields, so why regret it?"

Ye Teng was slightly surprised, then laughed.

"Good, good news that the good news has not gone to other people's fields!"

…

On the way back to Zhijiang, Ye Teng was sitting in the Xuan car. He was in a good mood and the scenery along the way seemed much more pleasant.

He stroked his beard and said to Chang Shi beside him: "At the end of August last year, after receiving the report from Anlu, the county governor immediately asked each county to plant winter wheat on a trial basis without delaying a day, just to be in time for the beginning of summer this year. If this matter is confirmed as early as possible, it can be implemented throughout the county, so that farmers can top-dress fertilizer in time after weeding the fields. At least we have caught up."

This decree was indeed very urgent, and the chief official, as the executor, also flattered: "Even if it is a thousand-mile horse, it must be appreciated by Bole. Only the commander-in-chief can have such a vision and be so decisive."

Ye Teng was not modest at all, so he accepted the flattery generously and said with a smile: "I am not bragging. If someone else were to be the county guard, it would have been delayed for half a year. Although he would have missed the battle against Chu, it would have proved effective in the end." , and then submitted it to Xianyang to let the king know. Even the worst officials would not dare not pay attention to it, because this is the state of Qin. From the king to the county and township officials, they all take the Legalist teaching of doing their best to the best of the land as their duty. !"

"But what if it's not the Qin State, but other princes? What will be the consequences if Hei Fu and his uncle give this method to them?"

The long history officer held up his hand and said, "I don't know, I hope you can clear up my confusion."

It seemed that what happened today made Ye Teng emotional and made him have a lot to say, so he told his close confidant who had been with him for ten years about a past incident when he was an official in Korea.

"Speaking of which, the situation today is somewhat similar to that of back then. More than 20 years ago, I just started working as a village official in South Korea. The land of South Korea is dangerous and has many mountains. The crops grown from the five grains are either wheat or beans. Most of the food he ate was beans, rice and soup, and his life was extremely miserable."

"By chance, when I was inspecting Lilu, the farmers under my supervision said that putting stalks or cut grass and trees in the fields and letting them rot by themselves can also increase the fertility of the land and increase the harvest next year. I I was overjoyed and immediately reported the matter to the county magistrate in an official document, hoping that through the implementation of this method, the people would gain more harvest..."

"However, one year passed without any response. I couldn't help it, so I used my connections in the clan to go to the county to inquire. The county magistrate said that he was busy with business and had forgotten about the matter. I urged him to report it. Xinzheng. Then, two years passed, and three years passed, and there was still no response from Xinzheng. They didn’t even send anyone to question me about whether this matter was true or false. Although my clan has some influence in Yedi, it is not as good as those officials in Xinzheng. , I can only be regarded as a small country tycoon, and can’t help me..."

"It wasn't until many years later, when I came to Xinzheng as an official and found an opportunity to ask, that I found out that the method I submitted was only briefly reviewed and was not taken seriously by the important officials in the capital. So I could only wait for myself to be fake. The county governor can allow the people in each county to practice this method, but at this moment, twenty years have been wasted, the old farmer who discovered this method has died long ago, and his descendants have not received any reward from South Korea."

"At the same time, Zheng Guo, who was lobbying the King of Korea to build canals to increase agricultural production in Korea but failed, was sent to Qin by the King of Han. Although he knew that it would cost countless money and manpower to dig the ditches, the King of Qin immediately agreed to Zheng Guo's plan. And treat him as a distinguished guest.”

"Zheng Guo was deeply moved and began to do his best to preside over the matter. By the time the mission of Ti Qin was exposed, he had forgotten his original purpose and met the King of Qin in person. The chief inspector said, 'The first minister will be the intermediary, but it will be successful, and it will be Qin's benefit. Yeah, do you know what King Qin said at that time?"

Chang Shi replied: "I don't know."

"The king said that building this canal will only last a few years for Han Yan, but it will be a contribution to Qin for thousands of generations! If you die, who can succeed you? Do it now!"

Even though he knew it was poison but would be beneficial to him in the long run, King Qin still drank it without hesitation! Let Zheng Guo continue to build canals for Qin. The canals were completed and irrigated more than 40,000 hectares of land, making Guanzhong rich.

"From that day on, Zheng Guo became a loyal minister of the King of Qin. He was ordered to carry out Wei Liao's plan and brought gold and silk to persuade me. He told me that good birds choose trees to live in. Han is already a rotten tree, and Qin is the king. The sycamore tree!"

"I heard about what he had gone through, and also learned that the Qin State attached great importance to farming, and I was greatly shocked. Only then did I realize that the victory of the Sixth Qin Dynasty was not just a matter of luck, but a number!"

“Only those who can become farmers and use the strength of the earth can conquer the world!”

If Heifu were here, he might take it seriously and reply to him: System is the cornerstone of developing productive forces. Whoever can develop productive forces to the greatest extent can win this long war!

After saying that, Ye Teng looked back and saw Heifu dozing off in the car.

There is love for talent, but also envy for this young man.

"Although this son comes from a humble background, he was born in Qin, a country where agriculture and meritorious service are important. And with me as the county governor, how can it be difficult for him to rise to the top?"

"As long as you give it a little push, it will be a thousand-mile horse! Its future will be limitless."

Ye Teng narrowed his eyes: "The only question is, who can be his boss?"