Daming Agriculture and Commerce in the western suburbs of the capital has a rare opportunity to retain a large wheat field here. This wheat field is specially used to research new planting techniques. Otherwise, it is really not easy to find a wheat field around the capital.
As the morning sun rises, in autumn and winter, the ground is covered with frost. A gust of autumn wind blows, making people shiver with coldness. The golden wheat has some dew on it, making it bend even heavier.
Liu Jin and all the ministers had not gotten up as early as today.
Since the implementation of the new sleep code, everyone has bid farewell to the life of getting up in the middle of the night to do morning service, and can sleep one or two more hours at home every day.
But today is different, because today is the day when Emperor Hongzhi leads his ministers to experience the autumn harvest. Therefore, at five o'clock in the morning, the ministers got up early and went to the palace first. After Emperor Hongzhi was ready,
We came here by car again.
The four-wheeled carriages were filled with the civil and military ministers of the dynasty. Liu Jin and Zhang Mao sat together, looking at the scenery outside and chatting with smiles on their faces.
"You brat, what kind of bad idea did you come up with?"
"At my age, I still have to go to the fields to harvest wheat, and return ten acres of land in one harvest. Isn't this going to cost me my life?"
Zhang Mao did not wear court clothes today, but wore simple peasant clothes. He was obviously ready to work hard in the fields.
Ten acres of wheat, Lao Zhang knows very well, this is not a small number. Even for farmers who work all year round, it is not easy to harvest ten acres of wheat. It will take several days at least.
"Mr. Zhang, don't worry. How can I make our own people tired?"
"When the time comes, you can start the newly developed steam harvester and go back and forth in the wheat field. The wheat will be harvested, and then take the wheat to dry it. Then you can use the steam shelling machine and the flour machine can easily
I easily completed what His Majesty asked me to do."
Liu Jin patted his chest and said confidently.
"That's okay, that's okay~"
"Humph, I've already seen those people unhappy."
"If you don't do anything day by day, you just know how to make trouble."
"What fancy tricks? Without those machines, would we be able to have a bumper harvest every year in Ming Dynasty?"
"Why should I be lazy and industrious? I just want to see how diligent those people are."
When Zhang Mao heard this, he immediately laughed happily, then touched his white beard and said with a smile.
"Some people want to experience the hardships of ordinary people."
"Otherwise, they will think that the rice is growing out of the bowl."
Liu Jin smiled and expressed deep agreement.
This is not Liu Jin's nonsense, but above the imperial court, there are indeed some ministers who are indifferent to food and work, but they feel that they are the ones who are superior because of their academic talents, while the common people should work hard.
He claims to be noble, but he knows nothing and knows nothing. He thinks that he can really govern the country by writing a few splendid articles. If he is not reused, he feels that his talent is not appreciated. Say this to those who really do practical things.
People who make irresponsible remarks and point fingers are the most annoying people.
"Haha, I guess they will have a new understanding soon."
Thinking of the scene that was about to take place, Zhang Mao laughed happily.
The carriage on which the ministers were riding stopped on the concrete road. On the dragon carriage at the front, Emperor Hongzhi, dressed in casual clothes, got out of the carriage and looked at the farmland in front of him.
The farmland in front of us is endless, and the farmland is neatly planned, dotted, and square. Each farmland is one acre of land, which is very standard.
Looking around, in this large area of farmland, some are planted with wheat, some with corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc. You can also see patches of vegetable greenhouses, preparing to grow vegetables in winter.
At this time, most of the crops have reached the harvest season. The wheat fields here are golden, and a gust of autumn wind blows, creating waves, like a golden sea.
"Okay~"
Emperor Hongzhi nodded happily and looked behind him. The ministers had all got out of the car at this moment. The officials in charge were allocating the ten acres of wheat fields that they needed to harvest to the ministers.
Like Emperor Hongzhi, many ministers were dressed in casual clothes, with their long hair raised and their cuffs tied up, looking as if they were going to do something big.
Of course, there are also some ministers who still wear long shirts and long sleeves. At the same time, they seem to be very reluctant to cut the wheat fields in front of them, and they seem to be unwilling to accept labor.
Among them, this is the case for Xu Heng, the Imperial Consecrated Winemaker. He is already very old and has never done such menial work since he was a child. Now that he is asked to harvest wheat, he is extremely reluctant.
"My lords, Your Majesty has decreed that everyone must harvest ten acres of wheat, dry it, shell it, and grind it into powder to be considered as completing the task. No one else is allowed to interfere. Those who disobey the order will be stripped of their honors and demoted to common people.
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There was a small yellow doorman holding a small tin trumpet and shouting as he walked, which made many ministers with servants and servants suddenly burst into tears.
I originally thought that I was just going out to harvest some symbolic wheat, and then I could go back home. Who knew that Emperor Hongzhi actually came to play for real this time.
"My lords, you must complete everything before you can go back. Everyone's meals and accommodation have been arranged. Please hurry up."
While the little yellow gate was shouting, a little yellow gate behind it also began to hand out sickles for harvesting, indicating that everyone could start harvesting wheat.
Here, Emperor Hongzhi held the sickle for harvesting wheat, rolled up his sleeves, and was the first to step out of the wheat field. Without saying any nonsense, he seriously began to harvest the wheat.
At the beginning, Emperor Hongzhi was still a little unfamiliar. Fortunately, there were farmers nearby who came to teach him. Soon, Emperor Hongzhi got started and harvested in a good manner. After a while, Emperor Hongzhi had already harvested a corner of the wheat field.
Bundles of wheat are stacked in a field.
Seeing Emperor Hongzhi going to the fields and getting busy, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Zhang Mao and other important officials also went to the fields one after another and began to harvest wheat.
When the officials saw it, they realized it was really not a joke, and they all went to the fields with sad faces.
It was still morning, and there was still dew on the wheat. When a person bent down, the dew would fall on his head, face, and body. Many ministers couldn't help but pat him left and right. At the same time, when harvesting wheat, because they couldn't,
Everyone made a fool of themselves, some were scratched by wheat and felt itchy and painful, some couldn't use a sickle and were scratched by the sickle, crying in pain, and some were exhausted after bending down a few times and cried out in pain.
Liu Jin couldn't help laughing when he saw the scene in front of him.
Then the staff of the agricultural commercial bank that Liu Jin had arranged long ago also drove over a latest steam harvester. Under the guidance of the agricultural machinery staff, Liu Jin quickly mastered the operation of the steam harvester.
"Woo~"
Accompanied by the sound of the whistle, Liu Jin drove the steam harvester down the wheat field, constantly walking back and forth in the wheat field. While harvesting the wheat, he was still in the mood to admire the ugly behavior of Xu Heng, Li Renjie and other sour and rotten scholars.
Harvesting ten acres of wheat is definitely not an easy task, but for Liu Jin who owns a harvester, it is nothing more than walking back and forth in the wheat field.
In just over thirty minutes, Liu Jin had already harvested one acre of land. At the same time, all the harvested wheat had been threshed and thrown into sacks. It was simple and easy. Calculating the ten acres of land, it only took one morning.
Finished.
After harvesting an acre of land, Liu Jin did not forget to stop and rest, take a rest, and see how other people were working.
Emperor Hongzhi worked the most seriously. He didn't take a break for more than thirty minutes. He was still harvesting wheat silently. He had already harvested a large area. Next to him, Xiao Jing was following closely, wanting to step forward to help.
But he was scolded by Emperor Hongzhi.
The young Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Zhang Mao were so tired after just a few cuts that they had to take a break. They only managed to open a small corner in thirty minutes.
When Zhang Mao saw Liu Jin coming over to join in the fun, he couldn't help but said: "You brat, don't you want to arrange for the harvester to come over? Do you want to tire me to death?"
"Haha, Mr. Zhang, don't worry, I have already arranged everything for you."
"Isn't this just to let you experience the hardships of farmers?"
Liu Jin immediately laughed and looked at Zhang Mao. He had harvested the least. In thirty minutes, he had harvested less than three bundles of wheat. The water was released, probably because he was waiting for the harvester arranged by Liu Jin.
Soon, Liu Jin had someone arrange for a harvester to come over. Someone specifically taught Zhang Mao how to operate the harvester. He soon sat on the harvester happily and started to operate the harvester to harvest wheat with great excitement.
Of course, not only Zhang Mao, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Zhong Zhong and others were here, Liu Jin also quickly arranged for them to have a steam harvester and sit on the machine to harvest wheat. These older people
The old minister immediately breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was similar to Zhang Mao. He felt very fresh and started to drive the machine to harvest wheat.
"Your Majesty, I have arranged the steam harvester."
When he came to Emperor Hongzhi's side and looked at the sweaty Emperor Hongzhi, Liu Jin also said quickly.
"Don't worry, it's rare for me to go to the fields again, so I'd better feel the hard work of farming. You can arrange for the harvester to come before others, and then I will continue to harvest."
Emperor Hongzhi looked around, smiled and shook his head.
I still insist on using traditional methods to harvest wheat and experience the hardships of farmers.
This also surprised Liu Jin, and he couldn't help but express his admiration for Emperor Hongzhi again.
Emperor Hongzhi was a good emperor who loved his people like his own son. This is not just a boast, but can be seen from all aspects.
As an emperor, he can personally work in the fields and feel the hard work of farmers, which is very rare.