Zhang Bowen on the side asked in confusion: "What do you think these Japanese people want to do? Such a low price is not an exaggeration to say as a gift. Do they really want to help us in the Central Plains?"
The Japanese might be able to confuse the people of the Central Plains with their hypocritical faces, but Chen Mu saw through their thoughts at a glance.
"These Japanese people tried to destroy the Central Plains with salt last time, but this time they turned their attention to food. They are really disgusting."
"What's the meaning?"
Chen Mu glanced at the farmers all around leisurely working as foreign workers, and said slowly: "The Japanese have made the people develop the habit of spending money to buy food. If one day, they don't sell it to us, or the price suddenly changes.
How about raising it dozens of times?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Bowen's expression froze, and he immediately understood the Japanese people's plot.
"It's a good thing this year, people can still grow food in their fields. When the day comes when food will no longer be sold, Longxia will definitely face a great famine."
Although it is hateful, we have to admire the Japanese people's method. They directly caused chaos in the entire Longxia without spending a single soldier. Compared with the Tubo Tatars who only know how to fight, this kind of opponent is undoubtedly more powerful.
Difficult to deal with.
"So, in order to prevent people from eating people, all the farmland on the Yizhou Plain must be dug out."
Zhang Bowen nodded: "Yizhou has thousands of miles of land. It is enough to open up half of the land. But the problem is that the people are not very interested in opening up wasteland and digging up land. They are afraid that when the land is opened in the spring of next year, the land will be opened up."
The land is not enough to cope with the famine across the country."
Chen Mu thought for a moment, then waved his hand to show that it was okay: "Don't worry, there is a way."
After a month of work, a large area of land has been dug out of the Yizhou Plain, which was originally overgrown with grass.
During this period, Chen Mu bought a lot of newly produced wheat from various counties in Yizhou.
Zhang Bowen looked at hundreds of female workers picking through mountains of wheat and asked suspiciously: "Is this your method? What do you mean?"
Chen Mu was noncommittal: "Do you know how much wheat an acre of land produces?"
"About one or two hundred pounds."
Chen Mu smiled and said: "You have not paid attention to many details. In fact, it is very simple to increase grain production by dozens of kilograms. The dynasty does not pay attention to the extension and development of agriculture. As for the people, they only know how to dig and irrigate.
There are so many aspects that affect yield.”
After saying that, Chen Mu picked up a plump and plump seed and a secondary seed.
"This is how to choose the best."
Zhang Bowen also became more and more interested as he listened: "What is the method of selecting good people?"
"The harvest of crops is inseparable from the seeds. The correct farming method should use good land specifically for breeding. Just like people, the offspring of handsome men and beautiful women will always be good-looking."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Bowen immediately clapped his legs and exclaimed: "Yes, when we Longxia farmers sow, they always use last year's old grain as seed, and some of it is grain. How can the grain grown like this grow?
good?"
Chen Mu nodded: "Let's select all the good varieties and carefully weed and water them when planting. The yield per acre will definitely be dozens of kilograms more."
Zhang Bowen looked excited, but in Chen Mu's heart, Japanese sweet potatoes were the best crop to solve the future famine.
The yield of sweet potatoes is extremely terrifying. It does not require any careful management, and can easily produce one to two thousand kilograms per acre.
It is also for this reason that the flour sold from Japan this time is made from sweet potatoes. Otherwise, how could it be possible for an island country to support the supply and demand of the entire Longxia?
After working hard for so long, one hundred thousand refugees have now settled in Dujiangyan.
Not only these refugees, Chen Mu also moved the villagers of Lihe Village.
Now looking at the geographical location, Chen Mu felt that Dujiangyan was more suitable as the main city.
The square painted brick house has a hard road paved with cement.
Seeing that the faces of those victims were no longer gloomy, a sense of accomplishment suddenly rose.
"How much money did you make when you sold bricks to Shuofang recently?"
Now Zhang Bowen is the prefect of Yizhou, and all matters such as money and taxes are under his control.
"It should be around one hundred thousand taels now, but the prince is here again today and is waiting for you over there in Bajun City."
Chen Mu frowned and said, "Why are you here again? Forget it, Dujiangyan is almost completed now, and it's time for me to go back. I'll leave the affairs of this place to you."
Zhang Bowen held up his hands and said, "Yes."
Early the next morning, Chen Mu took a boat and embarked on his way home.
When we arrive at Bajun City, it will be the beginning of autumn again.
The prince did not go to Yuewen Courtyard and had been in Liu Si's courtyard during this period.
Now, my little son is able to toddle under the guidance of adults.
Liu Si was holding the hand from behind, while the prince crouched down and stretched out his hands to protect him from behind. His movements were very cautious, and it could be seen that he liked the little guy Chen Zhiqiu very much.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
When he turned around and saw Chen Muzheng looking at him with a strange look on his face, the prince knew that he was a bit out of his element and quickly stopped his smile.
"You have something to tell me."
In an instant, he came to the stone pavilion again.
The prince looked embarrassed and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to buy any more of those bricks from you."
Chen Mu was stunned for a moment, then joked: "What's wrong? Dump me when you find your next home?"
For Chen Mu, he can make money as long as he can. Even if those bricks cannot be sold, they will be used to build the capital and cement roads in the future.
The prince shook his head: "I have always been loyal, how could I be so unworthy? The main reason is... those brick houses of yours are indeed strong and reliable, but the people don't admit it."
"Is there anything wrong with these people? Even brick and tile houses are not good, so why should we build a palace for them?"
The prince sighed: "They are all people transferred from coastal states and counties. In recent years, many Japanese businessmen have come to the Jiangnan area to do business. The people's food, clothing, housing and transportation have been affected. This time they refused to pay for it.
A craftsman was invited from Japan to design houses and the layout of the city for them."
Chen Mu's face froze when he heard that this was the reason.
"Designing private houses and the layout of the city, isn't this just nakedly building three Japanese capitals on the land of our Central Plains?"
After hearing this, the prince stopped talking.
The imperial court has reason to agree to this matter. Now that the country's economy has declined to an extreme, they are willing to agree without asking them to pay.
"Don't the prince know that the cities of Tianshui Wuwei were massacred by the invaders? How can you agree to such a thing?"
"This is not what I meant. Moreover, now that the national treasury is empty, it is indeed difficult to support it any longer."