The emperor personally led three thousand battalions of lone troops deep into the desert, fighting in and out of enemy lines. Now that they have returned safely, it is a great joy.
Logically speaking, he should return to the capital as soon as possible, but now he is stuck in this small Huailai city, leading Luo Tong to survey the terrain every day, discussing where to build roads, where to drain water, where to build houses, and even planning A commercial street comes out.
In a small frontier town like this, what is your entire commercial street doing?
"Your Majesty, Luo Langzhong was a Jinshi in the 10th year of Yongle. He has been an official for more than thirty years and has rich experience. It is enough to leave the reconstruction of Huailai City to Luo Langzhong. The old minister suggested that the Emperor should hurry up and set off to avoid the Queen Mother's troubles. All officials are worried!"
"Don't worry, Qing family, I will leave as soon as I finish speaking!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and continued to say to Luo Tong: "I wrote it very clearly in the planning book that this place is suitable for planting grapes!"
In fact, Luo Tong couldn't understand this plan at all.
For example, why not grow grain but grapes?
"Grapes?"
"Yes, it's grapes!"
"But..." Luo Tong scratched his head and expressed his doubts, "This thing cannot be used as a staple food..."
"Who told you that you must grow staple crops and cash crops? Do you understand cash crops?"
"I...are stupid..."
"You are really dull!" Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and said, "You just said it yourself, the weather here is dry and not suitable for growing food, so what should I do?"
"Yeah, what should I do?"
"Then plant something suitable, such as grapes."
"But...grapes are not a staple food..."
“You don’t have to grow staple food!”
"I...are stupid..."
Zhu Qizhen wanted to hit someone. Really, if he hadn't seen Luo Tong's age, he would have done it long ago.
I can’t explain why!
"Let me put it another way, if we grow grain here, how much will we produce per acre?"
"A place like this..." Luo Tong thought for a moment and said, "It can probably hold fifteen stones."
In the Ming Dynasty, one stone weighed one hundred and fifty kilograms. Generally speaking, the yield of good paddy fields was about twenty to thirty kilograms. In such a barren land, fifteen kilograms would be good.
"Do you know, if you grow grapes, what will be the income?"
"I don't know!"
"I'm telling you this, although there is no profit in the first year, starting from the second year, the annual output converted into money is at least three to five times that of growing grain!"
Luo Tong asked: "Why was there no profit in the first year?"
Zhu Qizhen was stunned and had to explain: "Grapes are a crop that requires two years of maturity and will not produce fruit in the first year."
"That's it!" Luo Tong nodded repeatedly, then shook his head and said, "But what will the people do now? How can they survive if there is no food? Also, this place is not rich. Who can sell so many grapes to them?
Go?"
"The Qing family will look at this map again!"
Zhu Qizhen pointed to the map and said: "It is less than three hundred miles from Huailai City to the capital. If the road is smoothed and widened in the later period, a carriage carrying goods can arrive there in one day. No matter how big the output is, as long as it is transported to the capital, it is guaranteed to be
Sold out."
Luo Tong scratched his head and said: "Your Majesty, I apologize for my stupidity. The people are in urgent need of food rations now. They are afraid that they will starve to death before the grapes can be grown in the fields..."
"What do I want you to do?" Zhu Qizhen shook his head and said, "Your task is not to lead the people to build houses and farm fields, but to become bigger and stronger and have ideals! If you don't have food, go to the court.
If you want to borrow money and use tax as collateral, I will personally approve it for you!"
Luo Tong looked extremely troubled. He asked the court for a loan. Instead of growing grain, he grew grapes and returned cash crops?
There are also those roads and drainage channels. I don’t know how much food will be consumed. Is this necessary...
Kuang Ye saw that Luo Tong was hesitant to speak, and couldn't help but said: "Mr. Luo, if you have any questions, please explain them clearly once and for all, so as not to delay the emperor's schedule."
He thought that the emperor would return to the capital immediately, so he did not write to the capital. At present, there is no news of the emperor's return.
If I had known it would take so long, I would have written a letter first and asked the people in the capital to prepare it!
Luo Tong really had a problem. He pointed to the location of the school in the plan and said: "About building a school...the emperor doesn't know. Where do ordinary people get the money to study..."
"Didn't I write that this is compulsory education, and all six-year-old children must enter school, and all expenses for the first six years will be borne by the court!"
"This..." Luo Tong's scalp was almost scratched, "How much does this cost..."
"Don't worry about money. Huailai City is my first pilot project to bring out the old and bring out the new. We must be bold and decisive and not be bound by the traditional concepts of the past. The Qing family now knows how heavy the burden is on their shoulders, right?" p>
Luo Tong's forehead was covered with sweat, and he said bravely: "I understand!"
"There is also the matter of recruiting soldiers. Just recruit refugees on the spot. I will leave Ha Ming to help you train your troops, and I will leave you five hundred elite soldiers. These people will follow me deep into the desert, but they are all friends from life to death. If we don't rebuild
Your pregnancy is of great significance, and I am reluctant to hand her over to you!"
Luo Tong nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
He has rich experience in leading troops. When he saw the Three Thousand Battalion for the first time, he was shocked. These soldiers exuded an invisible murderous aura, which was an aura that could only be developed after long-term experience in the battlefield. What is even more commendable is that after these sergeants took over Huailai City, they inspected the city defense and public security in the city every day and never disturbed the people.
On the streets, you often see soldiers helping people build houses or providing any help they can.
As a result, there is a strange phenomenon in Huailai now. When people have any difficulties, they take the initiative to go to the streets to seek help from soldiers. In Luo Tong's view, this is very unreasonable.
In his impression, it was a blessing for the soldiers not to harass the people. It was simply unbelievable that the soldiers and the people could still get along so harmoniously.
If the Ming Dynasty's army were like this, what would it be like...
After everything was settled, Zhu Qizhen finally set foot on the road back to Beijing again.
Ha Ming took 500 people to stay in Huai Lai, and the other 2,000 people received the order and immediately set off.
When passing by Juyongguan, I left Kuang Ye behind.
Luo Tong went to Huailai to take up a post, and the garrison at Juyongguan was temporarily vacant. Fortunately, there was a ready-made minister of the Ministry of War who could take over for a while.
Zhu Qizhen led the cavalry and marched very fast. They set off from Juyongguan at noon and arrived in Changping before sunset.
Looking at the city wall in front of her, Li Zhen stepped forward and asked: "Your Majesty, it's getting dark. Do you want to go to Beijing overnight? Or rest in Changping for one night?"
Zhu Qizhen looked at the sky and said, "There's no need to rush like this. Let's rest in Changping for one night and go to Beijing early tomorrow morning!"
"Yes!"
"Wait a minute!"
"Your Majesty, please give me your orders!"
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and said: "To prevent disturbing the people, the soldiers should work harder and rest outside the city!"
"Obey!"
Two thousand men and horses found an open space to rest in the woods on the outskirts. Fan Zhong walked to Zhu Qizhen with noodles and dried meat, and asked with some confusion: "Your Majesty, even if you are not traveling at night, you should go in The city is resting, why do you have to sleep with everyone in the wilderness?"
Zhu Qizhen took the noodle cake and took a bite, and said: "If I inform Changping County, the whole county will be busy serving me tonight. There is no need."
"Your Majesty, you..."
At this time, I heard the sentry outside shouting: "Stop, who is it?"
Fan Zhong immediately became alert. There were no checkpoints along the way from Juyongguan, and he did not enter the city when he arrived at Changping. Therefore, no one knew the whereabouts of the emperor. Who could be in this wilderness?
After a while, Li Zhen trotted over and said: "Your Majesty, here comes a man named Feng Yi. He said he was here on the orders of Cao Qin, the commander-in-chief, and he has important matters to discuss."
"Feng Yi..." Zhu Qizhen thought for a while, but seemed to have no impression of this person. "What does this person do? Is Cao Qin Cao Jixiang's son? How did he know my whereabouts?"
Li Zhen shook his head and said: "This person seems not to know the identity of the emperor."
"Oh?"
Zhu Qizhen was a little confused. Could it be that he had recognized the wrong person?
Li Zhen continued: "Because this person keeps saying that... he wants to see General Hantai!"
Zhu Qizhen's expression changed and he asked: "Have you revealed my identity to him?"
"Back to the emperor, I only said that I came in to inform you, but didn't say much."
"Well, let him come over. I want to see what this person is up to!"