The hot summer is here, in May, June and July, and the sun is as scorching as fire, scorching the earth to the point of emitting smoke.
However, there has been no rain for a long time.
This situation is not limited to Yizhou, except for the southern part of the Tang Dynasty, most of the Tang Dynasty is in drought.
Last year there was rain, this year there is drought.
I have to say that the Tang Dynasty today is really in trouble.
Fortunately, there is also Dujiangyan in Sichuan.
However, the continued drought has caused the water in the rivers to dry up.
Reduced grain production has become a foregone conclusion.
Suddenly, people everywhere were panicked.
In order to prevent riots, Li Shimin ordered officials from various places to take precautions in advance, prepare food in advance, and prepare strategies to calm food prices.
On the surface, the land of Yizhou looks calm.
But in the dark, there is an undercurrent.
Yizhou's food was originally relatively abundant.
After all, the entire Shu region is a land of abundance, and Yizhou is even more fertile.
But now, some people are secretly purchasing food at high prices and then hoarding it quietly.
Some of the grain was transported directly.
They did it very covertly, and the grain they transported was broken into parts, not truckloads.
Therefore, on the surface, there is no trace at all.
These, of course, are the five surnames, Qiwang and other aristocratic families, colluding with the Yizhou aristocratic family to do these things.
On this day, Wu Meiniang found Li Min and said with a gloomy face: "Your Highness, someone has been secretly purchasing grain recently and transporting it secretly. If it is not stopped, grain production will decrease by the time of harvest, which will definitely lead to disaster."
Hearing Wu Meiniang's words, Li Min couldn't help but nodded thoughtfully, and then asked Wu Meiniang: "Meiniang, in your opinion, what should we do?"
Wu Meiniang said with a smile on her face: "Your Highness, in extraordinary times, extraordinary means must be used! These people who cheat on others should be killed! Guards should be sent out secretly to kill all the merchants who resell food. Those involved aristocratic families and their property should be confiscated.
Enter the public domain."
"At the same time, we can buy food from other places and transport it to Yizhou. We can overcome this food shortage. This is my humble opinion. What do you think, Your Highness?"
Li Min nodded slightly.
But I thought in my heart that this girl is indeed decisive in killing.
And to achieve the goal, any means will be used.
For example, if you go to another place to buy food, isn’t there a shortage of food in that place?
Obviously, this is impossible. There is also a shortage of food in other places.
But as long as Yizhou can get through the difficulties, it is obvious that Wu Meiniang will never consider what will happen in other places.
But Li Min asked thoughtfully: "Meiniang, do you know where their food is transported to?"
Wu Meiniang couldn't help but say: "It's in a nearby state or county, and it hasn't been transported too far."
After hearing Wu Meiniang's report, Li Min couldn't help but nodded.
It seems that people with the five surnames and Qi Wang are always evil-minded.
Not only did they want to take advantage of the shortage of food to hit Yizhou hard, they were also preparing to hoard food and take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune.
But, do they really think that the governor’s money is so easy to make?
Li Min couldn't help but said: "Mei Niang, don't worry about them, just let them buy whatever they want."
Hearing Li Min's words, Wu Meiniang couldn't help but asked in shock: "But if we don't ask, how will we survive the food shortage crisis?"
Li Min laughed and said: "Mei Niang, do you still remember the crops that the king summoned the peasants to plant?"
After hearing Li Min's words, Wu Meiniang couldn't help but look thoughtful on her face.
But he quickly said: "But, Your Highness, that land is only one-tenth of Yizhou's. Can the people of Yizhou eat with so much land?"
Hearing Wu Meiniang's question, Li Min couldn't help but smile.
Only one-tenth of the land planted is true, but the vast majority of the food grown is sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are a crop that is drought tolerant.
Even with the current degree of drought, production will not be reduced much.
The yield of sweet potatoes is almost ten times that of crops during this period!
Of course, the yield per mu of crops during this period was really pitifully low.
For example, the yield of wheat per mu in later generations was around a thousand catties, but during this period, it was no more than three hundred catties, only one-third of that in later generations.
The yield of rice during this era was almost the same as that of wheat.
In later generations, the yield of rice has even reached two thousand kilograms per mu.
The production is seven times higher than the current production.
It can be seen that the yield per mu in this era is really low.
Thinking of this, Li Min couldn't help but said: "Meiniang, don't worry, the food in these lands is enough for the people of Yizhou. Even not only Yizhou, but also the people of several nearby states can use it."
"At that time, we can recruit more people to work. The wages will be paid in grain. I believe that the railway can be almost completed in a slack season."
"You don't have to worry about the food, just let them buy it. Because in addition to food, we can also fish. There are still many lakes in Jiannan Road."
They can even go fishing on Lingnan Road, which is close to the sea.
Food issues are a difficult problem for people in this era.
But for Li Min, it's really not a big problem.
After listening to Li Min's words, Wu Meiniang had a look of disbelief on her face.
However, Wu Meiniang still chose to believe it.
Because His Highness has really done too many miraculous things, as long as His Highness dares to say so, he will definitely be able to do it.
Therefore, in the following time, Wu Meiniang pretended not to notice that someone secretly purchased grain and ignored it.
The five surnames and seven looked at these families, thinking that the King of Shu had not noticed their little tricks at all, and secretly secretly rejoiced.
…
In late July, the wheat harvest begins.
(This era is spring wheat, not winter wheat in later generations, so the harvest time is different from later generations.)
After the wheat harvest, the people discovered that this year's grain output was worse than they imagined.
These grains will definitely not be able to sustain them until next year, so the people are very scared.
What frightened them even more was that just after harvesting the grain, they suddenly discovered that there was no grain available to buy on the street.
The price of food will increase, and people have long expected it.
Those alert people had already purchased some food and hid it at home.
But they never expected that at this time, the grain store would run out of food.
And after the food shortage, once they don't have enough food, how can they survive the famine?