Wang Pu thought for a moment, nodded blankly, and said: "Quite a few."
"That's right!" Li Mu came closer and whispered: "And I want to tell you one more thing. The Ministry of Industry wants to set up a department specializing in production, called a 'factory'. Now it has been established by Yu Wengui, a doctor in the Ministry of Industry.
Under his leadership, trial work began, specializing in the manufacture of Zhenguan plows. You have also seen the Zhenguan plow. It can be pulled by manpower without the use of livestock. With this sharp tool, how much farmland will be reclaimed next spring?"
"How much food will be available next autumn?"
Li Mu didn't mention it, but Wang Pu hadn't thought of this yet. When he heard what he said, Wang Pu suddenly became a little scared!
In fact, from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, there was no shortage of land in Jiuzhou because there were not many people!
Later historians specifically calculated that when Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, the registered population in the country was about 30 million. The Peasant War broke out at the end of Qin, causing a large number of deaths, and the population was suddenly reduced to 4 million. Immediately afterwards
After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, after the recuperation of the Wenjing rule, by the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the country's population suddenly surged to 60 million. However, with Wang Mang's restructuring, the world was in chaos. Until Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty unified the regime, the population remained at 35 million.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the population returned to the level of 60 million.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms continued to have disputes and wars. At this time, the population dropped to 23 million. After that, through the Eastern and Western Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the north and south were constantly divided, and the population dropped significantly. The population has maintained this trend since then. The population in peacetime has
The population increased during the war, and the population decreased during the war. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty came to the throne, the population recovered to about 60 million. Then there was chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty and wars between heroes. When Li Yuan founded the country, there were only about 20 million left.
Now that Li Shimin has ascended the throne as emperor, the population is only 23 million.
Such a population, in later generations, would only be the population of a municipality. Compared with the vast land, even excluding the land that could not be cultivated due to the conditions in the Tang Dynasty, evenly divided, it would be hundreds of times that of later generations.
Some people may find it strange that since there was no shortage of land in ancient times, why did people starve to death even in the prosperous times?
In fact, we might as well think about this issue from another angle.
In the year 2018 when Li Mu traveled through time, were there no people dying of starvation in the world? Although the proportion was much smaller, there were still some, right?
It can be seen that starving to death is not a question of land. It is a question of whose hands the land is. Take today's Tang Dynasty as an example. If the food in all granaries were opened up and shared, no one would be hungry among the 23 million people.
Death. But would a wealthy and aristocratic family be willing to do this? Even in years of famine, they would only help those they thought were needed. Only the old, weak, sick and disabled among the refugees would be reluctant to part with a bowl of gruel.
Let’s talk about this land.
Land is called "field" only when it is cultivated. How to cultivate it? This involves animal power and human power. Before the emergence of the Zhenguan plow, the comparison between human power and animal power was too far. The emergence of the Zhenguan plow has greatly narrowed the gap.
Distance. With the Zhenguan plow, you can imagine how many new fields will be cultivated next year. Even if the yield of the new fields is slightly lower, it must still be productive!
Since Li Shimin came to the throne, all policies related to people's livelihood have been carried out around the four words "recuperation and recuperation". Instead of suppressing land reclamation, the imperial court took an encouraging attitude, as long as taxes were paid.
Although the common people are not like the nobles, they have been educated and can do arithmetic. However, the common people are not fools. They only need to pay the court tax for the land they cultivate. However, when renting land from a wealthy family, they not only have to pay the court tax, but also have to pay taxes.
If the Zhenguan plow is promoted by giving a share of rent to a wealthy family, most of the people who can pull the plowshare will definitely cultivate the land themselves, and fewer and fewer people will be tenants!
Even if it does not affect the cultivation of the fields in the hands of wealthy families, but on the premise that the total amount of fields increases, the food will inevitably increase. After the food increases, the food prices will fall!
What to do with the food in the grain store?!
Li Mu smiled sadly and said: "Brother Wang, think about it. One year later, the grain pits will be full of grains, and the people will be rich all over the world... Is it the grain that your Taiyuan Wang family has hoarded? I thought of another good idea,
It can be used to raise chickens, sheep or cows, it doesn't matter! When the time comes, I will reserve 300 cows and kill one a day, so I don't have to bother looking for cows with broken legs!"
After Li Mu's guidance, Wang Pu felt that he had figured it out, and the points he didn't understand were connected. The food hoarded by wealthy families cannot be sold, sold cheaply, and worthless. It will rot. And after a year
, because of the Zhenguan plow, the price of grain will definitely fall, and with new grain, who will buy old grain? Then they can only feed the chickens!
But if we follow the "clear path" pointed out by Li Mu, it will be different. Take out the food that can only be used to feed chickens in a year, recruit homeless people who can work, and build roads without paying money.
, set up a card to collect tolls, and you can collect tolls for more than five years. During these five years, everyone who travels and rides has to pay, and the water flows smoothly. This is equivalent to replacing the food that will be fed to the chickens in one year to a steady stream of food in five years.
Continuous progress... Only the head of Zhu Luhou can come up with such genius ideas!
Wang Pu was so excited that he slammed the table, startling Li Mu, and thought to himself, could it be that he had seen through my trick and was so angry that he wanted to attack me?
Just when Li Mu was hesitating whether to call someone, Wang Pu suddenly knelt in front of Li Mu, tightly grasped his 'Diao'er' sleeve and said loudly: "Thank you, Mr. Marquis, for your advice. I have benefited a lot. Please accept it."
Wang Pu pays homage"
"Oh, what is this!"
Li Mu didn't let Wang Pu bow down and dragged him up. He was also a conscientious person. He had deceived others and received such generous gifts. He felt really sorry.
Li Mu helped the excited Wang Pu sit down, sighed, and said, "I haven't told anyone about this. Do you know why?"
Wang Pu was stunned for a moment and said hurriedly: "It must be that the Marquis has a good relationship with me?"
"There is a connection in this aspect, but the most important reason is not this." Li Mu sighed again and said: "The reason why I didn't publicize it in a big way is because of Your Majesty."
Hearing that it was about Li Shimin, Wang Pu couldn't help but cheer up and said, "What do you mean, Lord Marquis?"
"Think about it, the road conditions are bad. It's not just a day or two. In the former Sui Dynasty, the road conditions were like this. Are you anxious when you see Emperor Yang of the former Sui Dynasty? Not anxious? Are you anxious when you see the Supreme Emperor? Not anxious? Why?
Because this world belongs to them, what kind of roads are they like and how many times can they take them? If they build roads, the world will be the same. If they don’t build roads, the world will still be the same. It costs money to build roads, and there will be complaints about levying corvees. It’s a waste of time.
what?"
Wang Pu nodded, Li Mu told the truth.
"To put it bluntly, the emperor is not willing to do anything that is unprofitable." After a pause, Li Mu continued: "But after I came up with this idea, things were different. Has anyone thought of using grain to build a building before?
Road, how to set up a card to collect money?"
Wang Pu shook his head, at least he hadn't heard it.
"It's my original creation, Brother Wang." Li Mu said sadly, with an expression of regret that it was too late: "I really regret telling His Majesty. If I didn't tell His Majesty, just like this company, I will take the lead.
Our family pooled together some money and food, and we took care of this matter. We were the ones who set up the card to collect the money. But after I told His Majesty, His Majesty was tempted! Your Majesty knows very well that in one year, the court will have someone
As long as there is food left over, the court can take care of this matter. So he asked me not to reveal the news and wait for one year. After one year, the Ministry of Industry will take the lead, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs will cooperate, collect corvees, recruit refugees, and handle the matter at once.
When the time comes, the imperial court will set up a card to collect money, and it will continue to go into the treasury!"
Wang Pu panicked and said: "What...what should we do? Mr. Hou, let alone who will make the money...just talk about our coal and stone business, we can't wait for a year!"
Li Mu spread his hands and said: "You also know that this is our coal and stone business. You make money and don't share the profit with Your Majesty. Does Your Majesty care whether you can wait or not?"
"What should we do?" Wang Pu ran out of ideas and held Li Mu's arm tightly, saying: "Master Hou, think of a way quickly!"
Li Mu looked like an old god: "If I had no other choice, I wouldn't tell you."
"Master Hou, speak quickly!"
"You're like this..." Li Mugang was about to say, when he saw Wei Yingluo still standing nearby, glanced at her, and waved her hand. Wei Yingluo bowed and retreated to the corner obediently.
Li Mu then whispered a few words to Wang Pu in a low voice. Wang Pu nodded while listening, his eyes getting brighter and brighter. When Li Mu finished speaking, he repeatedly praised: "Master Hou's wonderful plan! In this way, even if His Majesty is unwilling, he will not.
I won’t agree!”
"!Brother Wang." Li Mu looked unhappy and said: "When you talk like this, aren't you saying that I am plotting against His Majesty? If you talk like this, I will have to ask you to leave my mansion. I, Li Mu, say to Your Majesty
Loyalty can be a lesson to heaven and earth!"
Wang Pu hurriedly apologized and smiled: "The Marquis is right, but I understand it wrong. Everyone does things for the sake of your Majesty's country."
"Incomplete, there is still the welfare of the people."
"Yes, yes..." Wang Pu echoed repeatedly, looking as doggy as possible. Although Wei Yingluo couldn't hear clearly what the two said, but seeing their faces, she felt that it would not be a good thing.
Someone must be scheming again. She is Wei Zheng's daughter, and her character is somewhat hereditary. She doesn't like to be like a fly and a dog, so she can't stand it. More importantly, she is worried that the person these two are scheming will be her father.
Thinking of her father being fined for half a year, Wei Yingluo felt very sad. She knew the situation at home very well. If she was fined for one month and lived frugally, she would probably be able to survive. If she was fined for three months, mother
If Grandma Qinhe weaves more cloth, maybe it can still be maintained. But if she is fined for half a year, she will definitely not be able to survive. But what should I do?
Suddenly, Wei Yingluo suddenly remembered that she was chatting with the maid Xiaozhu yesterday. It was said that the servants in the mansion all have monthly stipends. I don’t know when the monthly stipends were paid and how much they were. Now in this mansion, I don’t have to worry about food and clothing.
, and there is nothing to spend. If I also have a monthly salary, I can just use it to my mother to subsidize the family...
"What are you thinking about?"
"ah!"
Wei Yingluo was startled and covered her chest tightly. After taking a closer look, she realized that it was Li Mu who had moved his wheelchair in front of him at some point, and Wang Pu was nowhere to be found.
Li Mu is sitting in a wheelchair. The height of his face is just a little bit below Wei Yingluo's chest. When Wei Yingluo was in a daze just now, he had already carefully observed her. Miss Wei Yingluo's bra cup can be considered an A+ at most.
It can't even reach b, so it's really mediocre.
There was really nothing to see, so he woke up Wei Yingluo. Unexpectedly, this girl's first reaction was to cover her chest? Come on, your chest is like putting two Wangzi steamed buns on the table.
, is it still necessary to cover it?
Li Mu withdrew his eyes half-heartedly and said, "Don't be dazed. Push me back to the back house. My wife and Zhien have both gone to Jingdong. It just so happens that I'm free right now, so I can train you."
When Wei Yingluo heard the word "training", she suddenly froze.
These two words really make people think.
Wei Yingluo is a woman who has read books, and she is a woman who has read many books. Whether it is saints' classics or idle history, as long as there is something to read, she will read it. Although most of the books are upright books
, but there are also one or two among them, which involve some secrets of spring, princes and maids, etc. that make people blush and heartbeat.
She clearly remembered that there was a short story recorded in an anonymous miscellany during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Famous people in the Wei and Jin Dynasties were romantic and often gave each other concubines. According to legend, a famous person liked this very much, and every time he found a beautiful woman
After having fun with a concubine, he feels very comfortable and wants to share it with his friends. For some concubines that make him feel uncomfortable, he will 'tune' them and then share them with his friends.
Wei Yingluo thought this incident was very ridiculous when she first saw it. But because of this incident, she remembered the word "training". Now in her eyes, Li Mu is a ridiculous person. He said "training" again and again.
I specifically pointed out that my wife is not at home, and my intention is ready to come out!
what to do?
Wei Yingluo, are you going to lose your virginity to him today and then be given away by him?
Thinking of this, Wei Yingluo couldn't help but shed tears and started sobbing. She cried so sadly.
Li Mu waited for a long time, but did not wait for Wei Yingluo to push the wheelchair. He was feeling strange when he suddenly heard crying. He couldn't help but look back and saw that Wei Yingluo had turned into tears for some reason. He was a little confused. This girl
Why are you crying? I didn't say anything. Could it be that I missed home?
"Hey, why are you crying? I asked you to push me to the back house, so there's no need to be so sad, right?"
When Wei Yingluo heard Li Mu's voice, she knelt down in front of Li Mu and hugged his legs tightly.
This kneeling made Li Mu panic: "What are you doing? If you don't want to push, don't push. Why are you crying?"
"Master Hou, I, I will train you, can you not give me away..."
"Ah?" Before Li Mu could answer, Pearl heard the cry and searched for it. She came in from the side door. Because of the angle, what she saw was her young lady buried between the Marquis' legs...
Pearl almost screamed and quickly covered her mouth!