Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 818 - 668: Food is the God of the People

Chapter 818: Chapter 668: Food is the God of the People

"Have all three of these crops been found?"

Li Xuan became excited in an instant, "This is the spell message from two days ago, they should have arrived in Tongzhou by now, right? Have them come to the capital as quickly as possible, and bring the items to my mansion for me to see."

Yu Hongchang, however, looked at him puzzled, "They’re just some foreign items, not some kind of immortal grass or miraculous treasures. Xuan, do you really need to be so excited about this?"

Li Xuan replied with a smile, "What if the yield per mu for these potatoes and sweet potatoes could reach three to five thousand jin? What if this corn could increase the yield per mu of the northern lands by three to five stones? Moreover, these potatoes and corn can also serve as staple food, right?"

In the world Li Xuan came from, potatoes were introduced to Middle Earth by sea merchants during the mid-Qing Dynasty.

This was a high-yield crop that could easily produce one to two thousand jin per mu.

With improved varieties and planting methods in later generations, the yield could reach three to five thousand jin, or even more than eight thousand jin.

Potatoes were not only suitable for planting in areas with extremely low grain production such as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, and northern Shaanxi but could also significantly increase grain production in the south.

Sweet potatoes were introduced to the Ming Dynasty towards the end of its era, and they were also a high-yield crop, with a yield of several thousand jin per mu.

Historical records say that sweet potatoes yield "dozens of stones per mu, twenty times more than cultivating grains, and they can be grown anywhere." They can be eaten humid, boiled or ground into powder, raw they taste like kudzu, cooked like honey, with a flavor similar to water chestnuts."

Unfortunately, for the first few decades, this crop was only planted in the south until it was introduced to Zhejiang during the Kangxi period and to Beijing in the Qianlong period.

Corn had been introduced to the Ming Dynasty earlier, with records of it before the Jiajing period, when it was called "jade wheat."

Corn also has strong adaptability to the environment, with drought, cold, and poor soil tolerance. The key point is that it could be rotated with wheat, spring grains, or sorghum, greatly increasing grain yield.

Indeed, these three crops from abroad created the so-called "Kang-Qian Golden Age," swelling the population of the Qing Dynasty to four hundred million over a few hundred years.

Li Xuan hadn’t actually held much hope for these three crops, but half a year ago, he had taken a chance and drawn diagrams for Yu Hongchang to send people overseas to look for them.

After all, in this world, immortals and demons are known, and taoist techniques are widespread.

The crops and grains cultivated by the people are also different from those in his world.

But to his surprise, the Shibo Division in Quanzhou actually made a discovery.

"A yield of three to five thousand jin per mu, and it can suffice as a staple food?" Yu Hongchang was taken aback, her expression one of utter shock, "Is this really true? Xuan, where did you learn of this?"

If it were true, although these items were not immortal grasses or miraculous treasures, their value to the Jin Dynasty would far exceed the most superior immortal grasses and miraculous treasures. They could indeed save billions of lives.

At that time, the entire Jin Dynasty might never have to worry about famine again.

Li Xuan bluffed, "I heard it from the mouths of some sea merchants. When I was in Jinling, I often interacted with them and learned about some overseas matters.

Including these three crops, I thought if they can sustain countless people in foreign lands, then could we not introduce them to Middle Earth for cultivation? But whether what was sent from the Shibo Division in Quanzhou is authentic, I must see with my own eyes first."

Yu Hongchang was still incredulous, "A yield that really reaches three to five thousand jin per mu? How can there be crops with such high yields? Xuan, do you realize what this means? This would be immeasurable merit!

Could it be that those merchants exaggerated the truth, making grand claims? You must know that even the best paddy fields in Jiangnan only yield less than seven hundred jin per mu."

Li Xuan could not help but smile wryly, thinking that in this world, the yields of potatoes and sweet potatoes might be even more exaggerated.

Since the rice yield in Jin Dynasty could be doubled, it was reasonable to expect the yields of potatoes and sweet potatoes to double as well.

However, before seeing the actual crops and the results of their cultivation, he would not make such bold claims.

"We will know the true situation once we try planting them. With the aid of taoist techniques to promote growth, we can see the results of the trials in just over a month."

Speaking of this, Li Xuan remembered something, "By the way, has the Shen Nong Institution had any new achievements recently?"

The Shen Nong Institution was established a few months ago when Yu Hongchang acted as Jianguo for the first time. Li Xuan built it with the help of her authority, and it currently operates under the administration of the Central Army’s commander and Dian Nong Zhonglangjiang of the yamen.

The capital was provided by the imperial treasury, and Yu Hongchang summoned dozens of technique masters proficient in the wood element and more than a dozen Confucianism disciples familiar with agricultural affairs in the name of the royal family, all through forceful conscription from various places.

Their mission was to select the best varieties of wheat and rice, summarize and improve farming methods, and increase grain yield.

Before the festival season, the Shen Nong Institution had already achieved some results.

The test fields at the imperial manor had seen wheat yields increase to a maximum of five bushels, while rice had increased to nine.

Adopting the "Shen Nong Institution" optimized and selectively bred rice and wheat varieties, along with more scientific planting methods, the output on top fields could generally increase by twenty to thirty percent, while that of the middle fields could increase by around fifteen to twenty-five percent.

However, after February of this year, due to the volatile political situation at court, Li Xuan’s attention to the "Shen Nong Institution" had lessened.

When Yu Hongchang heard Li Xuan asking about this, her face slightly paled, and a touch of anger appeared in her eyes.

This annoyance was not directed at Li Xuan or the Shen Nong Institution, but rather at the Zhengtong Emperor and Empress Sun.

The Zhengtong Emperor’s palace coup and revolt had also involved more than a dozen Sacrament Technique Cultivators from the "Shen Nong Institution," significantly weakening its power.

At this moment, Yu Hongchang had come to value the "Shen Nong Institution" immensely.

The saying "The people regard food as their heaven" was well known to Yu Hongchang, who was aware that to secure the Jin Dynasty’s hold on the realm, the utmost priority was to ensure the people were well-fed.

Yet now, due to the Zhengtong Emperor’s selfishness, the research progress at the "Shen Nong Institution" had slowed dramatically.

She shook her head, "The progress at the Shen Nong Institution is not significant. The rice yield has only increased by about thirty-five percent, while wheat has reached about thirty percent. Actually, this is already quite good, although it cannot meet Xuan’s expectations, I believe the current results are ready to be promoted amongst the general populace."

Li Xuan thought to himself, is this enough?

The test fields at the imperial manor, after all, were tended day and night by dozens of technique practitioners from the "Shen Nong Institution."

In an ordinary farmer’s household, who would have the spare time for such meticulous cultivation?

Thus, even if the Shen Nong Institution’s achievements could increase crop production by half a percentage point in ordinary farmhouses, that would be quite impressive.

However, Li Xuan’s plan was to increase the grain yield in the realm by thirty to fifty percent within the next two or three years.

This was the foundation for his future policy and reforms, and the increase in grain production, along with the wealth generated from it, could not only stabilize the realm but also increase the fault tolerance of the reforms.

He did not wish to end up like Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng, who were pushed out due to their forceful implementation of reforms.

Of course, low grain prices harming farmers was also a problem.

But without driving grain prices to rock bottom, how could he attract people to work in cities? How could he relocate people to Liaodong and Guangdong and Guangxi? How could he strike at the local landlords and bullies?

The best method to suppress land consolidation was to guide developments by leveraging the situation.

But then Li Xuan still said with a bitter smile, "It’s okay, while the spring plowing is not yet over, Hongshang, you can start a trial plantation at the imperial manor. I’ll have my family’s manor, as well as friends and relatives, follow suit."

He thought that even a half-percent increase could greatly improve the people’s livelihood and strengthen the Jin Dynasty’s national power.

Yu Hongchang nodded slightly upon hearing this; she had no intention of forcing the promotion of the new grain varieties.

For one, the "Shen Nong Institution" had a limited quantity of the newly developed grain varieties, and second, persistent persuasion isn’t how sales work.

It was only necessary for the imperial manor and Li Xuan’s manor to show a substantial increase in yield to naturally attract more people to follow suit.

Li Xuan then wondered in his heart if this era, this world, could produce a Yuan Longping?

Li Xuan knew the principle behind hybrid rice and wheat, but it was not something that could be achieved solely by understanding the principle; it required a great deal of meticulous work and experimentation, as well as sufficient luck.

Li Xuan had also hinted at this "idea" to the people at the "Shen Nong Institution" a few months prior, albeit to no avail thus far.

As far as he knew, the only one who had put effort into this area in the Shen Nong Institution was "Princess Xixue," who had changed her name to "Juezui" after recovering from illness three months earlier. Recommended by Master Hanyuanzi from Longmen Department, she had joined the Shen Nong Institution under Li Xuan’s command.

According to Master Hanyuanzi, Zhao Xixue was not only proficient in music but also highly talented in taoist techniques related to the wood element, second only to his disciple Hua Shenxiao.

Li Xuan was unaware of how proficient Zhao Xixue really was with the wood element, but the young woman did seem to listen well.

The technique cultivators of the Shen Nong Institution had listened and forgotten Li Xuan’s "idea" of hybrid breeding, but only Zhao Xixue was willing to devote herself wholeheartedly to the research.

Li Xuan was quite hopeful, thinking if Zhao Xixue could really achieve something in this area, it would be more than enough to make amends for the sins committed during the White Lotus uprising.

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