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墨書 Inktalez
"Hello everyone, I am White Jade!" A smiling face appeared on Heavenscape.
"Today, I will share with you how to develop agriculture."
[Agriculture? Isn't that just farming? What is there to talk about?]
[Such a crude occupation is not elegant.] These comments came from Wei Jin and other unknown individuals with misguided thoughts.
Don't be angry, don't be angry.
White Jade told herself that this group of arrogant pests would eventually bring about their own downfall.
"The production structure of agriculture includes: crop cultivation, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, and sideline industries; however, for thousands of years, it has primarily focused on crop cultivation. Due to the large population and relatively small arable land area, food production has been of utmost importance."
"In traditional views, growing grains is almost synonymous with agriculture."
As White Jade spoke, images appeared on Heavenscape:
Lush green plants, towering trees, domesticated chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and abundant fish in ponds.
"Oh my, why are those pigs so tender!"
"They look so docile and don't cause trouble!"
"The development of agriculture plays a crucial role in human survival, especially in grain cultivation. Insufficient yields can easily lead to hunger, starvation, or even famine!"
White Jade had a serious expression.
"The Tang Dynasty's New Book of Tang states:
In the first year of Zhenguan, there was famine within the borders.
In the second year of Zongzhang, over forty states experienced famine, particularly severe in Guanzhong.
In the fourth year of Yifeng, there was famine in the Eastern Capital.
In the autumn of the first year of Diaolu, there was famine in Guanzhong.
In the winter of the first year of Yonglong, there was famine in the Eastern Capital.
In the first year of Yongchun, there were twenty-six famines in Guanzhong and Shannan Prefecture; people in the capital resorted to cannibalism..."
Li Shimin had tears in his eyes as he looked at the word "famine" filling Heavenscape. A strange current surged within him; this was not just a record from history books but something he had clearly experienced.
After Sui Yangdi fell, chaos erupted across the land. Various rebel forces sought to seize the supreme throne, leading to continuous warfare.
He had seen people so emaciated they resembled skeletons lying on the ground with swollen bellies; they seemed dead yet breathed faintly. They appeared alive but were as immobile as corpses, their dull eyes devoid of any light.
Along the march, white bones littered the roadside while the chirping of weary birds echoed like cries of lost souls. He dared not listen closely but only grew more resolute in his determination to quell the chaos.
At that time, he vowed to ensure that the people on this land would live good lives.
And he would ultimately achieve that.
Empress Changsun silently held his hand, offering silent comfort.
"Human cannibalism..."
Li Bai murmured these three words, sending chills down the spine of those who heard them.
As a poet, he was deeply emotional and empathetic; it was as if he could see a hellish world before his eyes.
"Strange... why does this newly found fine wine taste so bland?"
White Jade remarked, "In ancient times, population was extremely important, and agriculture was closely related to population."
"Besides filling bellies, grain can also be used to brew wine, which can turn into alcohol; alcohol can kill bacteria, as many people in ancient times died from wound infections."
"This alcohol is indeed a miraculous substance!" Liu Che exclaimed, reflecting on how many soldiers survived the battlefield only to succumb to festering wounds.
He said, "We must develop alcohol."
With such a miraculous substance to assist him, attacking the Xiongnu would become much easier.
Xiongnu...
He bitterly chewed on the two characters, recalling how the previous dynasty repeatedly invaded the borders of the Han and even demanded that a princess of the Han marry into their ranks, potentially leading to future divisions into Eastern Han.
Although Heavenscape did not elaborate on how such divisions occurred, it did not prevent him from placing the blame squarely on the Xiongnu.
Lost in thought, he saw the group of ministers wearing worried expressions, and a surge of anger rose within him as he said unhappily, "What? Do you still want to obstruct me?"
This group of spineless officials.
At that moment, Sang Hongyang stepped forward under the emperor's pressure, nearly in tears: "Your Majesty, the national treasury does not have enough grain or funds."
With the treasury so empty and annual revenues in the negative, his own emperor still wanted to go to war; he had to hold back his tears.
Liu Che: "..."
Fine then, let's first see how to increase production.
White Jade noticed many people asking about how alcohol is made and said, "The process and precautions for making alcohol will be shared at the end."
"The grain yield in ancient times was very low. During the Pre-Qin period, 'Guanzi: Light and Heavy Armor' states: 'A farmer works a hundred mu for an entire year but only harvests twenty zhong.' The 'Records of the Grand Historian: Book of Canals' mentions: 'When Qin opened the Zhengguo Canal, it irrigated over forty thousand mu of saline land with a harvest of one zhong per mu.'"
"In ancient times, one zhong equaled ten shi; at that time, one shi equaled 0.33 modern stones. Today’s one stone equals 100 jin, meaning that one zhong during the Pre-Qin era produced about 330 jin."
"Calculating this way, the yield of top-quality farmland during Pre-Qin was around 100 jin per mu or about 50 kilograms; while average farmland yielded only one-fifth of that—only about 10 kilograms."
White Jade displayed data on Heavenscape: "'New Book of Tang: Biography of Cui Hongli' records: 'Cui Hongli was transferred to be the governor of Heyang and managed the Qin Canal in Henei, irrigating thousands of acres and harvesting eighty thousand hu annually.'"
"This suggests that grain production during the Tang Dynasty was roughly equivalent to today’s yield of 334 jin per mu or over 160 kilograms."
"And by the Ming and Qing dynasties, production increased somewhat to about 367 kilograms per mu; but honestly asking ourselves—can this yield really sustain the Chinese population?"
Can it sustain them?
The people working in the fields paused in confusion. They could not understand the data in the historical records; they only knew that day and night, month after month, they tirelessly toiled on the land. Their stomachs always burned with pain, but they had finally grown numb to it.
After much effort, they found that almost all of their harvest was taken away by those above them, leaving barely enough for the new year's sustenance. They hoped their children could rise up and become officials, escaping the bonds of the land like they had, but the scholars looked down on them. Even if a few were willing to help, the exorbitant tuition fees were disheartening.
Thus, their sons and daughters became yet another generation of dusty weeds bending over in the fields, merging with the land... They did not understand why, despite their hard work, they could not have a full meal. Those whom they supported looked down on them from high above, like fat, twisted, ugly, and disgusting locusts. They wished they could swallow every last drop of their blood and bones.
"China?" Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back, his robe fluttering. "Is this the name of a country in later times? Quite a good name."
The scene unfolded. From a drone's aerial view, the rice fields looked like a golden ocean swaying in the breeze. As the camera zoomed in, what stood out most were the plump rice ears bending under their own weight, swaying like waves in a golden sea.
"What is this?!" The farmer's child exclaimed excitedly! "How is this possible?! So many ears, and they're not shriveled!"
"A miracle!!!"
"This is truly a miracle!!"
...
The scene continued: as it zoomed in further, several people could be seen in the rice field. With people for comparison, it became clear just how tall the rice was—almost as tall as a person?!
"This is the 'Hybrid Rice' cultivated under Grandpa Yuan's guidance. In 2000, super hybrid rice varieties reached the first phase yield standard of over 10.5 tons per hectare! On September 24, 2012, an expert acceptance team organized by the Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture announced the successful achievement of an average yield of 900 kilograms per mu for super hybrid rice in its third phase!"
"How much?" Li Shimin doubted he had heard correctly. After taking a closer look at the images on Heavenscape, his eyes filled with longing.
Wow, so much grain! I want it so badly~
"In 2021, a new variety of super hybrid rice was released—heat-resistant super rice!"
"This variety has introduced heat-resistant genes from African rice, resulting in over a 30% increase in seed-setting rate at a high temperature of 38.9 degrees. Even under extreme heat of 41.6 degrees, it still maintains a seed-setting rate of 50%, achieving both high yield and stable production!"
"Jing 11... the suitable yield is 700 kilograms..."
" Superior thousand... with an average yield of 1044.83 kilograms per mu..."
...
One new variety after another, accompanied by enticing videos showcasing bountiful harvests, reached a climax when the harvested, hulled rice cascaded down into the warehouse!
People reached out eagerly, wanting to catch it.
But their hands were empty...
Even someone as composed as Ying Zheng couldn't help but raise his hand slightly.
An old man in tattered clothes maintained the gesture of reaching up with both hands, trembling and crying silently, his hoarse voice squeezing out:
"What if... what if!?"
Finally, he sighed deeply and wiped his tears with his sleeve.
This man is named Mu, a name given to him by his mother after seeking help from an educated villager.
Since his birth, he had never seen his father; according to his mother, his father died on the battlefield, and the compensation had not been issued for a long time.
A woman raising a young child faced many hardships; not only did she have to work hard to make ends meet, but she also had to deal with gossip. Fortunately, life was tough but relatively stable at that time.
Until...
He couldn't remember clearly... those memories were too painful...
He only remembered that something happened; officials came to collect heavy taxes, and they didn't have enough goods to pay even leading them into debt...
He desperately pleaded for them to leave some food for survival, but the officials kicked him hard and took everything from his home.
Later...
Later... he searched everywhere and finally found something to eat to bring back to honor his mother, but she tragically died on his way back!
Liu Che's eyes turned red with emotion.
He wanted it!
He wanted it so badly!
Why couldn't this be stored in my treasury!
Tang
Drunk and muddled, Li Bai saw countless white dots falling from the sky.
She murmured, "Could it be that the Milky Way has fallen from the heavens...?"
"From an output of 100 kilograms per mu to 900 kilograms!"
"This is the importance of agricultural development!"
"Farming is a science; it's not just about casually throwing down a handful of seeds and expecting to reap the rewards."
"How do you determine the quality of seeds? The type of soil, planting techniques, soil fertility... all these are crucial factors that affect the harvest."
The engraving tool from the Pre-Qin period was once again smoking...
The great demon king Ying Ji was directing, "Listen carefully! Make sure to remember!"
He urged again, "When will my little great-grandson be picked up? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
Even Ying Zheng was taking notes, holding a newly developed notebook and writing diligently.
White Jade looked at him with admiration.
The emperor, seriously jotting down notes... so cute! (Covering her face)
"Crops need fertile soil to grow, and once the nutrients in the soil are absorbed, they are gone; subsequent crops won't grow as well as before."
People nodded in agreement.
"Therefore, fertilizers are needed to maintain soil fertility."
"Research shows that fertilizers were used as early as the Western Zhou period when people discovered that decaying weeds in the fields benefited crop growth; this was the precursor to fertilizers."
"The Qimin Yaoshu details the methods for making fertilizers, using crop stalks mixed with cow dung and urine, which are then piled up to create it."
"I won't say much more about fertilizers; our ancestors know more about this than I do."
After all, she was just a novice researcher and couldn't compare to those who actually worked in the fields.
She could only teach what she had found in her research; real results would depend on their own studies.
In fact, she wanted to hand over the system to the state since she felt like a useless person who couldn't accomplish anything.
However...
When she sat in the police station, no matter how excitedly she spoke about the system, the other party just stared blankly at her without expression.
In the end, the police officer subtly asked if she needed any medical assistance, almost implying that there was something wrong with her mind.
White Jade: ...
Hugging herself, she held back tears.
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